RADIO
Packers High On New Acquisition Kaleb Johnson
Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson has been traded over from the Pittsburgh Steelers and amid the troubles with running back Josh Jacobs, the Packers organization is high on the addition of Johnson. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had this to say about Johnson as a newcomer to the team: "Excited to get Kaleb in here. Young player with huge upside ... He comes from a very strong program. He had a lot of success there. There's some similar scheme stuff, a lot of outside-zone." Johnson comes from the Iowa Hawkeyes college program and has a real shot to make a name for himself with Jacobs on the Commissioner's Exempt List. Johnson could be a nice late-round addition to fantasy teams with some "huge upside" as stated by his new GM.
Source: Weston Hodkiewicz (@WesHod)
Source: Weston Hodkiewicz (@WesHod)
David Montgomery Could Be a Steal in Texans Offense
Houston Texans running back David Montgomery looks like a mid-tier running back draft candidate but has the potential to really reward his drafters this season. Coming over in the offseason from Detroit where he split time with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery has the ability to take over the Texans lead rushing role. The Texans do have Woody Marks as a backup running back who will likely take away some of Montgomery's carries and passing down work but Montgomery looks locked and loaded as the lead back. NFL.com's Kevin Patra, did an article where he picked one new Pro-Bowler from each AFC team and listed Montgomery as his candidate for the Texans, saying, "The 29-year-old is in line for a significant workload increase in Houston, and his ability to punch in scores from short range will be a boon to the offense."
Source: Kevin Patra
Source: Kevin Patra
Parker Washington Has Big Time Potential As Slot Receiver
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington looks like he has real potential this season as a mid-to-late-round draft target. Washington closed the season last year with two 100+ yard receiving games in Weeks 16 and 17. He also had four receiving touchdowns from Week 10 though the end of the season. He finished the season with 58 catches for 847 yards and five touchdowns. The Jaguars offense under Liam Coen has the potential to be very good with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback and Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers also at receiver. Washington, out of Penn State in college, should line up regularly in the slot and be a dynamic receiver in that role. He broke through in a big way late last season and should see that continue this season.
Source: NFL.com
Source: NFL.com
De'Zhaun Stribling Remains a Top Late-Round Target
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling has been one of the most exciting players to emerge this preseason, stepping up as a key contributor in the team's receiving corps while other receivers battled injury. Ricky Pearsall (knee) was placed on season-ending IR, while Christian Kirk (calf) will also start the year on injured reserve but could return after Week 4. The second-round pick from Ole Miss will begin the year in a starting role alongside Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, and the rookie could make an immediate impact based on his preseason usage and success. He caught 11 of his 13 targets for 109 yards in his first two preseason games before sitting out the team's third and final preseason contest with the rest of the starters. Stribling's draft stock is sky-rocketing, and he is the WR50 in RotoBaller's rankings. If you can grab him as a bench option in the middle rounds, he could still bring great value if he emerges as one of the go-to options in coach Kyle Shanahan's typically productive passing game.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kenneth Walker Could Be Over-Hyped
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker is coming off a big postseason run with the Seahawks that culminated in his Super Bowl MVP Award. After joining the Chiefs this offseason, Walker is being drafted very early in most fantasy drafts, coming off the board in the early rounds. He's ranked RotoBaller's RB No. 7, and he definitely brings top-10 RB potential in his new role with his new team. However, Walker had trouble staying healthy until last season, and he shared a lot of the work with Zach Charbonnet. He finished the regular season with 1,027 rushing yards and 282 receiving yards, with just five total touchdowns. Coach Andy Reid has typically mixed in multiple backs in the past, and the team used a fifth-round pick on Emmett Johnson, while Brashard Smith is also still in the mix. Walker has RB1 potential, but he is less of a sure thing than some of the other RBs being drafted in the same tier. If you do draft Walker, be sure to have plenty of depth at the position with possible pivots if he ends up in a timeshare.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ted Hurst III Earning a Larger Role for the Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III had a great training camp and preseason, and he has impressed the team to the point that they expect him to be involved early in the season, according to NFL Network's Sara Walsh. The Bucs have dealt with multiple injuries in their receiving corps this preseason, with Emeka Egbuka (toe), Jalen McMillan (knee), and Tez Johnson (groin) all missing practice at different points. Hurst has been very consistent throughout all the different opportunities, and the third-round pick from Georgia State has made the most of his chances. Both head coach Todd Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield have praised Hurst's ability and reliability throughout the preseason, and Hurst is definitely worth considering as a late-round WR flier or a waiver-wire add, especially if he gets more playing time as other receivers recover.
