RADIO
Javonte Williams Slated for Every-Down Role
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams is expected to occupy an every-down role once again this season. The Cowboys recently released Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue, leaving them with a backfield of Williams, Malik Davis, and Emari Demercado. Although Davis and Demercado have both been in the league for a while, they've established themself as depth options and won't sniff the lead-back role as long as Williams is healthy. As a result, the 26-year-old has a legitimate chance to replicate (or even improve upon) last year's RB12 finish in PPR leagues, especially with the Cowboys' offense projected to be effective again this year. Last year, Williams had 1,201 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns, shattering his previous career-high rushing yards (903) and rushing touchdowns (four). At the moment, he ranks as the RB12 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for PPR leagues. He has an ADP of 32.9, which corresponds to the third round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 15th running back off the board.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
George Pickens Keeps Pushing His Stock Higher
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens keeps making it harder to write off last year's breakout as a one-season spike. Pickens finished 2025 with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on 137 targets, good for a WR5 finish in PPR, then followed it with one of the loudest camps on the roster. Dallas' own coverage repeatedly highlighted him for making plays downfield and winning in contested situations, and the buzz carried through joint practices and the team's return to Texas. CeeDee Lamb is healthy again and remains one of the league's best receivers, so Pickens is not suddenly walking into a bigger share by default. What has changed is the confidence that last year's production was sustainable. Pickens is still starting opposite Lamb, still tied to Dak Prescott, and Dallas spent the summer talking about how difficult he has been to cover. He enters the season as WR8 in RotoBaller's latest half-PPR rankings. After the camp he just put together, another high-end fantasy season looks well within reach.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Salahdine Parnasse Set For His UFC Debut
Former two-division PFL champion Salahdine Parnasse is scheduled to make his promotional debut against fan-favorite Dan Hooker in the main event of UFC Paris on Saturday. Parnasse was last seen competing in May at MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano, where he extended his win streak by finishing Kenneth Cross via first-round TKO, which was his fifth consecutive win. DraftKings sees Parnasse as a massive favorite with a salary of $9,500.
Source: UFC
Source: UFC
Bucky Irving a Bounce-Back Candidate with Clean Bill of Health
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is primed to bounce back in fantasy football now that he's fully healthy for the 2026 season. Irving missed a whopping seven games in his second pro season last year, which resulted in him falling to RB34 with just 865 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns. For context, he had been the RB13 the year prior. Irving is now fully healthy again, giving him a good chance to push for a top-12 finish in fantasy football at the running back position. There are certainly some other mouths to feed here, but as far as the backfield goes, Irving has pretty clearly solidified himself over Kenny Gainwell and Sean Tucker. In fact, the presence of those two other backs could allow the Bucs to manage Irving's workload. Sure, that might lower his ceiling slightly, but it will also reduce injury risk and increase the chance of him playing all 17 games. As it stands, Irving ranks as the RB19 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 52.7, which corresponds to the fifth round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 22nd running back off the board.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dan Hooker Set For UFC Paris Main Event
Dan Hooker will look to bounce back in the win column when he takes on UFC debutant and former two-division PFL champion Salahdine Parnasse in the main event of UFC Paris on Saturday. Hooker was last seen in the Octagon in February at UFC 325, where he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Benoit Saint Denis. Prior to his loss to Saint Denis, Hooker suffered a second-round submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan. DraftKings sees Hooker as a massive underdog with a salary of $6,700.
Source: UFC
Source: UFC
DJ Moore Set to Bounce Back with New QB and New Role
Buffalo Bills wide receiver DJ Moore is expected to bounce back in fantasy football leagues following a change of scenery this past offseason. A fresh start was necessary for Moore, who fell to WR35 in PPR leagues with 50 catches, 682 yards, and six touchdowns. The Bears' offense was definitely trending up, but there simply weren't enough targets to go around in a system that also featured Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland. On the other hand, Buffalo has very little receiver star power, which means that Moore should step up as the team's No. 1 receiver right away. He'll also benefit from a quarterback upgrade, going from Caleb Williams to Josh Allen. Williams is great, but Allen just plays at a completely different level and should help Moore get back to the top-24 receiver range in fantasy football this year. He currently ranks as RotoBaller's WR25 in the latest redraft rankings. He has an ADP of 53.5, which corresponds to the fifth round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 24th receiver off the board.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Justin Jefferson Expected to Benefit From Improved Quarterback Play
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson is expected to have improved quarterback play this season after Kyler Murray was named the team's Week 1 starter. Jefferson endured a revolving quarterback carousel of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer last year, making it impossible for him to reach his full potential in fantasy football. Prior to last year, the only time Jefferson had finished lower than WR6 in fantasy football was the season he missed seven games. However, that trend changed in 2025 as he was healthy for all 17 games but still fell to WR21. The poor quarterback play resulted in him catching 84 passes for 1,048 yards and just two touchdowns. Murray may not be the long-term answer in Minnesota, but he should at least be an upgrade over last year's quarterbacks while helping Jefferson get back into the top-10 receiver range for fantasy football. As it stands, Jefferson ranks as RotoBaller's WR6 in redraft leagues. He is consistently being drafted at the one/two turn in fantasy leagues, which makes him the sixth receiver off the board.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Axel Sola Set For UFC Paris Co-Main Event
Axel Sola will aim to win back-to-back fights when he takes on Fares Ziam in the co-main event of UFC Paris on Saturday. Sola made his UFC debut in September at UFC Paris, where he defeated Rhys McKee via third-round TKO. Since then, Sola has gone 1-1, losing to Mason Jones via unanimous decision and, more recently, beating Ismael Bonfim via first-round submission. DraftKings sees Sola as the underdog with a salary of $7,600.
Source: UFC
Source: UFC
Nico Collins a Fantasy Riser as Large Target Share Continues to Increase
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins was already viewed as a strong WR1 in fantasy football entering the preseason, but his stock continues to rise now that Jayden Higgins (knee) has been ruled out for the season. Higgins was on the inside track to being the Texans' No. 2 receiver this year, so his season-ending injury creates plenty of vacated targets. Many of those targets will now go to Collins, who was the overall WR8 last year and has been a top-12 fantasy receiver in two of the last three seasons. In 2025, he converted a career-high 120 targets into 71 catches, 1,117 yards, and six touchdowns. The quality of play from quarterback C.J. Stroud will determine Collins' exact fantasy outlook and upside, but for now, we'd expect that the loss of Higgins will boost Collins' fantasy stock. As it stands, he has an ADP of 21.8, which corresponds to the second round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 10th receiver off the board.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Christian McCaffrey Remains an Elite Fantasy Option in 2026
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is aiming to overcome the "400-touch rule" in 2026. McCaffrey was incredible in 2025, totaling 311 carries for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns, and adding 102 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. Despite not being efficient on the ground last season, McCaffrey made up for it with elite receiving production, and he is the main reason fantasy managers should not fade the star this season. Now, fantasy managers are worried about the health of the 30-year-old back after a massive workload last season, but he's never faced a major injury that required a lengthy recovery. The addition of Kaelon Black as the backup running back shouldn't affect McCaffrey's receiving or goal-line workload. If the 49ers star running back stays healthy in 2026, he will be a contender for the RB1 overall.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Fares Ziam Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Fares Ziam will look to get back in the win column when he faces off against Axel Sola in the co-main event of UFC Paris on Saturday. Ziam was last seen in action in June at UFC Vegas 118, where he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Tom Nolan, which snapped his six-fight unbeaten streak. Before then, Ziam had won against Jai Herbert, Claudio Puelles, Matt Frevola, Mike Davis, and Nazim Sadykhov. DraftKings sees Ziam as the favorite with a salary of $8,600.
Source: UFC
Source: UFC
Courtland Sutton Faces Major Target Competition in 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is expected to see less volume as competition increases in 2026. Sutton has spent the last two seasons as Denver's clear WR1, totaling 155 receptions for 2,098 yards and 15 touchdowns in 34 games, averaging just over 11 half-PPR fantasy points per game. However, the trade for speedy wide receiver Jaylen Waddle should limit Sutton's production in 2026. Waddle has been used across the formation and has earned significant praise from the coaching staff and players. The emergence of second-year receiver Pat Bryant could also take targets away, as the 2025 third-round pick had a strong summer. Sutton will be in a primary X-receiver role, and while he'll have his great games, he'll be less consistent than in years past. Ranked as the WR40 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Sutton doesn't offer enough upside despite his recent production.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Nursulton Ruziboev Returns At UFC Paris
Nursulton Ruziboev will look to extend his win streak when he takes on Michael Page on the main card of UFC Paris on Saturday. Ruziboev was last seen in action in June at UFC Baku, where he extended his win streak by finishing Andrey Pulyaev via first-round submission. The 32-year-old Uzbek is 5-1 in the UFC, with a first-round knockout of Brunno Ferreira, a TKO victory over Sedriques Dumas and Eric McConico, and a decision over Dustin Stoltzfus to his name. DraftKings sees Ruziboev as the underdog with a salary of $7,500.
Source: UFC
Source: UFC
Ben Simmons Agrees to One-Year Deal with Kings
Free-agent guard/forward Ben Simmons agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings, his agents told ESPN's Shams Charania and Marc J. Spears. The 2018 Rookie of the Year is back after sitting out all of 2025-26 and last played in 2024-25, when he averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.7 steals in 22.0 minutes across 51 games with Brooklyn and the Clippers. Sacramento had been looking for veteran ball-handling depth behind rookie Darius Acuff Jr., with general manager Scott Perry attending a Florida workout before the deal came together. Simmons still does not offer shooting, so his fantasy case depends on assists, steals, rebounds, and whether he can hold a real second-unit role. Malik Monk is worth tracking if Simmons cuts into backup playmaking reps.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Michael Page Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Michael Page will aim to extend his win streak when he takes on Nursulton Ruziboev on the main card of UFC Paris on Saturday. Page was last seen competing in March at UFC London, where he extended his win streak by defeating Sam Patterson via unanimous decision. Prior to his bout with Patterson, Page defeated former middleweight challenger Jared Cannonier and Shara Magomedov. DraftKings sees Page as the favorite with a salary of $8,700.
Source: UFC
Source: UFC
