Coach: Nick Sirianni 6 PPG (Joe Brady 6 PPG)
QB: Brock Purdy 29 PPG
Some franchises are snakebitten by injuries, and the 49ers certainly qualify for this distinction. He endured a severe turf toe injury that became a recurring issue through week 10. On top of missing Bosa, Warner, and Purdy, it’s insane the 9ers made the playoffs. Anywho, Purdy played extremely well upon his return, including 3-straight 40+ games through the fantasy playoffs. (he matched his TD total from the year prior in only 8 games) As we head into 2026, the goal here is a clean bill of health through the entire season, but the substation may have a thing or two to say about that. He’ll likely settle into a fringe top 10 season, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see him crack the top 5. He’s a part of the extremely large group of QBs that have merged together near the top of the QB rankings. (Lamar, Dak, Goff, Lawrence, Nix, Caleb, Hurts, Herbert, Mahomes, among others)
RB/WR/TE: Harold Fannin 17 PPG, TreVeyon Henderson 16 PPG, Dalton Schultz 15 PPG, Michael Pittman 14 PPG, Alvin Kamara 12 PPG 6th men: Zach Charbonnet 16 PPG, (on PUP to begin the year), Oronde Gadsden 11 PPG, James Conner 9 PPG, Cooper Kupp 8 PPG
Harold Fannin was born to be a Cleveland Brown. This dude was born in Canton, Ohio (home of the Pro Football HOF) and went to Canton McKinley High School. He attended Bowling Green State University (in Bowling Green, Ohio), setting NCAA single-season tight end records in receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,555). He quickly established himself as a superior player to the 9-year incumbent, David Njoku, relegating him to limited snaps and a new team. Now, after a season where he led the Browns in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, he’ll be expected to be a primary weapon to turn this team into a contender again. The hoes that don’t know Fannin’s story or talent will predict a drop-off due to new receiving weapons, but Fannin is more likely than not to be the featured pass catcher on this team. His stats are obviously reliant on the QB as well, but even in the worst conditions with competition at his own position, we saw him succeed. He’ll be a top 32 option, if healthy.
What a roller coaster of a season for TreVeyon Henderson, who showcased game-breaking speed, but had critical deficiencies to his game too. Hend-0 has proven himself to be one of the most explosive backs in the game, posting a respectable 53.59 rushing yards per game (25th among RBs) on just 10.59 carries (35th). What he must improve upon is perhaps a shocking development if you kept track of his college scouting reports: his pass blocking. He was regarded as one of the best pass-blocking backs in last year’s class, but it’s been his biggest hurdle to playing time with the Pats. Rhamondre Stevenson has also proven to be a more stable and consistent back and is signed through 2028. Overall, this will be a frustrating timeshare for all involved, with some value/snap fluctuations as hot hands earn reps.
Dalton Schultz quietly finished as a top 50 RB/WR/TE for the IFL. He had some great moments, including 4 games over 20 points, including a 30-pointer in the IFL playoffs. On an offense struggling to find answers at receiver, Schultz provided a stable, consistent option. He finished the year 18th in TE snap share (72%), 6th in receptions per game (4.82), 11th in receiving yards per game (45.71), but he scored just 3 TDs all year (0.18 per game). He’s never been much of a TD scorer, with only one season over 5 TDs, but Schultz has proven he can be reliable for a team that is still figuring out the receiver position. He’ll be back to snagging around 100 targets, good for fringe startability.
Long gone are the 140-150 target days early-career Michael Pittman, as he’s largely settled into a fine real-life WR2 through the past two years. He was traded to the Steelers in the offseason, sent to compete with another large human in DK Metcalf. Aaron Rodgers actually has an average offensive environment for his pass catchers, which gives hope that both Pittman and Metcalf can at least be startable in good matchups. He should flirt with 100-110 targets again, but it may prove difficult to provide consistency with a well-past-his-prime Rodgers leading the way.
It’s been a turbulent offseason for Alvin Kamara, but he’s finally settled into being the backup for the team he’s spent his entire career with. He negotiated into low-end starter money after a pay cut, and he’ll likely be relegated to passing-game work and 5-6 carries a game. I’d be very surprised if he ends up startable in 2026, barring injury, as his usage was already hanging on by a thread last year. A relegation in opportunity will make him more of a handcuff versus anything meaningful for fantasy.
PK: Jake Bates 9 PPG
PN: Tress Way 10 PPG
DT: Nathan Shepherd 13 PPG (Justin Eboigbe 8 PPG)
The unfortunate ACL tear of Byran Bresee has opened the door for additional snaps for a variety of interior players, including 9-year pro Nathan Shepherd. The 2018 3rd round pick out of Fort Hays State (of the famous Hays, Kansas) has largely been a high-end reserve for the majority of his career. He was tapped to be the DT2 in New Orleans, but will now almost certainly be tasked to lead this group. Last year, he actually led the room with 696 snaps, right in line with Bresee. He could end up getting close to 800 if he remains healthy and is a sleeper to finish in the top 16 off volume alone. He’ll likely get around 45-50 tackles and 1-3 sacks.
