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
April 5, 2026
The Tennessee Titans have the fourth overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, and many experts are connecting them to Notre Dame running back
Jeremiyah Love. However, the Titans are content with their current RB room, which consists of
Tony Pollard,
Tyjae Spears,
Michael Carter,
Kalel Mullings, and
Julius Chestnut, according to Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. "I love our backfield, I love our running back room right now," head coach Robert Saleh said. "I look at our running back room as one of the better ones in football." Pollard now has four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and Spears is a nice pass-catching complement, but it will be pretty hard for the Titans to pass on Love if he's available at No. 4 overall at the end of April. Pollard's status as a high-end RB2 in fantasy football will be out the window in 2026 if the Titans were to select Love in the early portion of the first round.
--Keith HernandezSource: TennesseeTitans.com - Jim Wyatt
April 5, 2026
NFL officials in Phoenix all believe that free-agent wide receiver
Jauan Jennings is asking for too much money on the open market this offseason, according to Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of The Athletic. "He's outplayed his talent," one head coach said. Jennings and the San Francisco 49ers couldn't work out a long-term deal last summer and instead worked out a one-year deal. The 28-year-old is by far the best remaining player on the free-agent market, but his financial demands might need to come down a bit for him to find a new home. Jennings, a former seventh-round pick in 2020 out of Tennessee, wasn't very involved in the Bay Area in his first three NFL seasons before breaking out in 2024 with a 77-975-6 line in 15 regular-season games. Jennings had a career-best nine touchdowns in 2025, but he also regressed elsewhere with just 55 catches for 643 yards in 15 regular-season starts. His 2024 campaign could easily end up being Jennings' high-water mark, but he could still have plenty of fantasy relevance as a chain-mover in 2026, depending on where he ends up.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur
April 5, 2026
The San Francisco 49ers have made it clear that wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk (knee) won't be back with the team in 2026, but they are in no rush to get rid of him, according to The Athletic's Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur. If an NFL team is interested in Aiyuk's services and wants him in their building this spring to learn their offense, they can trade for him, but there's no reason for the Niners to do any other team a favor by handing Aiyuk over now for a draft pick. They may release him after the NFL draft at the end of April if they can't find a trade suitor by then, but they can also wait longer if they want to, as the 49ers don't owe Aiyuk anything until his option bonus is due on Sept. 1. The Washington Commanders seem like the logical destination because of general manager Adam Peters' familiarity with Aiyuk from his time in the Bay Area. Aiyuk was also teammates with Washington quarterback
Jayden Daniels at Arizona State. The 28-year-old former first-rounder had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023, but he played in only seven games in 2024 before tearing his ACL, and he didn't play at all last year. There are questions about Aiyuk's motivation, making him a very risky option for NFL teams and fantasy managers going forward.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur
April 5, 2026
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson confirmed that wide receiver
Luther Burden III will be a big part of the team's passing attack heading into his second year in the NFL, according to CHGO Bears. "[Luther] is exactly what we thought we were getting out of the draft last year...this guy loves football. If you took football away from him, I don't know what he would want to do with himself," Johnson said. Especially since the Bears traded receiver
DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills this offseason, Burden will be a popular breakout candidate in fantasy football in 2026 as he heads into his sophomore campaign. The 22-year-old former second-rounder out of Missouri started slow last year but finished with 47 catches for 652 yards and two touchdowns on 60 targets in 15 regular-season starts. Target volume could be an issue with
Rome Odunze and tight end
Colston Loveland also being involved, but Burden will be a focal point for explosive plays in Chicago's offense going forward. His dynasty/keeper value is rising by the day.
--Keith HernandezSource: CHGO Bears
April 5, 2026
NFL executives expect the New England Patriots to acquire wide receiver
A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles in June, once the salary cap implications "become more tenable for the Eagles," according to Mike Sando of The Athletic. The Patriots have not closed the door on adding Brown this offseason despite signing
Romeo Doubs to a deal worth $17 million per year. Brown previously played for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel with the Titans in Tennessee, so the two have a history. The 28-year-old seven-year NFL veteran had his sixth 1,000-yard season in 2025 in 15 regular-season games, but Brown has been in a three-year decline, and he had a career-low 12.9 yards per catch. Still, landing Brown would be huge for a New England team coming off a Super Bowl appearance with young quarterback
Drake Maye. Perhaps a change of scenery will be a plus for Brown, who publicly voiced his displeasure with Philly's offense in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Mike Sando
April 4, 2026
Green Bay Packers running back
MarShawn Lloyd has struggled to stay healthy through two NFL seasons. He has logged offensive snaps in just one game so far, totaling seven touches. Nevertheless, we're intrigued by the possibility of Lloyd stepping into the No. 2 running back role next season.
Emanuel Wilson departed in free agency, leaving an open competition for the role of
Josh Jacobs' backup. Lloyd has significant draft capital attached to him as a 2024 third-round pick, whereas fellow depth option
Chris Brooks is a former Dolphins undrafted running back with a minimal track record of his own. Given that Brooks hasn't built much momentum for a push to the No. 2 role, it seems like Lloyd is the early favorite to back up Jacobs, as long as he stays healthy. Lloyd's availability is far from guaranteed, but he has a clean bill of health this offseason and should be near 100 percent entering training camp. As long as the Packers don't spend a premium pick on a rookie running back in this month's draft, Lloyd will be an intriguing dynasty trade target this offseason. In addition to being a handcuff in 2026, he has long-term upside in case he takes on a bigger role after Jacobs' contract expires in two years.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 4, 2026
Seattle Seahawks running back
Emanuel Wilson represents an intriguing buy-low candidate in offseason dynasty fantasy football trades. After three years in Green Bay, Wilson jumped ship and signed with the Seahawks this offseason. He'll join a Super Bowl-winning offense that had a glaring hole at running back with
Kenneth Walker III departing in free agency and
Zach Charbonnet (knee) expected to miss a portion of the 2026 season. The lead-back role is anyone's to win. While we can't rule out another signing or draft selection at the running back position, as it stands, Wilson seems to be the frontrunner for the No. 1 running back role. He has been a top-50 fantasy running back in the past two seasons, and he showed in 2025 that he was capable of stepping into a larger role when the usual starting running back goes down. Wilson may eventually relinquish the lead-back role to Charbonnet by the middle of next season, but even then, he'll continue to be a top handcuff option. The 26-year-old is currently quite affordable in dynasty leagues and is an intriguing trade target given that he should open the 2026 season as a high-end RB3 or low-end RB2 in fantasy football.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 4, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver
Jalen Nailor signed a lucrative three-year deal with the team this offseason. The signing rewarded him for a solid two-season stretch in Minnesota, during which he caught 57 passes for 858 yards and 10 touchdowns. His nose for the end zone is very encouraging, as it suggests that he could get onto the WR3/flex radar if he handles more volume and produces more yardage. Therein lies the big question for the 2026 season, though. As it stands, Nailor is in line to compete for No. 1 receiver duties with
Tre Tucker. However, neither Nailor nor Tucker has much of a track record in a No. 1 receiver role. With the Raiders expected to draft
Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick, we wouldn't be surprised if they bring in an established veteran to serve as the rookie's favorite target. Players like
Keenan Allen and
Jauan Jennings have both been heavily linked to Vegas. If the Raiders were to sign either one of them, Nailor would take one step down the pecking order, lowering his fantasy upside for 2026. Managers looking to buy low on the 27-year-old receiver should make sure they avoid overpaying, in case Nailor slips down the depth chart as free agency continues.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 4, 2026
Cleveland Browns running back
Dylan Sampson was mostly overshadowed by
Quinshon Judkins last season, but the former did flash significant upside when he got on the field. Sampson had eight catches for 64 receiving yards when Judkins missed Week 1, and he finished the year with the 23rd-most receptions among running backs despite playing just 23.2% of the offensive snaps. Judkins suffered a dislocated right ankle last December, and while he should be ready for the 2026 season opener, Sampson would be in line for a large role if he's not ready to go. Even if Judkins does have a clean bill of health, Sampson could carve out standalone value given his impact as a receiver. He profiles as a third-down back who could be a low-end RB3/flex in PPR leagues, and he would jump to the RB2 tier if Judkins misses time.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
April 4, 2026
Houston Texans wide receiver
Jaylin Noel may remain in the fourth spot on the depth chart ahead of the 2026 season. During his rookie campaign in 2025, Noel typically operated as the No. 4 receiver behind
Nico Collins,
Jayden Higgins, and
Christian Kirk, finishing the year with a modest 26 catches, 292 yards, and two touchdowns. Kirk has departed for the Bay Area, but he'll likely be replaced next season by a healthy
Tank Dell (knee). While Year 2 is a common time for wide receivers to break out, Noel may struggle to get meaningful playing time if Collins, Higgins, and Dell are all healthy. He's merely a hold in dynasty leagues right now; although he does have long-term upside, he faces an uphill battle to achieve consistent fantasy relevance in 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
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