February 24, 2026
There have been rumblings that the Indianapolis Colts will release wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason to free up salary cap space, but it doesn't sound like a foregone conclusion. "Pure hypothetical (
Michael Pittman Jr.) won't be here," general manager Chris Ballard said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday. Pittman did have a career-high seven touchdowns in 17 games in 2025 in his sixth year in the league, but his 784 receiving yards were his fewest since his rookie year in 2020. His 2026 fantasy value will hinge on where he's playing in the upcoming season. If the Colts restructure his contract and also re-sign
Alec Pierce, Pittman will be more of a WR3/flex. The best-case scenario would be staying in Indy and having Pierce leave in free agency. The Colts have a lot of balls up in the air this offseason, but it sounds like they prefer to keep Pittman, if possible.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kevin Bowen
February 24, 2026
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes said that he's "been in touch" with running back
David Montgomery and his agent and that they've had "healthy dialogue," according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN. "Those conversations are still fluid, and we'll just see how it goes," Holmes said during the NFL combine. Releasing the 28-year-old would save the team $3.5 million. Monty's role has shrunk in each of the last two years, and he really saw his involvement evaporate down the stretch in 2025. In 17 games played, the former third-rounder by the Chicago Bears in 2019 out of Iowa State had a career-low 158 carries for a career-low 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He added 24 catches for 192 scoreless yards as a receiver. Montgomery might be more of a distant No. 2 behind
Jahmyr Gibbs in 2026 if he sticks around, but a RB-needy team might be willing to trade for him this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Eric Woodyard
February 24, 2026
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said at the NFL combine on Tuesday that the team "obviously would love" to re-sign Super Bowl MVP running back
Kenneth Walker III instead of letting him get to free agency. However, it will depend on how he fits into the team's plans for the upcoming season. Schneider would not comment on whether the team will use the franchise tag on Walker. Despite winning Super Bowl MVP, the Seahawks are not expected to use the franchise tag on the 25-year-old. Playing into the decision will be the torn ACL that fellow RB
Zach Charbonnet (knee) suffered in the playoffs, but an extension for receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba will likely be the priority. Walker, a former second-rounder, has had trouble staying healthy in the past, but he played in all 17 regular-season games in 2025, rushing for 1,027 yards and five TDs on 221 carries. If Walker makes it to free agency, he'll be one of the top RBs available this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Tacoma News Tribune - Gregg Bell
February 24, 2026
Despite an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to re-sign impending veteran free-agent wide receiver
Mike Evans, according to James Palmer of the NFL Network. "He's earned the right to do this. And he knows we'd love to have him back," general manager Jason Licht said on Evans and him exploring free agency. Evans, 32, is a future Hall of Famer after beginning his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons in Tampa. However, the six-time Pro Bowler is aging and played in a career-low eight games in 2025 due to hamstring and collarbone injuries. At this point in Evans' career, having another shot to win another Super Bowl ring is probably most important, so he'll have to determine if another team is a better fit with a better chance of winning. If he stays with the Bucs, he'll be in a crowded receiving room. Either way, the days of Evans being a lock for 1,000 yards might be over.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - James Palmer
February 24, 2026
San Francisco 49ers five-time All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is scheduled to carry a $39 million salary cap number this year, and he and the team are currently "struggling to find a contractual situation," league sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter adds that if the two sides can't bridge their differences in the contract standoff, the 49ers are expected to release the 37-year-old veteran, which would make him "one of the premier players available" in free agency this offseason. He's entering the final year of the three-year, $82.66 million restructured contract he signed with the Niners in September of 2024. The fourth overall pick by Washington in 2010 out of Oklahoma isn't getting any younger, and injuries have become more of an issue for him in recent years. Williams will still have suitors if he makes it to free agency, but going into his 16th NFL campaign, it's fair to wonder how much longer he can keep up his Pro Bowl form.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 24, 2026
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles said it's "hard to tell" if wide receiver
DJ Moore will be on the team next season or if they will look to trade him, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. The Bears expect to know more over the course of this week as they gauge his trade market at this week's NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Moore, 28, is two years into the four-year, $110 million contract he signed with Chicago in July of 2024. The former 24th overall pick in 2018 out of Maryland had some clutch moments in 2025, but he took a big step back statistically in head coach Ben Johnson's offense, reeling in a career-low 50 passes for a career-worst 682 yards and six touchdowns on 85 targets over 17 regular-season games. The emergence of young receiver
Luther Burden III and tight end
Colston Loveland will make it difficult for Moore to stand out in fantasy every week if he sticks around in 2026, especially with
Rome Odunze also in the mix.
--Keith HernandezSource: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
February 24, 2026
Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort made it sound like the team is interested in a long-term contract extension with wide receiver
Michael Wilson, according to AZCardinals.com. "Michael is about everything we want in our program to be about, and hopefully he is here for a long time," Ossenfort said on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine. Wilson is heading into the final year of the four-year, $5.34 million contract he signed with the team in May of 2023, and he's coming off his best year as a pro. The 26-year-old was a beast down the stretch and finished with career-highs across the board in catches (78), targets (126), receiving yards (1,006), and touchdowns (seven) in 17 games played. He had an 8-52-1 line through the first five games in 2025. Wilson proved last year he's ready to take on a bigger role in the passing game, and his fantasy stock is on the rise. However, questions at QB in Arizona may make things difficult on Wilson as he looks for a second straight 1,000-yard season.
--Keith HernandezSource: AZCardinals.com - Darren Urban
February 24, 2026
Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said that he talked with quarterback
Kyler Murray (foot) since the 2025 season ended, but a source told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss that the two have not talked since the season ended. Murray didn't play last year beyond Week 5 after suffering a foot injury, and his future in Arizona is in question. If Murray is on the active roster on the fifth day of the new league year, he'll be due a guaranteed roster bonus for 2027 of $19.5 million. Ossenfort said on Tuesday that talks about Murray's future with the organization take place "daily." The GM also said that "all options are on the table for us" with Murray. Veteran
Jacoby Brissett remains under contract with the team and played better than Murray when he took over for the injured QB. The most likely scenario is that Arizona trades Murray within the next three weeks.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
February 24, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons continue to be non-commital on quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) being their starter under center in 2026, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "I'm not big on giving out positions in February. I think you guys know how I feel about Michael, and I'm excited about his trajectory. I also know he's focused on his rehab, which is the right thing to do," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. Penix is recovering from a torn left ACL in 2025, so it's understandable for Atlanta's new front office and coaching staff to be non-committal on him going into next season. Penix expects to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season this fall, but the reality is we won't have a better idea of his availability until this summer. The former first-rounder wasn't all that impressive in 2025 before his injury, and he's now rehabbing from his third torn ACL. Penix is determined to heal up and return as the starter, but he'll have to prove it to the team's new brass first. Now might be a perfect time to buy low on Penix in dynasty/keeper leagues, although his injury history dating back to college is worrisome.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Josh Kendall
February 24, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons officially placed the franchise tag on tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr. on Tuesday, according to Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. It's just the fourth time in franchise history that the team has used the franchise tag, with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett the last recipient of the tag in 2019. Officially, the tag is a non-exclusive franchise tag, which means Pitts "is free to negotiate with other teams." It buys the Falcons and new general manager Ian Cunningham a little more time to evaluate what they want for the future of Pitts in Atlanta. The projected franchise tag value for TEs in 2026 is around $16 million. The 25-year-old played on a fifth-year option in 2025 and had one of his best seasons to date, finishing second among tight ends in catches (88) and receiving yards (928), and he tied his career high with five touchdowns. The former fourth overall pick was a top-five fantasy TE, but a repeat could be difficult in 2026 if
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) isn't ready for the start of the regular season.
--Keith HernandezSource: AtlantaFalcons.com - Tori McElhaney
February 24, 2026
The New York Giants are hoping that wide receiver
Malik Nabers (knee) is ready for training camp this summer, according to Paul Schwartz of The New York Post. "I've been texting with him the last couple of days, and he's in a good spot, he feels good, and the plan is hopefully for him to still be ready for training camp," general manager Joe Schoen said when asked about Nabers' rehab. The Giants are going to be cautious with the 22-year-old former first-rounder, but all signs point to him being ready to go for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall, barring a setback. Nabers suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee on Sept. 28 and had surgery in late October. He was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2024, catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games. Nabers' fantasy stock will only continue to rise this offseason if he proves he's healthy this summer. If fully healthy, he'll have a higher ceiling as a WR1 with quarterback
Jaxson Dart taking over the offense going forward.
--Keith HernandezSource: The New York Post - Paul Schwartz
February 24, 2026
Cleveland Browns running back
Quinshon Judkins (ankle) is out of his walking boot and will be "good to go" for training camp this summer, general manager Andrew Berry told Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Judkins will be fully healthy entering his second season in the NFL after having surgery to fix the dislocated right ankle that he suffered in late December. The 22-year-old second-rounder out of Ohio State ran the ball 230 times for 827 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns in 14 starts in his first NFL season in 2025, adding 26 receptions on 36 targets for 171 yards through the air. He took over as the team's lead back pretty early on and should be the RB1 for the Browns in 2026, giving him RB2 value in fantasy drafts this fall. The Browns are expected to devote plenty of resources to improving their offensive line this offseason, which should benefit Judkins as he enters Year 2.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
February 24, 2026
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday that running back
Josh Jacobs will "absolutely" be back in 2026, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "He's a very important cog in what we're trying to do here," Gutekunst said. Jacobs was in the second year of a four-year, $48 million contract in 2025 that he signed in March of 2024. The 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowler took a slight step back in Green Bay in his second season, but he was still very productive, gaining 929 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns on 234 rushing attempts while adding 36 catches for 282 yards and one touchdown through the air in 15 regular-season starts. Unfortunately, the former first-rounder's production tanked near the end of the season at the most inopportune time for fantasy managers, as he played through his knee injury. Jacobs has a lot of tread on his tires, but he's racked up four 1,000-yard seasons in seven years and has double-digit rushing touchdowns four different times, including in each of the last two seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
February 24, 2026
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Tuesday that he still views quarterback
J.J. McCarthy as a franchise signal-caller, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. "A lot of those feelings are still the same. It's just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was [in 2024]," McConnell said. The Vikings drafted the 23-year-old with the 10th overall pick in 2024 out of Michigan with the intentions of him being the team's long-term QB, but it hasn't gone as planned in his first two years in the NFL. McCarthy missed all of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury that required surgery, and he was extremely inconsistent in his first 10 starts in 2025 while missing time with various injuries. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Decision-making and accuracy were a big issue, but durability is the primary concern for Minnesota and fantasy managers who have him rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues. There's still time for McCarthy to develop under O'Connell, one of the best QB gurus in the league, but the Vikes may bring in some competition to push him this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
February 24, 2026
Dallas Cowboys tight end
Jake Ferguson disappointed quite a few fantasy managers at the tail end of the 2025 season despite his career-high 82 receptions on 102 targets for 600 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns across all 17 games. However, looking ahead to 2026, Ferguson remains a low-end TE1 option on a functional offense that managers can pick up in one of the later rounds for good value. Admittedly, Ferguson is not the most consistent tight end, but he did tally eight top-10 tight end finishes in 2025, averaged six targets per game, and had a season-long route participation rate of 73%. He will continue to compete for targets with star wide receivers
CeeDee Lamb and
George Pickens, but Ferguson is quarterback
Dak Prescott's preferred tight end option. Ferguson signed a four-year contract extension before the 2025 season, making him a key piece of the high-powered Cowboys offense through at least 2029, adding to the tight end's dynasty value.
--Matt McCauleySource: ESPN
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