DE: Brian Burns 19 PPG, Chase Young 17 PPG (Trey Hendrickson 15 PPG, Jaelan Phillips 15 PPG)
Brian Burns turned into an absolute animal for the Giants last year, slaying up a storm by registering 16.5 sacks on 41 pressures (6th in the NFL). His tackle numbers were solid too, sitting at 67 stops and chipping in 3 forced fumbles. Burns has settled into back-to-back tackle-heavy seasons for the Giants, and hopefully that continues with a new scheme and talent around him. His sack numbers are likely to decrease, but he’ll remain a top 10 option for the foreseeable future.
Chase Young was left for dead, tallying 4 straight unusable seasons after an encouraging rookie campaign. After missing the first five games due to a calf strain, he was a force for the Saints, rallying for 38 tackles, 10 sacks, and 1 TD. The pressure numbers were there too, registering 30, and he would have been a fringe top 10 EDGE in that category over a full season. Upon his return in week 6, he was the EDGE 10 the rest of the way, pointing to a notion that we are sleeping on Chase Young. The dude is back to being a mid-range EDGE1. Patience is a virtue.
LB: Fred Warner 19 PPG, Robert Spillane 17 PPG (Bobby Wagner, D’Marco Jackson 8 PPG, Danny Stutsman 8 PPG)
Fred Warner was on his way to another All-Pro season before a dislocated and fractured right ankle ended his season. It was one of many for the 49ers, but Warner’s was a gut punch for a team that ended up missing its offensive and then defensive playcaller for much of the season. Warner is back to full strength and has been a quality IDP option for the entirety of his 9-year NFL career. While the tackle numbers have fluctuated a bit from time to time, we can count on him being a top 20 player. Consistency is worth its weight in wins, and he’s the type of player to build a fantasy defense around. Expect 130-140 stops and 5-8 big plays.
Robert Spillane is one of those gritty linebackers that defensive coaches love. He was handpicked by Mike Vrabel to lead his side of the ball, and he delivered quality play on their way to a Super Bowl. Spillane is a UDFA from Western Michigan and excelled when he was given a starting opportunity with the Raiders in 2023. He’s turned that into a 3-year deal with the Pats, where he’ll start for the team through 2027, his age-32 season. We can expect high-end LB2 numbers, which include 140 tackles and 4-5 big plays.
CB: Jalen Ramsey 12 PPG, Devon Witherspoon 12 PPG, Quinyon Mitchell 9 PPG
Jalen Ramsey plays a hybrid role for the Steelers, lining up all over the defense. He switched to safety from slot corner midseason after DeShon Elliot went down. Now he’ll be back at slot corner, where he started 2025. He’s an auto-start for the position and should once again finish in the top 16 with the ideal combination of ample opportunity and skill.
It was a roller coaster season for Devon Witherspoon, who missed 4 games due to a knee injury and then transitioned to often playing boundary corner, with Nick Emmanwori becoming acclimated to the slot. He still was a viable IDP option, ranking as the CB5 after he moved to the boundary (nearly) full time. It seems like he’s just going to be one of those Paulson Adebo-type guys who is hungry to get in on the action. Still, there is concern the counting stats won’t be as prevalent without the inside/outside transition in nickel/base anymore.
It’s been a couple of tough fantasy years for Quinyon Mitchell, who hasn’t garnered enough tackles or INTs to be an IDP option. This dates back to his college days as well, only having 1 INT his senior year. His profile is pretty cut and dry; he’ll snag around 45 stops and 15(ish) PDs. Hopefully he’ll get the first INT of his career. He’s an elite real-life corner btw.
S: Tykee Smith 16 PPG, Jessie Bates 14 PPG, Camryn Bynum 13 PPG
In just his second season, Tykee Smith has become a significant IDP factor at the safety position. He plays a coveted box role in Todd Bowles’ hyper-aggressive scheme, allowing him to eat up tackles. We’ve seen Antoine Winfield excel in this role in recent years, and now Tykee has taken over the spot to maximize his ability on the field. Smith posted 100 tackles, 1 INT, and 2 sacks, finishing as the S5 on the season. Expect more of the same this year, and Smith could be asked for even more mop-up duty with depleted linebacker play in front of him.
Jessie Bates has been an IDP mainstay since 2018, and 2025 was no different. He finished as the S14 and now forms one of the best tandems with 2nd-year stud Xavier Watts. Bates provided 98 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 3 INTs, and a TD last year, while playing in all 17 games. They ask Bates to play in the box quite often, so there will be plenty of tackles for him again this season. He’s a consistent IDP play and has the potential to finish first in scoring when the environment is right.
There was concern that Camryn Bynum’s stats would regress after leaving the friendly confines of Brian Flores scheme. He proved that he can sustain quality play in Indy, finishing as a mid-range S2. He tallied 81 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 4 INTs, and a sack, proving the Colts right to fill a need with the best free agent at the position. Bynum won’t have a box-heavy role again, but that’s ok. He’s still gonna eat and be a decent back-end IDP starter.
Off: New York Jets 6 PPG
PPG: 295
W-L: 4-13
X-Factor: Finding young talent to supplement the roster.
There’s a lot of optimism across many players in Houston. TreVeyon and Fannin are a pair of players to build around, and the EDGE room goes 4 starters deep. With a bit of tweaking before the season, I could see Dean hosting a competitive roster, but overall, it may be a tough task. We’ll see what direction the roster takes as the season unfolds.
