Podcast Summary: Fantasy Football Today – Top 12 WRs for 2026 & Divisional DFS Preview (01/15/2026)

Episode Overview

The January 15th, 2026 episode of “Fantasy Football Today” features host Adam Aizer and analysts Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, and Heath Cummings returning from break. The main theme is a deep dive into the projected Top 12 Wide Receivers for 2026 fantasy football drafts, alongside a comprehensive DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) preview and player analysis for the upcoming NFL divisional round playoff matchups. The crew discusses coaching changes, player injuries, and shifts in team dynamics, all with their signature playful banter, bold takes, and detailed reasoning.

Key Sections & Highlights

1. Early Banter, Show Setup & Coach News

Timestamps: 02:48–06:14

• Adam welcomes the crew, with jokes about 2026 changes and Heath’s return.
• Playful shots taken: Adam to Heath – “How does it feel to know the Giants have a better coach and quarterback than the Chiefs?” (03:30)
• They quickly pick divisional round winners, revealing little consensus except for the Rams. (04:19–05:18)
• Breaking News: Giants close to hiring John Harbaugh with Todd Monken as OC. (05:36)
  • Jamey: “It’s great... Lamar Jackson was healthy... a lot of things to love about [the Giants’] situation.” (06:14)
  • Fantasy impact discussed for Giants’ offensive personnel: QBs, Malik Nabers’ draft value, potential roster moves.

2. NFL & Fantasy News and Notes

Timestamps: 06:14–12:48

• Steelers coaching rumors and Aaron Rodgers’ future mentioned.
• Adam Thielen retires; Oregon QB Dante Moore stays in college.
• Jaguars may use Travis Hunter both ways (WR & CB)—discussion about practicality for fantasy. (09:44)
• Key divisional round practice reports and injury notes: (11:00–12:10)
  • Buffalo’s Jordan Poyer & Maxwell Harrison missed practice.
  • Nico Collins (Houston) is unlikely to play.
  • Updates on Rams, 49ers, Seahawks, and Patriots’ lineups and key injuries.
• Heath describes his Tennessee vacation; Show jokes about TV tastes & “The Wire.” (12:10–13:12)

3. Main Segment: Top 12 Wide Receivers for 2026 Fantasy Drafts

Timestamps: 13:12–37:55

Consensus Top 3 WRs (13:55–15:02)

• Puka Nacua
• Jamar Chase
• Jackson Smith-Njigba (JSN)
  • Heath moves JSN above Chase: “I don’t think there’s really that big of a point of argument between those three guys. JSN was about 2 points per game better this year.” (14:35)
• Noted: Only Heath has his top 3 overall picks as WRs, not RBs (15:24).

Ranks 4-6: Next Tier & Key Debates (15:08–23:14)

• Names in play: Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Malik Nabers, Rashee Rice, Drake London
• CeeDee Lamb’s production post-injury debated:
  • Adam: "Week 7–17, Lamb was WR14 per game, Pickens was WR12 per game. Lamb’s targets and TDs down." (21:48)
  • Dave: “He’s a placeholder for me...don’t love this position, it’s really lean at the top.” (21:53)
• Drake London’s breakout, quarterback uncertainty, and Kyle Pitts’ presence discussed. (24:02)
• Notable Quote: Jamey: “If Pickens [leaves Dallas], I’d probably put [Lamb] 4th ahead of St. Brown.” (22:56)

Ranks 7–9: The Messy Middle (24:36–31:10)

• Rashee Rice, Drake London, Nico Collins, Chris Olave, A.J. Brown, Malik Nabers debated.
• Nico Collins: “Feels like a bit of a tease...some great moments, stretches, not a full body of work since 2023.” – Jamey (25:52)
• A.J. Brown omitted from Dave & Heath’s Top 12:
  • Heath: “Tired of seeing the Eagles ahead in games and him on the sideline yelling...a few too many warning signs.” (27:13)

Ranks 10–12: Fringe Starters & Wild Cards (31:16–37:31)

• Common names: Justin Jefferson, Rashee Rice, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Tee Higgins (on Adam’s list only), and possible rookie breakouts.
• Concerns over Garrett Wilson’s and Olave’s quarterbacks and new faces (e.g., Luther Burden in Jacob’s list).
• Dave on Justin Jefferson: “Expecting him to go back to being a high volume target getter...” (35:18)
• Heath: “Wilson could have a worse QB situation, but not sure it was a great one last year…” (33:40)

Consensus Wide Receiver Pool

Briefly summarized in the pod (32:00–32:40):

• Universally top 12: Puka, Chase, JSN, St. Brown, Lamb, Rice, London, Nabers, Collins; others rotate in-and-out by analyst.

4. DFS Divisional Round Preview & Strategy

Timestamps: 38:47–59:23

Setting the DFS Table

• “Top four defenses in the NFL are playing this weekend.” – Adam (38:47)
• Main weather and injury impact games: Chicago (cold), New England, Denver; nice in Seattle.

