Jordan Addison in Line for 2026 Resurgence with Improved Quarterback Play?
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison posted career-low numbers across the board in 2025, finishing the year with 42 receptions for 610 yards and three touchdowns on 79 targets across 14 games. Some of Addison's struggles were self-inflicted, as he was suspended for the first three games of 2025 due to a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. However, Addison was also negatively impacted by the extremely inconsistent quarterback play Minnesota received from the combination of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. While the Vikings still have question marks at the quarterback position, the team's offseason acquisition of former Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray should give it a more stable passing game floor. Addison recorded nearly 1,800 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns over his first two seasons in the NFL, so an improved offensive environment in Minnesota should give him a chance to return to previously demonstrated levels of production. Coming off a down year, Addison could be a solid buy-low target for fantasy managers in dynasty formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Gunnar Helm Appears Well-Positioned for 2026 Breakout
A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm recorded 44 receptions for 357 yards and two touchdowns on 55 targets. While the 23-year-old's numbers may not leap off the page, he established himself as a relatively steady contributor in a Titans offense that was starved for playmakers. Heading into 2026, Helm looks like the clear lead tight end in Tennessee after the team's decision to let former tight end Chig Okonkwo walk in free agency. In 2025, Helm and Okonkwo combined for 100 receptions, 917 receiving yards, and six touchdowns on 134 targets. While Helm will not absorb all of Okonkwo's production, he has a clear pathway to fantasy upside. In dynasty formats, fantasy managers may want to consider buying low on Helm ahead of the 2026 season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dalton Kincaid Facing Durability and Usage Questions Heading into 2026
Across 12 games in 2025, Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid hauled in 39 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns on 49 targets. While the 26-year-old's averages of 14.6 yards per reception and 11.7 yards per target both represented career bests, volume continues to be a problem for Kincaid's fantasy profile. For one, Kincaid has missed nine games over the past two seasons due to hamstring, oblique, and knee injuries. Even when on the field in that stretch, Kincaid has averaged under five targets per game. In 2025, Kincaid played fewer than 50% of Buffalo's offensive snaps in 10 out of the 12 games he was active for. In 2026, Kincaid could fall even further down the team's target pecking order following the Bills' offseason trade acquisition of former Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore. In dynasty formats, Kincaid's stock is fading due to persistent injury and usage question marks.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Colston Loveland Poised for Superstar Breakout in 2026?
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland got off to a slow start to his NFL career in 2025, recording just 11 receptions over his first six games played. However, the 21-year-old finished the year on a tear. Across his final 10 games played, Loveland hauled in 47 catches for 597 yards and six touchdowns on 64 targets. Loveland also recorded 193 receiving yards and was targeted 25 times across Chicago's two postseason contests. While the Bears have multiple capable pass catchers in wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, the team recently traded away veteran wideout DJ Moore. Without Moore, Loveland should only be moving up the target pecking order in Chicago. Loveland profiles as a high-end dynasty tight end coming off his encouraging rookie campaign.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Khalil Shakir Could See His Role in Buffalo Shrink in 2026
Across 16 games in 2025, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir recorded 72 receptions for 719 yards and four touchdowns on 95 targets. The 26-year-old has emerged as a steady contributor in Buffalo in recent years, recording back-to-back seasons as the team leader in both targets and receiving yards. However, Shakir's role could be slightly minimized in 2026 following the team's recent acquisition of former Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore. Shakir profiles more as a possession wideout than a downfield or red zone threat, so a reduction in his targets could further reduce his already middling fantasy production. RotoBaller currently ranks Shakir as the 56th-best wide receiver for dynasty formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Is Christian Watson's Breakout Season Coming in 2026?
As long as he can stay healthy, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson will be a popular breakout candidate in fantasy football in 2026 in his fifth year in the NFL. Watson has yet to play in more than 15 games in a season due to injuries since being drafted in the second round in 2022 out of North Dakota State. The 26-year-old played in just 10 regular-season games in 2025 after recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered late in 2024, but he still ended up being a top-50 fantasy wideout. Watson excelled as a top playmaker for Green Bay upon his return from Injured Reserve, catching 35 of his 55 targets for 611 yards and six touchdowns. He finished second on the team in catches, targets, and receiving yards to Romeo Doubs, who is now in New England. Tight end Tucker Kraft (knee) will be returning from a torn ACL, and second-year wideout Matthew Golden will have a bigger role, but all signs point to Watson being the projected clear receiving leader in 2026 if he's healthy. Watson's big-play ability (17.0 yards per catch in his career) will make him a high-risk/high-reward WR2 in fantasy drafts later this year.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Pat Freiermuth Should Have More Volume, but QB Situation Still a Mystery
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth's dynasty/keeper fantasy value is on the rise with Jonnu Smith no longer in town, but there's also the looming question this offseason surrounding the team's quarterback situation. Freiermuth put up a career-high 65 receptions for 653 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns on 78 targets in 17 regular-season games in 2024, but he fell to a disappointing 41-486-4 line in 17 regular-season games with Smith in town in 2025. For fantasy football purposes, the 27-year-old was the TE24 in half-PPR scoring in his fifth year in the NFL. As long as veteran Aaron Rodgers returns for another season in the Steel City, Freiermuth will have clear bounce-back potential with a higher target floor in what should be a more pass-happy offense under new head coach Mike McCarthy. The recent addition of receiver Michael Pittman Jr. creates additional target competition for the former second-round selection in 2021 out of Penn State.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Lions Officially Re-Sign Jake Bates
The Detroit Lions officially announced on Wednesday that they re-signed kicker Jake Bates to an undisclosed deal. Bates was an exclusive-rights free agent. The 27-year-old will return for his third season with the Lions in 2026. The former undrafted free agent out of Arkansas has become one of the more reliable kickers in fantasy football over the last couple of seasons in a Lions offense that should remain formidable in 2026. Last year in 17 games, Bates made 27 of his 34 field-goal tries (4-for-9 from 50-plus yards) and a league-high 54 extra points on 56 tries. He has made 84.1% of his 63 field-goal attempts in his two years in the NFL while succeeding on 95.9% of his 123 extra-point attempts. Bates was the No. 6 fantasy kicker in 2025. It also helps that half of his games come indoors, mitigating his volatility.
Source: Detroit Lions
Source: Detroit Lions
Chiefs "Optimistic" That Patrick Mahomes Can Take Part in Offseason Practices
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) posted a video on Wednesday of himself in a training session where he dropped back and threw the ball, according to ESPN's Nate Taylor. It's the first public footage of him doing anything football-related since he had surgery in December to fix the torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. "Day by Day!" Mahomes wrote his Instagram story. "Felt Great being able to throw the ball around today!" Based on the video clip, Taylor writes that the Chiefs are "optimistic" that Mahomes is on track to take part in the team's voluntary offseason practices, which are expected to start in May. The 30-year-old six-time Pro Bowler and three-time Super Bowl MVP had surgery exactly 100 days ago and said a month after the surgery that he hoped to be in uniform for the season opener in September. It's still early in the offseason, but it's a positive development for Mahomes to be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. The question now is whether he has already peaked in KC's offense after failing to reach the 4,000-yard passing mark in each of the last two years. It hasn't been fruitful to bet against Mahomes, but coming off a serious knee injury, he needs to be knocked down to the low-end QB1 tier going into 2026 fantasy drafts.
Source: ESPN.com - Nate Taylor
Source: ESPN.com - Nate Taylor
Najee Harris Visits With Seahawks
Former Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (Achilles) visited with the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, and the plan is for him to visit with the Las Vegas Raiders next, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Harris played in every single game in his first four years in the league with the Steelers, but he only played in three games in 2025 with the Chargers before tearing his left Achilles tendon. The 28-year-old former 24th overall pick in 2021 out of Alabama has progressed to sprinting on a treadmill this offseason, though, and he could make sense for a Seahawks backfield that lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to free agency. Zach Charbonnet (knee) isn't expected to be ready for Week 1 this fall, either, so the team could certainly use extra depth alongside Emanuel Wilson and George Holani. Harris had four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons in the Steel City to begin his career, but his dynasty/keeper stock has taken a big hit coming off an Achilles tear. If he were to land in Seattle, he could be in a three-man committee backfield with Wilson and Holani until Charbonnet returns.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Ty Simpson to Hold Private Workout With Jets on Friday
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is scheduled to hold a private workout with the New York Jets on Friday, according to Field Yates of ESPN. The Jets traded for veteran QB Geno Smith this offseason, but they are very much in the quarterback market heading into this year's NFL draft and hold the No. 2 and No. 16 overall picks in the first round. Simpson threw for a large contingent of NFL personnel at his school's pro day on Wednesday and was "razor sharp," per Yates. "His accuracy and tempo stood out." Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is expected to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, but it remains to be seen if the Jets like Simpson enough to pull the trigger at No. 2 overall. In his first year as a starter for the Crimson Tide in 2025, Simpson looked great, leading the SEC in completions (305) and pass attempts (473) while throwing for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only five interceptions in 15 games played. He has quickly become the consensus No. 2 overall QB prospect in this year's draft class, with ESPN's Dan Orlovsky going as far as to say that Simpson could end up being a better franchise signal-caller than Mendoza.
Source: ESPN - Field Yates
Source: ESPN - Field Yates
Rams Re-Sign Ronnie Rivers to One-Year Deal
The Los Angeles Rams re-signed running back Ronnie Rivers to an undisclosed one-year deal on Wednesday, according to Stu Jackson of the team's official website. Rivers will return for a fifth year in L.A. after carrying the ball just nine times for 46 yards in 11 regular-season games in 2025. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Fresno State latched on with the Rams and made his NFL debut in 2022, also carrying the football just nine times that year for 21 yards in eight games. In his four seasons in the NFL with the Rams, he's had a very limited role on offense with only 72 carries for 295 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and no rushing touchdowns in 45 games (two starts), adding 15 receptions for 85 yards through the air. Rivers will return to the Rams as primarily a special-teamer in 2026 while also adding RB depth behind Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, and Jarquez Hunter. Fantasy managers can continue to ignore him in all formats.
Source: Rams.com - Stu Jackson
Source: Rams.com - Stu Jackson
Raiders to Host Fernando Mendoza for a Top-30 Visit in Two Weeks
The Las Vegas Raiders will host Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on a top-30 visit in two weeks, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The Raiders are expected to take Mendoza with the first overall pick in next month's draft. Mendoza will take part in Indiana's pro day on Wednesday, April 1, after not taking part in any drills at the scouting combine at the end of February. The Hoosiers' signal-caller led the team to an undefeated season in 2025 and the national championship. He completed a career-high 72% of his 379 pass attempts for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only six interceptions in 16 games played and added 90 carries for 276 yards on the ground and seven additional touchdowns. Even though the Raiders are fully expected to make him their franchise QB in April, they reportedly don't want him to open the 2026 season as the starter under center. That shouldn't change the fact that Mendoza should be the first overall pick in rookie-only drafts this fall. Mendoza can do everything on the football field and has an incredibly high floor at the next level.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Tua Tagovailoa Open to Being a QB Mentor in Atlanta
The Atlanta Falcons will have a quarterback competition this year between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) whenever Penix is cleared to resume football activities after having knee surgery last season. Tagovailoa, a former first-rounder by the Miami Dolphins, has embraced the competition after starting 76 of the 78 games he appeared in for the Dolphins. He's also fine with helping Penix improve as a QB. "I think whatever I can do to help Mike's game will help me because if I'm helping get him better, it's helping me get better, vice versa, we're then helping the team get better," Tagovailoa said. The 28-year-old went 44-32 in his six seasons in Miami and led all QBs in 2022 in touchdown percentage (6.3%), yards per completion (13.7), and passer rating (105.5). He then led the league with 4,624 passing yards in 2023. Since then, though, Tagovailoa has suffered multiple concussions and has regressed as a passer. He thinks he can still be dangerous as a passer and that his best football is ahead of him, but he'll first need to beat out a recovering Penix for the starting gig in Atlanta in 2026. If Tagovailoa wins the job, he'll merely be a low-end QB2 with a short leash.
Source: AtlantaFalcons.com - Will McFadden
Source: AtlantaFalcons.com - Will McFadden
Ravens Want to Extend Zay Flowers Soon
The Baltimore Ravens are making a contract extension for wide receiver Zay Flowers a top priority this offseason, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Flowers has made two Pro Bowls in three years, something no other homegrown Ravens receiver has done, and he's also gone over 1,000 receiving yards twice. His 3,128 receiving yards since 2023 rank 10th-most among NFL receivers during that span, and his 237 catches rank 13th. It's a pretty impressive feat, considering the team's run-first offensive philosophy. The 25-year-old pass-catcher may not be a prototypical No. 1 NFL wideout, but the Ravens love that he's a legitimate playmaker, a major threat with the ball in his hands, and that he's hard to cover by cornerbacks. In addition to Flowers' skills on the field, he's been durable, missing just one game in three seasons. He's also a close friend of quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens fully intend to keep him after he signed a four-year, $14.04 million contract back in June of 2023. The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec writes that the Ravens would like to reach a deal "sooner rather than later." They have until May 1 to pick up his fifth-year option and keep him under contract through at least 2027, but that's viewed as a formality.
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
Source: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
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