May 24, 2026, 5:00 PM ET

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson missed the first seven weeks of 2025 as he recovered from the torn ACL that ended his 2024 campaign, but upon his return, he was one of the best fantasy wideouts in the game. From Weeks 8 through 17, Watson was the WR9 in half-PPR formats, playing at a full-season pace of 1,039 yards and 10 touchdowns, and an improved situation in 2026 could raise his ceiling even higher. Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks were the three most targeted players on the team in 2025, and with Doubs and Wicks both set to play elsewhere in 2026, Watson could be in store for the largest target share of his young career. Through the first half of the season, with a healthy Tucker Kraft still in the lineup, the Packers played with two or fewer receivers on the field at one of the league's highest rates, and if that trend continues once Kraft returns from the torn ACL that ended his year, Watson, who averaged more than 3.1 yards per route run from such sets in 2025, should be the biggest benefactor. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR42, this could be the last chance to buy before a potential breakout pushes Watson closer to top 20 territory.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 4:49 PM ET

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir has led the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, but both years have finished with him as the WR38 in half-PPR formats. Over that time, he has had only six weekly finishes as the WR20 or better, but his consistent volume has provided a safe floor, allowing him to score at least 8.0 Half-PPR points in more than 64% of his games. With the Bills acquiring veteran DJ Moore via trade and spending a fourth-round pick on another versatile slot receiver in Connecticut's Skyler Bell, that reliable floor is suddenly threatened. Having fallen all the way to WR59 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty rankings, the time to sell Shakir at peak value has clearly passed, but he should hold his worth for as long as he's able to fend off Bell, and he offers just enough overlap with Moore's play style to maintain insurance upside in the event of injury.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 4:37 PM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars two-way player Travis Hunter has become one of the most challenging dynasty valuations in the game, which was always going to be the case with a player of such a unique skill set. The second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Hunter played 66.2% of his rookie snaps on offense and looked to be on the verge of a breakout before a season-ending LCL injury in Week 7. The buzz heading into his second season has been that he will spend most of his time on defense, and while Hunter has personally pushed back against that narrative, the Jaguars receiver room is already deep enough as is to prevent anything more than a knowledgeable guess as to how targets would shake out between Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and a part-time Hunter. With a crowded room and the added risk of injury that comes with the workload of playing two ways, Hunter has fallen all the way to RotoBaller's WR55 only one year after coming off the board near the top of the first round in most dynasty rookie drafts. While he has the natural ability to greatly outperform that ranking if given the chance, the risks currently outweigh the rewards, and he is not a player to actively target unless his current manager is willing to sell well below market value.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 4:25 PM ET

Easily overlooked behind some of the instant difference-makers at the top of the class, Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm was one of six rookies at the position to finish 2025 with more than 40 receptions. He now has a clear path to the starting job in 2026, and drastic improvements are expected for a Tennessee offense that finished in the bottom three of passing yards, rushing yards, and points per game in year one of the Cam Ward era. After leading the team in receptions and yards in 2025, tight end Chig Okonkwo has departed in free agency, leaving Helm with plenty of room to grow under new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. And with Wan'Dale Robinson and fourth overall pick Carnell Tate now forming a respectable trio of wide receivers with Calvin Ridley, the Titans should easily exceed the league-worst 1.9 red zone opportunities per game that stifled the fantasy output of the entire offense in 2025. At RotoBaller's dynasty TE27, Helm is still underappreciated, creating a low-cost buying opportunity for a player who has already shown flashes in a situation that realistically has only one direction to trend.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 4:13 PM ET

In what was his first full season as a starter, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye missed out on the MVP award by a single first-place vote in what was the closest MVP race in over 20 years. He did so at the age of 23 with a league-average offensive line and one of the weaker receiving rooms in the league. Heading into 2026, the Patriots have invested heavily in the line through both free agency and the draft, and they remain the odds-on favorite to land three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown on or after June 1st. In what will be only his second season in Josh McDaniels' complicated system, there should be an expectation of more nuance and wrinkles as the offensive identity is further molded around Maye's unique, fantasy-friendly skill set. Yet to turn 24 years old, Maye is RotoBaller's dynasty QB2, but should things continue to progress in an environment that already looks better on paper, he could claim the top spot as early as this season and keep it for some time.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 1:05 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers restructured tight end Pat Freiermuth's contract on Sunday to free up some salary cap space for the 2026 season, multiple sources told Nick Farabaugh of Penn Live. Freiermuth's salary cap hit this year will decrease to $11.2 million. The 27-year-old should see more volume in Pittsburgh in his sixth year in the league with both Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward no longer in town, and it's a positive that veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back in the Steel City for one more season. In his fifth year with the Steelers in 2025, Freiermuth caught 41 of his 54 targets for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (eight starts) to finish as the TE24 in half-PPR scoring. While the former second-rounder's volume should increase at least slightly, he'll now have to battle for targets with new wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie receiver Germie Bernard. Freiermuth has never had more than 732 receiving yards or seven touchdowns in a single season, so the ceiling is pretty low in fantasy, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 24 TE for the 2026 campaign.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Penn Live - Nick Farabaugh

May 24, 2026, 10:00 AM ET

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason was a popular breakout candidate after the team acquired him from San Francisco in the 2025 offseason, but he was a top-20 fantasy back in only two weeks and finished the year as the RB35. His 4.8 yards per carry, while representing the lowest mark of his career, was still solid, but he never saw the volume needed to sustain fantasy success. With Aaron Jones missing five games, Mason exceeded 15 carries only twice all season, and even then, topped out at 16. Seven times, he was held to single-digit attempts. The Vikings spent a sixth-round pick on running back Demond Claiborne in the 2026 NFL, but at only 5'10" and 195 pounds, he's more likely to impact Jones' role on third downs, while Mason should remain the early-down thumper. With a healthier offensive line and improved quarterback play, his second season with the Vikings could be marginally more productive even if his role remains largely unchanged. At 27 years old, Mason is RotoBaller's dynasty RB52, and while the breakout calls have quieted, he is still capable of playing out the final year of his contract as an occasional flex option with notable insurance upside.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 9:50 AM ET

Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks became part of the team's new-look offense when Philadelphia sent two Day 3 picks to Green Bay to acquire him in April. The trade occurred shortly after the Eagles signed receiver Hollywood Brown to a one-year deal, and before spending first and second-round picks on Makai Lemon and tight end Eli Stowers in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the assumption that three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown will be dealt on or after June 1st, Wicks could soon be the closest piece the Eagles have left to a prototypical X-receiver. Others on the roster have spent more time on the boundary, but few have the size or strength to consistently face press coverage. Wicks has seen his downfield usage rise over the past two seasons with the Packers, though with it, his efficiency has dropped precipitously from the 2.04 yards per route run that put him on fantasy maps as a rookie. He has yet to top his 580 receiving yards of that 2023 season, but in moving from one crowded, run-heavy offense to another, he at least now stands out physically from the rest of the room at 6'1" and 206 pounds. While it's unlikely the soon-to-be-25-year-old Wicks takes a massive step forward for fantasy, he has a chance of being a regular presence in three-receiver sets along with Lemon and DeVonta Smith, and at RotoBaller's dynasty WR103, he's at least worth holding onto until a new pecking order is established in Philadelphia.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 9:38 AM ET

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard has seen his dynasty value fluctuate wildly since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma State in the 2021 NFL Draft. After beginning his career as a backup to Christian McCaffrey, Hubbard broke out with an RB15 finish in 2024 in a year that most presumed the Carolina backfield would run through second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. With Brooks missing the entire 2025 season after re-tearing the ACL in his right knee, presumptions shifted again, and Hubbard came into the year as the RB19 in consensus dynasty rankings. Unfortunately, injuries and inefficiency saw him take a backseat to Rico Dowdle for much of the year while he averaged less than four yards per carry and fell as low as RB42 in those same rankings. With Dowdle signing a two-year deal with the Steelers in free agency, lead back duties in Carolina again appear to belong to Hubbard. That said, little has gone as planned for Panthers running backs of late, and Brooks should be close to full health to begin a season for the first time in his professional career. Hubbard is in the second season of the four-year extension he signed in 2024, and while the team could save $6 million by moving on from him before 2027, he appears to be part of the team's plans both presently and moving forward. At RotoBaller's dynasty RB33, the soon-to-be-27-year-old sixth-year veteran finally feels appropriately priced.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 9:25 AM ET

New Orleans tight end Juwan Johnson will turn 30 at the start of the regular season, and with the Saints spending four of their first seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on pass-catchers, including Georgia tight end Oscar Delp in the third round, he has seen his dynasty stock take a hit. Ahead of his seventh professional season, Johnson has fallen to RotoBaller's TE25, making him a low-cost trade target for contending managers. He has finished as the TE10 in half-PPR formats in two of his last three healthy seasons, and in year one in Kellen Moore's up-tempo, high-volume offense, he was one of only seven tight ends to see triple-digit targets in 2025. While Delp and first-round pick Jordyn Tyson will eat into his target share, there is optimism that the Saints offense as a whole takes another step forward after 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough led the team to a 5-4 record down the stretch while topping 300 passing yards in two of his final three starts. Johnson was often overlooked by the dynasty community even while performing at the top of his game, so if the perception is that he's fallen even further in New Orleans' new-look offense, his buying window is wide open.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 24, 2026, 9:13 AM ET

Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal led the team in carries and rushing yards in 2025, with Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris missing a combined 22 games. While Harris remains unsigned, Hampton is back and healthy, with the presumption that the 2025 first-round pick will handle close to a bell-cow role in his second season. The team added former Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell, bringing an element of speed coveted by new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, and he is likely to serve as the primary change-of-pace back while Vidal becomes more of a true handcuff to Hampton. Without an injury ahead of him, Vidal could struggle to find standalone value before becoming an exclusive rights free agent in 2027. However, with McDaniel calling plays and the Chargers' offensive line expected to be healthy again in 2026, Los Angeles' offense should provide one of the league's best situations for a runner to be dropped into, making him one of the more valuable insurance backs in fantasy and a must-roster player. Vidal is RotoBaller's dynasty RB57, making him an easy throw-in as part of a larger deal.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 23, 2026, 5:00 PM ET

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders has quietly flown below fantasy radars for much of his first two seasons in the league, and while it's entirely possible that is where he'll remain, he's shown just enough to consider throwing a late-round dart his way in dynasty startups or inquiring about his acquisition cost in existing leagues. Since coming into the NFL as a 2024 fourth-round pick out of Texas, Sanders leads all Panthers tight ends with 62 receptions and 532 yards. While the competition is not particularly steep in dedicated blocker Tommy Tremble and 2025 fifth-rounder Mitchell Evans, the Panthers obviously felt strongly enough about the room to bypass the position entirely in a 2026 NFL Draft in which they made seven total selections. It's possible that Dave Canales' Carolina offense simply isn't designed to involve its tight ends in the passing game, but with the Panthers depth chart thinning quickly behind 2025 Offensive Player of the Year Tetairoa McMillan and the exciting, but still relatively unproven Jalen Coker, there is an opportunity to be had. At only 23 years old, if Sanders can stay healthy in 2026, something he was unable to do last season, he could see his usage spike, and with it his dynasty value.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 23, 2026, 4:48 PM ET

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith is RotoBaller's dynasty QB41, and following a disastrous season with the Raiders in which he threw for barely over 3,000 yards and nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns, the 35-year-old veteran has become one of the most easily acquirable starting quarterbacks in fantasy. With New York's offensive line notably stronger than the unit he played behind in Vegas, and the Jets boasting an exciting group of young pass catchers even behind 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, if Smith has anything left in the tank, his production should improve dramatically in 2026. While he should be capable of plugging in as a startable bye week or injury filler in superflex leagues, how much value he can provide if needed in a pinch during fantasy playoffs is a different question entirely. The Jets spent a fourth-round pick on Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, and with three first-round picks in a loaded 2027 NFL Draft and an eye toward the future, there's no certainty that Smith will be the one starting games to finish the season. For quarterback-desperate managers, Smith is still capable of exceeding his current trade value, but should he end 2026 riding the bench for another bad Jets team, any remaining dynasty value will fully disintegrate.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 23, 2026, 4:36 PM ET

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was once viewed as the QB2 in consensus dynasty rankings, fresh off an incredibly efficient 2023 rookie campaign in which he threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Following two disappointing seasons, and last seen in arguably the worst game of his career in a Divisional Round playoff loss to the Patriots, he has fallen to QB18 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. With the Texans exercising his fifth-year option back in April, Stroud will spend at least the next two seasons with a Houston team that has a strong enough surrounding cast to keep him fantasy relevant even without the safety of a rushing floor. Stroud has not topped 233 rushing yards through his first three years in the league, and with that type of immobility, his yearly fantasy finishes will be intrinsically linked to his touchdown totals. While he finished 2025 with only 19 passing touchdowns, he was on pace for more than 30 and was the fantasy QB14 through the first half of the year before a concussion knocked him out of a Week 9 loss to the Broncos and ultimately cost him three starts. While he is unlikely to ever return to top two dynasty status, Stroud's ceiling when things break right is still higher than his current ranking would suggest, and as a more than capable second quarterback in superflex leagues, he's become an undervalued trade target who has yet to turn 25.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

May 23, 2026, 4:25 PM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten was a fourth-round pick in a running back-heavy 2025 draft class, and although he only produced 386 yards from scrimmage as a rookie, he clearly showed enough for the team to bypass the position entirely in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite the departure of Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency. Etienne led the team with more than 300 opportunities in 2025, and to help fill some of the void he leaves behind, Jacksonville brought in Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Ameer Abdullah, but the former has never exceeded 115 total touches in a season, while the latter hasn't hit that mark since 2017. Rodriguez has a connection to head coach Liam Coen from their time together at Kentucky, and he offers sneaky upside as a goal-line back, but Tuten is expected to see a significant usage increase in 2026 and, as such, has risen to RB23 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. At 209 pounds, Tuten possesses elite speed. While he was unable to spring a single run of more than 15 yards as a rookie, if explosive plays eventually become a bankable part of his game, the 23-year-old speedster will be considered a steal at his current acquisition cost.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller