Fantasy Football News 2026 – Around the NFL

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Fantasy Football News 2026

June is often a slow month for news, so I’m going to take a run around the NFL until training camps open up and we can really dig into storylines that will impact the rankings. If you missed last week’s article, I dug into the AJ Brown and Myles Garrett trades in more detail and bounced around focusing on a player or positional situation in each division.  

This week, I’m going to be spotlighting one player from each division in the AFC.  I’ll also be digging into the NFC in the full Fantasy Football Almanac Podcast Episode (details below). 

2026 Fantasy Football Almanac 

Before I dig into each division, a quick reminder that the 2026 Fantasy Football Almanac and Fantasy Football Almanac Gold Edition are available for purchase. If you want the print version, they are available on Amazon. The digital versions are available on my Shopify store at a discount.  Here are the links if interested: 

Around The NFL

AFC East 

Last week, I detailed A.J. Browns’ impact on the New England Patriots offense. This week, I wanted to key in on the Buffalo Bills and specifically, the tight end position. I’m noticing that Dalton Kincaid’s consensus ranking is still too high in my opinion. Of course, I dig into this in much more detail in the Almanac. I also illustrate this in greater detail in the workshare sections of the Gold version, but the Buffalo Bills offense will not provide you with elite fantasy tight end play. 

Before Bills fans get upset, I want to remind you that I’m talking specifically about fantasy point production here. Dalton Kincaid is sitting at the 9^th tight end in the fantasy consensus ranking.  He’s ahead of George Kittle (recovering from injury), Travis Kelce, Isaiah Likely, Jake Ferguson and Mark Andrews. I have all of these players projected to score more fantasy points than Kincaid this year. 

The average draft position (ADP) numbers on Kincaid are much more reasonable, where he’s the 13^th tight end off the board (still higher than Likely, but lower than the others I mentioned). 

It’s important to remember that the Buffalo passing game spreads their workshare (player opportunity) across many pass catchers. You will routinely see 4-5 receivers utilized. Dawson Knox is a good enough tight end to generate a number of targets each week. And second year tight end Jackson Hawes is good enough to warrant three-TE formations, which is something Sean McVay and the Rams popularized last season.  

Bottom line here is that Dalton Kincaid’s name is truly crossed off my personal draft board list. For a TE to be successful in fantasy these days, he will need to generate at least 60 receptions, 600 yards and 8 TDs. Kincaid hasn’t been able to accomplish this throughout his career (his career-high TD total was 5 last season). Focus on tight ends that play for teams that isolate their targets on one TE. This is why older players like Kelce, Kittle and Andrews will continue to be successful assuming they can stay on the field. Their QBs love them and there isn’t enough depth on the roster to challenge their spot atop the depth chart. 

AFC North 

Last week I discussed Aaron Rodgers and his impact in a McCarthy-led Steelers offense. I’m going to swing it over to division rival Baltimore this week. I wanted to touch on Derrick Henry who is 32 this season. 

Yes, that’s right.  Derrick Henry is 32, which is decrepit in NFL running back terms. But am I scared? Nope. 

When I’m looking at running backs, whether watching college tape in preparation for rookie rankings or NFL game play to find the next breakout player available on waivers, I look for 3 core things.  First, can the player move a pile forward. For example, if a player has a handoff and no hole opens for him to run through, what happens?  Does the pile move forward a yard or two or is the running back tackled for 0 yards or negative yards.  At 31 last season, Derrick Henry still passed this test with flying colors. He can move a pile, and he was doing it as well as anyone in the league. 

Next, I look to see if the player falls forward or falls flat when hit. This is similar to the pile-mover piece, but there is a bit of nuance. In the open field, if a linebacker or defensive lineman hit Henry one-on-one, does he fall forward and gain another yard or two, or does he stop dead in his tracks? Again, Henry passed this test with flying colors. There aren’t many players on this planet that can stop Henry when he’s running with a full head of steam. When he gets hit, he falls forward for an extra yard or two. 

Perhaps most importantly, can the player run away from defensive backs. For example, if a running back gets the ball and finds open field, will he make it to the end zone or will a safety or defensive back chase him down? That can be the difference between a very nice 30-yard run or an amazing 70-yard TD run.   

Once again, Derrick Henry passes the test. 

I’ll offer one last test for an aging running back. Is there a younger, more explosive running back on the roster that can take carries away? I don’t see that happening this year. I do like what rookie RB Adam Randall offers, but if Henry is healthy, he is going to carry the ball. 

