RADIO
Parker Washington Expected to Retain Punt-Return Duties
John Shipley of Sports Illustrated writes that it "feels like" Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington will continue to return punts in 2026, even though he's set to play a larger role in the offense after a breakout 2025 campaign. The Jaguars have "gone above and beyond to praise" Washington's return ability this offseason. "I love Parker back there. I think we'll just try and have to see how that plays out with the roster and how that looks come Week 1. And it may be changing throughout the season. There may be games when we need a big play, and he's back there, and there's other times when we'll provide a big play from somebody else," special teams coach Heath Farwell said. The 24-year-old former sixth-rounder in 2023 out of Penn State broke out with 58 catches (95 targets) for 847 yards and five touchdowns in 16 regular-season games last year, adding seven catches for 107 yards and another score in the team's playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. Even though Jacksonville's WR corps is stacked with Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Travis Hunter, Washington is a fantasy target on the rise as a WR3/flex option going into the 2026 campaign.
Source: Sports Illustrated - John Shipley
Source: Sports Illustrated - John Shipley
Eric Brown Jr. Promoted to Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Milwaukee Brewers prospect Eric Brown Jr. received his promotion from Double-A Biloxi to Triple-A Nashville. In 54 games and 178 at bats with Biloxi this season, Brown Jr. hit five homers and drove in 27 runs with 26 runs scored, all while hitting .212. Brown Jr., a former first round pick out of Coastal Carolina, will receive his first taste of Triple-A in his age 25 season. Drafted back in 2002, Brown Jr. does not appear on the Brewers' current top prospects list, so he will need to make the most of his Triple-A opportunity to prove that he is big league ready and able to contribute to a loaded Brewers organization. Brown Jr. is listed as a shortstop, a position in which the Brewers are loaded with the likes of top prospect Jesus Made as well as Cooper Pratt and Jett Williams. The promotion to Triple-A is a good sign for Brown Jr. in his development but he still has a lot of work to do to prove he is big-league ready and ready to produce for fantasy.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Chuba Hubbard a Low-Upside Pick in the Middle Rounds of 2026 Drafts
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has proven fully capable of handling lead back responsibilities, but without any special elements to his profile, he has no guarantees of holding onto the role once challenged for it. In an injury-plagued 2025 season, he was overtaken on the depth chart by Rico Dowdle, and now with Dowdle out the door in free agency, he'll face competition from 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. A series of serious knee injuries have limited Brooks to only nine total carries in his professional career, but he comes into year three as healthy as he's been since the start of his final collegiate season, and he represents the much higher ceiling out of the Panthers backfield. Hubbard and Brooks are going within four running back spots of one another by current ADP, and while Hubbard will likely see the opportunity to begin the season in a starting role, his grasp on the job should be considered tentative. As RotoBaller's RB28, the sixth-year veteran has fallen to an area of drafts where fantasy managers would be better suited taking higher-upside swings, and coincidentally, one such candidate can be found in Hubbard's own running back room.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Corey Seager Could Take Live Batting Practice This Weekend
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (back) has continued his hitting progression with machine work in the batting cage and has also continued to take ground balls and run the bases. He could potentially start taking live batting practice on Saturday or Sunday, according to MLB.com. Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 1 with back discomfort, and his expected return is to be determined. Ezequiel Duran should continue to fill in at the 6 for as long as Seager remains out. It's been an injury-plagued and extremely disappointing 2026 campaign for Seager, a five-time All-Star and two-time World Series MVP. The 32-year-old veteran has played in only 51 games this year and is hitting .182/.292/.374 with a career-worst .667 OPS, 10 home runs, 25 RBI, 28 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 219 plate appearances. Fantasy managers definitely should not expect Seager to return until August at this point, and when he does, he could be rested often to prevent another injury down the stretch as Texas looks to get into the postseason.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Arjun Nimmala Producing in Injury Interrupted Season
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala has dealt with a right-hamstring strain this season, but he has been able to produce in limited at-bats across four levels of the minors. Back with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Nimmala has racked up three homers and five RBI in just seven games. The 20-year-old shortstop has been hot since rejoining New Hampshire and has found some of his 60-grade power. The Blue Jays' No. 2 overall prospect still has some development to do in the minors before he becomes fantasy relevant, but if he continues to produce at Double-A, he could be looking at a Triple-A promotion before the end of the year. More of a dynasty league play at this point, it is worth tracking Nimmala's development because he has major potential to be an eventual producer at the big league level and thus a fantasy contributor.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Kimani Vidal an Underrated Insurance Running Back
While excitement continues to build around the Los Angeles Chargers' offense, an often overlooked player has become third-year running back Kimani Vidal. Omarion Hampton flashed enough in an injury-shortened rookie season to show why he was a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Keaton Mitchell's game-breaking speed makes his fit in a Mike McDaniel offense easy to envision, but it was Vidal who led the team in carries and rushing yards a season ago, and he could still serve an important role moving forward. While Mitchell has more standalone fantasy value as the likely change-of-pace back, he is ill-equipped to handle a full workload should Hampton miss time again in his second season, making Vidal more of the true handcuff in this offense. At RotoBaller's RB74, he is not a player who needs to be targeted in fantasy drafts, but Vidal should still be viewed as one of the league's more valuable insurance backs, especially with the Chargers expected to field a much healthier offensive line in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Joe Mixon Tells Former Teammates His Career is Over
Free-agent running back Joe Mixon's (ankle, foot) NFL career has come to an end, according to Texans beat reporter Aaron Wilson. With teams around the league reconvening for the start of training camps, some of the still-unsigned veteran free agents could soon be presented with opportunities to find a new home, but Mixon has reportedly informed former teammates that he has taken his last professional snap. After a successful first season with the Texans, Mixon sustained a curious foot injury during the 2025 offseason that sidelined him for the entire season and led to his release in March. Very few details have since emerged about the ailment that was first speculated to be related to the ankle injury that caused him to miss time in 2024 but was officially designated a non-football injury. Thursday's report brings closure to what has been one of the stranger stories in the NFL over the past year-plus.
Source: Aaron Wilson
Source: Aaron Wilson
Mike Sirota Producing Consistently in the Minors
Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Mike Sirota has split time between High-A and Double-A this season and hasn't stopped hitting all year. Between the two levels, Sirota is hitting .324 with 14 homers and 54 RBI to go with 77 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. Sirota, the No. 2 prospect in the Dodgers system, is graded out with a 55 hit tool, 55 power, and a 60 run tool, and was acquired in the trade that sent Gavin Lux to the Reds. He was a third-round pick originally by the Reds. The right-handed hitting outfielder didn't miss a beat since joining Double-A Tulsa, as his numbers are very similar to the High-A Great Lakes Loons. He has seven homers at each level, and his batting average is basically the same, dropping from .325 to .324. The consistency as he advances through the minors is a very good sign for his overall ability and shows he should be able to produce once he gets to Triple-A and then the majors. His high prospect grade and overall ability should make him a good fantasy name, but that time in the big leagues might not come until 2027.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Brian Robinson Jr. Could Hold Standalone Value in Addition to Insurance Upside
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson Jr. failed to reach 100 carries for the first time in his career in his lone season with the 49ers in 2025. With injuries hitting the team hard, four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey was one of the few players to stay healthy wire-to-wire, limiting Robinson's opportunities in what has long been viewed as one of fantasy's most valuable insurance roles. In signing a one-year deal with the Falcons, Robinson again finds himself as a high-value handcuff, this time to two-time Pro Bowler Bijan Robinson, who has not missed a start through his first three seasons in the league. While the incumbent Robinson has seen heavier usage year after year, there has still been enough remaining opportunity for his primary backup to see some standalone fantasy value, with Tyler Allgeier averaging 117.9 fantasy points across their three seasons together. A new coaching staff in Atlanta could ultimately prove to make any past workload splits moot, but as RotoBaller's RB46, Robinson Jr. is projected to have some flex appeal in 2026 with obvious week-winning upside should an unfortunate injury force him to take on a larger role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ray Davis Carries Little Standalone Value into 2026
Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis saw his usage cut nearly in half in his second season, but in bumping his per-carry average up to 4.7 yards per attempt, he showed enough growth to suggest he could keep the Bills' running game on track should he ever need to handle an expanded role. Three-time Pro Bowler James Cook has missed only two games in his four-year career and has developed into one of the league's true bell cow backs, handling a career-high 349 opportunities in 2026. Providing very little in the passing game, Davis has almost no bankable standalone value, with veteran Ty Johnson likely to hold onto the primary change-of-pace role and making the third-year back reliant upon an injury to see fantasy viability in 2026. At RotoBaller's RB59, Davis is not necessarily a player who needs to factor into draft plans, but he would become an obvious waiver priority should the situation ahead of him change.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Travis Kelce Has Become One of Fantasy's Biggest Sleepers in 2026
While long gone are the league-winning days of a sustained fantasy peak as high as the tight end position has ever seen, veteran Travis Kelce remains an important piece of the Kansas City Chiefs' offense, and he has become an overlooked value in the late rounds of 2026 drafts. Across three down years by his own lofty standards, Kelce has finished as the TE3, the TE6, and the TE3 since 2023, topping 75 catches and 800 receiving yards in all three seasons. The Chiefs are anticipating a return to form from wide receiver Rashee Rice after he's missed 22 games over the past two seasons due to injury and suspension. Still, the core of Kansas City's pass catchers remains relatively unchanged, and Kelce should continue to serve as one of Patrick Mahomes II's most trusted outlets as the two-time MVP regains confidence in his surgically repaired left knee. With a recent inflow of talented young players at the position, Kelce is no longer a threat to claim the top spot for fantasy, but as RotoBaller's TE12, he's a safe bet to outperform ADP expectations once again while providing one of the highest weekly floors in the league.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Trae Young Shifts to a Present-Focused Mindset After Injuries
Washington Wizards guard Trae Young is framing his offseason around health after an injury-wrecked 2025-26, telling Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that he looked too far ahead last season and plans a more present-focused approach. Young, who re-signed long-term, reiterated that Washington is where he wants to be and that he intends to grow with the team's young core. For fantasy, this is a bounce-back setup: a healthy Young is an elite hub, a career 25.1-point, 9.8-assist producer who commands the ball on a rebuilding roster with usage to spare. Knee and quad problems held him to exactly 15 games last season, so availability is the whole question. A present-focused, healthy Young would be a first-round-caliber assists-and-threes source; the mindset shift matters only if it keeps him on the floor.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Jordan James Could Be Part of One of Fantasy's Most Important Camp Battles
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James did not record a single offensive statistic as a fifth-round rookie in 2025. While the 49ers dealt with a string of high-profile injuries throughout the year, one player who remained almost surprisingly healthy was four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey. At 29 years old, the ninth-year veteran handled the largest workload of his career on the way to an RB1 fantasy finish, limiting primary backup Brian Robinson Jr. to only 92 carries in his lone season with the team. With Robinson departing in free agency, James will battle 2026 third-round pick Kaelon Black for those primary backup responsibilities, and with McCaffrey another year older with a spotty history of stringing together heavy-touch seasons, it remains arguably the most valuable handcuff role in fantasy. The 49ers will hold their first public training camp practice on Sunday, and while it may still be some time before they don pads for the first time, the battle between San Francisco's two young runners will be one to pay close attention to. In the meantime, James is worthy of a late-round dart throw at the end of drafts as RotoBaller's RB56.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Nuggets Rebuff Salary-Dump Offers for Cameron Johnson
Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson appears likely to stay put, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Nuggets have rebuffed salary-dump inquiries on Johnson, who is owed $23.06 million in the final year of his deal. Even under second-apron pressure, Denver was pleased enough with his production to hold him. Johnson posted career-high efficiency in his first Nuggets season, shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from three while averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 54 games, a knee bone bruise costing him over a month. The fantasy read is steady but modest: playing off Nikola Jokic lifts his percentages but caps his volume, making him an efficient deeper-league wing rather than a standard-league must-draft. A late surge to 15.2 points a night hints at more if his usage climbs.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Wizards Plan to Extend Anthony Davis Amid Trade Rumors
Washington Wizards forward/center Anthony Davis is at the center of dueling storylines, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Washington plans to open extension talks once Davis becomes eligible on August 6, a deal that could reach four years and roughly $275 million, while Golden State has pushed to trade for him and pair him with LeBron James. The Wizards have rebuffed those inquiries so far, viewing Davis as a veteran pillar of their rebuild. For fantasy, the health picture towers over the drama: Davis is a first-round, five-category force when right, but a ligament tear in his left hand wiped out his Washington debut, and he played just 20 games in 2025-26. Draft the ceiling if it comes at a discount, but his games total, not his address, is the real variable.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Mack Hollins an Important Role Player with Little Fantasy Value
New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins has a special relationship with his current offensive coordinator, as the two most productive seasons of his career have come with Josh McDaniels calling plays. Hollins caught a career-high 57 passes for 690 yards in 2022 with the Las Vegas Raiders, and added another 46 grabs for 550 yards in last season's reunion in New England. While his physicality and knack for coming up big in the clutch have made him a vital piece of McDaniels' offenses, even at his best, he has rarely been a reliable fantasy contributor, and with the Patriots receiver room seeing a massive influx of talent ahead of 2026, he's unlikely to hold onto the role that saw him lead all New England receivers in snaps per game a season ago. An important role player and one of the bigger personalities in the league, Hollins is unlikely to factor into many weekly fantasy decisions in his tenth year in the league, and he is RotoBaller's WR92.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Bennedict Mathurin's Free Agency Freezes
Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin remains an unsigned restricted free agent, with his situation frozen by the Kawhi Leonard investigation, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Clippers hold Mathurin's rights and want him back, but they are reluctant to make roster decisions while Leonard's Aspiration case stalls his expected trade to Toronto. Several teams, Detroit among them, have explored a sign-and-trade. The fantasy stakes ride on the outcome: Mathurin is a career-high 17.6-point scorer, but a return to a crowded Clippers perimeter behind Darius Garland would cap his role, while a sign-and-trade to a needier team, say Detroit next to Cade Cunningham, could unlock more. His shaky 31.5 percent three-point stroke limits him in nine-cat regardless. Monitor the resolution before drafting.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Mac Jones an Important Backup to Roster in Superflex Leagues
Given an extended opportunity in 2025, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones proved himself one of the more capable backups in the league, winning five of his eight starts while providing fantasy managers with a usable streaming option. Following an extensive recovery from the turf toe injury that caused him to miss significant time, starter Brock Purdy is reportedly at full health entering training camp, but should he miss time again in 2026, Jones has proven worthy of making a priority waiver add in single-quarterback leagues, and he is a must-roster player in superflex dynasty formats. The former first-round pick is on the final year of his two-year deal, and he should not be fully overlooked for a starting role in 2027. Until then, he remains one of the more valuable insurance quarterbacks in the league.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Suns Hope to Sign Miles Bridges to a Long-Term Extension
Phoenix Suns forward Miles Bridges is expected to be part of the team's long-term plans after arriving from Charlotte this offseason, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Bridges enters the final year of his contract at $22.83 million and would be a free agent next summer, so Phoenix has incentive to lock him in. On the floor, that is a positive fantasy signal: he steps into a defined starting forward role next to Devin Booker on a retooled, post-Durant roster. Bridges averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 46.0 percent shooting across 77 games last season and has topped 20 points a night in three different years. Draft him as a steady mid-round scorer, with a crowded Suns wing group the only cap on a bigger leap.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Tyreek Hill Says He Has "No Power" in His Leg
As teams around the league begin to gather for training camps, veteran wide receiver Tyreek Hill (knee) remains a free agent, and in a workout video posted to his YouTube channel on Wednesday, Hill candidly shares information about his ongoing rehab, notably stating that he has "no power in [his] left leg" 10 months after undergoing LCL surgery. The video shows him using the surgically repaired leg to push off a wall, and although Hill declined to provide a timeline for his return, he reiterates that recovery is going well and expresses gratitude to those who have been a part of the process. The five-time All-Pro dislocated his knee and tore multiple ligaments in a September matchup against the Jets, and he was released by the Dolphins in February. At 32 years old, his window of fantasy relevance was already tightening. While he's hung onto a spot on RotoBaller's rankings for 2026, currently sitting at WR98, the chances of Hill contributing in a meaningful way for fantasy appear to be dwindling, and he can be avoided in any leagues without a deep bench and injured reserve slots.
Source: Pro Football Talk
Source: Pro Football Talk
Nikola Vucevic Isn't Planning to Retire After Next Season
Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic does not plan to make 2026-27 his final NBA season, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, citing the Magic's win-now direction under new coach Sean Sweeney, his history with the franchise, and family reasons for returning on a one-year deal. The 35-year-old, who turns 36 in October, retired from international play but still expects to keep going in the NBA. He averaged 15.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 36.9 percent from three last season. In Orlando, though, he projects as the backup behind entrenched starter Wendell Carter Jr. and will likely split those reserve minutes with Goga Bitadze. That caps his fantasy ceiling: his scoring gives him streaming value in deeper formats, but the timeshare keeps him off standard-league radars unless Carter misses time, at which point he becomes genuinely useful.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Mario Hezonja Rejects EuroLeague Insurance to Bet on the NBA
Free agent forward Mario Hezonja is all-in on his NBA return, rejecting conditional offers from three EuroLeague clubs that would have secured his rights if the comeback fell flat, per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. The former No. 5 overall pick left Real Madrid this month after a strong four-year run, capped by a 2026 Liga ACB MVP and a EuroLeague Finals appearance. The catch for fantasy managers: he has not signed yet, and Marc Stein reports his market is tangled up with the teams chasing LeBron James. Hezonja is a 31-year-old who averaged just 6.9 points across 330 NBA games in his first stint and has been out of the league since 2020. His self-belief is nice, but temper expectations. He is a deep-league monitor at best until his team and role come into focus.
Source: Donatas Urbonas
Source: Donatas Urbonas
Jaylin Noel has Deep-League Sleeper Potential in Year 2
Even though Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel figures to be a bigger part of the passing game in his second season in 2026, most fantasy managers won't be looking his way after he posted a 26-292-2 line in 17 regular-season games (three starts) last year after he was selected in the third round (79th overall) out of Iowa State. Nico Collins and fellow second-year wideout Jayden Higgins figure to be the team's top-two WRs, so ultimately, Noel's case for a second-year breakout could depend on how much Tank Dell can do after missing the entire 2025 season following a devastating knee injury in 2024. The 23-year-old reportedly looked strong during minicamp this offseason, and he made the most of his limited opportunities in his rookie campaign in an inconsistent offense. If Noel stakes claim to the No. 3 role in Houston, his raw athleticism and versatility make him an interesting late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts this fall. He finished his rookie year just inside the top-100 WRs in half-PPR points, but RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 79 WR going into Year 2.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Tank Dell a Giant Question Mark Coming Off Major Knee Injury
Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) had a promising rookie season in 2023 after he was taken with the 69th overall pick in the third round out of the University of Houston, catching 47 of his 75 targets for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 regular-season games. It all came crashing down in 2024 when the 26-year-old tore multiple ligaments in his knee and dislocated his kneecap. He missed all of last year as a result and still isn't full-go with training camp right around the corner, making his availability for the start of the 2026 season in early September still a mystery. Nico Collins is Houston's unquestioned alpha WR1, and second-year wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are both expected to have bigger roles in the passing attack. So once Dell gets back up to speed, whenever that is, he figures to be competing for targets as the WR3 or WR4 in an offense that hasn't been nearly as good as it was the last two seasons as it was in QB C.J. Stroud's rookie season. The Texans are expecting Dell to contribute in 2026, but because he might merely be trying to work back into form for most of the year, it's hard to recommend him as a 12-team redraft stash. RotoBaller has Dell currently ranked as the No. 75 WR.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Saquon Barkley Could be an RB1 Value Pick if Eagles Offense Bounces Back
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley finished outside the top 10 at the RB position in 2025 in his second year with the Eagles despite running for 1,140 yards on 280 rushing attempts and catching 37 passes for 237 yards and two more TDs as a pass-catcher. The three-time Pro Bowler's second year in Philly was a pretty big disappointment after he led the league in 2024 in carries (345), rushing yards (2,005), and yards per game (125.3). The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler still had over 4.0 yards per carry, but he was held hostage by a lackluster Eagles offense, which was the worst of head coach Nick Sirianni's tenure. Nobody should be expecting Barkley to approach his numbers from his magical 2024 season, but if Philly gets better injury luck with their offensive line and if the offense as a whole can bounce back under new coordinator Sean Mannion, Barkley could return to high-end RB1 status in fantasy football at a reduced cost in 2026 after his disappointment last year. At the very worst, Barkley should be considered a midrange RB1 with a high floor, and he could be involved even more now that receiver A.J. Brown is out of town.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Kenneth Walker III Primed for Workhorse Role in KC
New Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III finished the 2026 season with the Seattle Seahawks as just the No. 22 fantasy RB in half-PPR scoring after running for 1,027 yards and five rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season starts, adding 31 receptions (36 targets) for 282 yards as a pass-catcher. But he went off in the postseason, leading the NFL in carries (65), rushing yards (313), and rushing touchdowns (four) on his way to being named Super Bowl MVP, and he parlayed that into a three-year deal with the Chiefs in free agency in March. Unlike in 2025 when he shared backfield touches with Zach Charbonnet, the 25-year-old former second-rounder out of Michigan State figures to be used as more of a true workhorse in his new digs as the Chiefs look to get back to the playoffs in 2026. Walker earned a reputation for being a run-first back in his four years with the Seahawks, but he suggested that the Chiefs could use him more as a pass-catcher, with rookie Emmett Johnson, Emari Demercado, and Brashard Smith vying for backup duties behind him. Walker also had a reputation for nagging lower-body injuries in Seattle. The volume increase in KC will give him a higher floor as more of a low-end RB1 target in 2026 fantasy drafts, but his injury history will also make him somewhat of an RB1 bust candidate in his first year in the AFC West.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
TreVeyon Henderson the RB to Target in Patriots Backfield
New England Patriots second-year running back TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on 180 rushing attempts, averaging a healthy 5.1 yards per carry, in 17 regular-season games in 2025 after he was selected with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft out of Ohio State. The 23-year-old native of Virginia added 35 receptions on 42 targets for 221 yards and another score before rushing for 76 yards on 30 carries in four postseason games. Henderson is definitely the RB to target in fantasy in an improving Patriots offense led by impressive young QB Drake Maye, but volume could continue to limit his fantasy ceiling and keep his floor pretty low while sharing touches with Rhamondre Stevenson. Ball security is an issue, but the same can be said for Stevenson, and Henderson is a bigger home run threat with intriguing pass-catching chops. Henderson is definitely the better all-around back with more long-term appeal, and if anything were to happen to Stevenson, he'd become a clear RB1 option. Heading into Year 2, fantasy managers in redraft leagues should be targeting Henderson as a low-end RB2 with plenty of upside.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Bailey Ober Could be Second-Half Breakout Candidate
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober has turned the page since making his return to the mound in July. Over his last two starts, Ober has allowed eight hits, three earned runs, and struck out 12 batters across 10.1 innings of work. He's scheduled to take the mound against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday. The right-hander doesn't offer overpowering velocity, which means his strikeout numbers will probably remain low. He has looked better lately, but he remains a deep league play at the moment. Fantasy managers should wait to see how he does against the Guardians before jumping to the waiver wire.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
Leo De Vries is Scratched with Finger Injury
Athletics shortstop Leo De Vries (finger) was scratched ahead of Wednesday's game with Double-A Midland. The immediate speculation was that De Vries is headed to the MLB. That is not happening yet. De Vries is being pulled from the lineup due to a finger injury. The assumption is that this is a day-to-day issue for De Vries. The 19-year-old top prospect was the key piece that came back in the deal that sent Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres. The A's are unlikely to promote De Vries this season, so he's not worth rostering in redraft formats until next season.
Source: Martin Gallegos
Source: Martin Gallegos
Kirby Yates is Primed for Second-Half Success
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Kirby Yates is quietly putting together a strong season in 2026. Through 25 appearances, Yates owns a 3.74 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 28/8 K/BB ratio. His fantasy value has been limited because he has had only three saves on the season. The 39-year-old is likely to be on the move at the trade deadline. The Angels aren't contending and figure to flip Yates, who is a free agent after the season. A move elsewhere could provide Yates with increased save chances. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on what happens to Yates over the next few weeks.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
