Fantasy Football News

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift is coming off the second 1,000-yard campaign of his career. Despite some changes of scenery, Swift has been one of the more consistent backs in the NFL in recent years. Last season, Swift rushed for 1,087 yards on 223 carries with nine touchdowns on the ground. The nine scores on the ground were a career-high for the 27-year-old back. The only downside here is the emergence of Kyle Monangai. The two backs are likely going to split up the starting reps, which could create a frustrating situation for fantasy managers. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Bears go with the hot-hand method and ride whichever back looks better on that given day. It's worth mentioning that Swift is in the final year of his contract, so the Bears might be more invested in giving Monangai more carries as the possible future back. Dynasty managers who have Swift on their roster might want to consider selling high on him.

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis could be a sneaky addition for dynasty managers ahead of the 2026 season. Davis is entering his third season with the Bills and is currently battling for the primary backup role behind James Cook III. Last season, Davis saw a minimal role in the Bills' rushing attack. He rushed 58 times for 275 yards and didn't find the end zone on the ground. He didn't see a ton of action on the ground, but Davis did rush for nearly five yards per carry. Davis has shown the ability to be a viable option when given the opportunity. There's unlikely to be a ton of chance to do damage on the ground as long as Cook stays healthy. The expectation is that Davis and Ty Johnson are going to split up the reps behind Cook. Davis could be one injury away from being a relevant fantasy contributor, which makes him worth considering stashing as a handcuff in dynasty formats.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is back for at least one more season. The 36-year-old isn't the same top-tier fantasy tight end that he used to be, but that doesn't mean he can't be a reliable contributor. This past season, Kelce hauled in 76 receptions, 851 receiving yards, and five touchdowns across 17 games with the Chiefs. The 76-catch season was his lowest since the 2015 season, but that goes to show how long Kelce has been an elite player in this league. The Chiefs don't have many reliable pass-catchers on offense outside of Rashee Rice, and hopefully Xavier Worthy takes a step forward. The health of quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) also plays a factor in the fantasy value of Kelce. If everything goes right for the Chiefs, Kelce should still be a fringe top-10 fantasy tight end next season. Given his age, fantasy managers needing a tight end might be able to snag Kelce for cheap, with this possibly being his last season.

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James is currently projected to be the primary backup this upcoming season. The former fifth-round pick only made three appearances last season and didn't record a single carry as a rookie. Despite the lack of reps, James has drawn praise from head coach Kyle Shanahan during the offseason. The 49ers don't have a clear No. 2 option behind superstar Christian McCaffrey in this backfield. Outside of James, the 49ers have third-round pick Kaelon Black, Isaac Guerendo, and Sincere McCormick. There's plenty of competition for the No. 2 role, but James wouldn't be a bad player to have as a possible handcuff to McCaffrey. He's an interesting buy-low candidate for dynasty managers looking for help at running back.

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins is coming off a decent season in 2025. The veteran wideout hauled in 46 receptions, 550 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in 15 games (13 starts) with the Pats. Those were his best numbers since 2022, but Hollins could be headed towards a diminished role. The Pats acquired AJ. Brown during the offseason to be their top wideout in their offense. They also signed Romeo Doubs, who is projected to be the slot receiver to begin the season. The Pats also have Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams returning, who are expected to compete for snaps with Hollins. The assumption is that the Patriots are more likely to feed snaps to a younger player, such as Williams over Hollins. The 32-year-old might end up falling into a depth role on this revamped Pats offense, so fantasy managers counting on Hollins might want to look elsewhere for help.

A recent report from NFL Network's James Palmer reveals that free-agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) had surgery to fix his ACL and multiple other knee ligaments after suffering a torn ACL and dislocated knee in Week 4 of last season with the Miami Dolphins. Palmer described Hill's possibility of playing in 2026 as "wishful thinking." Hill, an eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, has built a reputation for extraordinary speed, elite acceleration, and reliable hands, but his career could be in jeopardy after his serious knee injury last season. The Cheetah is no spring chicken at 32 years old, and his elite physical traits could diminish after his knee injury. Fans have floated the idea of the former fifth-rounder returning to the Kansas City Chiefs, but he faces significant questions about his future in the NFL. Hill's focus goal could be shifting to a lengthy rehab process that will have him ready for the 2027 season. He opened his career with eight straight Pro Bowl selections, and he has 819 catches for 11,363 yards and 83 touchdowns in his 10 years in the league. As of right now, Hill should be avoided in single-year fantasy leagues.

