January 27, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars running back
Travis Etienne Jr. was motivated in his contract year in 2025, and he delivered with 1,399 scrimmage yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns (seven rushing, six receiving) in 17 regular-season games. The 27-year-old posted his third 1,000-yard rushing season in his four years in the NFL, and it was a huge bounce-back campaign for the former Clemson star after he had only 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2024 in 15 games. Determining Etienne's 2026 fantasy value is hard at the moment, since we don't know yet if the Jaguars plan to make an effort to re-sign him as he heads into his fifth year in the NFL. Etienne certainly outperformed expectations this year, but if he goes elsewhere, he might not see the kind of volume he did for the Jags as a dual-threat RB. If he stays in Duval, Etienne will be trying to hold off
Bhayshul Tuten, who seems destined for a bigger role in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver
Xavier Worthy caught 59 passes for 638 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his rookie campaign in 2024, but he wasn't able to build on that performance in Year 2. The 22-year-old former first-rounder caught only 42 of 73 targets for 532 yards and one touchdown in 14 games in 2025 for a Chiefs organization that failed to make the postseason for the first time in a decade. Worthy is a big-play threat anytime he touches the football because of his elite speed and shiftiness, but injuries could quickly become a concern because of his tiny 5-foot-11, 165-pound frame. His fantasy stock is certainly down big time heading into the 2026 season, but perhaps new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy can get Worthy involved more. The biggest obstacle for Worthy being able to bounce back is the presence of
Rashee Rice.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman after another early playoff exit and hired former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to take over. The Chargers need to get healthy on the offensive line first and foremost, but the move to McDaniel should be great news for the fantasy outlook of quarterback
Justin Herbert in 2026. One of the first things that McDaniel hopes to do is to craft an offense that doesn't rely as much on Herbert's individual talents, such as scrambling and making miraculous plays outside of the pocket. "I think not relying too heavily on Justin's ability to do above and beyond, I think is critical to maximize those types of opportunities," McDaniel said. "That'll be one of the first things that we'll try to do is take a little off his plate so that he is free to do that when his greatness is required." Herbert went over 4,000 passing yards in each of his first three seasons, but he hasn't been able to do it the last three years. He finished as the QB10 in overall fantasy points in 2025. With McDaniel in the fold, Herbert should have more upside to reach his true ceiling.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
January 27, 2026
The New York Jets are parting ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Previous reports suggested that Engstrand might remain with the organization, but that he'd be stripped of his play-calling duties. It turns out that he won't be around at all with the team in 2026 after a miserable season as New York's OC in 2025. Former Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich is expected to become the next offensive play-caller under head coach Aaron Glenn. The experiment with
Justin Fields at quarterback did not work, and the Jets finished 3-14 while ranking 29th in total yards and points per game and finishing dead-last with just 140.3 passing yards per game. New York has a huge question mark at QB going into next season, as well as at running back if they don't re-sign
Breece Hall.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 27, 2026
When asked if he'd like veteran quarterback
Aaron Rodgers to return in 2026, new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said, "Definitely, I don't see why you wouldn't." McCarthy said he has spoken to Rodgers since being hired and thought that he was a great asset for the team in 2025. Rodgers will be a free agent in March, and it's unclear if he plans on returning for a 22nd season in the NFL. The expectation is that he'd leave Pittsburgh following the departure of long-time head coach Mike Tomlin. The Steelers clearly have interest in a reunion with Rodgers, but it remains to be seen if that's mutual, or if he has interest in playing for McCarthy again after the two reportedly had a falling out during their time together with the Green Bay Packers. If Rodgers returns to the Steelers, he'd once again be a low-end QB2 for fantasy with a team that needs more WR depth behind
DK Metcalf.
--Keith HernandezSource: PGSportsNow - Brian Batko
January 27, 2026
Houston Texans assistant general manager James Liipfert and Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham are the two finalists for the Atlanta Falcons' GM position, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Both Liipfert and Cunningham will be in Atlanta this week for second interviews. Liipfert is a Georgia native and had a strong first interview with the team. Cunningham has been viewed as "the" favorite for the job for a while now, and he also interviewed for the team's president of football job before it went to former quarterback
Matt Ryan. Whoever is hired for the job to replace Terry Fontenot will be working closely with both Ryan and new head coach Kevin Stefanski to try to turn the organization around after eight straight losing seasons.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sports Illustrated - Albert Breer
January 27, 2026
Dallas Cowboys tight ends coach Lunda Wells is expected to interview this week for the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive-coordinator job, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Wells worked under new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas for five years and also interviewed this month for the OC position with the Washington Commanders. He stayed in Dallas when Brian Schottenheimer replaced McCarthy as the Cowboys' head coach. Before moving to Dallas in 2020, Wells was an assistant coach for the New York Giants for eight years. He also coached at LSU before joining the NFL. If hired in the Steel City, Wells and McCarthy would be tasked with turning around a Steelers offense that has been lackluster for the last several years under former head coach Mike Tomlin. Figuring out the QB position and whether the team has a shot to lure
Aaron Rodgers back for another year would be the main priority.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
January 27, 2026
Former Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich is expected to be hired by the New York Jets to take over the offensive play-calling, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. The addition of Reich to head coach Aaron Glenn's staff would be big. Reich won a Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016-17, although head coach Doug Pederson called the plays then. He was also the head coach for the Indianapolis Colts (2018 to 2022). Reich has been coaching at Stanford for the last two years. The Jets don't plan to fire current OC Tanner Engstrand, but his role with the team will change. Sources close to Engstrand said he doesn't expect to call plays in 2026, but he might keep the OC title. New York had the fourth-worst EPA per play in 2025, but they also had a dumpster fire at QB. Reich will probably have similar issues if the Jets can't fix the quarterback position.
--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
January 27, 2026
Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz seems to be gaining momentum to become the Browns' next head coach, a league source told Mark Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Schwartz has previous head-coaching experience with the Detroit Lions from 2009 through 2013, going 29-51, although he did lead them to a playoff appearance. The 59-year-old joined the Browns in 2023, the same year that the Browns had the top defense in the league. The Browns really don't want to lose Schwartz as a coach, but the only way they might be able to retain him is to promote him to head coach. In addition to Schwartz, the Browns' finalists are Baltimore Ravens OC Todd Monken and Los Angeles Rams pass-game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Cleveland's defense has been strong in recent years under Schwartz, but they'd need a strong OC candidate if Stefanski gets the job as head coach.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
January 27, 2026
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Tuesday that offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will call plays in 2026, according to Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. Stefanski added that he trusts Rees, and the two are very like-minded in the way they see the offense in Atlanta operating. With the Cleveland Browns in 2025, Stefanski began the year as the offensive play-caller before ceding those duties to Rees halfway through the season. The Browns predictably struggled under Rees as the play-caller, but in his defense, he was working with inexperienced rookie quarterbacks
Dillon Gabriel and
Shedeur Sanders. Under Stefanski and Rees in 2026, the Falcons' offense might look entirely different, and it remains to be seen who will be starting under center in Week 1 after QB
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) partially tore his ACL late this year. Rees will have plenty of talent to work with on that side of the ball, but it remains to be seen if he can get the most out of them.
--Keith HernandezSource: AtlantaFalcons.com - Tori McElhaney
January 27, 2026
New Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke to the media on Tuesday about the importance of getting quarterback
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) back healthy in 2026, per Tori McElhaney of AtlantaFalcons.com. "Michael (Penix) is someone I am very excited about," Stefanski said. Penix suffered a partially torn ACL in his left knee late in the season, putting his availability for the start of the 2026 campaign in question. The 25-year-old signal-caller also tore his right ACL twice in college and suffered season-ending injuries to both of his shoulders before getting to the NFL. While Stefanski and Atlanta's new coaching staff may like what Penix has put on tape early in his career, his long-term durability is a major question mark. The Falcons could move on from veteran
Kirk Cousins this offseason, and if they do, they'd need to bring more QB insurance in case Penix isn't ready. The situation in Atlanta is nice for Penix, but his lengthy injury history makes him a risky QB2 in fantasy going into the 2026 season.
--Keith HernandezSource: AtlantaFalcons.com - Tori McElhaney
January 27, 2026
The Athletic's Dan Wiederer writes that it's not hard to envision Chicago Bears tight end
Colston Loveland becoming an "even more complete weapon" and a "major force" in the offense in his second season in 2026. "He's going to be a weapon for a long time," head coach Ben Johnson said. The 21-year-old Loveland, who was taken 10th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Michigan, is overflowing with talent. But what makes him even more intriguing for the long term is that he's united with quarterback
Caleb Williams and Johnson, one of the smartest play-callers in the league. Williams continues to point out how Loveland is a very friendly target because of his size, catch radius, fluidity, and ability to separate. Loveland got off to a slow start in his first year in the NFL, but he came on strong at the end of the year and finished as the TE12 in half-PPR scoring with a 58-713-6 slash line in 16 regular-season games. Going into Year 2 in 2026, Loveland will have high-end TE1 upside for fantasy managers.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dan Wiederer
January 27, 2026
New England Patriots (shoulder) should be fine to play in the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. "This is a sport where there's gonna be things that come up. We'll talk about whatever status each player has for the game once we're required to," head coach Mike Vrabel said when asked if Maye injured his shoulder in the AFC Championship win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It doesn't sound like the second-year signal-caller's injury is very serious, and the good news is he'll have an extra week to recover before the big game in Santa Clara, Calif. It was hard to throw the ball in snowy conditions in Denver, as the 23-year-old went 10-for-21 passing for 86 yards, but he also added 10 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. As long as Maye's shoulder doesn't affect his throwing, he should bounce back with better numbers against the Seahawks.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
January 27, 2026
Heading into 2025, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall was a popular pick to have a breakout season. However, the former first-round pick battled through a knee injury and recorded just 36 receptions for 528 yards and zero touchdowns on 53 targets across nine games played. Availability has been a consistent issue for Pearsall so far in his NFL career, as he's played in just 20 games across his first two seasons. Even when on the field, the 25-year-old has not yet emerged as a featured option in the San Francisco passing game. He's logged just 99 targets in his career, an average of fewer than five per contest. However, Pearsall will likely have an opportunity for a larger role with the 49ers in 2026. Star San Francisco tight end
George Kittle (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the team's NFC Wild Card Round win over the Philadelphia Eagles and will likely miss time in 2026 as a result. Additionally, 49ers wideout
Jauan Jennings is set to hit unrestricted free agency in mid-March after leading the team's wide receiver corps in targets in 2025. Fully buying in on Pearsall remains difficult until he proves the ability to stay healthy for an extended stretch. Still, he appears to have a clear pathway to a lead role in the San Francisco passing game in 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
January 27, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers running back
Omarion Hampton battled through an injury-marred rookie season in 2025, playing in just nine out of 17 games. However, the 22-year-old was productive when healthy, recording 737 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 156 touches. Beyond just improved health, there are reasons to think that the offensive environment around Hampton in Los Angeles in 2026 will be enhanced. For one, Chargers offensive tackles Rashawn Slater (knee) and Joe Alt (ankle) should be back in the lineup after the two combined to play just six games in 2025. Additionally, Los Angeles will have a new play-caller after moving on from former offensive coordinator Greg Roman and hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. During his tenure in Miami, McDaniel consistently showed an ability to boost running back production. Under McDaniel, Dolphins running back
De'Von Achane has posted back-to-back seasons with at least 60 receptions, 1,400 scrimmage yards, and double-digit touchdowns. Fantasy managers in both redraft and dynasty formats should view Hampton as a high-upside running back option heading into 2026.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
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