March 13, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders running back
Ashton Jeanty finished as the RB13 in his rookie season, despite being first contacted less than 0.7 yards beyond the line of scrimmage on average. By almost all metrics, the Raiders had one of the worst offensive lines in the league in 2025, an area they've made a concerted effort to improve in the early stages of free agency. Las Vegas made former Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum the highest-paid offensive player in this year's free agent class, committing to a three-year deal with a guaranteed $81 million, adding stability and identity to the pivot position. An unfortunate drawback to the Maxx Crosby trade debacle is that without the 14th pick in this year's draft, the Raiders are likely out of range to add top interior lineman, Olaivavega Ioane, but in a relatively deep class, they should be able to further bolster the trenches. With left tackle Kolton Miller also expected back at full health, Jeanty should find much-needed operating space in 2026 and a realistic chance to crack into RB1 territory.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
Two-time All-Pro wide receiver
Justin Jefferson is coming off the worst season of his career, his sixth with the Minnesota Vikings. Following a season of uninspired quarterback play from
J.J. McCarthy,
Carson Wentz, and
Max Brosmer, which led to career lows for Jefferson in terms of receiving yards and touchdowns, the team made a splash on Thursday by agreeing to a one-year deal with former first overall pick
Kyler Murray. While Murray has never topped 4,000 passing yards in a season and has a spotty track record of supporting number one receivers, if he can reach anything approaching league-average quarterback play, Jefferson can thrive. A 31.4% target share in 2025 kept Jefferson afloat with some of the worst quarterback play in the league, while his lifetime average of 9.27 targets per game is a top-10 all-time number and one that Murray would be wise to continue bumping up if he wants to hit 2027 free agency on a high note.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
Two-time Pro-Bowl running back
James Conner and the Arizona Cardinals agreed to a restructured contract that would keep him in the desert for the 2026 season. One day later, the team agreed to a two-year deal with
Tyler Allgeier, adding depth to a running back room that already featured 2024 third-round pick
Trey Benson. None of the three backs has a guaranteed salary above $2.1 million in 2026, and with a new coaching staff, this committee situation profiles as one of the murkiest in the league. Allgeier has the most experience in the type of wide-zone scheme expected to be implemented by offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, while Benson offers the most explosiveness, and Conner still boasts the best hands and receiving ability. With the Cardinals coming off a 3-14 season and expected to return
Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback, this backfield may not find itself in a position to deliver much overall value, regardless of the division of labor.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
After what was essentially a redshirt rookie season, Minnesota Vikings quarterback
J.J. McCarthy struggled through his first year in a starting role in 2025, dealing with injuries and inefficiencies that kept him out of seven games. With the Vikings officially agreeing to a one-year deal with
Kyler Murray on Thursday, McCarthy now faces legitimate competition for the starting job. Both first-round picks in their respective draft classes, with Murray going first overall in 2019, an upside case can be made for either player, though consistency has proven to be more of an issue for both. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has long been praised for elevating his quarterbacks, and with a solid supporting cast and playoff aspirations, he now has nearly six months to pull a starter out of the highly flawed but arguably most talented room he's ever coached.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
Saints running back
Devin Neal was a popular late-season waiver pickup in 2025 when injuries pushed him into a starting role from Weeks 13 through 15, but with New Orleans' signing of
Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year deal, he has to be viewed as one of fantasy's biggest fallers in the opening week of free agency. Neal handled 15 opportunities per game during his brief starting stint, scoring twice in those three games before a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve to end the year. Now he profiles as a clear backup to Etienne, and with most of the obvious running back-needy teams already bolstering the position through free agency, there is no guarantee the Saints find a trade partner for veteran
Alvin Kamara, potentially pushing Neal further down the depth chart.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
New England Patriots quarterback
Drake Maye enjoyed plenty of success in 2025, including finishing as the MVP runner-up, ranking as the QB2 in fantasy scoring, and making it to the Super Bowl. It was a remarkable second season for the former first-round pick, and he'll look to follow it up with an equally dominant campaign in 2026. The biggest question mark for Maye is whether he'll have a receiving group capable of supporting his hefty upside.
