Coach: Kyle Shanahan 6 PPG
QB: Justin Herbert 28 PPG
It was another good, not great fantasy season for 28-year-old Justin Herbert, who has settled into the Baker Mayfield-tier of fantasy QBs. Herbs impacts the game in both the passing and ground game, and last year showcased a career-high 498 rushing yards. That helped overcome a putrid 2/1 TD/INT ratio, as he finished 2026 with 13 INTs. (4 of his 6 years he’s had double-digit INTs) Herbert is always in the conversation for one of the best arms in the NFL, who can showcase pinpoint accuracy on difficult throws, but he’s struggled with consistency from year to year. With new OC Mike McDaniel in town, there is hope he can finally put it all together. For now, he’s back in the fringe top 10 QB conversation, per usual.
RB/WR/TE: Derrick Henry 24 PPG, D’Andre Swift 21 PPG, Malik Nabers 17 PPG, Makai Lemon 13 PPG, Jayden Higgins 12 PPG 6th men: Denzel Boston 11 PPG, Germie Bernard 11 PPG, Jauan Jennings 11 PPG, De’Zhaun Stribling 9 PPG, Antonio Williams 9 PPG
Death, taxes, and Derrick Henry rushing for over 1,000 yards and double-digit TDs. It’s what he’s done in 7 of the past 8 years since overcoming the overwhelming shadow of DeMarco Murray. Henry has found a home in the run-friendly confides of Baltimore for the back half of his carrer, and he’s kept on trucking, finishing 6th in the NFL in carries (18 per game), 3rd in rushing yards per game (94), and 4th in TDs per game (.94). One thing that did stick out, however was his evaded tackle numbers, which sat 24th in the NFL on a per game basis. (3.41) On his large workload, that sticks out as well below average and something to keep an eye on as he’ll be 33 in January. Perhaps peak Henry is gone, but I’d trust him to still hold the line as a #1 RB/WR/TE for my fantasy team.
Many of us had questions on what Swift’s opportunity would be given that Ben Johnson saw him traded away back in Detroit. He performed admirably in his first year, providing starter-worthy numbers across the board. Swift was the 1a in the Chicago backfield, posting 58% snap share (19th in the NFL), 14 carries per game (21st in the NFL), 68 rushing yards per game (14th), while sprinkling in some passing game work with 19 receiving yards per game (19th in the NFL among RBs). Swift is still king in the Windy City until proven otherwise and should keep a steady flow of carries and receptions coming the way of his fantasy owners. He’s a quality dual-threat RB.
Malik Nabers’ season ended before it got started, with a torn ACL in Week 4 at MetLife. It’s been a tough recovery for the 3rd-year pro, who is still questionable to start the season. After a beastly rookie campaign, Nabers positioned himself as one of the next up-and-coming playmakers in the game, making many folks question why we even had the Marvin vs Nabers debate to begin with. Long-term, Nabers appears to be in an improving position. J6 is slated to be their long-term QB, and they have a stabilizing HC presence in Jim Harbaugh. If Nabers can be 100% by week 1, he should flirt with around 20 PPG. For now, we’ll see how the season starts, but it’ll likely come with some consistency issues.
Makai Lemon finds himself in a decent landing spot for immediate opportunity after the Eagles shipped off longtime alpha AJ Brown to the Patriots. Lemon has been a slot receiver delux at USC, finding himself as an All-American with over 1,110 yards and 11 TDs in 12 games. Lemon has a wide range of outcomes, and I err on the side of caution to trust him with so many uncertain factors. There is a new OC in town, and Philly will likely be as run-heavy as ever with the Hurts/Barkley combo still kicking. Lemon has the potential to be a PPR stud if they feature him in the slot. For 2026, I like him as a bye-week filler, but we’ll see in the 2nd half of the year if his targets begin to ramp up.
There’s been ample talk of a Jayden Higgins year 2 breakout, but I’d like to pump the brakes here. There is still an alpha WR in town in Nico Collins, and the Texans will likely play to their strengths by controlling the clock with a (hopefully) improved run game / elite defense. In a best-case scenario, we could see Jayden Higgins ascend into a Tee Higgins-like production, with double-digit TDs and around 110 targets. We’ll need to see full-time usage first (questionable with how Houston uses their receivers), and a bye-week filler season is likely in store.
PK: Evan McPherson 9 PPG
PN: Corey Bojorquez 10 PPG
DT: Ed Oliver 15 PPG (Gervon Dexter 11 PPG)
It’s been a hot minute since we got a startable season from Ed Oliver. In fact, he’s really only provided one in 7 seasons in Buffalo. (2023) Last year was a complete wash, but at least in 3 games, he provided a 40, 21, and 21-point effort. He’s 100% again after ankle, bicep, and meniscus issues last year and is now a featured player in new DC Lim Leonhard’s defense. The range of outcomes here is vast, but a part of me trusts Oliver can provide some IDP goodness as a borderline top 10 DT.
