Fantasy Football News

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Justin Fields remains in the mix to start Week 1 of the 2026 season, giving him some short-term upside in fantasy football. The Chiefs traded for Fields this offseason as a solid backup option to Patrick Mahomes (knee), who might not be ready for the season opener. If that's the case, Fields would draw the start against the Broncos, with potential games to follow in subsequent weeks against the Colts, Dolphins, and Raiders. The former Bears first-round pick was a productive fantasy option in 2024 with the Steelers, but he lost his job to Russell Wilson midseason that year. Likewise, he was a solid fantasy quarterback as a Jet in 2025, but an injury cost him the second half of his season. Across his six healthy games last year, Fields totaled 1,259 passing yards, 325 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns, and just two turnovers. Fields' rushing upside and ability to protect the football give him high-end QB2 appeal as long as Mahomes is sidelined, even if that's just for a couple of weeks. Dynasty managers with some quarterback uncertainty should look to acquire him at a discount and deploy him as a solid fantasy option for the first few weeks of the 2026 campaign.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert faces new competition within the position group, and yet he still remains a dynasty riser after his career-best finish (TE7) last season. Goedert had never finished higher than TE10 before last year, but he broke out in a huge way with 60 catches, 591 yards, and a whopping 11 touchdowns. We can expect some natural touchdown regression in 2026, and Goedert probably will lose some volume to rookie tight end Eli Stowers. Nevertheless, he remains a candidate for a large target share, especially after the Eagles traded away A.J. Brown and his 121 vacated targets. It's a contract year for Goedert, and at just 31 years old, he should remain an NFL starter for several years to come, regardless of whether he's in Philadelphia or somewhere else. The Stowers addition has lowered Goedert's cost in dynasty trades, making him an appealing buy-low target this offseason.

The Green Bay Packers have signed wide receiver Christian Watson to a four-year, $110.5 million extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The deal includes a $31 million signing bonus. Watson is a very talented receiver and former first-round pick, but injuries have plagued him over the years. He has missed 20 games in four years since entering the league, including the first six weeks of the 2025 season. With that being said, he's productive when healthy. He caught 35 passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns across 10 games last year, ranking as the overall WR9 in PPR leagues from Week 9-17. Watson's role is only expected to grow in 2026, now that Romeo Doubs has departed for New England. Watson projects as the Packers' No. 1 receiver ahead of players like Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden. An AAV of $26M+ is a big investment for a receiver with a significant injury history, but when he's healthy, he's worth every penny. As it stands, Watson is the WR42 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson caught 45 passes in 2025 for 528 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating a clear chemistry with quarterback Jaxson Dart and finishing as the TE13 or better in six of their nine games played together. However, calls for a true year-three breakout were largely quieted when the Giants committed $26 million in guaranteed money to free agent Isaiah Likely. With Johnson having since fallen to TE40 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, he could now be seen as a low-cost trade target with multiple paths to outperforming expectations. Head coach John Harbaugh arrives from Baltimore, where the Ravens were the only team in 2025 to run more plays out of 12-personnel than out of 11, and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy's successful ability to run an offense through the tight end position is well documented. Johnson is only 25 years old, and in an offense proven desperate for secondary pass catchers by the recent signings of Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios, he could hold a legitimate role in 2026 and beyond.

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai was a fantasy difference-maker whenever given volume as a seventh-round rookie in 2025. Twice in his debut season, he handled more than 15 carries in a game, and in those two outings, he averaged 153 rushing yards while scoring 22.2 half-PPR fantasy points per game. He still projects as the 1B to seventh-year veteran D'Andre Swift in what should again be a well-run Bears offense, providing him with a usable floor from the flex spot, while his proven ability to capitalize on an increased workload makes him one of the more attractive handcuffs in the league. That said, there's a chance he's now being overvalued in dynasty leagues, coming into 2026 as RotoBaller's RB27, ranking ahead of several current starters. His rookie season sample size was small, and his best game came against a Bengals defense that allowed a league-worst 2,500 rushing yards. While ultimately unsuccessful, the Bears have been active in trying to acquire top running back talent in each of the past two offseasons, and as a late-Day 3 pick, Monangai is by no means irreplaceable even if he does carve out a larger role in his second season. Monangai is fully capable of taking a sizable step forward in year two, but with his long-term viability less clear, rebuilding dynasty managers would be wise to sell on the back of any growing training camp hype or an early-season boom game.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has caught at least 115 passes and double-digit touchdowns in each of the past three seasons, never falling below 1,250 receiving yards and finishing as the fantasy WR3 in all three seasons. In 2026, it's possible his ceiling could be even higher under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. The buzz out of Detroit through OTAs has been around Petzing's ability to bring balance to an offense that became too reliant on explosive plays in 2025. With St. Brown healthy after sitting out this time last year following an offseason knee surgery, he's been one of several Lions players to express excitement about the new direction of the offense. As the coordinator for the Cardinals in 2025, Petzing helped to transform third-year receiver Michael Wilson into a fantasy league-winner in an offense that also saw Trey McBride set the single-season tight end reception record. While former Pro Bowler Sam LaPorta is expected back in the fold after missing eight games in 2025 with a herniated disc in his back, he is no threat to earn a McBride-level of volume, and St. Brown should be the biggest benefactor of an offense designed to exploit the weaknesses of opposing teams. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR6, the 26-year-old St. Brown continues to be undervalued, but he should remain one of the most reliable fantasy contributors in one of the league's most high-powered offenses for the foreseeable future.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy led the team in 2025 with 105 targets, but inconsistency, drops, and a disconnect with all three starting quarterbacks translated to only 50 receptions, 602 yards, and two scores. The Browns have since spent first and second round picks to bolster the receiver room, adding KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in the 2026 NFL Draft, but for at least one more season, Jeudy should still have a role in two-receiver sets in a Todd Monken offense built around putting his playmakers in the best position to succeed. As the offensive coordinator in Baltimore, Monken used space and motion to help scheme Zay Flowers to more than 1,200 yards and a WR7 fantasy finish in 2025. In Cleveland, both Jeudy and Concepcion have the versatility to adopt a similar role, and it remains to be seen if one or both will be used comparably, but with Jeudy all but written off after a down year, he's fallen to RotoBaller's WR85. With an opportunity to handle a larger-than-expected workload, he has become a low-cost dynasty depth piece who is still just 27 years old and only one season removed from a career-high 90 receptions for 1,229 yards in 2024.

Buffalo wide receiver Skyler Bell is a versatile prospect who has drawn lofty comparisons since the Bills selected him with the 125th pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He caught over 100 passes in his final season at Connecticut for 1,282 yards and 13 touchdowns, and by most accounts, he has put a shaky rookie minicamp behind him and was seen making plays during Buffalo's final open practice of OTAs on Tuesday. With third-year receiver Keon Coleman absent from the session, Bell reportedly proved a reliable target for Josh Allen in 11-on-11s. The step up in competition from Connecticut to the NFL is a significant one, but Bell's ability to play both inside and outside will help to create multiple paths to playing time. If he can continue to develop chemistry with the perennial MVP-contender under center, then he has a good chance to emerge from the third round of rookie-only drafts as a steady fantasy contributor.

Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat will not be traded, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Sweat is reportedly unhappy with his contract after signing a four-year, $76.4 million deal with the Cardinals in March of last year after the 29-year-old outside linebacker set a new career high with 12 sacks in 17 starts in 2025 in his first year with the team. In addition to his 12 sacks, the former fourth-rounder by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 out of Florida State racked up 30 tackles (20 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, four forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery out in the desert. Sweat has 55 sacks in his first eight years in the NFL over 121 games (81 starts), with his first seven years coming in Philly. The Cardinals need Sweat to be at his best again if he sticks around in 2026 after they were near the bottom of the NFL in QB pressures and sacks.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (undisclosed) hasn't thrown in OTA practices last week or this week due to undisclosed "soreness," according to Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. There isn't really any concern that Jones won't be a full-go for the start of training camp at the end of July. The 27-year-old went 5-3 as the Niners' starter last year in place of the injured Brock Purdy, completing a career-best 69.6% of his pass attempts for 2,151 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 11 games played (eight starts). Jones more than kept the 49ers afloat as injuries decimated both sides of the ball. Purdy is fully healthy heading into the start of the 2026 campaign, which leaves very little fantasy value for Jones in single-year leagues. He'll once again be a valuable insurance policy for Purdy as he heads into his sixth year in the NFL. Jones thrived in head coach Kyle Shanahan's QB-friendly offense last year, but it still didn't make him much more than a QB2 streamer in superflex fantasy leagues.

The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes that Adonai Mitchell and Geno Smith "feel like a wide receiver-quarterback pairing built to play together." Mitchell, who has the size at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds to win jump balls all over the field, could work well with the veteran Smith, who has the arm strength and confidence to test any area of the field. Mitchell and Smith's chemistry "appears to be growing" in the early days of the offseason program. The 23-year-old pass-catcher said that Smith is "a baller," and added, "He's a natural leader. He's the alpha of the room, that's the best way I could put it. He takes initiative, he communicates very well." After being acquired from the Indianapolis Colts in a midseason trade last year, Mitchell caught 24 of his 58 targets for 301 yards and two touchdowns in eight games with the Jets. The former second-rounder in 2024 out of the University of Texas made an immediate impact for Gang Green, despite terrible QB play. However, that also came with Garrett Wilson out of action due to a knee injury. Smith was one of the worst signal-callers in the league in 2025 with the Raiders, but if he takes a liking to Mitchell in the Big Apple this year, Mitchell has the athleticism, size, and speed to become a threat over a full season. Right now, he's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 76 fantasy wideout for 2026.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and tight end Darnell Washington agreed to a four-year, $42 million contract extension on Wednesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. The hulking 6-foot-7, 264-pounder has developed into a key piece of Pittsburgh's offense after they selected him in the third round (93rd overall) in 2023 out of the University of Georgia. Although the 24-year-old hasn't been on the fantasy football radar, outside of dynasty/keeper leagues, he could have an even bigger role with the Steelers in 2026 after both Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward left in free agency this offseason. Washington had his best year as a pro in 2025 in Year 3 in the Steel City, catching 31 of his 43 targets for 364 yards and just one touchdown in 16 regular-season games (13 starts). Pat Freiermuth remains the better fantasy target in single-year leagues, but Washington could be a Freiermuth injury away from becoming a weekly TE option for fantasy managers.

In addition to having surgery to fix his torn ACL, Green Bay Packers All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons (knee) said he had a procedure to "clean up" his meniscus, according to Packers beat writer Ryan Wood. Parsons said it's a hard nine-month rule before he even considers coming back, prioritizing longevity of his career. In a best-case scenario, Parsons could return to Green Bay to make his 2026 season debut in the middle of October, which means he will more than likely open the campaign on the Physically Unable to Perform list and be forced to miss at least the first four games. The 27-year-old had surgery to fix his torn ACL on Dec. 29. He could return for Week 5 against the division-rival Chicago Bears or Week 6 against his old team, the Dallas Cowboys, but he's emphasizing patience. The Packers also won't rush him back. The five-time Pro Bowler is a game-changer on Green Bay's D-line when healthy, as he had 12.5 sacks in his 14 games in his first year with the team in 2025 before tearing his ACL late in December versus the Denver Broncos.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) had a somewhat alarming answer on Wednesday when he was asked when his injured foot from last season felt normal again, saying, "This is my new normal. And it's not from a standpoint that I'm always in pain, but the way my foot broke there's callouses in there that create a different type of foot structure with those bones -- different types of things that kind of shift things around. So my new normal is kind of what I am going into." It's not exactly what you want to hear from a third-year player and former first-rounder who played in just 12 regular-season games in 2025 due to his foot injury. The former ninth overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Washington looked to be on his way to a Year 2 breakout last season after catching 20 passes for 296 yards and five touchdowns in his first four games, but he only had one 100-yard game and one touchdown the rest of the way while missing five games. There is less competition for targets in Chicago now that DJ Moore is in Buffalo, but second-year wideout Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland are both capable of much larger roles. Odunze may never live up to his draft capital as a top-10 pick, and he's most definitely a faller heading into his third NFL season.

Quarterback Russell Wilson is announcing his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, according to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Wilson will end his playing career to join The NFL Today on CBS Sports for the upcoming 2026 season. The 37-year-old was named a Pro Bowler 10 times in his 14-year career and came away with one Super Bowl ring after the Seattle Seahawks took him with the 75th overall pick in the third round in 2012 out of the University of Wisconsin. Despite his size (5-foot-11, 206 pounds), Wilson quickly became one of the most dangerous dual-threat signal-callers in the league over the last decade-plus thanks to his scrambling ability and strong arm deep down the field. Mr. Unlimited will finish his outstanding career with 46,966 passing yards, 353 touchdowns, and 114 interceptions over 205 regular-season games with the Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants. Wilson spent the vast majority of his career (10 seasons) in Seattle, and he finished out with only six games played (three starts) in 2025 with the Giants before he was benched for rookie Jaxson Dart.

