In fantasy football, points come from opportunity. Players can't score if they don't get the ball. With that said, not every great fantasy pick is his team's WR1. There are plenty of WR2s worth targeting in drafts that can keep your team afloat during the 2026 fantasy football season. 

WR2s Worth Targeting in 2026 Drafts

When targeting players who are not the top option on their team, I tend to look for receivers who can still earn opportunities. That can be through their own ability to command targets or by playing in offenses that concentrate targets among a small number of players.

Here are some WR2s who have potentially high ceilings in 2026.

George Pickens (Dallas Cowboys)

One of the biggest questions of the fantasy season is how George Pickens will respond after his huge WR5 overall breakout in 2025.

He exploded in games that CeeDee Lamb did not finish, averaging 24.18 points per reception (PPR) in those four contests. Even more impressive, he maintained that production after Lamb returned, outscoring him 17.2 to 14.4 points per game over the course of the season.

I would never question Lamb, who is elite in his own right, but it would not be surprising at all to see Pickens outperform him again in 2026.

I currently have Lamb as my WR7 and Pickens as my WR8.

Jordyn Tyson (New Orleans Saints)

When I look at Jordyn Tyson, he checks many of the boxes I like in a fantasy prospect. He has excellent draft capital after going eighth overall. He broke out early in college, and respected talent evaluators believe he is a high-level prospect.

His situation is excellent as well. He landed with a team that has a huge need for another receiver and a head coach, Kellen Moore, who wants to run a high-volume offense and knows how to get his best players the ball.

I am a believer in this Saints offense from a fantasy perspective this season, and I am also very high on the perceived WR1 in this offense, Chris Olave. However, there are realistic scenarios in which Tyson is just as productive as Olave.

I have Olave as my WR11 and Tyson as my WR32, and those rankings could very well move closer together as we get nearer to the season and receive positive health updates on Tyson.

Ricky Pearsall (San Francisco 49ers)

I am a believer in the Year Three WR breakout theory, and Ricky Pearsall is one I am targeting this year.

Unfortunately, Pearsall's career is one we cannot discuss without mentioning his injury history. Limited to 11 and nine games in his first two seasons, respectively, we've really only seen flashes of the player Pearsall has the talent to become.

In those flashes, however, we have seen a player capable of producing quality fantasy numbers.

In a great offensive situation with a WR1 in Mike Evans, who earns his targets in different areas of the field than Pearsall and has a recent injury history of his own, Pearsall has both strong standalone value and significant contingency upside this season.

Mike Evans is my WR20, and Ricky Pearsall is my WR35.

Josh Downs (Indianapolis Colts)

The Josh Downs conversation really starts and ends with how many snaps in two-wide receiver sets you think he is going to play this year.

Downs has been a productive player throughout his career, but his fantasy ceiling has been limited by his almost exclusive role as a slot receiver, causing him to miss out on valuable opportunities to earn targets in two-WR sets.

Downs has shown enough ability to earn targets and score fantasy points that if he receives more snaps in those packages, he should easily outperform expectations. That is especially true in a situation where the WR1, Alec Pierce, is more of a big-play threat than a target earner, posting a career-high 47 receptions during his breakout season last year.

I personally believe this will be the year Downs earns those snaps. I have him as my WR37, marking the first time on this list that I have the projected No. 2 receiver ranked ahead of the projected No. 1. I have Pierce as my WR42.

Makai Lemon (Philadelphia Eagles)

The final player on this list is a combination of the players above.

Makai Lemon is a talented first-round rookie entering a situation where there are plenty of snaps available, similar to Tyson. As a prospect, Lemon was also viewed primarily as a slot receiver, with questions about how often he would play outside in two-wide receiver sets at the NFL level, similar to Downs.

This is another situation where I will be closely watching training camp reports to see how quickly Lemon picks up the offense and where he is lining up. If he plays up to his talent and earns enough snaps on the outside, he should become a starting-caliber fantasy receiver at a very affordable price.

Lemon is my WR40, while Eagles WR1 DeVonta Smith is my WR12. Lemon is someone I could see skyrocketing up my rankings before the season begins.

Jay Green is a contributor to Optimus Fantasy Football. Find more from Jay on Bluesky and on Optimus Fantasy.