DE: Jonathan Greenard 16 PPG, Abdul Carter 15 PPG
It was a bust of a season for Jonathan Greenard, who dealt with a 2nd half injury that made his 2025 season one to forget. What we can’t forget is that he was a top 10 EDGE in 2023 and 2024, and has been one of the most underrated IDPs in the game. With the emergence of 2nd-year pro Dallas Turner, Minnesota traded him to Philly, who needed a #1 EDGE to eat up snaps. I fully expect the 29-year-old to return to double-digit sacks and 60(ish) tackles, in line for a low-end EDGE1 season. The Eagles like to rotate their EDGEs more than Minnesota, so the ceiling isn’t as high, but unless his talent disappeared, he’s gonna be a factor again.
Everyone and their mother is expecting lift-off for the 3rd overall pick from last year. Carter was given full-time snaps right out of the gate, and that only increased once Kayvon Thibodeaux was out of commission after week 11. (843 in 2025) Carter proved worthy of elite draft capital, finishing 14th in pressures (34), but didn’t actualize those stops with only 4 sacks. He was an inefficient tackler too, with 43 in 18 games. I’m hesitant to push him higher than a top 20 EDGE season. I want to see him turn his pressures into sacks before anointing him as the next special EDGE, and we must see better tackle numbers for him to join elite company. For now, he’s a blue chip prospect on a defense filling up with playmakers.
LB: Jamien Sherwood 18 PPG, Barrett Carter 15 PPG, Divine Deablo 15 PPG, Dee Winters 15 PPG (Dre Greenlaw 14 PPG)
Would you have guessed that Jamien Sherwood finished 7th in combined tackles last year? Probably not. But he did, notching his second stellar IDP campaign. Sherwood is a volume eater and the quintessential linebacker who isn’t necessarily good, but has opportunity. He’s recorded 5 big plays through 5 years. He’s locked into a starting role through 2027 and will play a complementary role to the ageless Demario Davis. I expect him to stay in the LB1 conversation, but he may take a small step back next to the savvy vet.
We’re in a holding pattern to see if the Bengals really don’t bring in outside talent for their linebacker room. For now, 2nd-year pro Barrett Carter is manning the middle and calling the plays. Carter took over a full-time role in Week 6 and did next to nothing outside of eating tackles. At this point, he’s purely a volume guy until he proves otherwise, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, as he was put in a tough spot as a rookie, and I doubt the plan was to take over for Logan Wilson midseason. If he is just a full-time tackle eater again, he’ll be a back-end starter.
Despite being put in a position to succeed in Atlanta (and for the Raiders before that), Divine Deablo has yet to put together a consistent IDP career. He had over 100 tackles once in 2023, but he’s struggled with injuries and effectiveness through five seasons. (including last year when he missed 5 games) Atlanta appears to have him tagged for the green dot role this year, but I have my doubts he’ll be effective. We’re a half decade in, and he’s shown to be an inefficient tackler who lacks big-play upside. On volume alone, he’ll be back-end startable, but the Atlanta linebacker room is a must-watch through training camp.
The Dallas Cowboys were looking to overhaul their defense after shipping off Micah Parsons and continued their litany of trades by bringing in 49er Dee Winters for a 5th-round pick. He got a full-time snap share in 2025 (over 1,000 snaps), and he provided a season of inefficient tackle production and 1 big play. Winters finds himself in a training camp battle with rookies and 2nd-year players. He’s the leader in the clubhouse, but don’t be surprised if he’s eventually replaced by Jaishawn Barham or Shemar James.
CB: Nate Wiggins 11 PPG, N/A 10 PPG (Jarrian Jones 9 PPG)
Despite being listed as 182 lbs, Nate Wiggins is a willing tackler! In 2025, he posted 76 tackles, to go along with 3 INTs and 14 PDs, putting him in the top 16 corners. I’m hesitant to project he’ll get there again, especially with a new defensive scheme in town, but he’s certainly worth a roster spot and starts in pass-heavy game scripts.
S: Kevin Winston 15 PPG, Dillon Thieneman 14 PPG (Tyler Nubin 13 PPG, Jonas Sanker 12 PPG)
It’s Kevin Winston breakout SZN y’all. If you paid attention to the IDP rookie draft process in 2025, then you certainly heard his name pop up. He landed in Tennessee and was slowly brought along by the former coaching staff. Starting in week 11 after their bye, they elected to give him full-time snaps, and he posted a robust 18 PPG til a season-ending hamstring injury in week 14. Now slated to be a starter in Robert Salah’s scheme, Winston will hopefully continue to play plenty by the line of scrimmage. A top 20 season is in play, and if given good opportunity, he can become a consistent top 10 guy.
While Caleb Downs stole the headlines (and for good reason), Dillon Thieneman is an excellent IDP consolation prize. His college profile is chock full of goodness; 3 seasons of 96 or more tackles and 12 big plays. Now with the Bears, they expect him to start for them from day one. We’ve seen some quality safety seasons over the years from DC Dennis Allen (how you doing, Malcom Jenkins), and Thieneman could be the next of the bunch. He should crack the top 32 if he’s given full opportunity right away, with upside for plenty more. I’m just hesitant to project beyond that ’til we get more usage data/news.
Off: New Orleans Saints 11 PPG
PPG: 310
W-L: 5-12
What I appreciate about Travis’ roster builds is he works at his own pace and process. It wasn’t too long ago when he took the AFC by storm with back-to-back final 4s and a Super Bowl appearance. This team is young and has the makings of future championship aspirations, but it may be a year away from true contention. Still, the team has the top-end talent that, if a player or two breaks out, could put Travis in playoff contention.
