Sep 6, 2026, 11:18 AM ET

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks could open the regular season as the No. 2 option on the depth chart. The Packers' backfield is suddenly reeling after Josh Jacobs (personal) was arrested, charged with battery and criminal destruction of property, and placed on the commissioner's exempt list. There's no timetable for his return, and even though his court date was moved up to Sept. 10, that doesn't mean he'll get back on the field sooner. A suspension seems inevitable, and now the big question is whether he'll be suspended for games in 2026 or 2027. Regardless of how much time Jacobs misses, all signs point to Brooks stepping up as the Packers' No. 2 running back while MarShawn Lloyd fills the lead role. Brooks was quiet to the tune of 106 rushing yards and 91 receiving yards last year, but he showed in Week 17 (13 carries for 61 yards) that he's capable of stepping into a larger role. For now, he's more of a speculative stash in deeper leagues, but he could absolutely carve out standalone value as a low-end RB3/flex early in the season.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 10:51 AM ET

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is looking like the Browns' top target around a relatively inexperienced group of wide receivers. Fannin Jr. is inexperienced himself, in only his second season, but he produced as a rookie and is looking to build on that this year. The tight end started 13 of the Browns' 16 games last season and recorded 72 catches on 107 targets for 731 yards and six touchdowns. With David Njoku out of the picture this season, those 107 targets could very well increase. The quarterback play in Cleveland is a question mark with Deshaun Watson starting the season as the starter, but Fannin Jr. has shown he can make the most of his opportunities. He could potentially be the lead target in front of receivers like Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, and Jerry Jeudy.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: NFL.com

Sep 6, 2026, 10:40 AM ET

Indianapolis Colts backup running back Seth McGowan is projected to win the handcuff job to lead back Jonathon Taylor according to The Athletic's James Boyd. In an August 29 article, Boyd wrote, "McGowan has clearly won the second-string job thanks to his physicality and reliable hands out of the backfield." The seventh-round pick out of Kentucky in the 2026 Draft, McGowan stands at 6-foot-1 and is 223 pounds offering big-time size out of the backfield but as Boyd points out he can catch the ball as well and thus be involved in the passing game. McGowan had two catches for five yards each in the three preseason games and rushed 17 times for 64 yards. With McGowan seeming to prove himself as the backup to Taylor look for him as a very late round pick or a potential early season waiver wire option.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: The Athletic, James Boyd

Sep 6, 2026, 10:24 AM ET

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has undergone rehab from a torn ACL and LCL he suffered in December, the worst injury of his career, and as Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star wrote, he went into his rehab with a unique goal in his mind. "He wanted to walk before his baby daughter, 11-month-old Golden". McDowell went on to write that after a training camp practice, Golden, now 20 months old ran toward Mahomes for a hug and Golden's running rather than walking was a surprise, but "Mahomes beat her to it, by the way, barely." The Chiefs have been quiet about Mahomes potential return to action, but Chiefs receiver Xavier Worthy reportedly told reporters, "He's back" and Sean Payton has reportedly been preparing the Broncos for the Week 1 matchup with the Chiefs assuming Mahomes will play.--Brian Buckey - RotoBaller
Source: Kansas City Star, Sam McDowell

Sep 6, 2026, 9:46 AM ET

New York Giants running back Najee Harris is a name to monitor in fantasy football as the 2026 regular season gets underway. Harris was a late addition to the Giants' roster, putting pen to paper on his contract in August. As a result, he had a delayed start to training camp and the preseason. In his lone preseason contest, he tallied 11 rushes for 39 yards, as well as a 20-yard reception. Head coach John Harbaugh noted that Harris is "a really good football player," and the fact that he made the 53-man roster indicates that the Giants want to get him involved. An Achilles injury limited him to three games and 18 touches with the Chargers last year, but the season prior in Pittsburgh, he posted 299 touches, 1,326 scrimmage yards, and six total touchdowns. His biggest challenge to start the season will be earning snaps in a deep backfield that also features Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary. For now, Harris ranks as the RB60 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 222.5, which means he's going undrafted in most 12-team leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 9:42 AM ET