Older players are more prone to nagging injuries and that is a very real concern where Henry is involved. But I’m not a proponent of projecting running back injuries. Henry could provide excellent value in fantasy drafts this year. In his case, age is only a number. 

AFC South 

I talked about Carnell Lake’s utilization in Tennessee on my podcast. This week I’m going to swing it over to the Jacksonville Jaguar running game. I see the hype starting to swell up for second year back Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten was Travis Etienne’s understudy for much of last season. He played a bit more during the latter part of 2025, while the Jaguars’ passing game was really beginning to flourish.  But his draft stock is interesting to me. 

If Tuten is indeed the Jaguars’ lead running back this season, his #61 overall average draft position could represent great value. I’m not convinced. And even if that does pan out, I don’t agree that he should be ranked higher than someone like J.K. Dobbins. Yes, Dobbins gets hurt every year, but he is still the best Bronco running back (depending on what rookie Jonah Coleman can offer.  I’ll talk about R.J. Harvey in another column soon). 

I think the reason Tuten is ascending so quickly is because players are looking at the depth chart and thinking he has a free path to 200 carries.  But for those of you who haven’t been living and breathing depth charts for months, let’s play a little guess the player: 

Player 1:  

83 career attempts, 307 career yards, 5 touchdowns. 3.7 yards per carry; 10 receptions on 14 targets for 79 yards and 2 TDs 

Player 2: 

23 career attempts, 94 yards, 0 TDs, 4.1 yards per carry; 10 receptions on 11 targets for 54 yards and 0 TDs  

Player 3:  

198 career attempts, 920 yards, 10 TDs, 4.6 yards per carry, 6 receptions on 7 targets for 30 yards and 0 TDs 

Player 1 is Tuten. Player 2 is fellow second-year RB LaQuint Allen, and player 3 is free agent pickup Chris Rodriguez. I have to admit that Tuten’s 7 touchdowns last season in a limited role are very impressive. And I’m not saying you SHOULDN’T draft Tuten.  However, I don’t think he’s going to be the only back of note in Jacksonville.  I know Chris Rodriguez is recovering from foot surgery, but don’t be surprised if he has a much larger role than advertised this year. 

If you have an early draft and select Tuten with your 5^th round selection, it wouldn’t be a bad strategy to claim Rodriguez and watch how this backfield develops through training camp. I, for example, always waive my kicker until the start of the season. I’d rather decide between two running backs than invest in a kicker too early. 

AFC West 

I’ll stick with running backs in the AFC West. Let’s dig into Kenneth Walker III. While I wasn’t suggesting that we take a breather on Bhayshul Tuten of the Jaguars, I do think the ranking on Kenneth Walker is inflated.  

Don’t get me wrong; Walker is a great addition to a team that desperately needs production from its running backs. But I’m not looking at Walker to play a dominant RB role in this offense in 2025. I know we’ve seen Andy Reid offenses produce several juggernaut running backs including LeSean McCoy, Brian Westbrook and early-career Kareem Hunt, but I think we’re going to see a continued committee approach in Kansas City this season.  

Walker will definitely be the lead back, but I fail to see why he should be ranked against Chase Brown and Kyren Williams, who have been producing well in their offenses for years (I’ll talk more about Blake Corum and Kyren Williams in the coming weeks).  Breece Hall could be an excellent option for the new Jets offense this year.  

I’d feel much better about drafting Walker in the third round.  And beware of the curious case of Emari Demercado, who despite having an otherworldly (and non-fluke) 6.5 yards per carry on 126 career attempts. If Demercado is ripping off as many explosive plays for Kansas City as he was in Arizona, he is going to play.  And don’t forget about rookie Emmett Johnson or even second year player Brashard Johnson. The Chiefs have better depth at running back than they’ve had in years. 

NFC East 

A report this week indicates that WR Malik Nabers should be available for week 1, which is good news because that was my assumption when I published the Almanac last week. The issue wasn’t his surgery last October to repair his ACL, but a second surgery to remove residual scar tissue. 

From an injury point of view, I’m not the least bit concerned. Nabers is a young professional athlete. These guys heal at a near superhuman pace, so Nabers is a safe early draft pick. 

The more interesting storyline where Nabers is concerned is how he will look in this new offense. Nabers offers new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy a similar (and superior) skillset compared to what he had in Rashee Rice for the past couple of years in Kansas City. I think we will continue to see Nabers utilized in all areas of the field. The only lingering piece to this puzzle for me is Jaxson Dart. Dart only started one game with Nabers in the lineup. More accurately, they had a half together as Nabers suffered a torn ACL in that matchup and was lost for the season. 

I’d feel more comfortable seeing Nabers and Dart on the field together prior to our fantasy drafts, but that isn’t in the cards this year. I’m endorsing Nabers’ high ranking this year but remember that this is a new offense, and he’ll be playing with a QB he hasn’t had much experience with. There is a risk in this scenario. Long story short, just make the rest of your early and middle round picks safe. Don’t take too much risk on your roster. 

NFC North 

Let’s talk about Josh Jacobs and the Green Bay Packers this season. Jacobs entered the offseason with a firm grasp on a dominant workshare among running backs. While he still has firm control of his spot atop the depth chart, Jacobs certainly made a mess of his offseason.  He was arrested and booked on five charges based on a domestic disturbance.  

I’ll address domestic violence quickly, and I think this applies to everyone: it’s a good idea to avoid beating up people you live with. Take a breather, for crying out loud… 

That said, I’ll jump into fantasy implications. The DA hasn’t filed any charges yet, but Jacobs could face a multiple game suspension. If he’s out, what happens? 

Emmanuel Wilson was Green Bay’s best backup running back, but he took his talents to Seattle. This leaves Green Bay with Chris Brooks and the oft-injured Marshawn Lloyd. Brooks has been serviceable in very limited duty, but my gut tells me Lloyd will be the better back if he can stay on the field. I was, after all, very excited about his prospects coming out of college a couple of seasons ago. 

If Jacobs misses the first 2-3 games due to suspension, it’s going to give two younger running backs a chance to prove they deserve to be on the field and more involved with the offense. Running back is unique in that missing one or two games could impact the rest of your career with a team.  

I’m not moving my ranking on Jacobs, and I think he’ll be safe as a fantasy football running back. But this is a story worth monitoring. 

NFC South 

Let’s move it over to the 2025 NFC South Champs.  Keeping with running backs, I want to talk about Jonathon Brooks. Chuba Hubbard has had a very “up and down” NFL career. He had a monster 2024 season in which he accumulated 1195 yards and 10 TDs on the ground while adding 43 receptions, 171 yards and 1 TD through the air. Most notably, he offered 4.8 yards per carry. But then he lost his job to Rico Dowdle in 2025 – only providing a total of 734 yards and 4 touchdowns.  

Jonathan Brooks is an unknown entity in the NFL. He was drafted after tearing his ACL in 2023. He then re-tore that ligament late in the 2024 season which caused him to miss the entirety of the 2025 season.  

Coming out of Texas, Brooks was a very exciting prospect. Despite his ACL tear in December of 2023, he was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. He has more top-end talent than Hubbard, but it’d be fair to have concerns over his durability. 

What I find most interesting is that despite Brooks’ injury concerns, his average draft position is on the rise.  Beginning the offseason as a late rounder, Brooks is surging into middle-round consideration. His ADP ranking is 110^th which is only about 40 spots behind Hubbard. 

If you’re asking me today if I think Brooks is worth that selection in the 9^th or 10^th round, I’d say yes. But I’m starting to see him featured more in sleeper articles. I worry that his draft stock will increase to the point where he’s not offering great value. This happened last year when Jacory Croskey-Merritt started the season as an undrafted player and was considered an 8^th rounder by August. 

But hey, let’s see how he looks in training camp and go from there. 

NFC West 

Let’s swing it over to the Arizona Cardinals and WR Michael Wilson. I’m on record stating that I envision Marvin Harrison Jr. having a resurgence this season, but I think Wilson is going to provide strong fantasy value this season. Wilson’s ADP rank is 92^nd overall (43^rd among WRs).  He is being drafted around the likes of Rico Dowdle, Blake Corum, Josh Downs, Jakobi Meyers, and Ricky Pearsall. Among those players, Wilson would be my favorite of the bunch though I’m also a fan of Jakobi Meyers.  

The question for me is that in this offense, they are going to need a possession receiver. Harrison is going to be locked as an outside option for the Cardinals and is more likely to be the downfield weapon. Wilson figures to line up as a slot receiver in 2026 but has the ability to play outside in two WR sets.  

This is lining up to make Wilson a very attractive PPR player. I wouldn’t begrudge you for taking a QB when you see a pick in the 90s (Trevor Lawrence and Brock Purdy will be available, and I have strong projections on them).  But at that draft slot, Meyers and Wilson offer significantly more punch among the flex-players taken in similar territory. The wide receivers are drying up quick in mock drafts this season. If you find yourself thin at WR, Wilson could provide that stability and upside PPR players need. 

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2026 Fantasy Football Almanac