The NFFC has PPR scoring with six points for passing touchdowns (-2 for interceptions). Only one quarterback (Josh Allen) was selected across the first seven rounds, but half the teams secured a backup QB by the end of round 12.

Some highlight picks:

Ashton Jeanty (2.9)

Luther Burden (3.8)

Jadarian Price (4.12)

Colston Loveland (5.1)

Rhamondre Stevenson (5.8)

Trevon Henderson (6.11)

Joe Burrow to the Ja’Marr Gibbs team at 8.1

Marshawn Lloyd (6.5)

Brandon Aubrey (15.7 - goes in the 12th round a lot in this format)

The fantasy market has lost faith in Patrick Mahomes. He came off the board in the fourteenth round in this draft as the QB17. I’m going to write about his lack of respect today!

My Google NFL Cheat Sheet remains in request status. Over the past month, I started to do a second run through the 2026 NFL players by position. My plan was to do about the first 10 rounds of players to help me tighten up the projections. I have six tight ends to go. As the fantasy football season flips into mid-August, player news and training camp updates will drive ADPs in both directions. I will add some sleeper and deeper articles after I finish the top 120 players.

To help you view this year’s draft board. I started to highlight the players on the 2026 NFL Player Writeup page on my cheat sheet. I sorted these players by NFFC ADPs on 7/28, but I won’t change the listings by rank going forward due to a tedious, slow process. Almost every player has links to their writeups on my Substack Note page if someone is looking to compare a couple of players when making draft decisions.

The NFFC Footballguys online championship is a PPR format with six points for passing touchdowns and minus two for interceptions. My early focus on my highlighted players was from the front of the player pool that I wrote about in the last two weeks. I add more as I work my way further through the player pool while also paying attention to player news and injury updates.

I’ll have the FantasyFootballPaydirt.com site updated shortly.

Here’s the recap of your top PPR projection changes from 8/24 → 8/31 — this update has some of the biggest single-player swings yet, likely reflecting roster cuts and depth-chart clarity heading into Week 1:

Quarterbacks — moderate movement:

• Caleb Williams: 345.8 → 365.3 (+19.5)

• Tua Tagovailoa: 168.8 → 153.2 (−15.6)

• Michael Penix: 116.5 → 131.8 (+15.3)

• Jordan Love (+7.5), Joe Burrow (−6.2), Dak Prescott (+6.0)

Running Backs — the wildest position by far this week:

• Josh Jacobs: 255.0 → 0.0 (−255.0) — a complete zero-out, due to being placed on the Commissioner Exempt List

• MarShawn Lloyd: 45.0 → 187.2 (+142.3)

• Kaleb Johnson: 18.2 → 118.1 (+99.9)

• Malik Davis: 20.8 → 81.3 (+60.4)

• Roman Hemby (−54.7), Dylan Laube (new role, 0→53.9), Emmett Johnson (+25.3), Isiah Pacheco (−21.1)

• Heavy roster churn: several depth backs dropped (Jaydon Blue, Damien Martinez, Phil Mafah, Dameon Pierce) while others appeared new (British Brooks, Audric Estime, Trey Sermon)

Wide Receivers — also very volatile:

• KaVontae Turpin: 64.7 → 13.1 (−51.5)

• Tank Dell: 109.8 → 62.5 (−47.3)

• Xavier Hutchinson: 64.8 → 105.6 (+40.8)

• Demarcus Robinson (+41.6), Zavion Thomas (+40.4), Christian Kirk (−38.7), Konata Mumpfield (−36.3), Tutu Atwell (+36.5), Joshua Palmer (+30.5)

• New to the sheet: Camden Brown (62.5 pts), Odell Beckham (47.5 pts)

• Dropped: Calvin Austin, Cedric Tillman, Savion Williams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Tight Ends — smaller moves, mostly downward:

• Mike Gesicki: 131.9 → 117.8 (−14.1)

• Cole Kmet (−10.7), Jack Endres (−7.7), Oronde Gadsden II (−6.5), Jake Ferguson (−6.3)

• Colston Loveland (+4.9), Tucker Kraft (+3.5) among the gainers

• New: Jonnu Smith (61.1 pts), Brock Wright (43.4 pts)

Bottom line: this update looks like it’s absorbing final roster cuts/camp battle results — lots of backup RBs and WRs either getting zeroed out or jumping into real roles (Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson, Malik Davis on the RB side; several late-roster WRs shuffling).

Drafters offers a $15 BestBall Contest with 112,008 entries. Their prize fund is $1.5 million. The first prize is worth $250,000, followed by $125,000 for second, $75,000 for third, $60,000 for fourth, and $45,000 for fifth. They pay 16,800 spots, which works out to about 15% of their entries turning a profit.

Total Points wins this format, and they are also paying out $170,000 in weekly prizes.

The draft board below is from the video. I drafted from pick 5. I attached seven other draft boards I did as well. In my first draft, I was autoed in the fourth round as I tried to let the queue run for one pick (a player I wanted) as time ran out while deciding on my next selection. My quick turn at pick 12 left no time to take it off auto.

Pick 12 Draft Board

Pick 9 Draft Board (Paired Chase Brown with Joe Burrow to be against the grain)

Pick 6 Draft Board

Pick 2 Draft Board

Pick 10

Pick 6 (Probably a rare Bowers/McBride team)

Pick 2

All summer, Josh Jacobs has had the risk tag next to his name due to a possible suspension. This weekend, the NFL placed him on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, leaving his 2026 status in a wide range of outcomes. His charges were lowered to misdemeanors on Thursday, which seemed to be positive based on his initial arrest (five charges, with some falling in the felony category).

Drew Davenport (@DrewDavenportFF) does an excellent job covering legals matters for player issues off the field. I don’t want to steal his thoughts or lose something in the translation, so I would jump over to X and read up on his posts on Jacobs, especially if you still have drafts left.

This summer, there have been many top high-stakes fantasy drafters fading Josh Jacobs, with the thought of finding a pot of gold by selecting MarShawn Lloyd later in drafts. Their foresight appears to have paid off in early opportunity, but he’s only taken 10 snaps (18 combined yards with one catch on seven touches) in the NFL over two seasons due to injuries. Therefore, I only consider him a placeholder name until Lloyd proves his worth on the field, with health being the key to his success.

Here’s a look at my player write-up on Lloyd coming out of college in 2024:

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers

Lloyd only had 325 touches over three seasons with South Carolina and USC. He had 129 touches in each of his final two years in college, with his best success coming in 2023 (1,052 combined yards with nine touchdowns and 13 catches), thanks to gaining 7.1 yards per rush and 17.8 yards per catch. Lloyd had two impact showings (14/154 with one catch for negative four yards and 17/115/2 with three catches for 72 yards). USC gave him fewer than 10 rushes in seven of his 11 games.

His college career started with a torn ACL in his left knee in 2020 at South Carolina. Lloyd has a dig-in-the-dirt running style, meaning his power step drives his upfield acceleration when seeing daylight through the line of scrimmage. He will run with patience and the power to finish off his carries. Lloyd ran a 4.46 40-yard dash in this NFL Combine while benching 225 lbs. 25 times. I view him as a grinder back with flashes of explosive plays.

Fantasy Outlook: Lloyd brings more speed to the Packers’ backfield, but he is a third back with a power running style. He has a history of fumbling in college (eight over 325 touches), with a short resume in the passing game (34/452/2) while not grading well in pass protection. Green Bay will give him some chances, but AJ Dillon appears to have a more dependable foundation to his game. Lloyd is the 49th running back drafted in July with an ADP of 48. I have him projected for a minimal role until I see his play and summer reports out of Green Bay.

Recent Injuries

2024

· Hip flexor strain (early training camp, July): Occurred while making a cut in a workout shortly after rookies arrived. He missed the start of camp and was limited initially.

· Hamstring strain (training camp/preseason): He was already dealing with a hamstring issue, then aggravated it again in the preseason opener vs. the Browns. This caused him to miss the rest of the preseason and the Week 1 opener vs. the Eagles.

· Ankle injury (Week 2 vs. Colts): After playing 10 snaps (6 carries for 15 yards), he suffered an ankle sprain that ended his day. He was placed on injured reserve on September 17 and missed the next several weeks.

· Appendicitis (November): After being designated to return from IR and practicing, he developed appendicitis and underwent an emergency appendectomy. He was placed on the non-football injury list (then later IR) and missed the rest of the season. He also continued dealing with hamstring issues during this period.

2025

· Groin injury (training camp, late July): Soft-tissue/non-contact injury during a practice session. He missed time, including the preseason opener.

· Hamstring injury (preseason vs. Colts, mid-August): Suffered after a 33-yard reception. This was described as severe; he was placed on injured reserve on August 26 and missed the vast majority of the season. Additional hamstring strains occurred later as he attempted to return.

· Calf injury (late season): Listed as out in Weeks 14–16. Combined with the hamstring issues, this prevented any regular-season appearances. He was briefly activated in mid-December as a procedural move before being placed back on IR.

At age 25, Lloyd has much to prove on the field, and an RB1 ranking on the Packers’ running back depth chart is a guarantee of success. His career path suggests his risk outweighs his potential reward, but opportunity knocks and believers don’t always see the injury light.

Earlier this summer, I talked about Lloyd’s opportunity this year, while highlighting that Green Bay would bring in another back if Josh Jacobs were suspended. My early thought was James Conner or Trey Benson due to the depth at running back in Arizona. The Packers made a move this weekend to acquire Kaleb Johnson for running back depth.

The Lloyd fans paint him as a running back bust, while I would imagine any Jacobs drafters would love to secure Johnson in the first waiver period for a minimal investment. At the same time, anyone rostering should project their investment by chasing down in the free agent pool. For the rest of each fantasy league, I would not let either team have an easy out by buying their possible handcuff or future replacement.

Here’s my Johnson player write-up from last season:

Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

After a productive freshman season (151/779/6 with four catches for 21 yards), Johnson suffered an ankle injury in 2023, costing him three games with underwhelming results (117/463/3 – 4.0 yards per carry with three catches for 25 yards). His play was significantly improved last season (2025), resulting in career highs in rushing attempts (240), rushing yards (1,537), and touchdowns (21). He gained 6.0 yards per carry with an uptick in value as a receiver (22/188/2).

Johnson is a power runner with size (6’1” and 225 Lbs.). His 40-yard dash time (4.57) was well below that of the best running backs in this year’s draft class. He projects as an early-down runner with minimal value on passing downs. His pass protection isn’t ready to handle a third-down role.

Surprisingly, Johnson is more of a rhythm runner than an inside banger. He runs with patience and vision while having wide holes in college to finish some of his carries with big plays. His style appears confident, and he possesses the tools to excel in short-yardage situations and at the goal line. Over the long field, defenders have a significant edge over him in terms of speed.

Fantasy Outlook: The Steelers should be a good match for Johnson after losing Najee Harris to free agency in the offseason. Pittsburgh added him in the third round of last year’s draft, with a goal of leading their team in rushing attempts and scoring. Johnson ranked 26th at running back in late May. The Steelers should give him 250 rushing attempts and about 20 catches. I’ll set his bar at 1,200 yards with about seven scores, which will translate to about 200.00 fantasy points in PPR formats.

In 2025, Pittsburgh’s backs finished fifth in PPR scoring (463.00), but their backfield didn’t play out as expected. Coming into the year, Jaylen Warren appeared to be the top pass-catching back with rotational value in the run game. In the end, his rush explosiveness was higher than Kaleb Johnson’s, and Kenny Gainwell outplayed his previous resume in all areas at age 27. The Steelers’ running back success was driven by high value in dump-off receptions in the passing game (115/834/5 on 133 targets).

The Packers’ run game has been based on power over the past two years, suggesting that Johnson will get plenty of chances in 2026 if Green Bay has lost Josh Jacobs for the year. Later today, I’ll be updating my projections, and I will give Kaleb plenty of touches. I have to approach my next update as if Jacobs isn’t playing, while backtracking if news breaks in his favor over the next week.

For anyone drafting: Jordan Mason, Kyle Monangai, J.K. Dobbins, Chris Rodriguez, or Jacory Croskey-Merritt, I view Kaleb Johnson as having a similar running back profile – a volume runner with some value in scoring and a low ceiling in catches. At this point, he is worth a flier off the waiver wire, and I’ll push a little higher than most due to not being a starting fan of Chris Brooks, and I wouldn’t mind kicking the legs out of one of my competitors if I can at a reasonable price in FAAB leagues.

As for draft value, I’m thinking Johnson’s new early outlook will fall in a range around Najee Harris and Katron Allen. His opportunity out of the gate should be better than the above two backs after getting up to speed with the Packers’ offense.

Below is the link to all 24 weeks of FAAB pickups for the NFBC Main Event.

2026 NFBC Main Event Pickups and Drops Week 24

League-Wide Averages (All 1,530 Pickups)

• Average winning bid: $7.29

• Average runner-up bid: $2.72

Walker Jenkins was clearly the headline story of Week 24 — most added, highest total spend by a wide margin, and 9 of the 20 biggest individual bids.

Averages across these top 10 players (weighted across all 263 individual transactions for these 10 guys):

Avg winning bid: $18.15 | Avg runner-up bid: $7.89

(If instead you want a simple average of each player's own average — i.e., average of the 10 "avg bid" numbers above — that comes out to $30.24 winning / $12.31 runner-up. Walker Jenkins' huge volume/price pulls the transaction-weighted number down relative to that.)

Third Basemen

Shay Whitcomb, San Francisco Giants (0% Rostered)

For the fantasy teams looking for a potential hidden gem, Whitcomb brings a sneaky, under-the-radar, AAA profile. The Giants have had him in their starting lineup across their past seven games, but he only went 2-for-26 with two runs, one home run, and three RBIs while whiffing 10 times. His swing was trending higher over the past month (.306/16/3/205 across 111 at-bats) in the minors.

Since 2023, Whitcomb has appeared in 383 games at AAA, leading to a .265 batting average with 226 runs, 83 home runs, 276 RBIs, and 77 stolen bases over 1,499 at-bats. His stats over this span paint a 28/26 player if given 500 at-bats, but much to prove at the major league level. His strikeout rate (25.0%) came in higher than the league average.

This season in the minors, Whitcomb played 1B (3), 2B (3), SS (27), 3B (19), and OF (22). I view a possible $1 bat in this free-agent period, which would require San Francisco to give him a long starting leash. A lengthy injury to Willy Adames also clears a better playing time window for him.

Nolan Gorman, St. Louis Cardinals (2% Rostered)

After a two-and-a-half-month vacation at AAA (.182/30/13/29 over 165 at-bats with 73 strikeouts, Gorman was recalled by the Cardinals this week due to them having three infield injuries. He brings big power, with a high breeze coming off his swings and misses. This week, Gorman went 2-for-14 with St. Louis, leading to two runs, a solo homer, and six strikeouts. Between the AAA and the majors, he has 153 whiffs (34.8%) across his 445 plate appearances. The chase here is power at the expense of batting average.

Other Options: J.P. Crawford, Denzer Guzman, Jose Fernandez

Shortstops

Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies (62% Rostered)

Twice over the past month, Tovar put up playable fantasy stats (Week 20 – .381/5/1/20 over 21 at-bats and Week 23 – .313/2/1/3/1 over 16 at-bats). He has a home run in five of the past scoring periods, but his overall body of work in 2026 (.209 across 406 at-bats with 44 runs, 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, and six steals) has been below replacement value in any fantasy format.

The Rockies play six games at home, giving the fantasy market a reason to add Tovar. He was dropped in five main events last week, with Phil Dussault snatching up in six leagues ($10, $10, $8, $8, $4, and $3) and one other buyer ($1). His bids should remain in the backend flier range due to him splitting time at shortstop with Cole Carrigg.

Thomas Saggese, St. Louis Cardinals (0% Rostered)

Over 55 games this year at AAA, Saggese hit .257 across 214 at-bats with 35 runs, 10 home runs, 33 RBIs, and nine steals. His success ups his AAA profile to .261 over 912 at-bats with 153 runs, 36 home runs, 125 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases. On the downside, his swing has been much weaker so far with St. Louis (.250 over 324 at-bats with 30 runs, three home runs, 29 RBIs, and three steals) due to a higher strikeout rate (28.0% - 23.1% at AAA).

At age 24, Saggese has plenty of experience at AAA and in the majors, suggesting more success down the stretch this year. He should have a clear runway to start over the next couple of weeks.

Other Options: Jared Triolo, Jorge Mateo, Christian Koss, Tyler Tolbert

Starting Pitching

Jose Cabrera, Arizona Diamondbacks (2% Rostered)

Despite a rough patch over his final three starts at AAA (13 runs, 22 hits, three home runs, and 13 strikeouts over 14.2 innings), the Diamondbacks recalled Cabrera last week. He threw the ball better across 4.1 innings (two runs, four baserunners, and a home run with four strikeouts), giving him a 5.32 ERA, 1.348 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts over 22.0 innings to start his major league career. Cabrera is an easy avoid in the free agent pool.

Rhett Lowder, Cincinnati Reds (60% Rostered)

Based on the current starting pitching schedule for the Reds, Lowder won’t have double starts until September 14th, while drawing the Dodgers and Cubs at home. He has a 4.05 ERA, 1.125 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts across his previous 40.0 innings with three wins. He could be worth a single-start flier this week (SD at home), followed by a sit against the LAD on 9/8. For the fantasy teams looking ahead, he should cost minimal FAAB this free agent period.

Drew Thorpe, Chicago White Sox (0% Rostered)

After missing all of 2025 with TJ surgery, Thorpe is on the cusp of returning to the majors. He pitched well over his past five starts between AA and AAA, leading to a 2.38 ERA, 1.059 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts over 22.2 innings. He won’t be available in any NFBC league until he is called up.

Noah Schultz, Chicago White Sox (25% Rostered)

Since his demotion to AAA, Schultz has made three short-inning starts in August. He allowed three runs on 11 hits, one home run, and three walks, but only five batters when back to the dugout via a whiff.

David Sandlin, Chicago White Sox (0% Rostered)

If Chicago needs another starter, Sandlin pitched well across his past three starts at AAA (four runs, 19 baserunners, and a home run over 18.0 innings with 19 strikeouts).

Christian Javier, Houston Astros (65% Rostered)

The Astros shifted Javier to a bulk reliever role last week, and he responded with a competitive fantasy week (six runs, 12 baserunners, and one home run over 8.1) in strikeouts (12). Over five appearances in August, Javier has a 5.59 ERA, 1.457 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts across 23.1 innings. His risk outweighs his reward, but he could help in Ks if given two chances to pitch in a week.

Emmet Sheehan, Los Angeles Dodgers (18% Rostered)

The Dodgers have Eric Lauer scheduled to pitch on Tuesday as a replacement for Roki Sasaki. Sheehan looks poised to get back to Los Angeles after dominating over his past three starts at AAA (one run, 15 baserunners, and 24 strikeouts across 17.1 innings).

Landan Knack, Los Angeles Dodgers (2% Rostered)

If LA needs another starting arm after Emmet Sheehan, Knack has been trending toward the majors over his previous four appearances (3-1 with a 2.25 ERA, 0.950 WHIP, and 16 strikeouts across 20.0 innings).

Ryan Gusto, Miami Marlins (28% Rostered)

After opening 2026 with no wins over his first 17 games, Gusto finally secured a victory this week vs, the Red Sox. In August, over five starts, he’s pitched well (1.85 ERA, 1.151 WHIP, and 19 strikeouts over 24.1 innings). On the downside, Gusto has recorded an out in the sixth inning only twice in 2026, which is why wins have been elusive. He has two starts next week (@WAS and CWC), putting him on the playable radar.

Elmer Rodriguez, New York Yankees (15 % Rostered)

The Yankees have Mr. Fudd scheduled to start on Monday after getting called up last week (three runs, four baserunners, and a home run over six innings with six strikeouts). Other than walks (29 across 63.1 innings), he’s pitched at a high level over the past two and a half months at AAA (2.42 ERA, 1.247 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts). Nine teams added him last week in the main event, with a high of $5 and a low of $1.

Ryan Sloan, Seattle Mariners (0% Rostered)

The Mariners lost Emerson Hancock this week to an injury, potentially giving Sloan a chance to make his major debut. He has been sensational across his past three starts at AA (three runs, 11 hits, three home runs, and a walk over 16.2 innings with 26 strikeouts). At age 20, he’s made 20 starts at AA, while issuing only 14 walks over 92.2 innings, leading to a 3.50 ERA, 1.079 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts.

At age 21, Jenkins appeared to solve AAA this season (.308 over 263 at-bats with 51 runs, 12 home runs, 28 RBIs, and 17 steals) while showing a winning approach (42 walks and 48 strikeouts). He rode into Minnesota with a stellar run in August (.411 across 73 at-bats with 16 runs, eight home runs, 13 RBIs, and seven steals).

Jenkins brings first-round major league pedigree, and he should be the highest-priced free-agent add in the main event this week. With three more free agent periods to go after the week, it’s time to shove in most of your free agent chips.

Jonah Cox, San Francisco Giants (0% Rostered)

The success of Cox this week (4-for-11 with four runs, one home run, three RBIs, and four stolen bases) will put a shine on his name this free-agent period, but the Giants didn’t give him a start in their doubleheader on Saturday (two at-bats), showing his questionable opportunity. Cox batted in the leadoff position recently, and his uptick in play should lead to more starts. His swing was in rhythm this year between AA and AAA over 45 games (.415 with 45 runs, seven home runs, 42 RBIs, and 34 steals).

For the fantasy teams chasing speed, Cox should sparkle in the free agent pool in the outfield. His Sunday success will drive his FAAB price point in the main event. On the downside, major league pitchers have struck him out 30 times (46.9%) across 64 plate appearances.

Leody Taveras, Baltimore Orioles (47% Rostered)

After a down week (5-for-22 with one run), Taveras gave fantasy teams a boost across his past five starts (.238 with four runs, one home run, eight RBIs, and one steal). He has a home run in four of the past five scoring periods despite only hitting .222.

His low, balanced skill set in power and speed won’t move the fantasy needle in many weeks, but Taveras can work a short-term injury cover until a better option emerges. $3 should do the trick in most main events.

Turner Hill, San Francisco Giants (3% Rostered)

Over the past two seasons at AA and AAA across 625 at-bats, Hill has shown an excellent approach (81 walks and 66 strikeouts), leading to a .312 batting average with 119 runs, 11 home runs, and 41 steals. At age 27, his only major league experience came over the past two weeks (6-for-24 with two runs, four RBIs, and one steal). One team ($1) in the main event added Hill last week. I’m intrigued, and his lefty swing could lead to the better side of a platoon option if his bat heats up.

Drew Gilbert, San Francisco Giants (47% Rostered)

The theme for the free agent outfield position this week comes from the Giants’ offense. Gilbert has been hot over the past three weeks, resulting in 13 hits across 51 at-bats with 13 runs, four home runs, and 14 RBIs. On the downside, he only had 30 runs, four home runs, 22 RBIs, and one steal over his first 242 at-bats.

Gilbert was acquired by 20 main event teams last week with a range between $12 and $1. He gives off the feel of buying last week’s stats, so I would be careful not to overpay for him.

Hector Rodriguez, Cincinnati Reds (53% Rostered)

After opening his major league career with two hits over 24 at-bats with a run and seven strikeouts, Rodriguez has been fantasy-relevant in back-to-back scoring periods (11-for-33 with seven runs, three home runs, and six RBIs). He opened this year with power and success at AAA (.274 across 405 at-bats with 72 runs, 27 home runs, 69 RBIs, and six stolen bases).

Surprisingly, eight main event teams dropped him last week, with four new owners ($9, $5, $1, and $1). His power ceiling would push my bids into the teens if I weren’t the poorest kid in the fantasy block.

Other Options: Lars Nootbaar, Brett Bateman, Isaac Collins, Nathan Lukes, John Rave, Kyle Isbel, Brett Baty, Mike Yastremski, Sal Frelick, Josh Lowe, Brenton Doyle

Catchers

Danny Jansen, Texas Rangers (2% Rostered)

Over the Rangers’ last four games, Jansen has been in their starting lineup over Elias Diaz and Logan O’Hoppe for three starts. His bat responded with three hits across 11 at-bats, leading to three runs, two home runs, and four RBIs. His playing time is far from a lock next week, but he has shown power in his career, and all of Texas’ batters are right-handed.

O’Hoppe is 1-for-7 with a run since his recall to the majors last week. His bat was trending in a favorable direction in August at AAA (21-for-72 with 14 runs, three home runs, 20 RBIs).

Kyle Teel, Chicago White Sox (47% Rostered)

Heading into Sunday, Teel has played in three rehab games at AAA this week. He went 2-for-10 with a run, a walk, and four strikeouts. Chicago should call him up soon, giving some of the fantasy market hope that his bat is helpful for one-sixth of 2026.

Teel was added to 14 main events last week with a range between $10 and $1. Ten of his free-agent swings were under $5.

Sean Murphy, Atlanta Braves (5% Rostered)

After a quiet first 30 at-bats (.167 with one RBI and 11 strikeouts) across three and a half weeks to open August, Murphy flashed in his last two games (5-for-8 with three runs, one home run, and two RBIs), coming over four potential starts for the Braves. His play time will be spotty, but Murphy does bring power and a streaky bat. No one added him last week in the NFB main events.

Mickey Gaspar, Boston Red Sox (43% Rostered)

Over the past two weeks, Gaspar has been an excellent waiver wire catcher. He went 11-for-26 with six runs, five home runs, and 12 RBIs, highlighted by an impressive approach at the plate (nine walks and one strikeout, also hit by a pitch twice). Boston called up Trevor Story and Roman Anthony on Sunday, leading to Gaspar getting sent back to AAA. I expect him back on September 1st when major rosters expand by two players.

Other Options: Will Smith, Drew Cavanaugh, Harry Ford

First Basemen

Connor Norby, Colorado Rockies (47% Rostered)

For the fantasy teams adding Norby last week, with the expectation to start him this week in his six home starts, they could have missed an excellent six games (7-for-22 with three runs, one home run, and seven RBIs) this scoring period. He has a hit or more in 13 of his past 14 matchups, leading to a .348 batting average with eight runs, two home runs, nine RBIs, and one steal.

Norby was picked up in 18 mains last week ($8 to $1), with three game managers kicking him back to the curb. His bids could push into the teens this waiver period in the main event.

Jared Young, New York Mets (77% Rostered)

Over the past month, the Mets have had Young in their starting lineup on most days, yet he remains in the free agent pool in 23% of main events. His bat has been an asset over the past four weeks (.325 with 13 runs, one home run, 16 RBIs, and two steals), while minimizing the damage in strikeouts (13). Young showed more power at AAA (71 home runs across 1,352 at-bats), a stat that is much needed from him in September.

Surprisingly, four teams dumped in the main event last week with five buyers ($6, $4, $3, $1, and $1). I bought him three weeks ago, and Young remains a cheap out at first base, corner infield, or DH, considering his direction.

Other Options: Andres Chaparro, Ildemaro Vargas, Paul Goldschmidt

Second Basemen

Nick Sogard, Boston Red Sox (45% Rostered)

Over the past month, Sogard has given the Red Sox surprising winning starting at-bats off their bench, but not much excitement in the fantasy market. He failed to hit a home run or steal a base across his first 90 at-bats in 2026, making it easy to pass on him as a waiver wire buy. His bat has pushed much higher over his past 12 games (15-for-48 with 10 runs and seven RBIs), highlighted by three surprising home runs. I have Kyle Tucker on two rosters, and his power swing has been dismal across his past 100 at-bats (.190/15/2/6/3).

Sogard remains a week-to-week fill-in for me, requiring minimal bids.

Justin Foscue, Texas Rangers (0% Rostered)

The Rangers gave Foscue more playing time over the past two weeks, leading to nine hits over 30 at-bats with four runs, two home runs, and four RBIs. His 2026 stats in home runs (9) and RBIs (25) are projected over 550 at-bats (28 home runs and 77 RBIs). He remains a second base option for Texas until Josh Jung returns.

Other Options: Jake Cronenworth, Hao-Yu Lee, Christian Moore

Third Basemen

Shay Whitcomb, San Francisco Giants (0% Rostered)

For the fantasy teams looking for a potential hidden gem, Whitcomb brings a sneaky, under-the-radar, AAA profile. The Giants have had him in their starting lineup across their past seven games, but he only went 2-for-26 with two runs, one home run, and three RBIs while whiffing 10 times. His swing was trending higher over the past month (.306/16/3/205 across 111 at-bats) in the minors.

Since 2023, Whitcomb has appeared in 383 games at AAA, leading to a .265 batting average with 226 runs, 83 home runs, 276 RBIs, and 77 stolen bases over 1,499 at-bats. His stats over this span paint a 28/26 player if given 500 at-bats, but much to prove at the major league level. His strikeout rate (25.0%) came in higher than the league average.

This season in the minors, Whitcomb played 1B (3), 2B (3), SS (27), 3B (19), and OF (22). I view a possible $1 bat in this free-agent period, which would require San Francisco to give him a long starting leash. A lengthy injury to Willy Adames also clears a better playing time window for him.

Nolan Gorman, St. Louis Cardinals (2% Rostered)

After a two-and-a-half-month vacation at AAA (.182/30/13/29 over 165 at-bats with 73 strikeouts, Gorman was recalled by the Cardinals this week due to them having three infield injuries. He brings big power, with a high breeze coming off his swings and misses. This week, Gorman went 2-for-14 with St. Louis, leading to two runs, a solo homer, and six strikeouts. Between the AAA and the majors, he has 153 whiffs (34.8%) across his 445 plate appearances. The chase here is power at the expense of batting average.

Other Options: J.P. Crawford, Denzer Guzman, Jose Fernandez

Shortstops

Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies (62% Rostered)

Twice over the past month, Tovar put up playable fantasy stats (Week 20 – .381/5/1/20 over 21 at-bats and Week 23 – .313/2/1/3/1 over 16 at-bats). He has a home run in five of the past scoring periods, but his overall body of work in 2026 (.209 across 406 at-bats with 44 runs, 10 home runs, 41 RBIs, and six steals) has been below replacement value in any fantasy format.

The Rockies play six games at home, giving the fantasy market a reason to add Tovar. He was dropped in five main events last week, with Phil Dussault snatching up in six leagues ($10, $10, $8, $8, $4, and $3) and one other buyer ($1). His bids should remain in the backend flier range due to him splitting time at shortstop with Cole Carrigg.

Thomas Saggese, St. Louis Cardinals (0% Rostered)

Over 55 games this year at AAA, Saggese hit .257 across 214 at-bats with 35 runs, 10 home runs, 33 RBIs, and nine steals. His success ups his AAA profile to .261 over 912 at-bats with 153 runs, 36 home runs, 125 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases. On the downside, his swing has been much weaker so far with St. Louis (.250 over 324 at-bats with 30 runs, three home runs, 29 RBIs, and three steals) due to a higher strikeout rate (28.0% - 23.1% at AAA).

At age 24, Saggese has plenty of experience at AAA and in the majors, suggesting more success down the stretch this year. He should have a clear runway to start over the next couple of weeks.

Other Options: Jared Triolo, Jorge Mateo, Christian Koss, Tyler Tolbert

Minnesota Twins

Yoendrys Gomez hasn’t blown a save in his 20 chances this season, but he has shown signs of more disaster across his previous 8.1 innings (six runs, 10 hits, one home run, seven walks, and eight strikeouts). Despite his recent command issues, his job won’t be at risk until Gomez blows some leads with the game on the line. Jeff Hoffman doesn’t look closer-worthy based on his last six innings of work (four runs and 12 baserunners with seven strikeouts).

Andrew Morris turned into a liability as well over the past two weeks (seven runs, 11 hits, and one walk over 4.1 innings with two strikeouts). Over the past month, A.J. Minter has been the Twins’ best reliever (0.77 ERA, eight baserunners, and 10 strikeouts across 11.2 innings).

New York Mets

Over the last three weeks, Kodia Senga delivered a save in four consecutive appearances, but his right arm looked more at risk in the past 3.1 innings (two runs, six baserunners, and a home run with four strikeouts). He still has an ugly ERA (7.64) and WHIP (1.528), with a massive walk rate (6.1 per nine). The Mets called up Daniel Duarte in late July, and he has been an excellent addition to their bullpen (1.50 ERA, 0.722 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts across 18.0 innings).

San Francisco Giants

Dylan Smith lost his ninth-inning momentum across his past six appearances (four runs, eight hits, one home run, and three walks over 6.1 innings with nine strikeouts), leading to two blown saves in three tries. San Francisco recalled Ryan Walker this week, leading to 3.2 shutout innings with five baserunners and three strikeouts. His arm was much sharper after the All-Star break at AAA (0.52 ERA, 13 baserunners, and 18 strikeouts over 17.1 innings). His major league issue has been his command (16 walks across 30.0 innings).

Washington Nationals

Clayton Beeter’s last save came on August 7th. He has a 2.45 ERA, seven hits, and seven walks over 7.1 innings with six strikeouts and two holds. The Nationals don’t have another viable closing option in the bullpen at this point in the year.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Justin Martinez pitched his third shutout inning over the past week since returning from the injured list, leading to a hit, one strikeout, and a win. His direction points to a closing opportunity in September. Juan Morillo extended his shutout string to 15.0 innings with nine hits, three walks, and 16 strikeouts. Arizona rewarded his success with two converted save chances this week.

Brandyn Garcia has pitched at an elite level since the middle of the June (1.78 ERA, 0.7500 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts across 25.1 innings with four saves).

Athletics

Elvis Alvarado secured three saves over the past week, on the heels of his 6.2 innings scoreless run with six baserunners and seven strikeouts. He has a 2.28 ERA, 1.141 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts over the past two seasons, covering 23.2 innings. Hogan Harris has tossed 3.2 shutout innings in his past four appearances, with three baserunners, five strikeouts, and one save. His left arm backed up over the past month (seven runs, 21 baserunners, and one home run over 11.2 innings with 15 strikeouts).

Los Angeles Angels

Ben Joyce tripped up in his last appearance (three runs, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch over two-thirds of an inning). His failure ended his 7.2-inning shutout string (three hits, six baserunners, and 12 strikeouts since being called up). He is 3-for-4 in closing situations. Luke Murphy hasn’t allowed a run across his last 7.2 innings with seven baserunners and six strikeouts. At AAA this year, he secured 16 saves with a 0.76 ERA, 0.869 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts over 35.2 innings. The Angels should have Samy Natera back next week after starting his AAA rehab assignment on Friday night (one shutout inning with a walk).

The running back position can offer the most help in the sleeper area due to the high number of injuries to backs each football season. The trick is identifying the best all-around player that develop in winning starter late in the season. The most challenging position later in drafts is at the wide receiver position.

Quarterback

Cade Klubnik, New York Jets

Other than deep BestBall fantasy football leagues, Klubnik will go undrafted this summer. His lifeline to a starting job hinges on the win column by Geno Smith. The Jets’ coach-speak has been positive about their new veteran quarterback, but in the second half of the year, New York should turn to their hopefully franchise quarterback.

His highlight year at Clemson came in 2024 (3,649 passing yards with 36 touchdowns via the air). He also added value in the run game (119/463/7), which helps his fantasy floor. Klubnik underperformed expectations last year, leading to a sharp decline in his stats (2,943/16 passing and 83/94/4 in the run game). The regression of his NFL stock allowed the Jets to steal their rookie quarterback in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

New York upgraded their receiving corps in this year’s draft class (Omar Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq), and a healthy Garrett Wilson paired with Breece Hall gives the Jets the tools to be much better offensively in 2026 if their quarterback position is up to the task. The combination of Klubnik’s mobility and his passing potential sets up for him to be winning waiver wire add (once he gets a starting job) for the fantasy teams that whiffed on their quarterbacks on draft day or suffered multiple injuries to the position.

Running Backs

Nicholas Singleton, Tennessee Titans

I’m putting Singleton in the category of my Deep Sleeper Breakout Player of the Year. He comes into 2026 with an RB3 role in the Titans’ offense behind Tony Polland, who comes off four consecutive seasons with over 1,000 rushing yards but produced only 10 touchdowns across his last 33 starts. His floor in the passing game (39 catches or more from 2021 to 2024) helps raise his floor, putting him more into the flex conversation in PPR format rather than expecting a push toward a starting RB2.

In addition, Tyjae Spears has been active in Tennessee’s passing game over the past three years (52/385/1, 30/224/1, and 45/264) while averaging six rushing attempts a game since arriving in the NFL.

Singleton is a big back (6’0” and 220 lbs.) with elite speed (4.35 40-yard dash), which scream goal line opportunity and short-yardage carries. He also has a reasonable pass-catching floor coming into the NFL (102/987/9), highlighted by his success in 2024 (41/375/5 on 53 targets). Over 53 college games in a split role with Kaytron Allen, Singleton scored 54 times.

His 2026 NFL draft value (fifth-round selection) takes some shine off his name in the fantasy market. I view him as a thorn in the ceiling of Tony Pollard due to stealing in-close rushing chances, and his foundation skill set on passing downs could easily push him past Spears, who already has some injury risk based on his missing nine games over the past two seasons. He allowed gained only 3.9 yards per carry and 5.9 yards per catch last year.

In 2017, Alvin Kamara came into the Saints’ regular season third on their running back depth chart behind Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson. He finished the year with 1,554 combined yards, 13 touchdowns, and 81 catches, ranking him third in PPR fantasy points (320.40). His success helped fantasy teams win many league and overall championships.

Singleton slips into a much weaker offense, and the Titans’ pass-catching ceiling is much lower than that of a receiving option in Sean Payton’s offense with Drew Brees driving their offense in 2027. His ADP (180 or higher in most formats) puts him in the free zone, and I don’t see many drafters handcuffing him with Pollard or Spears. I expect Singleton to be a fantasy difference-maker late in the season, while falling into the must-own category in 2026.

Demond Claiborne, Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have two backs with experience standing in front of Claiborne on their depth chart, but both veteran players have injury risk coming into 2026. Jordan Mason is drafted as Minnesota’s RB1, but he brings a low ceiling in the pass game, and his NFL body of work at age 27 doesn’t scream impact player. Mason is a big back, so goal-line opportunities should favor him when on the field.

As for Aaron Jones, he starts the year at age 31 with a risk/reward profile. His NFL success and experience will give him the Vikings’ pass-catching chances, with the talent to eat into Jordan Mason’s carries.

I prefer to roster Claiborne as the handcuff to Jones, as I would never draft Mason based on his price point in 2026. The Vikings rookie back is undersized, so I can’t see him developing into a higher-volume player this year. I’d be happy with 12 touches a game with a pass-catch-favoring opportunity if Jones had an injury. Johan Coleman is a much more attractive player for me than Claiborne, as he has a much higher all-around ceiling.

Kaytron Allen, Washington Commanders

Allen comes into the NFL with a comparable college resume at Penn State (769/4,180/39 with 70 catches for 490 yards and four scores on 101 targets) with Nicholas Singleton, but his NFL opportunity looks much different.

The Commanders have a running quarterback who will snipe scores on the ground and fall below the league average in passing attempts. Washington added a pass-catching back (Rachaad White) but ranked below the league average in receiving usage by their running backs over the past two seasons (65/564/0 on 79 targets and 42/314/0 on 55 targets).

Allen has a high enough early down profile to steal Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s job, and he has been battling a lower-body issue (most like minor) in late August. White is also dealing with a hamstring issue. I like the potential of Allen, but his path to meaningful touches isn’t ideal, especially in the passing game. I have him only on my radar as a deep sleeper, but the fantasy market has Allen priced over Singleton in most drafts, which I view as a mistake.

Wide Receivers

Kyle Williams, New England Patriots

Before the Patriots traded Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans, Williams went undrafted in most fantasy leagues. He put some shine on his name in New England’s last preseason game (2/55/1). Based on his big-play ability, I expect the Patriots’ second-year wideout to capitalize on most of the new opportunity created by their recent trade.

His rookie stats (10/209/3 on 21 targets) won’t move the needle for many fantasy drafters, but his body of work in his final year in college (70/1,198/14 on 103 targets – 17.1 yards per catch) paints a Jameson Williams-type player in New England’s offense once Kyle gains more targets.

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns

This fantasy draft season, Jeudy has developed a draft plague. No one wants him until every other wideout with a pulse has been removed from the draft queue. Two years ago, he caught 90 balls for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns on 145 targets, ranking him 16th in PPR fantasy points (236.90). His catch rate slipped to 47.2% last year, leading to 50 catches for 602 yards and two touchdowns on 106 targets. His drops have been a problem in 2024 (9) and 2025 (10), and the Browns added KC Concepcion (24th overall) and Denzel Boston (39th overall) in the 2026 NFL Draft, giving drafters new bodies to add to their fantasy teams.

At the very least, Jeudy is worth a late dart to see what his role is in Week 1. If he secures WR1 snaps and has more targets than both incoming rookie wide receivers, his fantasy job survives for another week. Jeudy is a former first-round draft pick who starts 2026 at age 27. His starting fantasy value hinges on the quarterback play in Cleveland and a rebound in his catch rate. Jeudy’s failure last year is also partly due to the subpar quarterback play by Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Joe Flacco (57.9% completion rate and 5.6 yards per pass attempt combined).

Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

A great finish to 2026 by Parker Washington, the addition of Jakobi Meyers, and right knee surgery have put Hunter in the forgotten fantasy columns. He now has the look of a low-volume WR4 with a defensive profile. In his rookie season, after getting second overall, Hunter caught 28 of his 45 targets for 298 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, his best game (8/101/1 on 14 targets) was followed by his season-ending injury.

Based on his talent and ceiling, Hunter could be one injury from a winning opportunity in the Jaguars’ passing. His best college season (96/1,258/15 on 126 targets) shines in the background and commands targets. When shopping at the back end of the player pool in fantasy drafts, finding potential impact players should be the goal, and Hunter brings that profile in a big way.

Tight End

Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers tight end rotation in 2026 looks a lot messier than expected a couple of months ago. David Njoku brings plenty of experience, and he will get his share of targets. Charlie Kolar has been getting some tight end buzz as a deep, deep sleeper, but he has been in the NFL for four seasons with only 30 catches for 409 yards and four touchdowns on 41 targets. Los Angeles thought enough of his overall game to sign Kolar to a three-year deal for $24 million in March. Some fantasy sites have even moved him to number one on the Chargers’ tight end depth chart.

All of this side noise has led Gadsden to slide in drafts. He brings a pass-catching tight end profile to his sophomore season in the NFL, highlighted by an excellent rookie midseason four-game run (7/68, 7/164/1, 5/771, and 5/68). Based on potential, Gadsden should be an attractive buy-and-hold tight end, with the talent to post difference-maker games if/when game flow breaks his way.

Always account for the variable change, highlighted in the movie 21.

The running back position can offer the most help in the sleeper area due to the high number of injuries to backs each football season. The trick is identifying the best all-around player that develop in winning starter late in the season. The most challenging position later in drafts is at the wide receiver position.

For quarterbacks, my projections have identified Bo Nix and Kyler Murray as mispriced value quarterbacks that have a chance to rank in the top 10 this year for different reasons. Both players should draw a sleeper price tag in most formats this year.

Quarterback

Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins

I haven’t drafted Willis in any league so far this year, but I’m intrigued to see how he develops. Miami lacks name assets at wide receiver and tight end, making it challenging to expect their new quarterback to be elite in the passing game. He brings a high floor in the run game, and his passing development could lead to him making the receivers around him better in 2026.

The Dolphins have a stud pass-catching running back (De’Von Achane), who I already put in my fade category due to not liking the structure of Miami’s passing offense. I expect many run plays by Willis, helping his floor, and there is something to be said for rostering an active ball carrier at quarterback due to scoring twice as many fantasy points per rush than via the pass (2.5X in DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog).

Willis’s running opportunity drives his foundation, while game score will force him to pass in many matchups, and that success will determine where he falls in the final 2026 quarterback rankings. As the 21st quarterback drafted in the NFFC in late August with a 15th-round ADP (176), I expect him to outperform his price point and offer some playable games.

In the DFS market, I see Willis helping someone win one million dollars this year in the DraftKings Millionaire Contest.

Running Backs

Johan Coleman, Denver Broncos

My number one target as a running back handcuff in round 11 is Coleman, as I fully expect to have RJ Harvey on my roster before him based on my projections. Harvey fills the pass-catching role for Denver, which was more than expected in his rookie season. Coleman brings double injuries in the Broncos’ backfield. He could easily jump to RB1 in carries if J.K. Dobbins has an injury, which has been part of his running back profile for most of his NFL career, unfortunately.

