Adam Schefter's fantasy cheat sheet: The players our NFL insider is most excited about this season
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- Adam Schefter released his 2026 fantasy football cheat sheet for ESPN, organizing targets into early (Rounds 1-4), middle (Rounds 5-11), and later (Round 12+) tiers based on ESPN's 10-team league ADPs.
- Jahmyr Gibbs (Lions, ADP 1.4) is called "the most dangerous offensive threat in the NFL" after 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons, with Bijan Robinson (Falcons, ADP 2.5) framed as the consensus 1-2 running back pairing.
- Quarterback depth prompted Schefter to skip early-round QBs entirely; middle-round targets are Bo Nix (Broncos, ADP 86.3), Caleb Williams (Bears, 92.2), and Justin Herbert (Chargers, 106.0), with later-round values including Tyler Shough (Saints, 155.4) and Daniel Jones (Colts, 158.2).
- Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals, ADP 4.0) heads the early-round wide receiver tier alongside Puka Nacua (Rams, 5.2) and Justin Jefferson (Vikings, 12.1); the deep later-round list includes rookies Ja'Kobi Lane (Ravens, 167.7) and KC Concepcion (Browns, 144.1).
- Brock Bowers (Raiders, ADP 24.3) leads a tight end group the article calls "the deepest and most talented in a long time," followed by middle-round values Colston Loveland (Bears, 45.0) and Harold Fannin Jr. (Browns, 75.0).
- Mike McDaniel's arrival as Chargers offensive coordinator anchors two picks — Justin Herbert (ADP 106.0) and Ladd McConkey (50.1) — alongside coaching-driven recommendations for Ben Johnson's Bears (Caleb Williams, Luther Burden III) and Brian Daboll's Titans (Wan'Dale Robinson).
- Adam Schefter's 2025 middle- and late-round recommendations — Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake Maye, Trevor Lawrence, Emeka Egbuka, and Quinshon Judkins — exceeded their draft-day ADPs, the track record he leans on for his 2026 list.
Why it matters: With Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs locked in as the consensus 1-2 picks at ADPs 2.5 and 1.4, the actionable value for fantasy drafters sits in the middle and late rounds — the same tiers where Schefter's biggest 2025 hits (Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake Maye, Trevor Lawrence, Emeka Egbuka, Quinshon Judkins) outperformed their draft position.
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