The easiest thing for me to do is view it through the lens of each player and how the value shifts for everyone affected. Let’s navigate dynasty and redraft streets as we inch closer to Week 1.

Josh Jacobs Outlook:

Josh Jacobs has been placed on the Commissioner‘s Exempt List. He is not able to practice or play in games while on the list. However, he is still being paid. As of right now — using FantasyPros Real-Time ADP — Jacobs is currently going as the RB25 in drafts. I expect that to continue to come down, and it should. The huge unknown here is when exactly the league will flip his status from being on the exempt list to serving a suspension.

The average suspension for players in similar cases and those placed on the exempt list is 6-8 games. In some cases, like Adrian Peterson, they missed the entire season between the exempt list and suspension. Perhaps more importantly, his initial court date is scheduled for 11/17. The league doesn’t have to wait for that date to issue discipline, but that could be a benchmark outcome for if he’s served his time or not based on the outcome.

The bottom-line is this, it can go a number of ways, but none of those seem like a positive outcome. I will personally be operating as if he’s out AT LEAST half the season. He’s going to settle in as a mid-late round 9 pick for me. I have him now ranked as RB37, after a group of Kenneth Gainwell, Blake Corum, and Jordan Mason.

MarShawn Lloyd:

In a piece from the Athletic, Packers writer Matt Schneidman provides a full reaction to Green Bay have a presumed new lead back heading into Week 1. I recommend the read, but as you can see from the headline above, even the team will be on the edge of their seats as they expand his workload.

Lloyd has had basically every possible injury that a running back can have to his legs, including a random case of appendicitis on top. He has played TEN total regular-season snaps in two seasons. Here is an interesting quote that emphasizes why I would tell managers and fans to not get too over-excited when it comes to investing in Lloyd (I realize that also may make me just sound like a nervous nellie).

MarShawn Lloyd - The Athletic

Lloyd lands as my RB26, just behind Bhayshul Tuten and Jadarian Price. You know where I stand on those two, so it’s good company to be in as far as the upside case goes. Lloyd displayed the pass game chops in the preseason, and I’ll discuss next how I expect the pass game to get a nice bump for just about everyone here. If he runs enough routes, and the offense doesn’t take an overall step back — especially in the red zone — Lloyd will outproduce that ranking. Tuten and Price sit at the 5-6 turn, so middle of the 6th is where I’m comfortable taking the shot.

Dynasty: I can’t say he’s worth a first yet, just can’t get there. Early 2027 2nd sounds good to me as a value equivalent, but there is a clear upside case to take a shot on. He’s a hold with Jacobs NFL future uncertain due to a clear opportunity for a price increase. There is also a sell window to tier up another starter using Lloyd as an addition to get you there.

Packers WRs - The Ceiling is the Roof

I mentioned Christian Watson and Matthew Golden as WR targets in the full rankings drop I will link again. Check that out for my quick breakdown and expectations. I don’t want us to overthink it with this offense.

• No Josh Jacobs means a downgraded run game

• No Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks

• Tucker Kraft coming off ACL

• No Micah Parsons for at minimum 4 games (Short-term IR) = Game script

They are going to throw the damn ball! We got a nice look at some slot/motion usage for Christian Watson in his brief preseason appearance. He averages around FIVE more points per game with Romeo Doubs off the field. I expect him to be moved around as a legitimate WR1 in an offense that has been void of that term being used for years.

Matthew Golden has upside filling some of the man-beater X receiver routes that Doubs ran for this team, and a quick pass game is going to be used in situations they may have previously just handed it to Jacobs multiple times.

I will be pretty aggressive targeting Watson, Golden, Reed, and Kraft — if that’s not clear. Watson is a fringe Round 4 pick on the Top 150 board, which is well above consensus. I’m more than OK moving the other three pass-catchers I mentioned up a full round. I’m not worried about Kraft’s return at all when it comes to investing in him for the full season. Wheels up for them all at cost.

Quick Thoughts:

Jordan Love - This has been an undervalued asset all offseason, in Dynasty especially. He’s my QB15 in that format. It’s a tier I love buying, and chances are he’s still undervalued. I’m moving him to QB16 in redraft over Mahomes, Baker, and Shough as we speak. Which is a big move for me. It’s time for him to carry this offense, we’ve seen it before.

RB Kaleb Johnson - Hope was lost. It has now been found. The Packers traded a dirt sandwich for the former Steelers’ third round pick out of Iowa. I straight up got this prospect wrong, but this is still a new situation he needed. The opportunity now is as clean as it gets for a near cut candidate. If he can’t make his way into a depth role for THIS backfield, I will say goodbye. I expect him to be their RB2 by mid-season.

RB Chris Brooks - Some 3rd down & pass protection snaps should go to Brooks. Nothing more than a Dynasty stash. Could see full pass game volume if Lloyd misses time.

Subscribe now

Happy Draft Week! I have three left myself. DMs are open for any Draft day needs or Week 1 prep. It’s almost here. Get subscribed for Week 1 Start/Sit.

Let’s get right into the stuff that matters. Positional Rankings will be tiered, followed by the Big Board as a downloadable PDF, this will also include Dynasty Buy/Sell throughout.

Top 32 QB Rankings

My full QB strategy, player notes, and schedule review are all available in the full article for this position here (Includes Dynasty Rankings & Process):

Let’s talk through some of my specific targets and avoids, which we will do for every position.

QB Targets:

Round 4 Lamar Jackson: In single QB leagues, I almost never draft the top 2-3 QBs due to their price always being steamed up into round two and early round three. For most drafts, that’s only happening for Josh Allen this year. An injury plagued 2025 for Lamar is providing us with a perfect price and dynasty buy opportunity. A single round difference between Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow in current ADP further emphasizes the value for Lamar as a clear win in roster building. QB1 overall would shock me 0%.

Trevor Lawrence (ADP 8.10): You will see a ton of variation with this QB range. A lot of leagues I play in will wait much longer than this to get into my Tier 4 group. Which makes the price less of a concern and really selecting the right one a league-winning advantage. Liam Coen continues to put his QBs in a position to use their mobility, and another year in the system for all the current weapons should provide a passing ceiling. If the run game takes a step back when it comes to explosives with the loss of Etienne, more might fall on the shoulders of Lawrence in 2026. Sign me up.

Read more

Unfortunately, the biggest updates seem to come from injuries. It’s important we continue to focus on injuries along both the offensive line and injuries to big-time players on the top defenses in the league. Reactions to some of those headlines here:

Round One: Minimize Risk With This Top 12

Overall, we have a pretty exciting first round this season. One of my favorite things about this year is that you can choose your own adventure after the top eight or so players in most leagues. There is also some personal preference that won’t hurt you either way with the top guys. Amon Ra over JSN? Be my guest!

The top-150 and full positional rankings are coming, and I will be drafting firmly from this top-24 over the next couple weeks. The key is not losing your draft in the first two rounds, there will be some risk, but we need to avoid disaster. Floor and ceiling is needed as we pair high-level assets.

**Ashton Jeanty Update:

Wanted to keep the original top 12 below to show you where I had Jeanty pre-injury. I’m doing my best not to speculate, but all signs point to him being at least debatable for Week 1. If it is truly not a full high-ankle sprain, he would stay in the range of the turn guys I like a lot, and move down to my 16th overall player. This would push Achane into round 1, but the turn is what we will talk about a lot. I think the risk is moderate at this point (with minimal information).

Stay tuned for the updated top-24 post Jeanty injury. Overall, it is a luxury to have the top-12 be six running backs and six wide receivers. It gives us a lot of flexibility, and doesn’t make us chase positions later on. Still, as I’ve said plenty of times, the upside lies with the running back heavy starts in the back half of drafts.

Read more

Subscribe now

Texans Breakout Candidate Jayden Higgins Suffers Torn ACL in Tuesday Joint Practice with Raiders

This one hurts as I have been buying the young year two WR all offseason and he’s impressed in camp. He’ll miss 2026 and be fully recovered for 2027. This does present a clear need for Houston and I would expect them to address WR long term in next year’s Draft.

Tank Dell and fellow sophomore WR Jaylin Noel will have to step up, but both project as slot receivers. Xavier Hutchinson will man the X position opposite Nico Collins for now. This is a boost for Dalton Schultz and you will see the Texans run more 12 personnel all season long. This hurts this passing game big time overall and they are completely cooked if Collins misses time at any point.

My Rookie WR1 Goes Down: Jordyn Tyson will miss two months with Hamstring injury

The nightmare we were all scared of has happened. The weirdest part? It apparently is unrelated to the hamstring injury that kept Tyson out for a majority of the draft process. We might have a Christian Watson situation here. I fully expect the Saints to place him on PUP to start the season, and he will miss a minimum of four games.

Olave comes is as my WR11 and is around the round 2-3 turn in my updated rankings I will send out for drafts next weekend. Juwan Johnson, Etienne, and Olave see a bump up from this unfortunate injury.

Bears RB Kyle Monangai - Hyperextended Knee: Out approx. one month

Another training camp injury as sophomore RB Kyle Monangai will miss time. It’s a blow to a Bears’ run game that I am all in on in 2026. While this isn’t super long-term, it will certainly affect his early season expectations. I was wheels up on D’Andre Swift as early as May if you’ve been following. He’s firmly in Round 4 for me at 45 overall.

Alvin Kamara Diagnosed with Knee Sprain: Expected to miss one month

Another Saint left practice Tuesday and it’s going to impact the start of the season for the legendary Alvin Kamara. This team is going through it on the injury side of things and I’m hoping nothing lingers all season for Tyson and Kamara.

Travis Etienne has been a fade for me due to the range he’s in being full of WRs I love taking, and the price overall for a back with some unknown. Kamara’s injury gives him the ceiling I didn’t project to start the season. Both Saints injuries on offense mean more work for the capable pass-catching back.

My Sweet Prince: Emeka Egbuka has turf toe

By now, we all know how much I have invested in the success of Emeka Egbuka in 2026. Check out my full breakdown and expectations for what will be an elite WR this season.

That being said, I have to knock him a few spots with this. He’s missing key practices and new offensive install reps that would get him prepared for the feature role he’ll be stepping into. Even with the Week 1 optimism, this injury has a high re-injury rate, so the risk that was once very minimal in this profile, suddenly has a red flag. He fell behind Garrett Wilson for me — that’s it. Egbuka will settle in at about the round 3-4 turn in the top-150.

Rapid Fire

Alec Pierce - Still out of practice and Colts signed Keenan Allen — who joins as much needed depth to play in key 11p situations — he shouldn’t take Pierce or Downs off the field in 2WR sets. It’s not the best sign for their confidence in Pierce to be 100% for Week 1. I’m out.

Jeremiyah Love - “No surgery required” was a very weird quote from HC Mike LaFleur. The rookie will continue rehab in hopes for Week 1. I’m buying the dip here.