In addition, Coleman could turn into more of a workhorse back if Harvey also had an issue. For me, I’m protecting more early investment, along with offering a much higher ceiling if touches break his way due to injuries to other players.

Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills

I don’t expect to get much out of Davis as a playable fantasy option in 2026 unless James Cook has an injury. I do believe that he is must handcuff for him this year. Ty Johnson was banged up this summer due to a lower leg issue. If he is removed from the Bills’ running back equation completely, Davis would have a better path to rotation snaps in games. His ADP puts him in the sleeper range, but I only view him as a handcuff to a top-tier back, which is what some of the top high-stakes drafters chase when building their running back depth.

The injury news on Ashton Jeanty and the possible suspension of Josh Jacobs remove Mike Washington and MarShawn Lloyd from the sleeper category, at least in the high-stake market, due to their ADPs expected to move inside the first 10 rounds.

Based on the recent ADPs in the NFFC, the only other back that falls in my attraction range is Emmett Johnson. He brings some handcuff value to Kenneth Walker, who suffered an ankle injury this week. The Chiefs have other backs to fight for touches, so I don’t expect to chase Johnson up draft boards. I see better value in the deep sleeper range for my running back depth.

I’m fading Tyjae Spears, Zach Charbonnet, and Kaelon Black.

Wide Receivers

Tre’ Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

The path for Harris to get winning targets in the Chargers’ offense looks cloudy in 2026 due to him ranking third on their wide receiver depth chart behind Ladd McConkey and Quenton Johnston. In addition, Los Angeles has three viable options at the tight end position to compete for targets. What Harris does bring to the table is size (6’3” and 210 lbs.) and big-play ability (16.1 yards per catch in college). He’s never scored over 10.00 PPR fantasy points in his short career (17 games), but his stock could soar with a starting opportunity. I have him projected to catch 45 passes for 617 yards and four touchdowns in 2026, which ranks him outside a starting flex option in 12-team PPR formats with 10 starting roster slots.

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders

I feel like Caitlin Clark dropping back-to-back Tre’s in my sleeper article to the fantasy football market. The theme for both players is the ability to stretch the field and take the top off a defense. Tucker flashed in Week 3 (8/149/3) last year, but delivered only 49 catches for 547 yards and two touchdowns across his other 16 contests (7.23 PPR fantasy points per game). His final stats ranked 38th at wide receiver (161.70 fantasy points).

An upgrade at starting quarterback and a healthy Brock Bowers should lead to a much better Raiders’ passing offense. Many fantasy drafters favor Jalen Nailor over Tucker, but I don’t agree. Las Vegas had him on the field for 90% of their plays or more in 15 of his 17 starts last year, which screams more targets in 2026. They also gave him 11 carries in 2025, leading to 51 yards.

I have Tucker projected to gain 851 combined yards with 62 catches and five touchdowns, painting a 177.10 PPR fantasy point picture.

Ja’Kobi Lane, Baltimore Ravens

I haven’t leaned in and taken any swings on Lane so far this draft season, but summer reports keep progressing his ADP. An off-the-field issue for Rashod Bateman in June has given the fantasy market another reason to push up Baltimore’s rookie wideout in drafts. Typically, Baltimore ranks in the bottom 25% of the league in passing attempts, and they have a history of featuring their tight ends.

In 2026, Zay Flowers is expected to be the Ravens’ top dog in targets, with more questions than answers about the value of Baltimore’s tight ends, due to Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar leaving town. Lane brings size (6’4” and 200 lbs.) and a fantasy buzz, but his college resume across 29 games (99/1,363/18) doesn’t scream fantasy impact player other than his edge in scoring.

To reach a playable outcome over 17 weeks, Lane needs to average over 10.00 PPR fantasy points to hold par at the flex position. This outcome requires him to finish second on the Ravens in receiving production, with this type of outline (60/720/5). With Lamar Jackson hurt last year, Mark Andrews was Baltimore’s second-best receiving option (48/422/5), compared to Andrews (2nd – 55/673/11) and Rashod Bateman (3rd – 45/756/9) in 2024.

Tight End

T.J. Hockenson is my best value at tight end based on my projections paired with his deep-sleeper ADP (214), but I already pushed out his profile.

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Trust me, I’m not giddy about settling for Andrews as a TE1 in 2026 due to his direction of stats. He has a winning history of adding value in scoring and playing a long time with Lamar Jackson. The Ravens paid him late last year, and his competition for tight end targets has left the building. As the 15th-ranked tight end in late August in the National Fantasy Football Championship, Andrews brings a top-10 resume, and touchdowns create winning, playable scores.

His ADP (140) puts him in the sleeper range, and his profile looks much more attractive as a backup tight end for a fantasy team. Andrews starts 2026 at age 31, so the fantasy market is looking for one last successful dance through 17 games. In the latest version of my projections. I have him ranked 10th at tight end.

2026 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet, Depth Charts, and Projections (<<Click Link to View). A request is required for access.

Both contests waited nearly identically on QB through round 5, then Primetime pulled the position forward hard in rounds 8–9 while Circa World held off until round 10.

Top 5 ADP Movements, 8/20 → 8/27 (negative = rising, positive = falling)

2026 Circa World Championship

2026 NFFC Primetime

A few things jump out: Mike Washington (LV RB), Najee Harris, Ja’Kobi Lane, Chris Bell, Kaelon Black, Oronde Gadsden, and Juwan Johnson are all moving in the same direction in both pools — that’s cross-contest consensus, not format noise. QB is where the two contests diverge most sharply: Circa’s biggest QB movers are all falling in the 122–159 range (Herbert, Daniels, Mahomes), while Primetime’s biggest QB movers are mostly rising QBs in a similar range (Shough, Love, Murray) — suggesting Primetime drafters are pulling the QB run earlier just as this data was captured.

Draft Flow & Structure, First 120 Picks

Using each sheet’s live consensus rank (not just ADP average) as the pick order:

Overall composition, picks 1–120

Team-build variance

• Rounds 1–5 are nearly identical builds: both formats produce exactly 1 QB, 22 RB, 4 TE, and 33 WR through pick 60 — the early-round strategy is essentially indistinguishable between the two contests.

• Rounds 6–10 are where the formats split. Circa World stays WR-heavy late (25 WR vs. Primetime’s 23) and RB-even (22 vs. 20), while Primetime nearly doubles up on QB (11 vs. 6) in the same stretch — most of that gap concentrated in rounds 7–9 (7 QBs for Primetime vs. 1 for Circa).

• Round-to-round volatility (std. dev. across the 10 rounds) is higher in Primetime at every skill position except TE: RB (2.10 vs. 1.07), QB (1.40 vs. 1.06), WR (1.84 vs. 1.69), TE (0.67 vs. 0.99). Circa World’s RB and WR runs are drafted on a steadier, more predictable pace round-to-round, while Primetime shows sharper spikes — most visibly the QB run.

Bottom line: the two player pools price out almost identically through the first five rounds, but Primetime drafters clearly favor pulling a second (or third) QB into the mid-rounds, while Circa World Championship drafters stretch RB/WR value deeper and push QB accumulation later and more abruptly (a round-10 spike rather than a build-up).

RTSports offers an online fantasy football championship for a price of $300 (three teams for $850). The event is sponsored by Fantasy Life and pays $500,000 to the overall champion. Their roster requires a QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, a TE, 2 Flex players (RB, WR, or TE), a kicker, and a defense, with 10 bench spots.

Here’s a better look at my starting roster and bench:

This event tends to be running back-favoring early due to many of its players relying on RTSports data and player research. Here’s a link to their ADP data and some images of recent movements over the past three days:

The easiest scoring category is when a player has an outlier scoring season, highlighted by Raheem Mostert in 2023. He had a career season at age 31, thanks to reaching the end zone 21 times. The followed year, Mostert scored only twice across 13 games.

Touchdown Fades

Based on this example, the two players who stand out in this area are Matt Stafford and Dallas Goedert.

Stafford has a great lead wide receiver who needs to get paid, and the summer reports about Davante Adams have been positive at the age of 33. In addition, the Rams have depth and talent at the tight end position (103/1,128/17 on 150 targets). All of this should paint a favorable picture for the Rams’ star quarterback, and his price point (QB11 in the National Fantasy Football Championship) remains well below his 2025 success (4,707 passing yards with 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions).

In a way, the risk for Stafford has been removed by his ADP, but this funny game of fantasy football crushes dreams. In 2024, Lamar Jackson (442.38), Joe Burrow (39.182), and Baker Mayfield were the top three scoring quarterbacks. A year later, they finished 12th (Mayfield – 284.92), 20th (Jackson – 225.86), and 29th (Burrow – 139.46), with some injuries derailing their success.

The repeatability of Stafford rides on the back of Puka Nacua. The Rams don’t have good enough wide receiver depth to hold the impact line in passing yards or touchdowns if their top wideout goes down or, even worse, decides to hold out. Stafford brings nothing to the table in the run game, and last summer, he sat out much of training camp with a back issue (disc). Ultimately, Stafford is one bad hit away from a lost season while coming off his best NFL season at age 37.

As for Goedert, coming into last season, he scored 24 touchdowns across his first 93 games. He reached paydirt 11 times last year, thanks to the Eagles’ offensive coordinator running scoring plays for him at the goal line (eight targets inside the five, compared to four across the previous four years). In essence, the Eagles traded tush push scoring for scripted plays close to the end zone to catch defenses off guard, which led to Jalen Hurts having a sharp decline in rushing scores (8 – 13, 15, and 14 over the previous three seasons).

In the end, 35.7% of Goedert’s fantasy value came via scoring touchdowns. I thought I saw somewhere that his over/under for TDs in 2026 was five, highlighting more thoughts on his scoring. His other rub is the inability to stay on the field for 17 games. His only full year of games came in 2018 (17 missed starts over the past four years).

As a TE12 this draft season, his price point is fair. For anyone looking to buy his 2025 stats at a premium, I expect them to be making draft mistakes. I do like his skill set, while also understanding his fantasy downside.

It’s difficult to put a fade tag on any other quarterback due to their expected ADPs, and most fantasy teams in 12-team leagues will roster a reasonable QB2.

Running Back

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

After kicking fantasy teams in the Jimmies in 2024 after getting drafted first overall most of the summer, McCaffrey was the best skill player in the NFL last year. He had a 15.00 fantasy floor in 15 of his 17 starts, with a 70.6% impact rating. San Francisco gave him 450 touches across 19 games last season, which is an area where back tends to fail the following year.

For drafters with one league, buyer beware, as McCaffrey again has an injury designation next to his name, and he will start the year at age 30. He is the best three-down player in football, and the fantasy market can never predict when a player will get hurt. For drafters with many teams, it is much earlier to have some shares.

De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

A friend in the Houston area told me last summer that Achane was the best back in the NFL, but he scared people late in the draft season due to some concerns about a calf issue. Achane proved to be a winning value in fantasy drafts as Miami gave him 305 touches, leading to 1,838 combined yards with 12 touchdowns and 67 catches across 16 games, which screams edge and consistency from the RB1 position. Achane ranked fifth at running back in PPR scoring in back-to-back years (299.90 and 322.80).

On the downside, the Dolphins now have a running quarterback, suggesting a decline in passing attempts and completions. Achane is a smaller back (5’9” and 190 lbs.), which could lead to some wear and tear on him coming into 2026 after touching the ball 586 times in 2024 and 2025.

Miami lacks talent at wide receiver and tight end, which will allow defenses to focus more on Achane. In the end, I see less scoring by the Dolphins and small holes for their franchise back. The law of running back averages suggests he missed time in 2026. He’s been a top-5 running back in back-to-back seasons, and Miami has no choice but to feature him as much as possible.

Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks

Charbonnet makes sense as a handcuff to Jadarian Price, and there seems to be less fight for him in drafts. I view him as a challenging carry due to my expected length of his recovery in-season. My gut says he won’t be fantasy-worthy until Thanksgiving. NFL players coming off significant injuries tend to struggle in their first year back, and Charbonnet didn’t have his left knee surgery (ACL) until February, an injury that typically requires nine months to recover (11/20/2026).

Wide Receivers

Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars

In the last draft I did, Washington came off the board as a WR26, which seems fair based on his great run late last season (26/454/3 on 41 targets over the Jaguars’ last four games). In my last update of the NFFC projections, he comes off the board as a WR27 with a range between 35 and 57 across 42 Footballguys drafts. He makes sense as an upside WR3 on fantasy rosters, but fighting for him over some proven wideouts could be a mistake. Fulltime Fantasy has him listed as the breakout player, which shows a lot of confidence in his ceiling.

For me, I expect a bounce-back season from Brian Thomas (4th-best wide receiver in his rookie season in 2024), and Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter bring talent and depth to the Jaguars’ wide receiver table. Washington falls into a slight fade for me due to more competition for targets this year, despite his direction. I’d be more interested in him behind his ADP than jumping him a round in drafts. His value would rise significantly if Jacksonville had one injury to one of their other top wideouts.

Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers

Watson is another wide receiver who I like, but struggle to commit to in drafts. He profiles well in big plays and scoring, and his natural opportunity over 17 games should pay his ADP bills. He enters his fifth season in the NFL with flashes of impact value while missing 20 of his possible 68 starts in his career.

Over his 48 games, Watson averaged 4.7 targets per game. He had seven targets or more in only three of his 11 matchups last year, with six of his 35 catches reaching the end zone. His ADP (44) in the high-stakes market puts him in the backend WR2 range on some fantasy team builds.

To be a winning fantasy selection this year, Watson must score over 200.00 PPR fantasy points. For the fantasy teams fighting for him in drafts, he must level up even higher to pay off. His injury risk history is a factor for me, while understanding that 6.5 targets per game over 17 starts would deliver enough to break par for draft cost.

For fantasy team builds that start with four wideouts, Watson’s potential big-game profile would play well with a healthy season.

De’Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers

Over the past week, De’Zhaun Stribling has been flying up draft boards. I understand the excitement, and there are multiple pass-catching players on the 49ers with injury tags next to their names in August. His summer reports have been glowing, along with his highlights.

In a recent draft, Stribling came off the board at 7.2 over Chris Godwin, DK Metcalf, Michael Wilson, Quentin Johnston, and Michael Pittman. Each of those players has an established NFL receiving profile and expected outcome in 2026, while the 49ers’ hotshot rookie wideout has to earn his keep in the 49ers’ offense. His recent wide receiver ranking (41) in the NFFC requires him to average over 10.00 PPR fantasy points per game to pay off.

So, if Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans, and George Kittle play a full season, how many targets does that leave Stribling? Will Deebo Samuel’s experience in the 49ers’ offense also get in the way of their rookie wideout’s targets? Is Stribling really a 2026 better version of Jauan Jennings (55/643/9 over 15 games last year)?

Over the past five weeks, Stribling’s ADP has moved from 191 to 127 to 102 to 83. I have to believe he’s outrun his expectations in his rookie season unless the 49ers have a significant passing-catching injury in front of him. In the end, his hype has put him on my fade list based on his current price point.