February 26, 2026
Arizona Cardinals running back
Trey Benson (knee) appeared to have a golden opportunity to emerge as a workhorse rusher once fellow Cardinals back
James Conner (ankle) suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 of the 2025 season. Unfortunately, Benson suffered a knee injury the very next week that landed him on Injured Reserve and ultimately ended his year. A third-round pick in 2024, Benson has been an efficient rusher in a small sample through his first two NFL seasons, averaging 4.9 yards per rush attempt on 92 career carries. Provided Benson can get back to full health, 2026 may be the year that he emerges as the RB1 in Arizona. While Conner is technically under contract for 2026, Arizona could release him and save over $7 million against the cap this offseason. Even if Conner remains with the team, he will be in his age-31 season and coming off a serious ankle injury. At the same time, Benson remains a largely unproven player with durability concerns of his own, and the Cardinals will have a new coaching staff in place in 2026 that may be looking to add fresh blood in the backfield in either free agency or the upcoming draft. Still, Benson should have an opportunity to prove himself next season and could be a player worth targeting in dynasty formats, even coming off a lost year.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
February 26, 2026
In his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, tight end
Jonnu Smith recorded 38 receptions for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 54 targets across 17 games played. The 30-year-old's numbers dropped precipitously from his breakout season with the Miami Dolphins in 2024, when he hauled in 88 catches for 884 yards and eight scores. In Pittsburgh, Smith's upside is limited by a crowded tight end room that also includes
Darnell Washington and
Pat Freiermuth. Additionally, 2025 Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who is known for favoring formations that feature multiple tight ends, is no longer with the team. As a result, Smith may face an even more difficult path to playing time in Pittsburgh in 2026. Outside of 2024, Smith has just one other season in his nine-year NFL career with at least 50 catches and 500 receiving yards. It seems likely that his 2024 season will stand out as an outlier relative to his overall production, and Smith's dynasty value should be fading heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
February 26, 2026
Across 17 games in 2025, Tennessee Titans tight end
Chig Okonkwo recorded 56 receptions for 560 yards and two touchdowns on 79 targets. The 26-year-old has established himself as a solid real-life player, as he's logged at least 50 catches in three straight seasons and has never missed a game in his NFL career. However, Okonkwo's fantasy upside has never quite materialized, as he's never reached 80 targets or topped three touchdown catches in a season. Okonkwo is now set to hit free agency and could be with a new organization for the first time in 2026. A change of scenery could be a positive development for Okonkwo's fantasy outlook, as Tennessee has fielded a miserable offense overall in recent seasons and also has a rising young tight end in
Gunnar Helm. Still, Okonkwo has demonstrated a limited production ceiling to this point in his career, and there's no guarantee he will land in a true TE1 role with a new team. His fantasy value in dynasty formats is slowly declining heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
February 26, 2026
A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Los Angeles Rams running back
Jarquez Hunter played an extremely minimal role in all phases as a rookie. The 23-year-old was active for just five games and did not record a single touch on offense. Hunter's path to playing time is blocked in Los Angeles, as the Rams have arguably the best running back combination in the NFL in
Kyren Williams and
Blake Corum. In 2025, Williams and Corum combined for over 2,300 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns. The pairing has also missed just one game combined over the past two seasons, and both are under contract through at least 2027. As a result, Hunter may need a change in scenery to work his way into a fantasy-relevant role. Even if one of Corum or Williams were to suffer a significant injury, the other is capable of taking on more of a workhorse role, which could still leave Hunter on the outside looking in for touches in Los Angeles. It's hard to say that Hunter can't eventually emerge as a productive NFL running back, as he's had no opportunity to prove himself either way. However, his fantasy value in dynasty formats is virtually non-existent heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
February 26, 2026
After topping 570 scrimmage yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, Denver Broncos running back
Jaleel McLaughlin's production took a step back in 2025. Across eight games, the 25-year-old recorded 214 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 41 touches. McLaughlin was a healthy scratch on game day for much of the first half of the season, as he was stuck behind
J.K. Dobbins (foot),
RJ Harvey, and
Tyler Badie on the Broncos' running back depth chart. McLaughlin got more opportunities to play down the stretch after Dobbins went down in Week 11 with a foot injury. Dobbins is now set to hit free agency, which could open up a path to playing time for McLaughlin in Denver. However, Harvey emerged as the team's lead back in 2025 after Dobbins went down and looks like the Broncos' clear RB1 of the future. For his career, McLaughlin is averaging fewer than seven touches per game and looks more like a complementary, change-of-pace back than a fantasy-relevant workhorse.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
February 26, 2026
Across 14 games in 2025, Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Dontayvion Wicks recorded 30 receptions for 332 yards and two touchdowns on 46 targets. It was a disappointing year overall for the 24-year-old, as he posted the lowest receiving yards per game (23.7) and receptions per game (2.1) marks of his three NFL seasons. While Wicks has flashed upside at different points in his career, he's struggled to carve out a consistent role in Green Bay's equal-opportunity passing game. However, the Packers' pass-catching depth chart could get thinner in 2026. Wide receiver
Romeo Doubs is set to hit free agency, and tight end
Tucker Kraft (knee) could miss the start of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Still, Wicks would be competing with Packers wideouts
Christian Watson,
Jayden Reed, and
Matthew Golden for playing time. Based on his inability to differentiate himself in 2025, Wicks' fantasy value in dynasty formats is trending in the wrong direction.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
February 26, 2026
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales, who is giving up offensive play-calling this year, said that quarterback
Bryce Young will "increasingly be able to change plays at the line" when he recognizes mismatches with the opposing defense, according to Kassidy Hill of Panthers.com. "I love the strides we've taken in terms of the operation, how he gets us up there, makes great calls, fixes our protection problems, finding solutions in areas where we've talked about to take advantage of coverages, takes advantage of different fronts for run plays, and just wanting Bryce to continue to grow in the ownership of those things," Canales said. It's the next step in the former first overall pick's development as he heads into his fourth year in the league. The 24-year-old showed improvement in 2025, completing a career-high 63.6% of his passes for 3,011 yards and 23 touchdowns, which were also career-highs. Young will need to take another step forward in 2026 to be thrown into the QB1 conversation in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: Panthers.com - Kassidy Hill
February 26, 2026
Seattle Seahawks impending free-agent running back
Kenneth Walker III is a name that "I've heard floated around" as a player the Houston Texans may target in free agency, according to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. The Seahawks don't plan to use the franchise tag on Walker, who was the Super Bowl MVP, but that doesn't mean he won't re-sign with the organization. Coming off a strong postseason showing that led to a championship, Walker is expected to be one of the best available RBs on the open market if he makes it to free agency. He's projected to make somewhere between $12 million to $14 million per year and would likely sign a three- or four-year contract. The 25-year-old finally was able to stay healthy all year in 2025 and finished with 1,027 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season while splitting time with
Zach Charbonnet. If he were to land in Houston, Walker would split time with second-year back
Woody Marks.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
February 26, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders new head coach Klint Kubiak plans to use a committee backfield in his first year at the helm in 2026, saying that "it's important for
Ashton Jeanty to have a wingman." "We definitely want to have a two-man show," Kubiak added. It's bad news for Jeanty's already declining fantasy football value after a disappointing showing in his rookie season. Kubiak split the load at RB last year with the Seattle Seahawks, too, using
Kenneth Walker III and
Zach Charbonnet in tandem on the way to a Super Bowl championship. Jeanty, the sixth overall pick last April out of Boise State, averaged just 3.7 yards per carry for 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 266 carries in 17 regular season games in a bad Raiders offense. The 22-year-old should have a better supporting cast around him, with the team expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall, but a backfield timeshare in Vegas will surely cap Jeanty's fantasy upside going into Year 2.
--Keith HernandezSource: Nick Walters
February 26, 2026
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that quarterback
Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) is "trending in the right direction" as he recovers from an orbital fracture that he suffered during a "freak accident" during pregame warmups in 2025. Ballard also said that Richardson has "a ways to go," but "he's cleared to play, and the eye's getting better." The former fourth overall pick lost out on the starting QB competition to
Daniel Jones (Achilles) last summer and has been granted permission to seek a trade this offseason. The dual-threat signal-caller has played in just 17 games in his first three NFL seasons due to injuries, but he turns just 24 in May and could be given another start at a starting gig with another organization. Richardson's eye injury will be a key factor in any potential trade, and he has a pricey $10.8 million salary cap hit this year. His time in Indy is likely over, and Richardson's dynasty/keeper value has never been lower.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - James Boyd
February 26, 2026
The Indianapolis Colts have given quarterback
Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) permission to seek a trade, a league source told Stephen Holder of ESPN. Richardson, the former fourth overall pick in 2023 out of the University of Florida, lost out on the QB competition to
Daniel Jones (Achilles) last summer and then sustained a freak eye injury during a pregame incident in which he broke his orbital bone. In his first three seasons in the NFL, Richardson has completed only 50.6% of his passes for 2,400 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions while running for 634 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games (15 starts). With the Colts expected to re-sign Jones this offseason, Richardson's future with the Colts is very cloudy. He's still only 23 years old, so another QB-needy team could be willing to trade for him and give him a chance to win the starting job under center going into next season. A-Rich has elite rushing upside at QB, but durability and accuracy remain major concerns.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Stephen Holder
February 26, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said on Sirius XM NFL Radio this week that he wouldn't rule out the return of All-Pro pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. "I never will rule out any possibility," Tobin said. "He's a good football player. So, is there a chance he'll be with us? We're in the business of good football players, so I can't rule it out. But I don't know what the future holds." If the Bengals were to place the franchise tag on Hendrickson, it would cost north of $30 million with a salary cap hit of $36.7 million. A tag-and-trade scenario will be difficult, so if the two sides cannot work out an extension, the most likely scenario is that the Bengals just let Hendrickson walk in free agency. The 31-year-old had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, but he had just four sacks in seven games last year while ending the season on Injured Reserve due to a core-muscle injury. If Hendrickson reaches the open market, he'll be one of the top edge rushers available.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sirius XM NFL Radio
February 26, 2026
Ohio State defender Arvell Reese made it clear at the NFL scouting combine this week that he views himself as more of an outside linebacker/edge rusher than an off-the-ball linebacker as he heads to the next level, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. In his latest mock draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper has Reese going at fourth overall in this year's NFL draft to the Tennessee Titans. The 6-foot-4, 243-pounder totaled 69 tackles and 6.5 sacks last year for the Buckeyes. Reese plans to run the 40-yard dash at this week's combine while also taking part in linebacker drills. The 20-year-old has already met with the New York Jets, who have the second overall pick, the Arizona Cardinals (No. 3), and the Cleveland Browns (No. 6), among others. Former New England Patriots assistant coach and current Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has compared Reese to former NFL linebacker Jamie Collins because of their similar versatility.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
February 26, 2026
Former Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy (knee) said he's fully healed from the knee injury that cost him the entire 2025 season, and he expects to take part in a full slate of on-field drills at his upcoming pro day, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. "I can do everything. No limits," McCoy said. He suffered a torn ACL in January of last year while training. McCoy underwent medical exams at this week's NFL scouting combine but will not do any on-field drills yet. Despite his season-ending injury in 2025, McCoy is expected to be one of the first defensive backs selected in the 2026 NFL draft this April. He started his collegiate career at Oregon State in 2023, then transferred to Tennessee in 2024. He was a first-team All-SEC selection and a second-team Associated Press All-American in his one season with the Volunteers.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Stephen Holder
February 26, 2026
The Chicago Bears have received calls on wide receiver
DJ Moore this offseason, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. There has been speculation that Moore might be traded after a down year in 2025. He has over $23 million in guaranteed money in 2026 and is "viewed as available for the right price" by teams in the market for a receiver. The Bears are also getting calls on backup quarterback
Tyson Bagent from QB-needy teams. Offensively, the Bears took a step forward in 2025 under head coach Ben Johnson, but Moore only caught 50 passes for 682 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. Moore has had at least four touchdowns in seven of his eight NFL seasons, but his 682 receiving yards were a career-low, as well as his 50 receptions, and that came with
Rome Odunze missing time due to an injury. The 28-year-old's best chance of bouncing back in 2026 is most likely with another team.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
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