RADIO
Jayden Higgins Looking to Build Off Strong Finish to 2025 Season
After a solid finish to his rookie season, Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins is poised for a strong second season in 2026. Higgins hauled in 41 of 68 targets for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games last season, finishing as the WR46 in half-PPR formats. The 34th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft started slowly, totaling just 159 yards in the first eight games, but finished strong, averaging over 40 receiving yards per game and scoring four touchdowns in nine games. Amid quarterback C.J. Stroud's struggles toward the end of the season, Higgins was fantasy-relevant as the WR2 in this offense. While Nico Collins remains the lead receiver in this offense, Higgins should continue to be a factor and could have a big year if Stroud returns to the level of play he showed during his rookie season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Isiah Pacheco Will Not Practice Next Week
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) will not practice this week, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain during last week's practice, and it reportedly won't affect his Week 1 status. However, with Pacheco's injury and Jacob Saylors (ankle) dealing with a minor injury, the team signed running back Trayveon Williams to a one-year contract. If this knee sprain lingers as the season approaches, Pacheco could lose reps to star running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who has proven he can be a full workhorse back. Fantasy managers of Gibbs and Pacheco should monitor the former Kansas City Chiefs back's status closely, since missed time could impact both players in fantasy.
Source: Jeremy Reisman - Pride of Detroit
Source: Jeremy Reisman - Pride of Detroit
Jahmyr Gibbs to See Heavy Workload Early in Season?
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs could see a heavy workload early in the season due to backup Isiah Pacheco's injury. Gibbs recorded over 1,800 scrimmage yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025, though he lost significant snaps to running back David Montgomery, who will start in Houston this season. The team signed former Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, who was expected to spell Gibbs in 2026. However, Pacheco suffered an MCL sprain in practice last week, which could affect his Week 1 status. Even if Pacheco is active in Week 1, he is losing valuable practice reps and may need to be eased in. When Montgomery missed time in Detroit, Gibbs averaged 22.7 attempts per game, 143 scrimmage yards, and 10 touchdowns over seven games. In one of the league's most potent offenses, Gibbs is the favorite to be the first-overall pick in fantasy drafts this season.
Source: Jeremy Reisman - Pride of Detroit
Source: Jeremy Reisman - Pride of Detroit
Romeo Doubs Ascending at Patriots Practice
New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs has risen during training camp and delivered a stellar practice on Saturday. Doubs caught three touchdown passes in Saturday's practice and has had his best practices over the past week. Head coach Mike Vrabel said that Doubs is "trending in the right direction. I think he found where Rome can really help us -- be big, fast and aggressive." The former Green Bay Packers wideout had 55 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns last season, playing as a primary X receiver under Matt LaFleur. Now in New England, Doubs is expected to move around much more and, hopefully, be a key outside playmaker alongside former Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown. Ranked WR54 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Doubs looks like a potential steal at his current value in a new situation.
Source: Mike Reiss - ESPN
Source: Mike Reiss - ESPN
Blake Corum Listed as Backup on Unofficial Depth Chart
Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum was listed as the backup to Kyren Williams on the team's unofficial preseason depth chart. Corum had a strong second season in 2025, totaling 746 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 17 games, while adding only 36 receiving yards on eight catches. Although Corum and Williams split work late last season, the team left the veteran back as the RB1, with Corum as the RB2. While the unofficial depth chart isn't a definitive indicator of the team's backfield plans, it does support the Rams' belief in Williams, who recorded over 1,500 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025. Corum is currently ranked RB32 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, which may be too high a price if he sees a workload similar to last season.
Source: Los Angeles Rams
Source: Los Angeles Rams
DeMeco Ryans Views David Montgomery As No. 1 Back
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans considers running back David Montgomery the team's lead back this season. Ryans said on the SiriusXM NFL show last week, "I see David as a number one back. He's a really good runner; he's always been a runner whenever he touches the ball. Strong, runs low, runs behind his pads." Montgomery spent the past three seasons with the Detroit Lions, splitting carries with star running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Despite a timeshare, he averaged 75 scrimmage yards per game and scored 33 touchdowns in 45 games. Now he heads to Houston, where he expects to lead a committee with second-year back Woody Marks. Ranked RB21 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, the veteran back has a chance to be a solid RB2 in fantasy leagues this season.
Source: Houston Stressans
Source: Houston Stressans
Can Jack Bech Remain Involved Despite Raiders' Wide Receiver Additions?
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jack Bech seems like a natural fit for a Year 2 breakout, but the team's offseason moves could serve as an obstacle in his development. There are no flashy names in Vegas' receiver room, but the Raiders deliberately signed both Jalen Nailor and Noah Brown. Both receivers are veterans in the NFL, and they have the ability to serve as dependable (albeit not very flashy) targets for Kirk Cousins and, eventually, Fernando Mendoza. Although Bech might have more long-term upside than Nailor and Brown, he's not exactly a proven veteran target who can form a rapport with Cousins and Mendoza right away, so it would be tough to justify drafting him in redraft leagues. In addition to Nailor and Brown, he faces competition for targets from Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton. At this point, Bech is avoidable in most redraft leagues, but we would continue to stash him on the back end of dynasty rosters, as he still represents a key part of the Raiders' offense long-term.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tyler Warren Poised to Handle Massive Target Share in Year 2
Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren is expected to take on a much larger target share during his second NFL season. The Colts traded away Michael Pittman Jr. this past offseason and didn't bring in any big names to fill his shoes, so a lot of his vacated targets will go to Warren. The tight end is heading into his second NFL season and will look to build on an impressive rookie campaign in which he caught 76 passes for 817 yards and four touchdowns. The Penn State product was the overall TE4 in PPR leagues last year, and he achieved that mark despite playing several games without quarterback Daniel Jones, who suffered an Achilles injury. Now, Jones is healthy and Pittman is gone, setting the stage for Warren to have a massive Year 2 breakout. In the short term, he could also step into a larger role if wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) isn't quite at 100 percent in Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Alec Pierce to Miss All of Training Camp
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce (left ankle) will miss all of training camp as he continues to recover from left ankle surgery, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. The surgery occurred in April, and while the Colts remain confident that he'll be ready for the regular-season opener on Sept. 13, it would have been nice to see Pierce get some preseason reps beforehand. He's still at least a week away from handling a normal practice workload, which could potentially have an impact on the number of snaps he plays in Week 1. If Pierce isn't at 100 percent for the season opener, we'd expect to see Daniel Jones distribute more targets to Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, as well as standout tight end Tyler Warren. As it stands, the newly extended Pierce ranks as the overall WR46 in RotoBaller's latest redraft fantasy football rankings.
Source: James Boyd
Source: James Boyd
Dylan Sampson a Top Handcuff Despite Browns' Question Marks?
Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson possesses value in redraft leagues despite his role as the backup to Quinshon Judkins. Sampson could have some standalone value as a pass-catching option behind Judkins, but more importantly, he's a top handcuff running back in fantasy football. Sampson had at least 10 carries in each of the three games that Judkins missed last year, and he was even more impactful in the passing game with 4.7 targets per game that Judkins missed. We're not very high on the Browns' offense with Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders under center, but Sampson could still become a volume-based RB2 option if Judkins were to miss time in 2026. He currently has an ADP of 162, which lines up with the 14th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 52nd running back off the board. That's in line with the experts' opinions on Sampson, who ranks as the RB55 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Courtland Sutton Available at a Discount in Fantasy Drafts?
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton remains one of the team's top pass catchers heading into the 2026 season. He caught three passes for 60 yards in Week 1 of the preseason, operating as the No. 1 receiver with Jaylen Waddle (leg) sidelined. It's encouraging that Sutton played this well with Jarrett Stidham as his quarterback -- albeit in a preseason game -- because he should remain productive once Bo Nix (ankle) returns to the offense. Teaming up with Waddle could actually be advantageous for Sutton this year, because it could shift some of the opposing teams' cornerbacks away from him and onto the ex-Dolphin. The Waddle addition has drastically changed Sutton's price tag in redraft leagues, as he now carries an ADP of 72. That makes him a sixth-round pick and the 35th receiver off the board in drafts. There's value to be had, as Sutton still projects as a key pass-catching option in a very potent Broncos offense.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Should Fantasy Managers Fade Isaiah Davis?
New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis (knee) continues to be a massive question mark, and he missed the team's preseason opener on Friday due to a knee injury. While it's tough to knock Davis' fantasy stock for a relatively minor injury, we can't ignore the fact that his absence might have hurt his standing in the running back room, especially since teammate Braelon Allen was active on Friday and broke off a 31-yard touchdown run. Allen might have an early leg up on the competition to be the Jets' No. 2 running back behind Breece Hall, leaving Davis in an unfavorable third-string role. If that's the case, he'll have trouble carving out any sort of fantasy value as long as Hall and Allen are healthy. With that being said, a lot can change between now and Week 1 of the regular season, so dynasty managers should keep Davis on the back end of their rosters if they have the space. He's an unappealing option in redraft leagues, though.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chris Olave a Flashy Option in Saints Offense Trending Upward
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is trending up ahead of the 2026 season. Last year was pivotal for Olave, who needed to prove that he could both produce and stay healthy over a full season. He ended up having a great year as he caught 100 passes for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns across 16 games. All three of those statistics represented career highs, and he ended up finishing as the overall WR6 in PPR leagues. Although Olave is not a lock to replicate his top-six campaign from last year, he's still worth drafting at his ADP of 25.1. He's being drafted as an early third-round pick in most fantasy drafts, and he is typically the 11th receiver off the board. That falls in line with his ranking as the WR11 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026. We're intrigued about the possibility of drafting Olave, who is the top pass-catching option in an offense trending upward. Tyler Shough is due for a big Year 2 at quarterback, and the addition of Jordyn Tyson and Travis Etienne Jr. should help elevate this offense to the next level. Olave is a very strong WR1 for fantasy managers who choose to spend their first 1-2 picks on a running back or tight end.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Emanuel Wilson Dealing with Hamstring Injury
Seattle Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (hamstring) did not play in the team's preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday. His absence was likely caused by a hamstring injury that he suffered in a scrimmage during practice on Tuesday. The good news is that head coach Mike Macdonald said Wilson's injury "is a short-term thing," so we should see him back on the field relatively soon. Prior to the hamstring ailment, the 27-year-old had been running with the first-team offense. Zach Charbonnet (knee) continues to recover from an ACL tear, so Wilson projects to start at running back when the Seahawks take the field in Week 1 of the regular season against the New England Patriots. As long as Charbonnet is sidelined, Wilson ranks as a low-end RB2 or high-end RB3 in fantasy football.
Source: Gregg Bell
Source: Gregg Bell
Von Miller Expected to Sign with Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are expected to sign free-agent linebacker Von Miller, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Presumably, it'll be a one-year deal for the veteran defensive standout. Miller is an eight-time Pro Bowler, but he hasn't earned the honor since 2019. Nevertheless, he has remained productive deep into his career. Last year with the Commanders, he played in 17 games, amassing 26 tackles, nine sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and six tackles for loss. Now 36 years old, the Texas A&M product and Texas native heads to Dallas for a homecoming of sorts. He should offer depth in a linebacker room that is headlined by Rashan Gary, Dee Winters, DeMarvion Overshown, and Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
