Ja'Marr Chase

Ja’Marr Chase enters the 2026 fantasy football season as one of the safest elite picks on the board, with current projections still placing him in the WR1 conversation. Recent fantasy rankings and projections have him around 200-plus PPR points, with one projection model putting him near 1512 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns, which is exactly the kind of ceiling that keeps him in the first-round mix.

The biggest reason for confidence is that Chase remains locked in with Cincinnati after signing a massive four-year, $161 million extension, so there is no team-change risk to worry about this season. The deal also keeps him tied to a high-volume Bengals offense that has consistently funneled targets his way, and his contract structure shows he is fully part of the team’s long-term plans.

From a fantasy perspective, the profile is as strong as ever: Chase has remained one of the league’s most productive receivers, and recent outlooks continue to describe him as a player who can finish near the top of the position again in 2026. He has been highlighted as a strong candidate to go anywhere from first overall in PPR formats to the early first round overall, which reflects both his weekly ceiling and his stable role as a target hog.

The only real caution is draft cost, not talent. Chase is being priced like an elite cornerstone, so managers need to pay up for a player who is expected to deliver WR1 production, but the current market still views him as one of the very best bets to anchor a fantasy roster in 2026.