February 3, 2026
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back
Bucky Irving had high expectations going into his sophomore season in 2025 after rushing for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns on 207 carries in his rookie campaign in 2024. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit him, and he ended up playing in only 10 games, carrying the ball 173 times for 588 yards (3.4 yards per carry) and just one rushing touchdown. Irving added 30 receptions on 35 targets for 277 yards and three more touchdowns. Fantasy managers who drafted him were extremely disappointed in his overall production. The good news is that Irving should be fully healthy this offseason as he heads into Year 3, and a bigger role could await in Tampa's backfield with
Rachaad White expected to depart in free agency.
Sean Tucker will be involved, but Irving has already proven he has a three-down skill set. At a reduced cost, Irving will be a popular value pick in fantasy football drafts this fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
February 3, 2026
Indianapolis Colts tight end
Tyler Warren didn't disappoint after the Colts took him 14th overall in last year's NFL Draft out of Penn State. The 23-year-old immediately became Indy's No. 1 pass-catching tight end, and he finished his first year in the NFL as the Colts' No. 2 receiver, behind only
Alec Pierce. Warren was the TE6 in half-PPR scoring with 76 receptions on 112 targets for 817 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games played. His 112 targets were third among all TEs, behind only
Trey McBride and
Kyle Pitts Sr. Warren wasn't quite as productive down the stretch for fantasy managers after starting quarterback
Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Still, his overall numbers were impressive, and with Jones expected to return to the Colts, Warren will have true breakout potential as a top-five fantasy TE going into Year 2 in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
February 3, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars impending free-agent linebacker Devin Lloyd said that he would prefer to stay in Jacksonville, but he's had "no talks" about a potential long-term contract extension, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com. The former first-rounder made his first Pro Bowl appearance and was named a second-team All-Pro in a contract year in 2025 after the Jags declined his fifth-year option. The 27-year-old produced five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), seven pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, a fumble recovery, and 81 total tackles (six for loss) in 15 starts in his fourth year in the NFL. Lloyd felt at home in defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile's attack-style defense. The Jags are unlikely to use the franchise tag on Lloyd to keep him around, with the tag for linebackers projected to be $28.2 million. If Lloyd makes it to free agency in March, he'll be one of the top off-ball LBs available.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL.com - Kevin Patra
February 3, 2026
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
George Pickens, who will be an unrestricted free agent in March, said he "would love to" stay with the team after a career year in his first season in Dallas in 2025, according to Tommy Yarrish of NFL.com. Co-owner Stephen Jones reiterated last week that the Cowboys want to keep Pickens in Dallas for 2026 and beyond. However, the team has yet to reach out to Pickens personally to discuss a long-term contract extension. If Dallas cannot reach a long-term extension with the 24-year-old pass-catcher, they could use the franchise tag on him. One way or another, it seems likely that Pickens will be back in Dallas in 2026 after leading the team with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns on 137 targets in 17 games. Pickens quickly showed great chemistry with quarterback
Dak Prescott, and he'll be a WR1 target in fantasy leagues this fall if he remains with the Cowboys.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL.com - Tommy Yarrish
February 3, 2026
Atlanta Falcons president of football
Matt Ryan was non-committal on Tuesday to
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) being the team's starting quarterback in 2026, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Penix suffered a torn left ACL last November and is currently recovering after having surgery. He is expected to be out anywhere from nine to 12 months. The 25-year-old completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions in nine games in 2025 in his first full year as the starter, with the Falcons going 3-6 in his starts. Penix was the eighth overall pick out of Washington in 2024. New head coach Kevin Stefanski has been complimentary of Penix since taking the job, but his health and status as the starter will be a big question mark going into training camp and the start of the 2026 regular season this fall. Penix's fantasy stock is down, and his lengthy injury history -- he's torn his ACL three times -- is a big reason why.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Marc Raimondi
February 3, 2026
New Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken said on Tuesday that he will call the offensive plays in 2026 in his first year as an NFL head coach, according to Camryn Justice of WEWS. Monken also said that it's to be determined if quarterback
Shedeur Sanders will be the team's starter under center. Former Baltimore Ravens run-game coordinator Travis Switzer will serve as the Browns' offensive coordinator, but he won't be in charge of calling plays. Monken coordinated some strong offenses in Baltimore over the last three seasons, but he won't have two-time MVP QB
Lamar Jackson in his move to Cleveland. Sanders,
Dillon Gabriel, and
Deshaun Watson (Achilles) should compete for the starting QB job this summer, but the Browns are also expected to bring in another signal-caller. Monken will definitely have his work cut out for him.
