Fantasy Football News

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney didn't live up to expectations during the 2025 season. Many fantasy managers viewed Mooney as one of the most intriguing No. 2 wide receivers in fantasy football coming into the year, but injuries and a lack of rapport with Atlanta's quarterbacks cost his fantasy managers in a big way. Mooney, who had 992 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, came back down to earth with just 32 catches, 443 yards, and one touchdown across 15 games this past season. The sixth-year receiver had the second-worst season of his career, letting down the managers who drafted him at his preseason ADP around 120. It will be interesting to see how the Falcons address their pass-catching unit this offseason. At the very least, we would expect them to bring in some competition for Mooney. However, the team also has a glaring hole at tight end with Kyle Pitts headed for free agency. Plus, the quarterback position remains in limbo with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) injured and Kirk Cousins' future uncertain. There are a lot of moving parts here, but one thing is for certain: Mooney will be ranked a lot lower in 2026 fantasy drafts than he was in 2025. Managers shouldn't be rushing to select Mooney or acquire him in dynasty leagues.

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen (knee) saw his 2025 season come to an abrupt end after he suffered an MCL sprain back in Week 4. New York left the door open for him to return, but that never came to fruition. He ultimately finished his second pro season with 18 carries, 76 rushing yards, two catches, 17 receiving yards, and one touchdown through parts of four games. It was a frustrating setback for a young ball-carrier who was projected to eat into Breece Hall's workload. While that didn't pan out in 2025, we could still see Allen step into a much larger role next season. Hall is headed for free agency, and if the Jets don't franchise tag him, he could quite possibly sign elsewhere. That would leave Allen and Isaiah Davis, who had 422 yards and one touchdown across 16 games last season, sharing a rung atop the depth chart. The fantasy surge of Allen and Davis hinges on New York letting Hall walk and failing to replace him, which is far from a guarantee. However, there's certainly a path to Allen being a top-36 fantasy running back next season. Managers should pay close attention to the Jets' free agency plans when evaluating the 22-year-old's fantasy future.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith had another solid campaign during the 2025 season, catching 77 passes for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns. This was the lowest touchdown total of his career, but it was encouraging to see him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in the last four years. It's also worth noting that he had more yards and just one fewer catch than teammate A.J. Brown, indicating the gap between the two may not be as large as it seems. Of course, it's unclear if this duo will be together for long. There were rumors of drama between Brown and the Eagles throughout the year, and we wouldn't be surprised to see trade talks ramp up during the offseason. Trading Brown is far from a guarantee, but even the threat of a depth chart shakeup makes Smith a very intriguing "buy" in dynasty fantasy football leagues. If Smith were to become the top receiver in Philly, he'd have top-12 appeal among wide receivers in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy had an underwhelming season despite operating as the No. 1 receiver on the depth chart. Jeudy ultimately caught passes from a mix of quarterbacks, including Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. None of those signal-callers played particularly well, and as a result, he was held to just 50 catches, 602 yards, and two touchdowns. These were his lowest marks since 2021, when he only played 10 games. The 26-year-old is a talented receiver, and the fact that he's under contract for two more seasons indicates that he'll remain with Cleveland in 2026. However, he hasn't necessarily put last year's adversity behind him. The Browns' quarterback plans remain uninspiring, and Jeudy will continue to face competition from the likes of Cedric Tillman and Harold Fannin Jr. As a result, managers shouldn't count on Jeudy to be a top-36 receiver ahead of 2026 fantasy football drafts.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin took a major step forward during his second season in the NFL. He appeared in all 17 games throughout the 2025 regular season, catching 65 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns. Despite competing for volume with Courtland Sutton, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., and Evan Engram, Franklin managed to finish the year as the overall WR30 in full-PPR leagues. The Broncos aren't losing any key receivers in free agency, so Franklin won't face any less competition heading into next year. However, having another full season and offseason under his belt should allow him to elevate his game and push for a 1,000-yard season. He'll also benefit from playing another year alongside quarterback Bo Nix (ankle), who should be healthy by Week 1. Franklin is a top-36 receiver heading into 2026 fantasy football drafts.

New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught all three of his targets for 37 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl LX loss against the Seattle Seahawks. Diggs produced every time the ball was thrown his way, but he didn't quite live up to his expectations as New England's No. 1 receiver. Although it was a tough game for the Patriots' wide receivers all around, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas started to produce in the second half, and the two ultimately combined for nine catches, 123 yards, and a touchdown. Diggs had an up-and-down regular season, but it should be chalked up to a success given that he had 85 catches, 1,013 yards, and four touchdowns. The veteran's contract is designed to give the Patriots a potential out this offseason, but if New England chooses to bring him back, he'll remain a top-25 wide receiver in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White (ankle) was shot in the ankle during an event in San Francisco on Monday morning, sources told Matt Barrows of The Athletic. White underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to be OK. The 49ers acquired White from the New England Patriots in late October. The 27-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 out of Georgia Tech tallied 12 tackles (five solo), 1.5 sacks, six QB hits, and a fumble recovery in nine regular-season games with the Niners in a rotational role. White might not be ready for the start of offseason workouts because of his ankle surgery, but he should be fully ready to play by training camp this summer. He's heading into the final year of his rookie contract in 2026 and should once again be a rotational defensive lineman for San Fran next season.

All signs are pointing toward Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. being the team's No. 1 pass-catching tight end again in 2026 after fellow TE David Njoku announced on Monday that he's not expecting to re-sign with the team in free agency this offseason. Fannin, 21, surprisingly led Cleveland in receiving in 2025 after the team selected him in the third round out of Bowling Green. The 6-foot-4, 241-pounder hauled in 72 of his 107 targets for 731 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games played, which made him the TE5 overall in half-PPR scoring. Fannin did it all despite a less-than-ideal situation at quarterback, too, which makes his rookie campaign even that much more impressive. The Browns' QB picture won't look all that much better going into next year, but Fannin should maintain TE1 value in fantasy as a key piece of the offense in his sophomore season.

Cleveland Browns impending free-agent tight end David Njoku said on his Instagram account on Monday that "the time for me to find a new home has come," according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Njoku is set to become a free agent on March 12, one day after the new league year begins. The 29-year-old has spent his entire nine-year career in Cleveland and made it known that he'd love to return to the Browns, but it's not in the cards. The former 29th overall pick by the Browns in 2017 out of Miami took a clear back seat to rookie Harold Fannin Jr. in 2025 and is now expendable. Njoku wasn't a reliable fantasy tight end with the reduced role last season, as he caught 33 passes on 48 targets for 293 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games played. It was one of the worst years of Njoku's career, but a bounce-back could be possibly, depending on where he lands in free agency.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler spoke to several people in the NFL who believe that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton will eventually relinquish offensive play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Webb, a former backup quarterback with the Buffalo Bills, has been a fast riser in the coaching ranks and had multiple head-coaching interviews this cycle. The decision will be up to Payton, but nothing has been decided for now. Payton has called plays at a high level for decades, but his decisions came under scrutiny in the AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots. Webb took over the OC job in Denver following the firing of Joe Lombardi. Handing over play-calling duties to Webb might be another way for the Broncos to hang onto the coveted coach beyond the 2026 campaign, and they could potentially be grooming him to take over head-coaching duties if Payton decides to retire down the road.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught four of his 10 targets for 27 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. Just a few days after being named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba was held in check by a historic defensive performance from Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. While the young receiver was smothered, this simply redirected more volume to Cooper Kupp and running back Kenneth Walker III, who both fueled the victory. Fantasy managers should expect that Smith-Njigba, who had 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season, will continue to get plenty of attention from the NFL's top cornerbacks going forward. He was relatively quiet in a tough matchup on Sunday night, but he should overcome most of those challenging situations in 2026 -- very similar to how he performed during the 2025 regular season. He enters 2026 fantasy drafts as a top-three receiver in all leagues.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught six of his 12 targets for 61 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. Kupp led the Seahawks' receiving corps in all three of those categories, taking those responsibilities from Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba was smothered by Christian Gonzalez for most of the game, and he also missed a small portion of the game for a concussion check. Kupp has now won two Super Bowls in five years. He got his first ring with the Rams, and now, he gets his second ring at the culmination of his first campaign in Seattle. He finished the regular season with a modest 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns, but he produced when it mattered most under the international spotlight on Sunday night. Kupp should remain in the No. 2 receiver role for next season, but he ranks outside the top 36 receivers ahead of 2026 fantasy football drafts.

