April 6, 2026
As a rookie in 2025, Detroit Lions wide receiver
Isaac TeSlaa caught six touchdowns on only 26 targets and 16 receptions, a touchdown rate almost 10 times higher than the league average, and nearly double that of
Davante Adams, who led the NFL with 14 touchdown grabs. While few are calling for a repeat of such outlandish efficiency in year two, some have labeled him as a potential breakout candidate on the hopes that increased volume could make him a less touchdown-reliant fantasy asset. However, TeSlaa has never been a target-earner. His 14% target share across two seasons at Arkansas ranked well behind several of his own teammates, and even with the Lions, he was regularly on the field for more than just gadget plays designed to find him in the end zone. His 296 routes run last season put him in the top 10 in his rookie class, while his 0.81 yards per route run trailed only
Arian Smith,
Konata Mumpfield,
Dont'e Thornton Jr., and
Gage Larvadain among rookies with at least 100 routes run.
Amon-Ra St. Brown,
Jameson Williams,
Jahmyr Gibbs, and
Sam LaPorta all figure to slot in ahead of TeSlaa in the target pecking order, and unless he can bank on a second outlier season, he will likely be little more than an occasional injury replacement in 2026.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Free-agent wide receiver
Deebo Samuel Sr. played in 16 games for the Washington Commanders in 2025, his seventh time in as many seasons that he was unable to log a full slate of games, and the oft-injured wideout currently remains unsigned. With the NFL Draft less than three weeks away, many receiver-needy teams are likely taking a more patient approach to see if they can fill that need with a younger, cheaper option in what is considered a deep draft class at the position. At his peak, Samuel was one of the most unique playmakers in the league, but that hasn't kept pundits from attaching the "Deebo" comp to a prospect almost annually, and this year is no different. Indiana's
Omar Cooper Jr. carries the moniker in the 2026 draft class, and to a lesser extent, so does Louisville's
Chris Bell, who is expected to fall in the draft following an ACL tear in the Cardinals' final game of the season.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Giants wide receiver
Darius Slayton's 538 receiving yards in 2025 were good for the second-highest total on a New York team that saw starts from three different quarterbacks while playing almost the entire season without its clear No. 1 receiver in
Malik Nabers. In 2026, a sense of continuity is expected to return to New York, which could hurt Slayton's chances of making any meaningful impact. The team's leading receiver from last season,
Wan'Dale Robinson, reunited with former head coach Brian Daboll in Tennessee, and although they play vastly different roles, some of his production is expected to be absorbed by free agent acquisition
Darnell Mooney. Running backs
Cam Skattebo,
Tyrone Tracy Jr., and
Devin Singletary are all expected back after combining for more than 90 targets in their first season together. New York also returns tight end
Theo Johnson, who finished second on the team in targets and receptions, but the main reason analysts are expecting a year two jump from quarterback
Jaxson Dart, and a subsequently lowered ceiling for Slayton and all other Giants' pass catchers, is the anticipated return to health of Nabers. His 170 targets as a rookie broke a 21-year-old NFL record, and before tearing his ACL in Week 4, he was on pace for another 150+ in 2025.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Pat Bryant is no longer a top candidate to enjoy a Year 2 breakout. The second season in the league is a common time for receivers to take a major leap, and it seemed like Bryant was heading in the right direction after the 2025 campaign. After all, he had cemented himself as the Broncos' No. 3 receiver and averaged 5.3 targets over his final five games. However, his role suddenly changed when the Broncos surprisingly traded for
Jaylen Waddle out of nowhere. Denver now has Waddle and
Courtland Sutton atop its depth chart, and
Troy Franklin has a clear advantage over Bryant for the No. 3 receiver role. At this point, it seems like the Year 2 breakout is on hold for Bryant. He is a talented player, but his path to consistent fantasy production is nearly nonexistent as long as Waddle, Sutton, and Troy Franklin are healthy.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Troy Franklin enjoyed a second-year breakout as the overall WR31 in PPR leagues last season. It seemed like he was trending up and due for an even stronger showing in 2026, but then, the Broncos went out and traded for
Jaylen Waddle. That acquisition offers a major shakeup in Denver, establishing
Courtland Sutton and Waddle as the undisputed top two receivers on the team. As a result, Franklin will fall to the No. 3 role. Not only is he no longer a lock to consistently start games, but he's also due for a step backward in fantasy football. His 2025 finish as the WR31 could end up being the peak of the early portion of his career, as Franklin will have trouble being a top-36 fantasy receiver if both Sutton and Waddle are healthy. It'll be tough to sell high on the 23-year-old, so he's merely a hold in most leagues for now.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks
Sam Howell and
Joe Milton III will compete for the backup role behind
Dak Prescott this summer, head coach Brian Schottenheimer told Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The Cowboys acquired Milton last offseason in hopes that he could offer a strong, accurate arm in case Prescott went down. Prescott was healthy for all 17 contests, but when Milton did get into the game, he struggled. He had three turnovers and just one touchdown across parts of four games. Perhaps because of his subpar results on the field, Dallas brought in Howell during the offseason. It appears that the Cowboys have a specific vision for their backup quarterback, as Howell offers mobility and a strong arm similar to Milton. The fantasy implications here are minimal, as we expect Prescott to start the full season unless he gives us a reason to believe otherwise.
--Andersen PickardSource: Todd Archer
April 6, 2026
Tennessee Titans quarterback
Cameron Ward (shoulder) has been "progressing very well" from a right shoulder injury that required offseason rehab, head coach Robert Saleh told Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. Saleh also noted that Ward has consistently been working in the building, sometimes on his own. It was a rookie season to forget for the No. 1 pick, who finished the 2025 campaign with just 3,169 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also took an NFL-high 55 sacks and lost seven fumbles. The turnover-to-touchdown ratio was far from ideal, and Ward will look to play cleaner football next season. He should benefit from an improved offense that now features wide receiver
Wan'Dale Robinson. We also expect
Gunnar Helm,
Elic Ayomanor, and
Chimere Dike to make significant second-year leaps. It's too early to proclaim Ward will be fantasy relevant across the board, but as he continues to recover amid his first full offseason in the NFL, he's certainly trending up.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jim Wyatt
April 6, 2026
Tennessee Titans quarterback
Will Levis could be the odd man out heading into the NFL Draft. Jim Wyatt of the team's official website writes that
Mitch Trubisky will back up
Cameron Ward next season, leaving Levis as either a trade candidate or competing with
Hendon Hooker for the No. 3 role. Wyatt even wrote that he "suspect[s] some teams have been inquiring about Levis," and he indicated that the second-round pick is talented enough to justify a trade, rather than a demotion to the third-string quarterback role. No trade has materialized yet, but we wouldn't be surprised if something came together during the NFL Draft, similar to how the Cardinals traded away
Josh Rosen during the draft after he simply didn't pan out in Arizona. One team that could be interested in Levis is the New York Jets. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com recently wrote that the Jets want to add a veteran backup before the draft, and he specifically mentioned Levis as a name to watch.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jim Wyatt
April 5, 2026
When quarterback
Trevor Lawrence was selected first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft, he was considered by many to be the safest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, and yet, through his first four seasons in the league, questions still remained about whether or not he was a true franchise quarterback. In 2025, he took significant strides in his first season with head coach Liam Coen, helping him climb to QB11 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. With
Brian Thomas Jr. struggling mightily in his second season and
Travis Hunter lost to injury, the Jaguars retooled their wide receiver room on the fly, acquiring
Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline, and over the final nine weeks of the season, Lawrence threw 20 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He also finished the year with a career-high 359 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground. The Jaguars enter the 2026 season with Thomas and Meyers still on the roster, along with underrated tight end
Brenton Strange, and
Parker Washington, whose own late-season surge coincided with Lawrence's. Hunter could spend more time on the defensive side of the ball in year two, but anything he can contribute offensively will only help to elevate an already dynamic group of pass catchers and their quarterback.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Dolphins quarterback
Malik Willis agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with Miami on the first day of free agency, and one week later, the team traded away its No. 1 wide receiver in
Jaylen Waddle. In speaking at the annual owners meeting, Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told reporters that the trade materialized after Willis' signing, but that he had a conversation with his new quarterback to ensure that he didn't feel "tricked". Sullivan stressed the need for Miami to get younger and cheaper, with a clear goal of surrounding Willis with a young core of players on rookie contracts. The Dolphins now hold the 11th and 30th picks in the first round of the NFL Draft, and with
Malik Washington,
Tutu Atwell, and
Jalen Tolbert currently topping the wide receiver depth chart, the team is expected to take multiple swings at the position in what is considered to be a deep draft class.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Marcel Louis-Jacques - ESPN
April 5, 2026
Since the Denver Broncos traded for wide receiver
Jaylen Waddle in mid-March,
Courtland Sutton has seen his consensus dynasty ranking drop by almost 10 spots at the position, moving him well outside the first 10 rounds in dynasty startups. While Waddle does bring an electric element to a Broncos team that fell one game short of reaching the Super Bowl, he has not topped a 22% target share since his record-breaking rookie campaign in 2021, and he has never been a true red zone threat, which is historically where Sutton has done the bulk of his damage from a fantasy perspective. Adjustments will obviously be made to Denver's passing offense, but after two consecutive top-13 fantasy finishes, Sutton should still see enough of a role to make him a regular contributor for contending dynasty managers hunting for bargains.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Free agent tight end
David Njoku was unable to find a home in the early wave of free agency, and at this point, it would seem he is waiting until after the NFL Draft to make a decision on his future. The soon-to-be-30-year-old former first-round pick was released by the Cleveland Browns after nine seasons with the team, largely in part to the emergence of Harrold Fannin Jr., who led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns as a rookie. This is considered to be another deep rookie class, with a record 27 tight ends receiving invites to the NFL Combine, so many teams might opt to look for a younger, cheaper option at the position, with Njoku seeing a year-over-year decline in production since recording career highs across the board with 81 catches for 882 and six touchdowns in 2023. That said, even approaching his second decade in the league, Njoku's athleticism is rare for the position, and he could still find a fantasy-relevant role, even if it comes as a mid-season injury replacement.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a late-round pick swap, wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. had led the Indianapolis Colts in targets for five consecutive seasons. In his absence, one of the pass catchers most expected to benefit from the newly formed triple-digit target vacuum is tight end
Tyler Warren, fresh off a rookie season in which his 76 receptions led all first-year players. He was also the third most targeted tight end in the league, and with Pittman no longer taking up residence between the numbers, Warren's target share could rise to the ranks of the fantasy elite.
Alec Pierce signed a top-of-the market deal to stay in Indianapolis as the primary downfield and boundary option, but he has never cracked 85 targets or 50 receptions in a season, while
Josh Downs, who could offer more direct target competition on short to intermediate routes, is listed at only 171 pounds and has seen his snap count drop in each of his professional seasons.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore has officially announced his retirement from the NFL. Gilmore crafted a thoughtful Instagram post in which he thanked his family, coaches, and fans for their continuous support throughout his 13-year career. He spent his first nine seasons in the AFC East with the Bills and Patriots before embarking on one-year stints with the Panthers, Colts, Cowboys, and Vikings. Gilmore expressed a desire to play football in 2025 but ultimately sat out last season. The former first-round pick finishes his career with 32 interceptions and 149 passes defended. He led the league in both categories with the Patriots in 2019, when he was also named Defensive Player of the Year. While not a Hall of Fame lock, Gilmore was as good as anyone during the peak of his career.
--Andersen PickardSource: Stephon Gilmore
April 5, 2026
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford could have a limited workload leading up to the 2026 regular season, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. Stafford missed most of training camp last summer due to a back injury, and the Rams will likely modify the number of throws he makes this upcoming summer to ensure that he stays healthy.
Jimmy Garoppolo took most of the QB1 reps when Stafford was sidelined last summer, and the Rams will likely follow a similar plan during training camp this year. Not only does reducing Stafford's workload keep him healthy, but it also increases the reps for Garoppolo, who needs to be ready in case his number is called at any point during the regular season. As long as Stafford stays healthy, he remains a low-end QB1 in fantasy football because of his role in a high-volume passing offense and the tremendous presence of receivers
Puka Nacua and
Davante Adams.
--Andersen PickardSource: Sarah Barshop
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