April 17, 2026
Multiple people around the NFL that ESPN's Jordan Raanan has spoken to in the past few days said that Notre Dame running back
Jeremiyah Love was their "top-graded player." The question now is where NFL teams place Love on their draft board given the position he plays and their individual needs. Running backs haven't typically been top-10 picks in the first round of the draft, but Love could just be special enough to go within the top five picks in 2026. The Arizona Cardinals, who don't really have a huge need at the position, have been rumored to be considering the Fighting Irish alum with the No. 3 overall pick, and both the Tennessee Titans (No. 4) and New York Giants (No. 5) would make sense as landing spots in this year's draft. It's hard to imagine Love making it past the G-Men at fifth overall. In fantasy, even in single-year leagues, Love should be in play as an early-round consideration. In his junior season at Notre Dame, Love had 1,652 scrimmage yards and a whopping 21 total touchdowns in just 12 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN New York - Jordan Raanan
April 17, 2026
After topping 1,500 scrimmage yards in 2024, Minnesota Vikings running back
Aaron Jones Sr. struggled through a down year in 2025. The 31-year-old missed five games due to injury and finished the year with just 747 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns on 160 touches. While Jones Sr. was still Minnesota's nominal starter in the games he was healthy for, the team largely split carries between him and
Jordan Mason. At this point in their respective careers, Mason profiles as a more reliable short-yardage back, which could leave Jones Sr. limited to third-down and pass-catching duties. Jones Sr.'s production should benefit from the Vikings' offense having more overall stability in 2026 after the signing of veteran quarterback
Kyler Murray. Still, Jones Sr.'s dynasty value is firmly trending in the wrong direction, given his age and the split backfield in Minnesota.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 17, 2026
After spending the first four years of his career with the Green Bay Packers, wide receiver
Romeo Doubs signed a four-year contract with the New England Patriots as a free agent this past March. The 26-year-old posted solid but unspectacular numbers with the Packers in 2025, recording 55 receptions for 724 yards and seven touchdowns on 85 targets. With New England, Doubs profiles as the team's WR1 and could have a chance to break 100 targets for the first time in his career. The Patriots have other quality wideouts in
Kayshon Boutte,
Mack Hollins, and
Kyle Williams, but Doubs figures to be locked into every-down playing time, given the team's sizable investment in him. He may not carry high-end fantasy upside, but Doubs has established a solid production floor, and his dynasty value is rising after the move to New England.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 17, 2026
Veteran running back
Isiah Pacheco had a disastrous year in his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025. Across 13 games, the 27-year-old recorded 563 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 137 touches. Pacheco signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions in free agency, where he will serve as the RB2 behind star Lions back
Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco's star has fallen quite a bit in recent seasons, as he's failed to average four yards per carry since 2023 and has missed 14 games over the past two years due to injury. Still, Detroit is a solid landing spot for his fantasy value. Former Lions back
David Montgomery scored 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons in a role similar to the one Pacheco will likely fill in 2026. Additionally, any injury to Gibbs would immediately vault Pacheco into the RB1 role in Detroit. In dynasty formats, Pacheco could be a decent buy-low target for fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 17, 2026
Veteran running back
Rico Dowdle had a standout year with the Carolina Panthers in 2025, racking up 1,373 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on 275 touches across 17 games. The 27-year-old parlayed his strong season into a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he will likely share lead running back duties with Steelers back
Jaylen Warren. Dowdle is the stronger short-area and goal-line back between the two, which could lead to him earning a larger role in the red zone. However, Warren is a standout pass-catcher, which might lead to a drop-off in Dowdle's fantasy value in PPR formats. Dowdle was able to thrive while paired with Panthers back
Chuba Hubbard in 2025, so he's proven the ability to provide fantasy production in a split backfield. Still, dynasty managers may want to value Dowdle more as an RB3/flex option than a no-doubt starter at the running back position.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 17, 2026
After being acquired from the New Orleans Saints at the 2025 trade deadline, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Rashid Shaheed's production fell off a cliff. Shaheed recorded 15 receptions for 188 yards and zero touchdowns across nine games with Seattle, compared to 44 receptions for 499 yards and two touchdowns across nine games with the Saints. Shaheed saw fewer than three targets per game as a member of the Seahawks and was utilized almost exclusively as a downfield deep-ball threat. Still, Seattle re-signed Shaheed to a three-year contract in free agency. The team could either have larger plans for him in 2026, or it could be satisfied with the production Shaheed provided last season. Star wideout
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is firmly entrenched as Seattle's WR1, leaving Shaheed to fight with wide receivers
Cooper Kupp and
Tory Horton for targets. Shaheed's big-play ability allows him to maintain some fantasy upside, but his dynasty value is fading now that he's out of New Orleans.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 17, 2026
Washington Commanders quarterback
Marcus Mariota saw more playing time than his team probably would have preferred in 2025, thanks to Commanders QB1
Jayden Daniels' myriad injury issues. Across 11 games (eight starts), Mariota completed 61.2% of his pass attempts for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The 32-year-old also impacts the game with his legs, recording 297 rushing yards and a score on 50 attempts. When he gets the chance to play, Mariota's dual-threat ability makes him an appealing streamer option for fantasy managers. Daniels should be fully healthy for the start of the 2026 season, which will relegate Mariota to backup duties. Still, Daniels' considerable injury track record could make Mariota worth rostering as a handcuff quarterback in deep dynasty formats.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
April 17, 2026
The Jacksonville Jaguars are acquiring defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro from the Atlanta Falcons on Friday in exchange for defensive tackle Maason Smith, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Orhorhoro was a second-round pick (35th overall) by the Falcons in 2024 out of Clemson. The 24-year-old played in just eight games in his rookie season, but he had a bigger role in Year 2 and recorded 25 tackles (12 solo), his first 3.5 career sacks, and six QB hits in 17 games played (eight starts). Smith, meanwhile, was taken by the Jaguars in the second round as well in 2024 out of LSU. The 23-year-old interior defensive lineman had 17 tackles (10 solo), three sacks, and three pass breakups in 11 games (five starts) in his rookie year, and he finished with 15 tackles (four solo) and just one pass breakup in 13 games (two starts) in the regular season in 2025 in Year 2. Both Orhorhor and Smith will be hoping to land bigger roles in their new digs going into their third year in the NFL in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
April 17, 2026
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller thinks that Arizona State wide receiver
Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) will go much higher in the 2026 NFL draft than most people previously expected. NFL teams are comfortable with Tyson's injury history. Miller believes that he could go off the board as early as No. 5 overall, and that he will not be on the board later than the 16th overall pick in the first round next Thursday night. The 21-year-old wideout suffered a hamstring injury in October of last year and then aggravated the injury in his second game back in his final season with the Sun Devils. It's why he didn't run during the scouting combine in February or during Arizona State's pro day, but Tyson is having a workout for interested teams on Friday in which he'll run routes. Despite also tearing the ACL, MCL, and PCL in his knee in 2022, Tyson figures to be one of the first receivers taken in this year's draft. In his final two seasons in college, Tyson produced 136 catches for 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns in 21 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Matt Miller
April 17, 2026
Arizona Cardinals veteran quarterback
Jacoby Brissett is not attending the team's first phase of their offseason program and is asking for a contract extension that would pay him as a starter, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Brissett is set to make $9.06 million in 2026 and has only $1.5 million in guaranteed money. He's looking for more security, and the Cardinals appear willing to address it. The 33-year-old took over for
Kyler Murray in Week 6 of last year after Murray suffered a foot injury, and he went on to have a career year, completing 64.9% of his 485 pass attempts for 3,366 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 14 games played (12 starts) for the Cards. Murray is now in Minnesota, and Brissett is expected to enter the 2026 campaign as the starter under new head coach Mike LaFleur. Brissett was a valuable QB2 streamer, especially in superflex leagues last year, but in an offense that should be more balanced under LaFleur, fantasy managers should temper expectations with Brissett.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
April 17, 2026
The Houston Texans and All-Pro edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. agreed to a blockbuster three-year, $150 million contract extension on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The deal includes $134 million guaranteed to make Anderson the league's highest-paid non-QB ever. The deal also includes a rare no-trade clause. The 24-year-old is one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL after he was taken third overall by Houston in the 2023 NFL draft out of Alabama. Anderson has had double-digit sacks in each of the last two seasons and finished last year with a career-high 54 tackles (35 solo), a career-high 12 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, 23 QB hits, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) in 17 regular-season starts. He was a big reason the Texans had the top-ranked defense in the NFL in 2025, and he finished as the No. 6 defensive lineman in IDP fantasy formats. Anderson finished second behind Myles Garrett in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
April 17, 2026
The Pittsburgh Steelers have done their homework on this year's quarterback class, including Alabama signal-caller
Ty Simpson, but ESPN's Brooke Pryor doesn't expect them to take a QB at No. 21 overall in the first round next Thursday night. The Steelers "continue to believe" that veteran free-agent QB
Aaron Rodgers will return for another season in 2026. Instead, they could take the best player available at that position late in the first round among wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, or any spot in the secondary. There is no consensus player (or even position) for the Steelers in the first round this year. The front office addressed some of the team's most glaring needs (receiver, cornerback, and safety) in free agency and the trade market this offseason. Overall, Pittsburgh has 12 draft picks this year, including four Day 2 selections. If the Steelers do take a QB in this year's draft, it could come in Rounds 2 or 3.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Brooke Pryor
April 17, 2026
Eighteen NFL teams are expected to attend Arizona State wide receiver
Jordyn Tyson's (hamstring) workout on Friday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Tyson, who is projected to be a first-round pick next Thursday night, is holding his own individual workout for teams at Arizona State. The 21-year-old did not run at the scouting combine in February or during the Sun Devils' pro day earlier in the offseason due to a hamstring injury. Tyson also dealt with several injuries in college, so scouts want to get another look at him before the 2026 NFL draft kicks off next week. Even though Tyson has an injury history, he could be in play as the first receiver off the board in the first round next Thursday night. He had 1,101 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 75 receptions in 2024 at Arizona State and finished up with a 61-711-8 line in nine games in his final season with the Sun Devils in 2025. In addition to his hamstring injury, Tyson also tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL in his knee in 2022 and fractured his collarbone in 2024.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
April 17, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz has shut down trade rumors surrounding wide receiver
Quentin Johnston, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. "There's a lot of rumors out there on Twitter," Hortiz said. "And I can tell you this, I have made zero calls about Quentin, and I've had zero calls regarding Quentin." The Chargers are still discussing the decision on whether to pick up Johnston's fifth-year option, which would pay him $18.1 million fully guaranteed in 2027. L.A. must decide before May 1. Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh have supported Johnston all along, which was evident after they traded
Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears after Johnston's poor rookie season. The 24-year-old former 21st overall pick in 2023 out of TCU has rewarded the team's faith, going over 700 receiving yards in each of the last two years while scoring eight times each season in 29 total regular-season games. He led the Bolts in TDs and had a career-high 735 yards over 14 games in 2025. With Allen unlikely to return in 2026, Johnston should once again be a focal point through the air for quarterback
Justin Herbert in his fourth NFL campaign.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kris Rhim
April 17, 2026
With less than a week until the 2026 NFL Draft, veteran running back
Najee Harris (Achilles) remains unsigned, and that is unlikely to change before teams have the chance to sort through the younger, healthier options of what is largely considered an underwhelming rookie class of runners. Following four serviceable seasons with the Steelers, Harris was signed by the Chargers, where he was expected to split time with rookie
Omarion Hampton, until a Fourth of July fireworks accident raised questions about whether his career might be over. He was ultimately able to return to the field for the start of the 2025 season, but after limited offseason conditioning, he tore his Achilles in Week 3, ending his Chargers career after only 15 carries. All reports suggest that his recovery has gone well, and while his fantasy heyday is likely behind him, in the right landing spot, he could still carve out just enough of a role to siphon touches from a team's lead back. Harris recently visited with the Raiders, where new head coach Klint Kubiak has a history of dividing the workload amongst his running backs and has already expressed an interest in continuing that approach in Vegas, despite the jarring lack of depth currently behind
Ashton Jeanty.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
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