Sep 3, 2026, 11:35 PM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had an impressive 2025 season, but he could take yet another step forward with a very strong supporting cast at his disposal in 2026. Lawrence has a stacked wide receiver room featuring Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and (sometimes) Travis Hunter. Meanwhile, tight end Brenton Strange is expected to make a big Year 4 leap, and Bhayshul Tuten projects as another key target for Lawrence in the short-yardage passing game. Last year, Lawrence completed 60.9% of his pass attempts for 4,007 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He was arguably even more impressive with his legs, rushing for an additional 359 yards and nine touchdowns. Throughout the course of the year, he totaled 38 touchdowns, allowing him to rank as the overall QB4 in fantasy football. He has a chance to replicate (or even improve upon) that career-best fantasy finish from last year. The current rankings are on the safer side, though, as RotoBaller's experts have Lawrence as the QB9 in redraft. He currently has an ADP of 93.7, which corresponds to the eighth round of drafts and makes him the 10th quarterback off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:30 PM ET

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith could be headed for a breakout season in 2026. The 27-year-old is poised to handle a significantly larger target share after teammate AJ Brown was traded to the New England Patriots. Smith had a total of nine catches and 136 yards across the two games that Brown missed last year, which likely represents his floor for the upcoming season. He is the undisputed No. 1 target in Philadelphia, offering a high-upside weapon for Jalen Hurts in all parts of the field. Perhaps the biggest question mark is whether Smith will take on a larger role around the goal line. He tallied a career-low four touchdowns last year, but he'll presumably get more goal-line targets following the departure of Brown, who scored seven touchdowns in 2025. As it stands, Smith has jumped to WR13 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026. He has an ADP of 31.4, which corresponds to the third round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 14th receiver off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:00 PM ET

Philadelphia Eagles' second-round rookie tight end Eli Stowers, out of Vanderbilt in the 2026 NFL Draft, has struggled in camp. He has faced heavy criticism and struggled to stand out as a receiver or blocker during practices, including a tough joint practice against the New England Patriots. Ultimately, the learning curve has been steep for him, and while he flashed some upside at the combine with his athleticism, recent reports from camp suggest he's not ready to play at the NFL level. He has also been slowed down by a hamstring injury, and Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice reported that he could be a healthy scratch on Sundays. During his senior season at Vanderbilt, he had 62 receptions, 769 yards, and four touchdowns. At this point, Stowers is a dynasty stash at best. RotoBaller ranks Stowers as the TE64 and 377th player off the board, making him undraftable in most standard-sized redraft formats.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 10:46 PM ET

2025 Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold enters his second season with the Seattle Seahawks with a chance to emerge as a high-end QB2, alongside star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the emergence of Rashid Shaheed, with a full offseason under his belt to build chemistry with Darnold. Shaheed was brought over to the Seahawks in Week 9 of the 2025 season. Darnold finished the 2025 season as the QB13, throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. This was followed by a season with the Vikings in 2024, where he finished as the QB9. Although he lost his offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, who was brought on to be the head coach for the Raiders, RotoBaller currently ranks Darnold as the QB23 and the 140th player taken off the board. Fantasy managers in superflex formats could look to target Darnold as their QB2, as he has finished in the top 15 at the position in back-to-back seasons.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 10:36 PM ET

Washington Commanders third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, out of LSU, had a down season in 2025 after his rookie campaign, in which he finished as the QB5 while rushing for 891 yards and throwing for 3,568 yards, and led the Commanders to the NFC title game. His 2025 season was derailed by multiple injuries, and he played in only seven games. Daniels is healthy entering the 2026 season with an improved receiving group. The Commanders brought in Stefon Diggs over the Patriots, Chig Okonkwo from the Titans, and Terry McLaurin is healthy entering the season. Diggs remained efficient on a per-route basis with the Patriots last season, and McLaurin had a career year with Daniels in 2024, when he had 1,096 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 117 targets. Daniels still has elite rushing upside and should bounce back in a big way this season. RotoBaller ranks Daniels as the QB4 for the season and the 60th overall player off the board.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 10:23 PM ET

Dallas Cowboys 27-year-old tight end Jake Ferguson restructured his contract with the Cowboys, turning his $7.25 million base salary into a signing bonus, and Ferguson's cap number will increase by $1.2 million, Todd Archer of ESPN reports. Archer also mentions that the adjustments are accounting tools and do not change how much the players are paid weekly. Ferguson finished the 2025 season as the TE5, hauling in 82 of his 105 targets for 600 yards and eight touchdowns. His 7.32 YPR was very modest, and the eight touchdowns were a career high for him. With Dak Prescott leaning mostly on his two stud wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, it will be tough sledding for Ferguson to be a reliable fantasy asset if he experiences any sort of touchdown regression. RotoBaller ranks Ferguson as the TE16 for the season, and fantasy managers who decide to wait on the tight end position should look to target Ferguson based on the high-powered nature of this Cowboys offense.--Nicho Roessler
Source: Todd Archer

Sep 3, 2026, 10:12 PM ET

Denver Broncos rookie running back out of Washington, Jonah Coleman, was drafted in the fourth round by the Broncos to work alongside J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. However, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic wrote about how Coleman could be involved between the tackles as a complementary piece to Dobbins to lessen Dobbins' rushing load with the aim of keeping him healthy throughout the season. Dobbins has a long injury history, having yet to stay healthy for a full season in his six-year career. Last season, Dobbins rushed for 772 yards (5.05 YPC) with four touchdowns before going down with an injury and playing in only 10 games. Coleman was a solid back at Washington, rushing for 25 touchdowns over his past two seasons and 1,053 yards during his junior season. Coleman has a receiving profile as well, as he saw 54 receptions in his final two seasons, but Harvey is expected to assume most of that work. RotoBaller ranks Harvey as the RB54 entering the season, but any injury to Dobbins would propel him into RB3 consideration.--Nicho Roessler
Source: Nick Kosmider

Sep 3, 2026, 10:01 PM ET

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith was voted as a captain by his teammates ahead of the 2026 season, according to the team's official website. Smith hasn't played in a regular-season game for the Jets since the 2016 season. He's back after having a resurgence with the Seattle Seahawks and Raiders over the last four years. We'll see what the 35-year-old still has left in the tank after throwing 17 interceptions with the Raiders last season. It's nice to see the Jets players respecting Smith enough to give him the captain status, even with this being his first year back in New York in over a decade.--Andy Webb
Source: New York Jets

Sep 3, 2026, 9:51 PM ET

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young will be working with a new play caller this upcoming season. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik will be taking over the play-calling duties from Dave Canales, according to Mike Kaye of ESPN. Idzik is entering his third season as the OC in Carolina. Young recently described the new play calling as aggressive, so we'll see what that means during the regular season. Young completed eight of 11 passing attempts for 67 yards during the preseason. The Panthers are limited in terms of offensive weapons, but Tetairoa McMillan could be in for a big year.--Andy Webb
Source: ESPN

Sep 3, 2026, 9:37 PM ET

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix recently received praise from his teammate, defensive back Patrick Surtain, Susanna Wier of the team's official website reports. Surtain talked about the growth in Nix and how he believes he'll take another step forward this upcoming season. He continued by saying Nix can bring all the guys together and that he's a tremendous leader. Both tight end Evan Engram and offensive tackle Garett Bolles also praised Nix for his leadership. Nix has made a full recovery after suffering a broken ankle during the AFC Championship Game last season. He threw a league-high 612 times this past season, so it wouldn't be shocking to see the Broncos attempt to run more this season. The 26-year-old should remain a top-10 quarterback this upcoming season.--Andy Webb
Source: denverbroncos.com

Sep 3, 2026, 9:21 PM ET

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) appeared to be running without any issues ahead of Thursday's practice, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports. Kraft continues to work his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in November of last year. He missed all of the preseason, but was able to take part during joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals last week. It seems that Kraft is trending in the right direction ahead of the Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. He appears to be moving well and could very well be ready to go in time for the first game of the season.--Andy Webb
Source: Matt Schneidman

Sep 3, 2026, 9:15 PM ET

According to Adam Schefter, Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift (abdomen) left early during Thursday's practice due to a cramp. Swift was reportedly in significant discomfort when he was forced to leave due to abdominal cramping. This is not good news for the Bears, who are already without Kyle Monangai (knee) right now. The hope is that this is a day-to-day issue for Swift and that he'll be back before the season opener. If not, Roschon Johnson could be a popular waiver wire pickup over the next few days. Fantasy managers will need to stay tuned for more updates on Swift.--Andy Webb
Source: Adam Schefter

Sep 3, 2026, 8:20 PM ET

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (knee) missed another practice on Thursday, according to Zack Pearson of 247 Sports. Monangai suffered a hyperextended right knee in training camp practice on Aug. 16 and was deemed week-to-week earlier this week, but the good news is that the 24-year-old "looked good" while running on a side field on Wednesday, per starting RB D'Andre Swift. Monangai's status for Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 13, is firmly up in the air, and with Swift suffering an undisclosed injury of his own in Thursday's practice, Chicago's backfield is banged up with the regular-season opener closing in. With the statuses of both Monangai and Swift now in question, Roschon Johnson is becoming a bit more popular for some potential short-term value in Chicago's offense against Carolina in Week 1. Monangai produced an impressive 783 rushing yards and five rushing scores on 169 carries as a rookie after being taken in the seventh round out of Rutgers, but when Swift is healthy, he will continue to be the clear RB2 with little pass-catching upside. RotoBaller currently has him ranked as the No. 42 fantasy RB for the 2026 campaign.--Keith Hernandez
Source: 247 Sports - Zack Pearson

Sep 3, 2026, 8:11 PM ET

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been liking what he has seen out of quarterback Caleb Williams as he prepares to take a step forward in his third NFL season in 2026, according to Larry Mayer of the team's official website. "I've seen a very composed person every time he steps into the building," Johnson said. "I think his teammates feel that as well. He's getting to the practice field early. He's making sure his part is taken care of. He's warmed up, he's ready to go. He stays after with the guys after practice on a regular basis. He's taking a lot of pride in his approach right now, and it trickles down to everyone around him. I think it's a great thing. He continues to grow up, and he's going to be a huge leader for us this year." The 24-year-old former first overall pick from USC has also been a more vocal leader after finishing as the QB8 in fantasy football after throwing for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions in 17 regular-season starts in 2025 after taking a league-high 68 sacks as a rookie. Williams has shown a flair for the dramatic late in games, and his ability to produce off-script has been a strength of his. Despite losing receiver DJ Moore in an offseason trade, Williams still has plenty of weapons around him, and if he cleans some stuff up, he could take the next step as a passer for an up-and-coming Bears squad. Williams has plenty of appeal as a midrange to low-end QB1 in fantasy drafts for managers who wait a bit on the position.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ChicagoBears.com - Larry Mayer