Fantasy Football News

After helping the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl in his first year with the team in 2025, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold has been looking to get more comfortable in training camp this summer in new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury's scheme, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic. Darnold and Fleury overlapped with the San Francisco 49ers, but Fleury has never called plays before. It gives the two men "a nice foundation with a ton of carryover within the system," but they need experience together. The 29-year-old signal-caller has been trying to fine-tune elements of his game while also working to get more comfortable with Fleury, and on the exterior, Darnold "looks to be at ease." Although Darnold hit the 4,000-yard mark for the second straight year in 2025 and made the Pro Bowl for a second straight season, he wasn't in the top 10 in fantasy scoring at his position. And outside of Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle's WR corps is rather weak. On volume alone, Darnold should have a safe floor as a low-end QB2 target, but expecting more than that doesn't seem wise.

The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that the Cincinnati Bengals offense bounced back in training camp practice on Sunday by posting two scores, and quarterback Joe Burrow "still looked like himself with touchdowns to receivers Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas." The Bengals' offense has "started to show their teeth" with more unscripted periods in practice, which began on Friday in the new stadium with a bomb from Burrow to All-Pro receiver Ja'Marr Chase. Big moments like that for the Bengals' offense have "become increasingly more frequent" after the defense had mostly dominated early in camp. Burrow looks to be at full health this summer and set for another big year leading Cincy's offense in his seventh year in the NFL. The 29-year-old former first overall pick from LSU is the highest-ranked fantasy QB who doesn't have a high-end rushing skill set. Burrow makes up for it with a strong arm, precision passing, and one of the best WR duos in the league in Chase and Higgins. He's ranked as RotoBaller's No. 5 fantasy signal-caller for the 2026 campaign.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) was running routes in full pads while catching passes from Jordan Love during Monday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports. Kraft continues to work his way back from a torn ACL injury that he suffered last season. The biggest takeaway here is that Kraft wasn't wearing a sleeve on his right knee that he has been wearing all training camp. Kraft is eyeing a Week 1 return, but he might not be fully ready yet, considering he tore his ACL in Week 9 of last season. He's unlikely to play during the preseason, but that shouldn't surprise fantasy managers. The Packers are hopeful he can return to his TE1 ways once he's back to full health.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has developed some nice chemistry in training camp this summer with new wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, who has emerged as the team's WR2 behind DeVonta Smith, according to Geoff Mosher of Philly Voice. Wicks has had an impressive start to camp as the Eagles' offense looks to bounce back and adjust to life without Pro Bowler A.J. Brown, who was traded to the New England Patriots in the offseason. Smith and rookie Makai Lemon have been sidelined lately with a hamstring injury, too, which has allowed Wicks to get even more looks from Hurts. "Just the work off the field, the talking, the connections off the field that build up to connections on the field and chemistry," Wicks said when asked about his chemistry with his new QB. "Getting together off the field, like we did in the summer, that also built up for now, and will build up for the season." Wicks already had familiarity with Eagles' new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion from his time in Green Bay, and now that he's been standing out in camp, he's been a riser on fantasy football draft boards. The Philly Voice's Jimmy Kempski recently wrote that it's "reasonable to assume" that Lemon won't be ready for a starting role to open his rookie season in 2026.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (undisclosed) was spotted working on the side during Monday's practice, according to Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. Mims left Friday's practice with an undisclosed injury and didn't work out at all on Saturday. He's back in pads on Monday, which is a step in the right direction. It seems like the Broncos are easing him back into action, which isn't shocking this early into camp. Fantasy managers should consider Mims day-to-day ahead of Friday's preseason matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (leg) was not seen practicing on Monday, according to Parker Gabriel. Waddle hasn't practiced since leaving early during this past Wednesday's session due to muscle tightness. Fantasy managers don't need to panic as this doesn't sound like a long-term issue. Head coach Sean Payton said he expected Waddle to return to practice this week. It's early in camp, so the team will hold out players even with minor issues. Fantasy managers should expect Waddle to be fully healthy and ready to go for the start of the season.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane has been impressing everyone during training camp. According to Ryan Mink, quarterback Lamar Jackson has been building strong chemistry with the rookie wideout. Jamison Hensley of ESPN went as far as to say that Lane is the best rookie he has seen in training camp during his 27 years covering the team. Lane is making a highlight play on a daily basis in camp. Given his performance, Lane should be able to snag the WR3 job, but he might even surpass Rashod Bateman for the WR2 job soon. The third-round rookie is shaping up as an interesting late-round option in dynasty leagues.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen showed his growing chemistry with new wide receiver DJ Moore during Saturday night's practice at Highmark Stadium, according to BuffaloBills.com. In 11-on-11 team drills, Allen launched a deep ball to Moore down the middle of the field, and Moore hauled it in for a 50-yard gain. Toward the end of practice when the team went into their two-minute offense, Allen engineered a fast-scoring drive and connected with Moore twice to move across midfield. Even though Allen has failed to reach the 4,000-yard passing mark in each of the last two seasons, he's still been the QB1 and QB4 in fantasy scoring because of his rushing prowess. With Moore in the fold to help bolster the Bills' deep passing attack, Allen could very well return to the 4,000-yard mark in 2026 in his ninth year in the NFL. As if Allen's fantasy ceiling could go even higher, it might do just that if he establishes a nice connection with Moore in the wideout's first season in Buffalo. Allen is the consensus No. 1 overall fantasy QB yet again this year.

The San Francisco Standard's David Lombardi said on Monday that San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. split the position drill portion of practice between running backs and wide receivers in training camp practice on Monday, which is something he never did in his first stint with the team from 2019 to 2024. Lombardi added that it was a good visualization of "a role that'll be even more versatile than his first time with the team." The 30-year-old has always been versatile, especially in head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, and his usage with the RBs on Monday was most likely due to all of the team's options at the position being held out due to injuries to begin the week, including star Christian McCaffrey. At this point in his career, the Niners may not want to use Samuel extensively as a runner unless they're desperate for backfield bodies. He's no spring chicken anymore and averaged a career-low 10.1 yards per catch in 16 games with the Washington Commanders in 2025. With Ricky Pearsall (knee) out for the year, Samuel figures to battle for WR3 duties with rookie De'Zhaun Stribling behind Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. Samuel is more exciting in fantasy in his return to the Bay Area, but fantasy managers shouldn't overvalue him as anything more than a low-upside WR4/5 in 2026.

San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle (Achilles) "continues to make terrific progress" as he works his way back from the torn Achilles he suffered in the playoffs in January, and there's a "high level of confidence" at this point that he will be able to play in the Week 1 regular-season opener in Australia against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, sources told Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The 32-year-old veteran remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list in training camp, but he was seen running routes, catching passes, and doing conditioning work before Monday's practice. It was the most extensive work that Kittle has done so far in camp, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, which gives hope for fantasy managers and the Niners that he'll be ready for the start of the season in September. When healthy, Kittle should continue to be one of quarterback Brock Purdy's most trusted aerial targets, especially with receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) already ruled out for the entire season. But because of his lengthy injury history and questionable availability for the start of the year, Kittle is no longer a high-end TE1 target in fantasy drafts, but rather a low-end TE1 target.

Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated said at training camp on Monday that he thinks San Francisco 49ers rookie second-round wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling is the "best wide receiver on the whole team" right now and is the only WR "that you need to fear." Stribling is big and fast and is fearless over the middle of the field. He missed some practice time last week with a minor hamstring issue, but he returned to team drills over the weekend and should be fine moving forward. Cohn doesn't know that veteran wideout and future Hall of Famer Mike Evans (quadriceps) is going to save this offense, so the Niners will likely ask a lot of Stribling in his first year in the NFL, even after the reunion with veteran pass-catcher Deebo Samuel Sr. Most draft pundits thought the 49ers reached when they took Stribling with the first pick in the second round in April, but he has the size and high football IQ to surprise some folks, especially now that Ricky Pearsall (knee) is out for the year. Assuming Stribling stays healthy all year, he should be a top two or three receiver for San Francisco in 2026.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) was seen wearing a sleeve on his left leg during training camp practice on Monday, which is the same leg as the PCL tear that he suffered in November of 2024, according to Banged Up Bills, but this "looks more like a general sleeve vs. a compression sleeve for injuries." The Bills have talked about load management with Kincaid this year, and it could be a part of this. The 26-year-old was still not 100% with his knee last year, which led to him catching a career-low 39 passes on 49 targets for 571 yards in a career-low 12 regular-season games, although he did have a career-high five touchdowns. For the second straight offseason, Kincaid chose not to have surgery on his knee, which leaves plenty of concerns for fantasy managers who are hoping that he can bounce back in his fourth NFL season. Those still looking to select Kincaid in fantasy drafts can hang their hat on his league-leading 14.6 yards per catch among all tight ends a year ago. But limiting his overall fantasy ceiling is the fact that Dawson Knox will still be involved, as well as the addition of receiver DJ Moore.

Kansas City Chiefs second-year wide receiver Jalen Royals continues to draw targets from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in training camp this summer, and he hauled in a touchdown pass deep down the field in practice on Monday, according to Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star. Royals made a minimal impact last year as a rookie after he was selected in the fourth round out of Utah State, catching just two of three targets for four yards in seven games played for the Chiefs. However, the 23-year-old has made some noise in camp this summer with Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and rookie Cyrus Allen recently missing practice time due to injuries. It's something to watch as the summer progresses, but as long as all of the Chiefs' pass-catchers are ready for the start of the 2026 regular season, Royals will be in a depth role without enough playing time to matter in most fantasy football leagues. With Allen also impressing in camp, Royals could be the WR5 heading into Week 1 behind Rice, Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, and Allen. At best, Royals is a stash in dynasty/keeper leagues for his long-term upside and athleticism at the WR position.

The Dallas Cowboys and star defensive lineman Quinnen Williams agreed to a three-year, $105.9 million contract extension on Monday to make him one of the highest-paid defensive linemen in the league, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The deal is the largest third contract ever for a defensive lineman. The 28-year-old former third overall pick in 2019 from the University of Alabama by the New York Jets was a Pro Bowler for the fourth straight season in 2025 with the Jets and Dallas Cowboys, recording a total of 53 tackles (26 solo), 2.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, one interception, and three forced fumbles in 15 starts in his seventh year in the NFL. The Cowboys acquired Williams from the Jets ahead of last year's trade deadline, and he had 1.5 sacks in his seven starts for Dallas to close out the year. Williams, who has just one double-digit sack season in his seven years, will now anchor the interior of Dallas' defensive line for years to come.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is having a strong training camp this summer as he looks to bounce back from an injury-plagued and disappointing 2025 campaign. According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports, offensive coordinator David Blough said that Daniels is "as accurate as he's ever been." "He hasn't missed a beat. We track everything. We've tracked every throw he's made over the last three years. We have metrics to measure all of those statistics. He's completed as many passes as he ever has," Blough said about Daniels adjusting to the offensive changes in 2026. The 25-year-old former second overall pick from LSU nearly led the Commanders to the Super Bowl in his first year in the NFL, but he was a fantasy bust in 2025 while playing in just seven games due to injuries. Daniels could continue to be a durability concern because of his slight frame, but he's proved that his athletic ability (both with his arm and legs) gives him QB1 upside. With veteran Stefon Diggs now in the fold alongside Terry McLaurin, Daniels' stock is rising as a top-five option at the QB position in upcoming fantasy football drafts.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey sat out Monday's practice with some soreness, but offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak does not sound concerned. According to Matt Barrows, Kubiak said the team is "just managing" McCaffrey and added that he is "fine." Kubiak later explained that McCaffrey always has a rep count during camp and that his workload is right where the 49ers want it. There is good reason for San Francisco to be careful after McCaffrey led the NFL with 413 touches last season. He played all 17 games, running for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while catching 102 passes for another 924 yards and seven scores. No specific injury has been announced. McCaffrey is still RotoBaller's No. 4 overall player in current PPR rankings. Unless the soreness lingers or keeps him out for an extended stretch, this looks like routine summer maintenance for one of the league's busiest backs.

Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins made an accusation involving former Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim over the PED test that led to Hopkins' six-game suspension in 2022. According to ProFootballTalk, Hopkins said in a since-deleted social-media post that he was "set up" while playing for Arizona and pointed toward Keim when discussing what he called a contaminated test. Hopkins did not explain why he believes Keim was involved. The NFL suspended Hopkins without pay for six games in 2022 for violating its performance-enhancing drug policy. Hopkins said at the time that his November test showed trace elements of a banned substance and that he was surprised by the result. Now 34, Hopkins remains a free agent after catching 22 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns with Baltimore last season. He recently joined Georgia Tech as an assistant wide receivers coach but says he has not retired from the NFL.

Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel does not sound interested in choosing just one backup behind Omarion Hampton. According to Alex Insdorf, McDaniel said he plans to use Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal in every game. The team's first unofficial depth chart, released Sunday, still lists Hampton as the starter, with Mitchell or Vidal in the top backup spot. Hampton rushed for 545 yards and four touchdowns in nine games as a rookie, while Vidal stepped in for 643 rushing yards and three scores. Mitchell brings a different element after averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 59 attempts for Baltimore last season. McDaniel's comment should not be read as a three-way split, but it does make the backfield a little less clean for fantasy. Hampton remains the clear lead option, while Mitchell and Vidal both have paths to weekly touches. That makes the backup picture worth watching rather than assuming one of them will simply disappear.

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram is playing faster and with more confidence now that he has a full season in Sean Payton's offense, according to Chris Tomasson. Payton pointed to Engram's familiarity with the system as a reason for the difference entering his second year in Denver. Engram caught 50 passes for 461 yards and one touchdown across 16 games last season after signing with the Broncos to fill a versatile mismatch role in the passing game. He has also flashed during camp, including a touchdown from Bo Nix during two-minute work Saturday. The production in his first Denver season was relatively modest, but Payton's comments suggest Engram is operating with a better feel for what the offense is asking from him this summer.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown has made enough plays in camp to stay in the conversation, including a touchdown from Jayden Daniels during Monday's competitive period. The problem is that Washington's receiver room changed around him. The Commanders signed Stefon Diggs last week, and their first unofficial depth chart lists Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey and Diggs atop the three receiver spots, with Brown behind McLaurin. Dan Quinn quickly dismissed that chart as little more than a preseason snapshot, so it should not be treated as final. Brown still has work to do to turn practice flashes into fantasy volume. He caught just 20 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown on 37 targets in 14 games for Jacksonville last season, playing 31% of the offensive snaps. Brown can still earn a rotational role, but Diggs is already getting more work with Daniels and the target competition is only getting tougher. His camp is worth tracking, but the path to consistent redraft value remains narrow.