Fantasy Football News

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.'s fantasy outlook took another hit after teammate Michael Wilson signed a lucrative three-year, $75 million extension. While the extension doesn't directly impact Harrison's productivity, it does shift the dynamic of Arizona's receiver room. The Cardinals' willingness to pay Wilson three-quarters of a million dollars indicates that they don't believe his performance last season (78 catches, 1,006 yards, and seven touchdowns) was a fluke. They're invested in him to be their No. 1 receiver long-term. In fact, he's now under team control for the same length of time as Harrison. We're still intrigued that Harrison can improve upon last year's total of 41 targets, especially if the Cardinals are trailing in games and have to throw the football a lot. However, Wilson has the stronger rapport with Jacoby Brissett, and his new contract is further evidence that he's going to be a major contributor in Arizona for years to come. Harrison is firmly nestled into the No. 2 receiver role, making him a fringe WR3/flex in fantasy football leagues. With that being said, managers are still drafting him as a fringe top-30 receiver. He has an ADP of 71.8, which corresponds to the sixth round of fantasy drafts. That price tag feels a bit too rich, especially since you can get players like Christian Watson, Mike Evans, Parker Washington, Carnell Tate, and Wilson in the same range.

Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen could struggle to earn meaningful snaps during his rookie season. The Commanders spent their sixth-round pick this year on Allen, who finished his collegiate career as Penn State's all-time leading rusher. Despite his impressive NCAA track record, he may struggle to carve out a significant role right away in the NFL. He's currently third on the running back depth chart behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White. Croskey-Merritt made a great impression as a rookie last season with 805 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, and White was signed this offseason as a perfect complement because of his prowess as a receiver. The Commanders have two very strong options for passing and receiving downs, leaving Allen in more of a depth role. He'll get some opportunities to handle change-of-pace snaps, and he'd presumably take on a bigger role if Croskey-Merritt or White get hurt. For now, though, he's likely off the fantasy radar in redraft leagues. His ADP of 231.3 confirms that he's an afterthought in most drafts at the moment.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker's name hasn't generated much buzz this draft season, but his role on offense makes him a very intriguing sleeper in fantasy football. Injuries have limited Coker to just 11 games in each of the last two seasons, but he took advantage of his opportunities last year with 33 catches, 394 yards, and three touchdowns across those 11 games. He came on especially strong in the second half of the season. From Weeks 11-18, he ranked as the WR26 in PPR leagues. Fortunately for Coker, as long as he stays healthy, he should continue to be a strong WR3/flex this season. The Panthers' passing offense looks nearly identical to last season. Coker is firmly entrenched as the No. 2 receiver behind Tetairoa McMillan, the team didn't bring in any big-name rookies to compete for targets, and Bryce Young is back as his quarterback for the third year in a row. The team also has no major threat for targets at tight end; Darren Waller sits atop the depth chart, and he's unlikely to replicate his six-touchdown campaign from last year given the nature of the difference between the Panthers and Dolphins offenses. All signs point to a high-volume role for Coker, who has proven that he can produce at the NFL level. Fortunately for fantasy managers, he's available at a very modest price tag right now. He currently has an ADP of 137.4, which corresponds to the 12th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 54th receiver off the board.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson should benefit from a new-look offensive game plan this season. With Josh Jacobs (personal) on the commissioner's exempt list and sidelined indefinitely, we expect the Packers to adopt a more pass-heavy approach on offense. Out of all the Packers' wide receivers, Christian Watson should benefit the most, given his existing role atop the depth chart. Last year, despite playing in an offense that ran through Jacobs, Watson managed to catch 35 passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns across just 10 games. He averaged 13.2 full-PPR points per game, and he ranked as the overall WR12 from Weeks 8-17. Staying healthy and on the field will be the biggest factor for Watson, but assuming he clears that hurdle, he has top-15 upside at the wide receiver position. His price tag hasn't quite adjusted to the expectations of this offense sans Jacobs, as he still has an ADP of 64.2 (sixth round). This creates an opportunity for fantasy managers to draft him at a discount.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III is trending up in fantasy football after a consistent and impressive summer. While Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee), and Tez Johnson (groin) all missed portions of camp due to their injuries, Hurst was consistently available for the duration of the summer. Not only did he stay healthy and get consistent reps, but he also had an impressive performance in training camp and the preseason, during which he caught two passes for 19 yards. Head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield have both been outspoken about Hurst's reliability this year, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him take on a significant role this year, despite the fact that the Bucs have a somewhat crowded receiver room. The rookie out of Georgia State currently ranks as the WR83 in RotoBaller's redraft rankings, but we could see him jump into the top 50 by midseason.

