Fantasy Football News

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin finally broke through in 2025, only to watch the team trade for Jaylen Waddle a few months later. Franklin went from 28 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie to 65 for 709 yards and six scores on 104 targets. That growth matters. So does the new depth chart. Waddle and Courtland Sutton should command most of the work, with Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., and Pat Bryant left to sort out the rest. Franklin still has the Oregon history with Bo Nix, but that alone will not protect last season's volume. At 23, though, he is too young to dump after one bad offseason turn. RotoBaller has him at WR80 in dynasty, low enough that selling now probably means taking the loss after Waddle's arrival. Hold him and wait for the room to open up. Redraft is much thinner. Franklin sits at WR82 in PPR and needs camp to show he has a steady role before he becomes more than a late flier.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix did not make a huge statistical leap in Year 2, but his fantasy floor held up anyway. He threw for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns on 612 attempts, then added 356 yards and five scores as a runner. The passing efficiency was ordinary, with 6.4 yards per attempt and an 87.8 rating, yet that volume and rushing work kept him useful. Denver gave him a real upgrade in Jaylen Waddle, who joins Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr. The ankle fracture that ended Nix's playoff run is the part fantasy managers cannot simply wave away. He returned to the field during mandatory minicamp and said doctors considered the ankle "as good as new," but training camp will tell us more about his mobility. Davis Webb is taking over the play-calling, though he has described the system as mostly the same Sean Payton offense. With Nix carrying a QB15 ADP, this is a reasonable late-round shot on another low-end QB1 finish.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London is carrying more quarterback uncertainty than most players going this early in fantasy drafts. The volume is hard to walk away from. He saw 112 targets in only 12 games last season, finishing with 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns after a 100-1,271-9 breakout in 2024. Atlanta added Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus, and third-round rookie Zachariah Branch, but those moves were about fixing the room around London. They were not about replacing him. He still had at least 40 more targets than any other Falcons wideout despite missing five games. The quarterback piece is messy. Michael Penix Jr. is working back from ACL surgery, and Tua Tagovailoa is pushing for the job. Either one comes with questions, but London has already earned heavy volume in different versions of this offense. His current ADP sits around the middle of Round 2, close to RotoBaller's WR7 valuation. There is risk at that price. There is also a path to another huge target total if he stays healthy, which is why London remains worth the gamble.

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram never came close to becoming the "Joker" that head coach Sean Payton envisioned last summer, and Denver has not cleared an easy path for a rebound. Engram caught 50 passes for 461 yards and one touchdown in 16 games, but usage was the bigger problem: 42% of the offensive snaps and only two starts. Jaylen Waddle now joins Courtland Sutton in the passing game. The Broncos also traded up for fifth-round tight end Justin Joly, another movable receiving option, after spending 2025 rotating Engram with Adam Trautman and Nate Adkins. Waddle could create better matchups underneath. He also gives Bo Nix another proven target, so Engram still needs more playing time before the fantasy case changes. At 31, that cannot just be assumed. RotoBaller ranks him TE35 for redraft, which is about right. Engram can stay on deep-league watch lists, but standard-league managers do not need to chase the name after Denver showed so little interest in making him a full-time player.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson already showed he can dominate fantasy without taking every backfield carry. Tyler Allgeier logged 143 attempts and scored eight rushing touchdowns last year, yet Robinson still led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage. His receiving line did a lot of the damage: 79 catches, 820 yards, and four scores, along with 1,478 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Atlanta replaced Allgeier with Brian Robinson Jr., a 225-pound downhill runner who can take some of the heavier inside work. That should not be confused with a threat to Bijan's passing-down role or overall standing. He handled 366 touches in 2025, and the new staff plans to keep the wide-zone base while adding gap concepts. A repeat of nearly 2,300 yards is unlikely, but Robinson does not need one to challenge for the overall RB1 finish. RotoBaller has him second overall in half-PPR and third in PPR. Both prices fit the workload and ceiling.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling is easy to like in dynasty and much harder to trust for 2026. San Francisco used the 33rd pick on him after five college seasons, 216 catches, 2,964 yards, and 23 touchdowns. Then there is the athletic piece: 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, and 4.36 speed. The problem is getting him the ball right away. Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, and Christian Kirk are already in the receiver room, while George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey remain major parts of the passing game. Stribling could eventually push Kirk for snaps, and his blocking gives him a chance to handle some of the dirty work Jauan Jennings used to do. That still may not turn into useful weekly volume as a rookie. RotoBaller has him 16th in its latest one-quarterback rookie rankings and WR75 for redraft. A mid-second rookie pick is fine. In seasonal leagues, he is a late watch-list name unless camp gives us a much clearer role.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Antonio Williams will have every chance to work his way onto the field as a rookie. Terry McLaurin is the only sure thing in this group. After him, Washington is sorting through Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Dyami Brown, and Van Jefferson, and the team has already floated the possibility of using a committee at the No. 2 spot. Williams went 71st overall after catching 55 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games at Clemson last season. That was a step back from his 75-catch, 904-yard, 11-score run in 2024, though he also missed two games after leaving the opener early. The Commanders drafted him for the route running and versatility. He spent most of 2025 in the slot but has shown he can play outside, too, which gives David Blough a few ways to use him. Williams is WR73 in RotoBaller's PPR rankings. He is not ready for a weekly lineup, but he is worth a late bench pick while Washington sorts out everything behind McLaurin.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks is coming off a quiet year, but his move to Philadelphia gives him another chance to matter in fantasy. He finished 2025 with 30 catches for 332 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in a six-catch, 94-yard game against Detroit. The Eagles still saw enough to trade a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-rounder for him, then extended him through 2027. There is room for someone to emerge after A.J. Brown was dealt to New England, and Wicks already has some familiarity with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion from Green Bay. The opportunity is real. So is the competition. DeVonta Smith sits at the top of the depth chart, while rookie Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown, and Elijah Moore will all be in the mix. Wicks enters camp with a chance to win a starting job, but nothing beyond Smith looks settled yet. Ranked WR84 by RotoBaller, he makes more sense as a deep-league stash than a standard-league sleeper until the rotation starts to take shape.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa did not see much of the ball as a rookie, but he made his limited chances count. Six of his 16 catches went for touchdowns, and Detroit started leaning on him more late in the year. TeSlaa caught 12 passes for 174 yards and four scores from Weeks 13 through 18 after opening the season as the fourth receiver. He now enters camp behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, with Dan Campbell saying the coaching staff grew more comfortable with him as 2025 went along. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound wideout also drew praise for his work this spring. Targets will be the issue. St. Brown, Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs are all going to be featured, and TeSlaa will not keep scoring on nearly a quarter of his opportunities. Detroit does expect his role to grow in Drew Petzing's offense, though. With TeSlaa sitting at WR70 in RotoBaller's rankings and carrying an ADP of 255, he is a cheap swing on size, red-zone work, and a possible second-year jump.

New Orleans Saints rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is not a buy-low candidate, but that should not scare rebuilding dynasty managers away. New Orleans used the eighth overall pick on him after a huge finish at Arizona State, where he posted 136 catches for 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns over his final 21 games. He is only 21, and that combination of age, production, and draft capital gives him one of the stronger long-term profiles in the rookie class. Immediate volume could be another story. Chris Olave is coming off a 100-catch season, Juwan Johnson topped 880 receiving yards, and Tyson will have to work his way into the front of the target order. There is also some medical risk after a hamstring injury cost him three games in 2025 and kept him on a limited rehab plan during minicamp. The Saints expected him back for training camp, but that still needs to happen. Tyson is already WR16 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, so the discount is gone. Rebuilders are paying for the ceiling now, though top-eight draft capital and a clear route to a major role make the price defensible.

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey did not come close to matching his rookie breakout last season, but the path back to a bigger year is still there. He finished 2025 with 66 catches for 789 yards and six touchdowns after going 82-1,149-7 as a rookie. Even with the drop, McConkey led the Chargers in receiving yards while sharing work with Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, Oronde Gadsden II, and Tre' Harris. Allen remains unsigned, and that matters after he paced the team with 81 receptions. Johnston and Gadsden are not going away, but McConkey should have a better shot to sit at the front of the target line if Allen does not return. Mike McDaniel's arrival only adds to the appeal. McConkey has already piled up 799 yards after the catch through two seasons, and his quickness should play well in an offense built around motion and easy touches. His hamstring strain needs to be checked once camp begins, though he is expected to be ready. At WR20 in RotoBaller's rankings, McConkey is priced like a WR2 with room to climb.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) is "fully healthy" ahead of training camp at the end of July, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. Bowers' athletic and pass-catching prowess left veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins "in a state of shock" during the offseason program. The 23-year-old led all TEs in receiving yards (1,194) and set the Raiders record for most catches in a single season (112) as a rookie in 2024, but he finished with just 84 catches, 630 yards, and seven touchdowns in Year 2 due to a knee injury. Now that he's back to full health, the former 13th overall pick from the University of Georgia could finish as the TE1 overall in fantasy again in new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense in 2026. Kubiak has shown the ability to scheme the ball to his best pass-catchers, and Bowers is the Raiders' best pass-catcher. Despite playing through a PCL injury and a bone bruise in his left knee in 2025, Bowers had a 74.4% catch rate, averaged 10.6 yards per catch, and was named to his second Pro Bowl. Heading into Year 3, Bowers is ranked as RotoBaller's top fantasy TE for a reason, and he's not going to come at a discount in fantasy drafts despite his injury-plagued 2025 campaign.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said that the team finally confronted the wear and tear on their most explosive player, running back Jonathan Taylor, after he had a league-high 323 rushing attempts in 2025, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. Taylor came out of last year mostly healthy, but their usage of their star RB is something they admit they need to navigate going into the 2026 season. "Obviously, he's a hell of a player," Steichen said. "It's hard to take him off the field when he's running so good." The 27-year-old former second-rounder from the University of Wisconsin in 2020 has rushed for 1,431 and 1,585 yards, respectively, in the last two seasons, and only he and Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens have had three or more seasons of 300 or more carries since 2020. Taylor has been durable despite his heavy usage, but the Colts are wondering aloud if it's sustainable. In a perfect world, Indy "would like to dial back" Taylor's touches. "We definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off him," running backs coach DeAndre Smith said. Even with a potential reduced workload, JT should find enough volume to keep him in the RB1 conversation in fantasy as long as he stays healthy.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Noah Gray is heading into his sixth year with the team in 2026, and although future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce is back for another season, the 27-year-old could have a bigger role on offense. The former fifth-rounder (162nd overall) in 2021 out of Duke caught 21 of his 37 targets for 178 yards (his fewest since his rookie season) and zero touchdowns in 16 games (six starts). It was a disappointing showing for Gray after he had career highs in catches (40), receiving yards (437) and touchdowns (five) the year before. He's a versatile contributor for the Chiefs, leading all offensive players in 2025 with 125 special teams snaps. Gray can also occasionally contribute a big play on offense, but unless Kelce misses time with injury, which is very possible at his age, he's unlikely to attract much interest in fantasy football. RotoBaller currently has Gray ranked as the No. 38 fantasy TE heading into the 2026 season.

Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo, who signed a three-year deal with the Commanders in free agency in March, thinks he has found the right landing spot to take his game to the next level, according to Zach Selby of the team's official website. "I feel like this is the place where I can finally just unleash," Okonkwo said. The 26-year-old has already "developed a strong connection" with quarterback Jayden Daniels, and Okonkwo has been impressed with his new QB. "He's a dog," Okonkwo said. "He gets the ball out super accurate." The former fourth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 caught at least 50 passes in each of his last three seasons and had five total touchdowns. He should be more comfortable playing in D.C., which is only a few miles away from where he went to college at the University of Maryland. Daniels has connected in the past with TEs involved in the passing game, as he targeted Zach Ertz 91 times back in 2024. Okonkwo is a candidate to see an uptick in production in his first year in Washington for a team that lacks depth at receiver behind Terry McLaurin. He'll be a TE2 sleeper to target in upcoming fantasy football drafts.

The Tennessee Titans rewarded pass-rusher Jeffery Simmons with a contract extension this offseason that made him the highest-paid interior defensive lineman ever (three years, $105.8 million), but ESPN's Turron Davenport reports that new head coach Robert Saleh plans to reduce Simmons' workload to keep him fresher for higher-leverage rushing situations. The 28-year-old former 19th overall pick out of Mississippi State in 2019 was a first-team All-Pro last year after recording a career-high 11 sacks to go along with 67 tackles (39 solo), 17 tackles for loss, and 21 QB hits, but Simmons could be even more efficient in 2026 with a fresher body. Saleh is well aware of Simmons' past snap counts, which have hovered around 81% since 2020. The Titans boosted their pass-rushing group around Simmons via offseason additions, so they should be better suited as a group to get after the opposing QB under Saleh. Simmons said he's pushing to be in the best shape of his life for the 2026 season, maintaining his meal plan from last offseason that allowed him to cut down on body fat while adding muscle and explosiveness. He had a cleanup procedure on his right elbow in February, but all signs point to him being a full-go for the regular-season opener in early September.

Tennessee Titans new head coach Robert Saleh has liked what he's seen from second-year tight end Gunnar Helm this offseason, according to Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. "Gunnar looks good, man," Saleh said. "He looks like a legit dude - from what he was a year ago to what he is now, especially physically. Again, once pads come on, we'll be able to decide all that, but like all these guys, hopefully they take a big jump and find a way to grab the bull by the horns and take advantage of their opps." The 23-year-old former fourth-rounder last year out of the University of Texas is determined to improve on his rookie-year numbers of 44 catches for 357 yards and two touchdowns on 55 targets in 16 games (10 starts). He ranked fourth on the team in catches with 44, which set a franchise record for rookie TEs, and he ranked fourth on the team in receiving yards. Helm has focused on improving his pad level, his second-level blocking, and his diet, and he was impressive during offseason OTAs and minicamp. With Chig Okonkwo now in Washington, Helm could be primed for a Year 2 breakout in offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's scheme. Fantasy managers should target Helm as a low-end TE2 with upside for more.

Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire reports that retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald was spotted on Friday working out at the Los Angeles Rams' facility. There has been speculation this offseason that Donald will come out of retirement in 2026 to join All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett as the Rams seek another Super Bowl ring. The 35-year-old reportedly went through several drills for around an hour in Los Angeles, fueling more rumors that he could make a comeback this year. The last time the 35-year-old 10-time Pro Bowler, eight-time All-Pro, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year spoke about it, he said he was "flirting" with the possibility of an NFL return, but nothing has been decided yet. In his final season with the Rams in 2023, Donald recorded 53 tackles (28 solo), eight sacks, 16 tackles for loss, and 23 QB hits in 16 regular-season starts. Despite being an interior D-lineman, he was one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL during his 10 years in the league, racking up a whopping 111 sacks, all with the Rams. L.A.'s defense already has one of the best pass-rushing groups in the league after they added Garrett, so a Donald return would make the Rams even more of a Super Bowl favorite for the upcoming season.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) is healthy enough to be back at minicamp, but his dynasty outlook still looks bleak after a rough first season in Buffalo. Palmer caught 22 of 37 targets for 303 yards and no touchdowns in 12 games, missing five contests before landing on Injured Reserve ahead of the playoffs. He said in June that he was close to his pre-injury form. That helps, though the target picture got worse. Buffalo traded for DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir remains in place, Keon Coleman is pushing for a larger role, and fourth-round rookie Skyler Bell adds another younger option. Palmer has topped 600 receiving yards once in five seasons, and even a contract running through 2027 does not guarantee enough volume to matter. RotoBaller ranks him WR126 in dynasty and WR113 for redraft. There is no reason for contenders to chase him, and rebuilders have better places to park a roster spot. Palmer is a sell if there is still a buyer, but otherwise he is a deep-league hold through camp rather than an automatic cut.

Carolina Panthers running back Trevor Etienne is still only 22, but there is not much reason to buy the dip after a quiet rookie season. The 5-foot-8, 198-pound fourth-round pick played all 17 games in 2025 and saw just 23 offensive touches, rushing 20 times for 94 yards and catching three passes for 13 yards. Most of his work came on special teams, where he returned 31 kickoffs and 20 punts. The backfield has only gotten tighter. Chuba Hubbard remains the lead back, Jonathon Brooks (knee) was back on the field during offseason work, and Carolina added AJ Dillon in March. Brooks is still being managed after missing all of last season, so Etienne is not completely buried, but he has yet to show that he can earn a regular offensive role. RotoBaller now has him outside its top 75 dynasty running backs and at RB84 for redraft. That makes him a reasonable hold in deeper dynasty leagues, especially for managers with room to wait on a young back. He is not a player contenders or rebuilders should be actively targeting, though, and can be left undrafted in ordinary redraft formats.