January 28, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Ja'Marr Chase wasn't as dominant in 2025 as he was in 2024, when he led the NFL in catches (127), targets (175), receiving yards (1,708), touchdowns (17), and yards per game (100.5). Chase had a league-high 185 targets, 125 catches, 1,412 yards, and eight touchdowns in his 16 games played in his fifth year in the league in 2025. Despite the step back, the 25-year-old wideout remains one of the best all-around receivers in the game. Chase was the WR4 in half-PPR scoring, behind only
Puka Nacua,
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and
Amon-Ra St. Brown. He has been a Pro Bowler in all five of his NFL seasons, as well as being named a first-team All-Pro in the last two years. The former fifth overall pick out of LSU is showing no signs of slowing down and has excellent chemistry with quarterback
Joe Burrow. Chase already has a staggering 6,837 receiving yards and 54 touchdowns in his 78 games played for the Bengals.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston took his fantasy managers on a rollercoaster ride in his third year in the league in 2025. The former first-rounder had five touchdown catches in the first four weeks of the season before cooling off and being extremely boom or bust the rest of the way. The 24-year-old was third on the team with 735 receiving yards, which was a new career high for Johnston. He had 51 catches on 84 targets and also scored eight total touchdowns for the second straight season in 14 regular-season contests. Even if it wasn't much of a step forward for Johnston in Year 3, it was encouraging that he showed more chemistry with quarterback
Justin Herbert. The Chargers' entire offense could look much different under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel in 2026, but it could help Johnston be more consistent as a downfield threat.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
In his third season in the NFL, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Parker Washington had a career year, setting new highs across the board in catches (58), targets (95), receiving yards (847), and touchdowns (five) in 16 regular-season games. All of those marks also led the team in 2025. Washington finished strong as well, hauling in seven of his 12 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown in the Wild-Card playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 23-year-old pass-catcher developed a strong relationship with quarterback
Trevor Lawrence, who had his best season as a pro under first-year head coach Liam Coen.
Jakobi Meyers and
Brian Thomas Jr. will eat into Washington's targets, but he arguably made a case to open the 2026 campaign as the team's WR1. The former sixth-rounder was the WR31 in half-PPR scoring and had 100 receiving yards in three of the final four games. Washington is on the rise.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
New York Jets running back
Breece Hall quietly recorded his first 1,000-yard season in another forgettable year for the Jets in 2025. Hall had a career-high 243 rushing attempts for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns in 16 starts, adding 36 receptions for 350 yards and another score on 48 targets in the passing game. He finished as the RB19 in half-PPR scoring, averaging 11.8 points per game for fantasy managers. The Jets' offense was miserable in head coach Aaron Glenn's first season at the helm, so it was pretty impressive that Hall reached the 1,000-yard mark. Hall has 3,398 rushing yards in his four NFL seasons, but he has yet to surpass five touchdowns in a single season. New York is believed to be open to re-signing Hall in free agency this offseason, but Hall could have other ideas, and he should have a robust market. Hall's 2026 fantasy value could improve, depending on where he lands.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Romeo Doubs surprisingly led the team in receptions (55), targets (85), and receiving yards (724) in 2025 while tying for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (six). Doubs' 724 receiving yards were a new season high in his fourth year in the league. The 25-year-old also finished strong, catching eight of his 11 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown in the Wild-Card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. Doubs had a career high of 12 catches that went 20-plus yards in 2025. It helped that both
Christian Watson and
Jayden Reed missed substantial time with injuries, which allowed Doubs to maintain a steady target share throughout the season. Tight end
Tucker Kraft (knee) also suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Doubs' numbers probably wouldn't have looked as great if everyone were healthy. Still, he's proven to be a reliable receiver with 2,424 yards and 21 TDs in his four seasons. The best bet for his 2026 fantasy value is for him to sign with another team and get away from Green Bay's crowded WR picture.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
Gardner Minshew (knee) didn't tear his ACL as initially feared, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Minshew suffered only a bone bruise and did not require surgery. The veteran signal-caller avoided any long-term damage to his knee and is already back to full strength as he heads into free agency in 2026. Minshew was forced into action late in the season after
Patrick Mahomes (knee) tore his ACL in Week 15. In his first start of the season in Week 16 against the Tennessee Titans, Minshew injured his left knee and missed the final few games of the year. The 29-year-old was initially believed to have a torn ACL before the Chiefs said he had a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture. This news might make it more likely that Minshew returns to KC as QB insurance for Mahomes again. In four appearances in 2025, Minshew went 6-for-13 for 37 yards with one interception.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 28, 2026
Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is already doing squats and said he thinks he'll be ready to go by April. Penix had successful surgery to fix a partially torn ACL in his left knee in late November and was expected to be facing a nine-month recovery. It's great news that the 25-year-old is doing well in his recovery, but even if he's ready for the start of the 2026 regular season this fall, it's hard to look past the fact that he's now had three reconstructive knee surgeries and two season-ending shoulder injuries. The Falcons will most likely be doing something to give them a fallback option in case Penix's injury woes continue, especially if they don't retain
Kirk Cousins. The 25-year-old was up and down in his second NFL season in 2025 before injuring his knee, completing 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions in only nine starts. Penix will head into Year 3 with only 12 starts under his belt.
--Keith HernandezSource: Zach Klein
January 28, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders tight end
Brock Bowers (knee) had a sophomore season to forget in 2025, as he only played in 12 games and ended the year on Injured Reserve. The 23-year-old former 13th overall pick in 2024 out of Georgia injured his knee in the Week 1 season opener and wasn't quite himself the rest of the year before eventually being shut down. Still, Bowers managed to finish as the TE10 in half-PPR scoring with 64 receptions for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. It was quite the disappointment for fantasy managers after Bowers had a 112-1,194-5 season in 17 games in his rookie campaign. Bowers is expected to be fully healthy for the start of the 2026 season, when he's expected to be working with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza -- the projected first overall pick by Vegas. Even though the Raiders are expected to have a rookie QB, Bowers should be a high-end TE1 target yet again.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Jaylen Waddle bounced back from the worst season of his career in 2024 by catching 64 of his 100 targets for 910 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 16 starts in his fifth year in the NFL in 2025. Waddle also had 28 rushing yards. It was good enough to put him as the WR22 in half-PPR scoring. It was nice to see the 27-year-old pass-catcher bounce back from a disastrous 2024 campaign, but it might have still been somewhat of a disappointment for him, considering
Tyreek Hill (knee) missed most of the year with a season-ending injury. Waddle thankfully had a larger target share, but the Dolphins' offense just was unable to find its explosiveness for a second straight season, and quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa was benched late in the year. Waddle still has the talent to provide plenty of value in PPR fantasy leagues, but his value is in major flux heading into 2026 under a completely new coaching staff. Hill's return (whenever that may be) will also be a negative for Waddle's ceiling.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
The Los Angeles Rams requested to interview Cleveland Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone for their special teams coordinator job, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Ventrone, who is considered one of the best in the league in his role, is not expected to stay on the coaching staff in Cleveland under new head coach Todd Monken. In addition to the Rams, the Pittsburgh Steelers want to talk to him about the same job. Monken is expected to bring in all new coordinators now that he's been named the next Browns head coach. The special teams unit in Cleveland gave up the seventh-most yards per kickoff return and the fifth-most yards per punt return last season. The Rams' special teams unit was a weakness for them this past season and cost them big time in the NFC Championship loss to the Seahawks.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
Although Minnesota Vikings wide receiver
Justin Jefferson reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the sixth straight season in the NFL in 2025, he was a massive disappointment for fantasy football managers. Jefferson was a top-10 fantasy selection in most fantasy drafts last year, but he finished as only the WR25 in half-PPR scoring. The difference in 2025 was his lack of chemistry with young quarterback
J.J. McCarthy, who played in only 10 games due to injuries. When McCarthy was on the field, he didn't show much chemistry with Jefferson and was way too inconsistent accuracy-wise. Jefferson caught 84 passes, which was his lowest total in six seasons, other than when he had 68 receptions in an injury-plagued 2023 season. His two touchdowns and 1,048 receiving yards were both career lows. Jefferson remains an elite fantasy wideout talent-wise, but he's going to drop in the 2026 rankings a bit until he and McCarthy can develop a more consistent connection.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 28, 2026
The future of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz with the Cleveland Browns is unclear after the team decided to hire former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Schwartz was visibly upset and told other coaches in the building that he was not coming back after the Browns informed him that they were choosing Monken over him. He remains under contract with Cleveland, and the Browns want to retain him. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the only way they were probably going to keep Schwartz around is if they promoted him to head coach after they fired Kevin Stefanski following the 2025 season. It's unclear if Schwartz will stick around and coach a talented Browns defense, but it may not be up to him, as Monken might decide to go in another direction at defensive coordinator.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
The New York Jets are hiring former Miami Dolphins passing-game coordinator and secondary coach Brian Duker as their next defensive coordinator, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Duker, 36, spent time with Jets head coach Aaron Glenn on the Detroit Lions' coaching staff from 2021 to 2023, when Glenn was the defensive coordinator, and Duker was a rising assistant coach. The Jets interviewed Duker for the job less than 24 hours ago. He beat out eight other candidates, including veteran defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. The Jets are also searching for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday. Duker and Glenn have a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball going into next season, as the Jets became the first team in NFL history in 2025 to go an entire season without a single interception. They also ranked second-to-last with 29.6 points allowed per game.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 28, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers are requesting to interview Denver Broncos passing-game coordinator and assistant head coach Jim Leonhard for their vacant defensive-coordinator position, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Leonhard has also received interest from the Buffalo Bills, among other teams. The Chargers are looking for a new defensive coordinator after Jesse Minter left to become the next head coach of the Baltimore Ravens. Leonhard has done a standout job with the Broncos' defense, one of the best units in the NFL, as they allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards per game (187.2) during the 2025 regular season. The Chargers' defense was sneaky good this past season, too, allowing the seventh-fewest yards per play and the fifth-lowest offensive success rate. Leonhard will have a lot to work with if he chooses to go to L.A.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 28, 2026
The Cleveland Browns are hiring former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their next head coach, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 59-year-old spent the last three years running the Ravens' offense under head coach John Harbaugh in Baltimore. Monken served as the offensive coordinator for the Browns in 2019 under head coach Freddie Kitchens. This will be Monken's first head-coaching job in the NFL, although he did serve as the head coach in college at Southern Mississippi from 2013 to 2015. The Browns fired previous head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons at the helm after the team finished 5-12 in 2025. Monken will have his work cut out for him in his first head-coaching gig in the NFL. First and foremost, on the offensive side of the ball, the Browns must decide who their quarterback will be.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
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