Fantasy Football News

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea has been present at mandatory minicamp practices this week, but he has been observing on the sidelines and is holding in as he seeks a new contract, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. "It's not concerning. We've been through it before. It's part of the business," head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. However, Bowles couldn't say if he's confident that a resolution would be reached by the start of training camp at the end of July. The 31-year-old interior defensive tackle is entering the final year of a four-year, $71 million contract, and he's set to make $17 million in 2026, but none of it is guaranteed. Vea has a history of injuries, including during offseason workouts, so he's trying to protect himself heading into the 2026 campaign. He broke his right leg and suffered an ankle fracture in 2020 and also missed most of training camp and the first three games of his rookie season in 2018 with a strained calf. Vea missed part of camp and the entire preseason in 2019 with an LCL sprain in his left knee. And in 2025, Vea had a foot injury late in the summer that forced him to miss practices before Week 1. When healthy, the veteran D-lineman remains one of the best run-stoppers in football.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has decent long-term upside as a potential handcuff option for Patrick Mahomes' fantasy managers. Mahomes is currently recovering from a torn ACL, so Justin Fields is expected to start Week 1. Nussmeier might be able to jump Fields on the depth chart, but more than likely, he'll be the primary backup until Mahomes returns. The LSU product was projected to be a mid-round pick, but fell to the Chiefs in the seventh round. Nussmeier didn't look great during his senior year, but threw for over 4,000 yards in 2024. Mahomes will eventually take his starting gig back, but who knows what kind of toll that torn ACL will take on his body long-term. Nussmeier isn't a bad stash option, given he could be one injury away from the starting job.

New England Patriots running back Jam Miller could be an interesting stash option for dynasty managers. The Patriots selected Miller in the seventh-round of this year's draft. He figures to compete for the No. 3 spot in the backfield with Terrell Jennings, Myles Montgomery, and Lan Larison. This past season, Miller rushed for 504 yards on 130 carries with three touchdowns in 11 games at Alabama. The 3.9 yards per carry isn't ideal, but the Patriots believe Miller has the potential to be a decent contributor. The Patriots often deploy three-man rotations in the backfield, which could give Miller some value right away, assuming he wins the job. At worst, Miller is someone worth stashing on the taxi squad in case an injury happens to Rhamondre Stevenson or TreVeyon Henderson.

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill could have an uphill battle ahead of him to keep the No. 2 role in the backfield. Hill only played in 10 games this past season due to injuries. When healthy, Hill finished with 93 rushing yards while hauling in 21 receptions for 169 yards through the air in 2025. Hill could have a tough time securing the backup gig after a lackluster campaign last season. The Ravens selected Adam Randall in the fifth-round during this year's draft. He could quickly surpass Hill on the depth chart, assuming he looks good during training camp. There's not a ton of carries available when Derrick Henry is healthy, but the Ravens are likely looking towards the future at this point. It wouldn't be shocking to see them give more carries to Randall over Hill, who is 28 years old.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back J'Mari Taylor is an interesting late-round target for dynasty managers. Taylor was brought in as an undrafted free agent following this year's draft. He's looking at an uphill battle this summer, but the Jaguars don't have a ton of consistent contributors ahead of him. Taylor could very well earn himself a role on this roster if he's able to impress the organization during training camp and the preseason. This past season, Taylor rushed for 1,062 yards with 14 touchdowns across 13 games with Virginia. He could be worth snagging in the final round of dynasty drafts or stashing on the taxi squad.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Colbie Young could find himself in a starting role to begin the season. According to ESPN, Young is competing for the No. 3 role with Andrei Iosivas. Bengals offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said that he believes is going to fight and battle for that third wideout spot this summer. There's no way he can go any higher than that with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on the roster. The Bengals selected Young in the fourth-round out of Georgia during this year's draft. His stats don't jump off the page, but the Bengals like his potential. He could be an interesting late-round option in fantasy drafts if he wins the No. 3 receiver job.

The NFL Network's Mike Garafolo says that new Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough's offense should suit running back Rachaad White well in 2026. White's name came up a few times during Garafolo's visit to the Commanders' mandatory minicamp on Wednesday. The 27-year-old signed a one-year deal with Washington back in March, and although second-year back Jacory Croskey-Merritt is the obvious choice to lead the team's backfield after he led the team in rushing in his rookie campaign in 2025, White will have his chance to compete for a bigger role that he had behind Bucky Irving in Tampa Bay over the last couple of seasons. In his four years with the Bucs, White averaged 3.9 yards per carry and had 2,656 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns, adding 205 receptions for 1,450 yards and 11 receiving TDs. Head coach Dan Quinn has been impressed with White's abilities as a pass-catcher during offseason practices, something that Croskey-Merritt needs to work on. At the very least, White will be an RB3/flex sleeper in PPR leagues, with the potential for an even bigger role if JCM takes a step back in Year 2.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Thursday that he is planning to move star wide receiver George Pickens around the formation more in 2026, per the team's official website. Pickens was absent from organized team activities in the spring after failing to reach a long-term contract extension with the organization, but he is present this week for mandatory minicamp. The 25-year-old former second-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 out of the University of Georgia broke out in 2025 after the Dallas Cowboys acquired him from Pittsburgh, catching 93 passes for a career-high 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on 137 targets in 17 games (15 starts). The vast majority of Pickens' snaps in 2025 in his first year in Dallas came out wide, but it sounds like he could spend more time inside in the slot in Year 2 in Big D, which should help the Cowboys create more mismatches for the big-play threat. Even with CeeDee Lamb commanding a high target share, the Cowboys should continue to throw the ball enough under Schottenheimer to make Pickens a legitimate WR1 again in fantasy in 2026.

The Athletic's Zac Jackson writes that Cleveland Browns new head coach Todd Monken would have liked to have a starter already named going into training camp in late July, but he "wants and needs to see more" from both quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders this summer. Ultimately, Monken said he will play "whoever gives us the best chance to score, and I won't know that until we play." He wants to see more "consistency and confidence" from both Watson and Sanders in training camp than what he saw this spring. Jackson adds that it's safe to say that Watson "looked like the same player in his return from a year and a half away that he was before his two Achilles tendon injuries." Watson is healthy and threw downfield occasionally with confidence, but he "lacked consistency and too often threw into traffic." Jackson doesn't think there is much reason to want Watson to play unless he's "clearly their best option." The 30-year-old Watson has been a Pro Bowler three times (all before he came to Cleveland), but it appears he might have to thoroughly outplay Sanders to win the starting gig going into Week 1. Either way, this QB situation is one to ignore for fantasy managers, if at all possible. Whoever wins the starting job this summer probably will have a very short leash to begin the regular season.

Commanders.com's Zach Selby writes that Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn likes the competition in the running back room during offseason workouts. Quinn mentioned Rachaad White specifically and his ability as a pass-catcher. It's unclear yet if there will be one designated starter, but multiple players will play a part in the team's rushing attack in 2026. Second-year back Jacory Croskey-Merritt could be the odds-on-favorite for lead-back duties in D.C. after leading the squad with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 175 carries in 17 games (seven starts) in his rookie campaign. However, the 25-year-old needs to work on his pass protection (he only caught nine passes for 68 yards) and his ball security in order to do so. Meanwhile, White has the most experience as a dual-threat back in the NFL, even if he has averaged under 4.0 yards per carry as a ball-carrier in his four years in the league. In PPR leagues, White will be a sneaky RB3/flex target with upside in his new digs, although his ADP could rise quickly if he begins to gain more steam over Croskey-Merritt in training camp this summer.

After completing 72.4% of his pass attempts for 3,813 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions across 16 games for the University of Miami in 2025, quarterback Carson Beck was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Beck may be entering his rookie season as the QB3 in Arizona behind veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew II. However, neither Brissett nor Minshew II projects as the Cardinals' quarterback of the future, which could put Beck in a position to earn a starting opportunity at some point in 2026 or 2027. Arizona has a strong core of offensive weapons around its quarterbacks in tight end Trey McBride, wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, and running back Jeremiyah Love, which could help Beck have success if he gets on the field. For dynasty managers in the midst of a rebuild, taking a shot on Beck in rookie drafts could be a worthy dart throw.

With the 2026 season now just a few months away, veteran quarterback Geno Smith appears likely to open the year as the QB for the New York Jets. Smith had a disastrous year as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025, completing 67.4% of his pass attempts for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions across 15 games. The 35-year-old averaged just 6.8 yards per pass attempt and also took a league-leading 55 sacks despite missing two games. While the Jets were one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season, the team should get a healthier season out of star wideout Garrett Wilson and also added wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. and tight end Kenyon Sadiq in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. New York should also put a much better offensive line in front of Smith than the line he played with in Las Vegas in 2025. Smith's dynasty upside is limited at this point in his career, but he could be worth buying low on as a depth option for dynasty contenders ahead of 2026.

After being named the MVP of Super Bowl LX in February, running back Kenneth Walker III signed a three-year, $43 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in March. The 25-year-old has been a productive player over the past four years as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, averaging 1,140 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns per season. However, he's never recorded more than 255 touches in a season and had his 2025 workload with the Seahawks impacted by the presence of Seattle back Zach Charbonnet (knee). In Kansas City, Walker III profiles as the clear number one back and should see all the touches he can handle. As long as he can stay healthy, Walker III may currently be undervalued in redraft formats as a lower-end RB1.

Relative to his own lofty standards, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had a down year in 2025. The 27-year-old missed three games with an ankle injury and finished the year with 75 receptions for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns on 117 targets. After averaging over 10 targets per game in 2024, Lamb saw his targets decrease to 8.4 per game in 2025. Part of the reason for the decline was the emergence of fellow Cowboys wideout George Pickens. However, Lamb's efficiency went up in terms of both yards per reception and yards per target while sharing the field with a vertical threat like Pickens in 2025. With better health, Lamb could re-emerge as a dominant force in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Pickens is also playing the 2026 season on the franchise tag and remains without a long-term extension from Dallas. Even if Pickens' presence is a real impediment to Lamb's production, his long-term dynasty outlook is unchanged until Pickens extends with the Cowboys.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman had a year to forget in 2025. The 23-year-old recorded 38 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns on 59 targets across 13 games and was benched in several games down the stretch of the year for disciplinary reasons. Coleman has drawn compliments from the Bills' coaching staff for his work so far this offseason, so it's possible that he can work his way back into the good graces of the team. However, Buffalo acquired veteran wide receiver DJ Moore in March and used a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on wideout Skyler Bell. As a result, Coleman appears to be entering training camp without any guarantees of playing time or target volume. Coleman retains some upside if he can put it all together, which could make him an intriguing buy-low option for dynasty managers. Still, his fantasy profile contains significant risk entering 2026.

With the Atlanta Falcons wrapping up the final session of mandatory minicamp on Wednesday, it was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leading the first-team offense as the team worked on third-and-goal situations. Following his release from the Dolphins, Atlanta signed Tagovailoa to a one-year, $1.2 million deal, and as Michael Penix Jr. continues to work his way back from the ACL tear that ended his 2025 season, the seventh-year veteran has been given an early advantage in a battle expected to carry into training camp. The Falcons spent a first-round pick on Penix in the 2024 NFL Draft and face a critical decision about his fifth-year option following the 2026 season, so there is a belief that he'll be given every opportunity to claim the starting job once healthy, but new head coach Kevin Stefanski has long valued accuracy as one of the most important traits of the position. While Tagovailoa has completed exactly 68% of his passes since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2020, Penix ranked near the bottom of the league in on-target throw percentage in 2025. With a strong supporting cast of Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, whoever claims the starting job could have fantasy viability throughout the year, and if that becomes Tagovailoa out of the gates, RotoBaller's QB30 could have early-season appeal as a streaming option.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington averaged only 18.6 receiving yards per game in 2025, but playing in all 17 games, his 317 yards were the most of any receiver currently on the roster. Miami has moved on from Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and the team spent five of its 13 draft picks on either receiver or tight end. With the competition for targets wide open heading into 2026, Washington has a strong chance to serve as the team's WR1 in a new-look offense that will undoubtedly still run through running back De'Von Achane and potentially tight end Greg Dulcich. 2025 starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ranked 30th in the league with 6.9 yards per attempt, contributing to Washington's low yardage total despite a respectable 62 targets, whereas new starter Malik Willis has proven to be much more aggressive, leading the league with 12.1 yards per attempt across his four 2025 appearances. With a spot near the top of the depth chart and a downfield passing attack that could take advantage of some of the abilities that allowed him to rack up more than 1,300 yards in his final collegiate season, Washington has a chance to carve out something close to an every-week role for fantasy and could prove to be a steal as a player going in the late double-digit rounds of startup drafts.

In a year that saw 22 tight ends selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, Baylor's Michael Trigg was not one of the players to hear his name called, and he ultimately signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Finishing second in the nation with 694 receiving yards from the tight end position and landing in the top five with his six touchdown grabs, talent has never been a concern for Trigg, but off-field issues are what led him to go undrafted. While the Cowboys organization has a checkered history of character concerns, that reputation has improved immensely in recent years, and if Trigg can keep things focused on football, he could earn his way onto the roster. Dallas is already deep at the position with Jake Ferguson and dedicated blockers Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford, but in a league trending toward heavier 12 and 13-personnel usage, it should come as no surprise if more teams start keeping four tight ends on the roster. Trigg offers a receiving element that neither Schoonmaker nor Spann-Ford would be able to provide should Ferguson miss extended time, and while he'll first need to make the team, RotoBaller's dynasty TE42 could ultimately prove to be a taxi squad stash with long-term fantasy upside.

When the Indianapolis Colts took running back Seth McGowan in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, they added to a room in serious need of depth behind three-time Pro Bowler Jonathan Taylor. With Taylor playing in all 17 games and leading the NFL with 323 carries in 2025, there was little work to be split up behind him, and the next three backs on the roster combined for fewer than 50 attempts. Two of those backs, veterans Ameer Abdullah and Tyler Goodson, are no longer on the roster, leaving McGowan to battle it out with 2025 fifth-round pick DJ Giddens for the team's primary backup role. In a disappointing rookie season, Giddens was held out of several games as a healthy scratch while averaging only 3.7 yards per carry. With quarterback Daniel Jones potentially facing a ramp-up period to begin the year as he recovers from the Achilles injury sustained in December, the Colts' running game becomes all the more important, and a balance will need to be struck in preserving Taylor after 2025 marked his first full season since his 2021 breakout. A big, physical back, McGowan will have his chance to make an impression when the pads come on for training camp in late July. Whoever ultimately wins the job between McGowan and Giddens will have little standalone value behind Taylor, but in a run-heavy offense behind a running back with a history of missing time, the role comes with some of the highest insurance upside in the league.

While playing in all 17 games in 2025, Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams finished as the fantasy RB9, but his points per game in half-PPR formats dropped by almost 1.9 points from his RB7 finish of the previous season. While many are quick to point out the growing involvement of 2024 third-round pick Blake Corum, one of the biggest factors working against Williams in 2025 was his red zone usage. Williams was still one of the most efficient goal line players in the league, but with wide receiver Davante Adams scoring an NFL record 11 receiving touchdowns from within the five-yard line, Williams saw his red zone carries drop by more than 20 attempts from the previous season. Adams holds the career record for most receiving touchdowns from the one-yard line, so his goal line usage is not going to suddenly dry up in 2026, but regression will likely prevent him from again hitting double-digit scores from that area, providing Williams more opportunities from a part of the field where he has been one of the league's most successful players over the past three seasons. At RotoBaller's RB14, Williams represents some of the highest odds of a top-five fantasy finish from a player going outside the top 12 of his position and remains a reliable RB1 for drafters loading up on receivers with their first two picks.