January 27, 2026
Washington Commanders running back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt was a fantasy darling during draft season last fall when the team's RB picture was unsettled. His fantasy stock rose even further after
Austin Ekeler suffered a season-ending injury early in the year. The 24-year-old seventh-rounder ended up leading the team in carries (175), rushing yards (805), and rushing touchdowns (eight), but he was the RB29 in half-PPR scoring, and he averaged just 8.2 half-PPR points per game in his 17 contests. It didn't help JCM's cause that starting quarterback
Jayden Daniels missed most of the season with various injuries. Croskey-Merritt had two 100-yard games in his rookie season, but he also failed to eclipse 50 rushing yards in a game 12 times. The Commanders will have a new offensive coordinator in 2026, and it's hard to say how they'll attack the RB position in free agency and the draft. Croskey-Merritt will have a role next year, but there's a good chance he'll be more of a committee back than a workhorse.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
Carolina Panthers wide receiver
Jalen Coker's stats in his first two NFL seasons don't stand out. He has produced 65 catches on 89 targets for 872 yards and five touchdowns in 22 regular-season games. The 24-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross has played in exactly 11 games in each of his first two years in the NFL due to injuries. A quad ailment was the reason he didn't debut in 2025 until Week 7. It took Coker a little while to get in the groove, but once he did, he was essentially Carolina's WR2 behind impressive rookie first-rounder
Tetairoa McMillan. In the last five games of the regular season, Coker had 19 grabs for 244 yards and three touchdowns, and he stepped up in the playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams for a 9-134-1 line. If Coker can finally stay healthy in 2026, he has the potential for a Year 3 breakout as the Panthers' WR2.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
Cleveland Browns tight end
Harold Fannin Jr. exceeded all expectations in his first year in the NFL after being taken in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Bowling Green. Fannin quickly proved that he could hold his own at the next level, and he finished with 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns on 107 targets in 16 games. The 21-year-old led the Browns in catches, targets, receiving yards, and touchdowns, and he quickly surpassed
David Njoku as Cleveland's go-to pass-catching tight end. A whole new coaching staff is coming to Cleveland for the 2026 season, but regardless, Fannin should have a major role in the passing attack going into his sophomore campaign. If David Njoku, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March, doesn't come back, Fannin's fantasy upside will soar even higher. After his rookie breakout in 2025, expect Fannin to be a popular TE1 selection in fantasy drafts this fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver
Emeka Egbuka entered the NFL with high expectations after Tampa took him with the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Egbuka quickly showed that his talent was for real, catching 25 of his 38 targets for 445 yards and five touchdowns in his first five NFL games. The 23-year-old would only go on to catch one more touchdown pass the rest of the way, though, to finish with 63 receptions for 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 17 contests. Egbuka opened 2025 with a substantial role, with both
Chris Godwin Jr. and
Jalen McMillan dealing with injuries. Veteran
Mike Evans also went down due to injury during the season, which assured Egbuka of a heavy target share. Once both Evans and Godwin returned, Egbuka saw his role shrink dramatically. Egbuka's talent will play long-term, but he could have his fantasy upside capped in 2026 if Evans, Godwin, and McMillan are all in the fold.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Tee Higgins will always be in the shadow of
Ja'Marr Chase as long as the two stay in Cincy, but it doesn't mean that Higgins cannot continue to be productive. The 27-year-old hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2022, but what he's lacked in yardage the last two seasons, he's made up for with trips to the end zone, scoring a whopping 21 times in 27 games the last two years. In 15 regular-season games in 2025, Higgins caught 59 of his 98 targets for 846 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns. Despite missing some games due to injury and losing valuable targets to Chase, Higgins still managed to finish as the WR14 in half-PPR scoring. The former second-rounder isn't without injury concerns, but when he's healthy, he has excellent chemistry with quarterback
Joe Burrow and also a nose for paydirt. Higgins has had at least five TDs in each of his six NFL seasons and will enter the 2026 campaign as a strong WR2 target.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
The Denver Broncos fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi on Tuesday, a source told Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Lombardi, 54, served as head coach Sean Payton's offensive coordinator for three seasons in Denver after originally being hired in February of 2023. The move comes after passing-game coordinator
Davis Webb has drawn multiple head-coaching interviews around the league, including for the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders. Now that Lombardi is out of the picture, the Broncos could very well promote Webb to the OC role if he doesn't land a head-coaching gig. Lombardi first served under Payton as an offensive assistant and later as QBs coach from 2007 to 2013, and then again with the New Orleans Saints as Drew Brees' QBs coach from 2016 to 2020. The Broncos' offense had trouble starting fast in games in 2025 under Lombardi, and they ranked 10th in total yards and 14th in total points.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
January 27, 2026
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Tuesday that both offensive coordinator Grant Udinski and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile will remain with the team for the 2026 season. Both Udinski and Campanile interviewed for multiple head-coaching openings this cycle, so they will return to Duval next season. The Jaguars excelled on both sides of the ball in 2025 under first-year head coach Liam Coen, which led to the team winning the AFC South. Jacksonville was unable to advance past the Buffalo Bills in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs, but they are a rising organization with the coaching staff staying intact. Under the 30-year-old Udinski, the offense ranked in the top 10 in points per game (27.9), scoring margin, first downs, and total touchdowns. Under Campanile, the Jags had the best run defense in the NFL and also set franchise records with 102 pass breakups, 31 takeaways, 22 interceptions, and a plus-13 turnover differential.
--Keith HernandezSource: Jaguars PR
January 27, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars running back
Travis Etienne Jr. was motivated in his contract year in 2025, and he delivered with 1,399 scrimmage yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns (seven rushing, six receiving) in 17 regular-season games. The 27-year-old posted his third 1,000-yard rushing season in his four years in the NFL, and it was a huge bounce-back campaign for the former Clemson star after he had only 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2024 in 15 games. Determining Etienne's 2026 fantasy value is hard at the moment, since we don't know yet if the Jaguars plan to make an effort to re-sign him as he heads into his fifth year in the NFL. Etienne certainly outperformed expectations this year, but if he goes elsewhere, he might not see the kind of volume he did for the Jags as a dual-threat RB. If he stays in Duval, Etienne will be trying to hold off
Bhayshul Tuten, who seems destined for a bigger role in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Xavier Worthy caught 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his rookie campaign in 2024, but he wasn't able to build on that performance in Year 2. The 22-year-old former first-rounder caught only 42 of 73 targets for 532 yards and one touchdown in 14 games in 2025 for a Chiefs organization that failed to make the postseason for the first time in a decade. Worthy is a big-play threat anytime he touches the football because of his elite speed and shiftiness, but injuries could quickly become a concern because of his tiny 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame. His fantasy stock is certainly down big time heading into the 2026 season, but perhaps new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy can get Worthy involved more. The biggest obstacle for Worthy being able to bounce back is the presence of
Rashee Rice.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman after another early playoff exit and hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to take over. The Chargers need to get healthy on the offensive line first and foremost, but the move to McDaniel should be great news for the fantasy outlook of quarterback
Justin Herbert in 2026. One of the first things that McDaniel hopes to do is to craft an offense that doesn't rely as much on Herbert's individual talents, such as scrambling and making miraculous plays outside of the pocket. "I think not relying too heavily on Justin's ability to do above and beyond, I think is critical to maximize those types of opportunities," McDaniel said. "That'll be one of the first things that we'll try to do is take a little off his plate so that he is free to do that when his greatness is required." Herbert went over 4,000 passing yards in each of his first three seasons, but he hasn't been able to do it the last three years. He finished as the QB10 in overall fantasy points in 2025. With McDaniel in the fold, Herbert should have more upside to reach his true ceiling.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
The New York Jets are parting ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Previous reports suggested that Engstrand might remain with the organization, but that he'd be stripped of his play-calling duties. It turns out that he won't be around at all with the team in 2026 after a miserable season as New York's OC in 2025. Former Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich is expected to become the next offensive play-caller under head coach Aaron Glenn. The experiment with
Justin Fields at quarterback did not work, and the Jets finished 3-14 while ranking 29th in total yards and points per game and finishing dead-last with just 140.3 passing yards per game. New York has a huge question mark at QB going into next season, as well as at running back if they don't re-sign
Breece Hall.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 27, 2026
When asked if he'd like veteran quarterback
Aaron Rodgers to return in 2026, new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said, "Definitely, I don't see why you wouldn't." McCarthy said he has spoken to Rodgers since being hired and thought that he was a great asset for the team in 2025. Rodgers will be a free agent in March, and it's unclear if he plans on returning for a 22nd season in the NFL. The expectation is that he'd leave Pittsburgh following the departure of long-time head coach Mike Tomlin. The Steelers clearly have interest in a reunion with Rodgers, but it remains to be seen if that's mutual, or if he has interest in playing for McCarthy again after the two reportedly had a falling out during their time together with the Green Bay Packers. If Rodgers returns to the Steelers, he'd once again be a low-end QB2 for fantasy with a team that needs more WR depth behind
DK Metcalf.
--Keith HernandezSource: PGSportsNow - Brian Batko
January 27, 2026
Houston Texans assistant general manager James Liipfert and Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham are the two finalists for the Atlanta Falcons' GM position, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Both Liipfert and Cunningham will be in Atlanta this week for second interviews. Liipfert is a Georgia native and had a strong first interview with the team. Cunningham has been viewed as "the" favorite for the job for a while now, and he also interviewed for the team's president of football job before it went to former quarterback
Matt Ryan. Whoever is hired for the job to replace Terry Fontenot will be working closely with both Ryan and new head coach Kevin Stefanski to try to turn the organization around after eight straight losing seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sports Illustrated - Albert Breer
January 27, 2026
Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells is expected to interview this week for the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive-coordinator job, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Wells worked under new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas for five years and also interviewed this month for the OC position with the Washington Commanders. He stayed in Dallas when Brian Schottenheimer replaced McCarthy as the Cowboys' head coach. Before moving to Dallas in 2020, Wells was an assistant coach for the New York Giants for eight years. He also coached at LSU before joining the NFL. If hired in the Steel City, Wells and McCarthy would be tasked with turning around a Steelers offense that has been lackluster for the last several years under former head coach Mike Tomlin. Figuring out the QB position and whether the team has a shot to lure
Aaron Rodgers back for another year would be the main priority.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 27, 2026
Former Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich is expected to be hired by the New York Jets to take over the offensive play-calling, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. The addition of Reich to head coach Aaron Glenn's staff would be big. Reich won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016-17, although head coach Doug Pederson called the plays then. He was also the head coach for the Indianapolis Colts (2018 to 2022). Reich has been coaching at Stanford for the last two years. The Jets don't plan to fire current OC Tanner Engstrand, but his role with the team will change. Sources close to Engstrand said he doesn't expect to call plays in 2026, but he might keep the OC title. New York had the fourth-worst EPA per play in 2025, but they also had a dumpster fire at QB. Reich will probably have similar issues if the Jets can't fix the quarterback position.
--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
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