With the preseason starting and re-draft season not far away, it seemed like an ideal time to share my first August ranks. These are in addition to our completely free draft guide, which features rankings, cheat sheets, and detailed profiles for every fantasy-relevant player. Check it out once you finish perusing my top 50 running backs, top 60 receivers, top 25 quarterbacks, and top 25 tight ends. The entire Rotoworld gang has much more excellent pre-season content on the way.
Top 50 Running Backs
1. Jahmyr Gibbs — Back-to-back top-three finishes sharing a backfield. No longer sharing a backfield.
2. Bijan Robinson — CMC-like 100-reception season in the range of outcomes.
3. Christian McCaffrey — Efficiency declining, but 49ers have no plan B.
4. Jonathan Taylor — Staying healthy, Taylor one of just three players with over 3,000 yards rushing over past two seasons.
5. De’Von Achane — I’m just going to bet on the talent. Admittedly a risky plan.
6. James Cook — Fresh off rushing crown with 32 touchdowns in past 33 games.
7. Derrick Henry — 371 more yards rushing than any other player since 2024 Ravens arrival.
8. Saquon Barkley — Increased pass-game involvement would go a long way toward erasing bitter ‘25 memories.
9. Ashton Jeanty — Slimmed down. Getting three-down do-over with elite play-caller.
10. Chase Brown — Ordinary talent as far as these things go, but in right place at right time.
11. Kenneth Walker III — Being given wider latitude alongside a better quarterback.
12. Omarion Hampton — Limitless upside, but LAC signed legit COP back in Keaton Mitchell.
13. Breece Hall — Finally at contract peace. Should have 300-plus touches coming his way.
14. Jeremiyah Love — Self-evident risk, but how often might the No. 3 pick be your RB2?
15. Kyren Williams — “Corum factor” looms large but ultimately a safe bet in the top 18.
16. Travis Etienne Jr. — Clear lead back, but franchise legend Alvin Kamara a disquieting competitor for the highest-value touches.
17. Cam Skattebo — Ticketed for ideal role coming off surprisingly seamless rehab.
18. Javonte Williams — Horrendous 2025 receiver could lose third-down work to Jaydon Blue.
19. David Montgomery — Isn’t guaranteed third-down duties ahead of Woody Marks.
20. Josh Jacobs — Declining player with disturbing off-the-field question marks.
21. Bucky Irving — Irving no longer “controls his own fate,” but remains extremely talented player with three-down skill-set.
22. TreVeyon Henderson — Faded late but had a better rookie year than most realize.
23. D’Andre Swift — 18th in RB touches last season. How long can he keep Monangai at bay?
24. Quinshon Judkins — More good than great as a rookie. Coming off major injury with legit third-down complement.
25. Jadarian Price — Could be strict two-down back. Could also make mincemeat of sub-par competition.
26. Jaylen Warren — Increased versatility gives him the edge over Dowdle.
27. Bhayshul Tuten — Has top-18 upside. Also has competition on all three downs.
28. Kyle Monangai — Room to grow after turning 41 percent of the snaps into 947 total yards.
29. Blake Corum — Possible Corum’s “1B” role is already maxed out, but he pairs standalone value with league-winning contingency upside.
30. Rico Dowdle — Punishing runner who can’t get a backfield to himself.
31. Chuba Hubbard — Solid enough player nevertheless vulnerable to losing touches.
32. Rachaad White — Most experienced and versatile player in jumbled backfield.
33. Rhamondre Stevenson — Not as explosive as Hendo with persistent fumbling concerns.
34. Tony Pollard — New staff could pull the cord and see what they have in intriguing backups.
35. RJ Harvey — Must consolidate and build on last season’s 47 receptions.
36. Jonathon Brooks — Upside worth reaching for.
37. Chris Rodriguez — A poor man’s Tyler Allgeier waiting to happen.
38. Kenneth Gainwell — Bad news for Irving that Gainwell has proof of third-down concept.
39. Jordan Mason — We could be underestimating how improved this environment is.
40. J.K. Dobbins — Injury and touch competition question marks never far away.
41. Aaron Jones — Somehow both fading away and burning out.
42. Dylan Sampson — True third-down backs are increasingly rare, but Sampson is well positioned.
43. Woody Marks — Texans seem to want a committee after putting too many eggs in Joe Mixon’s basket.
44. Keaton Mitchell — Secret weapon potential. But secret weapons have limited ceilings.
45. Jaydon Blue — Let’s give this another try.
46. Tyrone Tracy Jr. — Insurance in case the Cam Skattebo hopium is too good to be true.
47. Isiah Pacheco — Will probably have more touches than expected, just not ones that matter.
48. Jacory Croskey-Merritt — Toast unless he wins goal-line duties.
49. MarShawn Lloyd — Drumbeat building for young back finally staying healthy.
50. Jonah Coleman — “New guy” upside as Sean Payton keeps searching for right RB mix.
51. Zach Charbonnet — Extremely wide range of outcomes.
52. Demond Claiborne — Free flier in underwhelming backfield.
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Top 60 Wide Receivers
1. Ja’Marr Chase — Averaged 117/1,445/11 over past three seasons despite Burrow missing 16 games.
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba — 24 years old and the only show in town.
3. Puka Nacua — 107.2 yards per game last season was 22nd most in NFL history.
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown — Other players have more upside, but it’s hard to have a bad season with ARSB on your team.
5. Justin Jefferson — Has more “lost years” than most elite players, but only Chase and Nacua match his upside.
6. CeeDee Lamb — The good news: Lamb still clearly the Cowboys’ WR1. The bad news: No one has a better WR2.
7. A.J. Brown — Cleared 1K even as he slept through past two seasons. Aging, but likely has best setup of his career.
8. Nico Collins — All about health. Still less target competition than you would think.
9. George Pickens — Can he stay dialed in for second consecutive contract year?
10. Drake London — Target commander who has top-three upside if he stays slightly healthier with slightly better QB play.
11. Malik Nabers — Injury concerns predictably overblown. Still more ?s than you would like.
12. Tetairoa Mcmillan — Only Ja’Marr Chase and BTJ scored more rookie TDs this decade.
13. Chris Olave — Has probably maxed out his ceiling but has top-15 floor.
14. Emeka Egbuka — Tale of two seasons rookie year, but now clear No. 1.
15. Zay Flowers — Fantasy managers praying for increased RZ looks. Has everything else.
16. DeVonta Smith — “Would be No. 1 for (x) other teams” Hall-of-Famer. Now time to prove it.
17. Tee Higgins — Borderline WR1 best treated as mid-range WR2 because of durability woes.
18. Garrett Wilson — Scarcely improved setup, but high-floor player.
19. Jaylen Waddle — Sean Payton has lacked this kind of player his entire Broncos tenure.
20. Mike Evans — Aging, maybe breaking down. Also No. 1 for league’s best play-caller.
21. Rashee Rice — How good is Rice really? The answer doesn’t really seem to matter.
22. Jameson Williams — WR12-18 upside. WR30-36 downside.
23. Davante Adams — Touchdown-dependent. Scores a billion touchdowns.
24. Ladd McConkey — Intrigue and volatility to spare in deep, re-tooled offense.
25. Luther Burden III — Would have him much higher if I could turn injuries off.
26. D.J. Moore — The Bills are pot committed. Not much risk at current ADP.
27. Terry McLaurin — Will bounce back, but not to 13 touchdowns.
28. Christian Watson — Durability woes make him a poor WR2, but spiked weeks make him ideal WR3.
29. Carnell Tate — Are we positive he out-targets Wan’Dale? Does it matter if he doesn’t?
30. Rome Odunze — Better health and no DJ Moore make this a bet worth placing. But it is a bet, not a guarantee.
31. Brian Thomas Jr. — A man of extremes through two NFL seasons. Split the difference?
32. Marvin Harrison Jr. — Just because things can’t get worse doesn’t guarantee they will get better.
33. Jordan Addison — Poor fit with Kyler Murray. But we bet on talent.
34. Jordyn Tyson — A worthy WR3 with a plausible WR2 case.
35. DK Metcalf — WR1 ship has sailed. WR2 ship has sailed. WR3 ship needs a new coat of paint but is still seaworthy.
36. Parker Washington — Weird story. Seems to have a Trevor Lawrence mindmeld.
37. Wan’Dale Robinson — 20th in wide receiver PPR points over the past two seasons.
38. Courtland Sutton — No longer miscast as WR1. Maintains 7-8 TD baseline.
39. Romeo Doubs — Underrated player with big-time contract and strong Pats setup.
40. Michael Wilson — Anything that happens once can happen twice. Just don’t count on it.
41. Josh Downs — More career production than you might realize. Could blow by this rank.
42. Jayden Reed — Got paid to feature in condensed target tree. Now or never.
43. Makai Lemon — Tantalizing prospect. Uncertain offense.
44. Alec Pierce — Stars that aligned last season currently difficult to see through the clouds.
45. Chris Godwin — Diminished state, but makes life easier for quarterbacks.
46. Stefon Diggs — Conservative rank to begin his Commanders tenure.
47. Xavier Worthy — Still young. Still badly needed. Still injuring his shoulder.
48. Quentin Johnston — You will be happy he’s there as WR4 — and not more.
49. Jakobi Meyers — Meyers seems too good for this, but someone is getting left out.
50. KC Concepcion — Wretched QB situation caps his Zay Flowers 2.0 upside.
51. Michael Pittman Jr. — Will likely overperform ADP, but not in a way that will make you care.
52. Travis Hunter — Might as well take a WR5 flier on last year’s No. 2 overall pick.
53. Khalil Shakir — High-enough floor to be ideal 12-team league bench option.
54. Deebo Samuel — Could be a steady riser if no one else gets healthy.
55. Rashid Shaheed — Potential matchup-flipper on even 2-3 weekly targets.
56. Matthew Golden — The team is invested. We’ll see how much that matters.
57. Jayden Higgins — Decent enough rookie year. Decent enough offseason reports.
58. Jalen Coker — Not hitched to the most intriguing wagon. Clear No. 2, though.
59. Adonai Mitchell — Shoot for the moon WR5 flier you will probably have to drop.
60. Omar Cooper Jr. — Good young player in bad ol’ situation.
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Top 25 Quarterbacks
1. Josh Allen — No. 1 quarterback five of the past six seasons.
2. Lamar Jackson — Desperately needed reinvigoration. New OC seems up to the challenge.
3. Joe Burrow — Higher career TD percentage than Tom Brady or Drew Brees.
4. Jayden Daniels — Injuries, etc. but seems lab created to score fantasy points.
5. Jalen Hurts — Too inevitable at the goal line to fade despite mounting red flags.
6. Drake Maye — Regression monster should be scared off by talent infusion.
7. Dak Prescott — Just as you will never stop posting, Dak will never stop throwing.
8. Justin Herbert — Herbert’s latest now-or-never season feeling more now-y thanks to Mike McDaniel.
9. Caleb Williams — Elite young skill corps, but last season was wild under the hood.
10. Patrick Mahomes — How long can you keep a good best player on the planet down?
11. Brock Purdy — Only thing more consistent than Purdy being underrated is his skill players being hurt.
12. Jaxson Dart — Could finish top five or outside the top 18.
13. Jared Goff — You may never want him, but his fantasy points always want you.
14. Bo Nix — Has pledged to keep running despite the most unfortunate of ankle injuries.
15. Jordan Love — Pack have pledged whole new O. No one would benefit more than Love.
16. Matthew Stafford — Set for Saquon-type regression. Still a tidy floor and excellent spiked weeks odds.
17. Trevor Lawrence — Last year’s nine rushing scores don’t feel particularly repeatable.
18. Kyler Murray — Always spiritually the QB18, Kyler is finally being drafted as such.
19. Sam Darnold — Having JSN and knowing what to do with him alone makes you top 20.
20. Baker Mayfield — Injuries mounting. In a sour mood. Skill corps and OC turnover.
21. Malik Willis — This year’s “little dual-threat who could” QB2 selection.
22. C.J. Stroud — Career 4.3 TD rate appears sadly stable.
23. Tyler Shough — Finished hot, ran more than expected, has deep supporting cast.
24. Daniel Jones — Will outproduce this ranking if he’s truly healthy.
25. Cam Ward — Upgrades abound. That hopefully includes his own play.
Top 25 Tight Ends
1. Trey McBride — Won’t repeat last year. Could repeat 111/1,146/2 2024.
2. Brock Bowers — Inarguably has the highest tight end ceiling.
3. Colston Loveland — Strong receptions floor and sky-high spiked week ceiling.
4. Tucker Kraft — Was going superstar mode before the injury. Seems ready for Week 1.
5. Tyler Warren — Versatile and explosive for a team that needs his touches.
6. Harold Fannin — Had him as high as TE4. The situation is just so bad.
7. Sam LaPorta — Trey McBride’s former play-caller. Stiff, stiff target competition.
8. George Kittle — Somehow one of the healthier 49ers pass catchers in camp.
9. Kyle Pitts — Best work came with Kirk Cousins and without Drake London.
10. Dalton Kincaid — The biggest winner if Joe Brady decides to cut loose.
11. Travis Kelce — In his “late-stage Tony Gonzalez or Jason Witten” era.
12. Jake Ferguson — Come for PPR floor, leave if you expect more.
13. Dallas Goedert — Should get to keep dunking the ball at the goal line.
14. Oronde Gadsden II — 10th most rookie TE receiving yards this century. Lots of variables.
15. Juwan Johnson — Long-awaited breakout. Is there enough TD upside?
16. Isaiah Likely — John Harbaugh remains obsessed. One more chance, I guess.
17. Mark Andrews — Got the new play-caller he needed, but this car has been wrong-way driving for a while.
18. Chig Okonkwo — Underrated for a long time. Diggs’ late arrival a complicating factor.
19. Hunter Henry — Nearly every offseason Pats move said “we don’t want to have to do that again.”
20. Brenton Strange — Truly ridiculous amount of target competition.
21. Kenyon Sadiq — Spiked week specialist in an offense where it will be hard to spike weeks.
22. T.J. Hockenson — Why 14-team league second FLEX plays exist.
23. Dalton Schultz — Jake Ferguson’s non-evil twin. You need to be evil to spam PPR points.
24. A.J. Barner — Efficient with big-play upside.
25. Cade Otton — Don’t block his number even though it’s spam.