January 9, 2026
The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed did not see New England Patriots rookie running back
TreVeyon Henderson at Friday's practice. It's unclear why Henderson was not on the practice field, but it will be a situation that we will monitor closely going into the weekend. If the rookie RB's status is in question going into Sunday night's Wild-Card playoff game against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, it would open up a much bigger role for fellow backfield mate
Rhamondre Stevenson and make him a surefire RB1 for fantasy football playoff lineups. The 23-year-old Henderson had 13 carries for 53 yards and two touchdowns in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins, and he finished his rookie year in the NFL by averaging 11.2 half-PPR points, ranking him 23rd among all RBs. He's one of the most explosive young backs in the league, so it would be a key loss for New England if he's unable to play this weekend.
--Keith HernandezSource: Boston Herald - Doug Kyed
January 9, 2026
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back
Rachaad White, who will be an unrestricted free agent in March, appears ready to move on. White said back in May that 2025 would be his "last ride" in Tampa Bay, and he said, "Thank yaw forever for da past four years," on a social-media post following the regular season. Ironically, the 2025 campaign was White's most efficient with the Bucs, as he finished with 132 carries for 572 rushing yards and four touchdowns, just 16 rushing yards behind
Bucky Irving despite having 41 fewer carries. The 26-year-old also added 40 receptions for 218 yards through the air. White's usage sharply declined after Irving returned from an early-season injury. White's ability as a runner and receiver should make him pretty attractive on the open market this offseason, but his 2026 fantasy value will depend on where he lands and what role he's in.
--Keith HernandezSource: PewterReport.com - Adam Slivon
January 9, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on the radio that running back
Ty Johnson will practice on Friday, and the team will see how he does, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Johnson tweaked his ankle in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the New York Jets and was unable to practice on Wednesday or Thursday. It's good news that the 28-year-old is back on the field on Friday, but he'll likely at least carry a questionable designation into Sunday's Wild-Card playoff tilt against the hosting Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson had two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in the Week 18 win on 15 touches, but it came with the Bills resting starting RB
James Cook. If Johnson can play this weekend, he'll likely operate as the RB3 in Buffalo's backfield and won't be a recommended sleeper play in fantasy at the RB position.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
January 9, 2026
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that wide receiver
Joshua Palmer (ankle) will not practice on Friday and will be listed as questionable for Wild-Card weekend on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. While the Bills are still leaving the door open for Palmer to play this weekend, the fact that he didn't practice all week doesn't bode well for his availability in the playoff opener. The 26-year-old isn't really on the fantasy radar to begin with after catching only 22 passes for 303 yards and no touchdowns on 37 targets in the regular season in his first year with the Bills. He could end up being a game-time decision on Sunday in Jacksonville, but if Palmer is surprisingly active, he probably won't see the field very much, if at all.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
January 9, 2026
The Miami Dolphins are working to hire Jon-Eric Sullivan as their next general manager, sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Sullivan was the Green Bay Packers' vice president of player personnel and is highly respected within the league. He will now play a key role in the team's search for a new head coach after the firing of Mike McDaniel on Thursday. The Dolphins, like most other teams with head-coaching openings, are interested in former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, but they are not "fixated" on him, and Harbaugh has no ties to Sullivan. Among the potential head-coaching candidates for Miami with ties to Sullivan are Mike McCarthy, Jeff Hafley, Adam Stenavich, and Anthony Campanile. With the hiring of Sullivan, Miami could be considered a long shot to land Harbaugh as their next head coach.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
January 9, 2026
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. It was speculated that the Tennessee native would likely return to college if it was not indicated that he would go in Round 1 after feedback from NFL scouts, which means he must have heard some positive news regarding his draft stock. In the middle of the 2025 season, Simpson was the betting favorite to be the No. 1 pick in April's draft. However, his play cooled off, and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza emerged as the clear QB1. Still, Simpson's overall body of work in his lone season as a starter suggests he's first-round-worthy in a QB-needy NFL. In 15 games, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He added two scores as a runner. Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore are projected as the No. 1 and No. 2 picks off the board, but Simpson looks like the clear QB3, and he could be a top-10 pick. This will make him a clear first-rounder in superflex dynasty fantasy football drafts.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Sports Reference CFB
January 9, 2026
Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard is NFL-bound following two productive seasons in the SEC with the Crimson Tide. The 22-year-old began his career at Michigan State before transferring to Washington in 2023. Despite sharing a field with
Rome Odunze,
Jalen McMillan, and
Ja'Lynn Polk, Bernard caught 34 passes for 419 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore. He followed head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama ahead of the 2024 season, and he led the Tide in receptions in his junior and senior seasons with two different starting quarterbacks. Overall, Bernard snagged 114 receptions for 1,656 yards and nine touchdowns in 27 games over the last two years. He's slated to be a second-round pick in April's 2026 NFL Draft, which will likely be where he goes off the board in dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Sports Reference CFB
January 9, 2026
Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers had a phenomenal two seasons at Vanderbilt following stints at Texas A&M and New Mexico State. Originally recruited as a quarterback, Stowers converted to a tight end after losing the quarterback battle to Diego Pavia at New Mexico State. He followed Pavia to Vanderbilt and ended up being his No. 1 target en route to a productive career with the Commodores. In 25 games over the last two years, Stowers hauled in 111 receptions for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns. He tallied career highs in receptions (62) and receiving yards (769) in 2025. The 22-year-old is a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he's widely viewed as the TE2 in the class, behind Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq. With just three seasons of experience at the position, Stowers could take time to develop at the NFL level, and his blocking ability leaves a lot to be desired at this point in his career.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Sports Reference CFB
January 9, 2026
Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is viewed by most as the top prospect at the position in the 2026 NFL Draft Class, and he projects as a first-round pick at this point in the offseason. The 20-year-old has not officially declared for the NFL Draft since Oregon is still alive in the College Football Playoff, but it would be a surprise if he returned to Eugene. In 14 games this season, the true junior has hauled in 46 passes for 531 yards and eight touchdowns. He leads the team in touchdown grabs, and he was named Big Ten Tight End of the Year for 2025. Sadiq has elite speed and athleticism for the position, but he's a willing and physical blocker, which will help his draft stock. He lacks prototypical height (6'3") for tight ends, but his physical tools will help him make up for it. Sadiq carries first-round consideration in early dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
January 9, 2026
Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft following his redshirt junior season with the Vols. The former Tulane transfer caught 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine scores in 12 games, despite competing for targets with two other 800-yard receivers. Brazzell was a contested-catch monster in 2025, but he's also shown the ability to blow by coverage for homerun balls. Listed a 6'5", Brazzell projects to be a boundary receiver at the next level with the potential to develop into a quarterback's top target with a wide catch radius. Brazzell is likely going to come off the NFL Draft board as a second-round pick, but his performance at the 2026 NFL Combine and other predraft activities could be a strong factor in whether he has a chance to move into the first round. In 40 career games with Tulane and Tennessee, Brazzell finished his collegiate career with 136 receptions for 2,072 yards and 16 touchdowns.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
January 9, 2026
Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion was dynamic and productive in his lone season in College Station, catching 61 passes for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. He added 75 rushing yards, 456 kick return yards, one rushing score, and two return touchdowns. Concepcion has flashed as an explosive playmaker since his freshman season at NC State, when he tallied 1,159 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns. The 21-year-old's production and athletic profile checks all the boxes of a potential difference-maker at the NFL level. Hopefully, he lands with an innovative offense coach who can put him in the best situations to succeed. Concepcion currently projects to be a late-first-round pick, which puts him firmly in the first-round discussion in dynasty rookie drafts.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
January 9, 2026
Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston is one of the top prospects at the position in the 2026 NFL Draft class, and at this point in the offseason, he's a projected first-round pick. The 22-year-old was buried behind
Rome Odunze,
Jalen McMillan, and
Ja'Lynn Polk during his first two collegiate seasons. However, he's been the Huskies' top wideout in each of the last two seasons. In 25 games since the start of the 2024 campaign, he's hauled in 125 receptions for 1,715 yards and 20 touchdowns. Listed at 6'4", Boston has excellent body control and quickness, traits coveted by the NFL among big-bodied wide receivers. Assuming Boston performs well in the pre-draft process, it would be no surprise to hear his name called on Day 1 of April's draft. His landing spot will determine his rookie upside, but either way, he should be a valuable dynasty rookie draft asset in Round 1.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Sports Reference CFB
January 9, 2026
Seattle Seahawks running back
Kenneth Walker III had an inconsistent 2025 season, but finished the year with 1,027 rushing yards on 221 carries (4.65 YPC) and five touchdowns. He also contributed 282 yards through the air on 31 receptions as well. The inconsistencies came on a week-to-week basis, as he split snaps and lost most of the goal-line work to
Zach Charbonnet, the five touchdowns he scored were scattered across four weeks of the season, and his carries per game fluctuated between 10 and 17 weekly, which resulted in him being a risky RB2 start all season long, even with the final numbers being decent. Heading into the NFL playoffs and managers drafting in fantasy playoff formats, Walker will remain a high-risk, high-reward running back option. The Seahawks are locked into the No. 1 seed in the NFC, meaning they will not play in Wild Card Weekend and will likely face a somewhat difficult matchup the rest of the way, as most NFC teams have fairly good run defenses. Combine that with Charbonnet's involvement in the offense and quarterback
Sam Darnold's inexperience in the playoffs, and it may be tough sledding for Walker and the Seahawks offense from a fantasy standpoint.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
January 9, 2026
The Denver Broncos finished the 2025 season with the No. 1 seed in the AFC, going 14-3, largely thanks to an elite defense and wide receiver
Courtland Sutton on the offensive side of the football. Sutton finished the 2025 regular season with 1,017 receiving yards on 74 receptions (13.74 YPC) and seven touchdowns in 17 games played. Sutton hit a bit of a cold streak in the middle of the season when second-year player
Troy Franklin burst onto the scene, but for the most part, Sutton has operated as the team's No. 1 receiver and will rest with his teammates during the Wild Card weekend, while they wait to see who they play in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. Sutton will likely be drafted lower in fantasy playoff leagues due to the first-round bye, and him being a middling option, however, if the Broncos are going to make a run in the AFC, they are going to need their top receiver to perform, and second-year starter
Bo Nix will likely be looking the eight year vets way a lot when they do throw the football.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
January 9, 2026
Green Bay Packers running back
Emanuel Wilson has had a nice 2025 season, rushing for 496 yards on 125 attempts (3.97 YPC) and scoring three touchdowns across 17 games. His involvement in the Packers offense increased this season, as he has played a complementary role to starter
Josh Jacobs, and he has also filled in for Jacobs a handful of times throughout the 2025 season, providing fantasy managers with a plug-and-play RB2 option during those weeks. With the Packers resting their starters in Week 18, and Jacobs coming out and saying on Wednesday that "this is the best he's felt in six weeks," after dealing with a knee injury for the majority of the second half of the season, it appears likely that the Packers will lean on the veteran in this situation. This would make it difficult to justify rostering Wilson in fantasy playoff leagues as anything more than a bench spot should Jacobs get hurt, and Wilson would step in.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
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