Stefon Diggs wasn't an elite receiver by any means last season, but he still carried the position group and offered plenty of reliability with big-play upside. However, Diggs was released, and the Patriots downgraded at wide receiver by signing
Romeo Doubs to take his place. Making a splash at wide receiver -- like trading for
A.J. Brown or even bringing back Diggs on a different deal -- would be great for Maye's fantasy aspirations. However, with his current receiving room, he may have trouble topping last season's 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
New York Jets wide receiver
Garrett Wilson has dealt with some poor quarterback play throughout his NFL career, and that might not change in 2026. New York recently struck a deal to acquire quarterback
Geno Smith, taking on the final year of his hefty contract in exchange for a late-round pick. It's a move that signals the Jets want to have better quarterback play than last year, but still don't plan to be very competitive next season. Smith wasn't able to support very promising fantasy results from his receivers in 2025, as
Jakobi Meyers was traded midseason and Vegas' top-scoring fantasy receiver was
Tre Tucker (WR38). Make no mistake, Wilson should still be a fantasy WR2 when healthy; he was the WR15 in terms of fantasy points per game last year, but he missed more than half the season. He was also the overall WR10 with over 100 catches back in 2024, but that was with
Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback. The bottom line is that Wilson will deliver fantasy-relevant results regardless of the quarterback situation, but his true ceiling will continue to be limited as the Jets roll out quarterbacks like
Justin Fields,
Tyrod Taylor, and now, Smith. He's best viewed in the WR16-WR24 range for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Jaylen Waddle finds himself in the middle of an evolving offense, and not in a good way. The Dolphins endured an ugly season of quarterback play from
Tua Tagovailoa, and they replaced the former first-round pick with
Malik Willis, who flashed upside in Green Bay but will likely start to get figured out by opposing defenses now that he's a full-time starter. Plus, Willis' top trait has been his mobility and physical running style, leaving some questions about his passing. All in all, that's not great news for Waddle. On the bright side, though, the former first-round receiver is headed for significant volume once again. Much like most of the 2025 regular season, Waddle will enter the 2026 season without
Tyreek Hill in Miami's receiving room. Waddle is the No. 1 wide receiver in Miami, and between
Tutu Atwell and
Malik Washington, there's not much competition. Therefore, even though we're not sold on this offense in 2026, Waddle should still have a productive fantasy season while commanding a heavy target share every week. That type of role resulted in a modest stat line of 64 catches, 910 yards, and six touchdowns last season. We wouldn't be surprised to see him push for 75 catches, 1,000 yards, and another six-plus scores in 2026, keeping him in the mix as a mid-to-low WR2 for fantasy football purposes.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
Carolina Panthers running back
Jonathon Brooks (knee) could be an appealing buy-low candidate in dynasty leagues as he works his way back from injury. Brooks missed the entire 2025 regular season due to a torn ACL that he suffered in 2024. Injuries have limited the once-promising running back to just three games through two NFL seasons. The former Texas product showed some promise when healthy, though. In Week 13 of the 2024 season, when the Panthers were still getting him up to speed, he handled six carries and also caught three passes for 23 receiving yards. Brooks should be healthy for training camp in 2026, and he could ascend into a significant role right away.
Rico Dowdle departed the Panthers in free agency, leaving Brooks and
Trevor Etienne in competition for a larger workload alongside
Chuba Hubbard. While Hubbard has an early leg up on the competition, we would not be surprised to see both Brooks and Etienne get a fair crack at the job. Brooks could have low-end RB3/flex appeal if he locks up the backup running back role, and earning the starting job could put him in RB2 territory. 2025 showed that Chuba Hubbard isn't an every-down back, so Brooks would likely handle a sizable workload even if he split touches with Hubbard.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
New York Giants wide receiver
Malik Nabers (knee) finds himself alone atop the depth chart heading into the 2026 NFL season. Nabers is working his way back from a torn ACL, and when he returns, he won't face much competition for targets.
Wan'Dale Robinson walked in free agency, and the Giants responded by signing
Calvin Austin III, who had a very underwhelming season in Pittsburgh. New York does still have
Darius Slayton, and while he's been known to deliver some solid performances from time to time, he lacks the consistent type of production that we saw from Robinson. Unless the Giants make an unforeseen wide receiver signing or trade (or prioritize the position in the draft), we should expect Nabers to be
Jaxson Dart's primary target more often than not in 2026. Even coming back from injury, he has top-three wide receiver upside in fantasy football.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
March 13, 2026
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Josh Downs is a candidate to get more involved on offense after the team traded away
Michael Pittman Jr. earlier this week. Pittman's departure for Pittsburgh leaves Downs and the newly-extended
Alec Pierce as Indianapolis' top two wide receivers. Pierce's $116 million deal indicates that he's the new No. 1 receiver on the Colts, but there's still plenty of room for Downs to exist and contribute. The 24-year-old had 58 catches, 566 yards, and four touchdowns last year. Those were subpar numbers, but part of the blame can be placed on the state of the Colts' offense during the back half of the season with
Philip Rivers at quarterback. With
Daniel Jones (Achilles) returning and Pittman shipped away, Downs will have a chance to return to his 2024 form, when he was the Colts' No. 2 receiver and finished as the overall WR35 in PPR leagues. A top-36 finish is well within reach for Downs in 2026, making him a potential buy-low dynasty option this offseason.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
March 12, 2026
The Kansas City Chiefs signed former Arizona Cardinals running back
Emari Demercado to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Demercado had over 1,100 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns (three rushing) in his three years with the team, and he'll now join
Kenneth Walker III in KC's new-look backfield going into the 2026 season. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of TCU had a career-high 312 rushing yards on 44 carries in 13 games in Arizona in 2025, but he didn't find the end zone on the ground. Demercado added 13 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown in an expanded role after both
James Conner (foot) and
Trey Benson (knee) suffered season-ending injuries. He never held a big role in Arizona's backfield, but he was productive when he touched the ball, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt on 126 carries. Demercado should have more upside as a stash candidate in deeper fantasy leagues while competing for backup duties with
Brashard Smith.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
March 12, 2026
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said on Seattle Sports Radio on Thursday that running back
Zach Charbonnet's (knee) ACL surgery "went very well," and his "outlook is good." Schneider wouldn't provide a timeline for Charbonnet's recovery or a timetable for when he might be able to resume football activities. The 25-year-old tore the ACL in his knee during the Divisional Round win against the San Francisco 49ers, so given the timing of the injury, it wouldn't be realistic to expect Charbonnet to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season. Typically, recovery from a torn ACL takes anywhere from eight to 12 months. Seattle's backfield is thin because of Charb's injury, and with
Kenneth Walker III signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. If Charbonnet isn't ready in early September, the Seahawks could pair a rookie RB with both
George Holani and newcomer
Emanuel Wilson. Charbonnet's 2026 fantasy value is probably going to take a pretty big hit because of his injury, but when he's finally healthy, he could have a clear path to being the RB1.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
March 12, 2026
Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider praised running back
George Holani on Seattle Sports radio on Thursday, so it sounds like Holani will have a bigger role in 2026, according to John Boyle of the team's official website. Super Bowl LX MVP
Kenneth Walker III left in free agency to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, and there's a good chance
Zach Charbonnet (knee) won't be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season this fall after tearing his ACL in the Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. The Seahawks added former Green Bay Packers RB
Emanuel Wilson in free agency for more backfield depth, but if Charbonnet isn't ready for Week 1 in September, Holani could be Seattle's RB1, depending on what they do in the upcoming NFL draft in April. The 26-year-old mostly worked on special teams in 11 regular-season games in 2025, carrying the ball only 22 times for 73 yards and one touchdown and catching both of his targets for 15 yards. Most likely, the Seahawks will pair a rookie RB with Holani and Wilson to begin next season while they wait for Charbonnet to heal.
--Keith HernandezSource: Seahawks.com - John Boyle
March 12, 2026
New England Patriots new offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (triceps) expects to be fully cleared for the start of organized team activities this spring, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. Vera-Tucker said he plans to be a full participant in the voluntary offseason program that begins on April 20, too. The 26-year-old offensive lineman signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Patriots earlier this week after spending the first four years of his career with the New York Jets. Vera-Tucker was selected with the 14th overall pick in 2021 out of USC. He has started all 43 of the games he's appeared in over the first four years of his career in the NFL, and he's expected to be New England's starting left guard to begin the 2026 regular season this fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
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