April 6, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Pat Bryant is no longer a top candidate to enjoy a Year 2 breakout. The second season in the league is a common time for receivers to take a major leap, and it seemed like Bryant was heading in the right direction after the 2025 campaign. After all, he had cemented himself as the Broncos' No. 3 receiver and averaged 5.3 targets over his final five games. However, his role suddenly changed when the Broncos surprisingly traded for
Jaylen Waddle out of nowhere. Denver now has Waddle and
Courtland Sutton atop its depth chart, and
Troy Franklin has a clear advantage over Bryant for the No. 3 receiver role. At this point, it seems like the Year 2 breakout is on hold for Bryant. He is a talented player, but his path to consistent fantasy production is nearly nonexistent as long as Waddle, Sutton, and Troy Franklin are healthy.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Troy Franklin enjoyed a second-year breakout as the overall WR31 in PPR leagues last season. It seemed like he was trending up and due for an even stronger showing in 2026, but then, the Broncos went out and traded for
Jaylen Waddle. That acquisition offers a major shakeup in Denver, establishing
Courtland Sutton and Waddle as the undisputed top two receivers on the team. As a result, Franklin will fall to the No. 3 role. Not only is he no longer a lock to consistently start games, but he's also due for a step backward in fantasy football. His 2025 finish as the WR31 could end up being the peak of the early portion of his career, as Franklin will have trouble being a top-36 fantasy receiver if both Sutton and Waddle are healthy. It'll be tough to sell high on the 23-year-old, so he's merely a hold in most leagues for now.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 6, 2026
Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks
Sam Howell and
Joe Milton III will compete for the backup role behind
Dak Prescott this summer, head coach Brian Schottenheimer told Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The Cowboys acquired Milton last offseason in hopes that he could offer a strong, accurate arm in case Prescott went down. Prescott was healthy for all 17 contests, but when Milton did get into the game, he struggled. He had three turnovers and just one touchdown across parts of four games. Perhaps because of his subpar results on the field, Dallas brought in Howell during the offseason. It appears that the Cowboys have a specific vision for their backup quarterback, as Howell offers mobility and a strong arm similar to Milton. The fantasy implications here are minimal, as we expect Prescott to start the full season unless he gives us a reason to believe otherwise.
--Andersen PickardSource: Todd Archer
April 6, 2026
Tennessee Titans quarterback
Cameron Ward (shoulder) has been "progressing very well" from a right shoulder injury that required offseason rehab, head coach Robert Saleh told Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. Saleh also noted that Ward has consistently been working in the building, sometimes on his own. It was a rookie season to forget for the No. 1 pick, who finished the 2025 campaign with just 3,169 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also took an NFL-high 55 sacks and lost seven fumbles. The turnover-to-touchdown ratio was far from ideal, and Ward will look to play cleaner football next season. He should benefit from an improved offense that now features wide receiver
Wan'Dale Robinson. We also expect
Gunnar Helm,
Elic Ayomanor, and
Chimere Dike to make significant second-year leaps. It's too early to proclaim Ward will be fantasy relevant across the board, but as he continues to recover amid his first full offseason in the NFL, he's certainly trending up.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jim Wyatt
April 6, 2026
Tennessee Titans quarterback
Will Levis could be the odd man out heading into the NFL Draft. Jim Wyatt of the team's official website writes that
Mitch Trubisky will back up
Cameron Ward next season, leaving Levis as either a trade candidate or competing with
Hendon Hooker for the No. 3 role. Wyatt even wrote that he "suspect[s] some teams have been inquiring about Levis," and he indicated that the second-round pick is talented enough to justify a trade, rather than a demotion to the third-string quarterback role. No trade has materialized yet, but we wouldn't be surprised if something came together during the NFL Draft, similar to how the Cardinals traded away
Josh Rosen during the draft after he simply didn't pan out in Arizona. One team that could be interested in Levis is the New York Jets. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com recently wrote that the Jets want to add a veteran backup before the draft, and he specifically mentioned Levis as a name to watch.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jim Wyatt
April 5, 2026
When quarterback
Trevor Lawrence was selected first overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft, he was considered by many to be the safest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, and yet, through his first four seasons in the league, questions still remained about whether or not he was a true franchise quarterback. In 2025, he took significant strides in his first season with head coach Liam Coen, helping him climb to QB11 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. With
Brian Thomas Jr. struggling mightily in his second season and
Travis Hunter lost to injury, the Jaguars retooled their wide receiver room on the fly, acquiring
Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline, and over the final nine weeks of the season, Lawrence threw 20 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He also finished the year with a career-high 359 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground. The Jaguars enter the 2026 season with Thomas and Meyers still on the roster, along with underrated tight end
Brenton Strange, and
Parker Washington, whose own late-season surge coincided with Lawrence's. Hunter could spend more time on the defensive side of the ball in year two, but anything he can contribute offensively will only help to elevate an already dynamic group of pass catchers and their quarterback.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Dolphins quarterback
Malik Willis agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with Miami on the first day of free agency, and one week later, the team traded away its number one wide receiver in
Jaylen Waddle. In speaking at the annual owners meeting, Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told reporters that the trade materialized after Willis' signing, but that he had a conversation with his new quarterback to ensure that he didn't feel "tricked". Sullivan stressed the need for Miami to get younger and cheaper, with a clear goal of surrounding Willis with a young core of players on rookie contracts. The Dolphins now hold the 11th and 30th picks in the first round of the NFL Draft, and with
Malik Washington,
Tutu Atwell, and
Jalen Tolbert currently topping the wide receiver depth chart, the team is expected to take multiple swings at the position in what is considered to be a deep draft class.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Marcel Louis-Jacques - ESPN
April 5, 2026
Since the Denver Broncos traded for wide receiver
Jaylen Waddle in mid-March,
Courtland Sutton has seen his consensus dynasty ranking drop by almost 10 spots at the position, moving him well outside the first 10 rounds in dynasty startups. While Waddle does bring an electric element to a Broncos team that fell one game short of reaching the Super Bowl, he has not topped a 22% target share since his record-breaking rookie campaign in 2021, and he has never been a true red zone threat, which is historically where Sutton has done the bulk of his damage from a fantasy perspective. Adjustments will obviously be made to Denver's passing offense, but after two consecutive top-13 fantasy finishes, Sutton should still see enough of a role to make him a regular contributor for contending dynasty managers hunting for bargains.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Free agent tight end
David Njoku was unable to find a home in the early wave of free agency, and at this point, it would seem he is waiting until after the NFL Draft to make a decision on his future. The soon-to-be-30-year-old former first-round pick was released by the Cleveland Browns after nine seasons with the team, largely in part to the emergence of Harrold Fannin Jr., who led the team in receptions, yards, and touchdowns as a rookie. This is considered to be another deep rookie class, with a record 27 tight ends receiving invites to the NFL Combine, so many teams might opt to look for a younger, cheaper option at the position, with Njoku seeing a year-over-year decline in production since recording career highs across the board with 81 catches for 882 and six touchdowns in 2023. That said, even approaching his second decade in the league, Njoku's athleticism is rare for the position, and he could still find a fantasy-relevant role, even if it comes as a mid-season injury replacement.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a late-round pick swap, wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. had led the Indianapolis Colts in targets for five consecutive seasons. In his absence, one of the pass catchers most expected to benefit from the newly formed triple-digit target vacuum is tight end
Tyler Warren, fresh off a rookie season in which his 76 receptions led all first-year players. He was also the third most targeted tight end in the league, and with Pittman no longer taking up residence between the numbers, Warren's target share could rise to the ranks of the fantasy elite.
Alec Pierce signed a top-of-the market deal to stay in Indianapolis as the primary downfield and boundary option, but he has never cracked 85 targets or 50 receptions in a season, while
Josh Downs, who could offer more direct target competition on short to intermediate routes, is listed at only 171 pounds and has seen his snap count drop in each of his professional seasons.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
April 5, 2026
Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore has officially announced his retirement from the NFL. Gilmore crafted a thoughtful Instagram post in which he thanked his family, coaches, and fans for their continuous support throughout his 13-year career. He spent his first nine seasons in the AFC East with the Bills and Patriots before embarking on one-year stints with the Panthers, Colts, Cowboys, and Vikings. Gilmore expressed a desire to play football in 2025 but ultimately sat out last season. The former first-round pick finishes his career with 32 interceptions and 149 passes defended. He led the league in both categories with the Patriots in 2019, when he was also named Defensive Player of the Year. While not a Hall of Fame lock, Gilmore was as good as anyone during the peak of his career.
--Andersen PickardSource: Stephon Gilmore
April 5, 2026
Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford could have a limited workload leading up to the 2026 regular season, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. Stafford missed most of training camp last summer due to a back injury, and the Rams will likely modify the number of throws he makes this upcoming summer to ensure that he stays healthy.
Jimmy Garoppolo took most of the QB1 reps when Stafford was sidelined last summer, and the Rams will likely follow a similar plan during training camp this year. Not only does reducing Stafford's workload keep him healthy, but it also increases the reps for Garoppolo, who needs to be ready in case his number is called at any point during the regular season. As long as Stafford stays healthy, he remains a low-end QB1 in fantasy football because of his role in a high-volume passing offense and the tremendous presence of receivers
Puka Nacua and
Davante Adams.
--Andersen PickardSource: Sarah Barshop
April 5, 2026
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said that he is "certain" tight end
Isaiah Likely will take a major leap in 2026, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Harbaugh explained that he saw tremendous upside in Likely when the two were together in Baltimore, but the tight end never had much of an opportunity to break out because of the scheme and personnel. Indeed, Likely had his career-worst fantasy finish last year, checking in as the TE45 with 27 catches, 307 yards, and one touchdown. If Harbaugh is right, Likely could be due for his first-ever top-18 finish in 2026. However, we also need to be careful of just how much trust we invest in offseason coachspeak. Likely finds himself in a crowded Giants offense that also features
Malik Nabers (knee),
Theo Johnson,
Darius Slayton, and
Darnell Mooney. Likely is a high-risk, high-reward trade target this offseason. He could break out, as Harbaugh suggested, but he could also be headed for another year in a depth role.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jordan Raanan
April 5, 2026
Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese appears to be "the best fit" for the New York Jets at No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. General manager Darren Mougey recently said the Jets haven't identified who they'll select with the pick, but Cimini drew the conclusion that New York is leaning toward Reese based on comments made by head coach Aaron Glenn at last week's annual league meetings. He cited the Jets' plans to use multiple different defensive fronts, since Reese displayed scheme versatility in college. Glenn also said that he compared Reese to Danielle Hunter in the sense that both players have a rare blend of football traits and character. Reese is coming off a terrific junior season in which he logged 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks.
--Andersen PickardSource: Rich Cimini
April 5, 2026
The Cleveland Browns are expected to select Ohio State wide receiver
Carnell Tate with the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft if they're unable to trade down, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Jackson notes that the Browns are looking to trade down from either of their selections at No. 6 or No. 24, and if they stay put at No. 6, Tate will be their target. There's a case to be made that Tate is the best receiver in the draft, and we all know that Ohio State has an incredible track record of producing top-tier NFL wideouts. The 21-year-old had 51 catches, 875 yards, and nine touchdowns during his final season with the Buckeyes. If this selection comes to fruition, Tate would instantly slot into the No. 1 receiver role in Cleveland, surpassing
Jerry Jeudy. He ranks as the overall WR14 in our latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.
--Andersen PickardSource: Zac Jackson
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