Fantasy Football News

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews has a clearer path back to meaningful volume after spending last season in a crowded position group. He saw only 70 targets in 17 games, finishing with 48 catches for 422 yards and five touchdowns while Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar also handled substantial snaps. Both are gone now, and Baltimore enters 2026 with Andrews leading a rebuilt room that includes Durham Smythe and rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas. Smythe is expected to handle much of the blocking work, while the younger tight ends are still carving out roles. Andrews also looked sharp in camp, including one of his best practices in August when he scored in the red zone and made another catch in traffic near the goal line. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman will still command plenty of looks, and rookie Ja'Kobi Lane earned a substantial role this summer. Even so, Andrews has far less competition at his own position. After averaging just 4.1 targets per game last year, there is a real path for that number to climb.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy still has a believable path back to the player fantasy managers saw as a rookie. He caught 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns in 2024, then added 104 rushing yards and three more scores. Last season never really got going. Worthy dislocated his shoulder and tore his labrum on the third snap of Week 1, missed two games and played through the injury before having surgery in January. He finished with 42 catches for 532 yards and one touchdown. This summer brought another scare when Worthy sprained the same shoulder on Aug. 1, but he returned to practice nine days later and was back working with the offense later in camp. He remains a starter opposite Rashee Rice on Kansas City's current depth chart. Rice and Travis Kelce will keep the target ceiling in check, and the shoulder history can't be ignored. Still, Worthy's WR45 ranking leaves room for a rebound if better health brings back some of the explosiveness and touchdown production from his rookie year.

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jalen Nailor has a much cleaner path to volume than he ever had in Minnesota. Nailor spent four years buried behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he enters 2026 listed with the first-team offense in a wide receiver room that doesn't have an established target hog. He caught 29 of 53 targets for 444 yards and four touchdowns last season, then spent August building real chemistry with Kirk Cousins. Nailor caught a deep score from Cousins on Aug. 6, another touchdown on Aug. 10 and two more in red-zone work a week later. That doesn't guarantee a huge target share, especially with Brock Bowers likely to remain the centerpiece and Tre Tucker and Jack Bech still involved. It does give Nailor a legitimate chance to see more work than he ever did with the Vikings. Las Vegas signed him early in free agency, kept him with the starters all summer, and the opportunity held through roster cuts. For managers looking for a late-round receiver with room to beat his draft cost, Nailor has a pretty easy case to make.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is one of the more appealing late-round bets for fantasy managers who don't want to pay up at the position. He took over in Week 9 last year and went 5-4 as a starter, finishing his rookie season with 2,384 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 67.6% of his throws. The finish was much better than the full-season line suggests. Shough totaled 10 touchdowns from Weeks 12-18 and ranked QB5 in total fantasy points over that stretch, with 272, 308 and 333 passing yards in consecutive games from Weeks 15-17. He also ran for 186 yards and three scores on 45 carries, which gives him a little more floor than a pure pocket passer. New Orleans enters 2026 with Shough firmly entrenched as the starter and Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson and Travis Etienne Jr. around him, although first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson will open the year on injured reserve. Shough is still only QB22 in RotoBaller's Sept. 3 rankings. For managers waiting on quarterback, that leaves plenty of room for him to beat the price.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson has worked his way back into the late-round conversation with Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee) still sidelined in the team's latest update. Neither has been ruled out for Week 1, but both have missed multiple weeks, which leaves extra snaps up for grabs if one isn't ready. Johnson has already shown he can take advantage of that kind of opening. The former seventh-round pick started eight games as a rookie and caught 28 passes for 322 yards and five touchdowns, then opened this summer as one of Tampa Bay's early camp standouts. A groin strain interrupted his August, but he returned for the preseason finale and caught one pass for nine yards. Chris Godwin Jr. remains ahead of him on the depth chart, and rookie Ted Hurst III has played his way into the early-season mix, so Johnson is far from guaranteed a major role. Still, with Egbuka and McMillan not yet back, he has enough contingency value to justify a final-round shot in deeper leagues.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Malik Washington has come out of the summer with a much cleaner path to regular playing time. Tyreek Hill was released and Jaylen Waddle was traded during the offseason, and Washington now sits with Caleb Douglas and Jalen Tolbert among the three first-team receivers on Miami's current depth chart. He did enough during camp to hold onto that spot, too. Washington was regularly involved with Malik Willis, including a pair of deep catches during an Aug. 3 practice and another touchdown connection late in camp. There was already some useful versatility in his game last season, when he caught 46 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns while adding 110 yards and another score on 17 carries. Douglas had an excellent summer and could eventually command a large share of the passing game, so Washington isn't suddenly locked in as Miami's top target. The opportunity is still much better than it was a year ago. With a starting job within reach, Washington has become a more interesting late-round option in deeper redraft leagues.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said that he expects every player on the team to make the trip to Melbourne, Australia, for the Week 1 tilt next Thursday against the division-rival San Francisco 49ers, which includes star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Although Donald, who came out of retirement to return to the Rams for the 2026 season, is with the Rams heading overseas, he is still TBD on playing in the regular-season opener. It is more realistic for the 35-year-old to make his debut in Week 2 or 3 as he continues to work back into football shape. If Donald does appear in next Thursday's game in Australia against the 49ers, it will likely be on a very limited number of pass-rushing snaps. The 10-time Pro Bowler and three-time Defensive Player of the Year has 111 sacks in 10 seasons with the Rams, but in more of a part-time pass-rushing role in his return in 2026, Donald is not going to have the same type of fantasy upside in IDP leagues that he had back in his prime.

The Philadelphia Eagles told rookie first-round wide receiver Makai Lemon to mirror the preparation of WR1 DeVonta Smith, who has been noted for his strong preparation in advance of games, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. "I basically told him, 'Whatever Smitty does, you do.' And he's taken to that a little bit. I know that Smitty's done a good job of going out of his way to help him with some of that stuff," wide receivers coach Aaron Moorehead said. The 22-year-old 20th overall pick from USC had a quiet summer in training camp and missed valuable development time due to a nagging hamstring injury. He caught three of his five targets for five yards in the preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. With Dontayvion Wicks rising to become the clear WR2 for Philly to start the 2026 campaign, Lemon is penciled in as the team's No. 3 wideout to begin his pro career. Lemon caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games in his final collegiate season with the Trojans and could easily leapfrog Wicks at some point this year if he reaches his true potential. Despite his quiet summer, Lemon deserves attention as a late-round WR pick in upcoming drafts for his upside.

In his three years with the Detroit Lions, running back David Montgomery finished no lower than the RB27, twice cracking the top 20 despite sharing a backfield with one of the league's most dynamic players in three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs. Following an offseason trade to the Houston Texans, the eighth-year veteran finds himself once more atop the depth chart. While recent buzz has suggested that 2025 fourth-round pick Woody Marks could still see a prominent role after leading the team with 703 rushing yards as a rookie, Montgomery is expected to see the bulk of the early-down work and the most valuable touches around the goal line. The Texans ranked 29th in the NFL in 2025 by converting fewer than 46% of their red zone trips into touchdowns, while Detroit was a top-eight team in that category, with Montgomery scoring five of his eight touchdowns from within the five-yard line. No longer splitting goal-line work with Gibbs, who has averaged 19 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Montgomery is a safe bet to reach double-digit scores and should provide a predictable weekly floor as RotoBaller's RB20.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin was limited to 10 games in 2025, with only three of those outings started by quarterback Jayden Daniels. With limited time together, the pair was unable to build upon the chemistry they'd established in 2024, when McLaurin caught a career-high 13 touchdowns, and Daniels took home Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors. Despite playing most of the season with backups Marcus Mariota and Josh Johnson, McLaurin showed no signs of slowing when he was on the field, turning in one of his most efficient seasons to date. His 2.29 yards per route run in 2025 were the most since his 2019 rookie season and ranked 13th in the NFL, and with both McLaurin and Daniels healthy heading into 2026, the eighth-year veteran has the capacity to greatly exceed his current ADP of WR26.

Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman has been one of the most hyped players on the roster since the team spent a fourth-round pick on him in the 2026 NFL Draft, and in appearing with Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Broncos beat reporter Zac Stevens indicated that the buzz is well-justified. Pointing out the complexity of Sean Payton's offense, Stevens notes that Coleman has already earned the trust of Payton and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb and says, "If and when J.K. Dobbins gets hurt, it's not going to be RJ Harvey that steps up into that starting running back role. It's going to be Jonah Coleman." Dobbins has not played more than 13 games in any year since his 2020 rookie season, so if Coleman has truly earned his coaches' favor, he could prove to be one of the league's most valuable insurance backs, heading into the final weekend of draft season as RotoBaller's RB54.

After scoring 12 touchdowns as a rookie, Denver Broncos running back RJ Harvey has been arguably the least discussed back on the Broncos' roster for most of the summer, but beat reporter Zac Stevens does not believe that should be the case, as he foresees a big role for the 2025 second-round pick. In a recent appearance with Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, Stevens broke down the entire Broncos running back room and said that Harvey "has really established himself as the third-down running back and the pass-catching running back," comparing his role to that of Alvin Kamara in Sean Payton's Saints offenses. While rookie Jonah Coleman has emerged as a more likely true handcuff to starter J.K. Dobbins, Harvey is expected to see a significant role in the passing game after catching 47 passes as a rookie. As RotoBaller's RB36, Harvey is a player to target in full-PPR leagues, and he has the spike-week potential to return tremendous value from the middle rounds of drafts.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has had his initial court appearance moved up from November 17 to September 10, according to online court records. Jacobs was charged in late August on two misdemeanor counts of battery and criminal damage stemming from his May 26 arrest, and he was placed on the NFL's Commissioner's Exempt List shortly thereafter. The eighth-year veteran is not permitted to practice or attend games while on the list, and while there is no timeline for the league to make a final determination on any further suspension, the accelerated legal process could help to bring about clarity sooner rather than later. After being drafted in the high-end RB2 range for much of the summer, Jacobs has fallen below RB25 in more recent drafts, with MarShawn Lloyd climbing rapidly.

DNVR Sports' Zac Stevens says that Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins is "for sure" the team's No. 1 RB when he is healthy. However, second-year RB RJ Harvey, who has been the least talked-about Broncos back in training camp, will have a "big role" and could take on an Alvin Kamara-type role as a pass-catching back in head coach Sean Payton's offense. And then there is fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman, a big, physical back who is viewed as the backup to Dobbins as a between-the-tackles runner. The 27-year-old Dobbins has been extremely efficient in his five NFL seasons, averaging over 5.0 yards per carry on 582 rushing attempts, and he was among the league leaders at the RB position last year in his first season with Denver before suffering a season-ending foot injury, recording 772 yards and four rushing touchdowns on 153 carries through 10 games. When healthy, Dobbins has been a strong RB in the NFL, but the story of his career to this point has been injuries. He has never played a full season yet, and with a committee backfield approach in Denver in 2026, Dobbins' fantasy ceiling will be limited as more of a low-end RB2 option for managers.

Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane has drawn praise and created a lot of hype for himself throughout training camp and the preseason. In fact, Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated recently included the rookie wideout in his "10 Breakout Players to Watch in 2026" article after speaking with coaches and executives across the league. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Lane is expected to operate as Baltimore's No. 3 wide receiver behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman this season. However, there is a chance that Lane could play an even bigger role, as Bateman is under investigation by the NFL and could potentially face a suspension. It would not be surprising if Lane outperforms Bateman this year. The Ravens selected Lane out of USC in the third round (No. 80 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is expected to play an immediate role. Lane is currently rostered in just 19% of Yahoo leagues and is worth considering on the waiver wire or in the later rounds of your drafts. Lane currently has a Yahoo ADP of 126.8. He ranks as the No. 181 overall player and No. 70 wide receiver at RotoBaller.

Iowa Hawkeyes offensive coordinator Tim Lester spent the 2023 season with the Green Bay Packers as an analyst and was named offensive coordinator at Iowa in 2024, where he inherited new Packers running back Kaleb Johnson and brought along head coach Matt LaFleur's offense, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. "He should have unbelievable familiarity with the system, that's for sure, because that's exactly what we ran his senior year of college, which is good," Lester said. "And so I've been excited for him to get his shot and kind of get settled. The NFL normally takes a little bit of time to get adjusted, but definitely a talented kid." It should help Johnson, a third-rounder by the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, get up to speed much faster after recently being acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh to help the Packers with RB depth now that Josh Jacobs will not be with the team to begin the 2026 season. Johnson had 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns at Iowa in 2024, with 4.4 yards on average coming after contact. The 23-year-old excels at breaking tackles, although he only had 28 carries for 69 yards (2.5 yards per carry) in 10 games with the Steelers as a rookie. Johnson's rookie season was forgettable, but he could quickly turn things around in Green Bay in an offense he is much more familiar with. MarShawn Lloyd is expected to get the first crack at RB1 duties with Jacobs out, but Johnson should not be ignored as a late-round handcuff with rising value because of Jacobs' status.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee), who is opening the 2026 season on Injured Reserve, renegotiated the final year of his contract and is due $1.704 million, including a $500,000 signing bonus, $1 million total guaranteed, a salary-cap figure of $1.988 million, and a $1.145 million salary, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Dell was previously due $3.624 million in the final year of his rookie deal with a $3.967 million salary-cap figure. The 26-year-old former third-rounder in 2023 from the University of Houston tore multiple ligaments in his knee in a devastating injury in 2024 and was unable to return at all last year. Dell was slowly being ramped up in training camp this summer, but now that he's on IR, he will not be eligible to make his 2026 season debut until at least Week 5. Even though fellow wideout Jayden Higgins (knee) is out for the year, Dell remains a question mark this year as far as what his role will be when he is cleared to return. The addition of Kayshon Boutte via trade from the New England Patriots will not help Dell's case for fantasy relevance later this year. For now, Nico Collins, Boutte, and Jaylin Noel will be quarterback C.J. Stroud's top three receivers.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has made a strong first impression with his new team. The Broncos gave up first-, third- and fourth-round picks to acquire him from Miami in March, and Waddle spent much of camp showing exactly what they paid for. Denver's own coverage repeatedly highlighted his ability to separate and create explosive plays during the first six practices. A leg strain on Aug. 5 interrupted that run for nearly two weeks, but it didn't take long for Waddle to get going again. He returned to practice Aug. 17 and, two days later, hauled in a roughly 60-yard touchdown from Bo Nix during the final open practice of camp. Waddle is coming off 64 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns on 100 targets last season and now enters a Denver offense that clearly has plans for his speed. Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr. and Evan Engram will all get their opportunities, so the targets could be spread around. Still, Waddle's first summer in Denver has given fantasy managers more reason to expect a rebound toward his earlier production.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has a much stronger group of pass-catchers around him after his final season in Arizona fell apart. A foot injury limited Murray to five games in 2025, but Minnesota named him the starter on Aug. 11 after his competition with J.J. McCarthy. The job comes with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings at receiver, plus T.J. Hockenson at tight end. Jefferson was full-go throughout camp and started clicking with Murray late in the summer, while Jennings arrives after piling up 1,618 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Murray has already shown what his rushing can add when healthy. In 2024, he threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns while running for another 572 yards and five scores. He enters September at QB19 in RotoBaller's updated rankings, so fantasy managers aren't paying for a full rebound yet. Durability is still the concern, but this Minnesota group gives Murray plenty of room to beat that price.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London remains one of the safer bets for volume, even with the quarterback situation still unsettled. London drew 112 targets in only 12 games last season, turning them into 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. No other Falcons wide receiver reached 75 targets, and Darnell Mooney is no longer on the roster. Atlanta added Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Zachariah Branch, but none of them changes London's standing as the clear No. 1 receiver. The bigger question is who will be throwing him the ball. The Falcons were still evaluating Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa this week, and their current depth chart lists both atop the quarterback spot. London has enough of a grip on this passing game to keep that uncertainty from sinking his value. He checks in at WR7 in RotoBaller's latest half-PPR rankings after averaging 9.3 targets per game over the past two seasons. The quarterback play may be uneven, but London's role gives him a strong chance to keep producing like a fantasy WR1.