George Pickens and 3 Other Contract Year Players Poised for Success in Fantasy Football

George Pickens is entering a contract year with the Dallas Cowboys and should perform well again in 2026. What other players in a contract year are expected to have success in fantasy football?

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) catches the ball at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While narratives shouldn’t be a primary factor when making decisions in fantasy football, some narratives are worth noting. Players entering a contract year are always highlighted before the season, as they can look to put together a productive season in hopes it lands them a new deal.

Which players entering a contract year in 2026 are poised for success in fantasy football?

All stats used in this article are from Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise.

George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Before the 2025 NFL season, George Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pickens will be playing on the franchise tag this season, but another productive season could earn him a worthwhile payday ahead of 2027.

Dak to George Pickens 👀 pic.twitter.com/vncDbZNTgK

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 18, 2026

While catching passes from Dak Prescott, Pickens was the WR6 in fantasy points per game (17.2) in PPR leagues last season. Pickens also posted the 23rd-highest target share (22.6%) and 8th-most yards per route run (2.35) among WRs with 250-plus routes run in 2025.

Although Pickens has to compete with a healthy CeeDee Lamb for targets in 2026, he still plays in a Dallas offense that was 10th in pass rate (62%) a season ago. 

Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Puka Nacua is undoubtedly a star in fantasy football, but there is some risk to taking him early in drafts right now. Nacua hasn’t been placed on the NFL’s Commissioner’s Exempt List yet, but there’s still a chance he misses time as the league investigates an incident where he was sued for biting a woman on New Year’s Eve.

WR Leaders in Fantasy Points per Route Run [Last 3 Years]

1. Puka Nacua (0.67)
2. Tyreek Hill (0.63)
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (0.62)
4. Nico Collins (0.58)
5. A.J. Brown (0.56)
6. Mike Evans (0.56)
7. CeeDee Lamb (0.54)
8. Ja'Marr Chase (0.52)
9. Davante Adams (0.52)
10. Jaxon… pic.twitter.com/GyrPcQfhqj

— Fantasy Points Data (@FantasyPtsData) July 31, 2026

While we wait for an update on a potential suspension, Nacua is coming off a 2025 campaign where he finished as the overall WR1 in fantasy points per game (23.4). In terms of advanced metrics, Nacua accrued the fifth-highest target share (30.3%), third-highest catch rate (77.7%), and most yards per route run (3.70) among WRs with 250-plus routes run last season.

There’s a chance the Los Angeles Rams are waiting to see how Nacua’s legal situation plays out before handing him a long-term deal. If Nacua doesn’t miss any time due to suspension, then he’s in store for another stellar year in fantasy football.

Kyler Murray, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After spending the first seven years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals, Kyler Murray inked a one-year, prove-it deal with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. Murray needs to perform well to earn himself another decent contract in the NFL, but it’s tough to ignore how well things are set up for the veteran signal-caller in 2026.

On top of having Kevin O’Connell calling plays for the Vikings and helping QBs produce fantastic outputs in fantasy football, Murray has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson as his primary targets. From 2022-2024 under O’Connell, both Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold were the QB13 or better in fantasy points per game.

Before last season’s disappointing performance in his final season with the Cardinals, Murray never finished worse than QB14 in fantasy points per game across his first six years in the league.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

With the Cincinnati Bengals having Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins leading the charge on offense, they’re not going to suddenly going to become a run-first unit. However, Chase Brown still holds a valuable role in fantasy football as the clear starting RB in Cincy.

Since Chase Brown became the CIN RB1, here’s his weekly finishes excluding the Jake Browning games …

RB4 ⭐️
RB3 🥉
RB8 ⭐️
RB9 ⭐️
RB5 ⭐️
RB4 ⭐️
RB23 ↔️
RB13 ✅
RB22 ↔️
RB24 ↔️
RB33 ❌
RB19 ✅
RB5 ⭐️
RB6 ⭐️
RB12 ✅
RB14 ✅
RB11 ✅
RB6 ⭐️
RB13 ✅
RB1 🥇
RB3 🥉
RB7…

— Joel Smyth (@fantasysmyth) September 1, 2026

Following a 2024 season in which Brown was the RB14 in fantasy points per game (15.9), he jumped all the way up to RB7 in fantasy points per game (16.6) in 2025. Although Brown isn’t the most efficient back, he had the seventh-highest target share (14.5%) and eighth-highest red-zone target share (13.9%) among RBs with 100-plus carries last season.

Being that the Bengals also have an unreliable offensive line in front of Burrow, Brown should continue seeing passing-down usage often, especially with a lack of competition behind him on the depth chart.