Fantasy Football News

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is healthy again, but his path back to the very top of the fantasy position looks a little less clean than it did earlier this summer. Lamb still topped 1,000 yards last season despite missing three full games with a high ankle sprain, finishing with 75 catches for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns. The bigger issue now is George Pickens. Pickens led Dallas with 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025, and the buzz around him only grew during camp. DallasCowboys.com writer Nick Eatman recently suggested Pickens may have elevated into the receiver defenses worry about most, while RotoBaller noted Monday that there has been plenty of chatter about Pickens having the better camp. Lamb remains an elite option and has looked sharp with Dak Prescott, including several deep connections in August. He is also healthy entering Week 1. Still, RotoBaller currently has Lamb at WR5 in half-PPR. With Pickens pushing for an even bigger role, Lamb's ceiling looks a little less automatic than it once did.

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said on Monday that rookie fourth-round quarterback Cade Klubnik will be the team's backup signal-caller to begin the 2026 regular season, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Klubnik got the nod after the Jets cut both Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe on roster cutdown day on Sunday. The 22-year-old from Clemson went 21-for-34 passing for 197 yards with one interception in three preseason games. If anything happens to veteran starter Geno Smith this year, Klubnik will be thrown into the fire as the Jets' starter under center. The 35-year-old Smith is under contract for only one season, too, so if the Jets move on after one year, Klubnik could be the favorite to start for Gang Green going into Week 1 of the 2027 season. The 6-foot-2, 207-pounder had his best collegiate season in 2024 as a junior at Clemson, throwing for 3,639 yards, 36 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 14 games played. Klubnik is only stash-worthy as a QB prospect in dynasty/keeper leagues.

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken does not think that quarterback Dillon Gabriel's (back) injury is a major injury, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Monken thinks Gabriel first injured his back on a third-down run in the preseason finale last Thursday against the New England Patriots. With Gabriel opening the 2026 regular season on Injured Reserve (he will be required to miss at least the first four weeks), rookie Taylen Green and Shedeur Sanders will split scout-team reps in the next two weeks. As long as Gabriel does not suffer a setback with his back in the next couple of weeks, he should be ready to rejoin the 53-man roster for Week 5. For now, the second-year QB's injury allows the Browns to keep Green on their active roster as the QB3 behind Sanders and starter Deshaun Watson. The 25-year-old former third-rounder from Oregon failed to do much outside of short-area throws as a rookie, throwing for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions in 10 games (six starts) before an injury opened up the starting gig for Sanders the rest of the season in 2025.

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) entered camp with a chance to push for more of the backfield duties. That never really happened. Henderson was explosive as a rookie, finishing with 911 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards and 10 total touchdowns, but New England leaned heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson during the playoffs. That carried into August. Patriots.com called Stevenson the team's most consistent between-the-tackles runner, pass protector and route-runner and said he remains the lead back, while Henderson was described more as a change-of-pace option. Henderson also hurt his right ankle when he slipped during practice on Aug. 24. He avoided a serious injury and is expected to be ready for Week 1, so the ankle itself isn't the biggest concern. The bigger issue is that the expected Year 2 role growth never showed up. Henderson still has enough speed to create fantasy points on limited touches, but his path to taking over this backfield looks weaker than it did entering camp.

The Dallas Cowboys claimed running back Emari Demercado off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. In a surprising move on roster cutdown day on Sunday, the Cowboys waived both running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, leaving them with just Javonte Williams and Malik Davis in their backfield entering Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Demercado, who was with the Chiefs during training camp, will now head to Dallas, where he will serve as the RB3 to open the regular season. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of TCU spent his first three NFL seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, averaging a notable 6.5 yards per carry for 819 yards and three rushing scores in 40 games (two starts) while adding 50 receptions on 70 targets for 324 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. Demercado has been efficient when he has gotten opportunities so far, but he will open 2026 as the clear third option out of Dallas' backfield, and he could also face competition from fullback Hunter Luepke.

Kicker Blake Grupe has been claimed off waivers by the New York Jets, according to Tom Pelissero. Indianapolis waived Grupe on Sunday after Spencer Shrader won its preseason kicking competition, but Grupe won't have to wait long for another opportunity. The Jets had previously given their job to Jason Sanders over Cade York, only for Sanders to miss an extra point and come up well short on a 54-yard field goal in Friday's preseason finale against the Giants. Grupe made 29 of 37 field-goal attempts between New Orleans and Indianapolis last season, including a perfect 11-for-11 run over five games after joining the Colts. He also connected from a franchise-record 60 yards. New York hasn't officially named Grupe its Week 1 kicker or announced a move involving Sanders yet, but claiming him immediately after Sanders' rough finish to the preseason puts the veteran's job in serious jeopardy.

Quarterback Brady Cook has been claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins, according to Tom Pelissero. Cook joins a quarterback room that changed quickly over the weekend. Miami traded Quinn Ewers to Jacksonville on Saturday, then acquired Kyle McCord from Green Bay on Sunday to back up starter Malik Willis. Cook brings some actual NFL starting experience after appearing in five games and making four starts for the Jets last season. He completed 88 of 153 passes for 739 yards, two touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 49 rushing yards. New York kept only Geno Smith and rookie Cade Klubnik on its initial 53-man roster, leaving Cook on waivers. Miami now adds the 24-year-old behind Willis and McCord. There is no immediate fantasy value here, but Cook gives the Dolphins another quarterback with regular-season experience after a busy few days reshaping the position.

Tight end Justin Joly has been claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins from the Denver Broncos, according to Mike Klis. Denver traded up to select Joly 152nd overall in April, but the fifth-round rookie was waived Sunday during final cuts. He did leave the Broncos with one big preseason highlight, catching an 88-yard touchdown against Minnesota in the finale. Joly finished August with five receptions for 105 yards and one score. The 22-year-old caught 49 passes for 489 yards and seven touchdowns at NC State last season and was viewed coming out of college as a movable receiving tight end who could work from several alignments. Miami initially kept Greg Dulcich, Will Kacmarek, Ben Sims and Seydou Traore at the position, so Joly joins another crowded group. Dulcich remains the most established receiving option, leaving Joly without an obvious immediate fantasy role, but Miami gives the rookie another developmental opportunity after his brief stay in Denver.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz is locked into the No. 2 role for now with J.J. McCarthy expected to miss multiple weeks because of an ankle injury. Kyler Murray was already named Minnesota's starter, leaving Wentz and Max Brosmer as the healthy quarterbacks behind him while McCarthy recovers. Wentz was making a strong case for the backup job even before the injury. He started Friday's preseason finale against Denver and completed three of four passes for 15 yards over two series. The 33-year-old also has recent experience stepping in for Minnesota, starting five games last season and throwing for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions before a left shoulder injury ended his year. The Vikings haven't formally announced a new depth chart, but there isn't much uncertainty about who would enter first if Murray were forced out of a game. Wentz is back in the primary backup role for the opening weeks.

The Washington Commanders placed running back Jeremy McNichols (quadriceps) on Injured Reserve on Sunday on roster cutdown day, according to Zach Selby of the team's official website. The move leaves the Commanders with three RBs on their initial 53-man roster -- Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, and rookie Kaytron Allen. The 30-year-old McNichols was designated to return in 2026, but he will not be eligible to make his season debut until Week 5 after injuring his quad earlier in August. The former fifth-rounder by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2017 NFL draft from Boise State is entering his third year in D.C. after combining for 99 carries, 482 rushing yards, and five touchdowns in 34 games (two starts) with Washington in the last two years. McNichols has added 34 receptions for 223 yards on 43 targets as a receiver. Once McNichols returns from IR, he will most likely factor in on special teams for the Commanders, leaving him off the fantasy football radar in all leagues.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is expected to miss multiple weeks, according to Adam Schefter. McCarthy suffered the injury during Minnesota's Aug. 22 preseason game against Baltimore and was unable to recover in time for Friday's finale against Denver. The Vikings had hoped to give him the entire first half in that game, but Carson Wentz started instead. Minnesota initially considered McCarthy day-to-day, making Schefter's new timetable a notable change. The 2024 first-round pick still made the Vikings' initial 53-man roster alongside Kyler Murray, Wentz and Max Brosmer. Murray was already named the starter earlier this month, so McCarthy's absence does not change Minnesota's QB1 situation. McCarthy started 10 games last season, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while adding 181 rushing yards and four scores. His injury does leave Wentz and Brosmer as Minnesota's healthy options behind Murray for the opening weeks.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. finally had a normal summer after injuries wrecked most of his second season. Harrison managed 41 catches for 608 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games last year while dealing with a concussion, an appendectomy, a heel injury and a separate foot issue that eventually landed him on injured reserve. This August has looked much better. He made plays throughout camp, including a 50-plus-yard catch from Jacoby Brissett on Aug. 4, then caught a seven-yard touchdown in his first preseason action against Las Vegas. Mike LaFleur has also been clear about the role, calling Harrison Arizona's X receiver while planning to move him around through formations and motion. Trey McBride and Michael Wilson are coming off huge seasons, so the targets won't simply funnel his way. Harrison still has to earn them. RotoBaller has him at WR32 in half-PPR, though, and that's a much easier price to stomach after a healthy summer. He heads into Week 1 with a much cleaner redraft case than he had a month ago.

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams isn't losing his starting job, but his workload ceiling looks a little shakier heading into Week 1. Williams was still excellent last season, rushing 259 times for 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding 36 catches for 281 yards and three more scores. The issue is how much work Los Angeles now has reason to give away. Blake Corum finished 2025 with 145 carries for 746 yards and six touchdowns, then spent August drawing praise for looking quicker and more explosive. He was one of the standouts in the Rams' final open practice, and the team kept only Williams, Corum and Ronnie Rivers on the initial 53-man roster. Williams remained productive even after the split tightened late last year, so this isn't a major fade. RotoBaller still has him at RB13. The concern is simply that another season near 300 touches is getting harder to project with a capable second back pushing for more work.

Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson went from being off the redraft radar in Pittsburgh to having a real path to touches almost overnight. The Packers acquired the 2025 third-round pick on Sunday for a 2028 sixth-rounder, the same day Josh Jacobs was placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List. Johnson is not jumping MarShawn Lloyd, who enters the season as Green Bay's No. 1 back, and Chris Brooks is still part of the mix. The situation is a lot better than the one Johnson left behind, though. He managed only 69 yards on 28 carries as a rookie and was a cut candidate in Pittsburgh after averaging 3.1 yards per carry this preseason. Green Bay still chose to trade for the 6-foot-1, 224-pound back rather than wait for him to hit waivers. Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final season at Iowa, so the pedigree is there even if the NFL production hasn't been. With Jacobs unavailable and Lloyd carrying a lengthy injury history, Johnson is back on the late-round redraft radar.

Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen has a little more room to work with after final cuts. Jeremy McNichols (quadriceps) was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return, which keeps him out for at least the first four games. Washington also released Robert Henry Jr. and Craig Reynolds, while Jerome Ford had already landed on IR earlier in August. Allen is still behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White, so this is not suddenly a path to starter volume. It does move the sixth-round rookie closer to regular-season touches, especially after he handled 36 preseason carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. Allen also got first-team work late in camp while Croskey-Merritt and White were banged up, though he split some of those reps with Henry. The finale was rough, with Allen losing a fumble on his first touch, and he averaged only 3.31 yards per carry during the preseason. Still, McNichols being unavailable for at least four games leaves Allen with a clearer early-season role than he had a week ago.

A reunion with the Philadelphia Eagles and free-agent veteran tight end Zach Ertz (knee) is on the table, league sources told EJ Smith of PHLY Sports. The Eagles are carrying Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, rookie Eli Stowers, and EJ Jenkins at the tight end position on their initial 53-man roster, but Smith writes that the room "still lacks solid depth" if Goedert misses time with an injury, as he has in four of the last five seasons. Nothing is imminent with Ertz, as the 35-year-old is nearing the nine-month recovery mark from a season-ending ACL tear he suffered on Dec. 7. Ertz, who had 50 catches for 504 yards in 13 games last year before his injury, would be a welcome addition for the Eagles in his 14th NFL season. He was cleared for football activities earlier this month. If the Eagles reunite with Ertz, he could potentially be next in line as Philly's top pass-catching option at TE if Goedert were to go down with another injury in 2026. Ertz was a former second-rounder by the Eagles in 2013 out of Stanford, and he spent the first eight years of his NFL career with the team, earning three trips to the Pro Bowl from 2017-2019.

The case for New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. being a surefire RB1 in fantasy football took a hit on Sunday on roster cutdown day when the Saints did not place veteran Alvin Kamara (knee) on Injured Reserve for the start of the 2026 campaign. It is still unclear if Kamara will be active for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions, but the fact that he will not be forced to miss at least the first four weeks of the season is bad news for Etienne's potential upside early on. The Saints signed the 27-year-old to a four-year, $52 million contract in March in free agency after he produced his third 1,000-yard season with seven rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in 2025 in his final year with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Etienne also had 36 receptions (52 targets) for 292 yards and six receiving touchdowns, but Kamara, when healthy, figures to eat into Etienne's pass-catching opportunities. Fantasy managers should treat Etienne as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 going into upcoming drafts.

The Las Vegas Raiders trimmed some depth at the running back position on roster cutdown day on Sunday, giving rookie fourth-round RB Mike Washington Jr. an even clearer path to a sizable early-season workload, even if starter Ashton Jeanty (ankle) is ready to go for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Miami Dolphins. Washington looked good in the team's preseason finale last week against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, rushing eight times for 49 yards, including a couple of chunk gains on the ground. The 23-year-old impressed the Raiders' coaching staff this summer during training camp, and he is firmly entrenched as the RB2 in Sin City, with only Dylan Laube behind him in the running back room. In upcoming fantasy football drafts, managers should view Washington as a strong handcuff option for Jeanty with a potential path to a starting role in Week 1 if Jeanty is limited or ruled out entirely. The drawback to Washington is that he was not very efficient as a pass-catcher in college, and he comes with some ball-security issues. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 49 fantasy RB for 2026.

It looks pretty obvious that Detroit Lions second-year wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa is locked into the WR3 role behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams going into the Week 1 regular-season opener in early September after the team cut Greg Dortch on Sunday to trim their roster down to 53 players. The 24-year-old third-rounder from Arkansas caught only 16 passes as a rookie for 239 yards, but he scored six touchdowns on 27 targets over 17 games played as a notable red-zone weapon for quarterback Jared Goff. With TeSlaa's role in the Lions' passing game likely to increase in his second year in the NFL, he should not be forgotten as a valuable late-round flier for touchdown upside. The 6-foot-4, 214-pounder could once again struggle for consistent targets as long as both St. Brown and Williams stay healthy, but with Dortch now cut and Kalif Raymond in Chicago, there is a path for TeSlaa to take a step forward as a sophomore in the NFL. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 69 fantasy wideout for the upcoming 2026 season.

Arizona Cardinals running back Tyler Allgeier has a prime opportunity for a hefty early-season workload out of the Cardinals' backfield to open up his first year in the desert. It would be an understatement to say that Arizona's backfield is banged up heading into their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Trey Benson (knee) is on Injured Reserve and will miss the entire season, James Conner (foot) will miss at least the first four games of the year while on IR, and rookie first-rounder Jeremiyah Love (ankle) has been nursing an ankle sprain that could keep him limited or out altogether in the season opener. It all means that the 26-year-old Allgeier should handle the bulk of the Cardinals' backfield touches early on in 2026. That could all change as Love gets healthier and Conner makes his season debut, going into Week 1, Allgeier should be locked into fantasy football lineups as at least a flex play. RotoBaller currently has the former Atlanta Falcons RB ranked as the RB48 in half-PPR setups. Allgeier averaged 4.3 yards per carry in his four years in Atlanta while recording a career-high eight rushing touchdowns in 17 games as the backup to Bijan Robinson in 2025.