Tommy Yarrish of the Dallas Cowboys' official website writes that running back Malik Davis "appears to be the front-runner" for the RB2 job again for the time being. As the RB2 in 2025 in his third year in the NFL, Davis saw a career-high 52 carries for 250 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and two rushing touchdowns, adding only two catches for 16 yards in 10 games (zero starts). The Cowboys signed RB1 Javonte Williams to a three-year, $24 million contract extension in late February, so Davis is stuck behind him for the foreseeable future in Dallas. Williams led the Cowboys with 252 carries and 1,201 rushing yards last year. In addition to Davis, the Cowboys have Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah in their RB room that could compete for RB2 duties this summer. Blue needs to show more consistency, and Mafah was on Injured Reserve for most of his rookie campaign. At best, Davis will enter the 2026 season as a deep-league handcuff for those who have Williams rostered. He's outside of RotoBaller's top-100 RB rankings currently.

The New England Patriots acquired Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday and signed former Green Bay Packers wideout Romeo Doubs in free agency back in March, which leaves Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams competing for snaps in three-receiver sets in 2026, according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. Lazar writes that Brown's route tree will likely be similar to the Patriots' deployment of Boutte last year as the primary X receiver. The Patriots' beat writer suggests that Boutte might be "redundant on the roster" because of how his role overlaps with the newly-acquired Brown. The 24-year-old Boutte has played his way into being a top-three WR on the depth chart, but the addition of Brown has firmly put the former sixth-rounder on the trade radar as the offseason progresses. In his third year in the NFL in 2025, Boutte had just 33 grabs for 551 yards and a career-high six touchdowns on 46 targets over 14 regular-season games (10 starts). Unless he's dealt to another team with a better shot for consistent snaps, Boutte will likely be avoidable in standard 12-team leagues this fall.

New Orleans Saints veteran running back Alvin Kamara (knee) was present at the team's OTA workout on Wednesday, according to Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Triplett goes on to write that it's still to be determined if this means that Kamara is all systems go for the team going forward. Despite rumors suggesting that the 30-year-old five-time Pro Bowler was considering retirement this offseason, Kamara said he wants to be with the Saints and continue playing in 2026. However, his contract ($10.4 million salary cap hit in 2026) will still likely need to be addressed in some form before anything becomes final for this year after the Saints signed Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $48 million deal in free agency back in March. Head coach Kellen Moore said he doesn't know if Kamara has had any talks with the organization regarding his contract, but he has been pleasantly surprised that he's joined the team in Week 2 of OTAs. On top of the fact that Kamara is now clearly the RB2 in the Big Easy if he sticks around, he's recovering from knee and ankle injuries that caused him to miss the final six games in 2025. Kamara has tumbled all the way down to an RB59 ranking at RotoBaller for the upcoming season, and a trade out of town might be his best path back to fantasy relevance.

Across 17 games in 2025, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas recorded 33 receptions for 435 yards and two touchdowns on 58 targets. The 26-year-old has established a consistent role as the WR3 in Cincinnati, but his production upside is limited as long as the Bengals' star wide receiver duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are both healthy. Higgins has missed 12 games since the start of the 2023 season, which has led to some stretches of fantasy-relevant production for Iosivas. However, Iosivas may have to fight just to hold onto his WR3 role in 2026 following Cincinnati's selection of University of Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Between his limited upside and the increased playing time competition in Cincinnati, dynasty managers may want to consider moving on from Iosivas as he enters his fourth NFL season.

Across 13 games in 2025, Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears recorded 547 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 117 touches. Although the 24-year-old has flashed upside throughout the first three seasons of his NFL career, he's been unable to break out of a complementary role in the Titans' backfield alongside veteran back Tony Pollard. Spears has also run into injury troubles, missing nine games over the past two seasons due to ankle, hamstring, and concussion issues. Entering 2026, Spears remains in competition with Pollard and could also receive heightened pressure on his playing time from 2026 fifth-round pick Nicholas Singleton. Spears established nice chemistry with Titans quarterback Cameron Ward as a receiver out of the backfield in 2025, recording 45 catches for 264 yards on 50 targets. He could continue to provide modest PPR production in 2026, but his dynasty upside appears to be fading.