There is certainly a skill gap in fantasy football, but it's often more art than science. Unpredictable variables such as health, usage, coaching and a team's overall trajectory can significantly impact a player's fantasy production, and even when making preseason prognostications, major disagreements abound.
ESPN's Mike Clay has released his rankings of the top 300 fantasy football players entering the 2026 campaign, while Yahoo Sports has released its own top 300 rankings.
The two lists have some obvious similarities. The top four -- consisting of Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Ja'Marr Chase and Puka Nacua -- are identical in both.
Further down the rankings, however, we can find large discrepancies. Here are some players whose preseason fantasy
rankings differ significantly between the two lists.
QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
The Giants' second-year quarterback impressed in 12 starts as a rookie last year, and his solid production (nearly 2,700 total yards and 24 total touchdowns) made him a top-15 fantasy quarterback. Entering Year 2, there is some disagreement over Dart. ESPN is fairly high on him, ranking him as QB7 and No. 75 overall entering the season. Yahoo, however, is taking a more conservative approach. It has him slotted in at QB13 (the same spot he found himself in last season) while ranking him outside of the top 100 overall.
RB Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals
The rookie out of Notre Dame is an interesting one to project here. The most coveted running back in the 2026 NFL draft as the third overall pick is expected to see no shortage of carries in Year 1 on a Cardinals team whose quarterback room is headlined by Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II. ESPN thinks the rookie is in for a big year, ranking him as RB7 and No. 13 overall. Yahoo, meanwhile, is more skeptical. It ranks 13 running backs ahead of the rookie while placing him at No. 32 overall.
WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs
It's no surprise that there are some discrepancies with Rice's placement given his off-the-field issues. Rice was suspended for six games last year after pleading guilty to two felonies stemming from a March 2024 arrest. Though he faced a civil suit for physical assault from his ex-girlfriend and was jailed in May after violating his probation by testing positive for marijuana, he may not face any additional suspensions. He produced 571 yards and five touchdowns in just eight games last year, and ESPN is buying the upside, ranking him No. 24 overall as WR8. Yahoo considers him WR17, though he's just 12 spots lower at No. 36 in the consensus rankings.
WR Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Despite sharing targets with Chase Brown in Cincinnati and dealing with some injury issues over the last few years, Higgins has remained productive and was a borderline top-10 fantasy receiver last season. This time, it's Yahoo taking the more optimistic approach, ranking him as WR14 and No. 28 overall. ESPN seems to expect a drop in production, slotting him at No. 22 among receivers and No. 46 overall.
TE TJ Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
The most significant gulf between the two rankings on this list comes with Hockenson, who is now entering his fourth full season in Minnesota. He hasn't matched the production from his career-best 2023 season, in which he was the fourth-best fantasy tight end, over the last two seasons. He ranked 33rd among tight ends in 2024 (he was limited to 10 games) and 29th last season. ESPN is splitting the difference a bit here, projecting him as TE16 and No. 117 overall. Yahoo, however, sees him as just the 25th-best fantasy tight end in the league and ranks him outside the top 200 on its big board.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: ESPN vs. Yahoo fantasy football rankings: The 5 biggest discrepancies to note
