Sep 4, 2026, 12:02 AM ET

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed is likely headed for a larger role on offense in 2026. Not only is Reed fully healthy after recovering from last year's injuries, but he also faces slightly less competition for targets after Romeo Doubs departed for New England in free agency. Injuries limited Reed to just 19 catches, 207 yards, and one touchdown last year, but he finished as the WR29 or higher in PPR leagues in both 2023 and 2024. Even if he doesn't return to his top-30 receiver form, he can still be a WR3/flex in fantasy leagues with 12+ teams. His biggest competition for targets is Matthew Golden, and the good news is that Reed has more experience in the NFL than Golden. Plus, Golden still needs to prove that he's worthy of a larger role after catching just 29 passes with zero touchdowns as a rookie last year, whereas Reed has more of an established track record. For now, it seems like Reed has the edge over Golden. He currently has an ADP of 117.3, which corresponds to the 10th round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 31st receiver off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:57 PM ET

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane doesn't have a very strong supporting cast around him, but he should still prevail as a top-10 fantasy running back with elite upside this season. Miami's offense will look quite different this year with Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, and Tyreek Hill gone. The only truly familiar face is Achane, who has been the RB5 in PPR leagues for each of the last two years. In 2025, he tallied 1,350 rushing yards, 67 catches, 488 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns. He offers game-changing speed and athleticism while still offering impressive touchdown potential, even if the Dolphins' offense isn't expected to see a ton of scoring opportunities. We're also excited about Achane's volume, assuming he can stay healthy. Head coach Jeff Hafley previously said that Achane could get 40+ touches per game. That's obviously hyperbole, but fantasy managers should be excited that the head coach doesn't plan to limit Achane's workload at all. Not only does he project as the Dolphins' workhorse back, but he's really the only flashy option in this offense. We would not be surprised to see him finish as the RB5 (or higher) once again this year. He's currently being drafted near the start of the second round in most leagues, which means managers at the one-two turn could pair him with someone like James Cook, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Chase Brown, or Saquon Barkley.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:46 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is poised to have another very productive season in 2026. Taylor ranked as the overall RB4 in PPR leagues last year, and even that finish was somewhat underwhelming relative to how dominant he started the season. Through the first 10 weeks last year, he scored a whopping 17 touchdowns while ranking as the RB1 in PPR leagues. In fact, during that span, he scored 25.1 points more than the RB2, Christian McCaffrey. He also had a torrid stretch where he recorded five different three-touchdown games within eight weeks. In other words, Taylor was playing at an MVP level before cooling off after the bye week (and after quarterback Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles injury). Jones is healthy again, restoring a semblance of life to this offense and potentially reigniting Taylor's upside as the overall RB1 if he can stay healthy. He is currently being drafted in the middle of the first round of fantasy drafts, typically as the fourth running back off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:42 PM ET

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks is expected to occupy a starting role when the regular season gets underway next week. Wicks was traded from the Packers to the Eagles this offseason, and he'll immediately occupy a significant role following the departure of A.J. Brown. All signs point to the 25-year-old opening the regular season as Philly's No. 2 receiver, starting opposite DeVonta Smith. His track record in Green Bay was iffy, but there was never any doubt about his role with the Eagles. After all, he was held out of all three preseason games due to his status as a projected starter. We expect the Eagles' offense to trend upward under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, which bodes well for Wicks' upside as a low-end WR3/flex. For now, he's an extremely affordable option in fantasy drafts. The latest ADP has him as a fringe draft pick in 12-team leagues and a 14th-round pick in 14-team leagues.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:35 PM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence had an impressive 2025 season, but he could take yet another step forward with a very strong supporting cast at his disposal in 2026. Lawrence has a stacked wide receiver room featuring Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, and (sometimes) Travis Hunter. Meanwhile, tight end Brenton Strange is expected to make a big Year 4 leap, and Bhayshul Tuten projects as another key target for Lawrence in the short-yardage passing game. Last year, Lawrence completed 60.9% of his pass attempts for 4,007 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He was arguably even more impressive with his legs, rushing for an additional 359 yards and nine touchdowns. Throughout the course of the year, he totaled 38 touchdowns, allowing him to rank as the overall QB4 in fantasy football. He has a chance to replicate (or even improve upon) that career-best fantasy finish from last year. The current rankings are on the safer side, though, as RotoBaller's experts have Lawrence as the QB9 in redraft. He currently has an ADP of 93.7, which corresponds to the eighth round of drafts and makes him the 10th quarterback off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:30 PM ET

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith could be headed for a breakout season in 2026. The 27-year-old is poised to handle a significantly larger target share after teammate AJ Brown was traded to the New England Patriots. Smith had a total of nine catches and 136 yards across the two games that Brown missed last year, which likely represents his floor for the upcoming season. He is the undisputed No. 1 target in Philadelphia, offering a high-upside weapon for Jalen Hurts in all parts of the field. Perhaps the biggest question mark is whether Smith will take on a larger role around the goal line. He tallied a career-low four touchdowns last year, but he'll presumably get more goal-line targets following the departure of Brown, who scored seven touchdowns in 2025. As it stands, Smith has jumped to WR13 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings for 2026. He has an ADP of 31.4, which corresponds to the third round of fantasy drafts and makes him the 14th receiver off the board.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 11:00 PM ET

Philadelphia Eagles' second-round rookie tight end Eli Stowers, out of Vanderbilt in the 2026 NFL Draft, has struggled in camp. He has faced heavy criticism and struggled to stand out as a receiver or blocker during practices, including a tough joint practice against the New England Patriots. Ultimately, the learning curve has been steep for him, and while he flashed some upside at the combine with his athleticism, recent reports from camp suggest he's not ready to play at the NFL level. He has also been slowed down by a hamstring injury, and Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice reported that he could be a healthy scratch on Sundays. During his senior season at Vanderbilt, he had 62 receptions, 769 yards, and four touchdowns. At this point, Stowers is a dynasty stash at best. RotoBaller ranks Stowers as the TE64 and 377th player off the board, making him undraftable in most standard-sized redraft formats.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 10:46 PM ET

2025 Super Bowl-winning quarterback Sam Darnold enters his second season with the Seattle Seahawks with a chance to emerge as a high-end QB2, alongside star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the emergence of Rashid Shaheed, with a full offseason under his belt to build chemistry with Darnold. Shaheed was brought over to the Seahawks in Week 9 of the 2025 season. Darnold finished the 2025 season as the QB13, throwing for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. This was followed by a season with the Vikings in 2024, where he finished as the QB9. Although he lost his offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, who was brought on to be the head coach for the Raiders, RotoBaller currently ranks Darnold as the QB23 and the 140th player taken off the board. Fantasy managers in superflex formats could look to target Darnold as their QB2, as he has finished in the top 15 at the position in back-to-back seasons.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 10:43 PM ET

After missing the previous three games with an elbow injury, Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman broke a recent slump and returned with a bang on Thursday to help beat his former team, the Baltimore Orioles, by a score of 6-5 at Camden Yards. Rutschman went 2-for-4 at the plate with two solo home runs and three RBI on the night to raise his season average to .240 and his OPS to .741. It was a much-needed turnaround for a player who has never really been able to hit his stride in 2026 due to injuries. The 28-year-old switch-hitter and former first overall pick in 2019 from Oregon State came into Thursday's series opener against Baltimore with a weak .237/.318/.400 slash line with a .718 OPS, only nine home runs, 51 RBI, and 35 runs scored in 300 at-bats. The three-time All-Star had been even worse in 15 games since being traded to the BoSox, going 9-for-59 (.170) with a homer, six walks, and 15 strikeouts. The Red Sox gave up a lot to secure Rutschman as their catcher of the future, and they are hoping his bat begins to heat up as they push to make the postseason.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com

Sep 3, 2026, 10:37 PM ET

Minnesota Twins infielder Brooks Lee is suddenly up to a career-high 22 home runs entering play on Thursday after homering again in Wednesday's 7-4 loss to the Athletics. In his last 11 games, the switch-hitting infielder has hit .319 (15-for-47) with a .930 OPS, four home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI, and eight runs scored to boost his overall 2026 slash line to .250/.299/.435 with a .734 OPS, 77 RBI, 62 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in his second full season in the big leagues. The 25-year-old former eighth overall pick from Cal Poly in 2022 has been much better as a lefty against right-handed pitchers, going 91-for-345 (.264) with 19 of his 22 homers, as opposed to a .218 average (34-for-156) with just three long balls as a right-handed hitter against southpaws. With eligibility at second base, third base, and shortstop, Lee is also valuable for his infield versatility in fantasy baseball, and he's available in 40% of Yahoo leagues with the playoffs approaching quickly.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Sep 3, 2026, 10:36 PM ET

Washington Commanders third-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, out of LSU, had a down season in 2025 after his rookie campaign, in which he finished as the QB5 while rushing for 891 yards and throwing for 3,568 yards, and led the Commanders to the NFC title game. His 2025 season was derailed by multiple injuries, and he played in only seven games. Daniels is healthy entering the 2026 season with an improved receiving group. The Commanders brought in Stefon Diggs over the Patriots, Chig Okonkwo from the Titans, and Terry McLaurin is healthy entering the season. Diggs remained efficient on a per-route basis with the Patriots last season, and McLaurin had a career year with Daniels in 2024, when he had 1,096 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 117 targets. Daniels still has elite rushing upside and should bounce back in a big way this season. RotoBaller ranks Daniels as the QB4 for the season and the 60th overall player off the board.--Nicho Roessler
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 10:26 PM ET

Miami Marlins first baseman/outfielder Griffin Conine is not flashy by any means, but he could help fantasy managers down the stretch in September as a left-handed-hitting outfielder against right-handed pitching in the right matchups in deeper leagues. Going into Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals, Conine entered play with a career-high 14 home runs and 32 RBI in 72 games (238 plate appearances) while hitting .254/.357/.488 with an .845 OPS. Conine has limited overall fantasy appeal because of his struggles against southpaws -- he is hitting only .178 (8-for-45) in limited exposure against lefties. He was nothing special in August, either, going 18-for-80 (.225) in 26 games, although he did have five home runs and 11 RBI after hitting six homers in 25 games in July. The 29-year-old former second-rounder by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018 out of Duke also still strikes out a third of the time, although he is sporting a career-high 12.2% walk rate in 2026. At best, Conine is worth a look off the waiver wire in deeper fantasy leagues to close out the season. He is rostered in under 10% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Baseball Reference

Sep 3, 2026, 10:23 PM ET

Dallas Cowboys 27-year-old tight end Jake Ferguson restructured his contract with the Cowboys, turning his $7.25 million base salary into a signing bonus, and Ferguson's cap number will increase by $1.2 million, Todd Archer of ESPN reports. Archer also mentions that the adjustments are accounting tools and do not change how much the players are paid weekly. Ferguson finished the 2025 season as the TE5, hauling in 82 of his 105 targets for 600 yards and eight touchdowns. His 7.32 YPR was very modest, and the eight touchdowns were a career high for him. With Dak Prescott leaning mostly on his two stud wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, it will be tough sledding for Ferguson to be a reliable fantasy asset if he experiences any sort of touchdown regression. RotoBaller ranks Ferguson as the TE16 for the season, and fantasy managers who decide to wait on the tight end position should look to target Ferguson based on the high-powered nature of this Cowboys offense.--Nicho Roessler
Source: Todd Archer

Sep 3, 2026, 10:16 PM ET

Miami Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers (hamstring) left Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals early with tightness in his left hamstring, according to Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. Before hitting the showers early, Stowers went 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and two strikeouts before he was replaced at first base by Deyvison De Los Santos. Stowers has already been on the injured list this year due to hamstring issues, and he could be headed back to the shelf, depending on what tests show on Friday. The 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder was a first-time All-Star in 2025 in his first full season in Miami, slashing .288/.368/.544 with a .912 OPS, a career-high 25 home runs, 73 RBI, 61 runs scored, and five stolen bases across 117 games. Through 103 games this year going into Thursday's action, he has posted a .247/.331/.470 slash line, .801 OPS, 18 homers, 59 RBI, 48 runs scored, and one steal in 433 plate appearances. Stowers played in just 15 games in August due to injury and did not have a home run, but he did go 15-for-51 (.294) in 59 plate appearances. If he is forced back to the IL with another hamstring injury, it could be a wrap on Stowers' 2026 campaign.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola