RADIO
Chase Brown Has Top-Five Upside in 2026
The Cincinnati Bengals' starting offense has worked two drives in the 2026 preseason, with running back Chase Brown touching the ball on four of the team's first seven plays and handling five total carries. While his 16 yards are nothing gaudy, his early involvement reflects the hype he's received since the start of training camp, which has caused his ADP to steadily rise throughout draft season. The Bengals offense stumbled out of the blocks in 2025, derailed by an early-season injury to quarterback Joe Burrow, but following a slow start, Brown was the RB6 over the final 12 weeks of the season, and he projects for more of the same in 2026. Brown is RotoBaller's RB8, but as the de facto third receiving option in one of the league's most high-powered offenses, he has top-five upside and projects as a regular week-winner in PPR leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Brian Thomas Jr. Practicing in Non-Contact Jersey
Following an injury scare that forced him out of Tuesday's joint practice with the Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) is back in attendance on Wednesday, spotted wearing an orange non-contact jersey as he started the day with individual drills. Thomas came down on his shoulder while making a touchdown catch early in Tuesday's practice and showed obvious discomfort after initially attempting to stay on the field. While he eventually walked off with trainers, initial reports indicated the injury was not overly serious, and his presence one day later serves as confirmation. Thomas disappointed with a WR43 fantasy finish a season ago after bursting onto the scene as the WR4 as a rookie in 2024, but he has reportedly put in serious work to clean up some of the finer details of his game and has enjoyed a strong training camp as a result. While Parker Washington has drawn most of the headlines out of Jaguars' camp, Thomas could still be argued to have the highest weekly ceiling, making him a potential bargain for risk-tolerant drafters, currently coming off the board as the WR32.
Source: Juston W. Lewis
Source: Juston W. Lewis
George Pickens' Standout Camp Continues as Cowboys Return to Texas
After a summer spent in Oxnard, California, the Dallas Cowboys returned to Frisco for their first local training camp practice on Tuesday night, and as he has done since arriving with the team, wide receiver George Pickens continued to make plays. One of the highlights of the night was a deep connection from Dak Prescott that the 2025 second-team All-Pro was able to haul in while keeping both feet inbounds, prompting team staff writer Tommy Yarrish to note that commenting on Pickens' standout moments has almost become repetitive. After a brief ramp-up period in his first season with the Cowboys, a Week 3 ankle injury to CeeDee Lamb thrust Pickens into the spotlight, allowing him to rack up a career-high 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to a WR5 fantasy finish, remaining dominant even following Lamb's return. With the Cowboys' offense capable of producing two legitimate fantasy difference-makers at the position, Pickens is RotoBaller's WR8 and a perfectly suitable option to build around as a number one receiver in 2026 drafts.
Source: Tommy Yarrish
Source: Tommy Yarrish
Dak Prescott Proving He Can Still Use His Legs as Needed
At 33 years old, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is entering his 11th season, and according to team staff writer Nick Eatman, he still has the speed to make off-platform plays as needed. In the team's first local training camp practice on Tuesday night, Prescott showed off the quickness and pocket presence that have defined much of his career, twice scrambling for touchdowns while working in the red zone. While Prescott has relied less on his legs after a handful of serious injuries, last topping 250 rushing yards in 2019, his escapability and ability to keep drives alive have contributed to keeping the Cowboys' offense among the league's most potent throughout his career while making him one of the most underrated fantasy performers in recent years. When playing at least 16 games in a season, Prescott has not finished outside the top eight of the position since 2018, making him one of the safest late-round quarterbacks to target in 2026 drafts.
Source: Nick Eatman
Source: Nick Eatman
De'Von Achane Bringing Consistency to New-Look Dolphins Offense
Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane was one of the few holdovers of a near-total offseason overhaul to the team's starting offense, and unsurprisingly, he has been one of Miami's most consistent performers throughout training camp, according to team writer Travis Wingfield. In the Dolphins' penultimate practice of camp on Tuesday, Achane successfully led the starting unit with a handful of explosive runs, and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was later asked what he likes about the team's run game. "The versatility of what our personnel allows us to do," he said. "You can get on the perimeter; you can get on the edge... You can do stuff with [Malik Willis] in the run game. Obviously, [Achane] has speed to get to the edge. He can hit it up in the middle as well." The only running back in the NFL to score double-digit fantasy points in every one of his games in 2025, Achane is once more expected to be the focal point of the Dolphins' offense, and he is RotoBaller's RB11.
Source: Travis Wingfield
Source: Travis Wingfield
Calvin Austin III Suffers Torn ACL, Out for the Year
After leaving Tuesday's practice on a cart, New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III (knee) has been confirmed to have torn his ACL, and he will miss the entirety of the 2026 season. After three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 2022 fourth-round pick signed a one-year free agent contract with the Giants and was expected to play a role in replacing the production of Wan'Dale Robinson, who caught at least 92 passes in back-to-back seasons while operating primarily out of the slot. With Pro Bowler Malik Nabers working his way back from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season and on track for a potential Week 1 start, Austin was not a fantasy target to begin with at RotoBaller's WR128, but the brutal news ends any hope of a modest breakout and will likely leave him looking for a new team in 2027 free agency.
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Gunnar Helm Has Momentum on His Side Entering 2026
Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm finished the 2025 season on a very strong note, and he'll look to pick up exactly where he left off as the 2026 campaign gets underway. Helm was the overall TE31 as a rookie. He had at least four catches in six of his final 12 games last year, including an impressive stat line of 20 catches, 141 yards, and one touchdown over the last six weeks. His emergence might have been a motivating factor in the Titans' decision to let Chig Okonkwo walk in free agency. Helm is now the undisputed No. 1 tight end in Tennessee, and while he'll likely face competition for targets from Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson, he figures to handle a decent target share throughout the upcoming season. The Texas product is currently the TE31 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings, but he has legitimate top-18 upside in both dynasty and redraft formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kaytron Allen on Track to Round Out the Backfield
Washington Commanders running back Kaytron Allen remains behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White on the depth chart, but as the current projected No. 3 ball-carrier, he should have no trouble making the 53-man roster. A sixth-round pick out of Penn State, Allen made a significant impact in Week 2 of the preseason as he handled a team-high 10 carries, although it resulted in a modest total of 30 yards (3.0 YPC). He also caught one pass for no gain. Purely based on volume, it looks like the Commanders could give Allen a role as early as Week 1 of the regular season, even if he's not quite as involved as Croskey-Merritt or White. Allen is the RB68 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Michael Mayer's Fantasy Outlook Dependent on Teammate's Health
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer is one of the more talented backups in the NFL, but his fantasy relevance has been put on hold as long as he remains in the No. 2 role. Mayer is currently the backup to superstar tight end Brock Bowers, which means that his only real path to fantasy production is an injury to Bowers. We did see that come into play last year, as Mayer totaled 18 catches, 196 yards, and one touchdown across four games without Bowers. That came with Geno Smith at quarterback, so all pass catchers should have a higher ceiling this year with Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza. The quarterback upgrade still isn't enough for managers to justify drafting Mayer, but he's a name to watch on the waiver wire and a potential deep-league dynasty stash in case Bowers has to miss any time.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Chig Okonkwo Has an Opportunity to Break Out in 2026
Washington Commanders tight end Chig Okonkwo should benefit from a change of scenery ahead of the 2026 season. The Maryland product spent the last four seasons in Tennessee, finishing each of the four years between TE21 and TE25 in PPR leagues. That level of consistency became the norm for Okonkwo in Tennessee, but it never resulted in a true breakout. Instead, he was frequently a mid-range TE2 in fantasy football, with his best stats coming in 2025 when he caught 56 passes for 560 yards and two touchdowns. We could be looking at a similar situation to when Washington brought in veteran Zach Ertz, fueling his career resurgence. Ertz was the overall TE7 with 654 yards and seven touchdowns as the Commanders' primary tight end in 2024, and while Okonkwo's leap might not be quite that large, he still has clear top-12 upside in fantasy football, especially if quarterback Jayden Daniels can stay healthy for a full season. He's a very appealing late-round target for fantasy managers who want to roster two tight ends in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Sam Darnold Should Benefit From a Strong Supporting Cast
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has a talented group of weapons around him at wide receiver, running back, and tight end. Although Jake Bobo (knee) went down with a season-ending ACL tear, this is still a very talented wide receiver room headlined by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, and Rashid Shaheed. All three have different skill sets that should give Darnold plenty of options in the passing game. At tight end, AJ Barner is coming off a big 2025 campaign, while Elijah Arroyo has a second-round draft stock. Meanwhile, the Seahawks have an impressive backfield featuring Jadarian Price and Zach Charbonnet (knee). Rounding out the offense is a very dependable offensive line. The Seahawks didn't make many additions in the trenches, but mostly because it was already a strong unit. Grey Zabel and Charles Cross are terrific blindside protectors for Darnold, who only took 27 sacks last year (as opposed to 48 in 2024 with Minnesota). Despite having limited mobility, the veteran signal caller has ranked as a top-13 quarterback in fantasy football for each of the last two seasons. He enters the 2026 season as the QB23 in RotoBaller's latest draft rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Consistency is Key for Terry McLaurin in 2026
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is looking to put an atrocious 2025 season behind him. He was limited to just 10 games due to injury, and he finished the year with a modest 38 catches, 582 yards, and three touchdowns. Even if you extrapolate his stats over a full 17-game campaign, he still would have had just five touchdowns and fewer than 1,000 yards. It's certainly not a lack of talent, as McLaurin was the WR7 in 2025. More likely, he struggled as a result of his own inconsistent availability, as well as inconsistent quarterback play. The Commanders cycled through three different quarterbacks last year, and Jayden Daniels missed 10 games. If both McLaurin and Daniels can play close to 17 games in 2026, the talented pass-catcher should return to the top-15 receiver range in fantasy football. The upside is somewhat baked into his current ADP of 52.8, and he currently ranks as the WR24 in RotoBaller's latest draft rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Troy Franklin is No Longer a Flashy Fantasy Target
Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin fell down the depth chart this past offseason after the team traded for Jaylen Waddle from Miami. Not only did Franklin slip to No. 3 in the wide receiver pecking order, but he hasn't exactly made a compelling case for more volume. In Week 2 of the preseason, he played 16 snaps but didn't fetch a single target. Last year, he was the WR31 in PPR leagues with 709 yards and six touchdowns, but he might have trouble eclipsing those same numbers in his new role behind both Waddle and Courtland Sutton. The good news for Franklin is that his quarterback and former college teammate, Bo Nix (ankle), is back from injury, but we're still not very confident in the 23-year-old receiver for fantasy purposes as long as Waddle and Sutton are healthy. As it stands, Franklin is the WR102 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football draft rankings for 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Klint Kubiak Praises Mike Washington Jr.
Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. has earned the praise of head coach Klint Kubiak ahead of the 2026 season. "He's done a great job of growing up real fast," Kubiak told Levi Edwards of the team's official website. "He's a guy that understands we're counting on him. He's maturing really fast." Washington is a fourth-round pick out of Arkansas, and while he was initially drafted to be a backup, he could step into a larger role right away if Ashton Jeanty (ankle) isn't ready to play in Week 1. Jeanty recently suffered a low-ankle sprain that could sideline him for a couple of weeks, so there's a real chance that we see Washington draw the start during the season opener against the Dolphins on Sept. 13. Washington may be a rookie, but Kubiak's comments suggest that he's ready for a big role. He currently ranks as the RB48 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for 2026.
Source: Levi Edwards
Source: Levi Edwards
Broncos Say Jaylen Waddle is "Going to Play Everywhere"
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle "is going to play everywhere except offensive line," offensive coordinator Davis Webb told Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. These remarks obviously come with a little sarcasm, as Waddle obviously isn't going to line up in the trenches, nor do we expect him to throw any passes. With that being said, it's still fair to read into these comments and wonder if we might see some design rushing attempts for Waddle out of the backfield, as well as a very heavy dose of snaps in the slot and out wide. Denver gave up a first-round pick in the package for the young receiver, so it makes sense that they want to get him involved in as many ways as possible. He had 910 yards and six touchdowns last season, and those numbers should only increase as he gets a quarterback upgrade with Bo Nix throwing to him. Waddle currently ranks as the WR20 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings, 20 spots ahead of teammate Courtland Sutton.
Source: Zac Stevens
Source: Zac Stevens
