February 24, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons continue to be non-commital on quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) being their starter under center in 2026, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "I'm not big on giving out positions in February. I think you guys know how I feel about Michael, and I'm excited about his trajectory. I also know he's focused on his rehab, which is the right thing to do," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. Penix is recovering from a torn left ACL in 2025, so it's understandable for Atlanta's new front office and coaching staff to be non-committal on him going into next season. Penix expects to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season this fall, but the reality is we won't have a better idea of his availability until this summer. The former first-rounder wasn't all that impressive in 2025 before his injury, and he's now rehabbing from his third torn ACL. Penix is determined to heal up and return as the starter, but he'll have to prove it to the team's new brass first. Now might be a perfect time to buy low on Penix in dynasty/keeper leagues, although his injury history dating back to college is worrisome.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Josh Kendall
February 24, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons officially placed the franchise tag on tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr. on Tuesday, according to Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. It's just the fourth time in franchise history that the team has used the franchise tag, with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett the last recipient of the tag in 2019. Officially, the tag is a non-exclusive franchise tag, which means Pitts "is free to negotiate with other teams." It buys the Falcons and new general manager Ian Cunningham a little more time to evaluate what they want for the future of Pitts in Atlanta. The projected franchise tag value for TEs in 2026 is around $16 million. The 25-year-old played on a fifth-year option in 2025 and had one of his best seasons to date, finishing second among tight ends in catches (88) and receiving yards (928), and he tied his career high with five touchdowns. The former fourth overall pick was a top-five fantasy TE, but a repeat could be difficult in 2026 if
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) isn't ready for the start of the regular season.
--Keith HernandezSource: AtlantaFalcons.com - Tori McElhaney
February 24, 2026
The New York Giants are hoping that wide receiver
Malik Nabers (knee) is ready for training camp this summer, according to Paul Schwartz of The New York Post. "I've been texting with him the last couple of days, and he's in a good spot, he feels good, and the plan is hopefully for him to still be ready for training camp," general manager Joe Schoen said when asked about Nabers' rehab. The Giants are going to be cautious with the 22-year-old former first-rounder, but all signs point to him being ready to go for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season this fall, barring a setback. Nabers suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee on Sept. 28 and had surgery in late October. He was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2024, catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games. Nabers' fantasy stock will only continue to rise this offseason if he proves he's healthy this summer. If fully healthy, he'll have a higher ceiling as a WR1 with quarterback
Jaxson Dart taking over the offense going forward.
--Keith HernandezSource: The New York Post - Paul Schwartz
February 24, 2026
Cleveland Browns running back
Quinshon Judkins (ankle) is out of his walking boot and will be "good to go" for training camp this summer, general manager Andrew Berry told Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. Judkins will be fully healthy entering his second season in the NFL after having surgery to fix the dislocated right ankle that he suffered in late December. The 22-year-old second-rounder out of Ohio State ran the ball 230 times for 827 yards (3.6 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns in 14 starts in his first NFL season in 2025, adding 26 receptions on 36 targets for 171 yards through the air. He took over as the team's lead back pretty early on and should be the RB1 for the Browns in 2026, giving him RB2 value in fantasy drafts this fall. The Browns are expected to devote plenty of resources to improving their offensive line this offseason, which should benefit Judkins as he enters Year 2.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
February 24, 2026
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday that running back
Josh Jacobs will "absolutely" be back in 2026, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "He's a very important cog in what we're trying to do here," Gutekunst said. Jacobs was in the second year of a four-year, $48 million contract in 2025 that he signed in March of 2024. The 28-year-old three-time Pro Bowler took a slight step back in Green Bay in his second season, but he was still very productive, gaining 929 yards on the ground and 13 touchdowns on 234 rushing attempts while adding 36 catches for 282 yards and one touchdown through the air in 15 regular-season starts. Unfortunately, the former first-rounder's production tanked near the end of the season at the most inopportune time for fantasy managers, as he played through his knee injury. Jacobs has a lot of tread on his tires, but he's racked up four 1,000-yard seasons in seven years and has double-digit rushing touchdowns four different times, including in each of the last two seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
February 24, 2026
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Tuesday that he still views quarterback
J.J. McCarthy as a franchise signal-caller, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. "A lot of those feelings are still the same. It's just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was [in 2024]," McConnell said. The Vikings drafted the 23-year-old with the 10th overall pick in 2024 out of Michigan with the intentions of him being the team's long-term QB, but it hasn't gone as planned in his first two years in the NFL. McCarthy missed all of his rookie campaign due to a knee injury that required surgery, and he was extremely inconsistent in his first 10 starts in 2025 while missing time with various injuries. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Decision-making and accuracy were a big issue, but durability is the primary concern for Minnesota and fantasy managers who have him rostered in dynasty/keeper leagues. There's still time for McCarthy to develop under O'Connell, one of the best QB gurus in the league, but the Vikes may bring in some competition to push him this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
February 24, 2026
Dallas Cowboys tight end
Jake Ferguson disappointed quite a few fantasy managers at the tail end of the 2025 season despite his career-high 82 receptions on 102 targets for 600 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns across all 17 games. However, looking ahead to 2026, Ferguson remains a low-end TE1 option on a functional offense that managers can pick up in one of the later rounds for good value. Admittedly, Ferguson is not the most consistent tight end, but he did tally eight top-10 tight end finishes in 2025, averaged six targets per game, and had a season-long route participation rate of 73%. He will continue to compete for targets with star wide receivers
CeeDee Lamb and
George Pickens, but Ferguson is quarterback
Dak Prescott's preferred tight end option. Ferguson signed a four-year contract extension before the 2025 season, making him a key piece of the high-powered Cowboys offense through at least 2029, adding to the tight end's dynasty value.
--Matt McCauleySource: ESPN
February 24, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals running back
Chase Brown still has one year left on his rookie contract and is hopeful to sign an extension that his representation has been working on since at least late January. Brown stands unchallenged atop the Bengals' running back depth chart, playing in all 17 games in the 2025 season with an average rush share of 70%. While his rushing touches are important, Brown sets himself apart from his peers and is a valuable dynasty asset because of his involvement in Cincinnati's passing game. With quarterback
Joe Burrow at the helm from Weeks 13-17, Brown hauled in 25 of his 26 targets and scored three touchdowns through the air. Brown is a young, proven back and, despite some low-scoring weeks early in the 2025 season, earned fantasy managers over 15 PPR points in every game from Weeks 8 through 18. His consistency and potential for RB1 weeks make him a valuable dynasty piece to target in trades or during start-up drafts.
--Matt McCauleySource: ESPN
February 24, 2026
The New York Jets will use the franchise or transition tag on impending free-agent running back
Breece Hall if they can't get a contract extension done before the March 3 deadline, general manager Darren Mougey told Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. The franchise tag would take Hall off the market completely this offseason, while the transition tag would allow him to receive offers from other teams, but the Jets would have the right to match any offer. The transition tag will save the Jets a little more money and seems like the expected course of action here with the 24-year-old, who had a career-high 1,065 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 243 carries in 16 games in 2025. Hall also added 36 catches for 350 yards and a receiving score. A move out of New York would probably be best for Hall's 2026 fantasy value given their uncertain situation at QB, but there's no questioning that his stock is on the rise as an RB2 going into next season after his strong performance in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
February 24, 2026
The Cleveland Browns have hired long-time NFL coach Dom Capers as a senior defensive assistant, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The 75-year-old has been a head coach in the NFL twice, last with the Carolina Panthers. Capers will help assist first-time defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, who is taking over for Jim Schwartz. Capers has been a senior defensive assistant since 2019 in the NFL, with his most recent job coming with the Panthers from 2024 to 2026. The Browns' defense is led by 2025 Defensive Player of the Year in pass-rusher Myles Garrett, who set the NFL record with 23 sacks in 17 games last year. They have the personnel to be one of the top defenses in the league again in 2026, even with a new defensive coordinator. The good news is the Browns were able to retain all of Schwartz's defensive assistants.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
February 24, 2026
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday that the team has gotten calls on backup quarterback
Tyson Bagent, according to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. The Arizona Cardinals are one team that is reportedly interested in acquiring Bagent from the Bears this offseason as they contemplate life without
Kyler Murray (foot) going into the 2026 season. At best, the 25-year-old former undrafted free agent QB would be in the mix for a starting job for a team like the rebuilding Cardinals. In his first three seasons in the NFL with the Bears, Bagent has appeared in 12 regular-season games (four starts) and has gone 99-for-149 passing for 917 yards, three touchdowns, and six interceptions. Bagent signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Bears in August of last year, so he has one year left on his current deal.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Kevin Fishbain
February 24, 2026
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said that the team has given impending free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum a "market-setting deal," according to Giana Han of The Baltimore Banner. DeCosta added that in his mind, Linderbaum is the best center in the NFL. If the 25-year-old three-time Pro Bowler reaches the open market next month, he won't have a shortage of suitors from teams looking for upgrades at the center position. The former 25th overall pick out of Iowa in 2022 has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last three seasons and has only missed two regular-season games in his first four years in the NFL. If Linderbaum reaches free agency, the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants are expected to be his strongest suitors.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Baltimore Banner - Giana Han
February 24, 2026
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that the team would still like to re-sign impending free-agent tight end
Isaiah Likely, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Likely had a career year in 2024 with 42 catches, 477 yards, and six touchdowns on 58 targets in 16 regular-season games, but a foot injury cost him three games to start the 2025 campaign, and he never recovered. The 25-year-old caught just 27 of his 36 targets for a career-low 307 yards and one touchdown in 14 games played. It didn't help his cause that quarterback
Lamar Jackson missed time with injury, too, and had one of the worst years of his career. The Ravens want Likely to return, but it's looking more likely that Likely will look for greener pastures on the open market and potentially a chance to be a bona fide TE1. The presence of
Mark Andrews in Baltimore has made Likely an inconsistent TE2 in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
February 24, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan said the team has been in communication with impending free-agent running back
Kenneth Gainwell and "expressed a desire to have him return," according to Alan Saunders of PGH Steelers Now. Gainwell is set to hit the free-agent market next month after winning team MVP honors in 2025 in his first season with the organization. The 26-year-old was heavily involved in Pittsburgh's offense last year, setting career-highs in carries (114), rushing yards (537), rushing touchdowns, catches (73), targets (85), receiving yards (486), and receiving touchdowns (three) in 17 regular-season games. He will never be a workhorse back in the NFL, but Gainwell proved in 2025 that he has the skills to be effective in a dual-threat role. At the very least, he should be a priority target in PPR leagues as at least an RB3/flex if he returns to the Steel City for a second season.
--Keith HernandezSource: PGH Steelers Now - Alan Saunders
February 24, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said the team needs to establish an "explosive running game" in 2026 when asked about the areas the team wants to address this offseason, according to Matt McMullen of Chiefs.com. A lack of a consistent rushing attack in 2025 was a big reason why KC failed to make the postseason for the first time in a decade. Neither
Kareem Hunt nor
Isiah Pacheco, who will both be free agents next month, was very productive on the ground. The Chiefs averaged 106.6 rushing yards per game, which was the eighth-fewest in the league in 2025. There is a good chance that both Hunt and Pacheco won't be back with the Chiefs in 2026, so the RB position will be a high priority for the organization through both free agency and the draft this offseason. The Chiefs have already been rumored to be a suitor for
Travis Etienne Jr., but others, including
Kenneth Walker III,
Breece Hall, and
Rico Dowdle, could be in play in free agency.
--Keith HernandezSource: Chiefs.com - Matt McMullen
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