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. enjoyed a breakout 2025 season, and he continued to produce throughout the 2026 preseason. As a result, he continues to trend up in fantasy football, despite having some uncertainty at the quarterback position. Pitts emerged as the overall TE2 in PPR leagues last season, catching 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns. He set new career-high marks in fantasy points, receptions, and touchdowns with Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins as his quarterbacks. He added another six catches for 81 yards this preseason, which is really impressive considering that he handled a limited snap share due to his role as the team's starting tight end. Pitts' latest success has him trending up in redraft leagues. For now, he ranks as RotoBaller's TE8, but another top-three finish is not out of the question. Right now, the biggest obstacle in his way is the Falcons' quarterback situation. Tua Tagovailoa is trending toward being the Falcons' Week 1 starting quarterback, and his discouraging production in recent years could put a slight damper on Pitts' fantasy upside.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 9:35 AM ET

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas is seeing his fantasy stock rise after the team traded fellow wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans. Douglas is likely still fourth on the depth chart behind A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and Kyle Williams, but Boutte leaves behind 114 vacated targets from the last two seasons combined. Many of those should go to Douglas, especially since he and Boutte were in relatively the same position on the depth chart. We've already heard buzz this season about Douglas' ability to get on the field in three-receiver sets and absolutely dominate matchups in man coverage, so even if he doesn't get the start in Week 1, he could work his way into a large snap share simply by producing when his number is called. Douglas is RotoBaller's WR94 in redraft leagues for now, but a strong start to the season could allow him to boost his stock and become an appealing waiver wire target.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 9:32 AM ET

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith could be falling down the depth chart due to the emergence of rookie Emmett Johnson. Throughout training camp and the preseason, Johnson earned plenty of praise for his contributions, especially in pass protection. With fifth-round draft capital, it initially seemed like Johnson was headed for the No. 3 running back role, but his impressive summer has bumped him up to second on the depth chart. As a result, Smith has fallen into that No. 3 spot. Smith had a relatively quiet rookie season last year, tallying 151 rushing yards, 172 receiving yards, and one touchdown. Given that the Chiefs likely wouldn't trust Johnson as an every-down back quite yet, we could see Smith getting onto the fantasy radar if Kenneth Walker III were to miss time. However, his status as the third-string back makes it tough to justify using a roster spot on him in redraft leagues. The second-year SMU product should only be rostered in deeper dynasty formats.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 9:27 AM ET

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was a very strong fantasy option when healthy last year, and he is expected to raise his ceiling even higher in 2026. First of all, Purdy reportedly has increased mobility this year. It was previously reported that he's going to run more, building on his last year's average of 16.3 rushing yards per game. We're not expecting this major transformation into a run-first quarterback, but any sort of increased mobility should help his fantasy stock. Second, Purdy continues to play in a 49ers offense full of talent. Even after losing Jauan Jennings to free agency and Ricky Pearsall (knee) to injury, San Francisco's receiver room still features Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel Sr., and De'Zhaun Stribling. Plus, he has one of the league's best tight ends in George Kittle and one of the best running backs in Christian McCaffrey. Purdy has so many talented options to target on any given play, giving him a high ceiling in fantasy football. The 26-year-old ranks as the QB11 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 110.4, which corresponds to the 10th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 13th quarterback off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 9:19 AM ET

Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine is an under-the-radar handcuff to target in 2026 fantasy football drafts. Chase Brown has essentially cemented himself as the Bengals' workhorse running back role, but Perine would be the next man up if he misses any time due to injury. Brown averaged 17.7 touches per game last season, including 4.1 catches per game, and a large portion of those would belong to Perine if Brown ends up sidelined. Perine's receiving volume dipped last year, but we saw him rush for 382 yards, which was his highest total since 2022. Additionally, he scored three touchdowns, which was another thing he hadn't done since 2022. It'll be hard to get any standalone value out of Perine during a given week, but at such a low ADP (242), he's a great late-round handcuff for managers who already drafted Brown.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 1:21 AM ET

