March 30, 2026
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that he expects running back
Jonathon Brooks (knee) to be ready for organized team activities and minicamp, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Brooks is a major question mark in dynasty/keeper leagues after tearing his right ACL for the second time last year. The 22-year-old got a late start to his rookie campaign in 2024 in Carolina after rehabbing his first torn ACL from college, and he only saw nine carries for 22 yards in three games before tearing his ACL again. He missed all of the 2025 campaign, but he's now ramping up to help the Panthers' backfield in 2026, potentially. And with
Rico Dowdle leaving in free agency to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brooks could have a clear path to RB2 duties in Carolina this coming season behind
Chuba Hubbard if he can stay on the field. If fully healthy, Brooks will compete with both
Trevor Etienne and
AJ Dillon for complementary work behind Hubbard in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joe Person
March 30, 2026
New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore said on Monday that "they'll go through the whole offseason process" regarding running backs
Alvin Kamara (knee) and
Travis Etienne Jr., according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. Moore added that "you can find a role for everyone" and that if you look around the NFL, "plenty of running backs play." Kamara and Etienne are similar RBs in terms of their explosiveness, but Kamara is 30 years old and has finished the last two seasons on the sidelines due to injuries. Kamara ended the 2025 campaign with a knee injury, and a contract restructure this offseason led many to wonder whether he would retire from professional football. For now, Moore continues to say that Kamara is absolutely on the Saints' roster, but after the team signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million deal, Kamara's role will certainly shrink if he doesn't hang up his cleats and stays in the Big Easy. The former third-rounder in 2017 out of Tennessee played in a career-low 11 games in 2025 and averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry for 471 rushing yards and just one touchdown. Believe it or not, but Kamara has never had a 1,000-yard rushing season in his nine years in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Katherine Terrell
March 30, 2026
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Alec Pierce hit free agency at the age of 25 after topping 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. In a free agent class lacking proven studs, Pierce took advantage of his well-timed situation and agreed to a four-year, $116 million deal to return to the Colts. With Indianapolis trading away veteran wideout
Michael Pittman Jr. on the same day, the team removed any questions about who their number one receiver would be moving forward. Pierce's competition for targets will not be insignificant, with tight end
Tyler Warren topping 100 targets as a rookie and
Josh Downs finishing 2025 with one more target than Pierce (with an additional game played). Where Pierce stands out, both for the Colts and as a potential fantasy league-winner, is through his usage. His 20.0-yard ADoT and 21.3 yards per reception were both second in the NFL behind only
Tyquan Thornton, who got there on fewer than half the targets. If Pittman's 100+ vacated targets are divvied up even close to evenly between Pierce, Warren, and Downs, there is little doubt as to who will benefit the most. If Pierce can hit 1,000 yards on 47 receptions, something closer to a 70-catch season could put him among the true fantasy difference makers.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 30, 2026
Steelers wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. finished the 2025 season valued as a low-end WR3 in consensus dynasty rankings, but since the offseason trade that moved him from Indianapolis to Pittsburgh, he has fallen to the low WR4 range. Pittman will be viewed by most as the clear second option behind
D.K. Metcalf in a Steelers offense whose current quarterback situation would have to be graded as incomplete, so the dip is understandable, but he will still play the entirety of the 2026 season before turning 30, and he has finished as the WR23 or better in four of the past five seasons. He has become a go-to option for a revolving door of Colts quarterbacks by being a big-bodied target who runs precise routes and is rarely out of place against zone coverage. Whether his next signal caller is an unproven first-round rookie or a surly veteran who expects things to be done in a very particular way, nothing about Pittman's game suggests he will not continue to be a reliable target-earner.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 30, 2026
New England running back
Rhamondre Stevenson was on the field for more than twice as many snaps as rookie
TreVeyon Henderson during the Patriots' four-game postseason run, indicating a heightened level of trust from the coaching staff when the games mattered most. Henderson already produced more than any rookie back in Josh McDaniels' system, and the expectation is that improved pass-protection in year two will make him harder to take off the field in critical situations. While that may be true, New England's run game as a whole is primed to take a massive step forward in Mike Vrabel's second season as head coach, resulting in a much larger pie to be split between his two primary backs. Almost every offensive move the team made in free agency signals a commitment to an improved and more physical running game. Alijah Vera-Tucker has struggled with devastating injuries throughout his career, but when healthy, he has been one of the most dominant guards in the league. Fullback
Reggie Gilliam and blocking tight end
Julian Hill both speak to the hard-nosed identity Vrabel is looking to establish, and in which Stevenson, who is being valued as a low-end RB3 in dynasty startups, should still have sneaky standalone value.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 30, 2026
Connecticut wide receiver
Skyler Bell put up gaudy numbers in 2025, catching over 100 passes for 1,282 yards and 13 touchdowns, but the obvious caveat is that he did it as a 23-year-old fifth-year senior, playing against lower-level competition. Bell will turn 24 before ever taking a snap in the NFL, and at 6'0" and 192 pounds, he is slightly undersized, though he is solidly built and has shown the versatility to be more than a slot-only option. His film often shows him winning after the catch with straight-line speed rather than physicality or elusiveness, so his strong testing numbers are a reassuring sign that he wasn't just running away from lesser athletes of the G5 ranks. Like most receivers in this class, there are some holes in his profile, but he has enough working in his favor to make him an intriguing late-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 30, 2026
Tennessee wide receiver
Chris Brazzell III has been a name on the rise after measuring in at 6'4" and 198 pounds at the NFL Combine and proceeding to run a 4.37-second 40-yard dash, rising several spots in consensus dynasty rankings over the past month. He has the size and speed of a prototypical X-receiver, which is precisely how he was used at Tennessee. Brazzell's 94.3% of snaps taken on the boundary in 2025 was the highest among Combine invites, while his deep target rate also ranked near the top of the class. That type of college usage has translated to NFL success in the past, but it typically comes with more efficiency than Brazzell's 2.09 career yards per route run. Couple that with the fact that his most successful season came in Josh Heupel's receiver-friendly scheme, and Brazzell's role at the next level becomes all the more difficult to predict.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 29, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II said on Sunday that he expects veteran free-agent quarterback
Aaron Rodgers to decide on whether he wants to re-sign with the team before next month's NFL draft, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Although the future Hall of Famer hasn't been rumored to be talking to any other teams since the start of the new league year in March, it remains unclear whether he wants to return for a 22nd NFL season under old head coach Mike McCarthy. The 42-year-old four-time MVP and 10-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 16 regular-season starts to help lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs, but he was demolished in the Wild-Card round of the postseason and finished as the QB19 in fantasy scoring. If Rodgers returns to run it back with McCarthy, he'll have more receiving help in
Michael Pittman Jr., but he'd still be more of a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues with limited upside at the end of his illustrious career. The risk of injury is as high as ever with Rodgers, although he missed just one game in the last two seasons after tearing his Achilles in 2023 with the Jets.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Gerry Dulac
March 29, 2026
The New York Giants are releasing kicker
Graham Gano (neck) on Sunday, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. Gano will hit the open market after kicking in just six games for the Giants in 2025 due to groin and neck injuries. When the 38-year-old veteran was available, he made nine of his 10 field-goal tries (1-for-1 from 50-plus yards) and was a perfect 9-of-9 on his extra points. He will now hit the open market after being with the G-Men for each of the last six seasons. Before that, he spent three years in Washington and another seven with the Carolina Panthers. With the move, the Giants will save $4.5 million in salary cap space in 2026. Former Miami Dolphins kicker
Jason Sanders is now in line to serve as New York's primary placekicker next year with Gano gone. In his 16-year career, Gano has made 83.8% of his field-goal tries, including going 46-for-67 from 50-plus yards. It's possible that Gano will consider hanging up his cleats as he nears 40 years old.
UPDATE: Gano was cut with a failed-physical designation.--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
March 29, 2026
A contract extension for San Francisco 49ers All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams could be imminent, according to general manager John Lynch. "I would say in the last week, it's kind of intensified," Lynch said at the NFL owners' meetings. "And feel like we're on the precipice of something good happening." There were several reports in the last month that the 49ers could end up trading or releasing Williams if they couldn't agree to terms on a new deal. Lynch hasn't qualified the negotiations with Williams' camp as contentious at all, but said the situation required "nuance" because of his age (37). Despite his age, the former first-rounder (fourth overall) by Washington in 2010 out of Oklahoma has been a 12-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro in his 15 years in the league. Williams is still a high-end left tackle, so locking him up for what will likely be his final contract in the NFL will be a big boost for quarterback
Brock Purdy and the rest of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
--Keith HernandezSource: San Francisco Chronicle - Eric Branch
March 29, 2026
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch expects defensive lineman Mykel Williams (knee) to be back from his ACL tear for training camp this summer, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. However, Lynch acknowledged that Williams' recovery could take a little longer since he tore his ACL a month and a half into the season after pass-rusher Nick Bosa did. Williams also tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee in Week 9. The 21-year-old pass-rusher was the 11th overall pick last year out of Georgia. He played in nine games in his rookie campaign and had 20 tackles (11 solo), four tackles for loss, three QB hits, one sack, and a fumble recovery. We won't be surprised if the Niners play it very safe with Williams during training camp, but barring a setback, he will have a shot to be ready to play in Week 1 of the 2026 season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi
March 29, 2026
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said that he expects defensive lineman Nick Bosa (knee) to be back from his ACL tear for training camp this summer, according to David Lombardi of The San Francisco Standard. Bosa had surgery last September for a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 3. Since the injury occurred so early in the year in 2025, the 28-year-old All-Pro pass-rusher has a shot to be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season, depending on how he looks in training camp and the preseason. Getting Bosa back will be a massive boost to what was a totally banged-up defensive unit last year. The five-time Pro Bowler is a high-end IDP fantasy pass-rushing option when fully healthy, but he's high-risk, high-reward because of his lengthy injury history. Bosa led the league in sacks with 18.5 in 2022, and he has 64.5 sacks in his 85 games played over his seven NFL seasons. Twice in his career, though, Bosa has played in fewer than five games in a single season due to injuries.
--Keith HernandezSource: The San Francisco Standard - David Lombardi
March 29, 2026
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Sunday that the team isn't trading All-Pro pass-rusher Myles Garrett, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier this week on the Pat McAfee Show that the Browns have been "adamant" that they aren't trying to move Garrett, who set the single-season NFL sack record in 2025 with 23 sacks in 17 starts, after modifying his contract to save some salary cap space. It would send a pretty bad message to Browns fans if they traded one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL the year after breaking the all-time sack record. The 30-year-old former first-rounder in 2017 out of Texas A&M will be back with the Browns this coming season to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks across the league. Garrett is a physical freak and a beast on the football field with 125.5 career sacks in his nine NFL seasons. Unsurprisingly, Garrett will come off the board fast as a defensive lineman in IDP fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
March 29, 2026
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that he's hopeful that running back
Quinshon Judkins (ankle) will be on the field "in some form or fashion" this spring, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Judkins suffered a dislocated right ankle late in his rookie season in 2025 and had surgery. The 22-year-old former second-rounder in 2025 out of Ohio State should be ready in time for training camp this summer and the start of the 2026 regular season. There is no doubt heading into his sophomore campaign that Judkins will lead Cleveland's backfield, which also consists of
Dylan Sampson and
Raheim Sanders. In his first NFL season, Judkins had 827 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns on 230 carries over 14 starts, adding 26 catches for 171 yards through the air. The only thing holding Judkins back from being a strong RB1 for fantasy managers might be the Browns' offense, which figures to be led by either
Deshaun Watson (Achilles) or second-year QB
Shedeur Sanders.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Zac Jackson
March 29, 2026
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn told Judy Battista of the NFL Network that there is "no doubt about it" that
Geno Smith will be the team's starting quarterback in 2026. "Listen, he's done it. I mean, those years in Seattle, when he was, I think, Comeback Player of the Year. Man, he was up for MVP early in the season. There's no doubt in my mind that we brought a competent starter here to this team," Glenn said. The 35-year-old veteran signal-caller was a Pro Bowler in back-to-back seasons with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 and 2023, but in his lone season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025, it was ugly for Smith. He completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-leading 17 interceptions in 15 starts. The Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft thanks to Smith, and the Jets might be hoping he can do the same for them going into the 2027 NFL draft as they search for their next franchise QB. Smith is merely a bridge option under center and should be considered a low-end QB2 in fantasy this fall with little upside.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Judy Battista
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