Jul 2, 2026, 3:47 PM ET

Before San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall's NFL career even got off the ground, he suffered a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery that caused him to miss the first six weeks of his rookie campaign in 2024. He played in 11 games (four starts), catching 31 of 46 targets for 400 yards and three touchdowns. The 25-year-old former 31st overall pick out of the University of Florida then suffered a hamstring injury and a PCL injury in his knee in 2025 that limited him to just nine starts. Pearsall finished with 36 receptions on 53 targets for 528 yards and no touchdowns in nine regular-season starts. The Niners let Jauan Jennings walk in free agency in the offseason, but they added future Hall of Famer Mike Evans and slot man Christian Kirk, while taking De'Zhaun Stribling in the second round of the NFL draft. San Fran's WR room is deeper, which means that opposing defenses shouldn't be able to key in on him in his third season. NFL.com's Nick Shook believes Pearsall could be set up for a breakout season. He's a risk/reward WR4/flex that is certainly worth a late-round selection in fantasy drafts for his upside when healthy.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL.com - Nick Shook

Jul 2, 2026, 3:33 PM ET

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward started all 17 games in his rookie season in 2025 after the Titans took him first overall out of the University of Miami, and he predictably struggled without much help around him on offense. Ward finished as the QB22 in fantasy football after completing 59.8% of his passes for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The 24-year-old added 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries. Ward showed improvement in the second half of the season and will be in better hands in Year 2 with the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who oversaw the rise of Josh Allen in Buffalo before leaving to become the New York Giants' head coach. Ward will also have reinforcements in the passing game in the form of free-agent addition Wan'Dale Robinson and fourth overall pick Carnell Tate, who has looked very impressive during offseason workouts. There is plenty of optimism surrounding Ward's development as he heads into his sophomore campaign, and if Daboll can help improve his accuracy and efficiency, he could bloom in 2026. RotoBaller has Ward ranked as the No. 25 QB for the upcoming season, but he has much more upside than most in that tier of signal-callers.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL.com - Nick Shook

Jul 2, 2026, 3:22 PM ET

Quarterback Kyler Murray is in a much better situation with his move this offseason from the Arizona Cardinals to the Minnesota Vikings, where the former No. 1 overall pick is expected to win the QB1 job over former first-rounder J.J. McCarthy, according to Nick Shook of NFL.com. The 28-year-old former first overall pick in 2019 out of the University of Oklahoma played in only five games in 2025 in his seventh and final year in the desert due to a foot injury, and he wasn't impressive before the injury, throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions on 161 pass attempts. As long as Murray is healthy, a bounce-back season should be coming under QB guru and head coach Kevin O'Connell with an upgraded pass-catching group that includes receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and tight end T.J. Hockenson. The best part for fantasy managers is that Murray is going to come pretty cheap after his injury-plagued season and due to the fact that he hasn't officially been named Minnesota's QB1 just yet. Target him as a low-end QB2 in upcoming drafts with dual-threat upside and bounce-back potential.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL.com - Nick Shook

Jul 2, 2026, 1:59 PM ET

In what was considered a down year by his own lofty standards, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen still finished as the fantasy QB1. His 3,668 yards through the air and 25 passing touchdowns both marked his lowest totals since 2019, but his unmatched rushing upside allowed him to top the final rankings as he has now done in four of the past six seasons, never slipping below QB2 in that time. Allen leads all quarterbacks with 41 rushing touchdowns over the past three seasons, with Jalen Hurts the only other quarterback to top 20 scores over that stretch. With former offensive coordinator Joe Brady taking over as head coach in 2026, the Bills offense can expect a sense of continuity behind an offensive line that returns four of five starters from a year ago, and with the team sending a second-round pick to acquire veteran receiver DJ Moore, Allen now has arguably his most dangerous weapon since he was regularly topping 4,200 passing yards with Stefon Diggs as his primary receiver. Unsurprisingly, Allen is RotoBaller's QB1 for 2026 and should be the expected 1.01 in most superflex drafts.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 1:50 PM ET

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry was the TE7 in half-PPR formats in 2025, and with one of the league's most efficient offenses from a season ago potentially taking another step forward, he projects as one of the most mispriced tight ends in 2026 drafts. Frequently going undrafted outside of deep best ball formats, Henry's current ADP is stuck at TE19, which would represent his lowest end-of-season finish since 2022. With the Patriots allowing Austin Hooper to depart in free agency, they signed blocking specialist Julian Hill to a three-year deal and spent a third-round pick on Notre Dame's Eli Raridon. Since then, Hill tore his ACL during organized team activities, and the rookie looked noticeably slender compared to the rest of the position group and could take time to develop the play strength needed to earn an every-down role in what projects to be one of the more physical offenses in the league. Head coach Mike Vrabel specifically pointed to tight end as a position where he'd like to find additional depth, but it's unlikely that anyone added to the roster at this point would pose a serious threat to Henry's role after he paced all New England pass catchers in 2025 with more than 1,000 snaps across the regular season and playoffs. A trusted big-body target for Drake Maye in both the middle of the field and the red zone, Henry should provide a usable weekly floor at a position where that is often enough for fantasy, but he also boasts multi-touchdown upside and is a player who should not be fully dismissed in the late rounds of 2026 drafts.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 1:36 PM ET

With Zach Charbonnet tearing his ACL in the Seahawks' divisional round win over the 49ers, Seattle bumped 2024 undrafted running back George Holani into a primary backup role behind Kenneth Walker III for the rest of its Super Bowl-winning playoff run. While Walker would go on to win the Super Bowl MVP and earn a top-of-market deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, Holani saw a combined five carries for 10 yards in the Conference Championship and Super Bowl, and while early offseason rumblings had him in play for a potential starting role in 2026, he's now far more likely to continue serving as little more than an NFL depth piece and special teams contributor. Seattle spent its first-round pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, and Charbonnet is reportedly progressing well, even seen on the field performing a light workout in the final practice of minicamp. At RotoBaller's RB106, Holani has little chance of carving out any true dynasty relevance, and he should be viewed as a non-factor in 2026 redraft leagues.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 1:25 PM ET

After three years of sharing a backfield with one of the nation's best players, 2026 first-round pick Jadarian Price could find himself again splitting work for the Seattle Seahawks. The obvious difference is that, while he was the clear second option behind Doak Walker Award winner and third overall pick Jeremiyah Love, the torn ACL sustained by incumbent Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet during the team's Super Bowl run has left the door open for Price to claim lead back responsibilities to begin his rookie season, and perhaps caused too steep a rise in his ADP. While sharing time with eventual Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in 2025, Charbonnet finished sixth in the league with 12 rushing touchdowns and was one of the NFL's most active backs near the goal line. With reports indicating that he is progressing well in his recovery, he could be back earlier than expected to reclaim the bulk of the team's most high-value touches and harm Price's chances of living up to his lofty expectations. With Charbonnet in the final year of his rookie deal, there is plenty to be excited about in Price's dynasty future, but with the veteran's uncertain status to begin the year creating what could prove to be too wide a gap in their ADPs, Price is at risk of being overdrafted in 2026. One year after Walker finished as the RB22 with Klint Kubiak running the offense, Price heads into his rookie season as RotoBaller's RB24.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 1:13 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (knee) continues to recover from the ACL tear he suffered in the team's divisional round win over the 49ers, and by all accounts, he is progressing well. Charbonnet was spotted doing light work on a side field during the final practice of minicamp, and a scheduled check-up on the knee in late July could provide the green light for a more extensive workload at the start of training camp. The Seahawks spent their 2026 first-round pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, but Charbonnet is no stranger to backfield competition. Sharing work with last season's eventual Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, Charbonnet touched the ball more than 200 times and was given many of the team's most high-value opportunities. His 50 red-zone carries in 2025 were the ninth most in the league, while only four players had more attempts from within the five-yard line, helping him to finish the year with 12 rushing touchdowns. If he can return to anything close to full health, there is no reason to believe he couldn't handle an even larger role in this offense, and with an ADP currently outside the top 45 at the position, Charbonnet is a player to target in the late rounds of 2026 drafts, particularly in leagues with IR spots.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 10:00 AM ET

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has played with a different offensive coordinator in each of the past four seasons, and in that time he has not finished below QB8 despite playing only one full 17-game slate. With the team set to trot out its fifth playcaller in as many years, Hurts could see new parts of his game unlocked under first-time coordinator Sean Mannion. The expectation is that the seventh-year quarterback will operate more from under center, opening up the potential for more play-action passing and bootleg runs. While the loss of three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown undoubtedly makes the offense worse on paper, there are reportedly some within the building who believe the unit will run smoother without him, and the team did an admirable job of retooling the position on the fly, adding Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks through free agency and trade before spending a first-round pick on difference-making slot receiver Makai Lemon. After an aggressive 2025 campaign to ban the tush push fell two votes short of passing, the subject was not broached in this year's owners' meeting, and while Hurts' rushing touchdowns fell below double digits last season for the first time since his rookie year, he remains one of the most likely quarterbacks to lead the position in goal-line scores. At RotoBaller's QB6, Hurts still boasts top-five upside at a modest discount.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 9:51 AM ET

While he was reportedly the subject of continued trade discussion throughout much of the offseason, fourth-year wide receiver Kayshon Boutte remains a part of the New England Patriots roster with teams currently in the quiet part of the calendar before training camp. While he has yet to reach 45 receptions or 600 yards in a season, Boutte was the most trusted downfield target of budding superstar Drake Maye in 2025, finishing fourth among qualified receivers with 16.7 yards per reception. With three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown set to inherit that role, Boutte's fantasy prospects look bleak should he stick with the Patriots in 2026. There is still a chance he's traded before the start of the season, but in that scenario, he could still require an acclimation period as he learns a new playbook and may struggle to find fantasy relevance after barely cracking the top 50 at the position in one of the league's most efficient offenses in 2025. Still only 24 years old and once viewed as a first-round talent, Boutte is scheduled to reach free agency after this season. While next year's free agent class could feature some potential game-changers looking for new contracts, history suggests that very few will actually reach the open market, which could help Boutte find something close to a top-of-market deal with a team of his choosing. So while 2026 could ultimately prove to be a down year, RotoBaller's dynasty WR76 remains a hold with potentially brighter days still ahead.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 9:38 AM ET

Even in accumulating more than 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was considered one of fantasy's biggest disappointments in 2025, finishing the year as RB14. Following a historic 2,000-yard campaign in 2024, there was reasonably but one direction to go, and while Barkley's 346 total touches in 2025 were still the sixth most in the league, that number was down almost 140 touches from the previous season. Barkley is now 29 years old, and while durability concerns continue to mount, he no longer carries a top-of-the-draft price tag and could realistically be viewed as a value in his third season with the Eagles. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion projects to run more under-center looks while involving his backs in the passing game, allowing Barkley to play more with a head of steam or out in space. An emphasis on wide-zone runs and an expectation that the team could rely more on 2025 trade acquisition Tank Bigsby could also help keep Barkley fresh throughout the year and help restore some of the explosiveness that showed up far less frequently than in the previous season. At RotoBaller's RB6, Barkley is still a back that fantasy managers can feel good about making their RB1 even if they aren't situated at the top of 2026 draft boards.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 9:26 AM ET

For the first time since 2023, Houston Texans running back David Montgomery projects to lead his team in carries. While he's now three years older than the player who finished that season as the RB13, and he no longer has the benefit of Ben Johnson drawing up plays for him, he still boasts tremendous upside for a player routinely slipping outside the first four rounds of 2026 drafts. While his usage has dipped in recent seasons, his efficiency has not. In his three seasons sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, who is now comfortably in the conversation of the best backs in the game, Montgomery averaged .87 fantasy points per touch. In Houston, with one of the league's premier defenses allowing for a baseline of neutral or positive game scripts, the eighth-year veteran could see enormous volume. 2025 fourth-round pick Woody Marks was inefficient as a rookie after being thrust into lead back duty and figures to settle into a more natural pass-catching role, leaving the former Lion with the lion's share of the carries. At RotoBaller's RB21, Montgomery profiles as one of this year's safest RB2s but also has the upside to anchor a receiver-heavy build in a zero-RB strategy.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 2, 2026, 9:14 AM ET

As part of a full offensive rebuild that saw them say goodbye to their head coach and playcaller, starting quarterback, and top two wide receivers, the Miami Dolphins signed former Packers backup quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year, $67.5 million contract and have since done a reasonable job of restocking what was at the time a fully barren pass-catching group. Miami spent five of its 13 2026 draft picks on receiver and tight end, and if Willis can keep the offense afloat in his first season at the helm, 2027 promises what looks to be a deep draft class and an outstanding group of potential free agents. Sharing a backfield with De'Von Achane, Willis could provide a usable fantasy floor in 2026 through checkdowns and his own rushing ability, having added an unreal 11.8 fantasy points per game with his legs in his last three starts. If Willis can make it to 2027 with a hold on the starting job, Miami could retool quickly, and his dynasty value could soar, making him a worthwhile investment at his current ranking of RotoBaller's QB25.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 1, 2026, 11:40 PM ET

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had a record-setting rookie year with 112 catches, 1,194 yards, and five touchdowns with quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell throwing him the football. Last year was a disappointment, though, with Geno Smith running the offense and Bowers missing time with injuries. However, his catch rate stayed steady at 74% in both of his seasons, and his yards per reception went from only 10.7 to 10.6. The former 13th overall pick out of the University of Georgia was targeted slightly less last year, but with new head coach Klint Kubiak coming to town, Bowers' target rate should rise in Year 3. ESPN's Ben Solak suggests that Bowers will be a candidate to win Offensive Player of the Year. A TE has never won the award in NFL history, with Travis Kelce coming the closest in 2020. Not only does Bowers have elite pass-catching talent at the position with a bigger role in the offense expected in 2026, but the QB play in Vegas should be better between veteran Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza. There's a reason RotoBaller has Bowers ranked as the top fantasy TE for the upcoming season, even after a disappointing sophomore showing.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Ben Solak

Jul 1, 2026, 11:31 PM ET

ESPN's Ben Solak thinks the Detroit Lions should trade tight end Sam LaPorta as they stare at upcoming big contract extensions for him, star running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and safety Brian Branch. The Lions are also carrying sizable second contracts at quarterback (Jared Goff), wide receiver (Amon-Ra St. Brown), edge rusher (Aidan Hutchinson), and offensive tackle (Penei Sewell). Gibbs is probably untouchable as one of the best dual-threat backs in the NFL. LaPorta had an eye-popping rookie season with 86 catches, 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns, but he's lost some volume in Detroit's passing attack as receiver Jameson Williams has developed into the team's WR2. In the last two years, LaPorta's 25% target per route fell to 19.7%, and Williams has produced more yards per target, yards per route, and explosive receptions per target. The 25-year-old former second-rounder is now the clear fourth target in an explosive Lions offense, which makes him somewhat expendable. Additionally, LaPorta isn't a very strong blocker. Solak predicts that the Carolina Panthers, a team that hasn't had a difference-making pass-catching tight end since Greg Olsen, could come calling if the Lions are willing to listen.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Ben Solak