New Fantasy Football 2026 Flex Rankings, Team Names and More Draft Cheat Sheets

We're two weeks into the NFL preseason, which means that the 2026–27 season is gloriously close. And for fantasy football managers, that means time to prep for the draft is quickly running out.

While any number of outcomes could happen by the roster-cut deadline on Sunday, August 30, two preseason games in, we have a better understanding of which players are edging out others in position battles and who are early round redraft candidates versus sleepers.

To prepare you for your draft, we'll take a look at flex player rankings in particular, which will help you sort out not only your flex spot but, of course, your bench as well. As a bonus, you'll also find some name inspiration as well as other fantasy draft tips.

Rankings are courtesy of FantasyPros , current as of midnight on August 25, and assume PPR scoring.

It's worth noting that of the 50 top-ranked flex players, 27 are wide receivers, compared to 19 running backs and four tight ends.

Five teams have the highest representation among the top 50 flex players, with three players each landing in the rankings. Put another way, 30% of the top flex players come from just five teams: the Bengals (Ja'Marr Chase, Chase Brown, Tee Higgins), Lions (Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams), Rams (Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Davante Adams), Cowboys (CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Javonte Williams) and Bears (Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, D'Andre Swift).

Bye weeks, accordingly, could get tricky. Of the top 10 players, four have a Week 6 bye, while three have a Week 11 bye. If you can plan ahead with some starter-quality backups waiting on your bench, you'll have an advantage in those weeks when your competitors may be wiped out.

Unless you're in a dynasty league, the only rookie you're likely contemplating in the top 50 is Arizona's Jeremiyah Love. If you are in a dynasty or keeper league, you may also be thinking about Tennessee wideout Carnell Tate, New Orleans receiver Jordyn Tyson or Philadelphia pass-catcher Makai Lemon.

Here are some of the most popular, clever and/or punny team names managers are rolling with this season:

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