RADIO
Malik Nabers Could Miss the First 4-5 Games of 2026?
In a recent podcast episode of the John Keim Report, ESPN's Jordan Raanan speculates that New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) may not return to the field until Week 5 or 6 of the 2026 season. Nabers suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 of the 2025 season and has had a delayed rehab process since then that included an additional procedure to clean up scar tissue. While Raanan is speculating rather than reporting that Nabers may not be ready to start the year, it certainly seems as though the star wideout may be tracking towards a delayed opening to the upcoming season. Nabers put together an electric rookie season in 2024, recording 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and 10 touchdowns on 170 targets across 15 games. Once healthy, he profiles as the clear number one option in the Giants' passing game and carries top-12 wide receiver upside for fantasy managers. However, the 22-year-old's current knee troubles remain a major concern for his overall outlook entering 2026.
Source: ESPN - Jordan Raanan
Source: ESPN - Jordan Raanan
Does T.J. Hockenson Have Bounce-Back Potential in 2026?
Across 15 games in 2025, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson recorded 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns on 66 targets. Like all the other pass-catchers for Minnesota, Hockenson's production was limited by the Vikings' bottom-tier quarterback play in 2025. Veteran signal-caller Kyler Murray brings more stability to Minnesota's passing game in 2026, although the team's overall offensive ecosystem is not guaranteed to be significantly improved. Hockenson is also showing signs of athletic decline as he enters his age-29 season, as he averaged a career-low 8.6 yards per reception in 2025. Additionally, the Vikings signed wide receiver Jauan Jennings in free agency, adding a quality target-earner and red-zone weapon to an offense that already features the star wide receiver duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Even at his current ADP of TE22 in redraft leagues, Hockenson may be a player for fantasy managers to avoid in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordan Addison Carries Redraft Sleeper Appeal into 2026
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison had a season to forget in 2025. After missing the first three games of the year due to a suspension, the 24-year-old finished the season with 42 catches for 610 yards and three touchdowns on 79 targets. Addison was a victim of the Vikings' brutal quarterback play in 2025, as the team received below-average production from signal-callers J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Minnesota brought in veteran quarterback Kyler Murray over the offseason, who should at least provide the team's passing game with more stability in 2026. The Vikings also signed wide receiver Jauan Jennings in free agency, so Addison has some significant target competition between Jennings and superstar wideout Justin Jefferson. Still, Addison finished the 2024 season as the WR24 by measure of per-game PPR scoring. With his current ADP of WR42 in redraft leagues, Addison carries sleeper value into 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cade Otton Remains a Streaming Option in 2026
Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has been a model of consistency over the past two seasons, making exactly 59 catches in both 2024 and 2025 and finishing right around 600 receiving yards in each year. Unfortunately, a lack of red zone usage has prevented him from ever finishing as a top-12 fantasy tight end, having never topped four scores in a season and finishing his most recent campaign with only one touchdown catch. While the Buccaneers' most prolific touchdown-scorer of all time, Mike Evans, was allowed to depart in free agency, Tampa still boasts a deep receiver room, topped by Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan. Even if Otton should find more involvement near the end zone, his floor could be significantly lowered if the team's top pass catchers are all able to stay healthy, something they were unable to accomplish a season ago. Still a worthwhile depth piece in dynasty leagues, Otton is RotoBaller's TE29 for 2026 and figures to factor as little more than a streaming option to help navigate through injuries and bye weeks.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Can Jared Goff Help to Win Leagues in 2026?
Since the start of the 2022 season, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. In four fully healthy seasons with the Lions, he has never finished outside the top 10 for fantasy, and despite expected improvements to both the team's offensive line and play calling ahead of the 2026 season, he is currently being drafted as the QB16. The Lions return both 1,000-yard receivers from a year ago, and with tight end Sam LaPorta expected back at full health and three-time Pro Bowl running back Jahmyr Gibbs ready to inherit a true bell cow role, an easy argument could be made for Goff's supporting cast as the strongest in the league. The former first overall pick has topped 4,400 passing yards and 29 touchdowns in each of the past four seasons, and with the Lions boasting what is on paper one of the league's most fantasy-friendly schedules, there is no reason to expect that streak should end in 2026. In a season where the third, or even fourth tier of fantasy quarterbacks is deep and flat, Goff may be the poster child for punting at the position and is capable of delivering a league-winning performance from the closing rounds of drafts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tez Johnson Buried on a Deep and Healthy Depth Chart
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Tez Johnson popped up on the fantasy radar by taking advantage of an injury-depleted receiver room as a rookie in 2025. With the overlapping absences of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan thrusting him into a featured role, Johnson made 22 catches for 274 yards and five touchdowns over a seven-game mid-season stretch in which he became a regular part of the fantasy discussion for the Buccaneers. While Evans' departure in free agency means Tampa will be without its all-time receiving leader for the first time since 2013, the depth in the room is as strong as it's been in the Baker Mayfield era, with both Godwin and McMillan expected to be back at full health and 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka looking to take another step forward after showing flashes of dominance as a rookie. The team also spent a third-round pick on 6'3" boundary receiver Ted Hurst, leaving Johnson to fight for the fourth or fifth spot on the depth chart and potentially limiting him to a handful of gadget packages. At RotoBaller's WR116, he does not figure to factor into 2026 drafts, but having already demonstrated the ability to contribute in a pinch, Johnson could again be targeted on waiver wires should in-season injuries thin the Buccaneers' receiver room.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kaelon Black Battling for an Important Insurance Role
After not even receiving an invite to the NFL Combine, the San Francisco 49ers selected running back Kaelon Black in the third round of the 2026 Draft, making him the third running back off the board, after only first-rounders Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. While head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have gotten uninspired returns from the running backs they've drafted in recent years, particularly those viewed as reaches by the draft community, as was Black, there is no denying the favorable situation the rookie finds himself in. Four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey recently turned 30 and is coming off a season in which he touched the ball a career-high 450 times, and with Brian Robinson Jr. departing in free agency, Black's biggest competition for primary backup duties comes from 2025 fifth-rounder Jordan James. As a rookie, James did not register a single offensive stat until taking over late in the team's Divisional Round blowout loss to the Seahawks, but a year in the system could give him an early edge heading into 2026. While RotoBaller currently has neither ranked as a top 50 fantasy back for redraft leagues, the training camp battle between Black and James will be one to monitor, and should either gain a demonstrative edge, they will force their way into the late-round discussion for 2026 drafts.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Travis Hunter Expected to be a Full-Go for Training Camp
Still recovering from the LCL injury that ended his rookie season, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter (knee) was a limited participant during June's minicamp practices, but NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe expects that he will be fully cleared for the start of training camp in late July. Wolfe also believes the second overall pick from the 2025 NFL Draft is "ready to be unleashed", now running over 20 miles per hour, which is faster than he was ever clocked before the injury. Hunter projects to be a full-time starter on defense, with some in the building believing he'll soon be included in discussions of the league's top 10 cornerbacks. Still expected to be used as a two-way player, the team's offensive depth should allow the luxury of making his week-to-week usage at receiver more game-plan-specific, and as such, Hunter is RotoBaller's WR73. While he boasts the upside to make him a potential bargain at ADP, his primary value in 2026 could come in best ball drafts, where he is currently coming off the board in the early-double-digit rounds.
Source: Cameron Wolfe
Source: Cameron Wolfe
Tory Horton Still Waiting on a Clear Role in Seattle
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton is still interesting enough to hold in deeper dynasty leagues, but he needs more than last year's touchdown burst to become a real redraft target. Horton caught only 13 passes for 161 yards in eight games as a rookie, though five of those catches went for touchdowns, and he added a 95-yard punt-return score before a shin injury sent him to injured reserve. That kind of splash keeps him from being forgotten, especially with a full training-camp return expected. The problem is the receiving role. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Rashid Shaheed are the names on Seattle's official depth chart, and Shaheed is also listed first on both return spots. RotoBaller has Horton buried outside the top 260 overall and around WR107, with no listed ADP, so the market is not asking managers to pay much. He is fine as a dynasty bench hold, but redraft managers can wait until camp reports show an actual offensive role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Nico Collins is More Hold Than Buy at WR1 Price
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins is not the easiest dynasty player to buy right now, but that does not make him someone to dump at a discount. Collins has cleared 1,000 yards in three straight seasons, including 71 catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns across 15 games last year. He is still only 27, still tied to C.J. Stroud, and Houston just bumped up his pay for 2026 and 2027 while keeping him under contract through next season. The price is the tricky part. RotoBaller has Collins as the WR8 in 2026 redraft rankings and WR13 in its July dynasty wide receiver rankings, so managers are already paying for a stable WR1. Tank Dell, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Dalton Schultz also give Stroud more places to go with the ball. Collins probably is not a screaming dynasty buy unless the price has softened, but he remains a strong hold and a reasonable contender target if his manager is worried about the deeper target tree.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Travis Etienne Jr. Better as a Win-Now Piece Than Rebuild Hold
New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. still has plenty of short-term dynasty value, but he fits contenders better than rebuilding teams. Etienne is entering his age-27 season after giving Jacksonville 1,107 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 36 catches, 292 receiving yards, and six receiving scores in 17 games last year. New Orleans then brought him home on a four-year deal, so this is not a throwaway veteran signing. The tricky part is figuring out how clean the workload will be. Alvin Kamara is still in the building, and Kellen Moore has talked about finding roles for multiple backs rather than simply handing everything to one player. That does not kill Etienne's value, but it does make him easier to like for 2026 production than as a long-range dynasty anchor. RotoBaller has him ranked as the RB15 across formats, which is already starter pricing. Contenders can still buy if they need points now, but rebuilders should be willing to cash out if someone is paying near low-end RB1 value.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Breece Hall Still Worth Buying for Dynasty Contenders
New York Jets running back Breece Hall is not cheap in dynasty, but he still looks more like a buy for contenders than a player to sell before the 2026 season. Hall is only 25, just signed a multi-year extension, and gave the Jets a career-high 1,065 rushing yards last year despite another uneven offensive season. He also caught 36 passes for 350 yards, giving him 1,415 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns in 16 games. The one thing holding him out of the top dynasty RB tier is workload certainty. His passing-game role was much lighter than it was in 2023, and the Jets still want Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis involved enough to make this more than a one-man backfield. Even so, Hall is locked in as the lead back, carries RB14 value in RotoBaller's July dynasty rankings, and has the contract security rebuilding managers usually want from young backs. Rebuilders do not need to overpay, but win-now teams should be buying if his manager is worried about the committee talk.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Elijah Sarratt Needs Camp Buzz Before Redraft Appeal
Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Elijah Sarratt has enough dynasty appeal to keep stashed, but his redraft case still needs help. The fourth-round rookie brings a real college resume after catching 65 passes for 830 yards and an FBS-leading 15 touchdowns at Indiana last season, and Baltimore's own draft coverage has pointed to his size, contested-catch ability, and possible red-zone usefulness. That matters in a Ravens offense that could use more big targets after adding Sarratt and third-rounder Ja'Kobi Lane. The problem is that Sarratt is not walking into a clean role. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman sit atop the depth chart, Devontez Walker has been framed as the current favorite for No. 3 receiver work, and Lane was drafted a round earlier. RotoBaller's board also has Sarratt outside the top 240 overall and around WR99, with no listed ADP. He is a good taxi-squad stash and late rookie-draft swing, but redraft managers can leave him alone unless August reports point to a real offensive role.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Roman Hemby Strictly a Deep Dynasty Watch in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Raiders running back Roman Hemby is not a redraft name to force into 2026 drafts, but he is at least worth filing away in deeper dynasty leagues. The 6-foot, 210-pound rookie went undrafted, then landed with a Raiders backfield that already has Ashton Jeanty locked into the lead role and fourth-rounder Mike Washington Jr. positioned for a real shot at No. 2 work. Hemby does bring something to the table. He rushed for 1,120 yards and seven touchdowns at Indiana last season, added 17 catches, and had a productive four-year run at Maryland before transferring. He also played with rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, which does not guarantee anything but gives him some built-in familiarity if he sticks. The issue is roster math. Dylan Laube has special-teams value, Chris Collier is also competing for reps, and Hemby has no draft capital pushing him onto the field. He is a taxi-squad stash in deep dynasty formats, not a player redraft managers need to draft.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eric McAlister Carries Deep-League Stash Appeal for Dynasty Managers
As a senior at TCU in 2025, wide receiver Eric McAlister (foot) recorded 72 catches for 1,190 yards and 10 touchdowns across 13 games. Despite the standout production against high-major competition, McAlister was not selected in the 2026 NFL Draft and currently remains a free agent. The 23-year-old is recovering from a Jones fracture in his foot that he suffered during his pro day and also has a history of some off-field issues, both of which have likely factored into his current free agent status. Still, McAlister's talent and collegiate production should make him an appealing prospect for NFL teams once he's fully healthy. In deeper dynasty leagues, managers may want to consider stashing McAlister before he finds an NFL home and his value skyrockets.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