Mike Evans & CMC - This guy Big Mike just hates practice at this point in his career. The substation battle wages on as both Evans and McCaffrey are out with “Tightness”. Fellas, that’s just called being old. Shanahan sounds optimistic, I’m not worried about CMC. Evans on the other hand, I don’t blame you for just not wanting to deal with the inevitable.

Chargers Center Tyler Biadasz Diagnosed with Partially Torn ACL and other ligament damage: Out Indefinitely

The curse continues as the Chargers lose a big free agent signing along the offensive line. A group that just hasn’t stayed healthy every time we get excited about them. Luckily, they have invested in the position with a 2nd round pick. Regardless, you never want to see a rookie center be thrust into a very important position this late in camp.

Subscribe now

Regardless, we have to stay locked in. It’s my first draft weekend of the year as I will be attending an annual live draft for one of my favorite home leagues. It’s early, but I have been beyond dialed in on training camp reports and focusing on the new offensive schemes we will see across the league in preparation. Let’s empty the notebook:

This won’t be super long form, but I want to give initial reactions from a dynasty lens as the rookies continue to ramp up their presumed roles in year one. If there is a headline I didn’t include that you want to discuss, feel free to drop it in the Calo Football subscriber chat, or message me directly any time.

Kyler Murray Named Vikings Starting QB

They weren’t fooling anyone. They didn’t sign him to be the backup, let’s be real. It’s still a nice development that they’ve made a decision this early in camp. We can see how the first-team offense operates, and he can get more reps against the defensive 1s as well. It’s important to at least know in the back of your mind — Kyler has not been good in camp.

This team is built to win. As much as we may think this is a front office decision, it will be interesting to see if Kevin O’Connell caters to Murray’s skillset a little more. If not, we will all have to hope and pray that he gets better at maintaining rhythm in the pocket, progression timing, and driving the ball to the intermediate windows where Justin Jefferson is at his best.

Dynasty & Fantasy takeaway: None of what I just said may matter when you look at the end of game production. The skill group gives us a ceiling, and their lack of juice at running back should give us a steady floor. There is risk in Dynasty, but it should be reflected in his current price. The window to buy for a late first round pick might close within a couple weeks of the season starting.

Ja’Kobi Lane - Learn the Name.

You guys know I keep it open and honest with you. I was not a big Ja’Kobi Lane guy coming out. He had been pigeon-holed into a role that doesn’t translate to fantasy production often, and if you decline in draft hype/role/production in college, then it’s hard for me to project the opposite against NFL competition. As of now, it appears I’m going to be flat out wrong there, and the Baltimore Ravens might have gotten themselves a good one in the third round of the NFL Draft.

Lane is receiving more camp buzz than any rookie in 2026 (it’s close between him and Denzel Boston). The more I dove into him as a prospect, the more I like the fit with Lamar Jackson. He can win in the low and high red zone, as well as stretch the field. Overall, this elevates Lamar’s ceiling like we’ve been hoping he can get back to. Lane and Flowers pair well as a future duo to keep an eye on.

Reaction: He was basically off my radar in all formats before camp. He’s paved his way through a crowded room for playing time, we can’t just ignore it. Great late round pick in redraft with touchdown upside. Stash and sell in Dynasty will most likely be what I’m aiming to do.

Bengals Continue to Emphasize Run Game/Under Center

This is a big one that not enough people are paying attention to. The Bengals haven’t disguised their game plan really at all over the last couple years. It’s hard to say for sure if they are moving to this style because they are confident in the player they have in Chase Brown being versatile, or just want to approach defenses differently with all the two-high coverage. Let’s assume it’s both and welcome it with open arms.

This will lead to more rush attempts, especially with what will certainly be a better defense in 2026. The change mainly equals more play action and subsequently more defenders in the box when the safety comes down to fit the run. I talked about it earlier this offseason, this is an underrated Offensive Line. If they establish the run effectively, we will see more 1-on-1s for the elite pass-catchers. This helps everyone involved.

Reaction: Chase Brown is getting closer to a Round 1-2 turn pick by the day. Extend that man! I’m certainly higher than consensus, and it was mostly due to the receiving upside. Now, this might just be a complete back. Check out where I have him, as well as what build I like with him in the below👇

Makai Lemon Still Not Practicing

Not panicking here just yet but it’s worth noting that the Eagles have a history of being conservative in camp both from an injury standpoint but also a team ramp up approach. DeVonta Smith has also missed over a week, however we have seen him running. It means more for a rookie like Lemon, especially in a new offense for the entire team.

Reaction: He has to be a faller in redraft rankings and a slow start should make him a buy in Dynasty. Remember, the season starts later this year and we are a month out. If he’s not practicing around August 25th, we can enter panic mode.

Tua Tagovailoa Will Start Week 1 of Preseason — Penix Still Not Cleared.

Without a fear of being wrong, I fully expect Tua to be the Falcons starting quarterback Week 1 of the regular season. But we get to see what that might look like on Friday. Fittingly, we get to see it against the Denver Broncos’ starting defense. There is a good chance we see both QBs this season as they aren’t projected to be a great team with injuries/suspensions affecting some key defensive players. They sit at a 6.5-7 Vegas win total.

Reaction: I’m drafting their pass catchers with normal confidence. Bijan should catch 80+ passes and Drake London will be an alpha in a Stefanski offense that uses multiple TEs and less WRs (plus their current WR2 is not a target earner). It’s easy to overthink situations like this just due to dislike for Tua, I do it. But I keep coming back to the defensive/game script situation as well as the divisional opponents providing a ceiling (WAS, TB, NO in Weeks 15-17)

Subscribe now

De’Zhaun Stribling is Back — Turning Heads with First-team O

Niners rookie WR returned from a brief camp absence and reportedly beat man coverage early and often against the Titans in joint practices. He’s also getting reps in 12 personnel alongside Mike Evans. This is the role we want to target. The Pearsall injury opens up a snap share I didn’t think we could see in year one. Pair this with my fear of Evans staying healthy, I’m buying the hype.

Stop Ignoring Matthew Golden in 2026

Golden’s solid camp continues as he has repeatedly won downfield and is mixing in 2WR sets. The Packers have shown and promised less of a rotation at all three receiver spots, making these guys much more trustworthy assets than previous years. I continue to believe this team will play with more pace and throw more in 2026.

Oh No: Laremy Tunsil Injury is a Big One

An All-Pro left tackle being lost for the season is never something you want to see. Especially after the 2025 Jayden Daniels just had. This is a huge deal in every phase, which is obvious. It may translate to more snaps for Rachaad White, as he is a trustworthy pass protector and quick-game receiving outlet. Their replacement does not seem to be good enough for this injury not to impact how we view this offense.

Reaction: Slight downgrade to Daniels — Upgrade to Diggs, I expect him to cook in the short area of the field. Closing the gap between McLaurin and Diggs as we speak. Hopefully this at least means more cheap scramble rushing statistics for Daniels. Just keep him healthy.

Quick Hitters:

Cade Mays - Lions starting Center will be out a while with a wrist injury. Not ideal for Goff, who struggles with interior pressure.

Carson Beck Dynasty Riser? - Had to be and will be the minute he gets regular season starts. I’m not as worried about Trey McBride with Beck when the time comes as everyone else. More worried about the receivers, but he looked pretty good throwing the ball downfield in what was the most electric Hall of Fame game of all time.

Matt Nagy was always going to be our nightmare - The vibes from Giants camp have not been great — aside from Nabers looking quite good — and there is only one man to blame. Matthew Nagy. You knew it, I knew it. The Giants’ OC has recently said that Jaxson Dart is going through some camp struggles, including “seeing the defense”. Local reporters have expressed that Dart would benefit from preseason action. It even seems like they are behind in installing the playbook. It’s the path that led me to my Dart ranking, one that clearly differs from consensus.

Alec Pierce Still Not Practicing - Week to Week - I don’t want to speculate and make uneducated guesses on the injury as the timeline and reporting here has been vague and weird. Regardless, this certainly isn’t good! We don’t know when he will be back and the injury isn’t minor for a player who relies on speed and downfield wins. I was low already, I’m basically out. Josh Downs and Tyler Warren are priorities for me.

Subscribe now

We still want to focus on what makes the top of the position so valuable. For the late round options, we want to focus on the path they have to achieve those valuable opportunities. I am guilty of drafting a little to heavy on “talent” and what I presume it to be. In simple terms: Opportunity + talent is the recipe to a true difference-maker.

Of course, there are factors and interpretations of what both opportunity and talent mean. You will see a number of rankings in this set that can be explained just by saying I don’t love the offensive environment. Which impacts touchdown chances and explosive runs based on OL play. This reasoning is valid, and this is what drives the value and draft position. I’ll be more than happy to draft a running back that is ranked lower at a great value, talent and opportunity still dictate whether that player can at least return on that value, with hopes of exceeding it.

Included in this article:

• My Top 50 Running Backs for 2026 Fantasy Football

• Tiers & Dynasty Buy/Sell

• Full RB Strategy, Schedule Review & How I’m attacking the position

• Sleepers & Who I’m avoiding based on current ADP

• Actual League-Winners at RB

  ---

2026 Running Back Rankings & Tiers

It’s quite odd that the tiers ended up being similar in size throughout. I leaned towards having potentially too many tiers as opposed to not enough. They paint the picture that I will talk through here. Each tier break represents a different level of expectation I have for these players.

Read more

I quick hit the first couple days of camp notes and gave my initial Malik Nabers reaction. Check it out here.

Quarterback News

Maybe Deshaun Watson just fully stinks?

Watson through the first week of training camp, via ESPN Cleveland:
64% completion percentage
3 TD
6 INT

That’s not good! It’s padless practice. Shedeur Sanders had 4 touchdowns and 1 interception while repping with the 1s. I won’t lie to the people, I have been operating as if Watson would be the starting QB for the team just based off of the investment they have in him as opposed to Sanders. It’s the organization’s last chance to get something out of the worst trade ever.

Shoutout to Todd Monken and the staff (so far) for doing a great job of not caring about that at all, and at least making me feel like the preseason will continue to matter in a true competition. From what we’ve seen so far, let’s just collectively root for Shedeur to win this thing.

The Under Center Adjustment

Quarterbacks all over the league are reportedly working under center more this camp. Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson to name a few, have been spotted under center much more than they have been throughout their career. Jackson went as far as saying he hasn’t been under center this much since youth football.

You’ll see a mix of pistol and shotgun for these guys of course, but this clearly shows the intent of new coordinators for Hurts and Jackson. Burrow should welcome an adjustment by his playcaller as well. The league is transitioning to a variety of formations and heavier personnel. This overarching theme makes defenses have to prepare for both run and pass out of the same look. This is why there were so many tight ends taken in the NFL draft. All it takes is one defender to hesitate, and these looks will create space and options. Let’s see if Quarterbacks across the league can adjust.

Rookie Watch

Kansas City Chiefs Rookie WR Cyrus Allen is making headlines as he continues to work with the 1s in all team periods. It’s an interesting development due to the type of player Allen is. He is a quick accelerator who can win one-on-one consistently (something the Chiefs current WRs do not do). There is a real path to playing time and production in year one here. He got banged up in a special teams period, but appears to be OK. Continue to monitor him throughout camp.

Makai Lemon - There will be no training wheels for the Eagles first round pick. Despite missing Spring minicamps, Lemon is already working with the first-team offense and showing alignment versatility. Like I mentioned earlier, you’ll see a lot more Jalen Hurts under center in 2026. Lemon will be a big factor in play-action and horizontal route concepts from these looks. Here’s what Zach Berman of The Athletic had to say about the Eagles’ rookies:

Subscribe now

Miami WR Caleb Douglas - This was one of the more head scratching picks in the NFL Draft back in April. The joke might be on us. Douglas has been stacking days and scoring touchdowns in what is a very young Dolphins offense’s first training camp. At 6’3 and extremely long, a team void of true playmakers would be silly not to feature him in the red zone at least. He could be this team’s WR1 to begin the season as standout rookie Chris Bell returns from a torn ACL. That’s worth something — he’s a must-stash in Dynasty.

Denzel Boston - He’s making me do it, it’s not my fault guys! Camp watch for a player I have been talking about for months was always going to be happening for me. The good part is I didn’t have to do a deep search. Boston has reportedly been the Browns’ best offensive player in camp — I highly suggest you watch some of the camp clips — really just to see three-level wins he’s showing with each QB. Completions at the intermediate and downfield areas of the field with THIS QB play means you are a dominant ball winner or creating true separation, he’s doing both.

Jordyn Tyson - My Rookie WR1 has been as advertised in Saints’ camp and most importantly, appears to be fully healthy. Which for all of these rookies is extremely important. These really are the practices you can’t miss in your rookie season. Let’s put the pads on and get more man coverage wins to get the hype train really rolling here.

I couldn’t possibly be more in on this Saints offense — Etienne is the only ADP I don’t love. My family doesn’t know that our finances hinge on Tyler Shough. Leave that between you and I.

Quick Hit Reports

We’ll keep this a quick read as there is still a lot of smoke and personal interpretation to reporting at this point. All of these things turn into trends and clarity as preseason games begin and padded practices take place.

Report: Buffalo Bills running backs are catching more passes and getting designed looks - Huge implications here as James Cook has always possessed this skillset, and could truly unlock a ceiling outcome here without having to repeat as the leading rusher in the NFL.

Deebo Samuel looks lean and ready to go for the 49ers - From off my radar entirely to very necessary — Samuel should be considered a versatile piece for the system he’s been in the majority of his career. With Stribling missing a couple practices as well, he’s necessary and can take some pressure off of Kittle and CMC in the short area.

Tyler Allgeier operating as RB1 for Cardinals - Had to mention it, don’t care! Jeremiyah Love is seeing valuable reps with the first-team as well. He’ll be a real weapon in the pass game even as the team loses ball games.

Mathew Golden not listed as starter as of now, but will man the Packers’ X receiver role according to Jordan Love - He should assume the vacant role of Romeo Doubs. An important one with a lot of isolated looks. People doubt his ability vs man but I see it as a developmental spot with some upside in a young and not very deep receiver group.

Tucker Kraft back from PUP - Packers TE1 and my TE6 is back on the field and should participate in joint practices next week according to HC Matt LaFleur.

Bears RB Kyle Monangai - He’s missed a week of practices with an undisclosed injury. This is a big one to monitor as we want to invest in this run game for 2026.

Top 50 Running Back rankings drop next and NEW paid subscribers to Calo Football get a free month paid subscription for Football Film Room immediately when you upgrade. I promise the Seasonal Rankings & Top 150 cheat sheet alone will be worth the cost of a small cold brew (I actually still think coffee costs more) — you also get a free Dynasty Roster Review or Full Draft assistance included! No better time to be equipped with elite ball knowledge AND dominate Fantasy Football.

Subscribe now

Here’s a preview of what’s included and broken down with tape over at Football Film Room for their team preview series for EVERY team. All included in that free month.

Before we get to the news. I have a really cool giveaway of 5 paid subscriptions to Football Film Room. You are guaranteed to be more prepared and locked in for every matchup this season with this subscription. I’ve linked an example team preview and the full site below. Podcasts, Game plans, Full Film analysis — All included.

The next 5 upgraded Calo Football subscribers will get a free month of all-access to Football Film Room. I’ll send you my full RB Rankings and your free month the moment you upgrade. Win-Win.

Subscribe now

Football Film Room

Detroit Lions 2026 Profile

Coaching Staff…

Read more

a month ago · 82 likes · 5 comments · Nick Kehoe

Football Film Room

Atlanta Falcons QBs

Michael Penix - Not yet cleared for Team drills. Working 7 on 7 only as he recovers from Torn ACL.

Tua Tagovailoa - Working through an injury according to head coach Kevin Stefanski — “Will be back soon”. The Falcons have a QB I have never heard of running the show right now. I expect to see Tua next week.

San Francisco 49ers Already Have Injuries

This is bad. There is growing concern over Ricky Pearsall’s knee, as it is the same one he suffered a PCL injury on that hampered him all of 2025. All options are on the table. Surgery feels likely. Just a nightmare scenario as I was in on him as a late round guy. Yes, De’Zhaun Stribling will be climbing the top 150.

RB2 Frontrunner Jordan James suffered a broken rib in practice earlier this week and will miss some time. Kaelon Black watch starts now.

Texans’ Tank Dell avoids PUP list and is fully participating in camp — Great story and really good player. Excited to see him and Jaylin Noel play bigger roles.

Saints’ Rookie WR Jordyn Tyson has been cleared and will continue to ramp up while participating in all of camp. YOU LOVE TO SEE IT.

Bijan Robinson & Jahmyr Gibbs are currently holding in and not practicing as they await new extensions — Expect both to be paid.

Saints’ DT Bryan Bresee suffered a torn ACL Wednesday and will miss the season. Big injury for this defense.

Carolina Panthers’ Rookie WR Chris Brazzell suffered a partially torn LCL and will miss about 8 weeks. Hate to see it, needed him occupying outside spots for Tmac to get more slot reps. Xavier Legette will have a leg up in 3WR sets.

Eagles’ Makai Lemon “Full-go” for training camp — practicing special teams reps today as well. Note here: Eagles were under center a lot on Day 1 and attacking the middle of the field. This would benefit Lemon as a rookie working underneath YAC reps.

Cardinals Rookie RB Jeremiyah Love “Won’t be overloaded” in Year 1 according to Albert Breer. Expect a committee — except they all say that. He’s going to catch 50+ passes.

Marvin Harrison Jr. appears to be the focal point in Mike LaFleur’s passing offense according to a couple reporters. The viral clips are funny, but he’s also been frying DBs with regularity. They won’t be taking him off the field.

Subscribe now

Malik Nabers Broke My Brain

Malik Nabers avoiding PUP was one thing, but clips surfaced today of him running routes and participating in an install period. My jaw hit the floor. Throttling down with no hitch and cutting on both legs effortlessly. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

A couple reporters stated that he did look a tad hesitant with certain movements but I assume it’s isolated extensions of the leg and things that are normal to take slowly. I have completely over-projected his return timeline and stupidly been avoiding him in drafts. Both Nabers and Dart will be risers. You guys will be the first to know where they end up. As of now, round 3 Nabers might be gold. He’s back.

Hype watch is on for players like Bhayshul Tuten, Zay Flowers, Kenyon Sadiq and more. Clips and quotes should ramp up. This is the format I’ll use as more relevant news and reports pop up. My instant reactions to a lot of this can be found over on X, or in the Notes section of the page.

RB Rankings, Mock Draft review, and a fun piece of 2026 risks I’m taking are all dropping in the beginning of August. Between that and the Football Film Room, there is no better place to be.

Get the players right first, then the value game comes easy.

Let’s start with some Dynasty talk, then we will transition to redraft rankings with a look at some schedules. Early season starts also create buy/sell windows in Dynasty. It’s one of the best times to take advantage of panicking managers. No one wants to start slow immediately after investing league dues.

Dynasty Quarterback Rankings (July Update)

You’ll notice a lot of Buys in a specific range. This is the best group for a tier-down from the elite assets. The goal wasn’t to tell you to sell all the good players, I just wanted to illustrate the range of QB that I love getting in a package return when tiering-down. It would have worked quite well for Jayden Daniels managers in 2025. Even if he didn’t have an injury plagued season, the return is almost always worth it when a player gets steamed up like that. Let’s get into it!

Before we get into notes on these groups, here is a trade example I did myself all the way back before the NFL Draft. It luckily has aged very well. I plugged it into the Smash Accept trade calculator without even including the player I ended up with at 1.05 and here are the results:

Smash Accept Trade Calc

These are the type of tier-down options we should always be looking for. It’s how to build sustained success when leveraging assets that aren’t even considered “Elite” to a lot of people. Shough could outscore Nix by himself in 2026.

This is an overarching reason why you see Drake Maye as a sell on the chart. Not because I don’t want him, simply due to the crazy return he’s yielding. Herbert and a 2027 1st for Drake Maye? Of course, and you can probably get a little more at this point. Don’t just sell to sell — you have ALL the leverage when selling premium assets at this position.

Dynasty QB Notes + Process

As I briefly mentioned earlier, it’s bad process to completely separate your dynasty and redraft approach at this position. The ups and downs in redraft value correlate directly to windows of opportunity in dynasty.

Read more

As I say often, the decision is ultimately yours whether you agree with my final assessment on these players. Even if you don’t, this is the information I use to make a determination on my stance, with the understanding that some of the projection we are doing is an educated guess.

Let’s start with the basics of situation before we get to specifics in the profile:

Tampa Bay’s WR1?

Offensive Coordinator: Zac Robinson - Will Call plays (1st year with team)

New additions to offense: Kenneth Gainwell (RB), Ted Hurst (Rookie WR)

Departing: Mike Evans & Sterling Shepard at WR

One of those names is bigger than the others, as is the player. Mike Evans leaving for San Francisco is a major move for this organization, offense, and Egbuka. There is no one to step in Week 1 and command the attention Evans did, or even bring the same type of skillset he did. This offense will have to evolve away from the large alpha X receiver as it’s primary. What better place to start than the 23 year-old 2025 first round pick?

As I like to do when breaking down a single player, I have some tape we will get into. By the end, it should be clear to you that this offense will operate differently based on the position flexibility and versatility of Egbuka as the #1 option.

What Happened in 2025?

It’s easy and fair to say that Josh Grizzard got the short end of the stick as a first time playcaller for the Bucs in 2025. Injuries to the offensive line started immediately. Followed by Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, and most importantly Baker Mayfield, the impact was extremely obvious on tape. Plenty of downfield throws and even intermediate windows we’ve seen Baker hit were just not consistently executed. The oblique injury was something that led to him skipping throws short to open receivers, and limited his out of pocket efficiency (It’s probably a big reason this offense isn’t highly valued as a whole).

Is it an excuse for the poor performance over the back half of the season? To a degree, but Egbuka wasn’t perfect himself. There is also a legitimate case to be made that he was forced to operate outside of his best position as a Z/slot receiver when Evans went down. This is why you have to watch the tape with this player. The circumstances are much different in 2026.

According to FantasyPoints Data, Egbuka averaged over 14 Expected Fantasy Points per game (XFP/G) over the back half of 2025. This was about the same as when he was on fire to start the season. The decline in production matches the timeline of injuries for Mayfield. A beautiful moment where the tape matches the numbers, as Egbuka led the NFL in uncatchable air yards (509) after Week 8. It’s not an excuse, it’s facts.

Zac Robinson comes over from the division rival Atlanta Falcons, who had a successful level of on-paper production despite some QB questions. He is part of the McVay coaching tree and was with the Rams from 2019 to 2024. This is someone who was on the coaching staff when Cooper Kupp won the triple crown in 2024. You’ll never guess who Robinson compared Egbuka to when he joined the Bucs? You nailed it, Cooper Kupp. You might not think this matters, but when we look into the position Egbuka should be operating for this offense in 2026, it will.

Bucs’ Offense Expectations & My New Ranking (He’s a recent mover in the Top 150)

This will be a motion-based passing attack, and I’m on the side that Egbuka will be the primary beneficiary. The offense as a whole taking a step forward is huge for everyone involved, and this team has added some depth on the outside to what is a young receiver group. This should prevent any possibility that Egbuka has to step into a role as a primary X receive in 2WR sets. He will play all over, but it will be to his advantage, not out of force based on the roster. Here’s who he could mirror as far as trajectory of production:

Projected and expected to lineup as Tampa’s starting Z receiver according to Zac Robinson himself, I immediately thought of Drake London’s deployment under Robinson in 2025. London’s ability to move inside-out was huge for sustained volume and consistent mismatches based on opposing personnel. Coming out of college, Egbuka was never profiled as a player that should flip his alignment from inside and off the ball to a primarily outside WR. In fact, that almost never happens in that order. If you play inside in college, you are drafted that way.

This is also the most advantageous WR position for fantasy football. It presents more free releases, as well as easier and frequent motions from condensed formations. As I mentioned, this is something you will see a lot of in Robinson’s offense. It’s also something that Baker Mayfield thrives in as a core offensive principle. Thanks to more data from FantasyPoints.com, here is a beautiful stat from Ryan Heath that illustrates how the change in offense should present a new ceiling outcome for both Mayfield and Egbuka as the primary motion receiver.

Basically, everything creative that an NFL offense can do for a wide receiver, Egbuka will be the one to do it. Now, combine that with the vacated targets from Evans’ departure, and we have a clear path to an elite fantasy asset as well as a target-earning NFL WR. This offense will simply not be a successful one without production from this exact role.

My Rank:

Emeka Egbuka sits at my WR14 and was recently moved from 37th overall to 33rd. Which puts him in Round 3 for me. Here is his Average Draft Position across every Redraft platform currently doing drafts:

As of July 16th, that would mean I am quite high on him as an overall investment. My ranking puts him in the middle of the 3rd round, consensus has him mid-late 4th. Hopefully, you join me in soaking up some value here. He fits into a group of receivers that will be going through changes of their own in 2026. Getting this group right will be the key to drafts this season.

Here are the names in that group and current draft range:

Most have McMillan clearly above this group, but I have him firmly in it. The recent change in overall rank has me clicking Egbuka over Garrett Wilson and leading the pack here. Which carries some risk overall based on how I view this list as a whole. There will be some true difference-makers.

If you remember anything about Zac Robinson’s time in Atlanta, I’m sure it’s the fact that the fantasy points were very consolidated between their top-3 players. London, Pitts, & Bijan Robinson. This Buccaneers offense simply does not have a Kyle Pitts or a Bijan Robinson. Cade Otton and Bucky Irving/Kenny Gainwell are not getting anywhere near the amount of designed looks Pitts and Bijan received. We are discounting the actual need this offense has for Egbuka to be it’s offensive chess piece, Atlanta had three of them.

Subscribe now

The Rookie Tape:

Week 2 @ HOU

Starting with a highlight is boring, we’ve seen them already. Here’s a play Baker Mayfield wishes he had back, and a good example of a third-level win by Egbuka.

• Condensed formation we want to continue to see (and will). He’s on the LOS, but it’s a zone look, which is a massive strength in his game.

• Baker sees the LB matchup, and even though the backer does a good job carrying him to the safety — he’ll never be able to stride out with him downfield. It’s the right read, but the flat-footed throw leaves it short.

• This is a downfield win against debatably the best defense in the NFL. These alignment mismatches will be attacked all season long in 2026.

Here’s an example of the exact opposite — Outside WR vs Man:

That’s a perfect ball and an unreal catch against one of the better cover corners in the league in Sauce Gardner. As much as we obsess over separation and scheme, alpha WRs need to possess the ability to win late in the rep, and finish plays that may not look like individual wins for 90% of the play.

• Strong hands and ability through contact is on display throughout the season. This is needed when playing with someone like Baker Mayfield, who is not afraid to attempt tight window throws and give his guys the opportunity to make plays. In 2025, these chances resulted in some bad tape, as displayed in that previous downfield miss. These reps are routes and opportunity wins in his overall profile.

Skinny Post TD vs Seahawks

How does 7 catches for 163 yards and this beautiful touchdown sound against the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks elite defense? He posted a 58.5% Air Yards Share in this game. Which shows how the downfield connection was working early on. Check the down and distance here too, go-to receivers win when it matters. All this wasn’t to dismiss Egbuka’s ability as an outside receiver, it was to emphasize what his versatility does to a defense. As well as what it does for their playbook. This is what #1 WRs are made of in today’s NFL.

Share

The Path to Failure

Obviously, just about every player has a downside case outside of injury. The way a lot of fantasy gamers play includes the last time they saw the player play in a meaningful game, which would be a bad way to look at Egbuka. At the same time, it’s what keeps his ADP in the 40s. My advice isn’t to throw his cost out the window. It’s how can we find the right pocket in drafts for him to be a return on investment, without costing us the ability to draft a player in a tier above.

My Round 3 price may feel aggressive — but when you look at the tier we discussed earlier — it’s a comfortable spot. The risk I’m about to outline would leave him with a floor of a low-end WR2. Doesn’t feel too risky to me from a worst case scenario standpoint.

Risk Points:

• Responsibility of #1 receiver that other teams can game plan for proves to be too much. Possibility he struggles vs man against top corners.

• Chris Godwin eats up too many of the alignment snaps we prefer for Egbuka.

• Layup throws we need from top-10 assets at the position go to Godwin or Otton enough to offset the volume needed for a ceiling outcome.

• Kenny Gainwell receives designed receptions enough that it reduces Egbuka to downfield routes. This one is a reach, but Gainwell has shown the ability to command targets if we see protection issues arise.

None of these feel very likely. Overall, that’s the bottom line when deciding whether you are in or out on a player. The choice is still yours, but the chances of the bottom falling out from under this asset in any format feels very low.

The Final Verdict

I don’t think I need to really spell it out for you, I’m very in on Emeka Egbuka in 2026. It also doesn’t hurt that Baker Mayfield is playing for a contract extension. Don’t forget that he was firmly in the conversation for MVP last season prior to the injuries. His number one receiver is going to get the ball early and often in 2026.

Know your league, of course. He will live in the round 4 range of most leagues and in some 10 team formats you’ll see him trickle into Round 5. But expect this to be a camp riser as the new offense gets fully implemented.

You don’t have to get to the area I have him ranked, but a full fade feels like overthinking it. Don’t make that mistake.

Subscribe now

Check out where I have a lot of these QBs in the initial Top 100. I also discuss my favorite group of QBs to draft right now:

In the below, we look at the first 9 rounds of rankings and talk through what my QB draft approach will be in 2026 as far as timing to jump on value at the position. Other team building strategies in this one as well. We can’t predict the draft but we will surely be more prepared than the rest of our league.

Let’s start with my rankings, then I will provide the current top-15 in ADP.

Top 15 QB Rankings

We will get more player specific when I drop the full positional rankings posts. There are four key questions we need to answer when evaluating the Quarterback position for Fantasy Football. The fewer you can answer yes to confidently for a player, the less likely they are to be a difference maker. Which means the replacement value is much easier to find by going late-round QB.

1. Do they provide a rushing floor? This also provides an upside even in bad performances by NFL standards (**cough cough Kyler Murray).

2. Do their weapons & OL give us a passing game ceiling? Hello, Joe Burrow.

3. Do we trust their playcaller? There will be 17 teams with new offensive play callers in 2026.

4. Does their defense stink? This one is a little more difficult to project, but we have a lot of advanced metrics and personnel study to do a solid job at it.

We are also chasing overall pass volume and things like red zone throw rate, but that’s all tied into the playcaller and defense questions.

Here is current QB ADP for both Underdog Best Ball drafts and Sleeper Redraft:

Quick takeaways when comparing myself to ADP

• Top 3 are locked for just about everyone.

• I’m playing the value game in Tier 2 — Daniels and Hurts have been easily obtainable in early drafts I’ve done. Could be a cheat code.

• I’m worried about Nabers’ injury and Matt Nagy in New York. As we get into camp and Nabers is actually on PUP, we should see Dart’s ADP start to get closer to my range. I need less risk at that ADP for a deep position.

• Won’t see me drafting Patrick Mahomes in the top-100

• Look at how nice those options are if you are the last manager to take a QB in your draft…💰

  Subscribe now

I’m wrapping up the Emeka Egbuka preview to drop this week and let me tell you, we will be drafting a lot of him. Top 150 update will be in your inbox shortly as well. There is no better time to upgrade as exclusive posts, rankings, and my “must draft” lists ramp up before Week 1. You will then of course get weekly start/sits and Sunday morning DM access!

Reminder: Free Dynasty Roster Review to all upgraded subs as we get those contenders ready for the season. DM me for that and redraft draft assistance all summer long.

Thanks for being here,

Al Calo

You’ll need the Top 100 Big Board at your disposal to really put these thoughts to action. Check it out and everything that comes with it ⬇️

Keep these strategies/approaches in mind when preparing for drafts, as a new year means a different look is necessary for adapting to both the preparedness of others and the player pool itself. Let’s start with a staple.

Subscribe now

Read the Room at QB and TE

You know the old saying “know your league”. It’s something I have to think about as I approach each draft individually. That’s the overarching point. Fantasy Football has become so big that it feels quite regular to play in more than one league. Even my home league group includes some people I am in 3-4 other leagues with. I know how they all play after so many years.

This makes a difference year after year, but one thing that is almost universally determined by the type of people you are playing with is how the Quarterback and Tight End positions are drafted.

While there is around 10 for each in my top-100, these positions differ for almost everyone who makes up the “Expert Consensus Rankings”. Some are ranking with the knowledge that the most common leagues will steam QB up the board. Mine are geared towards what I would do if every pick was my own. If you know your league is going to start panic-drafting these positions when a run occurs, you have a choice to make.

1. Push QB/TE up your board knowing the league will push the other positions down.

2. Find a pocket or tier that you feel comfortable in and soak up positional value at RB and WR during the run.

My Recommendation: At QB specifically, there is no need to panic in 2026. I discuss my preferred tier in the Top 100 post, but you’ll get the full outlook when I drop my position rankings. Just know this — 11 teams can have a QB already — you will have A LOT of options still available. The drop off from QB7 to QB14 might be the smallest it’s ever been.

At TE - You will notice I’m well above consensus on my elite tier (Bowers, McBride, Loveland). but that doesn’t mean you need to take Loveland in the mid-3rd. You know if your league doesn’t value his late season breakout as much as I do. We will see him go Round 5 in plenty of home leagues. Bowers let people down in 2025, you will be able to get a top-15 player for me in the mid 3rd repeatedly. This is where we have an edge.

Stash Rookie WRs — The Value is Already There

Over the last couple of years, immediate impact for rookies at the wide receiver position has lead to some of the biggest steals in the game. As a result, they are slowly getting pushed up boards without playing an NFL snap. However, this year feels different. It might be the scars that the disappointment of the 2024 class left us in 2025, or people just don’t love the immediate outlook for this 2026 group. This should leave some free money on the table.

The strategy is simple, and the upside of the entity a Rookie WR represents is the easiest path to what everyone loves to call a “League Winner”. The key is patience. This is why a stash is a stash, we need to identify the opportunity to become a multi-round return on investment value over the second half of the season.

These are high-level players in new offenses, and a lot of them are going to new play callers for their respective teams as well. In those late August drafted home leagues I will continue to refer to, most of your league mates won’t think about the continued ramp up we see from rookies, and they will continue to let someone else take on that early season “risk”.

Rookie WR ADP:

• Carnell Tate - Round 6 Pick 3 (6.03)

• Jordyn Tyson - 7.03

• Makai Lemon - 8.01

• KC Concepcion - 11.04

• Denzel Boston - 14.03

• Omar Cooper Jr. - 14.04

• Antonio Williams 14.10

Even the top guys in this class are nicely discounted based on previous year’s results. Behind Lemon, the risk gets closer to nothing. If I told you that you could make a good bet for free, would you? Remember: Justin Jefferson, Brian Thomas, and Emeka Egbuka all went after pick 100 in their rookie season.

Running Back Depth Looks Different Now

Not too long ago, RB depth meant having your early pick starter’s direct backup on your bench. As well as a “3rd down back” with a path to 50 catches for PPR value. You remember Theo Riddick? He was a fun one. But, those days are officially over. The NFL is more of a multi-back league now. Even if we see high volume for a starter, there is room for a second back to hold value beyond insurance.

There are plenty of players that look like — and technically are — NFL RB2s on paper in my Top 100. This profile was just never something you could start on a weekly basis. It is now. Mostly due to it being more common than ever before to see a team’s second back take over as the leading rusher mid-season. Rico Dowdle has highjacked two backfields in a row now (he’s coming for a 3rd).

Stop looking at these players as “backups” and look at them in the upside flex range. The ones in good offenses get a bump due to the base work we expect, coming in an environment with more scoring opportunity, good offensive line play, with better play design and sequencing.

Subscribe now

Is 2026 the Year for Josh Downs? The Talent & Opportunity Say Yes.

There is always a “but” when giving the case for a player that is heading into year four and never eclipsed 850 yards receiving. We’ll get to that. For as high as he is on my board, this still isn’t a super premium price we’re paying. The action I want you to take from this is that he is currently undervalued. I’ll be investing closer to my ranking in drafts, but read the room. This could be a key advantage in your WR3/flex position.

The Obvious Path to Production

The Colts have traded away two receivers they made significant investments in with Michael Pittman and Adonai Mitchell departing. They proceeded to make little to no investment to replace these two, taking a 7th round flier on Deion Burks and depth signing Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Combining this with the fact that 100 million dollar man Alec Pierce hasn’t practiced all offseason following postponed ankle surgery, means this team has shown a confidence in Downs taking a leap in 2026.

Daniel Jones is coming off of a torn achilles he suffered late in 2025. While I expect him to be full go in Week 1, his mobility will certainly take a hit. He may be limited to just pocket movements as opposed to the rushing upside he once possessed. The counter to less escapability? Quick game. This is a Josh Downs staple — which is why he has been primarily a slot player — and filled a role we usually praise. We can’t hope our X receivers get slot layup receptions, then use this as a negative for actual slot players by saying it’s a limited role. It may be something that affects ceiling, but it’s a win in the game we play if the snaps are there overall.

Should we expect more?

They don’t have a choice! This is a huge reason they continue to be rumored as a vet WR destination. This roster needs someone to take Z and X snaps that they’ve lost over the last year. But can he do it?

I highly recommend reading the entire Reception Perception profile I will refer to here (linked below), but I was very thankful that it confirmed my priors that I saw throughout the film. I want to be clear — this is an undersized receiver who has had multiple injuries in his NFL career — we aren’t shying away from that. This fact, plus the Daniel Jones factor, is what keeps him undervalued. Fine by me.

Josh Downs RP Profile

What I wanted to verify on tape what his ability to win on the routes that Pittman made his money off of in this offense. If I didn’t think he could excel as a motion-heavy off-ball receiver while being good enough outside vs man, then I wouldn’t be THIS in on him. RP saw it the same way I did, noting his success on quick outs, curls and in-breakers. He has clear route running juice and change of direction ability at all levels of the field. His size, release package, and feet help him beat man coverage at a high clip (75.3% Success Rate, 82nd percentile per RP Data).

Quick Clip: Motion to create traffic (make outside CB play inside) — First 3 steps + Head position sell crosser — Efficient feet + hips to avoid contact — Explode out = Clean Separation, First Down.

Bottom Line: We know Downs can win inside and in 3WR sets. With the targets vacated from Pittman and Mitchell, his path to production still makes him a good pick at his current price, even if he is a slot-only player. My overall rank being nearly 30 spots above consensus is because he possesses the ability to ascend in an expanded role. The Colts need to give him the opportunity to do so, and I believe they will.

If he can stay healthy, we might be talking about Josh Downs in a similar way we do Ladd McConkey and Zay Flowers. At Round 7 value? That’s money in our pocket.

Subscribe now

It’s super important to reference Redraft and current year rankings for Dynasty, so use this as a tool for contending rosters and when gauging value from contenders in your league. After the full rankings set I will discuss where I differ from consensus both high and low on multiple players. Focusing on the range and round more than the specific player outlook.

Subscribe now

This big board will expand to 150 in the next drop and I will discuss some of my favorite later round picks. Cheap buys in this range can turn middling dynasty rosters to contenders. My positional rankings will release individually with overviews of each position. There is no better time to become a Tier 1 subscriber!

Going to post two versions of the rankings. First will be the big board style graphic that will be easy to print and open in a separate tab. The next will be Excel/Google Sheet format where I will talk through a couple rounds at a time. Don’t hesitate to message me regarding a buy/sell on the chart and we can talk through it.

Calo Football Top 100 Fantasy Football Players of 2026 (Full PPR):

Read more

Calo Football on X/Twitter

In alphabetical order, here are the first 10 teams and what I will be focusing on that could shape their season offensively:

Arizona Cardinals:

Regardless of QB, we at least need the pass volume to remain. Don’t see why it wouldn’t in that division.

The Cardinals will be much better at running the football in 2026. I can speak that as a fact based on the coaching change and adding elite playmaker Jeremiyah Love at 3rd overall in the NFL Draft. We know that though. In order for us to get the production we loved in 2025, we need this team to throw the football early and often.

They averaged over 38 pass attempts per game last season. Which led the NFL. Here is the top 5 in total attempts in 2025.

So, a bunch of elite offenses and.. the Cardinals. This is the name of the game for us in fantasy football while identifying breakout players and overall ability when volume is needed and comes your way as a pass catchers. Being in a division with the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks, the Rams, and the 49ers — doesn’t really give them much of a choice here. If we get this level of volume again in 2026, the value is justified for all of these guys, regardless of QB.

Subscribe now

Atlanta Falcons:

Tua Tagovailoa winning the starting job could benefit Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts more than Drake London. Penix at QB will justify my London ranking.

Don’t overthink this one. We know what Tua is. Even the jokes about his downfield ability are a little overblown. Penix is just a much more willing tight window thrower, and possesses the velocity to put the ball on big body receivers like Drake London.

London will be very good regardless, but there is a downfield and efficiency ceiling we saw with a healthy Penix in 2025. London was shaping up to be a top-5 receiver before the injuries to both players took that away from us. Tua will get through progressions and avoid risk, which leads to getting to the check down more often and on time. There will be quick secondary reads to both Pitts and Bijan, which is why they will see a bump in the easy stuff if Tua is the guy.

Baltimore Ravens:

Consider me a Declan Doyle advocate. Mark Andrews is a value staring us in the face, regardless of perceived decline.

It’s a new era in Baltimore as a new regime of young innovative coaches take over the storied franchise. Declan Doyle was my leading candidate for the Eagles in their OC search, so I’m pretty familiar with his game. He’s a long time Tight Ends centric coach with direct background in working with this position. His experience alongside Ben Johnson will clearly show as well with the use of different tight end sets.

The Ravens let Isaiah Likely walk, signed blocking specialist Durham Smythe, and drafted a couple Day 3 depth pieces. This will be a multi-TE offense. The personnel and investment still points to Mark Andrews being the focal point from the position, and clearly leading them in snaps. He’s not getting younger, but this role is going to be valuable. That’s important and an edge when the cost is this cheap in 2026 fantasy drafts and dynasty.

Buffalo Bills:

What is DJ Moore? Dalton Kincaid enters a make or break season.

This is a bit more of a loaded question that we need an answer too. Trying to figure out what DJ Moore still is at this point in his career is difficult after the season he had in 2025. I am more on the side of him not fitting well in a Ben Johnson offense, which led to a down season. At the same time, he’s not prime Stefon Diggs for this Bills team. He adds playmaking and overall reliability that this team didn’t have. He’s my WR29 and I don’t think he’ll see the consistent volume to blow that ranking out of the water, but even that hinges on Mr. Kincaid.

The Bills TE has bulked up this offseason while reiterating throughout that he no longer deals with the knee injury that hampered him in 2025. This is still a round one NFL Draft talent, but you can’t be trusted in fantasy or reality if you don’t consistently play even 60% of snaps. That changes this year — this offense desperately needs the element he brings more often than 40% of the time — and his pockets will change with it. The dip has gone to far. I’m in at this cost in every format.

Carolina Panthers:

Jonathon Brooks could elevate this offense entirely

Whatever perception the Panthers try to make us believe is not going to work. We know this team is going to try to win without having Bryce Young throw 30+ times a game. They won multiple games on the back of Rico Dowdle in 2025. Canales has always been able to run the football, even in situations we didn’t view as elite from a running back and OL perspective.

If I told you Jonathon Brooks was 22 years old, would you believe me? I doubt it. Well, believe it. This team spend a TOP 50 pick in the NFL Draft and without the injury (the first one) he probably goes higher. We can’t ignore the double ACL, but the path to this being their long term starter at the position is an easy one. Chuba Hubbard will be a first half of the season producer. Expect Brooks to make it at least a 50/50 timeshare with more juice midway through the season.

Get more from Al Calo in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Chicago Bears:

Our love for the pass catchers is overshadowing what D’Andre Swift is set to be in 2026.

Look, I love this passing game in 2026 as much as the next guy. We all do, and I will be drafting literally all of them. The process is sound to simply invest in this unit. BUT one of my key principles yearly is that we want starting running backs on good offenses. So… we are obsessed with this offense but barely talk about the run game?

Not me, I can make a pretty easy case that D’Andre Swift is the best Bears’ value on the board. Even the Bears beat reporters are describing Swift as a quiet producer for a high level offense. In a 53-man roster projection article with the Athletic, this is the key note on the backfield:

Monangai has already outplayed his draft capital as a 7th round pick, but the duo is much more of a skillset complement than what people view as two guys that are going to do the exact same things. Even if the Bears throw more this season, that easily favors Swift in this offensive environment.

Subscribe now

Cincinnati Bengals:

Health on offense and this is a true contender again. Chase Brown’s rushing upside is overlooked and could shape his outlook.

I won’t bore you with the first part, it’s obvious with a player like Joe Burrow. As for the second part of this — we must refer to a generational quote from Superbad’s Jonah Hill:

We cannot forget the money that Chase Brown put into our pockets in Championship Week 17 last season. Yes, it was the Cardinals. But over the back half when he turned into a true league-winning player, he showed the ability to be a feature back and long term asset for both the Bengals and Dynasty managers.

This Week 17 performance wasn’t some fluke touchdown/broken play game. It was between-the-tackle, chunk gain dominance. Brown forced 9 missed tackles, his most in a game in his career (no game with more than 6 previously). His 68 yards after contact were his 2nd-most in a game all season and tied for his 4th-most in a game in his career. Volume definitely helped overall production during his incredible stretch, but the talent was clear. Let’s get him that extension.

Cleveland Browns:

Mid-level QB play would do wonders for everyone involved. You’re too low on Denzel Boston.

Another painfully obvious one. It is worth noting that about a month ago I had written Deshaun Watson in pen as the starter. Luckily they make erasable pens now because recent reports have Shedeur Sanders closing the gap due to inconsistent play from Watson. Really this just keeps our expectations at bay and reminds us that this will be closer to a disaster than anything else.

I really won’t talk about Denzel Boston anymore than I have. Everyone here knows I have been high on him since February — his scouting report on the page tells you all you need to know. You’re seeing that in the big leagues as he continues to make plays and win reps downfield despite the rocky QB play. As I’ve said, this is the type of player that can help any type of QB out. Todd Monken will have an easy button on every passing down. One solution is to throw it to the touchdown maker.

Dallas Cowboys:

How much does this defense improving affect us?

I hate to say it, this defense has very clearly gotten better this offseason. Don’t hear what I’m not saying though — it was truly impossible for it to get worse. I feel comfortable answering my own question in this way: It will be better by a good margin, but it is a new scheme with an injection of youth that will take time as a unit. This offense will once again carry this team to where it wants to be.

The other side of the coin is perhaps the defense improving will elevate the run game outlook. The thing is, this run game was involved and solid overall, especially in the red area in 2025. If anything, the goal line efficiency will turn to the passing game with CeeDee Lamb at full health and Pickens elevating his game/role in year two as a Cowboy. Expect another huge statistical season from Dak Prescott in 2026.

Leave a comment

Denver Broncos:

Jaylen Waddle will probably be my most drafted player in 2026. Schedule sets up for some scoring even with this elite defense.

One does not simply pay a 1st and a 3rd round NFL Draft pick to acquire a 27 year old wide receiver without the vision and intent of them changing the offense. This is a foundational piece for a true Super Bowl contender. You build your offense around a player and an investment like this.

Building an offense around Jaylen Waddle specifically requires open grass, misdirection, and most of all - Speed. Now that doesn’t just mean run “Go” balls because he’s fast. It’s using him in different alignments with lateral route concepts that move the defense one way, while the speed paces against the grain before exploding in the opposite direction. Those are the types of things this offense could not do with their previous personnel. They can now, and that should be your expectation.

I can’t wait to get to the rest of these teams throughout this series. As I started with, Football is a test with infinite questions to be answered. One answer I have for us Dynasty Fantasy Football players is the launch of the Smash Accept Fantasy Football Website🚨

These guys have been elite at what they do for many years now. The proof is in the results and they have receipts. The site provides you with tools that pair perfectly with everything I do here at Calo Football.

• Rookie Profiles & Rookie Draft Assist Tool

• Trade Calculator updated daily by people who share the same value range principles as I do

• Links to your Sleeper teams with other platforms coming soon

• Startup Calculator & Bulk Trade Sender

• Player Projections and Trade Finder

Plus more, it’s worth the price of admission. Like I tell you all the time here, you will see your money back within one season as we cover everything here in depth and pair it with the tools at Smash Accept.

Below is the link, and they’ve blessed us with a Discount Code: CALO25 gets you 25% off ANY TIER. If you don’t like it? It’s even easier to cancel. But I have confidence you will find immediate value in it. I’m over on their discord that is included with the site as well. Link below! Use the tools that I will be referencing here all season long.

SMASH ACCEPT DYNASTY USE CODE CALO25

SmashAcceptFF.com

I hopped on the Dynasty Rewind Mailbag show Thursday night to help cover a wide range of topics across the league. You will notice my answers, thoughts, and focus for a lot of these are 2026 centric. That’s the mental switch we need to flip, even in Dynasty.

Enjoy the show and let me know any questions you have in the Subscriber Chat or in my direct DMs. Below is more about what I’m working on and what to expect as we get closer to the season:

Subscribe now

Coming Soon:

• One of my biggest drops of the year is going to be the first version of my Top 100 Players for 2026. It is going to include a section labeling a large group as Buys and Sells for Dynasty. You’ll know who I’m higher than consensus on in the article as I will expand on multiple players that will ultimately shape my 2026 success based on their outcome.

• Player Preview Series kicks off with Emeka Egbuka. These will have game film, expected usage, ceiling outcome, bust potential & more.

• Full Mock Draft Reviews from multiple pick spots as I experiment with different builds. Subscriber Mock Draft anyone? DM me if interested. I will run them all summer and just write these pieces from those results!

Here is a quick reaction and 2026 expectations following these changes across the league:

Subscribe now

Myles Garrett is an LA Ram. Unreal.

Overall, this is a pretty fair deal at this point in time. Rams get the best player in the trade of course, but this is a package you can’t refuse if you’re Cleveland. I would have had Jared Verse as the number 2-3 player overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. So, getting as much capital as you did on top is a win for the Browns.

Myles Garrett is going to make the Rams defense even better of course, but this does signal a true all in window for the franchise. I would not be surprised, and am starting to expect it at this point, if the Rams just do a full reset in 2028. That would mean both Stafford and Sean McVay move on. This isn’t a rumor, this is me reading the state of the team and the way they have operated over the last couple years.

The Browns are building something, and I have been impressed with their operations in both the draft and team building portion of the last two offseasons. I am a Todd Monken guy. Once they turn the page at QB in 2027, we will be talking about the Browns in a new light.

The Rams will try to lessen the load from Matthew Stafford in 2026 as the defense is going to be very, very good. Expect more rush attempts and continued heavy tight end usage from this offense. Both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum get a pure game script bump from this insane trade.

Oh yea — Aaron Donald is definitely going to come back, isn’t he?

AJ Brown is a New England Patriot. Finally.

The trade is done and the compensation for my Eagles is exactly what I wanted. I’m not going to get into my feelings about how it was handled from him as a person. He’s a Philadelphia Eagle Champion forever.

Below is a good look inside the process that went into the trade for the Patriots. He’s going to be an alpha WR1 in 2026 for Drake Maye, that is what is most important for them. The return for a 29 year old with at least some sort of longevity questions was what was important for the Eagles. They got back what I consider elite capital, and it fits perfectly what they continue to do from a team building strategy standpoint.

Philly has addressed the inevitable all offseason. They have acquired pass-catchers in every way possible. Free Agency, trades, and the NFL Draft. This team is moving in a new offensive direction —one that is very needed in today’s NFL— and I have confidence that even if it starts off as a learning process, it will work well with the personnel they have targeted.

Drake London is Very Rich💰

The Atlanta Falcons signed star wide receiver Drake London to a four-year, $141 million contract extension. This makes him a Falcon through the 2030 season and includes $100 million in guaranteed money, with incentives that can push the total value up to $150 million. Massive deal for one of my favorite players in the league. Well deserved.

Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees’ offense targeted the Wide Receiver at a low rate in 2025 in Cleveland. I expect that to completely change in this offense. Bijan and London will be the primaries here and if anything, Stefanski is probably thrilled to have skill position weapons of this caliber. London is my 14th overall player in 2026.

Did Christian Watson Get Overpaid?

I’m on the side that does NOT believe this is an overpay for Watson. Mostly because of the reported guarantees on this deal. The insurance is baked into the contract for both the team and the player. For a player that was the engine of the pass game towards the end of 2025 —off an ACL injury I should add— this is a pretty good deal.

I’ve published some quick hit notes on the Substack feed with instant reactions to recent news (check out that feed on the site or in the app). Here’s my overarching views on the deal:

Subscribe now

I’ll be releasing some player specific overviews for everyone in the coming weeks. They will target players that I see differing opinions on across the industry. Being on the right side of players with some uncertainty or projection is the key to NFL teams maximizing roster construction and us dominating the middle round money makers in Fantasy Football.

Subscribe now

Matthew Stafford Gets $55 Million Dollar Extension Through 2027

One does not simply win the NFL MVP award and walk away. Especially when his team can consistently compete for a Super Bowl. At least I wouldn’t. I’ve been pretty clear that I only believe about half of what this organization is telling us went into the selection of Ty Simpson at 13th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. This detail by Ari does paint a picture that the door may still be open for retirement after this season.

This is pure speculation by me, but I assume it’s structured this way as some sort of injury safety net. Or in a much more positive outcome, he decides to walk away after winning the Super Bowl. Regardless, the team has prepared for either outcome. I can’t fault them for that.

Dynasty Outlook: Stafford continues to be a year-to-year contender asset. He does have more fragility overall just due to age and previous concerns like the back injury. But this guy just averaged 2.7 touchdowns in 2025, if I’m selling to a contender I need a 1st, even if I have to add a 3rd on my end.

Ty Simpson - He takes a slight value hit based on the public viewing him as a 2028 play after this news. I still view him as a premium backup with the way this roster is constructed, you didn’t draft him for this year anyway. If you want to re-roll him into a 2028 1st I would say that’s fair value. He’s a hold for me. You might as well try to trade for Stafford if you have him.

Carnell Tate Can’t Stop Making Plays

Okay, I’ll admit it, I’m going to overreact to playing catch in shorts here. As the Tennessee Titans continue to install their new defense under Robert Saleh, it appears their top-5 pick at Wide Receiver is testing the limits of their personnel on the backend. From team reporters to the main social media account, Carnell Tate making plays is a daily occurrence.

Playing catch is cool, but I’m taking notice at the type of role and route tree they are experimenting with in these practices. He was a high-level vertical threat at Ohio State, and I was worried they may box him into that in the NFL. Lucky for us, he landed in a spot that he can be a true alpha. Seeing him run slants, crossers, and outbreaking routes gives me even more hope and expectation that OC Brian Daboll is going to get the most out of him in year one. They are doing what is needed to get him and Cam Ward on the same page at all levels of the field.

Dynasty Outlook: Feeling better by the day that I moved him to my 1.02. His floor as a rookie will be based on this offense finding overall success, but this dynasty asset is going to ascend nicely. People are overlooking the upside in 2026.

Are the Eagles Becoming Less of a Mystery? (No AJ Brown Talk)

Obviously, I have been paying attention to Eagles OTAs. Especially after hearing new OC Sean Mannion speak to the media for the first time. Fandom aside — This is one of the most important teams to figure out from an NFL offense & Fantasy Football perspective in 2026 — there are a ton of assets at all different costs that will impact the landscape of every league/format.

It’s also going to be the uncertainty of this unit that leaves the door open for another team to take the NFC East. Everyone loves the Giants and Cowboys offense, but hates the Eagles. So whether or not you have high expectations for this group, or are looking to successfully hate watch Jalen Hurts, these first sessions of Mannion are important.

Subscribe now

Summary:

• DeVonta Smith has been clearly operating as the team’s WR1 as expected.

• There has been a lot of Makai Lemon with the first team offense. Lining up in the slot and opposite of DeVonta Smith. There is no hiding he will play a big role in his rookie season. His skillset aligns well with the base expectation for this offense. That expectation comes from Mannion’s experience as a player and young coach. Horizontal routes and movement, with YAC opportunity that this team was lacking in 2025.

• Saquon Barkley discusses increased under center usage this season. Expresses excitement for more outside and mid-zone runs from under center, and hopefully more duo runs (please). The key will be how the pass game works off the run game. Us Eagles fans have a close eye on disguise and play sequencing in the new system, both much needed improvements for everyone involved.

  ---

Parker Washington Hype is Very Real, and Warranted.

There is a ton of buzz out of Jacksonville as this continues to be one of the most intriguing teams in the league. Especially after their surprising NFL Draft, where they heavily prioritized (reached for) Tight Ends. I watched Parker Washington’s breakout end of the season on tape again in the beginning of April, and posted a couple clips showing what allowed the coaching staff to unlock a dynamic player.

Here’s one of the clips showing his ability and versatility, making him a stable asset in a Liam Coen offense and a clear extension candidate:

He averaged over 15 points per game in fantasy land over the final 10 games of 2025. It wasn’t a fluke, Coen has repeatedly gotten high-level production from his slot receivers (think Chris Godwin), and this team has clearly shown that his role will remain elevated long term. Now, he’s dominating OTAs and building more rapport with Trevor Lawrence. There is no reason to overthink the clear signals of a full year breakout in 2026.

Take it from a very plugged in beat writer for the team, who covered the good and bad from the last couple weeks. I’ve linked the full article below, it’s worth the read.

Here’s what he had to say on Washington:

Jags OTA Coverage - John Shipley of SI

I will drop these periodically throughout the summer as news breaks in June (AJ Brown of course, sorry) and throughout training camp. With all the coaching changes that took place this offseason, we will need to stay plugged in with personnel and usage tendencies for those new faces.

If you have anything like this you want me to discuss in an upcoming newsletter, drop it in the sub chat linked below. We should be able to use that as a discussion forum during the 2026 season. It will especially help me get to everyone’s Start/Sit questions.

Thanks for being here🤝

There are certain players that are on the board when I don’t believe they should be. Is it platform ADP causing this? Did we let the draft capital consume our brain and push guys up, while ignoring it for others? Do we differ on how we view certain team situations? The answer is all of the above.

We’ll mostly be talking through some situations and how we can profit, but I’ll be using Dynasty Nerds SuperFlex Rookie ADP to reference the cost discrepancies. Let’s go!

QB Carson Beck ARI - Average Draft Position: 27 (3.03)

Carson Beck is going to start at least a handful of games in 2026. Pretty much guaranteed. That alone makes him more valuable than a 3rd round pick. I have him at the 2.08 in my top-50 (linked below) and even that might be too low as Jacoby Brissett continues to be away from the team due to a contract dispute.

The Cardinals spent a 3rd round pick themselves on Beck (65th overall) and while that’s not a huge investment at the position, a top-75 draft pick is still legit capital for a team that needs just about everything. The moment Beck starts a regular season game, you will at the very least be able to retain the 2nd round pick that I personally am paying. If you got him in round 3 like I see often and his ADP suggests, then you will have already hit on the pick and have an immediate profit window.

This is all without even discussing the player. Honestly, that is probably why he’s in the 3rd. This isn’t the next Tyler Shough in my opinion. However, few non-first round QBs step into a spot with a clearer path to playing time, a high-end group of skill players, and a play-caller we have high expectations for. The Cardinals are literally underdogs in 17 games this season. Trust me, he will be a starting QB by mid-season. We all know how valuable those are. The risk is minimal, the reward is clear.

WR Malachi Fields NYG - ADP: 24 (2.12)

I had Fields on the list before all this news about Malik Nabers hit everyone’s feed. Now, he’s even more of a value. I’m here to look at myself in the mirror and tell you where I made some poor post-draft evaluations for the Giants new target:

• How can I be high on Jaxson Dart and this passing offense but just not really care about their potential WR2?

• Wan’Dale Robinson is vacating 140 targets — It’s a huge reason why I love Isaiah Likely, but this doesn’t just mean nothing for Fields.

• I let my pre-draft rank of him cloud over the premium draft capital they used on him AND that they traded up (2027 4th round pick included) very intently to acquire him.

All this should have pointed directly to the role in which they saw for him being a valuable one as early as 2026. Don’t take the Wan’Dale point as a direct replacement statement. That would be a hilarious way to put it, seeing as Wan’Dale Robinson is 5’8” 180 lbs, and Malachi Fields is 6’4” 220. But it does show the vision to get a big-body possession receiver in the mix. Malik Nabers is a versatile alpha, and Fields is capable of being a much needed boundary X for this team. The sneaky value here will come if they allow him to move inside like they have alluded to. They have mentioned him as a willing and capable blocker in the run game, and this allows the alignment to show run while passing out of it, directly putting him in a position to be on the field in 2 WR sets. As a rookie, that’s huge for having a floor of production that most don’t this early on.

Now bake in the extreme pessimism that continues to surface about Malik Nabers being ready for Week 1. My ranking in the top-50 is too low. Hand up. That is why I felt it was important to discuss this player. He should be in consideration as a mid second round pick at this point. Even if there is some projected hope we must have for him to reach a ceiling outcome. It’s a boost for this passing game nonetheless. This could go down as a steal in every format.

Subscribe now

WR Ted Hurst TB - ADP: 26 (3.02)

We talked a bit about Ted Hurst earlier this month when he made Tampa Bay headlines out of the gate in rookie camp. If you’ve followed my work, you know how convinced I was that this player had more pro-ready abilities than perceived based on the level he played at in college. We might be too married to the fact that he’s just a developmental player in year one. Baker Mayfield has shown a willingness and ability to get a lot out of boundary X receivers, and Hurst is coming in with experience and success running digs, slants, and comebacks —as well as consistently beating man coverage. Based on the roster and opportunity, I think he can contribute to this team earlier than expected.

You’re noticing a large range of WRs in mid round 2 through early round 3 in rookie drafts that initially we were dismissing as a community. Lately, I have been trying to get into this range because of that sentiment. It is making it very easy to acquire these picks. What are late second rounders supposed to be anyway? Tre Harris is a great example of this — lack of production in year one — but value has remained due to the offensive environment. That won’t happen for all of this group in 2026, but a lot of them have the path to at least holding second round value in front of them. If we can see that in May, then the avenue for them to increase in value should be accounted for just as much as the downside case we’ve been stuck on for months regarding this class.

RB Demond Claiborne MIN (ADP: 31) & RB Adam Randall BAL (ADP: 35)

It wasn’t until I was on the clock in the middle of a couple third rounds that it hit me. I’ve taken way too many WRs over the real lottery tickets in Dynasty, Pass Catching Running Backs. For Claiborne, he doesn’t have elite receiving statistics, but he caught 55 passes in college and has real juice that this current backfield does not, like at all. Aaron Jones is one of my favorite players of all time, but he and Jordan Mason are not home run threats. Both of the Vikings top-2 RBs are also set to be free agents in 2027. This is legitimate opportunity now and later.

I paired these two together because we/I undersold their situations after the draft. My brain has been wired to mostly ignore Derrick Henry’s backups. Adam Randall is different for me. He’s a converted wide receiver, so the “weapon” aspect of the player is obvious to the coaching staff. Here’s the kicker, he’s 230 pounds. There is real upside as an asset here. Size, speed (weight adjusted) and route versatility go a long way at this position. With a 32.5 year old back as the lead, and a replaceable soon-to-be 29 year old as the presumed passing downs back, this young new coaching staff should be looking to explore long-term options. Draft and stash all day long.

Honorable Mentions:

WR Zachariah Branch ATL - Very clear opportunity with a dynamic skillset that no one else on the Falcon’s roster possesses.

QB Cade Klubnik NYJ - Jets are playing for 2027 and he’s competing with Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe for QB2 behind a 35 year old. Will get extensive preseason run and may start games late in the season as they enter roster evaluation mode.

WR Antonio Williams WAS - Currently the 2.07 when I think he should be near the 1-2 turn. I expect him to outproduce Omar Cooper in year one.

TE Oscar Delp NO - Top-75 pick and simply a better player than Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant. Future TE1 in an offense we love this season.

Share Calo Football

Overall, I wanted to highlight some guys that won’t get talked about enough when we progress towards my Top-100 players for 2026. Nor will they ever be prioritized in Dynasty. Let’s give them at least some spotlight for what they will do for their NFL teams this season.

Dylan Sampson and the Cleveland Browns Run Game

The stink of the Browns has ruined the public perception of this run game, and honestly this offense as a whole. We were pre-planning to be upset with whichever rookie receiver landed there, and even more devastated when it was two of the consensus top 6-7 at the position. I think it’s being overblown.

We can’t dismiss the concerns entirely though. Aside from it simply being the Cleveland Browns —which is a fine standalone argument— they entered this offseason basically needing to recreate their offensive line from scratch. Sometimes, this is totally necessary when you are going through a rebuild, and previously underperformed. What they have done so far can easily be looked at as them just fully upgrading their line. It’s a classic case of “well, it can’t get worse”.

This unit will put everyone in a better position to succeed. They added some good depth and longevity through both the draft and free agency as well. This is the start of what leads me into my next point… What definitely will NOT be worse is the surrounding offensive environment for this backfield. Including QB play. You start with upgrading the trenches. You then upgrade the weapons and provide options. Remember, protection and playmakers.

Sampson is a receiving weapon at RB with big-play ability. He should be increased run to start the season with lead back Quinshon Judkins coming off a season-ending injury. Sure, he’s a handcuff, but there is flex appeal here and he should see impactful snaps starting Week One.

Kenneth Gainwell Will Be a Factor in 2026

There was a point in time where we were all collectively waiting for Bucky Irving to get the Buccaneers backfield “to himself” knowing Rachaad White was set to enter free agency. As Irving missed time in 2025, we slowly saw every reason why the team simply couldn’t operate with him as their bell cow back. Personally, I had hoped for a true ancillary back like an Isaiah Pacheco or Brian Robinson. A between the tackles option so that we could at least have Bucky between the 10s and in the pass game role more than anything else.

Welp, instead we got an upgraded version of Rachaad White, and the team re-signed Sean Tucker. Kenneth Gainwell has the skillset that truly makes this a struggle scenario for Bucky, and recent reports of him still battling with injury make this signing as logical as possible for the team.

I was searching for a metric I saw previously that illustrated Gainwell’s underrated ability as a rusher, and came across this quote. Mirroring exactly what I just said. This will be a true timeshare —it doesn’t matter the down and distance— Gainwell can do it all. The stat I found fascinating was his 13% explosive run rate, something we attribute to Irving, while considering Gainwell strictly a pass catcher.

This is one of the cheapest buys in all of Dynasty, and costs you dirt in redraft. There is legit value here from the start, and big upside should Irving miss time. Bucky Irving managers need to check in on Kenny G.

Jordan Addison is a Better Football Player Than His Market Suggests

I was a big Jordan Addison guy coming out of college. If you’ve been here a while, you know the type of receiver I’m drawn too. Route-running specialists with twitchy movement skills and “snap” ability. Think Stefon Diggs, Antonio Brown, Chris Olave, Justin Jefferson mold. Addison moved different in stem and at the breakpoint in college. Surely, playing alongside Justin Jefferson for years has only made him a better WR.

Yet, no one really buys him in Dynasty. No one is excited about him in drafts. It’s a classic case of “You just have to watch this guy”. Which I fully understand that is not for everyone. So, I’m here to tell you — he’s good! Luckily for us, people just think of the legal troubles and now the recent Jauan Jennings signing. Leaving the Buy window wide open.

He’s not for everyone, but the price is pretty damn cheap right now considering his draft capital investment, versatility, and ties to an elite play caller. Please, Kyler. I would see if anyone wants a 2.03-2.04 range rookie pick for him and take that as a win. Remember: Good Football Player.

Subscribe now

Courtland Sutton Isn’t Going to Just Disappear

Too often, we tend to just mentally delete the wide receivers who see big name players at the same position join their WR room. I fully believe we are doing that here with Courtland Sutton. Jaylen Waddle is a great player, but it’s important we understand the roles each are going to play in this offense.

Let me be very clear, Sutton is not an ascending asset. He is aging, and carries a cliff risk. However, this Broncos passing offense IS ascending. Sutton’s role will not be changing with the addition of Jaylen Waddle. He will still operate as a traditional X receiver. His ability on intermediate routes and deep outs has not declined based on 2025. It’s not hard to paint the picture of Waddle actual freeing up this area of the field as he commands attention moving horizontally across the formation pre-snap and stretching the defense that direction as well.

Post and dig routes are classic big-body X receiver routes that aren’t impacted by Waddle syphoning targets from Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant in this offense. Adding Waddle isn’t a zero as far as target competition goes, but he’s never been a true target dominator. While he is very clearly the best receiver on a much better situation than he was in with the Dolphins, I don’t think this just makes him a 140 target guy. Focus on the efficiency increase for both these players. Expect Sutton to continue to remain a high-end red zone operator and top contested catch winner.

Price: Plug and play WR3 any given week and great depth for contending teams. Mid-Late 2nd gets it done in most leagues.

Dolphins TE Greg Dulcich - Really?

Yes, really. Was I actively watching Dulcich and Quinn Ewers tape? Yes. I do these things so you don’t have to. It’s the best sales pitch I can make for you to subscribe to the page. You can count on me to watch the grossest offenses imaginable. I have charts and actual film for you. It’s time to get familiar with the Dolphins TE1.

Dulcich is on the ball in the trips bunch at the top of the screen. The best part about this being his only touchdown in 2025, is that it’s in the personnel package you are going to see a lot of for the Dolphins in 2026. It’s 13 personnel with the lone wide receiver being Malik Washington, and with the Dolphins not doing much at all at WR this offseason, you’ll probably see some variation of this. It’s an unbelievable anticipation throw my Quinn Ewers, but you can see the speed that Greg D still has to slice through this zone before the linebacker can gain proper depth on 3rd and 11.

You see the catch radius here as well. With Darren Waller no longer on the team, Dulcich will very clearly open the season as Malik Willis’ big-body move tight end. OC Bobby Slowik was with Mike McDaniel and this Dolphins offense in 2025. The tendencies at the TE position should carry over. Pairing this with new Head Coach Jeff Hafley’s Packers experience — and the lack of proven talent at receiver currently on the roster — this is a legitimate upside option. This team will do everything in their power to be run heavy, but the game script will likely flip early and often.

Ian Hartitz on X

I’ve picked Dulcich up as a post-rookie draft free agent in multiple Dynasty leagues. Free money in tight end premium formats.

Subscribe now

Jauan Jennings is a Minnesota Viking After Long Free Agency Wait

The first post-draft veteran signing to shake up a depth chart is here. There were a handful of teams that desperately needed Jennings in their WR room, the Vikings were not one of them. It’s a smart football move for a team that is looking to compete in 2026.

The Vikings lost their previous WR3 Jalen Nailor to the Raiders as he was paid nicely in free agency. This signing signals the need for a dirty work player in both the run game and the red zone, and Jennings will provide just that. We all expect Kyler Murray to be the starter for this team, and it seems like each week there becomes less and less of a path to failure for him and this offense, outside of the offensive line being towards the bottom of the league. I don’t expect the line to bring down this passing offense to a level that would remove blame from Murray.

With a very well put together top three at receiver, a good tight end, and an upper tier play caller — show me something Mr.Murray. We may see Kyler drop back more than he has previously, if he can read through timing progressions at an adequate level, we are too low on all parties involved. It’s a risk I’m willing to take in fantasy football as well, and you’ll see Kyler as a top-15 QB for me in my 2026 rankings coming soon.

David Njoku Signs 1-year $8 Million deal with the Chargers

The Oronde Gadsden ascension didn’t even make it until June, on paper at least. The Chargers are truly loading up this side of the ball under new OC Mike McDaniel. As I’ve said before, it’s another offseason dominated by hope for the Chargers. Consider me part of it, as this is projecting to be the best offense we have seen from them in a long time.

There is panic in the streets for Gadsden, and while it certainly doesn’t help, I believe he’s going to be a producer for this team nonetheless. Without much detail, is it fair to ask if David Njoku is even a difference making football player anymore? His YPRR has steadily declined and he lost his receiving work to Harold Fannin almost immediately in 2025. Every team wanted another tight end, and he ends up with a 1-year deal with a ceiling of $8M, in the middle of May.

This will benefit the run game as it provides a multiple TE disguise with blocking TE Charlie Kolar and Gadsden on the field as well, and of course it’s not a bad thing for Herbert. But I would be buying Gadsden for “cheap” in Dynasty right now after this news. He still possesses the most receiving upside at the position in an elite offense.

Breece Hall Receives 3-year $45.75M Extension from NYJ

Breece Hall is now the 3rd highest paid running back in the NFL. Some people don’t like that thought for a team that is clearly rebuilding. My view on it is quite simple:

If you would have to use a top-40 pick on a running back of this talent — and more importantly — this skillset, then you should probably just pay a cornerstone level player with available cap at this market and actually USE that high-end draft capital on a more premium position that can be cost controlled while in this team building phase.

That’s before we even get to the football field. Breece Hall is an elite luxury for a young QB and what I assume will be a young play caller in 2027. This team is building this offense the right way, whether you like it or not.

Dynasty Impact: It’s not great! But it still helps. Breece Hall is entering his age 24 season and has shown us elite production. He’s my Dynasty RB9. If your league wants to simply sell New York Jets, I would love to buy for a mid-1st.

Bo Nix will be full-go for Training Camp

Some appear to be worried about Bo Nix long-term. I’m not at all. A second procedure to a lower-leg injury is never good, but I have seen nothing that would suggest an actual impact on his season. Wanted to include this so that we aren’t alarmed at all if he’s limited in the OTA portion coming up.

I personally have high expectations for Nix and the Denver Broncos in 2026.

Subscribe now

Packers’ Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons expected back “Early” in 2026

Is it wrong for me to wish the news was more positive and confirmed on Tucker Kraft? I was expecting him to be a full go in Week 1 as he had been trending that way months ago. Clearly, I’m not a doctor, but if Kraft is limited throughout the offseason and into the first couple weeks, he will take a hit for me and so will this Packers offense. Hopefully, this was just the staff answering the question a certain way and I’m wasting my time here. Keep an eye on it, we will revisit.

Micah Parsons is a big loss to start the season, but it’s more expected. Getting him to 100% is the most important thing for this team and I do expect that to be the case relatively early. The Packers face the 3rd toughest schedule in 2026 (even though at this point that is based on these team’s 2025 record, which is one of the worst indicators of this) so they will need him back for meaningful games in the middle and late parts of the schedule.

Ted Hurst already getting Rookie Camp hype👀

Rick Stroud who covers the Bucs gave us some early hype on one of my top receivers in the draft, Georgia State’s Ted Hurst. He is expected to develop into a starting caliber X receiver for the Bucs as early as this season, but they did come out and say there is no rush in his development. I saw a more advanced receiver than the front name on the jersey indicated. His loyalty to the program at Georgia St. appears to be viewed as a good thing in regards to his character. Keep a close eye on Hurst throughout the offseason, I will come out and guess he is a starting receiver for them by week 8.

He sits at my 2.09 on the big board. That could turn out to be grossly low by the end of this season. Which would be a massive win for both Dynasty Managers and the Buccaneers for already hitting on a 3rd round pick.

Coming soon: I’m pulling some names out of the vault that deserve some attention as camp approaches. Be on the lookout for that and more news coverage as we get into OTAs.

Thanks for being here🤝