Building the best Big Ten fantasy football lineup

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At long last, fantasy football has made its way to college football. Yahoo Sports, one of the leaders in NFL fantasy football, is implementing season-long fantasy football leagues, fit for the modern game of college football in 2026.

The expansion to the college game brings a whole new type of coverage to the sport, as there are plenty of fantasy football "experts" at the pro level. Now, the same type of coverage and content will be brought to the college game. As a result, we're also jumping in on the coverage, beginning with the best fantasy football players at every position in the Big Ten.

The conference has exploded with offense since the expansion of the conference prior to the 2024 season, when the Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, UCLA Bruins and Washington Huskies joined the mix. The 2026 season should be no different. There are a number of high-level quarterbacks leading their teams, explosive running backs racking up yards and wide receivers and tight ends serving as the focal point for their respective offenses.

Without further ado, here are the best Big Ten fantasy football options at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, defense/special teams and kicker, complete with honorable mentions as well.

Quarterback — Demond Williams Jr., Washington Huskies

Analysis: In fantasy football, dual-threat quarterbacks are the way to go at the quarterback position. Demond Williams Jr. brings that with the Washington Huskies, as he threw for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns while adding 611 yards and six scores with his legs in 2025. It was his first season as the starter and he had star running back Jonah Coleman in the backfield. With much of the offensive load resting on his shoulders, look for Williams to have a phenomenal fantasy football season.

Honorable Mentions: Arguably the three top quarterbacks in the Big Ten — Oregon Ducks' Dante Moore, USC Trojans' Jayden Maiava and Ohio State Buckeyes' Julian Sayin — don't command the No. 1 fantasy quarterback spot for one reason and one reason alone: lack of rushing, as the trio combined for just 269 yards. For a non dual-threat quarterback to be at the top, they have to have a 2019 Joe Burrow-like season, and that's highly unlikely despite the talent of these guys.

Running back — Jordan Marshall, Michigan Wolverines

Analysis: Jordan Marshall may not be the most well-known running back in the Big Ten yet, but he will be by the end of the 2026 season. He was forced into the lineup last season due to injuries and promptly ran for over 100 yards in four consecutive games, scoring seven touchdowns during that span. With his 5-foot-11, 216-pound frame, Marshall explodes through tacklers but also has speed, averaging 6.2 yards per carry in 2025. Even though he won't surprise teams with his elite play this year, Michigan is still a ground-and-pound team that could give the ball to Marshall 20+ times a game.

Honorable Mentions: Antwan Raymond from the Rutgers Scarlet Knights sticks out a snub, as he ran for 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. And while he went ballistic in these games, he started all year and only reached the century mark four times, lacking week-by-week consistency. Ohio State's Bo Jackson should have a larger role as a sophomore but the Buckeyes have so many other playmakers, as do the Ducks with Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison — both elite talents — splitting carries, lowering their individual value.

Wide Receiver — Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes

Analysis: This one is very simple: Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football. Smith is Julio Jones 2.0, and would be the first pick in the 2027 NFL Draft if it weren't such a quarterback-loaded class. Draft him first overall in your fantasy football draft and enjoy a stress free season with him as your WR1, as he had 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns a as a true sophomore last season.

Honorable Mentions: The Indiana Hoosiers duo of Nick Marsh and Charlie Becker come to mind, as do both Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore from Oregon. Griffin Wilde had just under 900 yards in his first season with the Northwestern Wildcats and should surpass 1,000 yards. Youngsters such as Tanook Hines (USC) and Dezmen Roebuck (Washington) are worth mentioning, as they had strong debut seasons and will replace first-round talents.

Tight End — Jamari Johnson, Oregon Ducks

Analysis: Added to the Mackey Award watch list, Jamari Johnson is the clear-cut top tight end in the Big Ten and should receive plenty of targets as the only set-in-stone guy at the position for the Ducks. Others will compete for reps, but this isn't last year with Kenyon Sadiq as the 1A and Johnson as the 1B by the end of the season. Johnson will be the main target on seams, crossers and anything in the middle of the field for Oregon.

Honorable Mentions: Johnson is clearly alone at the top, but the Big Ten surprisingly has some solid mid-tier depth at the position. Each of Washington's Tucker DeGraff and Iowa's DJ Vonnahme had solid 2025 campaigns as juniors, while Penn State's Benjamin Brahmer caught six touchdown passes at Iowa State last season and followed the departing regime to join the Nittany Lions.

Defense/Special Teams — Indiana Hoosiers

Analysis: The Hoosiers were third in the nation in turnovers forced last year with a staggering mark of 30 interceptions and forced fumbles combined. While forcing a high number of turnovers is hard to do year-after-year, I'm not doubting Curt Cignetti's staff. He's clearly found a formula on both sides of the ball, and I'd be willing to bet that the 2026 Hoosiers defense wreaks havoc similar to 2025.

Honorable Mentions: The Ducks and Buckeyes' defenses come to mind, but Oregon struggled to produce sacks and Ohio State was middle-of-the-pack in turnovers forced. Both are incredibly talented and just need to click, so they very well could both be near the top of the fantasy football defensive rankings by year's end.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Building the best Big Ten fantasy football lineup

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