Tank Dell and 5 Other High-Risk, High-Reward Fantasy Football Draft Options

With high stakes comes high reward. The thought process translates right over to our beloved game of fantasy football. I am the No. 1 advocate for a risk-versus-reward strategy. No different than stock trading, we must figure out which players are worth the gamble. By doing so effectively, your team shall deliver profitable season-long returns.

Here are the 6 best "High-Risk, High-Reward" candidates in 2026 fantasy football.

Christian McCaffrey

So long as this man is playing football, he is deemed a high risk. McCaffrey was the RB1 in 2025 fantasy football. While many fantasy managers tout the top-2 players as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, McCaffrey is actually the correct answer, should he play all 17 games. In a world where McCaffrey is healthy, he projects as our RB1, while you can draft him in the mid-first round.

Jadarian Price

I am as high as anyone on Jadarian Price in 2026. Oftentimes, when a college football team rosters two elite running backs, one falls victim to oversight. Price was the backup to Jeremiyah Love, and if that weren't the case, Price probably would have been deemed among the best running backs in college football.

He is a running back who will be the Seahawks' RB1 come Week 1. The risk at hand is the return of Zach Charbonnet, likely fully set for October, and the "snap-split" that George Holani is said to earn. I, however, am not blinded by "coach speak." The backfield belongs to Price, and I do think all the risk is overvalued by the vast majority of fantasy managers.

Tank Dell

The Texans WR2 is coming back from a knee injury that has kept him from playing any NFL football since December 2024. There is definitely a variable outlook on Dell's return and overall skill level. Reports suggest that he looks great in camp.

Based on the latest injury update, which finds Jayden Higgins out for the reason, Dell is definitely worth the risk, since his great friend, CJ Stroud, could feed him the football and make him a fantasy football WR2. He is my WR35 in an August 19 projection update.

Alec Pierce

The Colts pass-catcher was projected as their WR1 entering Week 1. He is a player who has averaged over 20 yards per reception over multiple seasons. The explosion of Pierce has been expected to speak in 2026, a year after the Colts were the most efficient offense in NFL history during the first half of 2025.

There is concern regarding Pierce's left ankle rehab. While the Colts expect him back for Week 1, medical opinion suggests he will not be 100%. There is no sharp expectation of Pierce's skill level upon return. What we do know is that if the Colts get back to perfection on offense, Pierce could be a top-20 wide receiver in fantasy football.

Xavier Worthy

The Chiefs' wide receiver is currently outside the top 35 at his position in fantasy football. He is being overshadowed by the training-camp brilliance of Cyrus Allen. Fantasy managers reasonably should wonder where Worthy ends up on this Chiefs depth chart.

Most likely, Worthy is still the WR2 in the early parts of the season. The Chiefs do love their guy, and if Andy Reid gets this offense back to top-5 in the NFL, Worthy should creep into WR2 territory in fantasy football and is well worth the current average draft position.

George Kittle

The Hall of Fame-worthy tight end is coming back from an Achilles repair, which is 7 months removed. He looks crisp in all training camp clips; however, the repair would suggest the average player is not quite ready for September football.

If Kittle is truly back and playing at 100% of his health over the early weeks of the year, we are getting a top-5-capable tight end outside of the top-8 in ADP. The 49ers also play without Ricky Pearsall and a oftentimes week-to-week 34-year-old Mike Evans. The volume is there...

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