RADIO
Demond Claiborne Drawing Rave Reviews from Vikings Camp
Minnesota Vikings "executives, coaches, and teammates quietly raved" about rookie running back Demond Claiborne's movement skills this spring, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. A sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest, Claiborne recorded 2,350 scrimmage yards and 23 touchdowns across his final 24 games for the Demon Deacons. He enters 2026 firmly behind veterans Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason on the team's running back depth chart and may even be behind Zavier Scott for Minnesota's RB3 job. However, neither Jones Sr. nor Mason is under contract with the Vikings beyond 2026. Claiborne profiles as the highest-upside athlete of the Minnesota running backs. If he can prove himself capable of handling the finer points of the running back position, Claiborne could carve out a role in the Vikings' backfield sooner rather than later.
Source: The Athletic - Alec Lewis
Source: The Athletic - Alec Lewis
Darnell Mooney Set for Both Outside and Slot Usage
New York Giants wide receiver Darnell Mooney will be "hugely important as a reliable receiver on the outside and in the slot," according to John Schmeelk of Giants.com. Mooney is entering his first season in New York after an underwhelming 2025 season with the Atlanta Falcons, where he recorded 32 catches for 443 yards and one touchdown across 15 games. However, Mooney was far more productive in 2024, recording 992 receiving yards and five scores across 16 games for Atlanta. The Giants also offer a clear pathway to regular playing time. Star Giants WR1 Malik Nabers' (knee) health status for the start of the season is unknown, leaving Mooney to battle with Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III, Malachi Fields, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Odell Beckham Jr., and Braxton Berrios for wide receiver reps in New York. While Mooney could easily get lost in the shuffle, he could just as easily emerge as the Giants' most reliable pass-catcher, at least until Nabers is healthy.
Source: Giants.com - John Schmeelk
Source: Giants.com - John Schmeelk
Brian Thomas Jr. in Line for Bounce-Back Season with Improved Health?
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated highlights improved health as the biggest reason for optimism that Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. will have a bounce-back year in 2026. After recording 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2024, Thomas Jr. hauled in just 48 catches for 707 yards and two touchdowns on 91 targets across 14 games in 2025. However, the 23-year-old played through early-season wrist and shoulder injuries before missing time later in the year due to a high-ankle sprain. While the Jaguars have other capable pass-catchers in wide receivers Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and Travis Hunter (knee), Thomas Jr. profiles as Jacksonville's highest-upside wideout. If health was truly the largest reason for his struggles in 2025, Thomas Jr. could end up being a bargain selection for fantasy managers at his current redraft ADP of WR35.
Source: Sports Illustrated - John Shipley
Source: Sports Illustrated - John Shipley
Patriots Aiming to Make Christian Gonzalez the Highest-Paid Cornerback in the NFL
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told reporters that the team has offered All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez a contract that would make him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL and the highest-paid player in team history, according to Patriots beat reporter Doug Kyed. The $31 million average annual value of the four-year extension signed by Trent McDuffie following his offseason trade to the Rams currently slots him as the league's highest-paid corner, but reports earlier this week suggested that similar talks are being had in Seattle that could make three-time Pro Bowler Devon Witherspoon the NFL's top-paid defensive back. Of note, Gonzalez and Witherspoon share the same agent, intrinsically linking their two situations and setting up a domino scenario that could drag into training camp but which should ultimately benefit both players.
Source: Doug Kyed
Source: Doug Kyed
Ashton Dulin in Line for Colts' Third Receiver Spot
The Indianapolis Colts operated out of 11 personnel on almost 63% of their offensive snaps in 2025, and with Michael Pittman Jr. no longer on the team, a notable void has been created alongside Alec Pierce (ankle) and Josh Downs in three-receiver sets. While the Colts remain a contender to sign one of the veteran free agents still on the market, Indianapolis radio host Kevin Bowen believes the leading candidate currently in the building is eighth-year pro Ashton Dulin. Dulin has spent his entire career with the Colts but never earned more than 22 targets in a season, with that coming back in 2021. Used primarily as a field-stretching threat, he has caught only seven total passes since Shane Steichen took over as head coach, but with Pierce expected to see a more well-rounded role in 2026, some of the deep shots that have defined his route tree in recent seasons could find their way to Dulin. The 29-year-old veteran is not ranked among RotoBaller's top 300 players for 2026, but he is an intriguing enough player to pay attention to when the Colts reconvene for training camp on Tuesday.
Source: Kevin Bowen
Source: Kevin Bowen
Could Anthony Richardson Sr. Become a Training Camp Trade Target?
With Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones working his way back from the Achilles injury that ended his 2025 season, 2023 third overall pick Anthony Richardson Sr. split starter's reps with second-year player Riley Leonard throughout OTAs and minicamp, and Indianapolis radio host Kevin Bowen believes their battle could carry into training camp, but he points out an interesting contract detail that could help to settle the competition. Richardson has a roster bonus of $4.24 million owed on the third day of training camp, and Bowen wonders if, once that bonus is paid, he might become a more attractive trade candidate, with any new suitor then on the hook for just over $1 million. Richardson reportedly requested a trade in February, with the team allowing him to seek out a new home, so the situation bears monitoring once Colts training camp kicks off in full on July 29.
Source: Kevin Bowen
Source: Kevin Bowen
Brandon Aubrey Still the Top Fantasy Kicker to Target
When Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey signed a four-year, $28 million extension this offseason to make him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history, it secured his spot at the top of the fantasy kicker rankings for the foreseeable future. A former soccer player, Aubrey has changed the way the Cowboys can operate offensively with his near-rangeless ability to connect from deep, particularly when playing in the domed confines of AT&T Stadium. Aubrey connected on 36 of his 42 field goal attempts and all but one of his 48 extra point tries, but what makes the three-time Pro Bowler particularly valuable for fantasy has been his historic success from deep, adding 11 more 50+ yard makes in 2025. Aubrey is RotoBaller's K1 for 2026 and will undoubtedly be selected before the final round of drafts in many leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cade Klubnik Could Earn Backup Job as a Rookie
The New York Jets spent a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnick, and ESPN's Jets reporter Rich Cimini believes he will earn the primary backup job as a rookie. In a pre-training camp 53-man roster projection, Cimini sees New York keeping only two quarterbacks to start the year, with Klubnik edging out Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe for the remaining spot behind 13th-year veteran Geno Smith. Smith is coming off a forgettable 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, and should his struggles follow him to the Jets, the opportunity could arise for New York's backup to see meaningful action by the end of the season. Klubnik is RotoBaller's dynasty QB46, but any playing time as a rookie would almost certainly improve his stock, making him an intriguing target in the later rounds of dynasty startups.
Source: Rich Cimini
Source: Rich Cimini
Samaje Perine an Underrated Insurance Back in 2026
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine will turn 31 years old in September, but he has shown few signs of slowing down. In his return to the Bengals in 2025, he carried the ball 84 times, his most attempts since 2022, and while maintaining a 4.5-yard per carry average, he scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns. Fourth-year player Chase Brown has developed into a true bell cow back, averaging more than 19.6 opportunities per game across his last 30 outings, making Perine's insurance role behind him a potentially important one for fantasy. Rounding out the Bengals' backfield is 2025 sixth-round pick Tahj Brooks, and there's an expectation that should Brown miss time, the second-year player could help to lighten the load rather than turning full control over to Perine. Still, the 10th-year veteran remains an underrated handcuff option and one that would undoubtedly garner attention on the waiver wire in the unfortunate event of injury.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Teammates Excited to Play with Jeremiyah Love
The Arizona Cardinals spent the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on running back Jeremiyah Love, and the team's starting left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is excited to see what he can do to open up the Cardinals' offense. In an interview with Omar Ruiz following the first practice of training camp, Johnson spoke highly of the running back room as a whole but paid particular attention to the electric rookie, telling Ruiz, "Being able to hand the ball to any of those guys, you know what they can do... Especially with Love. I'm excited to see him in his first year. You know everyone's excited to see what he does in the preseason, including myself." Arizona ran the ball at the league's lowest rate in 2025, but with a revamped running back room that also includes free agent acquisition Tyler Allgeier, first-year head coach Mike LaFleur should bring a more balanced approach into 2026, and Love is RotoBaller's RB13.
Source: Omar Ruiz
Source: Omar Ruiz
Kaelon Black Set to Compete for One of Fantasy's Most Important Insurance Roles
The backup running back job in San Francisco is up for grabs, and a player who will have a chance to claim it when the 49ers take to the field for their first practice of training camp is third-round rookie Kaelon Black. With four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey leading the NFL with 413 touches in 2025, Brian Robinson Jr. was limited to only 92 carries in his lone season with the team, but the latter's departure in free agency has opened up an important insurance role. Black will need to overtake 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James, who did not record a single offensive statistic as a rookie, but who was reported to have an edge during the non-padded practices of OTAs and minicamp. With McCaffrey now 30 years old and coming off the heaviest workload of his nine-year career, the insurance role behind him could prove to be incredibly important for fantasy, making Black's battle for the job one of the more intriguing training camp stories to monitor out of San Francisco.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Isaac Guerendo Could Be Cut Ahead of 2026 Season
After scoring four touchdowns and racking up 420 yards on a 5.0-yard-per-carry clip as a 2024 rookie, San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo did not see the field for a single offensive snap in 2025, and beat writer Eric Branch believes his time in San Francisco could be over. In a posting of 25 pre-training camp predictions, Branch has Guerendo left off the 49ers' initial 53-man roster, which would put third-round rookie Kaelon Black and 2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James in position to compete for the valuable insurance role behind 30-year-old bell cow Christian McCaffrey. An older prospect coming into the league, Guerendo is already 26 years old, and should he be forced to find a new home ahead of the 2026 season, any remaining sliver of hope still held by dynasty managers would almost certainly be dashed.
Source: Eric Branch
Source: Eric Branch
Sione Vaki Competing for the RB2 Role in Detroit?
Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki is a "natural pass-catcher," and "the opportunity is there" for him to cut into presumed Lions RB2 Isiah Pacheco's touches, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. A fourth-round pick in 2024, Vaki has mostly played special teams through his first two professional seasons and has just seven career NFL carries. The Lions still have star running back Jahmyr Gibbs firmly atop their running back depth chart, but the team replaced veteran RB2 David Montgomery with Pacheco over the offseason. Pacheco has significantly more experience than Vaki, but he's averaged just 3.8 yards per carry on over 200 attempts since the start of the 2024 season. If Vaki can prove himself with a strong performance in training camp and the preseason, he could potentially threaten Pacheco's status as the Lions' clear backup running back. In deeper dynasty leagues, Vaki could be worth stashing just in case he emerges as the handcuff option in Detroit should Gibbs get injured.
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Rasheen Ali on the Roster Bubble in Baltimore
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic lists Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali as one of the players on the team's roster bubble entering training camp. A fifth-round pick by Baltimore in the 2024 NFL Draft, Ali has logged 26 touches across 21 games over the first two years of his professional career. With Derrick Henry and Justice Hill both firmly ahead of him on the Ravens' running back depth chart, Ali would likely continue to play a limited role on offense if he remains in Baltimore in 2026. However, Ali's uncertain roster status may speak volumes about Baltimore's faith in 2026 fifth-round pick Adam Randall. With Henry entering his age-32 season and Hill set to hit free agency next spring, it would make sense for the Ravens to be taking a long look at their young running backs. If Baltimore decides to let Ali go before the start of the season, it could be an indication of the team's faith in Randall.
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
Will Howard Battling for the QB2 Job in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks Will Howard and Mason Rudolph could be battling for the "QB2 job and, potentially, a spot on the 53-man roster" in training camp, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. A sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Howard battled injury as a rookie and did not see any game action in his first professional season. Aaron Rodgers remains atop the Steelers' depth chart for 2026, leaving Howard unlikely to play a fantasy-relevant role as long as Rodgers remains healthy. The Steelers also drafted quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, leading to speculation that Howard's place on the Pittsburgh roster could be in major jeopardy. While Howard may still end up off the Steelers roster, it appears that he may have a legitimate chance to beat out both Allar and Rudolph for the team's backup job entering 2026. Rudolph has 34 games (19 starts) of NFL experience under his belt, but Howard may be the higher-upside option. In deeper fantasy leagues, Howard could still be worth stashing in case he establishes himself during the preseason.
Source: The Athletic - Mike DeFabo
Source: The Athletic - Mike DeFabo
