RADIO
Omar Cooper Jr. a Long-Term Investment in the First Round of Rookie Drafts
When the New York Jets traded back into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. with the 30th overall pick, they landed a versatile wide receiver with some of the best tackle-breaking ability in the class. While Cooper no doubt has the talents to make an immediate impact on an NFL field, dynasty managers spending a later first-round rookie pick on him may need to exercise patience to see that impact consistently translate to fantasy success. While New York's offense is trending in the right direction, the operation will be run in 2026 by a soon-to-be-35-year-old Geno Smith, whose 34.1 QBR in 2025 ranked 31st out of all qualified starting quarterbacks. After missing 10 games with a knee sprain, Garrett Wilson and his career 9.1 targets per game are expected back and healthy, and with the Jets spending the 16th pick of the draft on tight end Kenyon Sadiq, Cooper faces direct competition for the short-area, middle-of-the-field looks that made him so valuable to Indiana's National Title-winning offense. Cooper has fantasy-friendly tools and could eventually be used as the Jets' version of a Deebo Samuel Sr. or Rashee Rice, but as RotoBaller's rookie WR5, he projects as more of a long-term investment than the players going ahead of him in rookie drafts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Just How High is Colston Loveland's Dynasty Ceiling?
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland was one of 2025's most exciting rookies, and expectations are sky-high heading into his second season. By the end of the year, Chicago had built their base offense around multi-tight end sets, from which Loveland became a fantasy dominator, topping 18.4 half-PPR points in the final two contests of the regular season and in the Bears' Wild Card win over the Packers. With Chicago trading away D.J. Moore and spending a third-round pick on Stanford tight end Sam Roush, there's a chance the Bears could lean even more into heavy personnel usage in 2026, which could genuinely make Loveland undervalued even at RotoBaller's dynasty TE3 and a top 50 overall player. With three tight ends on the field in 2025, Loveland averaged almost 4.7 yards per route run while racking up more than half of the team's receiving yards from such sets. While receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III both offer a lot for dynasty managers to be excited about in an offense without Moore, Loveland could see the highest ceiling of the three and is potentially still a bargain despite being one of the most hyped players of the 2026 offseason.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
A New-Look Offense in Baltimore Could Impact Zay Flowers' Dynasty Value
Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers reached WR7 in half-PPR fantasy formats by dominating Baltimore's wide receiver target share in 2025. His 118 targets accounted for 55.9% of all passes thrown to Ravens wideouts, with DeAndre Hopkins' 39 putting him at a distant second. Baltimore was the only team in the league to run more plays out of 12-personnel than 11, with Flowers the sole staple in those two-receiver sets. With a coaching overhaul ahead of the 2026 season and the team spending third and fourth-round picks on receivers Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, Flowers could see a target share dip that would be hard to overcome with his consistently low touchdown numbers. While not responsible for playcalling under Ben Johnson, new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle held the same title in Chicago, where the Bears deployed three-receiver sets at the league's seventh-highest rate in 2025. Flowers still profiles as the unquestioned top receiver in Baltimore, and he could benefit from an overall higher passing volume, but enough factors are working against him to keep him at RotoBaller's dynasty WR26 despite coming off a career year.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
LeQuint Allen Jr. a Dynasty Dart Throw with a Potential Path to Upside
Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr.'s immediate strength as a pass blocker led to a higher snap count in 2025 than fellow rookie Bhayshul Tuten. While that opportunity translated to only 10 receptions on 11 targets, there is a reasonable expectation that Allen's involvement in the passing game could take the next step forward with the team's top receiving back from 2025, Travis Etienne Jr., departing in free agency. While Tuten has risen to RB23 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, Allen remains an afterthought down at RB90. The Jaguars did sign 12th-year veteran Ameer Abdullah to an under-the-radar one-year deal, but with his 16 receptions in 2025 representing the highest total from any running back currently on the roster, Jacksonville's pass-catching role is very much up for grabs. While any true fantasy relevance would be a major projection for the 2025 seventh-rounder, Allen's low cost to acquire makes him an intriguing trade target or dart-throw selection in the later rounds of dynasty startups.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Shedeur Sanders Falling Behind in Quarterback Competition?
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was eventually named a Pro Bowler after a rookie season in which he won three of seven starts, completed fewer than 57% of his passes, and threw three more interceptions than touchdowns. While it is an accolade he'll hold for the rest of his career, it carries no weight in his ongoing competition with 2017 first-round pick Deshaun Watson. While acknowledging that Sanders has had his moments in the spring, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared on Friday his belief that Watson has a "leg up" in the competition for the Browns' starting duties in 2026. Cleveland spent five of its first six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on either offensive line or wide receiver, so whoever wins the job should find the situation more tenable than the one that churned through three different starters in 2025. While no official determination is likely until training camp, early reports haven't favored Sanders, and he's fallen to RotoBaller's dynasty QB34.
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Source: Jeremy Fowler
Is Isaiah Davis the More Valuable Jets Handcuff?
New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis has scarcely been used through his first two seasons in the league, but has shown enough efficiency on his limited opportunities to cling to a roster spot at the bottom of dynasty benches. With Breece Hall signing a three-year deal this offseason to stick with the Jets through the 2028 season, the backup role in New York will carry little standalone value for the foreseeable future, evidenced by Davis' 236-yard, single-touchdown stat line from 2025, despite fellow 2024 pick Braelon Allen going down with a Week 4 MCL sprain that ended his second season. With Hall handling a 72.8% running back rush share as one of 2025's true bell cow backs, the insurance value of his primary handcuff is clear. However, with enough ambiguity between Davis and Allen to cloud the picture of a backfield without Hall, there is reason for both players to be held. Allen fits the mold of the traditional between-the-tackles runner, while Davis has averaged 5.6 yards per carry through his first two seasons and has looked functional in the passing game. The reality is that neither player would likely see a full complement of work in Hall's absence, but for now, both belong rostered even with Davis down at RB80 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Trey McBride a Coveted Dynasty Cornerstone
Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride set the single-season tight end reception record with 126 catches in 2025, topping the previous high mark by 10 catches. Heading into 2026, he profiles right alongside the Raiders' Brock Bowers as one of two elite difference-makers at the position, and at only 26 years old, a case could be made that he's worthy of a late first-round pick even in non-tight end premium dynasty startups. While Arizona's offense projects to look different than the one that closed the 2025 season throwing the ball at a near-historic rate, his 29.6% target share and 1,146 yards from 2024 represent the type of floor that should allow him to thrive in nearly any offensive environment. With Bowers three years younger, he gets the edge in RotoBaller's latest rankings, but McBride is comfortably the dynasty TE2 and one of the most valuable assets in tight-end premium leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Brock Purdy Still Not Valued as a Dynasty QB1
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been an undervalued dynasty asset since coming into the league as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Since taking over as a full-time starter, Purdy finished as the fantasy QB6 in 2023 and the QB14 in 2024, despite missing two games. While a significant turf toe injury limited him to only nine games in 2025, he was a fantasy difference maker in almost every one of those appearances. From Weeks 11 through 17, Purdy was the QB4, including back-to-back QB1 finishes and a 34.9-point average in the final two games of the fantasy playoffs. Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and George Kittle will all be on the wrong side of 30 for the 2026 season, with Kittle already a question mark for the start of the year as he recovers from a postseason Achilles tear, but when healthy and on the field together, they should create one of the league's most fantasy-friendly groups of pass-catchers in Kyle Shanahan's high-powered offense. Purdy is 26 years old heading into his fifth season, and at RotoBaller's dynasty QB13, he is still undervalued as a perceived QB2 in superflex leagues with legitimate QB1 upside.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Justin Jefferson an Obvious Bounce-Back Candidate
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson averaged more than 6.4 catches and 96.5 yards per game through his first five seasons in the league, but those numbers took a seismic hit in 2025. His 84 receptions were his fewest in any full season, while his 1,048 receiving yards and two touchdowns also marked career lows. With some of the league's worst quarterback play affecting all of Minnesota's pass catchers, dynasty managers who bought the dip on Jefferson could be rewarded as early as 2026. The Vikings signed former first overall pick Kyler Murray to a one-year deal this offseason, and by all accounts, he has acclimated quickly to a new offense and has an early but notable edge over 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota's quarterback competition. While Murray's history of supporting a number one receiver is not substantial, he did help DeAndre Hopkins finish as the WR7 in their first season together. With him already playing for his next contract, he would be wise to lean on one of the best receivers in the world. Yet to turn 27, Jefferson is RotoBaller's dynasty WR4, and while he can no longer be acquired on a discount, he's at least worth inquiring about while last season's disappointment is still fresh in the minds of some.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Holding J.J. McCarthy in Dynasty Leagues Will Require Patience
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy continues to have some dynasty appeal, but he faces an uphill battle to earn immediate playing time. The Vikings brought in Kyler Murray to essentially light a fire under McCarthy, in hopes that he'll strengthen his candidacy for the starting role, either short-term or long-term. Although the Vikings are still optimistic that McCarthy can be their franchise quarterback for years to come, it's unlikely that he'll start right away in 2026, which means he lacks short-term fantasy appeal. He missed all of his rookie campaign in 2024, and he's coming off a frustrating 2025 campaign in which he totaled 1,632 passing yards, 15 total touchdowns, and 14 turnovers across 10 games. It's too early to consider dropping McCarthy in dynasty leagues, but we acknowledge that managers will need to exercise patience as they stash him on the bench while he occupies the backup role behind Murray.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Does Harold Fannin Jr. Have Top-Three Upside in Dynasty Leagues?
Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. finished his rookie season in 2025 as the overall TE6 in fantasy football, and he's only trending up. Fannin is expected to have the tight end role in Cleveland all to himself next year after David Njoku departed in free agency. If Fannin was able to finish as the TE6 with 72 catches, 731 yards, and six touchdowns while Njoku was in the mix, he could legitimately push for 100 catches and 1,000 yards in the post-Njoku era. Fannin's dynasty stock also gets a boost from his age. He's only 21 years old, which means he could be a top fantasy tight end option for many years to come. For now, he ranks as the TE5 in RotoBaller's dynasty fantasy football rankings, but he could jump into the top three if he finishes as the TE6 or higher once again in 2026. With that trajectory, he's an intriguing trade target in dynasty leagues, but it's probably too late for managers to acquire him at any sort of discount.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jaylen Waddle the Top Receiver to Roster in Denver?
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's dynasty stock is trending up after an offseason trade that put him in a stronger offense and paired him with a more talented quarterback. Waddle was traded from the Dolphins to the Broncos, and while he will face some competition for targets from Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin, this is a much better scenario for the Alabama product and his skill set. He projects as the No. 1 receiver in an upward-trending offense led by talented quarterback Bo Nix. Waddle's upside was limited for several years in Miami due to the inconsistent play of Tua Tagovailoa, but Nix offers him a very strong chance to post more than 1,015 yards for just the second time in his career. In addition to projecting as a high-volume receiver with high yardage totals, he should remain a solid weapon around the goal line, giving him touchdown upside in fantasy football. Despite finishing as the WR24 or lower in each of his last three seasons, Waddle's trade gives him top-15 receiver upside in dynasty fantasy football leagues. He's a very intriguing buy-low target for managers this offseason.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Josh Downs Climbing Up the Dynasty Rankings with Bigger Role Ahead?
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has been trending up in dynasty leagues. The 24-year-old receiver's dynasty stock has benefitted from the Colts' decision to trade Michael Pittman Jr., which should leave Downs in line to start alongside Alec Pierce. While Pierce projects as the Colts' top receiver after his big payday, Downs has the potential to carve out a fantasy-relevant role. This offense is good enough to support two fantasy-relevant receivers for several years to come, especially as long as Daniel Jones is under center. Downs has ranked between WR35 and WR44 in each of his three NFL seasons, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him take a big step forward and post the best fantasy finish of his career in 2026. Downs set a new career low in catches, yards, and fantasy points last year, softening his price tag in dynasty leagues. Managers should take advantage of this discount and send out trade offers for the UNC product before his potential Year 4 breakout.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jalen McMillan Has Been 'Slightly Better' Than Teammate During OTAs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan looked "slightly better" than teammate Emeka Egbuka during OTAs this past week, according to Scott Reynolds of PewterReport.com. Fantasy managers shouldn't invest too much stock into one week of practices, as it's not uncommon for different players to exceed expectations from time to time. With that being said, McMillan's improvements could be something worth monitoring going forward. McMillan is entering his third year with the Bucs, and if he continues to put together a strong summer, he'll be in the mix for a prominent fantasy football role. It's also worth noting that this report should only be viewed as an encouraging sign for McMillan, and not a slight toward Egbuka. Reynolds made it clear that Egbuka had a very strong week, too. All in all, it sounds like the Bucs' top three receivers -- Egbuka, McMillan, and Chris Godwin Jr. -- are all trending in the right direction as they look to provide more support to quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2026. McMillan could be a steal at his current ADP of 173 (WR62).
Source: Scott Reynolds
Source: Scott Reynolds
Mike Evans a Risky Upside Buy for Contending Dynasty Managers
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans will be 33 to begin the 2026 season and is coming off a disappointing injury-tarnished year in which he failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. Starting fresh with a new team for the first time since the Buccaneers made him the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, he has fallen all the way to WR40 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings, making him a strong bounce-back candidate and a lower-cost trade target for contending managers. Evans has been one of the league's most efficient pass-catchers with two or fewer receivers on the field, and in moving from one of the league's heaviest rates of 11 personnel to a Niners team that ran the highest percentage of plays with a fullback on the field, those opportunities should only increase. A growing history of soft tissue injuries should not be ignored, but if Evans can stay healthy in 2026, he's capable of returning immediate value as a short-term dynasty buy.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
