The 2026 NFL season is fast approaching and the Yahoo Fantasy Ultra Playbook has everything you need to know to before your draft, giving you the tools and analysis to crush the competition. Inside the Playbook, you can find a slew of picks and recommendations, including Scott Pianowski’s fades. Below is a sneak peek at some of the players he’s avoiding for the 2026 season. If you subscribe to Ultra, there are fades for all 32 teams, plus much, much more.
He’s the only reasonable option here, as he’s the only Miami player that will command a top-100 pick. But Achane’s fade case has plenty of prongs. Any RB investment for fantasy is also an investment on a team’s offense, and Miami could easily have the worst offense in football. The blocking is likely to be a problem, and new QB Malik Willis does not have a history of throwing to his running backs. Achane’s talent leaps off the screen, but he’ll be running uphill as he tries to return his ADP this fall.
The Chiefs haven’t produced a top-25 receiver in the past four years, although Rice surely would have broken that seal given better health. Alas, Rice keeps getting hurt — he’s missed 22 games in two years, mostly due to injury — and he’s coming off a knee cleanup back in May. Rice also brings off-field risk; he recently spent 30 days in jail for a probation violation, and he served a six-game suspension in 2024 for his role in a high-speed car crash. Given how ordinary the Kansas City offense has looked the last two years, I’m looking away from Rice in the third round.
It’s not like the Yahoo market is aggressively chasing Judkins — he slots as the RB22. But that’s still a check I’m unlikely to cut. The Browns seem certain to have a bottom-five offense, tied to a messy quarterback room (starting Deshaun Watson to open the season) and perhaps the worst offensive line in the league. And Judkins should lose some passing work to Dylan Sampson, who was the much better receiver of the two rookies in 2025. You want your primary RB picks to be tied to positive environments, but Judkins will have to offset a poor infrastructure in Cleveland.
He has turned into America’s fade at running back, with a consistent price drop the last month or so. But just because the opinion is obvious doesn’t mean it can’t be right. Irving had an injury-wrecked sophomore year, a shoulder issue that lingered into training camp. Competition might be a bigger problem, as the Buccaneers gave relatively-decent money to two other backs (pass-catcher Kenny Gainwell, power inside runner Sean Tucker). Tampa Bay’s offensive line is still a plus, but the undersized Irving is hard to trust.
Perhaps the Eagles will be the long-term winners as they move on from A.J. Brown — Philadelphia rebuilt its WR room with impact signees and draftees. But it can take time for chemistry to build, so I’m going to be measured with my Hurts expectations this year. Hurts saw his YPA drop to 7.1 last year (a new low) and his rushing frequency was his lowest in five seasons (along with a loss of six rushing touchdowns). It’s possible Hurts is shifting to the second part of his career, where he’ll be more of a pocket passer and less of a dynamic fantasy scorer. Also be aware of the depth at the QB position with plenty of quality options available late in drafts, which is also part of the reason for the fade here.
The Playbook is powered by some of fantasy football’s most-trusted analysts: Justin Boone (the top-ranked in-season ranker of 2025), Matt Harmon, Josh Norris, Joel Smyth, Scott Pianowski and Hayden Winks.
The Ultra Fantasy Playbook is loaded with everything you need to dominate your draft.
- Positional targets and fades: Each analyst reveals their favorite picks and players to avoid at QB, RB, WR and TE.
- A sleeper and breakout candidate from all 32 teams: Every roster has one. We find them before your leaguemates do.
Deep sleepers: For the managers who want an edge late in drafts, where championships are quietly won.
Positional strategies: Deep dives on how to navigate builds for Late-Round QB, Zero RB and other popular strategies.
A detailed game plan for every draft pick range: Whether you’re up first or at the turn, we tell you exactly how the board should shape your strategy in each round.
Nearly 150 player profiles: Scouting reports on the names who’ll decide your season, including projections as well as ceiling and risk meters.
Half-PPR and full-PPR rankings: Consensus outlook built specifically for those scoring formats.
Half-PPR and full-PPR positional tiers from each analyst: See the value cliffs at a glance and know exactly when a position run is worth chasing.
Unique format advice: Playing in a Superflex or TE Premium league? We have top-50 lists to guide you through the key early rounds.
More analysis: Targets on each team, 2026’s top-10 rookies, regression candidates, kicker and D/ST insights are all part of The Playbook.
Printable cheat sheets: Draft-day ready, so you’re heads-down on the board and not toggling between 10 browser tabs.
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Positional targets and fades: Each analyst reveals their favorite picks and players to avoid at QB, RB, WR and TE.
A sleeper and breakout candidate from all 32 teams: Every roster has one. We find them before your leaguemates do.
Deep sleepers: For the managers who want an edge late in drafts, where championships are quietly won.
Positional strategies: Deep dives on how to navigate builds for Late-Round QB, Zero RB and other popular strategies.
A detailed game plan for every draft pick range: Whether you’re up first or at the turn, we tell you exactly how the board should shape your strategy in each round.
Nearly 150 player profiles: Scouting reports on the names who’ll decide your season, including projections as well as ceiling and risk meters.
Half-PPR and full-PPR rankings: Consensus outlook built specifically for those scoring formats.
Half-PPR and full-PPR positional tiers from each analyst: See the value cliffs at a glance and know exactly when a position run is worth chasing.
Unique format advice: Playing in a Superflex or TE Premium league? We have top-50 lists to guide you through the key early rounds.
More analysis: Targets on each team, 2026’s top-10 rookies, regression candidates, kicker and D/ST insights are all part of The Playbook.
Printable cheat sheets: Draft-day ready, so you’re heads-down on the board and not toggling between 10 browser tabs.
The Yahoo Fantasy Ultra Playbook is built for fantasy managers who want to draft smarter, not just play the game.
An Ultra subscription also unlocks top-notch tools like Yahoo’s Draft Strategy Lab, so you can take your mock draft game to the next level. Filter by each analyst’s rankings or by a draft strategy style, like Robust RB.
How much does Fantasy Ultra cost? It’s available for $79.99 per year, equal to $6.67 per month.
Where can I subscribe? Through eligible paywalls in the Yahoo Fantasy app or by visiting the Fantasy Plus landing page.
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