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett maintained QB1 value in fantasy football after taking over for Kyler Murray last season, and he could remain on the fantasy radar this season despite his price tag falling. From Weeks 6- 18 last year, Brissett was the overall QB6 in fantasy football and averaged 19.6 fantasy points per game. He ranked as a top-14 fantasy quarterback in 11 of his 12 starts, as well as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in nine of those starts. Simply put, the veteran quarterback displayed league-winning results for managers who snagged him off the waiver wire after Murray went down. Brissett enters this year with a similar supporting cast, if not better. Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are all at his disposal once again, and he'll also be able to rely on new faces out of the backfield like Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier. While we're not saying Brissett will replicate that QB6 stretch from last season, the fact that he gets the same talented supporting cast this year (in an offense that will likely need to throw the ball a lot) makes him a very appealing fantasy quarterback with legitimate top-12 upside. And yet, he's being drafted at an ADP of 229.2, which means he'll end up going undrafted in most fantasy leagues. There's a huge discrepancy between his ceiling and his price tag, making him a very appealing sleeper to target for your QB2 spot in 2026 fantasy football drafts.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 12:40 AM ET

Washington Commanders running back Rachaad White drew positive reviews for his performance throughout training camp this summer. A minor hamstring injury sidelined White for the final two preseason games, but even though he didn't touch the ball in a game, he still flashed upside as a ball-carrier and receiver during camp. White is gearing up for his first season in Washington after four years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the RB4 in PPR leagues in 2023 before falling to RB22 and RB32 over the last two years, respectively. White's exact fantasy outlook depends on how the Commanders distribute the volume. Right now, we'd assume Jacory Croskey-Merritt and White both get involved on early downs, with Croskey-Merritt seeing a slightly larger carry share. However, White is the far more productive back on receiving downs, so he should get on the field in passing situations and carve out a decent target share. White has logged 40+ receptions in all four NFL seasons and 50+ receptions in three of the four. As a result, managers in PPR leagues should consider snagging him as their RB3/flex this year. As it stands, he ranks as RotoBaller's RB40 in redraft leagues. He has an ADP of 116.1, which corresponds to the 10th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 40th running back off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 12:37 AM ET

Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram generated plenty of buzz this summer after having a solid training camp. He caught just one pass for 24 yards in limited preseason action, but he had an all-around encouraging camp, which should allow him to boost his fantasy stock. Engram is certainly looking to bounce back after finishing as the TE29 in PPR leagues last year, despite missing just one game. Although Denver's receiver room only got more crowded following the acquisition of Jaylen Waddle, we're still excited about Engram's ability to get more involved during Year 2 in Denver. It's too early to pull the trigger on him as a top-18 fantasy tight end, but we think he could return to the level of production he displayed in New York or his first two years in Jacksonville. As it stands, Engram ranks as the TE36 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 261.9, which means he's going undrafted in most fantasy leagues, but we wouldn't question any fantasy manager who takes him with one of their final draft picks in deeper formats.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 6, 2026, 12:30 AM ET

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jauan Jennings has a solid track record in the NFL, but his fantasy upside will be limited this upcoming season. Jennings left the 49ers and signed with the Vikings in free agency. He went from being the No. 1 receiver in San Francisco to the No. 3 receiver in Minnesota, where he ranks behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison on the depth chart. Not only is his position on the depth chart worse this season, but he's also dealing with a quarterback downgrade after leaving Brock Purdy for Kyler Murray (or J.J. McCarthy). Because of the crowded receiver room and subpar quarterback situation, Jennings is falling down draft boards. He ranks as the WR73 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026. He currently has an ADP of 181, which corresponds to the 16th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 71st receiver off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller