Garrett Wilson vs. Tetairoa McMillan: WR1 Options On Low-Performing Passing Attacks

Last year, Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan had a breakout rookie season and carried the Panthers' passing game, while Jets WR Garrett Wilson had his first down year, mostly due to injuries that kept him to just seven games. The pair are right next to each other in fantasy football rankings and fantasy football ADP.

Do you want to rely on Wilson having a bounce-back year, or do you believe McMillan can carry his momentum into Year 2?

Who Should You Draft in Fantasy Football 2026, Tetairoa McMillan or Garrett Wilson?

The Case For Tetairoa McMillan

McMillan had a stellar first season, finishing as the 2025 rookie leader with 1,014 yards on 70 catches and 7 touchdowns, also earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. That performance helped the Panthers win their first division title since 2015 and their first playoff appearance since 2017.

McMillan was a much-needed upgrade at wide receiver for a Panthers team that ranked 25th in 2024, averaging 10.0 yards per reception. He might even have saved Bryce Young’s career in Carolina; Young was benched in 2024, and there were rumors that several teams were interested in trading for him.

The Panthers might be thankful it didn’t happen, as Young posted a career-high 3,011 passing yards and 23 touchdowns last season. This success was largely due to McMillan, who accounted for 31% of the team’s receiving yards.

McMillan’s role as the WR1 became clear after Jalen Coker returned in Week 5. McMillan remained the favorite and out-targeted Coker in 9 of the 12 games they played together.

The Case For Garrett Wilson

Every season, Garrett Wilson had a different starting quarterback, none of whom played particularly well, and the Jets finished in the bottom 5 in passing yards per game in two of the past three seasons. This year, he will once again have a new quarterback, after the Jets traded for Geno Smith.

The revolving door of quarterbacks has not affected Wilson, who started his career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, including a top-10 fantasy finish in 2024. The Jets heavily relied on Wilson, as he finished in the top 12 in routes run and top six in targets during his first three seasons.

We’ll have to see if he gets the same volume of targets. The Jets selected two pass catchers in the first round of this year’s draft; they picked TE Kenyon Sadiq with the No. 16 pick after he had 51 catches for 560 yards and 8 touchdowns last year at Oregon. They later picked WR Omar Cooper at No. 30, and he had 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns last year at Indiana for the national champions.

Should You Draft Tetairoa McMillan or Garrett Wilson in Fantasy Football 2026?

Although both are the top options on their respective offenses, there’s one wide receiver with a higher ceiling.

At this moment, there’s more confidence in McMillan and the Panthers offense than in the Jets offense. You know what to expect from Young and McMillan, but we don’t have any gauge of chemistry between Smith and Wilson.

The only success Smith had came with the Seahawks. Last season with the Raiders, Smith did not elevate their passing offense; Tre Tucker was the best fantasy wide receiver, finishing as the WR38.

The Jets’ hiring of Frank Reich as offensive coordinator does not inspire confidence. Once hailed as the quarterback whisperer, Reich has seen his offenses struggle in recent years.

In 2022, as the head coach of the Colts, he was fired after nine games. Indianapolis ranked 23rd in passing yards per game (176.2).

In 2023, he was hired as the Panthers’ head coach but was fired after 11 games. Carolina finished last in passing yards per game (161.5).

In 2025, he served as Stanford’s interim head coach, and the Cardinal ranked 70th in passing yards per game (222.0).

For McMillan, there is confidence he will be the driving force of this offense. Panthers HC Dave Canales recently said that McMillan will be the “focal point” and will line up in the slot more often. McMillan was excellent when lining up in the slot last year with a 72% catch rate and 12.2 yards per reception. It's close, but I'm picking McMillan over Wilson.