March 16, 2026

Even after finishing 10th in the 2024 MVP vote while leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-win season, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold had his doubters heading into 2025. The 28-year-old signed with the Seattle Seahawks and quieted the critics in his first season in Seattle, completing 67.7% of his pass attempts for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions while leading the Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl LX. Seattle's dominant defense kept the team in run-heavy game scripts, but Darnold averaged an incredibly efficient 8.5 yards per pass attempt when allowed to let it loose. Darnold has recorded double-digit interceptions in every season where he's started at least 11 games, so turnovers will likely always be a part of his profile. Still, he's proven himself to be a capable NFL starter who can thrive in the right environment. While Seattle lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak over the offseason, the team still has a strong infrastructure around Darnold that includes superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Darnold profiles as a solid fantasy QB2 in dynasty formats heading into 2026 and beyond.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

March 16, 2026

Across 17 games in 2025, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy recorded just 50 receptions for 602 yards and two touchdowns on 106 targets. With a catch rate of under 50%, Jeudy was one of the least efficient high-target wideouts in the NFL. His struggles were not entirely his fault, as Cleveland rotated through a cast of underwhelming starting quarterbacks in Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. Still, Jeudy's 2025 production was a stark decline from his Pro-Bowl 2024 output, when he hauled in 90 receptions for over 1,200 yards. Heading into 2026, there's no guarantee that the quarterback situation in Cleveland will be improved. Barring a draft-day addition, Sanders and Gabriel appear poised to compete for the starting job in training camp. On a more positive note, Jeudy should not face much internal competition for targets outside of young tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Still, Jeudy's dynasty value is trending in the wrong direction after his disappointing 2025.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

March 16, 2026

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (ankle) said on the Rich Eisen Show last week that he probably has "a little over a month left" until he's "fully back to 100%." Skattebo added that he ran at around 75% intensity for the first time last week. The 24-year-old said he's doing a little more than a jog while striding out, and he also fully expects to be ready to roll for training camp this summer after suffering a gruesome right-ankle injury in late October that ended what had been a promising rookie season in 2025. Injury aside, Skattebo said new head coach John Harbaugh's offense fits his skill set as an RB perfectly, so the Arizona State alum has high hopes for his second year in the NFL and beyond. There have been rumors circulating that the Giants want to add a high-profile RB in either free agency or the draft, signaling that they might be worried about Skattebo's long-term durability. Skattebo averaged 4.1 yards per carry and had 410 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries in his first eight NFL games before his injury. His 2026 fantasy value will depend on what the Giants do in the draft at the position, but right now, he sits atop the depth chart.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Rich Eisen Show

March 16, 2026

Free-agent running back Jeremy McNichols is re-signing with the Washington Nationals on an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Washington's current backfield includes McNichols, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, and Jerome Ford. In his second year with Washington in 2025, McNichols saw 44 carries for 221 yards and one rushing touchdown in 17 games (one start), adding 25 receptions on 31 targets for 196 yards through the air. The 30-year-old veteran was also a key special teams contributor in addition to his depth role in the Commanders' backfield. The offseason additions of both White and Ford, who are both capable pass-catchers, is bad news for McNichols as he heads into his third year in D.C. At best, the former fifth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 out of Boise State will be a deep-league stash at RB. McNichols had a career-high 261 rushing yards and four touchdowns for the Commanders in his first year with the team in 2024.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

March 16, 2026

The Kansas City Chiefs are acquiring quarterback Justin Fields from the New York Jets on Monday in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2027, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Other teams were interested in trading for Fields, but his preference was to go to Kansas City, where he'll be the backup for Patrick Mahomes (knee). Fields also dealt with a knee issue late last year, but he should be fully ready for offseason workouts and training camp this summer. If Mahomes were somehow not ready for the start of the 2026 regular season this fall while recovering from his torn ACL, Fields could be named the starter early on for KC. The 27-year-old former first-rounder has excellent rushing abilities, but he just hasn't progressed enough as a passer to take the next step in the NFL. Fields threw for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception last year in nine games for the Jets before being benched for veteran Tyrod Taylor. Landing with head coach Andy Reid in KC is an ideal landing spot for Fields, but he'll only see the field if Mahomes is injured.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero

March 16, 2026

Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has officially taken over as the team's No. 1 tight end ahead of the 2026 season. This was inevitable with David Njoku essentially vowing he'd depart this offseason, but now that free agency has started, it's official. There are no signs of Njoku wanting to come back, and the Browns haven't brought in any significant players to replace him. As a result, Fannin is entrenched atop the depth chart after a spectacular rookie season. In his first taste of NFL action in 2025, he caught 72 of 107 targets for 731 yards and six touchdowns, ranking as the overall TE6 in full-PPR leagues. He managed to put together a very productive season despite facing competition from Njoku and catching passes from an uninspiring quarterback room. Now that he has proven that he can produce amid adversity, he'll have an even more favorable outlook as the Browns' clear-cut No. 1 tight end. Plus, quarterback Shedeur Sanders should play at least a little better in his second pro season, giving Fannin increased stability week over week. The buy-low window on Fannin has closed in dynasty leagues, but given that he's just 21 years old, managers can still consider trading for him at full price. He appears to have a long, successful career ahead of him, full of rich fantasy upside.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

March 16, 2026

Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin enjoyed a second-year breakout in 2025, but he's not stopping there. The 23-year-old Oregon product continues to trend upward, and he should have an even larger role in the Broncos' offense next season. As Denver continues to demonstrate the strengths of its offense, we expect that not only will Franklin see a consistently large dose of targets, but those targets will be valuable. In other words, he'll have the opportunity to make plays downfield and score touchdowns in this high-powered offense, rather than settle for lower-value receptions. For a better understanding of Franklin's floor, we can look at his 104 targets, 65 catches, 709 yards, and six touchdowns from 2025. He was the WR31 in PPR leagues, and there were several occasions where he out-produced Courtland Sutton. With Sutton getting older, we could see the Broncos make an effort to redistribute some of the veteran's workload to Franklin in 2026. That would bode well for his outlook in both redraft and dynasty leagues, ranking as a top-30 receiver option in both formats.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

March 16, 2026

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brenton Strange continues to rise in the latest dynasty fantasy football rankings. Between his own talent and the Jaguars' impressive offense, Strange has the potential to be a heavily-targeted option in the passing game with plenty of yards and touchdowns coming his way. We saw a glimpse of that in 2025, as he averaged 3.8 catches and 45 yards per game. However, he also missed five weeks due to injury, limiting his ceiling over the course of the season. He finished as the overall TE23, which is probably his floor in 2026. On the other hand, he has top-12 upside while catching passes from Trevor Lawrence, especially given how highly the Jaguars think of him. This past weekend, John Shipley of Jaguars On SI reported that the Jaguars believe Strange could be the most underrated tight end in football and "know just how important he is to everything they do." That's an encouraging sign that he'll get even more involved next year. These comments from Shipley were followed by a report that the Jaguars might look to draft a tight end to pair with Strange. That sounds concerning at first, but we don't think dynasty managers should panic. Strange remains the No. 1 tight end in Jacksonville, and the Jaguars don't have the 2026 draft capital to select someone who would immediately steal a big portion of his volume. As it stands, Strange is a top-18 fantasy tight end for 2026, and he has clear top-10 upside.--Andersen Pickard
Source: John Shipley

March 16, 2026

The Philadelphia Eagles will revisit trade scenarios involving wide receiver A.J. Brown in June, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Brown remains an Eagle at this point, but Rapoport explains that "there has been momentum at various times" in trade talks. Rapoport's reporting provided some new insight into an ongoing saga that seemingly has no end in sight. Specifically, he reported that there were originally believed to be four serious landing spots for Brown, with the Rams and Patriots leading the pack. The Rams have lost interest, but the Patriots reportedly continue to check in and remain intrigued by the possibility of acquiring the superstar receiver. As has already been reported, Rapoport also explained that the Eagles would prefer to wait until June 1 to trade Brown. If they were to trade him now, an amount of $40 million would be accelerated to count against the cap. If they wait until June 1, that number halves to $20 million. As a result, fantasy managers will have to be patient because these trade rumors will continue to swirl for another two-plus months.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Ian Rapoport

March 16, 2026

New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is currently second on the team's projected depth chart, giving him some low-end fantasy appeal for the 2026 season. While Boutte finished the 2025 regular season second on the depth chart, too, he has seen his value increase a little because of the Patriots' specific wide receiver moves. Most notably, New England released Stefon Diggs and replaced him with Romeo Doubs. Doubs isn't quite as flashy a player as the veteran, nor does he fetch as many targets, so not all of Diggs' vacated targets have been accounted for yet. Some of those should go to Boutte, giving him the potential to surpass his career-high mark of 43 receptions next year. Because there's a real path to more volume and production from Boutte, he's an intriguing and affordable dynasty buy this offseason. However, dynasty managers should also acknowledge that the Patriots have been heavily in the mix for an A.J. Brown trade. If Brown were to arrive in New England, he'd immediately steal tons of targets from Boutte, dropping him back down to third on the depth chart. This is an evolving situation, and managers might want to hold off on putting together trade offers for Boutte until we get more clarity on the Brown sweepstakes.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