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 23 yards on seven carries during Sunday's Super Bowl LX loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also caught all five of his targets for an additional 40 receiving yards. Stevenson struggled rushing the ball, but he remained involved and effective in the passing game as New England prioritized shorter pass attempts over deep shots downfield. This was a familiar trend for Stevenson, who essentially won back the primary ball-carrier role after returning from injury in late November. Even with second-round rookie Tre'Veyon Henderson in the mix, Stevenson tallied 603 rushing yards, 32 catches, 345 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns across 14 contests. He averaged 12.8 full-PPR points per game, finishing the year as the overall RB25. Henderson should get even more involved next season, but Stevenson will still have a sizable role. He enters 2026 fantasy drafts as a mid-to-low RB3/flex option.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 27 of his 43 pass attempts for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions during Sunday's Super Bowl loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also rushed for 37 yards, took six sacks, and lost a fumble. Maye had a spectacular season, putting together an MVP-caliber campaign during just his second year in the NFL. He remained successful throughout most of the postseason, adapting to a mix of weather conditions while taking down three top defenses en route to a Super Bowl berth. However, the hot streak ended there, as Maye was stymied by an elite Seattle defense. His three turnovers were momentum-killers in a game that had 15 punts and five field goals. He struggled with ball placement when passing, too, and his passing yard total isn't exactly indicative of the game he had. In fact, 235 of Maye's 295 passing yards came in the fourth quarter, setting a new Super Bowl single-quarter record as he took advantage of the Seahawks playing a more relaxed style of defense in the final minutes. Arguably, the best part of Maye's game was his five rushing attempts, which often moved the chains and gave New England a glimmer of hope. Still, Maye's struggles when passing and inability to handle pressure in a collapsing pocket cost New England the game. He'll enter the offseason with his work cut out for him, especially as the Patriots prepare for a tougher schedule in 2026. Maye might not replicate his 2025 stats next year, but he's still a safe bet to rank among the top five quarterbacks in 2026 fantasy football drafts.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that it's "not impossible" that the Las Vegas Raiders trade All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby (knee) before the start of free agency in March. Crosby is around a month into his recovery from surgery on his meniscus, which typically carries a recovery time of three to four months. The 28-year-old has spent his entire seven-year career with the Raiders, but it remains to be seen if he wants to stick around for another rebuild with a new coaching staff under head coach Klint Kubiak. Crosby is ahead of schedule in his recovery from knee surgery, but he's unlikely to be medically cleared before free agency officially begins on March 11. It means that if Crosby is traded, it likely wouldn't be until later, perhaps at the 2026 NFL Draft or before the regular season. When healthy, he's been one of the league's best pass-rushers, earning five straight Pro Bowl nods and racking up 69.5 career sacks. Crosby would generate significant interest around the league if the Raiders are serious about trading him.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold completed 19 of his 38 pass attempts for 202 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. He also rushed for five yards and took just one sack. The veteran signal-caller didn't make a ton of breathtaking plays, but more importantly, he played turnover-free football while letting the defense and rushing attack win the big game. It was a storybook moment for Darnold, who started his career as a so-called first-round "bust" in New York. His NFL voyage took him through Carolina, San Francisco, and Minnesota before he signed with the Seahawks last offseason. During his first year in Seattle, he played all 17 regular-season games, completing 67.7% of his pass attempts for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. For the second year in a row, he eclipsed 4,000 passing yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba at his disposal and a fantastic offensive line in front of him, Darnold should be due for more success in the future. He'll rank as a fringe top-14 quarterback entering 2026 fantasy football drafts.

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 135 yards on 27 carries during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. He also caught two of four targets for an additional 26 receiving yards. Walker's spectacular postseason culminated in a terrific showing on the world's biggest stage. He averaged five yards per carry and broke off several big runs that helped the Seahawks clinch a Super Bowl title. For his efforts, he was also named Super Bowl MVP. Walker had a very impressive 2025 campaign, and it came during a contract year. For the first time in his career, he was healthy for all 17 regular-season games. He tallied 1,309 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns while splitting work with Zach Charbonnet during the regular season, and he put the rushing workload on his back after Charbonnet tore his ACL during Seattle's first playoff game. Walker will now enter free agency as arguably the top running back available, alongside players like Travis Etienne Jr. and Breece Hall. Walker's landing spot will paint a better picture of his fantasy value in 2026 drafts, but for now, he's a solid top-12 running back in all redraft formats, especially if he ends up back in Seattle.

If they can find someone to take their current quarterbacks in a trade, the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins are two teams to watch in the pursuit of Green Bay Packers impending free-agent QB Malik Willis, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. New Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley came from Green Bay and have an obvious connection with Willis, while new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur can get intimate knowledge of Willis' game from his brother, Matt, who is the head coach of the Packers. Fowler also lists the Cleveland Browns as a sleeper for Willis, but the hiring of head coach Todd Monken could change that, since he seems open to working with the QBs currently on the roster, including Shedeur Sanders. The 26-year-old Willis, a former third-rounder, completed 78.7% of his passes for 976 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions in 11 games (three starts) the last two years in Green Bay and is fully expected to join a new team in free agency this offseason.

The Kansas City Chiefs want impending free-agent tight end Travis Kelce back in 2026 if he decides to play for another season, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Kelce has not made a firm decision on his playing future, but reports over the weekend suggest that he could be leaning toward playing another season. The 36-year-old 11-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro caught 76 of his 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns in his 17 starts in 2025 in his 13th year in the league. Although Kelce finished under 1,000 receiving yards for the third straight season, he still managed to finish as the TE4 in half-PPR scoring, and he should remain a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) in 2026 if he comes back. Kelce is long in the tooth, but he should stay in TE1 territory in fantasy football next season if he returns, especially considering the team has multiple receivers that will hit the free-agent market.

The Indianapolis Colts plan to begin contract-extension talks with impending free-agent quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) soon on a multi-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with Indy last offseason and was having a bounce-back season in 2025 until he tore his Achilles in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts fell apart after Jones' injury and missed the playoffs. There is mutual interest on both sides in getting a deal done this offseason, so the expectation is that Jones will be back with the Colts. If they cannot agree on a multi-year extension, the franchise tag would be in play. The 28-year-old signal-caller completed a career-high 68% of his pass attempts in his 13 starts for Indy while throwing for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Jones' 2026 fantasy value will hinge on his readiness for the start of the season this fall.