Fantasy Football News

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift posted another solid statistical season in 2025, recording 1,386 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns on 257 touches across 16 games. The 27-year-old may not offer incredible upside, but he's provided fantasy managers with extremely stable production in recent seasons. Dating back to 2023, Swift has played at least 16 games and recorded over 1,200 scrimmage yards with at least six touchdowns in three consecutive years. However, Swift may not be assured of the RB1 role in Chicago heading into 2026. Fellow Bears running back Kyle Monangai emerged as a trusted contributor in the team's backfield over the course of 2025. Across the team's final seven games of the regular season, neither Swift nor Monangai played more than 59% or fewer than 41% of the team's offensive snaps. A seventh-round pick in 2025, Monangai could be the team's running back of the future, while Swift will hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Swift could easily remain a low-end starting fantasy running back in 2026, but he now faces role and playing time questions that were not present in prior years of his career.

Veteran tight end Travis Kelce has officially signed his new contract with the Kansas City Chiefs and is locked in for the 2026 NFL season, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There had been some speculation immediately following the conclusion of the 2025 season that Kelce was considering retirement, but the 36-year-old will be back in Kansas City for at least one more year. Rapoport reports that Kelce's new contract is worth over $54 million over three years and guarantees him $12 million in year one. While Kelce is no longer the player he was at his peak, he still recorded 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns across 17 games in 2025. Kelce has also played in at least 15 games in every season since 2014 and remains a featured piece in the Chiefs' offense, earning over six targets per game in 2025. He profiles as a lower-end fantasy TE1 in redraft formats for 2026.

Former Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks running back Travis Homer signed an undisclosed deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. In the last three seasons in Chicago, Homer only had seven rushing attempts for 21 yards while catching three of his four targets for 11 yards in the passing game in 36 games (zero starts). The 27-year-old will strictly serve as RB depth in Pittsburgh and can continue to be ignored in both single-year and dynasty/keeper leagues in 2026. Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, and Kaleb Johnson will be ahead of him on the RB depth chart this fall. The 5-foot-10, 211-pounder will most likely factor in more on special teams for the Steelers in a kick-return role. Homer was drafted in the sixth round in 2019 out of the University of Miami by the Seahawks. He has a healthy 5.3 yard-per-carry average in his seven NFL seasons, but he's had just 90 carries for 474 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith finished the 2025 campaign, his fifth in the NFL, with 77 catches on 113 targets for 1,008 yards and a career-low four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. Although he had a disappointing four touchdown catches, Smith did reach the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career and bounced back nicely from an injury-plagued season in 2024 in which he played in a career-low 13 games. The 27-year-old former 10th overall pick in 2021 out of Alabama finished the 2025 season as the WR20 in half-PPR scoring, just behind Dallas' CeeDee Lamb. Going into 2026 with a new offensive coordinator in an offense that is looking to reset after a disappointing showing last year, there's still plenty to like about Smith. That will especially be true if the Eagles trade A.J. Brown this offseason. If that comes to pass, Smith would most likely operate as Philly's WR1, giving him an even higher fantasy football ceiling as he enters his sixth year in the NFL.

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks led the team with 703 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 196 rushing attempts in 16 regular-season games in his first year in the NFL, with Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) missing the entire season. Overall for Houston, though, it was a lackluster rushing attack with Marks and veteran Nick Chubb, as the team ranked 22nd in rushing yards per game (108). Mixon and Chubb won't return in 2026, and the Texans acquired David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions this offseason to help bolster their ground game. ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime writes that Montgomery "will enter the 2026 season as the No. 1 back for Houston." It's bad news for the 25-year-old Marks' redraft and dynasty value heading into his sophomore campaign. The former fourth-rounder out of USC averaged 3.6 yards per carry last year and caught 24 of his 36 targets for 208 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Marks will still be involved in the Texans' backfield, but as long as Monty is healthy, he'll be more of a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex on a weekly basis.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is now eligible for a contract extension, but the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo says that the expectation is that an extension for Nacua with the Rams "could take a while." Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was neck-and-neck with Nacua in 2025, for Offensive Player of the Year honors, just signed a four-year, $168.6 million extension on Monday, becoming the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. It might not be until later in the summer before we see any movement between the Rams and Nacua on a possible extension. The 24-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2023 out of BYU has quickly emerged as an elite fantasy football receiver in his three years in the NFL. In 2025, he was the WR1 in half-PPR scoring with a league-high 129 receptions for a career-high 1,715 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in 16 regular-season games played. Nacua now has already 4,191 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns on 313 catches in his first three NFL seasons. Contract situation aside, Nacua should be one of the first wideouts off the board in the first round of fantasy drafts this fall.

The New England Patriots are planning to release backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs after they were unable to find a trade partner, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Dobbs, 31, signed a two-year, $8 million contract with New England in March of last year. He appeared in just four games for the Patriots in 2025 and went 7-for-10 passing for 65 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions as Drake Maye's backup. Dobbs will now be free to sign with any other teams and should latch on elsewhere as a backup with plenty of experience in the NFL. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round in 2017 out of Tennessee. Dobbs' best season came in 2023, when he threw for 2,464 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 13 games (12 starts) with the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. In his six seasons with five different teams, Dobbs has completed 62.8% of his passes for 3,346 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 15 picks in 27 games (15 starts).

For the first time in his NFL career, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs looks to be entering the 2026 season in a true bellcow role. The Lions selected Gibbs with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, the same year they added veteran David Montgomery through free agency. For three seasons, Gibbs and Montgomery shared Detroit's backfield as the most productive running back tandem in the league. 2025 signalled the beginning of a shift, with Gibbs officially taking over the starter title and out-touching Montgomery by nearly a two-to-one margin, despite the latter playing 17 games for the first time in his career. With Montgomery now being shipped to Houston, Gibbs is presumably in line for the largest workload of his career, and he deserves thorough consideration as the RB1 in both redraft and dynasty leagues. Detroit added former Chief Isiah Pacheco in free agency to fill the vacated bruiser role, but injuries and inefficiency over the past two seasons have limited his role in a room with no true standouts, and he should not be viewed as a serious threat to keep Gibbs off the field.

Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seattle Seahawks have agreed on a four-year, $168.6 million extension that will make the reigning Offensive Player of the Year the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. The deal comes days after the team exercised Smith-Njigba's fifth-year option and includes over $120 million in guaranteed money, also a record according to NFL Insider Adam Schefter. A first-round pick in 2023, Smith-Njigba led the league with 1,793 receiving yards en route to a memorable Super Bowl-winning season. He is now tied to Seattle through the 2031 season, earning the kind of money that was reserved exclusively for quarterbacks only a few short years ago.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor "still headlines" the team's running backs room, according to The Athletic's James Boyd, and there "hasn't been much chatter" about Taylor's workload as he heads into the final year of his contract in 2026. The 27-year-old was the RB2 in half-PPR fantasy points in 2025, behind only Christian McCaffrey, and he's coming off the fourth 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. He was also named to his third Pro Bowl in his sixth season in the league. The former second-rounder (41st overall) in 2020 out of Wisconsin played in every game in 2025 for the first time since his second year in the NFL, and he tied his career-high with 18 rushing touchdowns. Taylor was a beast for fantasy managers and appears on track to receive similar volume in 2026 as a high-end RB1 target in fantasy drafts. His 323 carries led the league, and it was the second-most rushing attempts he's had in his six-year career.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker missed six games last year, but when healthy, he has shown that he can produce fantasy-relevant results. The 24-year-old stepped up as the Panthers' No. 2 receiver behind Tetairoa McMillan, and in doing so, he seemed to pass Xavier Legette on the depth chart. Coker averaged 3.7 catches, 46.9 yards, and 0.4 touchdowns per game from Week 11 through Week 18, ranking as the WR26 in PPR leagues during that span. He continued his explosive outburst with nine catches, 134 yards, and one touchdown in the Panthers' lone playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. Coker has defied the odds as a 2024 undrafted free agent and is blossoming into a low-end WR3/flex for fantasy football purposes. Coker's slow first half of the 2025 season obscured his final stat line, so managers might have an opportunity to buy low on him in dynasty fantasy football. Managers should send out trade offers to acquire the 24-year-old ahead of a potentially significant breakout campaign in 2026.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore is trending up in dynasty leagues after being traded away from the Chicago Bears earlier this month. Moore was the WR6 in 2023 and the WR16 in 2024, but he fell to WR35 with a modest 50 catches, 682 yards, and six touchdowns this past season. He took a major step backward in the Bears' system despite playing all 17 games, likely due to the increased presence of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland. The down season has caused Moore's dynasty value to dip, but the offseason trade makes him an intriguing buy-low candidate. For starters, the fact that Buffalo actively went out and invested a second-round pick in Moore indicates that they plan to get him very heavily involved. Additionally, compared to Chicago, he faces less competition in Buffalo while also getting a quarterback upgrade. Josh Allen finally has a true No. 1 receiver for the first time in a while, and Moore should get peppered with targets in new head coach Joe Brady's offense. Moore is suddenly a very intriguing pick to finish among the top 18 fantasy receivers next year and for several years to come. Dynasty managers should consider sending out trade offers to buy low on Moore before his price tag climbs higher.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman found himself in the doghouse last year, and he continues to face an uphill battle to produce, even after the team made a change at head coach. Between production-related concerns and disciplinary issues, Coleman missed four games last year, finishing the season with a modest 38 catches for 404 yards and four touchdowns. He has yet to finish higher than WR60 in his two seasons in the league. The Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott and replaced him with offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Therefore, even though there's a new face in charge, it's still someone with a strong existing connection to Coleman. Furthermore, Coleman's fantasy managers should be concerned that the Bills went out and traded a second-round pick for DJ Moore. The 22-year-old is now buried on the depth chart behind Moore and Khalil Shakir, and he's not a lock to beat out Joshua Palmer or Tyrell Shavers, either. Coleman has minimal trade value in dynasty fantasy football, so he can be dropped in shallower leagues or merely held in deeper formats.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is coming off the best season of his career, and he continues to project as a mid-to-low WR1 option in fantasy football. However, his ongoing franchise tag saga complicates his outlook for fantasy managers. The Cowboys applied the franchise tag to Pickens, who expressed dismay and plans to hold out for a long-term deal. It sounds like he won't return to the Cowboys' facilities until he has a long-term deal in place, and the two sides could eventually come up against the clock, since the deadline for tagged players to sign an extension is July 15. It's tough to say what will happen if Pickens doesn't have a deal by then, but given the trend of franchise tag situations in recent years, it seems unlikely that Pickens would sit out any games. It seems most likely that he'll sign an extension, but he could also be traded or give in and play out his one-year deal. At the end of the day, Pickens will probably be catching passes from Dak Prescott in 2026, which bodes well for his fantasy outlook. However, what happens in 2027 and beyond is anybody's guess. Dynasty managers should consider selling high on Pickens' WR5 finish in PPR leagues last year, especially since changing teams next offseason could drop him outside the top 12 fantasy receivers.

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry isn't getting any younger, but his lead-back role appears to be safe, given that he faces minimal competition in the Baltimore backfield. The Ravens allowed Keaton Mitchell to depart in free agency, leaving Rasheen Ali and Justice Hill as the lone ball-carriers behind Henry. Hill has flashed flex appeal in PPR leagues from time to time, and the team still has faith that Ali can be a contributor. However, this is clearly still Henry's backfield, even at 32 years old. He was the overall RB8 last year, finishing inside the top eight for the fourth year in a row. He had 1,595 rushing yards, and he scored 16 rushing touchdowns for the second year in a row. The most underrated concern in Henry's game had nothing to do with his efficiency or role, but rather, his ball security. After fumbling just once between 2023 and 2024, he coughed up the football three times in 2025. Ball security issues won't cost him his job, but they could cost him some touches from time to time. Still, we're not overly concerned about Henry's outlook for 2026, as he remains a low-end RB1 option with such a clearly defined role. Managers in dynasty leagues could try to sell high on Henry before he becomes too old to trade, but they shouldn't settle for a discount simply because he's aging.

Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter is buried too far down the depth chart to justify rostering him in dynasty fantasy football leagues. When Hunter was selected as a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, there was some speculation that he could ascend into the No. 2 running back role behind Kyren Williams. Instead, he was a healthy scratch for 12 of 17 games as a rookie, falling below Williams, Blake Corum, and Ronnie Rivers on the depth chart. Even when he was active, he didn't log an offensive snap. Rivers is now a free agent, but even if Hunter jumps to third in the pecking order, he'll still be a long way from fantasy relevance. The 23-year-old can be dropped in most dynasty leagues, less than one year after initially being drafted.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks continues to face an uphill battle to earn consistent volume ahead of the 2026 season. While the departure of Romeo Doubs in free agency initially seemed like it might lead to more opportunities for Wicks, the latest reporting indicates that 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden will benefit most from Doubs' departure. As a result, the Packers are expected to proceed with Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Golden as their top three receivers, leaving Doubs still buried in a depth role. He didn't do a whole lot to help his case in 2025, catching just 30 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns across 14 games. All of those numbers set new career lows for the Virginia product. Now 24 years old, Wicks is heading into a contract year but remains an unappealing option in most redraft and dynasty leagues.

The Carolina Panthers have signed tight end and special teamer Feleipe Franks, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. Franks was a standout quarterback in college, totaling 18 touchdowns and just four interceptions in his final NCAA season at Arkansas in 2020. He also had 31 touchdowns and six interceptions as a sophomore at Florida in 2018. He ended up signing with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent and made one appearance before converting to tight end in 2022. He joined the Panthers in 2024, then returned to the Falcons in 2025. Now, he's back in Carolina for 2026. He has just one catch and two rushing attempts since becoming a tight end, so we expect the vast majority of his contributions to come on special teams next year. He has no fantasy relevance.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a potential landing spot for free-agent defensive end Cameron Jordan, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN.com. Defensive lineman Chris Jones recently posted on social media, floating the idea of the Chiefs signing Jordan, and Taylor confirms Kansas City is indeed a "possible destination." Jordan is nearing the end of his career at 37 years old, but he remained highly productive last season with 10.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and 47 tackles. The 15-year NFL veteran has spent his entire career so far in New Orleans, so a shift to the Chiefs would be quite significant. He'd give Kansas City a clear upgrade on the defensive line, opposite George Karlaftis, especially as the Chiefs look to get back into the NFL playoffs after finishing below .500 last year.

Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com writes that "it'll be a while" before the Jacksonville Jaguars' backfield dynamic gains any clarity. Jacksonville lost Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency and replaced him with Chris Rodriguez Jr., who will compete for the lead-back role with Bhayshul Tuten. Although it might seem like Tuten has an early leg up on the competition because of his familiarity with the Jaguars' offense, we must also acknowledge that Jacksonville deliberately went out and paid Rodriguez $10 million, so they want to get him involved. He also has a connection to head coach Liam Coen, who was his offensive coordinator at Kentucky in 2021. The Jaguars are no strangers to complicated backfields. They entered last season with no clear frontrunner between Etienne, Tuten, and Tank Bigsby. The good news is that there are now only two names in the mix, instead of three. Still, it sounds like it will be a while before we gain any clarity in this backfield. Both Rodriguez and Tuten should be viewed as low-end RB3/flex options, and whichever player wins the starting role will jump to the low-end RB2 tier given how strong Jacksonville's offense looked last year.