Malik Washington — 2026 Fantasy Outlook

The case for drafting him

Malik Washington took a clear step forward in 2025. He turned 65 targets into 46 receptions for 317 receiving yards, added 17 rush attempts for 110 yards, and scored four total touchdowns, three receiving and one rushing. That is a meaningful jump from his 2024 line of 36 targets, 26 catches, and 223 receiving yards. The three-year averages tell a similar story of gradual accumulation: 50.5 targets, 36 receptions, 270 receiving yards, and 1.5 receiving touchdowns per season. Washington also brings a dual-threat dimension. His 2025 rushing workload, 17 attempts for 110 yards and a score, is the kind of usage that keeps defenses honest and creates extra opportunities for a receiver operating in a condensed role. For a drafter hunting late-round volume at a skill position, the 2025 target share is the number worth anchoring to.

What the model projects

The projection for Washington is 86.7 half-PPR fantasy points. His draft value is -38.5, placing him #180 overall and WR71 in Tier 9. A negative draft value means the projection sits below replacement level at the wide receiver position in a 12-team half-PPR format. That context matters: the model is not projecting a starter-level season. Washington is a depth asset at his current projection, not a weekly contributor you can count on from the jump.

The range of outcomes

The outcome band is wide, which is the defining feature of Washington's profile. The p10 floor is 16.1 points, a near-zero fantasy season. The p25 sits at 36.8 and the median simulated season lands at 68.6 points, below the projection of 86.7. The p75 reaches 105.1 and the p90 ceiling is 157.1 points. That ceiling is real. In the top 10 percent of simulated seasons, Washington produces at a volume that would make him a useful weekly starter. The gap between the median and the p90, roughly 88 points, is substantial, and the gap between the p10 and the p90 is even larger. This is a high-variance profile: most seasons he finishes well below replacement level, but the upside scenario is a legitimate one. The 2025 fumble and lost fumble are the one blemish on an otherwise cleaner statistical profile.

How to draft him

Washington's market ADP is 164.3, which works out to pick 14.08 in a 12-team draft, based on a median across two platforms. That is a 14th-round pick. His ranking is #180 overall. In a standard 12-team snake draft, you are spending a late-round pick on a player the projection places below replacement level, but with a p90 ceiling of 157.1 points. The practical use case is a late-round flier on upside. His bye is Week 6, which is worth noting for roster management. If you are building a deep receiver room and want a dart throw with a real ceiling, Washington fits that role in the final rounds. Do not expect him to contribute to your starting lineup in a typical week; plan for the variance.

Yes. He saw 65 targets in 2025, up from 36 in 2024. Receptions climbed from 26 to 46 and receiving yards from 223 to 317, so the volume increase was real across every counting category.

The p90 outcome, the top 10 percent of simulated seasons, is 157.1 half-PPR points. That is the ceiling the band supports. The p75 outcome is 105.1 points, so even a above-average season lands in that range.

His market ADP is 164.3, which translates to pick 14.08 in a 12-team draft. You are looking at a 14th-round commitment based on where he is currently going across two platforms.

He has a rushing dimension. In 2025 he logged 17 rush attempts for 110 yards and one rushing touchdown. In 2024 he had 5 rush attempts for 25 yards and one rushing score. The three-year average is 11 rush attempts and 67.5 rush yards per season.