A third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel finished his rookie season with 26 catches for 292 yards and two touchdowns on 35 targets across 17 games (three starts). The 23-year-old was largely blocked from playing time in the slot by veteran wideout Christian Kirk. However, Kirk departed Houston in free agency this past spring, which could put Noel in a position to be the Texans' primary slot receiver alongside outside wideouts Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins. Houston also has wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) making his way back from the knee injury that cost him all of 2025, but Dell's outlook remains clouded by health concerns. Noel also drew strong reviews for his play during Texans spring workouts and could be in line for a significantly increased role in the Houston passing game. As the WR84 by current redraft ADP, Noel carries significant sleeper appeal heading into 2026.

Across seven games (one start) in 2025, New Orleans Saints running back Audric Estime recorded 301 scrimmage yards and one touchdown on 58 touches. With the Saints backfield decimated by injuries down the stretch of the season, Estime took on a lead role for New Orleans' final two games of the year. While Estime remains on the Saints' roster heading into 2026, his place on the depth chart looks drastically different. New Orleans signed running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency and will also be getting back Alvin Kamara, Devin Neal, and Kendre Miller (knee) after all three missed the end of the 2025 season with injuries. Entering 2026, dynasty managers should feel comfortable moving on from Estime in favor of a higher-upside option.

Thanks to a gruesome knee injury that ended his 2024 campaign in Week 16, Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) missed the entire 2025 season. Dell has yet to be fully cleared from the injury, but he's expected to contribute to the Texans at some point in 2026. The 26-year-old has been a productive player when healthy for Houston, averaging 67 catches for 936 yards and seven touchdowns on 106 targets per 17 games played. Still, he may now be facing an uphill battle for targets even once healthy, as Houston has a pair of promising young wideouts in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to go with superstar WR1 Nico Collins. Dell's stock in both redraft and dynasty leagues has obviously fallen considerably from his peak value. Still, it's difficult to buy into Dell at any real cost until he proves he can make it back to full health.

After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, tight end Isaiah Likely signed a three-year deal with the New York Giants this past spring. Likely consistently flashed upside as a Raven, but his production in Baltimore was limited by the presence of Ravens tight end Mark Andrews. In New York, Likely will play alongside another talented tight end in Theo Johnson. Still, the Giants' financial commitment to Likely seemingly indicates that he will get a chance to be his team's clear TE1 for the first time in his career. Even in a part-time role with the Ravens, Likely collected 11 receiving touchdowns across a two-season span from 2023 to 2024. Early reports out of Giants camp indicate that Likely has already begun to establish himself as a high-volume target in a New York passing game that is riddled with health and production question marks. Likely's profile comes with some risk, but he certainly has the potential to vastly outproduce his current redraft ADP of TE11.

After a promising rookie season in 2024, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy saw his production stagnate in a disappointing 2025 campaign. Across 14 games, Worthy recorded 42 catches for 532 yards and one touchdown on 73 targets. Entering 2026, Worthy profiles as the Chiefs' WR2 behind only the highly unreliable Rashee Rice (knee), who is currently recovering from knee surgery and may be facing another league suspension. If Worthy takes a step forward in his age-23 season, he could emerge as the go-to weapon for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, Worthy was unable to establish himself last season, when Rice missed nine games. Worthy has explosive speed, but he's averaged a highly underwhelming 1.25 yards per route run for his NFL career to this point. He certainly has upside, but Worthy may be overvalued as the 48th wide receiver off the board by current redraft ADP.

Across 17 games in 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 63.2% of his pass attempts for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Mayfield's production represented a stark decline from his peak year in 2024, when he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 scores. However, Tampa Bay dealt with myriad injuries to its wide receiver corps in 2025. While the Bucs lost veteran wideout Mike Evans in free agency, the team still has a strong group of now-healthy pass-catchers in wide receivers Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan. Mayfield also brings some ability to provide fantasy production with his legs, as he's rushed for 760 yards and four scores over the past two seasons. Mayfield might not have high-end upside, but he could easily get back into the fringe QB1 range and is currently valued as the QB19 by redraft ADP entering 2026.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was the fantasy MVP in 2024 in his first year in Philly behind an elite Eagles' offensive line, running for a league-high 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on a league-high 345 carries in 16 regular-season starts. Barkley still had 1,140 rushing yards in 2025 behind a subpar offensive line, but his four runs of 20-plus yards were 13 fewer than he had in 2024. And his rushing yards over expected went from second in the league to 24th, per NextGen Stats. Since 2024, Barkley ranks second in 100-plus-yard rushing games (14), behind only Derrick Henry (17). "My only criticism is that he doesn't always produce when things aren't completely clean," an NFL coordinator said. "That's dating back to the Giants. Tends to need things perfectly set up for him." The 29-year-old is still a three-down workhorse with high-end RB1 fantasy value, especially since he's expected to be more involved as a pass-catcher in Sean Mannion's new offense in 2026. However, there is more bust potential if Philly's offense can't bounce back from a poor showing last year.

The Philadelphia Eagles have used six different offensive coordinators in head coach Nick Sirianni's six years with the organization. Sean Mannion, who is replacing Kevin Patullo, played for Sean McVay and the Kubiaks, and he coached under Matt LaFleur. The Athletic's Zach Berman writes that we should "look for the quarterback (Jalen Hurts) to play under center more frequently and for the running game to use wide-zone concepts." Philly's offense should look much different in 2026, especially after they traded Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots and replaced him with trade acquisition Dontayvion Wicks and rookie first-rounder Makai Lemon. The Eagles' offense had its worst rankings in 2025 in the Sirianni era, so fantasy managers investing in this offense will be hoping that Mannion can begin to turn that around in his first year as an offensive coordinator. Losing Brown's down-the-field presence certainly doesn't help Hurts, but he still has plenty of weapons, and a bounce-back year could be coming if the offensive line can step up.

The Athletic's Jesse Newell writes that new running back Kenneth Walker III's "work ethic and no-nonsense style have already been an early culture fit" this offseason alongside Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. The Chiefs paid up for Walker in free agency on a three-year deal, hoping that he'll add an explosive element to their running game that was sorely lacking in 2025 with the combination of Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco. The infusion of Walker's work ethic and no-nonsense style has been welcomed after they believed "their work standard and attention to detail slipped" during last year's 6-11 campaign. The 25-year-old had his second 1,000-yard rushing season in four years in the NFL in his final season in Seattle, and he capped it off by being named Super Bowl MVP in the Seahawks' win over the New England Patriots back in early February. If Walker is used more as a pass-catcher in Bieniemy's offense, he'll have an even higher floor as an RB1 in fantasy, although his lengthy history of lower-body injuries also gives him plenty of bust potential. RotoBaller currently has Walker ranked as the No. 9 fantasy RB for his first year in KC in 2026.

The Denver Broncos acquired speedy wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins in the offseason as a playmaking weapon who can create more open space in the middle of the field. Head coach Sean Payton "raved" about Waddle's start-and-stop abilities during the offseason program. He'll give the Broncos a new option at the position who "fits into larger swaths of the offense's route tree." "There's an element of explosiveness that I think, as an offense, we've lacked for a couple years," quarterback Bo Nix said in June. The Broncos still have Courtland Sutton, who has been the team's clear WR1 in recent seasons, but Nix could lean more on Waddle in 2026 as his go-to guy, especially in the intermediate areas of the field. Even though Miami's offense wilted last year in his final year in Miami, the 27-year-old former sixth overall pick in 2021 out of the University of Alabama was 13th in the NFL in yards per route run (2.34). Waddle finished with a 64-910-6 line in 16 starts. If he stays healthy in 2026 in his first season in Denver, Waddle will certainly have a shot to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his career. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 25 WR for the upcoming season.

The Athletic's Chad Graff writes that New England Patriots second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson is "one of the most intriguing players entering training camp" this summer as he looks to bring more consistency to the Patriots' backfield. He was drafted in the second round in 2025 out of Ohio State to bring more explosiveness to the offense, and he finished with 180 carries for 911 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and nine rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (four starts), adding 35 receptions for 221 more yards and another TD on 42 targets. Henderson's first year in the NFL started slowly, as he saw 10-plus carries just once in the first seven games as the backup to veteran Rhamondre Stevenson. He ended the year with close to 1,000 rushing yards, but Henderson had just three carries in the AFC Championship Game and six in the Super Bowl. The 23-year-old's struggles with pass protection were part of the reason he spent more time on the bench down the stretch. Graff believes that the addition of Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown will cause defenses to play more two-high safety coverages, potentially opening up running lanes for Henderson and Stevenson closer to the line of scrimmage. If Henderson can show improvement as a pass-catcher -- he ranked 32nd in the NFL among RBs in yards per route run -- he could be a strong RB2 for fantasy managers in 2026.

A three-game flash by Cleveland Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman in the middle of the 2024 season has left dynasty managers holding on and hoping that the flame can be rekindled. From Weeks 7-9 of his sophomore campaign, Tillman made 21 catches for 255 yards and three touchdowns, but a devastating concussion ended his season shortly thereafter, and he has done little of note since. Playing in 13 games in 2025, he topped 30 receiving yards only three times and did not find the end zone after Week 2. With Jerry Jeudy leading all Browns wide receivers with 50 catches, and nobody else in the room reaching even 25 receptions, the team spent two top-40 picks on the position in the 2026 NFL Draft. Rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston could see immediate involvement alongside the team's leading receiver from a year ago, tight end Harold Fannin Jr., leaving Tillman in little more than a supporting role in what again projects to be a below-average offense. The fourth-year receiver falls outside RotoBaller's top 300 for 2026 redraft leagues and has dropped to WR99 in the latest dynasty rankings.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and while Super Bowl MVP and free-agent acquisition Kenneth Walker III is the obvious headliner in a completely revamped running back room, the rookie should not be discounted as a potential Year 1 contributor. Johnson was one of the most productive collegiate runners in the country in 2025, and his work as a pass-catcher could see him step into an early role if he's able to overtake the team's lone returning RB from a season ago, 2025 seventh-round pick Brashard Smith. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II has seen his scramble rate increase in recent years, but after a season-ending ACL tear in 2025, he may become more reliant on checkdowns to his running backs as he continues to regain trust in his surgically repaired left knee. And with Walker's own checkered injury history, Johnson takes on added value as a potential insurance back in an offense looking to rebound from several uncharacteristically lean years. Johnson is at the very least a name to remember at the end of deeper 2026 drafts, and as RotoBaller's dynasty RB47, he could be viewed as an undervalued asset worth targeting as part of a larger trade.

New Orleans wide receiver Devaughn Vele had a slow start to his Saints tenure, but was playing some of the best ball of his young career before a shoulder injury caused the team to shut him down for the final three games of the 2025 season. After showing flashes in Denver as a 2024 seventh-round pick, an influx of young talent allowed the Broncos to trade him to New Orleans ahead of his second season. While it's unlikely he'll be entirely shipped out of town again, the Saints' recent investments at the position could make it difficult to regain his starting role, having finished the year as the secondary option behind All-Pro Chris Olave. After a string of injuries left them dangerously thin at the position down the stretch, New Orleans spent three of its eight 2026 draft picks on wide receivers, including Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick and intriguing size-speed prospect Bryce Lance in the fourth round. Thrust into the largest role of his career out of necessity, Vele was able to provide emergency flex viability before his injury, but with a deeper depth chart being built around him, he is not a player who should factor into 2026 draft plans, and already 28 years old heading into his third season, his dynasty prospects remain slim.