Sep 2, 2026, 10:42 AM ET

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver has quickly earned the trust of his quarterbacks, including Patrick Mahomes. "Even when there were a couple routes he ran the wrong thing and lined up the wrong way in the game, the quarterback still threw the ball to him," head coach Andy Reid told Jesse Newell of The Athletic. "You go, 'All right. There's a certain trust there.' And he'll work through all the other stuff." Mahomes recently dubbed Allen one of the team's biggest camp standouts, and Newell noted that the team's quarterbacks have all been very comfortable throwing him the ball even when he's covered. That level of trust should go a long way in the regular season. Even though Allen is set to open the year behind Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy on the depth chart, he could work his way onto the fantasy radar by midseason, especially if Rice or Worthy get injured. Having Mahomes throwing him the football should only boost his stock in redraft and dynasty formats. Allen currently has an ADP of 186.5, which corresponds to the 16th round of drafts and makes him the 68th receiver off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Jesse Newell

Sep 2, 2026, 10:36 AM ET

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas has generated plenty of buzz after a strong showing throughout training camp and the preseason. Douglas, a third-round rookie out of Texas Tech, sat out the Dolphins' final preseason game, which is a good sign that he'll earn the start in Week 1 against Las Vegas. Miami arguably has the worst wide receiver room in the league, so there's a real opportunity here for Douglas to cement himself as Malik Willis' favorite target. There's a relatively simple path to him leading the team in catches and receiving yards, especially given his main competition right now is Malik Washington and fellow third-rounder Chris Bell. The biggest obstacle for Douglas might be the state of the Dolphins' offense. We expect Miami to run a lot, we're worried about Willis' accuracy as a passer over a full season, and touchdowns may be few and far between. Simply being the Dolphins' potential No. 1 receiver gets him onto the fantasy radar, though, and he's a worthwhile late-round pick for managers in deeper leagues. After all, he has WR3/flex upside once he gets a few games under his belt.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 2, 2026, 10:29 AM ET

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will take the field next week with the best receiver room of his career. Headlined by Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton, Nix has never previously had a supporting cast this talented. As a result, he could be on track to post the best fantasy marks of his career if he can stay healthy for the full season. Waddle and Sutton both had 900+ yards last season, but there's plenty of talent lower on the depth chart, too. Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin combined for over 1,000 yards between the two of them. Furthermore, we're expecting a bounce-back year from tight end Evan Engram, and the running back room should be highly effective with a mix of JK Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and even rookie Jonah Coleman. Nix has been the fantasy QB7 in each of his first two pro seasons, but we wouldn't be shocked to see him finish within the top five this year. With that in mind, he is an absolute steal in fantasy drafts right now. He currently has an ADP of 113.4, which corresponds to the 10th round and makes him the 15th quarterback off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 2, 2026, 10:19 AM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren isn't the flashiest name in fantasy football, but he has become a reliable option for managers in half-PPR and full-PPR leagues. Warren is one of just four running backs with 500+ rushing yards and 300+ rushing yards in each of the last three seasons. The other players who fit that description are Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Breece Hall. That's not a bad group to be associated with, and it's an indicator of both his versatile skill set and his ability to stay healthy. He has missed just three games over the last three years, and he should continue to carve out a sizable role this year despite the coaching shift from Mike Tomlin to Mike McCarthy. Furthermore, the Steelers did bring in Rico Dowdle, but he's more of a Kenny Gainwell replacement. Dowdle shouldn't threaten Warren's role any more or less than Gainwell did last year. As quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets older and his checkdown rate goes up, Warren stands to benefit. He has been a top-22 fantasy running back in two of the last three seasons, and he should be a fringe RB2/RB3 once again this year.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 2, 2026, 9:57 AM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) was a full-go in Tuesday's practice as he prepares for Week 1's matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Thomas fell awkwardly on his shoulder during a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but head coach Liam Coen expressed no concern about his availability for the regular season. After a monster rookie season in 2024, Thomas struggled, hauling in just 48 of 91 targets for 707 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games, dropping from 14.1 points per game to 8.2 in 2025. Now with Parker Washington having a great camp and Jakobi Meyers still expected to receive volume, Thomas is a far riskier option in 2026.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Ryan O'Halloran

Sep 2, 2026, 9:52 AM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (hand) will practice Wednesday as he prepares for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. Meyers was seen wearing a brace on his right hand, which head coach Liam Coen described as "a jammed hand." With him practicing more than a week before Week 1, he should be good to go. After being traded from Las Vegas to the Jaguars last season, Meyers hauled in 42 of 61 targets for 483 yards and three touchdowns in nine games, averaging just under 10 half-PPR fantasy points per game. With the emergence of Parker Washington and the talented first-round receiver Brian Thomas Jr. still in the mix, Meyers faces a difficult path to high volume in 2026. However, if his ADP has declined significantly because of his injury, he's a good late-round value in fantasy drafts.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Ryan O'Halloran

Sep 2, 2026, 9:44 AM ET

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid has been amid a ton of training camp buzz throughout the offseason and appears set for a big role in this offense. In 12 games, Kincaid hauled in 39 of 49 targets for 571 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 8.8 half-PPR fantasy points per game last season. The upside is there, but some big factors that appear to be emerging heading into 2026 are holding back his fantasy value. Kincaid has missed nine games over the last two seasons due to hamstring and knee injuries, but has looked healthy throughout camp. Snaps will be the major question, and with head coach Joe Brady in full control of the offense, Kincaid's snap count will be known in Week 1. Kincaid isn't a strong start at tight end for Week 1 against the Houston Texans, but is a high-upside option assuming he stays healthy and plays more snaps in 2026.--Nathan Harvey
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 2, 2026, 9:30 AM ET

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is primed for another high-volume season in 2026. With the departure of star wide receiver A.J. Brown, the entire Eagles' receiving core is set for a larger target share in 2026. Goedert hauled in 60 of 82 targets for 591 yards and 11 touchdowns last season with Brown in the mix. He scored 10 of the 11 touchdowns in the red zone, including eight within the six-yard line. The Eagles also have the easiest strength of schedule for tight ends next season, including a Week 1 matchup against the Washington Commanders, who allowed the fourth-most half-PPR fantasy points to tight ends last season. While he has flown under the radar for most of the fantasy draft process, Goedert should continue to produce low-end TE1 production in 2026.--Nathan Harvey
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 2, 2026, 9:19 AM ET

San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa (knee) will travel to Australia as the team prepares to face the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. Bosa tore his ACL in Week 3 of last season and, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan, has been dealing with "knee tendinitis," missing most of training camp. With the star pass rusher traveling to Melbourne, it remains unclear whether he will be active, but it is a positive sign for his availability. In seven seasons with the 49ers, Bosa has recorded 64.5 sacks and has emerged as one of the NFL's premier pass rushers when healthy. He will be necessary for the 49ers against the Rams, who were the league's top-scoring offense last season.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Ian Rapoport - ESPN/NFL Network

Sep 2, 2026, 9:09 AM ET

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (Achilles) is traveling to Australia and is trending toward playing in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams, according to Ian Rapoport. The 49ers are traveling to Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday, more than a week before Week 1. Kittle tore his Achilles during their Wild Card victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, but with the star tight end "absolutely crushing" his recovery goals, it seems optimistic that he will be active next Thursday night. The 10th-year tight end has averaged double-digit fantasy points in every year except his rookie year and had 57 receptions for 628 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games in 2025. While a limited workload is very possible for Kittle, especially only eight months post-surgery, he should be in fantasy lineups for Week 1, assuming he's active.--Nathan Harvey
Source: Ian Rapoport - ESPN/NFL Network

