Aug 31, 2026, 12:24 PM ET

Arizona Cardinals running back Tyler Allgeier has a prime opportunity for a hefty early-season workload out of the Cardinals' backfield to open up his first year in the desert. It would be an understatement to say that Arizona's backfield is banged up heading into their Week 1 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Trey Benson (knee) is on Injured Reserve and will miss the entire season, James Conner (foot) will miss at least the first four games of the year while on IR, and rookie first-rounder Jeremiyah Love (ankle) has been nursing an ankle sprain that could keep him limited or out altogether in the season opener. It all means that the 26-year-old Allgeier should handle the bulk of the Cardinals' backfield touches early on in 2026. That could all change as Love gets healthier and Conner makes his season debut, going into Week 1, Allgeier should be locked into fantasy football lineups as at least a flex play. RotoBaller currently has the former Atlanta Falcons RB ranked as the RB48 in half-PPR setups. Allgeier averaged 4.3 yards per carry in his four years in Atlanta while recording a career-high eight rushing touchdowns in 17 games as the backup to Bijan Robinson in 2025.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Aug 31, 2026, 12:22 PM ET

Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer has officially been named the starter for the 2026 season, according to On3's Griffin McVeigh. Grunkemeyer followed new Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin from Penn State and will be the first QB1 of the Franklin era in Blacksburg. As a redshirt freshman last season, Grunkemeyer appeared in 11 games, including seven starts after a season-ending injury to Drew Allar. He completed 123 of his 178 passing attempts for 1,339 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. He added one touchdown on the ground, though he's not much of a rushing threat. While the Hokies could exceed expectations in 2026, Grunkemeyer is unlikely to be a top producer at the QB spot, making him unappealing for college fantasy football. Virginia Tech kicks the season off with a Week 1 home stand against VMI.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBaller
Source: Griffin McVeigh - On3

Aug 31, 2026, 12:17 PM ET

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker was a sleeper receiver for a breakout in 2025, but he managed to play in only 11 games for the second straight season due to injuries, finishing with 33 receptions for 394 yards and three touchdowns on 43 targets in his second year in the NFL. The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent from Holy Cross is once again set up for a potential breakout season in 2026 if he can finally play a full year in his third NFL campaign. The Panthers cut receivers David Moore and Ja'Seem Reed on roster cutdown day on Sunday, giving Coker even less competition for targets. He is Carolina's clear WR2 behind Tetairoa McMillan and could be an excellent late-round value pick in upcoming fantasy football drafts. Coker is currently ranked as the WR51 at RotoBaller. In the final eight regular-season games last year, Coker caught 29 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns before catching nine passes for 134 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets in the wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Do not forget about Coker as you build your WR depth.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Reference

Aug 31, 2026, 12:14 PM ET

Louisville running back Isaac Brown (undisclosed), who missed a few fall practices with an injury, will play in Week 1 against Ole Miss. "I think Isaac is ready to go," head coach Jeff Brohm said. "He's fresh and ready to go. He's had a good camp. I feel confident he's ready to go." Needless to say, this is great news for the Cardinals and Browns' fantasy managers. When healthy, Brown is one of the best running backs in college football. The Florida native broke out as a freshman in 2024, totaling 1,325 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games. He was limited to just nine games a season ago, but he tallied 884 rushing yards and led the country in average yards per carry (8.8). It's tough to know what the Ole Miss run defense will look like early in the season, but last year, it surrendered 149.1 rushing yards per game. Either way, Brown is a must-start in all matchups.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBaller
Source: On3

Aug 31, 2026, 12:09 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani is expected to have a sizable role to open the season. ESPN projects first-round rookie Jadarian Price as the lead back for now, but expects a heavy dose of Holani because of his receiving and pass-blocking ability, particularly on third downs. Seattle's own roster breakdown also says Price and Holani figure to split the workload early. Zach Charbonnet remains on the PUP list while recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in January and must miss at least the first four games. Emanuel Wilson is also working back from an undisclosed injury after missing the preseason finale. Holani saw only 22 carries for 73 yards and one touchdown in 11 games last season, though he later handled 47 offensive snaps across Seattle's final two playoff wins after Charbonnet went down. Price should still lead the backfield in carries, but Holani has a real chance to handle passing-down work and enough touches to matter in deeper fantasy leagues early on.--Bruno Mulé
Source: ESPN

Aug 31, 2026, 12:01 PM ET

The Denver Broncos waived running back Jaleel McLaughlin on Sunday as they trimmed their roster down to reach the league-mandated 53-player roster limit, according to Aric DiLalla of the team's official website. The Broncos went with Tyler Badie, who plays more of a role on special teams, over McLaughlin as the No. 4 RB behind J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and rookie Jonah Coleman to begin the 2026 season. McLaughlin operated as a depth back for the Broncos in each of his three seasons with the team, but although he had limited opportunities, he was productive when he touched the football. In 41 games (nine starts) for Denver, McLaughlin had 4.8 yards per carry for 1,093 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 226 rushing attempts, adding 59 receptions on 69 targets for 263 yards and four additional touchdowns as a receiver. It is possible that the 25-year-old former undrafted free agent from Notre Dame returns to the Broncos' practice squad if he goes unclaimed on waivers.--Keith Hernandez
Source: DenverBroncos.com - Aric DiLalla

Aug 31, 2026, 11:59 AM ET

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate didn't catch a pass in the preseason, but his August was better than that box-score line makes it look. The fourth overall pick finished with zero receptions on six targets in three exhibitions, then closed camp with one of his best practices of the summer. Tate caught a team-high seven passes and scored twice in the Aug. 27 joint session with Chicago, with Cam Ward repeatedly coming back to him. That wasn't an isolated day. Tate scored three times in practice on Aug. 9, twice more on Aug. 15 and finished Tennessee's 15 open camp practices with 33 catches. The Titans also list him as a starter alongside Calvin Ridley and Wan'Dale Robinson. There is still reason to keep expectations under control. Tate has plenty of competition for targets, and the preseason production was empty. Still, the role is there and his connection with Ward improved as camp went along. The rookie enters Week 1 with more redraft appeal than his exhibition stat line suggests.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 31, 2026, 11:59 AM ET

Michigan true freshman quarterback Tommy Carr has been named the backup quarterback to starter Bryce Underwood, according to head coach Kyle Whittingham. The four-star recruit out of Saline, Michigan is the grandson of legendary Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr, the son of former Michigan quarterback Jason Carr, and the brother of Notre Dame starting quarterback CJ Carr. Evidently, he outplayed Colorado State transfer Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi for the QB2 job this offseason. While he shouldn't be expected to see the field for meaningful snaps anytime soon, a disastrous early showing or injury to Underwood could put him in action. The Wolverines are nearly a four-touchdown favorite against Western Michigan in Week 1, so we could see Carr enter the game in garbage time in his collegiate debut.--Jackson Sparks - RotoBaller
Source: Pete Nakos - On3

Aug 31, 2026, 11:50 AM ET

Seattle Seahawks rookie first-round running back Jadarian Price is ready to lead the team's backfield while it waits for Zach Charbonnet (knee) to return from the torn ACL he suffered last postseason, ESPN's Brady Henderson writes. Outside of a week that he missed with a minor injury, Price had a strong summer during training camp, showing the vision, decisiveness, and athleticism that made him the 32nd overall pick back in April. Price "has looked as good as advertised -- and in some ways better." "He's done a great job. He really has -- all three downs," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "He's a rookie in terms of, there's going to be things that we're going to attack in his game that will show itself in games. We haven't been afforded the luxury of having the bodies right now at running back to give him the reps in a [preseason] game that we would normally give to a rookie runner." Henderson adds that "the best guess is that the Seahawks are planning, for now, to roll with Price as their lead back while mixing in a heavy dose of George Holani." Holani seems better suited for third-down work because of his pass-blocking skills. Emanuel Wilson (undisclosed) is the power complement, but he has been sidelined the final two weeks of camp with an undisclosed injury. Price's sizable role entering his rookie campaign will make him a low-end RB2 target in fantasy drafts, but just know that Seattle's entire backfield picture could change drastically once Charbonnet returns.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Brady Henderson

Aug 31, 2026, 11:48 AM ET

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown finished August about as well as he could have. He was already coming off 117 catches for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns on a career-high 172 targets, and nothing in camp suggested that volume is about to disappear. Tim Twentyman wrote on Aug. 15 that St. Brown looked better than he ever had and had been nearly impossible to cover. The strong finish kept coming. He turned a fourth-and-two catch from Jared Goff into a 32-yard touchdown on Aug. 26, then caught four passes on one late-camp drive the next day, including a 16-yard score. Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and Isaac TeSlaa will all get their share, so another 172 targets is no guarantee. St. Brown has been Detroit's steady answer anyway. RotoBaller currently has him as the WR4 for 2026, and his camp did nothing to loosen that grip. For a receiver already going in the first round, that's enough to count as a win.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 31, 2026, 11:36 AM ET

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs was already set for more work after David Montgomery was traded to Houston. August made that setup look even better. Dan Campbell called Gibbs the Lions' bell cow back in June, and there is no established Montgomery-type partner waiting behind him. Isiah Pacheco was signed for the No. 2 role, but he missed most of camp with a sprained MCL and is now also dealing with a back injury. His Week 1 status is still up in the air. Campbell said Saturday that he would be comfortable using Jacob Saylors as Gibbs' primary backup if Pacheco can't go. Gibbs, meanwhile, finished camp making plays, including a 59-yard touchdown run during Detroit's final practice. He totaled 1,839 scrimmage yards and 18 touchdowns last season while playing a career-high 67% of the offensive snaps. RotoBaller still has Gibbs as its RB1 and No. 1 overall player in PPR. He was already an elite pick. The backfield around him now makes an even bigger workload easier to picture.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 31, 2026, 11:21 AM ET

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor isn't falling because his role suddenly changed. It's the price after a season that will be tough to repeat. Taylor led the NFL with 323 carries and scored 20 total touchdowns in 2025, finishing with 1,585 rushing yards and another 378 through the air. Indianapolis has openly spent camp looking for a dependable No. 2 back who can help keep him fresh after that workload, with DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan making the initial 53-man roster behind him. Taylor is still the clear starter, and the Colts signed him to an extension in August. This isn't a playing-time scare. The risk is paying a first-round price after he handled more carries than anyone in football. RotoBaller's Aug. 30 early-round avoids piece also noted how much game script mattered last year: Taylor averaged 31.5 PPR points in Colts wins and 12.4 in losses. He's still an elite fantasy back. There's just less margin for error at the current cost.--Bruno Mulé
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 31, 2026, 11:11 AM ET

Philadelphia Eagles running back Dameon Pierce is returning to the organization on the practice squad, according to Jeremy Fowler. The Eagles released Pierce on Sunday while setting their initial 53-man roster, but he wasn't gone for long. Philadelphia kept Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley as its three active running backs, leaving Pierce as experienced depth behind that group. The 26-year-old has rushed for 1,684 yards and eight touchdowns across 43 NFL games, with 939 of those yards coming during his rookie season with Houston in 2022. His workload has dropped considerably since then, including just 36 rushing yards in five games split between Houston and Kansas City last season. Pierce did finish his first Eagles preseason on a good note, running four times for 44 yards against Cincinnati on Friday. He won't have an immediate fantasy role, but Philadelphia now has a veteran option already familiar with the offense if it needs another back.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Jeremy Fowler

Aug 31, 2026, 11:01 AM ET

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry has scored double-digit touchdowns in eight straight seasons, and despite being 32 years old, he still has the second-highest odds to lead the league in rushing scores in 2026, behind only Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs. In an era of PPR prevalence, Henry is one of the few running backs to build a career of fantasy dominance with almost no receiving profile to speak of. Only twice in his 10-year career has Henry topped 20 receptions, and yet he has finished as an RB1 in six of the past seven seasons, four times cracking the top four, and still finishing as the RB16 in an injury-shortened 2021 season in which he played only eight games. Henry has been as automatic as they come, and in new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle's system, which is expected to put Lamar Jackson under center more frequently, he will be able to play with a head of steam that should only make him more dangerous. Ravens rookie Adam Randall (undisclosed) will begin the season on injured reserve, and with veteran Justice Hill once more expected to work as Henry's primary backup after handling 1.8 carries per game in 2025, there are no indications that Henry's workload will be lightened in 2026, making him a potential bargain as the RB12 by current ADP.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller