RADIO
Isaiah Likely Showing Strong Connection With New Quarterback
The New York Giants have a lot riding on new tight end Isaiah Likely after they signed him to a three-year, $40 million deal in free agency in March, so it's good to hear from John Fennelly of Giants Wire that he and new quarterback Jaxson Dart "have already shown a connection in early workouts this past spring." The former fourth-rounder by the Baltimore Ravens out of Coastal Carolina in 2022 could never get out of Mark Andrews' shadow in his four seasons with the Ravens, but he'll have a chance to immediately break out in 2026 in his first year in the Big Apple after following head coach John Harbaugh to the Giants. The G-Men think that the 26-year-old can become offensive coordinator Matt Nagy's receiving tight end out of the slot to create mismatches for opposing defenses. Likely can also be used as a blocker, but the Giants will probably have others do most of that. After catching 135 of his 194 targets for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first four NFL seasons with the Ravens, Likely will enter 2026 as a low-end TE1 target/high-end TE2 target in fantasy drafts with the potential for a true breakout in New York.
Source: Giants Wire - John Fennelly
Source: Giants Wire - John Fennelly
Wan'Dale Robinson Entering Training Camp With Momentum in New Digs
TennesseeTitans.com's Jim Wyatt writes that the wide receiver who ended the offseason with the most momentum for the Tennessee Titans was newcomer Wan'Dale Robinson. Second-year QB Cam Ward and Robinson seemed to struggle to connect early in offseason workouts, but "I think that worked itself out some in June." Robinson, veteran Calvin Ridley, and rookie first-rounder Carnell Tate are locked in as the top three wideouts going into Week 1 of the 2026 regular season, with second-year pass-catchers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor battling for snaps behind them. Tennessee signed Robinson to a four-year, $78 million deal in free agency in March after he had 92 catches on 140 targets for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in 2025 in a breakout year with the New York Giants. He has familiarity with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll from their time together in New York, but with the Titans expected to use a lot of two-tight end sets, fantasy managers should expect some target regression in 2026 in his new home. RotoBaller has Robinson ranked as the No. 51 overall fantasy WR as more of a flex option than a weekly set-and-forget wideout.
Source: TennesseeTitans.com - Jim Wyatt
Source: TennesseeTitans.com - Jim Wyatt
Brenton Strange a High-Upside Streaming Option in 2026
After recording career highs of 46 receptions, 540 yards, and three touchdowns in 2025, Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange agreed to a three-year extension worth up to $48 million dollars, and the only thing truly working against him heading into 2026 is the overall depth of the Jaguars' pass catchers. While certainly a luxury problem for an NFL offense, fantasy managers could face the frustration of trying to determine how targets will be allotted on a week-to-week basis. Jacksonville comes into the season with an impressive receiver room of Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and two-way player Travis Hunter, a foursome that did not see a single snap together in 2025. Working in Strange's favor is the obvious positional advantage that should see him on the field at close to an every-down rate. Strange missed five games in 2025 with a hip injury that landed him on injured reserve, but in returning for the final seven games of the regular season, he closed the year as the TE8. Now pushed entirely out of most drafts by the uncertainty of his situation, Strange remains a high-upside swing in deeper leagues, and at RotoBaller's TE18, he is certain to enter into the weekly streaming conversation in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chris Godwin Jr. a Strong Bounce-Back Candidate in 2026
When healthy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. has built a case as one of fantasy's most reliable players, finishing as a WR3 or better in six straight seasons and pacing as the overall WR2 through the first seven weeks of 2024 before a catastrophic leg injury ended his season. How he will look almost two years removed from the injury remains to be seen after battling through lingering issues and failing to find consistency throughout most of last season, but with six-time Pro Bowler Mike Evans departing in free agency, the path is wide open for a meaningful bounce-back. After the Buccaneers deployed 11 personnel at one of the league's highest rates in 2025, Godwin's rising slot usage in recent years could cause an understandable tinge of concern as the team transitions to new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's tight end-heavy system. Still, along with 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, he clearly projects as one of Tampa's top two receivers, and as a player who began his career almost primarily on the outside, he should have little trouble staying on the field. Godwin has fallen to RotoBaller's WR46 and could prove to be a late-round steal if the Buccaneers offense as a whole can stay healthier than what we last saw in 2025.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Keenan Allen a Free Agent Who Could Soon Find a Home
With NFL training camps right around the corner, one of the most high-profile free agents still on the market is veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen. Allen has played all but one of his 13 professional seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, and the six-time Pro Bowler has the most receptions in franchise history. While a reunion with the Chargers still makes sense, Allen could be weighing his options and biding his time to see which opportunities present themselves in the wake of the unfortunate reality of training camp injuries. Since entering the league in 2013 as a third-round pick out of California, Allen has played in 177 total games, but only six of those have come in the postseason, so it's reasonable to think that playoff contention would sit high atop his list of priorities. Allen finished as the WR34 last season, and even without a known landing spot, he is more than worthy of a dart throw in the closing rounds of 2026 drafts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Troy Franklin Falling Down 2026 Draft Boards
Through his first two seasons in the NFL, Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin has seen solid but unspectacular production, totaling 93 receptions for 972 yards and eight touchdowns, with most of that coming in 2025. At only 23 years old, it would be unwise to think he does not have room for further growth, but now stuck on the deepest depth chart of his young career, a path to meaningful fantasy production could be difficult to find in 2026. Veteran Courtland Sutton is fresh off his second consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, and the team spent aggressively to acquire dynamic playmaker Jaylen Waddle via trade. Denver operated out of three-receiver sets at a rate above league average in 2025, but with a flatter talent distribution, it may have been easier to earn targets. With Waddle and Sutton all but locked into the top two spots, Franklin could find himself battling Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. for a tertiary role this year, with each offering a unique enough skill set to force a frustrating-for-fantasy rotation. At RotoBaller's WR85, Franklin should not fall completely off of draft boards, but he now profiles as little more than a late-round swing who can easily be dropped if he isn't reliably seeing work early in the year.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tyler Higbee No Longer Part of the Fantasy Discussion
Playing in only 10 games in 2025, Los Angeles Rams veteran tight end Tyler Higbee caught 25 passes for 281 yards, which was good enough for second among the team's position group. But even in the league's tight end-heaviest offense, that's not enough to keep him in the fantasy conversation for 2026. Last year's second-round pick Terrance Ferguson is expected to see an expanded role after picking up steam late in his rookie season, and Los Angeles spent another second-round pick on Ohio State's Max Klare in the 2026 NFL Draft, adding further depth behind presumed starter Colby Parkinson. Through 10 seasons played entirely with the Rams, Higbee has accumulated 27 touchdowns and almost 4,000 receiving yards, but he has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years and has not had a reliable fantasy presence since his TE9 finish in 2022. He is currently RotoBaller's TE40 and not a player of whom much is expected in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry Still the Patriots TE1
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is still the team's unquestioned TE1 entering the 2026 season, even though the team added rookie Eli Raridon in April's draft, according to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. Henry was below-average as a run-blocker last year, but he ranked seventh among TEs in receiving yards with a career-high 768 and had the second-most total EPA by a tight end at plus-72.4. The 31-year-old will once again be a trusted target for young quarterback Drake Maye as the two continue to develop strong chemistry. Raridon could be a possible successor to Henry and could have a big Year 1 role with New England, but as long as Henry is healthy, he'll be the Pats' top pass-catching TE. However, with the additions of receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, Henry is looking at a lower volume ceiling and floor in his sixth year in New England. Henry has had at least 419 receiving yards in all 10 of his NFL campaigns and is a solid red-zone target for Maye, but fantasy managers should target him as a midrange TE2 this year instead of a surefire TE1.
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
Drake Maye Building Chemistry With New Wideout Quickly
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said on Thursday that he is quickly building chemistry with new wide receiver A.J. Brown before training camp begins, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. "It has been awesome," Maye said. "I'm really looking forward to playing with him. I'm looking forward to getting to camp and building some chemistry. And I know there's already some there for me. You just gotta throw it near him, and he'll make a play." Although Brown had 1,003 receiving yards in 2025 in his final season with the Philadelphia Eagles, his relationship with QB Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni soured to the point where they could not continue. The Patriots sent Philly a first-round pick in exchange for Brown this offseason, so they have a lot riding on Brown and Maye forming a strong bond in 2026 and beyond. On paper, Brown should thrive with Maye, who was the most accurate deep-ball passer in the NFL in 2025. Maye, meanwhile, has darted up to top-five status at his position in fantasy after a strong first full season as the Patriots' starter, which included a trip to the Super Bowl. RotoBaller has Maye ranked as the No. 4 fantasy QB for 2026.
Source: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
Source: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
Puka Nacua Could be a Candidate for the Franchise Tag in 2027
CBS Sports' Joel Corry makes the case that Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua could be a candidate for the franchise tag in 2027 as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal in 2026. Based strictly on his production through his first three years in the NFL -- 313 catches, 4,191 yards and 19 touchdowns in 44 regular-season games -- the case can be made that the 25-year-old deserves to be the highest-paid WR. The former fifth-rounder in 2023 led the league with 129 catches for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns (all career highs) in 2025, and his 107.2 receiving yards per game led the NFL. Nacua's 313 catches are the fourth-most ever in a span of his first three seasons, behind only Justin Jefferson (324), Michael Thomas (321), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (315). Only Jefferson (4,825) has more receiving yards through three seasons than Nacua. Questionable off-the-field decisions last year have jeopardized Nacua's big-time payday in the future. He could still get a new deal before the start of the 2026 regular season, but it remains to be seen if the Rams are comfortable with that yet. Either way, Nacua is the unquestioned top fantasy wideout going into this season with veteran QB Matthew Stafford back for another campaign.
Source: CBS Sports Joel Corry
Source: CBS Sports Joel Corry
KC Concepcion a Potential Late-Round Gem in 2026 Drafts
With training camps set to open at the end of the month, a position battle that all fantasy managers should be paying close attention to is at the top of the wide receiver depth chart for the Cleveland Browns. The Browns spent one of their two first-round picks on Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion before using another top 40 selection on Denzel Boston, adding the rookies to a room in which veteran Jerry Jeudy is looking to rebound from a disappointing 602-yard campaign. While Cleveland has steadily assembled a dynamic core of playmakers, the quarterback spot features its own battle to watch between second-year pro Shedeur Sanders and a redemption-seeking Deshaun Watson. While neither inspires much confidence at this point in their respective careers, whoever wins the job would do well to get the ball into the hands of players who can create yards after the catch, an area where Concepcion stood out in college. Nearly half of his 919 receiving yards in 2025 came after the catch, and if he is able to carve out something close to the Zay Flowers role in Todd Monken's offense, Concepcion could be a late-round gem as RotoBaller's WR49.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Amon-Ra St. Brown Remains One of the Safest Picks in the First Round of 2026 Drafts
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has steadily finished as the fantasy WR3 in each of the past three seasons, and there is little reason to believe he'll stray far from there in 2026. Even with the late-season emergence of teammate Jameson Williams, who topped 1,000 receiving yards for the second straight year, St. Brown remains the unquestioned lynchpin of Detroit's high-powered passing offense, earning an already staggering 31.3% target share and an even more unreal 37.5% share in the red zone. Without the threat of pulling the ball down and running, nearly all of Jared Goff's dropbacks translate to passing production, allowing him to lead the NFL in both passing yards and touchdowns over the past four seasons, and with St. Brown his most trusted target, the four-time Pro Bowler remains one of the safest picks in fantasy. St. Brown is RotoBaller's WR5 and a player who should continue to shift matchups throughout the 2026 season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Emanuel Wilson Not the Seahawks Running Back to Target in 2026 Redraft Leagues
After three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, running back Emanuel Wilson signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks. At the time, the team had just lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III through free agency, and with Zach Charbonnet tearing his ACL in a January playoff game, the door was temporarily open for Wilson to see a meaningful role after averaging 4.5 career yards per carry, primarily through change-of-pace work and the occasional spot start. Since then, the Seahawks spent their first-round pick on Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, while Charbonnet was spotted doing rehabilitation work on a side field during the final practice of mandatory minicamp in June. With George Holani also still on the roster, even a best-case scenario for Wilson involves a muddled timeshare with low prospects of hitting for fantasy, but with Price reportedly taking on a larger role throughout those non-padded sessions, a more likely scenario would see the rookie handling lead back responsibilities early in the year. At RotoBaller's RB57, Wilson is not a player who needs to be targeted in 2026 redraft leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tyquan Thornton an Attractive Later-Round Pick in Best-Ball Drafts
After three disappointing years in New England, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyquan Thornton enjoyed the most productive season of his young career in 2025, serving as the primary vertical threat in a Chiefs offense that has stagnated in recent years. Since the departure of Tyreek Hill in 2022, two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes II had seen his air yards per attempt on a steady decline, and while that number sat at only 7.0 in 2025, it still represented a slight uptick over his previous two seasons. While he caught only 19 passes in his first season with the Chiefs, Thornton was easily the most explosive piece of an offense whose most reliable playmakers tended to operate underneath, averaging more than 23 yards per reception and adding three touchdowns to his 438 yards. The team's most impactful receiver, Rashee Rice, is expected to be cleared of the legal situation for which he already served a six-game suspension, while 2024 first-round pick Xavier Worthy should be healthier after a frustrating, injury-marred sophomore campaign, but neither possesses Thornton's ability to consistently stretch the field. While his production may come in more unpredictable spurts, Thornton should benefit from further developed chemistry with Mahomes, and he is a worthwhile selection in the later rounds of 2026 best ball drafts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Will Shipley an NFL Depth Piece with Little Fantasy Value
With training camps set to open at the end of the month, depth charts around the league will soon be tested, but one of the deepest rosters in the NFL still belongs to the Philadelphia Eagles, and at the running back spot in particular, third-year veteran Will Shipley provides a luxury to a team with title aspirations. Three-time Pro Bowler Saquon Barkley is firmly entrenched atop the depth chart, but with the 29-year-old back having accumulated more than 800 total touches across his first two seasons with the Eagles, the presence of Shipley and 2025 trade acquisition Tank Bigsby could allow him to keep fresh during the dog days of summer while each competes to carve out their own role. Through his own two seasons in Philadelphia, Shipley has carried the ball only 44 times for an unimpressive 131 yards, but his contributions on special teams boost his chances of sticking on the roster. While he carries little standalone fantasy value into 2026, Shipley would become a popular waiver add should an unfortunate injury strain the Eagles' impressive depth.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