Source: Sara Walsh
Source: Sara Walsh
Emeka Egbuka Could Play in Week 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee) are both still dealing with injuries that they picked up this preseason, but there is optimism from the team that both will be ready to play in Week 1, according to NFL Network's Sara Walsh. McMillan is back to running routes after missing a couple of weeks with a knee injury, while Egbuka is recovering from a sprained toe that he suffered in a joint practice with the Jets a few weeks ago. Egbuka had a breakout rookie season, and both he and McMillan bring lots of fantasy upside this year, following the departure of target-magnet Mike Evans. With plenty of work up for grabs in Baker Mayfield's offense, Egbuka has WR1 upside if he's healthy, while McMillan could be a strong late-round sleeper if he secures regular playing time.
Source: Sara Walsh
Source: Sara Walsh
Zay Flowers Good to Go for Week 1
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (lower body) has been limited in practice due to an unspecified lower-body injury, but it looks like it won't impact his availability against the Colts in Week 1, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Flowers is expected to practice in full next week and be ready to go on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis. Flowers finished with 86 catches for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns on 118 targets last season, and the Ravens' offense under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle will be focused on getting the ball into Flowers' hands in spots where he can make big plays. He's a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside, and it looks like the injury will not slow him at all as the regular season gets underway. He can be started as you normally would, as the Ravens start a new era under new head coach Jesse Minter.
Source: Matt Zenitz
Source: Matt Zenitz
Jeremiyah Love Considered "50/50" to Play in Week 1
According to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Arizona Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiyah Love (ankle) is deemed "50/50" to suit up in Week 1. The third overall pick from this year's NFL Draft has been dealing with a high ankle sprain through much of the preseason and could be in danger of sitting out the opening weekend. While head coach Mike LaFleur did express that he was "trending" towards an early return, this recent report suggests the team may look to exercise caution with their franchise cornerstone. During his final season at Notre Dame, Love was a Heisman Trophy finalist, rushing for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. Through the air, he caught another three scores and added 280 yards. In the event Love is unable to play, fantasy managers should expect Tyler Allgeier to be given a heavy workload with veteran James Conner (foot) on injured reserve.
Source: Mike Garafolo
Source: Mike Garafolo
D'Andre Swift Should Remain an RB2 for Fantasy Managers in 2026
Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift had a solid 2025 season, tallying 1,087 rushing yards, 34 catches, 299 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. He saw his workload slip a little bit as Kyle Monangai took on a bigger role during the second half, but Swift still had control of the backfield by season's end. While Monangai is trending up ahead of 2026, it's hard to imagine the Bears shifting away from a backfield dynamic that clearly worked last year. Swift was highly efficient, and although he did share plenty of snaps and volume with Monangai, there's no doubt that he could have handled an every-down role if necessary. Having Monangai by his side to lighten his load and keep his legs fresh could actually be key for Swift heading into his age-27 season. The seventh-year NFL veteran may no longer be pushing for 20 touches per game, but with high efficiency on the ground and a persistent nose for the end zone, he's still a legitimate RB2 option in all fantasy leagues. The experts agree, as Swift ranks as the overall RB17 in RotoBaller's latest 2026 fantasy football rankings for redraft leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jaxson Dart Flashes QB1 Appeal for 2026
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart has the potential to rank as a top-12 fantasy quarterback for the 2026 season. Dart impressed as a rookie last season, tallying 2,272 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also tallied 487 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. The rushing productivity did most of the heavy lifting in Dart's fantasy ranking, but the return of wide receiver Malik Nabers also helped. Nabers is working his way back from an ACL tear, and his availability has propped up his quarterback's fantasy outlook for the upcoming season. Dart is now healthy, and there's no sign that he'll need to miss any time in 2026. With the clean bill of health headed his way, we expect Dart to run the football just as much as he did last year, even if doing so comes with inherent risk. Managers will cross their fingers and hope that that risk pays off with Dart finishing the year as a QB1 in fantasy football.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Josh Downs' ADP Sits Steady in Ninth Round
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs entered this offseason as one of the biggest risers in football. The offense was trending up, Daniel Jones was returning from injury, and Downs took a step up the depth chart after Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to Pittsburgh. As a result, his ADP rose steadily throughout the summer, and he's now looking to replicate his five-touchdown performance as the overall WR35 in PPR 2024. The bad news is that the Colts extended Alec Pierce as their No. 1 receiver and recently signed Keenan Allen to be their projected No. 2 receiver, leaving Downs in a relatively unfavorable role. We also can't forget that the Colts have Tyler Warren to offer a major boost at the tight end position. While there's no denying that Downs is quite talented, he has been holding pretty steady at his ADP of 102.9, which ranks him as the overall WR41 in PPR leagues for this season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jonathon Brooks Has a Chance to Take Over the Panthers' Backfield
Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks is trending up once again. After knee injuries limited him to just five games through his first two seasons, he's now fully healthy and ready to occupy a big role on offense. There may be a little re-acclimation period as he gets used to his first NFL action since 2024, but there's also a glaring opportunity for him to step into a 1B role alongside Chuba Hubbard. Furthermore, we can't rule out the possibility of him completely taking over the backfield and leaving Hubbard in a backup role. This wouldn't be new territory for Hubbard, who sort of lost his job to Rico Dowdle last year. Brooks is incredibly talented, and if he can stay healthy, he could return to the high-end RB2 upside that he possessed prior to his rookie season. This is a low-risk move for managers, as Brooks still has a relatively modest ADP of 83.6.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Terry McLaurin Has Clear Top-10 Upside if Injury Bug Stays Away
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin possesses the talent needed to be a top-10 receiver in fantasy football, and he's looking to shake off an ugly 2025 season marred by injuries. McLaurin caught 38 passes for 582 yards and three touchdowns across 10 games last year. He missed seven contests and quarterback Jayden Daniels missed 10 contests; they were on the field together for just three games. If both can stay healthy for most of the 2026 season, McLaurin should have no trouble re-establishing himself as a top-18 fantasy receiver, and perhaps even getting back to the WR1 range. Washington did sign Stefon Diggs in free agency, but McLaurin is clearly the No. 1 receiver here. In fact, Diggs' presence may actually help McLaurin by luring away cornerbacks, or at least reducing the rate at which McLaurin sees double coverage. We're very excited about the upside of McLaurin, who is somewhat of a steal at his current ADP of 53.0.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Quarterback Upgrade Could be the Key to Jaylen Waddle's Success
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is set to enjoy an enormous quarterback upgrade following his offseason trade from the Dolphins to the Broncos. Waddle held his own in Miami despite abysmal quarterback play, ranking as the overall WR24 with Tua Tagovailoa and Quinn Ewers throwing to him last year. Now, he'll be catching Bo Nix, and he arguably finds himself in the best situation of his six-year career. Will he finish higher than WR8 and post the best fantasy finish of his career? Not necessarily. However, the pieces are in place for Waddle, who has shown that he can handle the No. 1 receiver role, to thrive. Staying on the field will also be key for the 27-year-old, who has finished as WR24 or higher in each of the three years he played 16+ games, but WR34 or lower in each of the two years he missed at least two games. Waddle is certainly trending up, and he now ranks as the overall WR19 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
