Fantasy Football News

Gunnar Helm • TE • Titans

Gunnar Helm Has Momentum on His Side Entering 2026

Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm finished the 2025 season on a very strong note, and he'll look to pick up exactly where he left off as the 2026 campaign gets underway. Helm was the overall TE31 as a rookie. He had at least four catches in six of his final 12 games last year, including an impressive stat line of 20 catches, 141 yards, and one touchdown over the last six weeks. His emergence might have been a motivating factor in the Titans' decision to let Chig Okonkwo walk in free agency. Helm is now the undisputed No. 1 tight end in Tennessee, and while he'll likely face competition for targets from Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson, he figures to handle a decent target share throughout the upcoming season. The Texas product is currently the TE31 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings, but he has legitimate top-18 upside in both dynasty and redraft formats.

13 hours ago

Kaytron Allen • RB • Commanders

Kaytron Allen on Track to Round Out the Backfield

Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen remains behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White on the depth chart, but as the current projected No. 3 ball-carrier, he should have no trouble making the 53-man roster. A sixth-round pick out of Penn State, Allen made a significant impact in Week 2 of the preseason as he handled a team-high 10 carries, although it resulted in a modest total of 30 yards (3.0 YPC). He also caught one pass for no gain. Purely based on volume, it looks like the Commanders could give Allen a role as early as Week 1 of the regular season, even if he's not quite as involved as Croskey-Merritt or White. Allen is the RB68 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.

13 hours ago

Michael Mayer • TE • Raiders

Michael Mayer's Fantasy Outlook Dependent on Teammate's Health

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer is one of the more talented backups in the NFL, but his fantasy relevance has been put on hold as long as he remains in the No. 2 role. Mayer is currently the backup to superstar tight end Brock Bowers, which means that his only real path to fantasy production is an injury to Bowers. We did see that come into play last year, as Mayer totaled 18 catches, 196 yards, and one touchdown across four games without Bowers. That came with Geno Smith at quarterback, so all pass catchers should have a higher ceiling this year with Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza. The quarterback upgrade still isn't enough for managers to justify drafting Mayer, but he's a name to watch on the waiver wire and a potential deep-league dynasty stash in case Bowers has to miss any time.

13 hours ago

Chig Okonkwo • TE • Commanders

Chig Okonkwo Has an Opportunity to Break Out in 2026

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo should benefit from a change of scenery ahead of the 2026 season. The Maryland product spent the last four seasons in Tennessee, finishing each of the four years between TE21 and TE25 in PPR leagues. That level of consistency became the norm for Okonkwo in Tennessee, but it never resulted in a true breakout. Instead, he was frequently a mid-range TE2 in fantasy football, with his best stats coming in 2025 when he caught 56 passes for 560 yards and two touchdowns. We could be looking at a similar situation to when Washington brought in veteran Zach Ertz, fueling his career resurgence. Ertz was the overall TE7 with 654 yards and seven touchdowns as the Commanders' primary tight end in 2024, and while Okonkwo's leap might not be quite that large, he still has clear top-12 upside in fantasy football, especially if quarterback Jayden Daniels can stay healthy for a full season. He's a very appealing late-round target for fantasy managers who want to roster two tight ends in 2026.

13 hours ago

Sam Darnold • QB • Seahawks

Sam Darnold Should Benefit From a Strong Supporting Cast

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has a talented group of weapons around him at wide receiver, running back, and tight end. Although Jake Bobo (knee) went down with a season-ending ACL tear, this is still a very talented wide receiver room headlined by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Rashid Shaheed. All three have different skill sets that should give Darnold plenty of options in the passing game. At tight end, AJ Barner is coming off a big 2025 campaign, while Elijah Arroyo has a second-round draft stock. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have an impressive backfield featuring Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet (knee). Rounding out the offense is a very dependable offensive line. The Seahawks didn't make many additions in the trenches, but mostly because it was already a strong unit. Grey Zabel and Charles Cross are terrific blindside protectors for Darnold, who only took 27 sacks last year (as opposed to 48 in 2024 with Minnesota). Despite having limited mobility, the veteran signal caller has ranked as a top-13 quarterback in fantasy football for each of the last two seasons. He enters the 2026 season as the QB23 in RotoBaller's latest draft rankings.

13 hours ago

Terry McLaurin • WR • Commanders

Consistency is Key for Terry McLaurin in 2026

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is looking to put an atrocious 2025 season behind him. He was limited to just 10 games due to injury, and he finished the year with a modest 38 catches, 582 yards, and three touchdowns. Even if you extrapolate his stats over a full 17-game campaign, he still would have had just five touchdowns and fewer than 1,000 yards. It's certainly not a lack of talent, as McLaurin was the WR7 in 2025. More likely, he struggled as a result of his own inconsistent availability, as well as inconsistent quarterback play. The Commanders cycled through three different quarterbacks last year, and Jayden Daniels missed 10 games. If both McLaurin and Daniels can play close to 17 games in 2026, the talented pass-catcher should return to the top-15 receiver range in fantasy football. The upside is somewhat baked into his current ADP of 52.8, and he currently ranks as the WR24 in RotoBaller's latest draft rankings.

13 hours ago

Troy Franklin • WR • Broncos

Troy Franklin is No Longer a Flashy Fantasy Target

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin fell down the depth chart this past offseason after the team traded for Jaylen Waddle from Miami. Not only did Franklin slip to No. 3 in the wide receiver pecking order, but he hasn't exactly made a compelling case for more volume. In Week 2 of the preseason, he played 16 snaps but didn't fetch a single target. Last year, he was the WR31 in PPR leagues with 709 yards and six touchdowns, but he might have trouble eclipsing those same numbers in his new role behind both Waddle and Courtland Sutton. The good news for Franklin is that his quarterback and former college teammate, Bo Nix (ankle), is back from injury, but we're still not very confident in the 23-year-old receiver for fantasy purposes as long as Waddle and Sutton are healthy. As it stands, Franklin is the WR102 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football draft rankings for 2026.

14 hours ago

Mike Washington Jr. • RB • Raiders

Klint Kubiak Praises Mike Washington Jr.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. has earned the praise of head coach Klint Kubiak ahead of the 2026 season. "He's done a great job of growing up real fast," Kubiak told Levi Edwards of the team's official website. "He's a guy that understands we're counting on him. He's maturing really fast." Washington is a fourth-round pick out of Arkansas, and while he was initially drafted to be a backup, he could step into a larger role right away if Ashton Jeanty (ankle) isn't ready to play in Week 1. Jeanty recently suffered a low-ankle sprain that could sideline him for a couple of weeks, so there's a real chance that we see Washington draw the start during the season opener against the Dolphins on Sept. 13. Washington may be a rookie, but Kubiak's comments suggest that he's ready for a big role. He currently ranks as the RB48 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.

14 hours ago

Jaylen Waddle • WR • Broncos

Broncos Say Jaylen Waddle is "Going to Play Everywhere"

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle "is going to play everywhere except offensive line," offensive coordinator Davis Webb told Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. These remarks obviously come with a little sarcasm, as Waddle obviously isn't going to line up in the trenches, nor do we expect him to throw any passes. With that being said, it's still fair to read into these comments and wonder if we might see some design rushing attempts for Waddle out of the backfield, as well as a very heavy dose of snaps in the slot and out wide. Denver gave up a first-round pick in the package for the young receiver, so it makes sense that they want to get him involved in as many ways as possible. He had 910 yards and six touchdowns last season, and those numbers should only increase as he gets a quarterback upgrade with Bo Nix throwing to him. Waddle currently ranks as the WR20 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings, 20 spots ahead of teammate Courtland Sutton.

14 hours ago

RJ Harvey • RB • Broncos

Coach Says RJ Harvey is Becoming a "Complete Back"

Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey is evolving into a "complete back," offensive coordinator Davis Webb told Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. Harvey impressed as a rookie last season, scoring 12 touchdowns and ranking as the RB20 in PPR leagues despite finishing with fewer than 1,000 rushing yards. He demonstrated impressive versatility last year, and Webb's comments would seem to indicate that Harvey has taken another step forward this preseason. It's a bit of a crowded backfield between Harvey, JK Dobbins, and Jonah Coleman, but Harvey seemingly has the highest upside of that group. If he plays a full 17-game slate this year, he should have no problem eclipsing 1,000 yards while pushing for another 12+ touchdowns. He ranks as the RB35 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football draft rankings, which is four spots behind Dobbins and 17 spots ahead of Coleman.

14 hours ago

Hjalte Froholdt • C • Cardinals

Cardinals, Hjalte Froholdt Agree on Two-Year, $20 Million Deal

The Arizona Cardinals and center Hjalte Froholdt have agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Froholdt was entering the final season of his 2024 contract, but the Cardinals have now locked down their center for the next three seasons. Froholdt was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has started 57 games for the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and the Cardinals. He's been an anchor on this offensive line for the past three seasons, starting every game with the team and grading highly across multiple platforms. He'll be 33 when he is due for another contract, so watch for Arizona to target a center in the 2027 or 2028 drafts.

15 hours ago

Jason Sanders • K • Jets

Jason Sanders the Favorite to Win Kicking Job with the Jets

New York Jets placekicker Jason Sanders is the favorite to win the starting job in 2026. Since the team released Cade York on Tuesday, Sanders is likely to be the Jets' kicker this season, assuming they don't make any other additions. In seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Sanders has made less than 85% of his field goal attempts, and he missed all of 2025 due to a hip injury sustained while warming up before a preseason game. Sanders will have tough shoes to fill in New York, where the Jets' kicker made a league-high 97% of his field goal attempts in 2025. Given his injury history and accuracy issues, along with the Jets' low-ranked offensive attack, Sanders should not be a target at kicker in fantasy drafts.

16 hours ago

Isaiah Davis • RB • Jets

Isaiah Davis Making Progress on Side Field

New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis (knee) was seen working with a trainer on the sideline, according to Zack Rosenblatt. Rosenblatt noted that it's the first time he's seen Davis working on the grass and that "he's making progress." Davis suffered a "minor knee injury" early in training camp, which was expected to cost him "a couple of weeks." After the injury to running back Braelon Allen, Davis played a role in the rushing attack last season, totaling 422 scrimmage yards and one touchdown on 64 attempts. With both Allen and starter Breece Hall in the mix, Davis is likely to take a backseat to the two this season. With just 19 days until the Jets travel to take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, Davis will need to ramp up quickly to be ready to go for the season.

16 hours ago

Chris Bell • WR • Dolphins

Chris Bell Could Play in Preseason Finale

Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver Chris Bell (knee) could play in the team's preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons. Bell is recovering from a torn ACL sustained in November of last season. The third-round pick was activated from the Non-Football-Injury list on August 17th and has ramped up so quickly that he could play Friday night. In his senior season at Louisville, Bell had 67 receptions for 871 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games before tearing his ACL. If he suits up against the Falcons, it would be a strong sign he will be ready for Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. With fellow rookie Caleb Douglas and Malik Washington as the two current starters, Bell has a legitimate opportunity to lead this offense in receiving this season.

16 hours ago

Anthony Richardson Sr. • QB • Colts

Anthony Richardson Sr. to Start in Preseason Finale

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. is expected to start the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions. Richardson, a second-year quarterback, is competing for the backup role behind starter Daniel Jones. Both quarterbacks have struggled in the preseason, with neither throwing a touchdown in two games. The former fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft has completed 50.6% of his passes for 2,400 yards, with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 17 career games. If Richardson struggles in Sunday's preseason game, the team could pivot to Leonard as the backup and potentially move on from the talented quarterback. Fantasy managers should avoid both Richardson and Leonard, as even if Jones suffers an injury, neither offers enough security to start in lineups this season.

16 hours ago

Ja'Kobi Lane • WR • Ravens

Ja'Kobi Lane Continues to Generate Hype

Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane has received significant praise from within the organization. Lane continues to make plays in training camp and the preseason and has become a fan favorite. Star quarterback Lamar Jackson said, "This guy is different," when referring to Lane, and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle compared Lane's ability to that of former Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. "Mike Thomas had these strong hands where he could pull it down in a way, and you threw it in the vicinity, and you felt like he was going to go get it. There is a lot of that feeling (with Lane). He's a very friendly guy to throw to." With Rashod Bateman's off-the-field issues and struggles so far in his career, Lane could easily fill in as the WR2 in this offense behind Zay Flowers. Ranked WR66 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Lane is an exciting late-round player to target in fantasy drafts.

16 hours ago

Trey Benson • RB • Cardinals

Trey Benson Placed on Cardinals' Injured Reserve

After the Arizona Cardinals waived running back Trey Benson (knee) with an injury designation, Benson cleared waivers, returned to the organization, and was placed on Injured Reserve, ending his 2026 season. All 31 other teams passed on Benson on the waiver wire, so the running back will spend the 2026 season on injured reserve. The former third-round pick has totaled 111 attempts for 574 yards and one touchdown in 17 career games with Arizona. Benson underwent meniscus surgery during the 2025 season but was unable to return to play despite being activated off injured reserve. The third-year running back could've affected another running back room across the league, but with him out for the season, fantasy managers can safely drop Benson if they had him on their rosters.

16 hours ago

J.J. McCarthy • QB • Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Splitting Second-Team Reps

In a relatively short Minnesota Vikings training camp practice on Tuesday, quarterback J.J. McCarthy and veteran Carson Wentz split second-team reps, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. McCarthy's dynasty/keeper stock continues to plummet after the Vikings recently announced what most of us already expected: that Kyler Murray had won the starting QB job entering the 2026 season. The 23-year-old former 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft from Michigan missed his entire rookie campaign due to a meniscus injury in his knee that required surgery, and when he finally got his chance last year, he flopped due to injuries, accuracy issues, and questionable decision-making. McCarthy completed 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in his first 10 starts for the Vikings. If he loses out on the QB2 competition to Wentz, McCarthy could become a trade candidate before the start of the 2026 campaign. If he stays with the Vikes, it might take another injury to Murray for McCarthy to get another shot at starting this year.

18 hours ago

Lane Johnson • OT • Eagles

Lane Johnson Walks Off With Injury on Tuesday

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (undisclosed) walked off the practice field gingerly on Tuesday and was seen talking to trainers, according to EJ Smith of PHLY Sports. After Johnson left training camp practice, Fred Johnson jumped in at right tackle to work with the starting offense. The 36-year-old Johnson is slated to once again serve as the team's starting right tackle in 2026, but durability was going to be a question. It's unclear what his injury is or if it is significant enough to make him questionable to play for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season in early September against the division-rival Washington Commanders, but we should have an update on the veteran offensive lineman's status soon. Johnson missed the final eight games of last year, including the playoffs, with a Lisfranc injury, but he returned to minicamp practice in June and had been a full-go in training camp until Tuesday. His status is important as the Eagles' offense looks to bounce back in 2026.

18 hours ago

Brandon Aiyuk • WR • 49ers

Brandon Aiyuk Remains Estranged from 49ers

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk remains away from the team, and he is not currently part of the team's 90-man roster. The relationship appears to be severed beyond repair. Aiyuk missed the entire 2025 season due to a knee injury and missed ensuing rehab sessions, voiding nearly $30 million in guarantees. The 49ers moved Aiyuk to the reserve/left squad list in December of 2025, and that is where he remains. In January, San Francisco's general manager, John Lynch, said that Aiyuk most likely "played his last snap" for the 49ers. Aiyuk must formally apply for reinstatement to be released or traded, but he has publicly said he won't. In his last taste of NFL action (back in 2024), Aiyuk caught just 25 passes for 374 yards over seven games. Things remain at a standstill, and as a result, Aiyuk has no value in redraft leagues right now. At best, he is a dynasty stash in deeper formats.

20 hours ago

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