--Keith HernandezSource: WEWS - Camryn Justice
February 3, 2026
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier did not live up to preseason expectations in 2025, throwing for just 1,927 yards, 12 touchdowns, and five interceptions in nine games. However, the redshirt senior was dealing with abdominal and torso injuries that reportedly limited his core strength and mechanics. His 2024 season was far more productive, as the veteran tossed for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions after replacing
Jayden Daniels in Baton Rouge. Once viewed as a potential top-20 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Nussmeier now has a third-round projection. That said, the 2026 rookie quarterback class is lacking depth, as Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Alabama's Ty Simpson appear to be the only first-round locks. Fresh off a Senior Bowl MVP appearance, Nussmeier could be pushed into the second round if he performs well during the pre-draft process. If that happens, he should be expected to see starting playing time at some point in his first few seasons in the NFL. Four of the last five quarterbacks selected in Round 2 (
Tyler Shough,
Will Levis,
Jalen Hurts, and
Drew Lock) have had their shots at the starting role. If Nussmeier falls to Round 3 or 4, his chances to see the field early in his career diminish greatly.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: MockDraftDataBase.com
February 3, 2026
New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien plans to remain with the team after interviewing for the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive-coordinator job, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Tolzien was a top candidate for the Steelers' job, but he will instead remain with head coach Kellen Moore in New Orleans to continue developing quarterback
Tyler Shough. If Shough takes a step forward in Year 2 in 2026 under Tolzien, he'll almost certainly leave for an OC job next cycle. Tolzien sticking around in the Big Easy is great news for Shough, who was taken in the second round in 2025 out of Louisville. The 26-year-old ended up taking over as the starting QB early in the season from
Spencer Rattler, and he went on to appear in 11 games (nine starts), completing 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Shough also ran for 186 yards and three scores on the ground.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
February 3, 2026
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, like former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, was not selected for entry into this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame class, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Kraft bought the team for $172 million in 1994, and the Patriots have appeared in 11 Super Bowls (six wins) since he purchased the team. They have a chance to win their seventh Super Bowl this Sunday versus the Seattle Seahawks, which would give New England the most Lombardi trophies in league history. Kraft has been a centerpiece of the team's 24-year dynasty. He hired Belichick in 1999, and Belichick went on to lead the Patriots to a 266-121 record while winning 17 AFC East titles. Kraft is attempting to become the 17th owner in NFL history to be inducted into the HOF, joining Jerry Jones, Eddie Debartolo Jr., Pat Bowlen, Ralph Wilson, Dan Rooney, and Al Davis.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 3, 2026
The Chicago Bears requested to interview Arizona Cardinals passing-game specialist Connor Senger for their offensive-coordinator position, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Senger called plays in last week's East-West Shrine Bowl and also interviewed for the Buffalo Bills' and Green Bay Packers' quarterbacks coach jobs last weekend. The Bears are looking for a new OC after Declan Doyle left for the same job with the Baltimore Ravens. Senger has been with the Cardinals for the last four seasons and was promoted to passing-game coordinator last year. Before joining Arizona, he coached at the collegiate level. Moving to Chicago for the OC job would be a big promotion for Senger, but head coach Ben Johnson will continue to serve as the Bears' offensive play-caller in 2026. The Cardinals had the seventh-most passing yards per game in 2025 under Senger.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 3, 2026