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) is seeing his fantasy football appeal decline as the regular season gets closer. Charbonnet tore his ACL in the playoffs last year, and the original fantasy outlook was that he'd return to his RB2 form once he recovered, especially after Kenneth Walker III left the team in free agency. Now, though, it's no longer a guarantee that Charbonnet will return to the lead-back role once he's healthy. There are plenty of different running backs expected to audition for the lead-back role in Week 1, and any of those top performers could make a case to remain atop the depth chart for the rest of the season. The early leader in the pack is Jadarian Price, a rookie first-round pick from Notre Dame. He may not be ready for an every-down role right away, but we know he's capable of contributing after he tallied 761 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns at school last year. George Holani and Emanuel Wilson are also expected to carve out significant roles on offense, adding another wrinkle to the backfield when Charbonnet returns. There are a lot of running backs with upside in this backfield, so Charbonnet may end up being more of a low-end RB3/flex once he's healthy. As a result, he has fallen to RB56 in RotoBaller's redraft rankings, and his ADP has slipped to 150.4 (RB49).

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. enjoyed a career resurgence this summer, and he's even boosting his own fantasy stock in deeper leagues. Beckham faced an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but he responded with 100% attendance throughout training camp and seven catches for 76 yards in the preseason. Not only did this level of production get him a roster spot, but it could also earn him meaningful volume in the regular season. Beckham strung together three top-seven fantasy finishes to open his career, but he hasn't been fantasy relevant since 2019 with the Cleveland Browns. He's unlikely to crack the fantasy football top 50 receivers this year, especially since the Giants have a crowded receiver room with Malik Nabers, Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney. However, we wouldn't be surprised to have some occasional WR3/flex appeal in deeper leagues, especially if any of those other pass catchers miss time. As it stands, Beckham is the WR118 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 262.6, which means he's going undrafted in most leagues.

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis is worth stashing as a handcuff in deeper fantasy football leagues. The Cowboys brought in Emari Demercado to round out their backfield this past week, but there's no question that Davis remains the direct backup to Javonte Williams. We expect Williams to occupy an every-down role this year, so Davis doesn't have much standalone value at the moment. However, if Williams were to miss time, Davis would instantly jump into the RB2 range for fantasy purposes. Injuries impacted Williams near the end of last season, giving us an opportunity to see the backup in action. Across the two games in which Williams played less than 50% of the snaps, Davis totaled 28 carries, 124 rushing yards, two catches, 16 receiving yards, and one touchdown. He currently has an ADP of 231.4 in redraft leagues. That price tag indicates that he's going undrafted in most leagues, but we believe managers in leagues with 12+ teams would be justified in drafting Davis if they already have Williams on their roster.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams didn't play in the preseason, but he generated plenty of buzz because of his performance throughout training camp. Adams has had a dominant camp alongside fellow starting receiver Puka Nacua, as the two continue to form the best one-two punch in the NFL. The veteran is coming off a WR9 finish in PPR leagues. He has been a top-12 wide receiver in each of his last six seasons, as well as a top-14 receiver in nine of his last 10. The great news for Adams is that he plays in an offense where multiple players can thrive. After all, Nacua was the WR1 in PPR leagues last year, and Adams still turned in his best fantasy finish since 2022. We expect that trend to continue in 2026 and for as long as Matthew Stafford remains the Rams' quarterback. For now, the big question is whether Adams will replicate last year's 14 touchdowns on 60 catches, or if he'll come back to the mean and catch more passes with fewer touchdowns. The other note on Adams is that he could spend a portion of the season in the No. 1 receiver role as a potential suspension lingers for Nacua. If that happens, Adams would jump from a low-end WR1 to a high-end WR1. At the moment, he has an ADP of 52.8, which corresponds to the fifth round of fantasy drafts. He's a steal at that current price tag, especially given his nose for the end zone.

Tennessee Titans running back Nicholas Singleton is losing some of his fantasy football appeal after a relatively uninspiring preseason. Throughout the preseason, he rushed for 57 yards on 15 carries. That equates to just 3.8 YPC, despite the fact that Singleton was often facing other defenses' backups. He also caught two passes for 18 receiving yards. Singleton was taken in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, so perhaps we should have known that it would take a little while for him to get acclimated. Nevertheless, the post-draft buzz was that Singleton was one of the more pro-ready picks to come out of Day 3. Instead, he has buried himself in the No. 3 role and could have trouble digging himself out without an injury to Tony Pollard or Tyjae Spears. Singleton, who went from 1,474 scrimmage yards at Penn State in 2024 to 768 in 2025, ranks as RotoBaller's RB75 in redraft leagues. He has an ADP of 208.1, making him the 61st running back off the board.

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks could open the regular season as the No. 2 option on the depth chart. The Packers' backfield is suddenly reeling after Josh Jacobs (personal) was arrested, charged with battery and criminal destruction of property, and placed on the commissioner's exempt list. There's no timetable for his return, and even though his court date was moved up to Sept. 10, that doesn't mean he'll get back on the field sooner. A suspension seems inevitable, and now the big question is whether he'll be suspended for games in 2026 or 2027. Regardless of how much time Jacobs misses, all signs point to Brooks stepping up as the Packers' No. 2 running back while MarShawn Lloyd fills the lead role. Brooks was quiet to the tune of 106 rushing yards and 91 receiving yards last year, but he showed in Week 17 (13 carries for 61 yards) that he's capable of stepping into a larger role. For now, he's more of a speculative stash in deeper leagues, but he could absolutely carve out standalone value as a low-end RB3/flex early in the season.

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is looking like the Browns' top target around a relatively inexperienced group of wide receivers. Fannin Jr. is inexperienced himself, in only his second season, but he produced as a rookie and is looking to build on that this year. The tight end started 13 of the Browns' 16 games last season and recorded 72 catches on 107 targets for 731 yards and six touchdowns. With David Njoku out of the picture this season, those 107 targets could very well increase. The quarterback play in Cleveland is a question mark with Deshaun Watson starting the season as the starter, but Fannin Jr. has shown he can make the most of his opportunities. He could potentially be the lead target in front of receivers like Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, and Jerry Jeudy.

Indianapolis Colts backup running back Seth McGowan is projected to win the handcuff job to lead back Jonathon Taylor according to The Athletic's James Boyd. In an August 29 article, Boyd wrote, "McGowan has clearly won the second-string job thanks to his physicality and reliable hands out of the backfield." The seventh-round pick out of Kentucky in the 2026 Draft, McGowan stands at 6-foot-1 and is 223 pounds offering big-time size out of the backfield but as Boyd points out he can catch the ball as well and thus be involved in the passing game. McGowan had two catches for five yards each in the three preseason games and rushed 17 times for 64 yards. With McGowan seeming to prove himself as the backup to Taylor look for him as a very late round pick or a potential early season waiver wire option.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has undergone rehab from a torn ACL and LCL he suffered in December, the worst injury of his career, and as Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star wrote, he went into his rehab with a unique goal in his mind. "He wanted to walk before his baby daughter, 11-month-old Golden". McDowell went on to write that after a training camp practice, Golden, now 20 months old ran toward Mahomes for a hug and Golden's running rather than walking was a surprise, but "Mahomes beat her to it, by the way, barely." The Chiefs have been quiet about Mahomes potential return to action, but Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy reportedly told reporters, "He's back" and Sean Payton has reportedly been preparing the Broncos for the Week 1 matchup with the Chiefs assuming Mahomes will play.

New York Giants running back Najee Harris is a name to monitor in fantasy football as the 2026 regular season gets underway. Harris was a late addition to the Giants' roster, putting pen to paper on his contract in August. As a result, he had a delayed start to training camp and the preseason. In his lone preseason contest, he tallied 11 rushes for 39 yards, as well as a 20-yard reception. Head coach John Harbaugh noted that Harris is "a really good football player," and the fact that he made the 53-man roster indicates that the Giants want to get him involved. An Achilles injury limited him to three games and 18 touches with the Chargers last year, but the season prior in Pittsburgh, he posted 299 touches, 1,326 scrimmage yards, and six total touchdowns. His biggest challenge to start the season will be earning snaps in a deep backfield that also features Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary. For now, Harris ranks as the RB60 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 222.5, which means he's going undrafted in most 12-team leagues.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. enjoyed a breakout 2025 season, and he continued to produce throughout the 2026 preseason. As a result, he continues to trend up in fantasy football, despite having some uncertainty at the quarterback position. Pitts emerged as the overall TE2 in PPR leagues last season, catching 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns. He set new career-high marks in fantasy points, receptions, and touchdowns with Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins as his quarterbacks. He added another six catches for 81 yards this preseason, which is really impressive considering that he handled a limited snap share due to his role as the team's starting tight end. Pitts' latest success has him trending up in redraft leagues. For now, he ranks as RotoBaller's TE8, but another top-three finish is not out of the question. Right now, the biggest obstacle in his way is the Falcons' quarterback situation. Tua Tagovailoa is trending toward being the Falcons' Week 1 starting quarterback, and his discouraging production in recent years could put a slight damper on Pitts' fantasy upside.

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas is seeing his fantasy stock rise after the team traded fellow wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans. Douglas is likely still fourth on the depth chart behind A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and Kyle Williams, but Boutte leaves behind 114 vacated targets from the last two seasons combined. Many of those should go to Douglas, especially since he and Boutte were in relatively the same position on the depth chart. We've already heard buzz this season about Douglas' ability to get on the field in three-receiver sets and absolutely dominate matchups in man coverage, so even if he doesn't get the start in Week 1, he could work his way into a large snap share simply by producing when his number is called. Douglas is RotoBaller's WR94 in redraft leagues for now, but a strong start to the season could allow him to boost his stock and become an appealing waiver wire target.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith could be falling down the depth chart due to the emergence of rookie Emmett Johnson. Throughout training camp and the preseason, Johnson earned plenty of praise for his contributions, especially in pass protection. With fifth-round draft capital, it initially seemed like Johnson was headed for the No. 3 running back role, but his impressive summer has bumped him up to second on the depth chart. As a result, Smith has fallen into that No. 3 spot. Smith had a relatively quiet rookie season last year, tallying 151 rushing yards, 172 receiving yards, and one touchdown. Given that the Chiefs likely wouldn't trust Johnson as an every-down back quite yet, we could see Smith getting onto the fantasy radar if Kenneth Walker III were to miss time. However, his status as the third-string back makes it tough to justify using a roster spot on him in redraft leagues. The second-year SMU product should only be rostered in deeper dynasty formats.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was a very strong fantasy option when healthy last year, and he is expected to raise his ceiling even higher in 2026. First of all, Purdy reportedly has increased mobility this year. It was previously reported that he's going to run more, building on his last year's average of 16.3 rushing yards per game. We're not expecting this major transformation into a run-first quarterback, but any sort of increased mobility should help his fantasy stock. Second, Purdy continues to play in a 49ers offense full of talent. Even after losing Jauan Jennings to free agency and Ricky Pearsall (knee) to injury, San Francisco's receiver room still features Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel Sr., and De'Zhaun Stribling. Plus, he has one of the league's best tight ends in George Kittle and one of the best running backs in Christian McCaffrey. Purdy has so many talented options to target on any given play, giving him a high ceiling in fantasy football. The 26-year-old ranks as the QB11 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 110.4, which corresponds to the 10th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 13th quarterback off the board.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is an under-the-radar handcuff to target in 2026 fantasy football drafts. Chase Brown has essentially cemented himself as the Bengals' workhorse running back role, but Perine would be the next man up if he misses any time due to injury. Brown averaged 17.7 touches per game last season, including 4.1 catches per game, and a large portion of those would belong to Perine if Brown ends up sidelined. Perine's receiving volume dipped last year, but we saw him rush for 382 yards, which was his highest total since 2022. Additionally, he scored three touchdowns, which was another thing he hadn't done since 2022. It'll be hard to get any standalone value out of Perine during a given week, but at such a low ADP (242), he's a great late-round handcuff for managers who already drafted Brown.