Favorite DFS Plays & Value Picks (Jamie, Dave, Heath): (39:58–48:07)

• Jamie: "Chicago's passing game [is] a lot based on the Rams' secondary...easy stack: Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland." (39:58)
  • Top RBs: Zach Charbonnet, Ramondre Stevenson, RJ Harvey as cheaper pivots.
• Dave: “Gonna focus on some contrarian names—Sam Darnold [for Seattle] is in play as 49ers haven't generated pressure.” (43:23)
  • Seattle RBs (Charbonnet/Walker) could be sneaky; 49ers TE Jake Tonjes a cheap TE/flex (45:01).
• Heath’s DK/FanDuel lineup: “Josh Allen, Christian McCaffrey, Puka Nakua...Blake Corum...Knox, Burden, Pat Bryant, 49ers D.” (48:09)

Individual Game & Player Analysis (49:16–55:48)

• Bills-Broncos: Should score into the 20s. Josh Allen touted for DFS ceiling even if he starts slow. (49:20)
• Rams-Bears: Highest total; Stafford/Puka/Loveland/Williams as high-upside stacks. (53:33)
• Seahawks-49ers: Split perspectives, but sharp on JSN; Sam Darnold and Tonjes noted as GPP values. (51:34)
• Texans-Patriots: Projected as low-scoring; punt plays include Xavier Hutchinson and Dalton Schultz when Nico is out. (53:01)
• Bears RBs: Heath prefers Corum for value; Jamie and Dave back RJ Harvey as a cheap option (57:43).

Contrarian/Value Play Watch

• Drake May (New England QB): “Scared to put in lineups, but that makes him contrarian.” – Dave (45:31)

5. Notable Quotes & Entertaining Moments

• “Heath, would you take Malik Nabers in the first round?”
  Heath: “Probably not.” (08:41)
• “You don’t really like development. You just like to see things blow up every episode.” – Heath, ribbing Adam’s TV taste (13:02)
• “That’s only the weirdest thing you’ve said to me.” – Adam, after Jamie suggests he seems like someone who reads Kama Sutra (17:53)
• “If Pickens [leaves Dallas], I’d probably put [Lamb] 4th ahead of St. Brown.” – Jamie (22:56)
• “There are so many players who kind of disappointed us...too many wide receivers that didn’t take advantage of volume…” – Dave (30:01)
• “We may go back to the norm where the wide receivers don’t all get hurt.” – Heath (15:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| [02:48] | Episode kickoff, crew banter, quick divisional round picks | | [05:36] | Giants’ coaching news & fantasy implications | | [11:00] | Divisional round injury/roster updates | | [13:12] | Top 12 WRs for 2026: consensus top 3 and debate | | [21:48] | Deep dive: CeeDee Lamb, Pickens impact, mid-tier WR debate | | [24:36] | Ranks 7–9: Rice, London, Nico Collins, A.J. Brown controversy | | [31:16] | Ranks 10–12: Fringe WRs, rookie upside, Jefferson, expert dissent | | [38:47] | DFS begins: setting the slate, defense/weather discussion | | [39:58] | DFS stacks, value plays, and pivots per analyst | | [49:16] | Team-by-team DFS outlook: Bills, Broncos, Seahawks, 49ers, etc. | | [53:33] | High total: Rams-Bears DFS stack, Rams skill guys preference | | [57:43] | RB value plays (Harvey, Corum); Adam/Heath/Dave’s sample DFS lineups |

Closing – Overall Tone and Takeaways

The crew balances insightful positional debates on 2026’s WR class (consensus at the top, wide variance in ranks 6–12) with real-time DFS strategy for the divisional playoffs, blending sharp analytics with trademark banter and a smattering of personal asides. Noteworthy is how even seasoned pros struggle with the depth and volatility of WRs for 2026, and that, for DFS, most are keen to fade the “obvious” stacks and seek value and ceiling in creative spots—especially given injuries and brutal defenses on the slate.

Listeners come away ready for both long-term draft prep and this weekend’s DFS contests, plus a reminder that even veteran analysts wrestle with player volatility and positional uncertainty.

Quick Reference: Top 12 WRs for 2026 (Consensus Pool)

1. Puka Nacua
2. Jamar Chase
3. Jackson Smith-Njigba (JSN)
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown
5. CeeDee Lamb
6. Drake London
7. Malik Nabers
8. Rashee Rice (pending off-field)
9. Nico Collins
10. Chris Olave
11. Garrett Wilson
12. Justin Jefferson / A.J. Brown / Tee Higgins (analyst-dependent)

Wildcards: Luther Burden, T. McMillan, George Pickens, rookies, pending QB/coach changes.

Memorable Moments

• Robust CeeDee Lamb debate, given his late-2025 stats and the Pickens effect.
• Adam proudly celebrates winning $4 in FanDuel...and is roundly mocked for his DFS lineups.
• Disagreement over how “safe” second-tier receivers are, and playful mockery about reading habits, TV choices, and “nerd” glasses.
• Chat interaction: Listener questions on value plays and DK/FD lineups.
• Ending with some chat moderation shenanigans and a heartfelt “enjoy the playoff weekend!”

Best Quote for Future Reference:
(On the WR position in 2026)
“There are so many players who kind of disappointed us for one reason or another… There were too many wide receivers that didn’t take advantage of the volume that they got or didn’t get enough volume… If that’s going to continue, it’s going to be really hard to love drafting wide receivers in the early middle rounds for sure.” – Dave [30:01]

Full episode rec listed above for easy navigation and in-depth understanding, even if you missed the original broadcast!