Sep 2, 2026, 12:14 AM ET

Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II (rib) continues to see his fantasy football stock rise after an encouraging training camp and preseason. Gordon rushed for 47 yards on 11 carries during the preseason, and he also caught a pass for 10 additional yards. Outside of an isolated issue where head coach Jeff Hafley called him selfish for a 15-yard penalty, Gordon was praised by members of the coaching staff for the development and improvement that he has shown. Most notably, in early August, Hafley said that Gordon had the makings of a future every-down back in the NFL. That's high praise from the head coach, especially in an era of the league where true every-down backs are hard to come by. Miami obviously has a different every-down back right now in De'Von Achane, who possesses top-five upside in fantasy football. However, it sounds like Gordon is trending up and could have a significant role in the offense this year. Given the Dolphins' anticipated reliance on running the football, it wouldn't be a total shock to see two different running backs -- Gordon and Achane -- carve out fantasy relevance. For now, though, Gordon is more of a speculative late-round target in hopes that he can eventually ascend into the RB3/flex range. All the while, he remains a very appealing handcuff who could jump to the RB2 tier if Achane were to suffer an injury.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 1, 2026, 11:54 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jake Tonges' fantasy appeal is quickly slipping away. It initially seemed like Tonges was set for the No. 1 tight end role to open the season and therefore a late-round fantasy sleeper, but the increased likelihood of George Kittle (Achilles) playing in Week 1 has thrown a wrench in that outlook. Tonges was only going to be a potential fantasy starter if Kittle missed time; last year, he averaged 0.5 touchdowns and 12.3 fantasy points per game with Kittle on the sideline. There's still a chance that's the case for Week 1 of the 2026 season, but that's a worst-case scenario. Kittle is almost guaranteed to be back by Week 2 at the latest, leaving Tonges back in a depth role and off the fantasy radar. Rostering handcuffs in fantasy football is a good strategy, but it's not worth it at the tight end position. Tonges can be left on waivers in all redraft leagues, assuming Kittle is a go for the season opener.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 1, 2026, 11:47 PM ET

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks is headed for an increased role, at least on a temporary basis. Teammate Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list last Sunday, sidelining him for an indefinite period of time and leaving a gaping hole atop the running back depth chart in Green Bay. While MarShawn Lloyd is the early favorite to operate as the Packers' No. 1 ball-carrier, we expect to see a heavy dose of Brooks out of the backfield, too. Jacobs' void is too big to be filled by just one player, so Brooks will offer impact carries and receptions, and more than just a change of pace. We expect to see him mix in around the goal line, too. Brooks' NFL opportunities so far have been hard to come by, but he has looked good whenever he's been given the chance. For example, in Week 18 last season, he rushed for 61 yards on 13 carries, good for an average of 4.7 YPC. Additionally, just about one-third of his total touches (13 of 40) were receptions, so there's some legitimate full-PPR and half-PPR upside here if he does indeed handle a significant snap share. Brooks is more of a speculative late-round draft right now, but Week 1 will paint a clear picture of whether he can be a low-end RB3/flex going forward.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 1, 2026, 11:34 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp's fantasy appeal has been declining as the regular season gets closer. We already knew that Kupp was going to take a backseat to Jaxon Smith-Njigba again this year, but now he might also be losing ground to Rashid Shaheed. Seattle made an aggressive pursuit to re-sign Shaheed just months after trading for him, and they were successful. Now, Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated is saying that "the sky is the limit" for Shaheed in this Seahawks offense, potentially setting the stage for him to handle a weekly starter role while pushing Kupp further down the depth chart. We already saw Kupp start to lose his fantasy appeal in recent years; he has been WR38 or worse in each of his past three seasons, including WR53 last year. That trend should continue in 2026, and while he may be a fine dart throw in the last couple of rounds of a deeper-league fantasy draft, managers shouldn't get too attached, nor should they feel compelled to start him in any formats. As it stands, he has fallen all the way to WR85 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller