April 2, 2026

Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne weighed in at 188 pounds at the NFL Combine, putting him in the 3rd percentile among Combine-invited running backs historically. The saving grace is that he ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash; however, that game-breaking speed did not always show up on his collegiate tape. Claiborne's 6.1% rate of runs resulting in 15+ yards ranks in the bottom half of this year's draft class and is well below the historical average among backs who weighed in below 200 pounds at the Combine. Claiborne's is an archetype that has largely survived on explosive plays, but without seeing such explosiveness on his college tape, a late-round bet in rookie drafts is one that he can become a rare outlier.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

Indiana running back Roman Hemby spent four years at Maryland before transferring to Indiana, where he put up his best statistical season on the way to a National Championship. While he led the team in yards and carries, his rushing efficiency numbers were surpassed by almost every other back on the roster, perhaps reflecting the environment more than his own individual efforts. Hemby ranks near the bottom of the class in both explosive run and missed tackles forced rates, and his cleanest path to an NFL role is likely through his work in the passing game, having topped 30 receptions and more than a yard per route run in each of his final three seasons at Maryland. He projects as a late-round or UDFA prospect who will need to earn a committee role in the NFL.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance spent five seasons with the FCS Bison. He recorded only one career reception through his first three years, but once the production came, it came in droves. Over his final two seasons, Lance recorded 2,148 receiving yards on a staggering 17 yards per reception while finding the end zone 27 times, and his 3.58 yards per route run in 2025 led all Combine-invited wide receivers. At the Combine, his athleticism was on full display, helping him earn a Relative Athletic Score of 9.98, the seventh highest of any wide receiver since 1987. In a rookie class where most receivers outside of the top tier are not without holes in their profile, Lance has a realistic chance to emerge from the late rounds of rookie drafts as a useful fantasy contributor.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

Baylor tight end Michael Trigg was one of 27 tight end prospects invited to this year's NFL Combine, and while he didn't take part in any on-field testing due to a hamstring injury, he did raise eyebrows with his measurables. At just under 6'4" tall, his 84 and 3/8" wingspan set a new high mark at the position, topping the previous record, held by the nearly 6'7" Darnell Washington, by almost a full inch. That length shows up on tape in his ability to work over and through defenders, and in a tight end class that breaks wide open once you get past Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers, Trigg's is a profile that could translate to early fantasy success. Character concerns could lead to him slipping in the NFL Draft, but in the later rounds of dynasty rookie drafts, Trigg is an intriguing, toolsy player on whom to stake a claim.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough emerged as an incredibly strong fantasy option during the second half of his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2025. Across nine starts, he racked up 2,256 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 174 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns. He was particularly dominant following the Saints' bye. From Week 12-18, he had 10 total touchdowns and ranked as the overall QB5 in fantasy football. In addition to his own talent, Shough benefited from the presence of Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson, who will both remain with the team in 2026. Going forward, he also gets another weapon in the form of running back Travis Etienne Jr., who will create opportunities for the offense on the ground and through the air. Given that Shough was the QB9 as a starter and the QB5 during the aforementioned seven-game stretch, there's a very real chance that he can be a top-12 fantasy quarterback during the 2026 season. There's still a window to buy low on him in dynasty leagues, too.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum emerged as a standalone RB3/flex option during the 2025 season, and we expect him to handle a similar role in 2026. The Rams publicly acknowledged their desire to reduce Kyren Williams' workload to keep him healthy for a full season, giving some of his snaps and touches to Corum. In his second NFL season, Corum exploded for 746 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, ranking as the overall RB40 in PPR leagues. Most of his success came in the final third of the season; he ranked as the overall RB19 from Week 13-18. Make no mistake about it: Corum's bigger role wasn't only the product of the Rams wanting to keep Williams healthy. Corum was also fantastic with the ball in his hands, averaging 5.14 yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns over four games from Week 13-16. Assuming the backfield dynamic looks similar in 2026, Corum will remain a standalone RB3/flex, and he would become a fringe top-12 fantasy running back if Williams misses any time due to injury.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart had an impressive rookie season, racking up fantasy points on the ground and through the air. Despite making just 11 starts, he still finished as the overall QB14 with 2,272 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, 487 rushing yards, and nine rushing touchdowns. The 2025 first-round pick dealt with adversity during his first season in the league, as Malik Nabers (knee) went down early in the year with a torn ACL, Cam Skattebo (ankle) suffered a season-ending ankle dislocation, and the Giants fired head coach Brian Daboll midseason. The good news for Dart is that Nabers and Skattebo should both be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season, giving him weapons to boost his own fantasy stock. He also got a coaching upgrade as the Giants brought in John Harbaugh as head coach and quarterback whisperer Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator. There's a bit of injury concern with Dart because of how willing he is to put his body on the line when he runs with the football. However, if he can stay healthy for a full 17 games, he has a very strong chance of finishing among the top-five fantasy quarterbacks.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley signed a restructured deal to return for the 2026 season, but his role will look different this year. Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor are both expected to be significantly more involved, and the Titans also signed Wan'Dale Robinson to be their No. 1 receiver. As a result, Ridley will fall somewhere between second and fourth on the depth chart. He was healthy for just five games before breaking his fibula last year, averaging 3.2 catches, 58.0 yards, and zero touchdowns during that span. We do expect quarterback Cameron Ward to take a second-year leap, which bodes well for all his receivers, including Ridley. However, it remains to be seen whether he can support fantasy-relevant production from more than just Robinson. It's tough to justify dropping him in dynasty leagues quite yet, but it might be necessary as the post-rookie draft roster crunch comes around.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

The Las Vegas Raiders have signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a contract that is essentially a one-year deal with $20 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The contract is technically for five years and $172 million, but the latter four years will be voided, such that Cousins gets $8.7 million from the Falcons this year, $1.3 million from the Raiders this year, and a $10 million roster bonus from the Raiders on the third day of the 2027 league year. The move is certainly an interesting one for the Raiders, who have the No. 1 pick and are projected to draft quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Head coach Klint Kubiak recently said that in an ideal world, every rookie quarterback would sit on the bench for a few weeks, learning from a veteran. The signing of Cousins indicates that perhaps the Raiders will let Cousins start Week 1 while mentoring Mendoza, before the rookie eventually takes over as the starter midseason. That makes both quarterbacks difficult to trust in redraft leagues. The good news is that both Cousins and Mendoza should be able to support strong fantasy campaigns from Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Adam Schefter

April 2, 2026

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard has held onto the No. 1 role throughout the first few weeks of free agency. The only notable running back signing the Titans have made so far is Michael Carter, who projects as the third-string back behind Pollard and Tyjae Spears. Both Spears and Carter should log some touches, but we expect Pollard to remain in the lead-back role heading into the final portion of his three-year, $21 million contract. The 28-year-old managed to finish as the overall RB23 in PPR leagues last season, largely thanks to a strong second half. From Week 14-18, he was the overall RB11, scoring three touchdowns and delivering three 100-yard performances during that span. Pollard has accumulated 1,000+ rushing yards in each of the last four seasons, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him hit that mark again in 2026, as long as the Titans don't select his replacement in this month's NFL Draft. The veteran ball-carrier is a hold in most dynasty leagues, since his fantasy outlook post-2026 remains murky.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

Houston Texans running back David Montgomery earned high praise from his former head coach at this week's annual NFL meetings. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell described Montgomery as "unbelievable" and said that the veteran running back will have an opportunity to establish himself as the Texans' bell cow. This could purely be coachspeak as Campbell tries to hype up this offseason's Lions-Texans trade, as we haven't heard the Texans echo his comments (yet). With that being said, we wouldn't be shocked to see Houston feature Montgomery in a very prominent role after actively going out and trading for him this offseason. He's a clear upgrade over rookie Woody Marks, who flashed upside but ultimately showed he's not ready to be an every-down back. Montgomery has been a top-28 fantasy running back in all seven of his NFL seasons, finishing 2025 with 716 rushing yards, 24 catches, 192 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns despite operating as the No. 2 running back behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Now that he's in a lead-back role once again, he should push for north of 1,000 rushing yards, and we can't rule out the possibility of him scoring double-digit touchdowns. After slipping to the RB3/flex tier in 2025, we wouldn't be surprised to see Montgomery bounce back as a mid-to-high RB2 in 2026. As a result, he's an intriguing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues, despite being 28 years old.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr. should be viewed as a low-end WR2 in redraft and dynasty leagues going forward. Now that Mike Evans has departed for San Francisco, Godwin and Emeka Egbuka will share the responsibility of leading the Bucs' receiver room. Either receiver could go off during any given week, but Godwin has a higher floor given his steady target share. The 30-year-old missed eight games due to injury last year, but he was productive when healthy, ranking as the overall WR21 in PPR leagues from Week 13-18. Godwin last eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2023, and he had more than 100 catches in 2022. We wouldn't be surprised to see him finish 2026 with 100+ catches, 1,000+ yards, and at least a handful of touchdowns in 2026, as long as he can stay healthy. Managers in dynasty leagues might look to buy low on Godwin this offseason, given that his price tag is lower because of last year's injury.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

Jacksonville Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr. is trending up ahead of the 2026 season. Allen remains No. 3 on the depth chart after the Jaguars watched Travis Etienne Jr. depart in free agency, but replaced him with Chris Rodriguez Jr. There's a clear path to meaningful playing time for Allen, who may get on the field even more as Jacksonville's passing-down specialist. Allen was spectacular in pass protection last year, blocking some of the league's most talented pass rushers when he got on the field. He only touched the ball 33 times as a rookie, but he still got on the field for at least 25% of the snaps in more than one-third of the Jaguars' games. It's too early to project his workload for 2026, but we do expect his snap count to increase by a noticeable amount. Depending on just how involved Allen gets, he could even sneak onto the fantasy radar as a low-end RB3/flex in deeper PPR leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 2, 2026

New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis could have trouble becoming relevant in fantasy football going forward. With Breece Hall still in New York and Braelon Allen (knee) coming back from injury, Davis finds himself buried at No. 3 on the depth chart, at best. He could slip even further down the pecking order if the Jets make an additional signing or select a rookie running back in this month's NFL Draft. Davis, 24, has been in the league for two years, and despite having plenty of opportunities to touch the football, he has never finished higher than RB59 in a single season. It's somewhat of a shame, as Davis has averaged 5.62 yards per carry in the NFL, and he caught 21 passes in 2025. We know he's talented, but the path to a fantasy-relevant role just isn't very promising. He can be left on waivers in many dynasty leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

April 1, 2026

The Tennessee Titans have signed free agent running back Michael Carter, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Carter reunites with Robert Saleh, who was his head coach when the Jets drafted him and is now the head coach of the Titans. The 26-year-old wasn't always fantasy relevant last year, but he had a decent season nonetheless. He ultimately played in 13 games and ranked as the overall RB48 in PPR leagues with 333 rushing yards, 33 catches, 267 receiving yards, and one touchdown. He made five starts along the way, highlighted by an 18.3-point performance in Week 5 against (ironically) the Titans. Carter projects as the No. 3 running back in Tennessee, slotting into a depth role behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. He faces an uphill battle to earn fantasy-relevant snaps in 2026.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Ian Rapoport