Jul 6, 2026, 9:25 AM ET

While playing in all 17 games in 2025, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy saw his receiving yards cut by more than half from his previous season, a 90-catch, 1,229-yard campaign that earned him his first Pro Bowl selection. His first season with the team saw him hyper-targeted to end the year by a combination of Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Bailey Zappe, earning double-digit opportunities in six of the final nine weeks. While the team's quarterback rotation continued into 2025, the players changed, and with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders all starting games, Jeudy only topped 10 targets twice all season, and an inability to form a connection with any of his signal callers led to one of the lowest reception percentages in the league. Heading into 2026, the Browns' quarterback situation is as unsettled as ever, with Sanders and veteran Deshaun Watson projected to battle throughout training camp for the starting job in new head coach Todd Monken's offense, and with the team spending two top 40 picks on the receiver position, Jeudy could face the most significant target competition since being traded from Denver. With all these factors at play, expectations are low heading into the 2026 season, and Jeudy is RotoBaller's WR64.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 6, 2026, 9:14 AM ET

Beginning with one of the most dominant fantasy seasons ever in his first year as a starter, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II went on a five-year run that saw him finish as the QB4 or better four different times with bookending QB1 finishes. Since then, some of his most dangerous weapons have either moved on or slowed with age, and major philosophical changes in Kansas City have led to a statistical decline and the three worst fantasy seasons of his career. After leading one of the league's most aggressive offenses in his early seasons, Mahomes has seen his air yards drop from 8.6 yards per attempt to only 6.9 over his past three seasons. The more conservative approach has not necessarily led to more efficiency, as his touchdown-to-interception ratio also dropped by nearly half over that span. A saving grace for fantasy has been an increased scramble rate, which saw Mahomes rush for career highs of 422 yards and five touchdowns in 2025 despite playing in only 14 games before his season was ended by a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. How much of his mobility returns when he gets back on the field could be the most crucial element in determining his fantasy value in 2026, as his pass catchers remain largely unchanged from previous seasons. Expected to return to 11-on-11 work as early as training camp, Mahomes' movement will be watched closely, but for now he is RotoBaller's QB13 for 2026.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 10:01 PM ET

After being selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden had a rookie season to forget. Across 14 games (five starts), the 22-year-old recorded 29 catches for 361 yards and zero touchdowns on 44 targets. Golden should have a more prominent role in the Packers' offense in his second season, as the team moved on from wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks over the offseason. However, Golden may still be behind wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, as well as tight end Tucker Kraft, on the team's target pecking order. Green Bay has been a difficult place for wide receivers to post high-end fantasy production in recent seasons, as the team has frequently opted for an equal-opportunity passing offense and a run-heavy approach overall under current head coach and play-caller Matt LaFleur. Even with a discount in his value baked in, dynasty managers may want to avoid Golden ahead of 2026.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:51 PM ET

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker missed the first six games of the 2025 season due to a quad injury. The 24-year-old posted modest numbers upon his return, recording 33 receptions for 394 yards and three touchdowns on 43 targets across 11 games. Still, Carolina saw enough from Coker to sign him to a three-year contract extension over the offseason, and he enters 2026 as the projected WR2 for the Panthers. Coker has missed 12 games across his first two NFL seasons, so injury concerns are unquestionably present in his profile. Still, the young wideout could be in line for a breakout season if he can finally put together a fully healthy campaign. As the WR56 by current average draft position in redraft leagues, Coker may be a sneaky sleeper for fantasy managers to target ahead of 2026.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:41 PM ET

After spending the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is entering his first year with the Denver Broncos in 2026. Denver sent significant draft capital to Miami to acquire Waddle, who now projects as the team's WR1. The move from Miami to Denver should provide Waddle with a significantly improved offensive environment. However, the Broncos have several wide receivers who are capable of earning targets, including Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant. Waddle spent most of 2025 as the clear WR1 in Miami, but he still finished the year as the WR29 in per-game PPR scoring. As the 23rd wide receiver off the board by average draft position in redraft leagues, Waddle may currently be slightly overvalued.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:33 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) is currently working his way back from the torn Achilles that ended his 2025 campaign in Week 14. While Jones has not yet been fully cleared, he still appears to be tracking towards being ready to go for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Jones was having arguably his best NFL season before the injury in 2025, completing 68% of his pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 13 games. The 29-year-old also rushed for 164 yards and five scores on 45 attempts. Jones may be less aggressive as a rusher in his first year back from injury, which could limit his fantasy upside for 2026. Still, the veteran quarterback appears to have found a home in Indianapolis and was the QB12 in per-game fantasy scoring before getting hurt last season. For rebuilding dynasty managers, buying low on Jones ahead of 2026 could pay dividends.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:19 PM ET

A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (ankle) recorded 998 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on 256 touches across 14 games as a rookie. The 22-year-old's season came to an unfortunate end in Week 16 when he suffered a dislocated right ankle and a fractured fibula. Still, Judkins is expected to be ready to go for the start of 2026 and profiles as Cleveland's early-down and short-yardage workhorse. Judkins struggled to be efficient in his first NFL season, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. However, the Browns overhauled their offensive line this offseason and should create a healthier offensive environment for Judkins in 2026. Judkins' workload projection gives him a safe production floor, and his current redraft ADP of RB21 may undervalue his upside.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:09 PM ET

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh described running back Cam Skattebo (ankle) as a "top-tier back," per Jordan Raanan of ESPN. A fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Skattebo collected 617 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on 125 touches across eight games as a rookie before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Despite the injury, the 24-year-old is expected to be fully healthy and ready to go for the start of 2026. The Giants have solid depth at the running back position in the form of Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary. However, it appears as though Harbaugh and the rest of the new coaching staff in New York view Skattebo as the team's lead back. RotoBaller currently ranks Skattebo as the 19th-best running back for redraft leagues heading into 2026.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN - Jordan Raanan

Jul 5, 2026, 10:04 AM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving has become one of the most divisive players in 2026 drafts. After a breakout rookie season in 2024 saw him rack up almost 1,600 yards on his way to an RB14 finish, foot and shoulder injuries, as well as reported off-field struggles, limited him to only 10 games in 2025. Returning to action in Week 13 after an eight-week absence, Irving looked like a shell of himself, unable to top four yards per carry in any of his final six games. On the season, his 3.4-yard-per-carry average was down a full two yards from his rookie season, and while he was able to provide 6.1 half-PPR points per game strictly through the passing game, more than 67% of that production came in the first four weeks of the season. Following offseason shoulder surgery, the bull case for Irving is that he can return to the efficiency of his rookie season and the start of 2025, when he was the RB10 through the first four weeks. His detractors will point to the two-year, $14 million deal given to Kenneth Gainwell as evidence that Irving's fantasy-friendly usage in the passing game is set to take a meaningful hit. Those conflicting opinions have him coming off the board around RB24 by current ADP, providing his believers the opportunity to snag him at a discount in hopes of what could be a league-winning bounceback season.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:50 AM ET

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson finished as the fantasy TE8 in 2025, but his season truly was a tale of two halves. With five-time Pro Bowl receiver CeeDee Lamb missing time early in the year, Ferguson began his fourth season at a break-neck pace, finishing as the TE5 or better in each game from Weeks 2 through 5, and his 51 catches and six touchdowns had him sitting as the TE1 through the first seven weeks of the season. From that point on, with Lamb back to full health and first-year Cowboy George Pickens proving to be a driving force of Dallas' passing offense, Ferguson caught only two more touchdowns and was barely usable for fantasy, averaging 5.4 half-PPR points over his final 10 games and ranking as the TE22 over that stretch. With Lamb and Pickens back for another season together and capable of fully boxing Ferguson out of the offense, the 27-year-old tight end comes in right on the fringe of fantasy relevance as RotoBaller's TE13. Though clearly capable of stepping into a larger role and delivering week-winning performances should either receiver succumb to injury, Ferguson projects best as a solid second tight end in deeper leagues and is an obvious player to target in best ball drafts.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:36 AM ET

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki is coming off a down year in which a pectoral injury limited him to only 13 games and 28 receptions, the lowest totals since his rookie season. Returning for the final seven games following a five-week stint on the Reserve/Injured list, he was notably more effective to close the year, playing on a 17-game pace of 49 receptions for 597 yards, but in finding the end zone only twice, Gesicki was still just the TE14 in that span. Following an early-career stretch with the Dolphins in which he finished as a low-end TE1 in three straight seasons, he has not returned to the top 12 across his last four campaigns with Miami, New England, and Cincinnati, only once cracking the top 22, and his most productive stretches with the Bengals have come as an injury fill-in for either Ja'Marr Chase or Tee Higgins. With the offense operating at full health, Gesicki's involvement has been sporadic, with head coach and playcaller Zac Taylor leaning heavily into 11-personnel usage. Gesicki could again see fantasy managers race to the waiver wires should either Chase or Higgins miss time in the coming year, but at RotoBaller's TE28, he is unlikely to factor into 2026 drafts.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:25 AM ET

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins has made a 15-year career out of rising to the situation around him. Rarely has he shown an ability to truly elevate an offense, but with the right pieces around him, he's fully capable of managing the game and providing steady production that has frequently translated to fantasy success. With a deep group of pass-catchers in Washington's pass-heavy offense, he was able to turn in multiple top-six fantasy seasons, and while throwing to Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, he rarely fell outside the QB1 range. With the Achilles injury he suffered in 2023 further limiting what was never the most dynamic physical skill set, Cousins' reliance on a clean pocket and early separation from his receivers has only grown more apparent in recent years. Unfortunately, as he attempts to hold off first overall pick Fernando Mendoza for as long as possible in what could be his final starting job with the Raiders, the offense in Vegas features few pieces to get excited about outside of All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty. Cousins is well-positioned in a Klint Kubiak offense that just saw journeyman Sam Darnold finish as the QB13 a season ago, but without a weapon like Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the outside, and with the new face of the franchise already breathing down his neck, the soon-to-be 38-year-old does not project as a major fantasy contributor in 2026 and is RotoBaller's QB33.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 5, 2026, 9:13 AM ET

The New York Giants' selection of wide receiver Malachi Fields in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft was sandwiched between the signings of five different veteran wideouts, all of whom received one-year deals in free agency. At 6'4" and 222 pounds, Fields can stand out as a big-bodied outside target for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart, and his size and willingness as a blocker should endear him to new head coach John Harbaugh, who ran the league's run-heaviest offense in his final season with the Ravens. However, a Day 2 pick more on the strength of his traits than his production, he could take time to develop into a consistent NFL receiver, and the Giants are now well-positioned to spread the ball around, at least until 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers returns to full health and takes control of the team's target share. As the only Giants receiver other than Nabers whose contract extends beyond the 2027 season, Fields is a worthwhile dynasty stash, but with enough depth in the here and now to require little more than a supporting role from the rookie, RotoBaller's WR95 does not project as a major fantasy contributor in 2026.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 4, 2026, 10:01 AM ET

In his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed more than 65% of his passes for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns to only seven interceptions; respectable numbers that earned him a QB18 finish, but a far cry from the MVP form that saw him finish as the QB7 or better in 10 of his first 13 seasons as a starter. Seven different times he finished a year as either the fantasy QB1 or QB2, and while those days are comfortably behind him, the 42-year-old 21st-year veteran should not be completely written off for 2026. With Mike McCarthy assuming the head coaching job in Pittsburgh, an offense that already threw the ball at the league's seventh-highest rate with Rodgers in 2025 could see even more volume when the two reunite. The Cowboys were one of the league's pass-heaviest teams in the final years of McCarthy's tenure, while the Packers led the league with a 67.5% pass rate the last time Rodgers led his offense. With Rodgers average depth of target ranking dead last in the NFL in 2025, his fantasy ceiling has fallen significantly in recent years, but with the Steelers actively surrounding him with capable pass-catching running backs and short area targets like Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard, an elevated floor should keep him in the streaming conversation throughout the 2026 season. At RotoBaller's QB29, Rodgers can still be a safe and consistent second quarterback in superflex leagues, providing value at ADP and allowing drafters to chase riskier upside from their QB1 slot.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 4, 2026, 9:49 AM ET

The fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. once sat as high as QB5 in consensus dynasty rankings, looking like an unstoppable fantasy force through the first two and a half games of his career. A significant shoulder injury ended his rookie season after only 84 pass attempts, a sample size small enough to keep his significant flaws hidden behind his unmatched rushing upside. Since then, Richardson has completed less than half of his 266 attempts, repeatedly proven incapable of holding the starting job, and fallen to the bottom of the Colts' depth chart. With Daniel Jones recovering from the Achilles tear that ended his 2025 season and limited to 7-on-7 work during last month's minicamp practices, Richardson split starter reps with 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard, with neither able to separate in any meaningful way. Jones is expected to ramp up participation when the team reconvenes for training camp, potentially amounting to another missed opportunity for Richardson. Because of his rare physical abilities, Richardson remains capable of racking up fantasy points anytime he gets onto the field, but with his career trending in the wrong direction, that solace makes him little more than a frustrating dynasty hold.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller