Coach: Todd Bowles – 4 PPG
QB: Dak Prescott – 30 PPG
While Stafford and Maye were soaking in the headlines, Dak Prescott quietly put together one of the best seasons of his career. Despite a transition to the questionable hire of HC Brian Schottenheimer, Prescott more than just kept the ship afloat offensively, posting 268 passing yards per game (3rd in the NFL) and 1.76 passing TDs per game (6th), good for QB4 numbers in our scoring. The offense was still thriving without Lamb for some of the year, which is a testament to the leadership and consistency the 11-year pro provides. Dak has developed into a quality pocket passer as he transitions into his mid-30s, and his game can age gracefully for fantasy. I don’t see a regression occurring in the near term, and he can be confidently started as a borderline top 5 QB.
RB/WR/TE: George Pickens 18 PPG, Tony Pollard 17 PPG, Jaylen Waddle 17 PPG, Dallas Goedert 16 PPG, Terry McLaurin 16 PPG 6th men: Aaron Jones 14 PPG, KaVonte Turpin 14 PPG, Jordan Mason 13 PPG, Darius Slayton 9 PPG
It was the breakout many were waiting for from George Pickens. After being stuck in the grimy confines of Arthur Smith’s offense, Pickens was dealt to Dallas, who still kept their high-flying ways despite another OC playcaller change. Pickens finishes as the WR5, with 5.47 receptions per game (9th in the NFL), 84 receiving yards per game (4th), and .53 TDs per game (14th). The major thing that sticks out is Pickens just outpaced Lamb upon his return in Week 7, averaging a nearly identical 19 PPG to 17.7 PPG. With Dallas’ offense expected to continue to cook, look for Pickens to produce quality RB/WR/TE #3 numbers.
As time moves forward, Tony Pollard holds firm as the starting running back for the Tennessee Titans. The past two seasons haven’t been kind to the squad in Nashville from a win/loss standpoint, but Pollard isn’t to blame. He’s provided a competent lead to a rushing attack behind a tragic offensive line, one that is likely to be poor again in 2026. Pollard finished 15th in snap percentage (62%), 20th in carries (14.2), 17th in rushing yards (63.65), but 42nd among RBs in total TDs with .29 per game. Pollard played second fiddle to Spears as a receiver, with Spears outpacing him by 20 receiving yards to 12 per game. Grading out as a slightly below-average runner with 3.41 evaded tackles per game (25th among RBs), I think Pollard is priced/projected correctly as a #4 RB/WR/TE. HOWEVER, if the Titans offense takes a step forward under new OC Brian Daboll, Pollard stands to find some TD progression and potentially a PPG bump. I am obviously skeptical with their o-line woes.
It’s been a couple of lost years for Jaylen Waddle, who hasn’t been the same receiver early on in his career. (He had 3 straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2021-2023) Since 2024, he’s been a bye-week filler, despite being coached by “offensive guru” Mike McDaniel. Through the Miami era, there were reports of him coming to camp out of shape and a regression of his talent. That is all supposed to come to an end in Denver, as Waddle is expected to break out again as the featured weapon in Sean Payton’s offense. They did trade their 1st rounder for him after all, and Waddle should provide an upgrade to the underperforming Marvin Mims. Projections are all over the board, and in my lived experience with Sean Payton WRs, they are incredibly frustrating to own. (Select exceptions, like old Saints receiver Michael Thomas) Waddle is certainly not that guy, but if he can get 120 targets and find himself as far and away the target leader of this offense, he can become startable again. It wouldn’t surprise me for a second, however, if he underperforms and the Broncos lit their first-round pick on fire and threw it in a trash can.
It was a strange, yet encouraging season for Dallas Goedert, who reentered the fantasy radar with the first double-digit TD season of his career. In fact, he hadn’t scored over 5 TDs in his entire 8-year career, but hit 11 in 2025. That kept his value afloat as he was still averaging a mediocre 4 receptions a game and 39 receiving yards, ranking outside the top 13 among TEs in both categories. While regression in TDs is imminent, it’s very possible he is the secondary option in this year’s passing game. Goedert certainly has the trust of Hurts, and it will likely take time for rookies Makai Lemon and 2nd-round TE Eli Stowers to get integrated into the target share. Keep an eye on the usage early in the season, but Dallas should profile well as a high-floor back-end RB/WR/TE.
It was a lost season for Terry McLaurin, who struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness without starting QB Jayden Daniels. F1 missed 7 games due to quadriceps and core muscle injuries and only posted one 20+ point game after his Week 13 return. Terry is back again in his 8th year as the Commanders’ WR1, and at this point, we know what he is. In the best of years, he’s a moderate to back-end starter good for #4 RB/WR/TE production, and in the off years (of which there are many in DC), he’s a wash. Let’s hope he can get back into the 120(ish) target territory and double-digit TDs like in 2024, where he set a career high 17 PPG.
PK: Ka’imi Fairbairn 11 PPG
PN: Rigoberto Sanchez 9 PPG
DT: Jonathan Allen 14 PPG (Chris Jones 10 PPG)
After 8 years in DC, Jonathan Allen was his usual self in Minnesota, finishing as the DT8 for IFL purposes. This came on the back of excellent tackle numbers, with 65 total stops, along with 3.5 sacks and 15 pressures. This allowed him to cash in on a 2-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals, who are desperate for interior line help. They invested in Allen and Dexter Lawrence, and they both should be playing a boatload of snaps. Transitioning to a new scheme has me worried a bit, but Allen has an almost decade-long history of 60+ tackle seasons when he’s fully healthy. Allen is easily the more likely of the interior duo to be fantasy viable, and I’m penciling him in for another top 10 season.
DE: Myles Murphy 15 PPG, Rashan Gary 13 PPG (Kayvon Thibodeaux 11 PPG)
Myles Murphy should be squarely on everyone’s IDP breakout list. After Trey Hendrickson exited the lineup in Week 11, Murphy played over 75% of the snaps the rest of the way. (sans one game) Through that period, he averaged 16 PPG, including the 0-point clunker in the middle. I like him to see his tackles increase to the 50-60 range and potentially hit the 10-sack mark. There are youngsters pushing him for snaps in premium prospects Cashius Howell and Shemar Stewart. A top 16 finish is in play.
The Packers let Rashan Gary go in free agency, but it may have been a mistake. Gary was still a top 20 pass rusher in the pressure department, registering 31 in 16 games. Those are quality marks for an EDGE2, and he fits in nicely opposite an elite guy like Parsons. Oddly, the Cowboys got value with him on a 2-year 32 million deal. As an IDP, Gary has consistently been posting low-end EDGE2 numbers through the 2020s, but a change in environment may help bump up the tackle totals. He should be good for 6-9 sacks, and if he can get out of his 40-45 tackle ways, he could bump into the top 20.
LB: Zack Baun 18 PPG, Mack Wilson 18 PPG, Eric Wilson 16 PPG
We got another quality IDP season from Zack Baun, who delivered a top 16 LBer performance in 2025. While we may remember a top 3 LBer performance in 2024, his solo tackle numbers took a dramatic dip from 93 to 64 despite not missing a game. He still racked up 6 big plays, so it’s not like he’s not still a foundational piece for an IDP team. I would keep an eye on his early-season numbers, as after the Week 10 bye, he only scored 20 points once. If that trend continues, we’ll have a different discussion on his value come 2027.
The hoes won’t tell you, but Mack Wilson was breaking out for the Cardinals last year. There were signs that he was ready for a glow-up, and he was delivering before a freak CeeDee Lamb block to his ribs ended his season in Week 9. What will determine Wilson’s value is not his tackle numbers, but rather his big-play ability. He had two through 8 games, and if he can get that number to 7-8 over a full season, he’ll find himself in the top 16. He’s locked into the green dot role for a defense that’ll be on the field a lot in 2026.
There was a flash in 2020, but Eric Wilson has largely been an IDP afterthought since entering the league in 2017. The ‘other’ UDFA from the Cincinnati Bearcats, he’s received less fanfare than Ivan Pace, but Wilson ate up Pace’s opportunity after the Week 6 bye. Wilson was effectively a full-time hybrid LB/EDGE player for the Vikings and was your traditional boom/bust LB you’d love for one of your last lineup spots. Wilson signed a three-year extension, totaling $22.5 million through his age-34 season. He could end up being a thorn in the side of someone like rookie Jake Golday, who projects as a similar hybrid player. Keep an eye on snap share between the two as the season unfolds.
CB: Riley Moss 12 PPG, Trent McDuffie 11 PPG (Andru Phillips 10 PPG)
There are benefits to owning the corner opposite Pat Surtain, and it’s racking up the tackles and targets. Moss posted another CB1 season, with 80 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack, and 19 PDs. While there have been rumblings of a shakeup in his role over the years, he’s staved off opponents and is largely locked in as the boundary corner. Expect another top 16 season.
Trent McDuffie was part of one of the largest trades of the offseason, as the Rams parted ways with a 1st-round pick to acquire and extend him. He’s posted numerous prolific IDP campaigns for a corner, including a 12 PPG 2025. The Rams will keep him busy, although he likely will be playing on the outside again with Quinten Lake occupying the nickel role. I expect another 60-tackle, double-digit PD season.
S: Josh Metellus 13 PPG, Eric Murray 12 PPG, Reed Blankenship 11 PPG (Dane Belton 11 PPG, Will Harris 11 PPG)
Someone has to play safety for the Vikings, and Josh Metellus will continue to provide competent play. After a 2023 season, which saw him break out with 116 tackles and 7 big plays, he’s regressed every year since, and I have my worries he’ll be playing further away from the line of scrimmage without Harrison Smith/Cam Bynum-like talents backing him up. He often acted as a linebacker in Flores’ hybrid scheme, which has greatly helped his tackle numbers. I’d love to see Metellus wrack up the big plays again, but 2023 may have been a mirage. I’m hopeful he’ll stick in the top 32, with upside for a top 16 season.
Eric Murray is the JAGiest safety to ever do it. (which is fitting, cause he plays for the Jaguars) He’s a stable vet who can provide not-embarrassing play, but is not a ceiling raiser for a defense. Since 2016, he’s never provided more than 3 big plays in a year and has maxed out at 75 tackles. He’s a bye-week filler option.
We’ve seen Reed Blankenship provide some IDP goodness in Philly, but in Houston, I’m not sure he’s going to get the opportunity to post another 100+ tackle campaign. They like to run their safeties 2-high, resulting in their safeties playing too far from the LOS to post consistent numbers. Blankenship can stay fantasy viable by hitting the 4-5 INT mark as he did in 2024. A 70-80 tackle season is likely in the cards, which is good for top 40 numbers with full-time snaps.
Off: San Francisco 49ers 15 PPG
PPG: 306
W-L: 5-12
X-Factor: Getting as many quality pieces for 2027 and beyond as possible.
After a stellar 2025, which saw Dave score the 2nd most points ever by a team in the regular season and an AFC title, he’s rebuilding for a new era. Over the past two months, Dave traded away Achane, CMC, and Garrett. It’s left his team in a state of transition. With 10 picks in the first 3 rounds in 2027, Dave is gearing up for an exciting and potentially deep draft to revitalize the roster. There are likely more moves to come.