The New York Giants are hiring former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as their offensive coordinator on Tuesday, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Nagy will work under new head coach John Harbaugh, who previously coached under Andy Reid. Nagy has spent over a decade coaching with Reid in Philadelphia and KC. The Chiefs' offense took a turn for the worse under Nagy the last three years, which is probably why they didn't look to renew his contract after it was up following the 2025 season. Nagy will now head to the Big Apple, where he'll have plenty of intriguing young talent to work with on offense with first-round quarterback
Jaxson Dart, running back
Cam Skattebo, and receiver
Malik Nabers. The 47-year-old has extensive experience in the NFL and also went 34-31 with two playoff appearances as the head coach for the Bears from 2018 to 2021.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 3, 2026
Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. reportedly had a standout week at the 2026 Senior Bowl, and the physical ball carrier could sneak his way into the top five of the upcoming rookie class. Washington spent three years at Buffalo before one season at New Mexico State and one season at Arkansas. In his lone season in the SEC last year, he set career highs in carries (167), rushing yards (1,070), rushing touchdowns (eight), receptions (28), and receiving yards (226). Overall, he tallied 660 touches for 3,384 yards and 29 touchdowns in 51 games across five collegiate seasons. Washington has impressive speed and pass-catching chops at 220-plus pounds, making him an appealing addition to an NFL backfield. If he can continue to perform well during the pre-draft process, he could fetch high enough draft capital to set himself up to be a Day-1 contributor as a pro.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Sports Reference CFB
February 2, 2026
Green Bay Packers running back
Josh Jacobs had 13 rushing touchdowns in 15 regular-season starts, but a knee injury he suffered in Week 11 against the New York Giants hampered him the rest of the way and made him a disappointment when fantasy managers needed him the most. The 27-year-old had 929 rushing yards on 234 carries and added 36 catches for 282 yards and another score on 44 targets. Jacobs didn't have a single 100-yard rushing performance and finished under 1,000 yards for only the third time in his seven-year NFL career. The three-time Pro Bowler was the RB12 in half-PPR scoring, and his 234 carries ranked 16th among all RBs. Jacobs has double-digit rushing touchdowns in four of his seven seasons and will be Green Bay's RB1 again in 2026. The volume should be there if he's healthy, but fantasy managers should target Jacobs as more of an RB2 than an RB1.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
February 2, 2026
Minnesota Vikings running back
Jordan Mason had a career-high 159 rushing attempts for 758 yards (career-low 4.8 yards per carry) and a career-high six rushing touchdowns in 16 games (five starts) in 2025 in his first year with the team. The 26-year-old added a career-best 14 receptions on 16 targets for 51 yards through the air. He'll be under contract with the Vikes again in 2026 after signing a two-year, $10.5 million deal in March of last year. Mason's fantasy ceiling was capped while working in a timeshare with
Aaron Jones, who is also under contract through next season, and he finished as the RB34 in half-PPR scoring while averaging only 7.7 fantasy points per game. In what should be a similar role in 2026, Mason will be an RB3/flex target later in fantasy football drafts as the power back for Minnesota. Those who roster the oft-injured Jones would be wise to handcuff him to Mason.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
February 2, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs tight end
Travis Kelce could hang up his cleats after 13 seasons in the NFL. It's still unclear if he'll return for a 14th campaign with the Chiefs after playing out the two-year, $34.25 million deal he signed with KC in April of 2024. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer was slightly better in 2025 than he was in 2024, but he still finished with fewer than 1,000 yards receiving for the third straight season. Kelce hauled in 76 of his 108 targets for 851 yards and five touchdowns in 17 starts. He became the third TE in history to reach 13,000 receiving yards, and he also had at least 75 catches for the 10th straight season. Kelce clearly is no longer in his prime, but he was still a top-five fantasy TE in half-PPR scoring in a season in which the Chiefs didn't even make the postseason. If Kelce returns to the Chiefs for one more run at it in 2026, he'll still be a top-10 fantasy target at the TE position, albeit one with more injury risk than ever before.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
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