Yahoo Fantasy Football Draft Strategy For 2026: Players to Target and Avoid

Last week we talked about some key differences between ESPN ADP and draft strategy compared to other platforms.

Today we move onto Yahoo.

Admittedly, Yahoo’s ADP does look a bit tighter compared to ESPN, while there are a few differences in how you can approach your drafts. Let’s take a closer look.

Notable Yahoo ADP Differences for 2026 Fantasy Football

Like ESPN, Yahoo drafters are pushing the quarterback position up. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are both coming off draft boards as top-36 picks, while the mid-range TE1 options are also being drafted higher. 

I mentioned it in the ESPN strategy article, but it once again applies here – do not draft with positional/starting lineup needs in mind. That’s why you see a lot of quarterbacks and tight ends pushed up draft boards on these platforms. And while it may seem like how you should construct a team, doing so forces you to miss out on some potential huge values elsewhere.

Emeka Egbuka | WR | TB

• Yahoo ADP: 44 | Underdog ADP: 31

In best ball and high stakes formats, Emeka Egbuka’s ADP continues to climb. On Yahoo, it hasn’t quite caught up yet, creating an advantageous opportunity. He’s currently being drafted after Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Etienne and Cam Skattebo, all puzzling decisions.

Because if Egbuka built on his red hot rookie season start, his Yahoo ADP would probably be in Round 2.

Through the first five weeks, Egbuka was averaging 20.4 PPR PPG, good for the WR3 in fantasy. Everything was great.

And then Week 6 happened.

Egbuka suffered a hamstring injury in the second half, limiting him to just 64% of the routes. It sure sounded and looked like a multi-week absence, but Egbuka didn’t miss a single game. However, his production and efficiency plummeted, leading most to believe he was far from fully healthy. During the second half of the year, Egbuka wasn’t close to the same player.

Weeks 1-5:

• 2.50 YPRR (13th)
• 5.9 YAC/Rec (9th)
• 17.8 YPC (4th)

Weeks 7-18:

• 1.40 YPRR (61st)
• 5.0 YAC/Rec (16th)
• 13.0 YPC (32nd)

Entering his sophomore season, there’s a ton to like. For starters, both he and Baker Mayfield are healthy, while a move to the “Z” position will help move him off the ball a lot more. And with Mike Evans gone, there’s serious touchdown upside, as Evans accounted for 50% of Tampa Bay’s end zone targets upon his return in Week 15.

Parker Washington | WR | JAX

• Yahoo ADP: 88.4 | Underdog ADP: 59.4

Parker Washington has been arguably the most steamed player in all of fantasy football this summer. But because your average fantasy player isn’t scouring Twitter practice reports and beat reporter news every day, it hasn’t carried over to Yahoo or ESPN draft boards just yet.

Washington is actually being drafted around 18 spots earlier on ESPN, making him a screaming value on Yahoo. From Week 12 on last year, Washington emerged as Jacksonville’s top target,  posting a 25% target share and 26% TPRR, while averaging 7.7 targets and 17 PPR PPG.

It appears he’s only getting better.

Every report out of Jacksonville suggests that Washington has not only been Trevor Lawrence’s top target, but arguably the most impressive player in all of camp. While it may seem massive, our fantasy bubble is a lot smaller than you’d think. So even though Washington being the most hyped player in fantasy feels obvious, it isn’t to those who are actually productive with their free time.

Josh Jacobs | RB | Green Bay Packers

• Yahoo ADP: 31.5 | Underdog ADP: 40.8

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding Josh Jacobs at the moment. Not only is he dealing with a groin injury that has kept him out of practice for over a week, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jacobs could still be facing a possible suspension by the NFL for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. 

His ADP has fallen into the fourth round over on Underdog, but he remains a third-round pick on Yahoo.

General 2026 Fantasy Football Draft Tips

• IR Spots Available: This is a key difference between Yahoo and ESPN. On Yahoo, you are given two IR spots for injured players, which can make it easier to stomach taking chances on injured players during your draft, knowing you don’t have to worry about a roster spot being clogged up during their absence. And in most leagues, players don’t have to actually be on the NFL’s injured reserve list to be placed in your IR spot. This offers huge flexibility, allowing you to still add players off waivers without worrying about having to drop a high-upside injured player.
• The optionality of deeper benches will naturally make the waiver wire more shallow at times, especially in 12-team formats or larger. This can make it tougher to stream certain positions on a weekly basis.
• Once again, wait to draft your kicker and defense. Don’t just start drafting them in Rounds 10 or 11 because the rest of your starting lineup is filled. Continue to take upside swings on players, backup running backs, etc. And then select your K/DST with your final pick, especially looking to stream the defense with a favorable Week 1 matchup.