February 9, 2026
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
DeVonta Smith had another solid campaign during the 2025 season, catching 77 passes for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns. This was the lowest touchdown total of his career, but it was encouraging to see him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in the last four years. It's also worth noting that he had more yards and just one fewer catch than teammate
A.J. Brown, indicating the gap between the two may not be as large as it seems. Of course, it's unclear if this duo will be together for long. There were rumors of drama between Brown and the Eagles throughout the year, and we wouldn't be surprised to see trade talks ramp up during the offseason. Trading Brown is far from a guarantee, but even the threat of a depth chart shakeup makes Smith a very intriguing "buy" in dynasty fantasy football leagues. If Smith were to become the top receiver in Philly, he'd have top-12 appeal among wide receivers in 2026 fantasy football drafts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 9, 2026
Cleveland Browns wide receiver
Jerry Jeudy had an underwhelming season despite operating as the No. 1 receiver on the depth chart. Jeudy ultimately caught passes from a mix of quarterbacks, including
Joe Flacco,
Dillon Gabriel, and
Shedeur Sanders. None of those signal-callers played particularly well, and as a result, he was held to just 50 catches, 602 yards, and two touchdowns. These were his lowest marks since 2021, when he only played 10 games. The 26-year-old is a talented receiver, and the fact that he's under contract for two more seasons indicates that he'll remain with Cleveland in 2026. However, he hasn't necessarily put last year's adversity behind him. The Browns' quarterback plans remain uninspiring, and Jeudy will continue to face competition from the likes of
Cedric Tillman and
Harold Fannin Jr. As a result, managers shouldn't count on Jeudy to be a top-36 receiver ahead of 2026 fantasy football drafts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 9, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Troy Franklin took a major step forward during his second season in the NFL. He appeared in all 17 games throughout the 2025 regular season, catching 65 passes for 709 yards and six touchdowns. Despite competing for volume with
Courtland Sutton,
Pat Bryant,
Marvin Mims Jr., and
Evan Engram, Franklin managed to finish the year as the overall WR30 in full-PPR leagues. The Broncos aren't losing any key receivers in free agency, so Franklin won't face any less competition heading into next year. However, having another full season and offseason under his belt should allow him to elevate his game and push for a 1,000-yard season. He'll also benefit from playing another year alongside quarterback
Bo Nix (ankle), who should be healthy by Week 1. Franklin is a top-36 receiver heading into 2026 fantasy football drafts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 9, 2026
New England Patriots wide receiver
Stefon Diggs caught all three of his targets for 37 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl LX loss against the Seattle Seahawks. Diggs produced every time the ball was thrown his way, but he didn't quite live up to his expectations as New England's No. 1 receiver. Although it was a tough game for the Patriots' wide receivers all around,
Mack Hollins and
DeMario Douglas started to produce in the second half, and the two ultimately combined for nine catches, 123 yards, and a touchdown. Diggs had an up-and-down regular season, but it should be chalked up to a success given that he had 85 catches, 1,013 yards, and four touchdowns. The veteran's contract is designed to give the Patriots a potential out this offseason, but if New England chooses to bring him back, he'll remain a top-25 wide receiver in 2026 fantasy football drafts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 9, 2026
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Keion White (ankle) was shot in the ankle during an event in San Francisco on Monday morning, sources told Matt Barrows of The Athletic. White underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to be OK. The 49ers acquired White from the New England Patriots in late October. The 27-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 out of Georgia Tech tallied 12 tackles (five solo), 1.5 sacks, six QB hits, and a fumble recovery in nine regular-season games with the Niners in a rotational role. White might not be ready for the start of offseason workouts because of his ankle surgery, but he should be fully ready to play by training camp this summer. He's heading into the final year of his rookie contract in 2026 and should once again be a rotational defensive lineman for San Fran next season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
February 9, 2026
All signs are pointing toward Cleveland Browns tight end
Harold Fannin Jr. being the team's No. 1 pass-catching tight end again in 2026 after fellow TE
David Njoku announced on Monday that he's not expecting to re-sign with the team in free agency this offseason. Fannin, 21, surprisingly led Cleveland in receiving in 2025 after the team selected him in the third round out of Bowling Green. The 6-foot-4, 241-pounder hauled in 72 of his 107 targets for 731 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games played, which made him the TE5 overall in half-PPR scoring. Fannin did it all despite a less-than-ideal situation at quarterback, too, which makes his rookie campaign even that much more impressive. The Browns' QB picture won't look all that much better going into next year, but Fannin should maintain TE1 value in fantasy as a key piece of the offense in his sophomore season.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
February 9, 2026
Cleveland Browns impending free-agent tight end
David Njoku said on his Instagram account on Monday that "the time for me to find a new home has come," according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Njoku is set to become a free agent on March 12, one day after the new league year begins. The 29-year-old has spent his entire nine-year career in Cleveland and made it known that he'd love to return to the Browns, but it's not in the cards. The former 29th overall pick by the Browns in 2017 out of Miami took a clear back seat to rookie
Harold Fannin Jr. in 2025 and is now expendable. Njoku wasn't a reliable fantasy tight end with the reduced role last season, as he caught 33 passes on 48 targets for 293 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games played. It was one of the worst years of Njoku's career, but a bounce-back could be possibly, depending on where he lands in free agency.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
February 9, 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders officially agreed to an undisclosed five-year deal with new head coach Klint Kubiak on Monday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The Raiders had to wait to officially name Kubiak as their next head coach until after Super Bowl LX. He will get to work quickly after helping lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Kubiak is the fourth head coach for the Raiders in the last four seasons, but they are hoping that he'll bring some stability to the role as the team looks to rebuild. They have the No 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and are fully expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Kubiak will be crucial in the development of Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 9, 2026
Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach and passing-game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant will interview for the defensive-coordinator jobs with the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Pleasant has worked with five different teams (Rams, Washington Commanders, Browns, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers) since starting his NFL coaching career back in 2013, but he has never been a defensive coordinator. The more attractive job is definitely in Cleveland, where the reigning Defensive Player of the Year resides in pass-rusher Myles Garrett. Pleasant was also interviewed for the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive-coordinator position this offseason before they chose Chris O'Leary for the gig. He has spent the last three seasons in L.A. coaching under Sean McVay.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 9, 2026
The Cleveland Browns have requested permission to interview New York Giants assistant coach Charlie Bullen for their defensive-coordinator job, a source told Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Bullen is also in the mix for the defensive-coordinator position with the Arizona Cardinals. He took over as the Giants' interim DC last season when the team fired Shane Bowen, but he was unable to land the full-time DC gig after John Harbaugh took over as the new head coach. Bullen has 13 years of coaching experience in the NFL, but he's never been a defensive coordinator. He got his start as a defensive assistant with the Miami Dolphins in 2012. The Browns are looking for a new DC after Jim Schwartz resigned because he was passed over for the head-coaching opening. Cleveland's defense already has a strong base to work with, including Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Mike Garafolo
February 9, 2026
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler spoke to several people in the NFL who believe that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton will eventually relinquish offensive play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator
Davis Webb. Webb, a former backup quarterback with the Buffalo Bills, has been a fast riser in the coaching ranks and had multiple head-coaching interviews this cycle. The decision will be up to Payton, but nothing has been decided for now. Payton has called plays at a high level for decades, but his decisions came under scrutiny in the AFC Championship game loss to the New England Patriots. Webb took over the OC job in Denver following the firing of Joe Lombardi. Handing over play-calling duties to Webb might be another way for the Broncos to hang onto the coveted coach beyond the 2026 campaign, and they could potentially be grooming him to take over head-coaching duties if Payton decides to retire down the road.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
February 9, 2026
The Chicago Bears promoted passing-game coordinator Press Taylor to offensive coordinator on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Taylor was an offensive coordinator with the Jacksonville Jaguars until 2024 before working with head coach Ben Johnson in Chicago last year. He'll receive the promotion to OC with Declan Doyle leaving to become the new OC with the Baltimore Ravens. During Taylor's time in Jacksonville, quarterback
Trevor Lawrence took a step back, so it's not exactly inspiring news for Bears QB
Caleb Williams as he heads into his third year in the NFL. The good news for Bears fans is that Johnson will almost certainly continue to call the offensive plays in 2026. Taylor got his start as an NFL coach as an offensive quality control coach with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015 before being promoted to assistant QBs coach in 2016 and 2017 and QBs coach in 2018 to 2020. He also worked as a senior offensive assistant with the Colts in 2021.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 9, 2026
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught four of his 10 targets for 27 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. Just a few days after being named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year, Smith-Njigba was held in check by a historic defensive performance from Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. While the young receiver was smothered, this simply redirected more volume to
Cooper Kupp and running back
Kenneth Walker III, who both fueled the victory. Fantasy managers should expect that Smith-Njigba, who had 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season, will continue to get plenty of attention from the NFL's top cornerbacks going forward. He was relatively quiet in a tough matchup on Sunday night, but he should overcome most of those challenging situations in 2026 -- very similar to how he performed during the 2025 regular season. He enters 2026 fantasy drafts as a top-three receiver in all leagues.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 9, 2026
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Cooper Kupp caught six of his 12 targets for 61 yards during Sunday's Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots. Kupp led the Seahawks' receiving corps in all three of those categories, taking those responsibilities from
Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba was smothered by Christian Gonzalez for most of the game, and he also missed a small portion of the game for a concussion check. Kupp has now won two Super Bowls in five years. He got his first ring with the Rams, and now, he gets his second ring at the culmination of his first campaign in Seattle. He finished the regular season with a modest 47 catches for 593 yards and two touchdowns, but he produced when it mattered most under the international spotlight on Sunday night. Kupp should remain in the No. 2 receiver role for next season, but he ranks outside the top 36 receivers ahead of 2026 fantasy football drafts.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 9, 2026
New England Patriots running back
Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 23 yards on seven carries during Sunday's Super Bowl LX loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He also caught all five of his targets for an additional 40 receiving yards. Stevenson struggled rushing the ball, but he remained involved and effective in the passing game as New England prioritized shorter pass attempts over deep shots downfield. This was a familiar trend for Stevenson, who essentially won back the primary ball-carrier role after returning from injury in late November. Even with second-round rookie Tre'Veyon Henderson in the mix, Stevenson tallied 603 rushing yards, 32 catches, 345 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns across 14 contests. He averaged 12.8 full-PPR points per game, finishing the year as the overall RB25. Henderson should get even more involved next season, but Stevenson will still have a sizable role. He enters 2026 fantasy drafts as a mid-to-low RB3/flex option.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
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