March 16, 2026

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is a typical sell-high candidate in dynasty fantasy football leagues this offseason. Dynasty strategy strongly encourages managers to sell high on injury-prone skill players in their thirties coming off a top finish. However, moving McCaffrey at this point is far easier said than done, mostly because he's not comparable to any other running back in the NFL. Sure, he'll be 30 by the time the 2026 regular season gets underway, and yes, he missed 13 games in 2024. However, he was healthy for all 17 in 2025, he eclipsed 2,100 yards, and he finished as the clear-cut RB1 in fantasy scoring. Managers are encouraged to explore trade offers for McCaffrey, but they shouldn't sell high just for the sake of getting some compensation before it's too late in his career. Trading McCaffrey should still fetch a very significant, full-price package in dynasty leagues, because the 49ers' running back has overall RB1 upside again in 2026, and he should remain a top-10 option for at least a couple more years. Plus, the 49ers have shown no willingness to reduce his workload. They barely used backup Brian Robinson Jr. last season, and they have not yet brought in a replacement for Robinson in free agency.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

March 15, 2026

Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers was previously mentioned as a candidate to start Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, but those plans have changed after the team signed Malik Willis in free agency. The Dolphins underwent sweeping changes this offseason, replacing head coach Mike McDaniel with Jeff Hafley, releasing Tua Tagoaviloa, and signing Willis. The new coaching staff and front office regime -- which has plenty of ties to Green Bay -- signed Willis away from the Packers and will roll him out as their starter in 2026. That returns Ewers to the backup role after his brief stint as a starter during his rookie campaign in 2025. Across three substantial appearances from Week 16 through 18, he completed 66.7% of his passes for 569 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Miami can feel some relief that it has a former top college prospect as its backup, but we don't anticipate that Ewers would offer much fantasy appeal if he ends up being forced into action during the 2026 season. It also seems unlikely that Ewers would ever completely beat out Willis for the starting job after Miami made a $67.5 million commitment to the latter.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

March 15, 2026

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks has ascended into the No. 2 role on the depth chart ahead of the 2026 NFL season. The offseason is still young, and we certainly can't rule out the Packers adding another impact running back via the draft or free agency. However, as it stands, the 26-year-old Brooks is set to back up Josh Jacobs after the team saw Emanuel Wilson depart for the Seattle Seahawks. Originally a Miami Dolphin, Brooks spent the last two years in a depth role with Green Bay. He started to generate some buzz in 2025 as the Packers' backfield dealt with injuries, resulting in him finishing the year with 106 rushing yards, 13 catches, and 91 receiving yards. He didn't have a huge role by any means, but he did finish the regular season on a positive note with 13 carries for 61 yards in Week 18. Given that Jacobs is 28 years old and played through a lingering knee injury last year, it's not a bad idea for Jacobs' dynasty managers to trade a late-round pick for his handcuff, which, at the moment, would be Brooks.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

March 15, 2026

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller was once viewed as a high-upside investment in fantasy football, but his value now continues to decline ahead of the 2026 season. Through the first few years of his career in New Orleans, Miller was held in check by injuries, coaching staff decisions, and the stardom of Alvin Kamara. To this point, he has never played more than eight games in a season. Finally, just as Kamara's career was starting to slow down and the Saints brought in a new coaching staff, it looked like things might be trending up for Miller. At first, they were; he had 65 yards and a touchdown against the Bills in Week 4 of the 2025 season. However, his upside came crashing down as he tore his ACL in Week 7 and was ruled out for the rest of the year. Now fighting his way back from injury once again, Miller faces a new challenge. The Saints made an enormous running back splash in free agency, signing Travis Etienne Jr. to a multi-year deal. The move signals that Etienne will be the clear lead back in New Orleans going forward, with Devin Neal stepping into the No. 2 ball-carrier role -- and that assumes that Kamara's time with the Saints is done. He's still under contract, so there's the potential for the Saints to carry Etienne, Kamara, and Neal into gameday, which could make Miller a healthy scratch. Regardless of whether he ends up as the third or fourth back in New Orleans next year, the bottom line is that Miller continues to trend in the wrong direction in fantasy football, especially as he still works through the components of his ACL recovery. He's droppable in many shallow and mid-depth dynasty formats.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

March 15, 2026

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith may not take as big a leap as initially anticipated in 2026. The Chiefs recently signed running back Kenneth Walker III to a three-year, $43 million deal, locking him in as their primary ball-carrier through 2028. That move seems to put a damper on Smith's upside after it initially seemed like he could be headed for a larger role. Smith patiently waited his turn behind Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, who both struggled in 2025. Meanwhile, Smith showed plenty of upside and the potential for a second-year breakout, finishing off the regular season with 12 carries for 56 yards (plus two catches on four targets) in Week 18. While the Chiefs did shake up their backfield by letting Isiah Pacheco (and likely Kareem Hunt) depart in free agency, they also signed Emari Demercado along with Walker, which means that Smith will likely open next season as the team's No. 3 running back once again. His path to carving out meaningful fantasy value in 2026 just got much more challenging, but managers should remain patient and hold him in dynasty leagues for now.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller