Coach: Nick Sirianni 6 PPG
QB: Baker Mayfield 27 PPG
It was one of those seasons where you look back and think, “Does Baker have what it takes to be a franchise QB?” Looking back, we’ve seen mediocre seasons before that can be attributed to one thing: injury. Back in 2021 (when Cleveland last made the playoffs), Mayfield tore his labrum in his left shoulder, hampering his abilities through the rest of the season. Last year, he reinjured that same shoulder in November, which coincided with a decline in performance for the rest of the season. (He only scored over 30 points once after week 12) Baker floats around top 10 production in a good year, and we’re heading into another contract season for the 9-year pro. I expect him to remain in the mid-range QB area, but there is some variance with the questionable hire of new OC Zac Robinson. It’s very possible the wheels fall off in Tampa this year, as they are heading for a coaching change.
RB/WR/TE: Travis Etienne 20 PPG, Quinshon Judkins 20 PPG, Jeremiyah Love 19 PPG, Sam Laporta 17 PPG, Rome Odunze 16 PPG 6th men: Jadarian Price 16 PPG, Garrett Wilson 15 PPG, Dalton Kincaid 15 PPG, Ladd McConkey 15 PPG, Marvin Harrison Jr. 14 PPG, Jonathon Brooks 14 PPG, Malik Wahsington 13 PPG, Tank Dell 10 PPG (increase post-Higgins injury)
Travis Etienne endured some high-variance seasons, including a 2024 season that left him for dead in some fantasy circles. He bounced back nicely last year, posting a commanding 260-carry, 1,107-yard rushing season, showcasing he still had what it takes to carry a load. The Saints obviously think so, as they signed him to a 4-year $47 million contract through his age 30 season. The Saints are waffling on the prospects of having Alvin Kamara as a part of their offensive plans, but after he took a pay cut, it appears he’ll be set to play a part. As one of the best Saints of all time, I’m hard-pressed to see how AK won’t take a sizeable share of the Saints’ workload, especially in the passing game. That’ll shave off Etienne’s ceiling, but he’ll handle the vast majority of the carries. The range of outcomes here is wide, especially with 2nd-year QB Tyler Shough needing to take a step forward too.
The 2025 offseason was marred by issues for Quinshon Judkins, as he was arrested for domestic violence in July. It took him a minute to join the team, but police declined to file criminal charges. Once he got up to speed, he got a healthy number of carries, finishing 8th in the NFL in attempts per game (16.43), but 22nd in rushing yards per game (59). He wasn’t utilized much as a pass catcher with only 26 receptions, but at least wasn’t a total zero. Judkins profiles well for our .4 per carry league and makes for a fine 2/3 RB/WR/TE even in the horrible Cleveland offensive conditions. Just stay off the trainer’s table and out of legal trouble.
The Summer of Love is in full force, and while he didn’t land in the best landing spot for immediate fantasy success, the fact that he was the #3 overall pick tells you all you need to know about what the NFL thought about him. Stud. Future All-Pro potential. Workhorse back. Initially, folks were going crazy thinking about how he was joining a team with recently signed Tyler Allgeier, incumbent James Conner, and former day 2 selection Trey Benson. While the last two may have something to say in the near term, Love and Allgeier will form a dynamic 1-2 punch, similar to what we’ve seen in Atlanta in years past. While this isn’t completely shaken out, Love will likely handle the majority of the carries between the 20s, with Allgeier handling short yardage and goaline work. The X-factor is James Conner, who is a quality pass blocker. Love has hurdles to reach his ceiling, but he should be just fine to start out as a set-it-and-forget-it week 1 option.
After the fiasco that was the past two years of DJ Moore, the Bears have moved him onto greener pastures. That sets the stage for a year 3 breakout from former top 10 pick Rome Odunze, who has yet to show the consistency that draft pedigree suggests. Odunze dealt with a stress fracture in his foot, which kept him out of the last five games of the regular season. He actually still led the team in targets despite this. How high is his ceiling in Ben Johnson’s offense? Is he the clear-cut pass catcher on this team, and should we start treating him as a top-10 WR? It’s in the range of outcomes, but with Loveland and Burden vying for targets, he may struggle with consistency. For now, he’s projected with a modest 16 PPG projection, but the ceiling here is much higher. He was a top-20 target earner with Moore in town; he could easily enter the top 10 in 2026.
After a 2024 that saw Sam LaPorta take a step back, we saw flashes of what made him special in his historic rookie year. First and foremost, his opportunity was elite: he stayed on the field for 90% of snaps and ranked 6th among tight ends in receiving yards, averaging 54 per game. We didn’t quite see the TD production we became accustomed to through 10 weeks, and his red-zone target share wasn’t great either in the 2025 Lions offense. A herniated disc in his back ended his season near the halfway point, but I’ve seen enough to think he’ll consistently be a top 40 option so long as he’s healthy. Keep a close eye on target distribution in the early season with new OC Drew Petzing in town, who LOVED to feature Trey McBride in Arizona.
PK: Eddy Pineiro 10 PPG
PN: Sam Martin 10 PPG
DT: Leonard Williams 17 PPG
While Leonard Williams was a frustrating fantasy player to trust early on in his career with the Jets, he’s stabilized into a consistent producer since being traded to the Seahawks back in 2023. Now 32, Big Leo is aging gracefully and has hit over 50 tackles for the 3rd consecutive year, along with 7 sacks on 29 pressures (3rd among DTs). He’s a safe bet again for top 5 DT production.
DE: Dallas Turner 16 PPG, Abdul Carter 15 PPG
It took about a year and a half, but we got a taste of what Dallas Turner has to offer as an EDGE. Coming out of college, his get-off after the snap was apparent at Alabama, and that has certainly translated to the NFL. He notched 8 sacks on 700 snaps last year and has the opportunity to take another step forward with no Jonathan Greenard in his way. I’m not fully on board with Turner as an elite option quite yet, but we’re gonna find out what he’s fully made of playing opposite AVG on full-time snaps for a full 17 games. For now, he’s a low-end EDGE1 and only 23; he could blossom into one of the best young pass rushers in the NFL.
Everyone and their mother expects lift-off from last year’s 3rd overall pick. 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 also an inefficient tackler, 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: Mack Wilson 18 PPG, Demario Davis 17 PPG, Devin Bush 16 PPG, Dorian Williams 14 PPG
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.
Demario Davis is simply one of those ageless relics of civilization, one that’ll still be posting 150+ tackle seasons after the next asteroid impact. Since 2013, he’s been an impactful IDP contributor and has returned back to the Jets, where he got his career started. Thank goodness he did, cause they need all the help they can get. Demario, can you become a player coach? I think they may need to move on from Aaron Glenn after he does another silly dance on the sidelines during a loss. Slated to play every snap, he’s back to being a top 25 LBer again. His tackle inefficiency hasn’t been great in recent years in New Orleans, but big plays and his ample opportunity have kept him afloat. That should hold true in NYC.
After being cast aside as a bust by the team that drafted him, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Devin Bush has bounced around. He played for the Seahawks, then the Browns for two seasons, before landing a starter-worthy 3-year deal with the Chicago Bears. That’s where he’ll be through 2028 if all goes according to plan. Bush enters a situation that needs consistent/healthy linebacker play, which was sorely lacking with Edwards/Edmunds as the injury-laden tandem in 2025. He’ll pair up with Edwards this year, and I think it’s safe to expect him to post similar numbers as he did as a full-time option in Cleveland. That’s about 120-130 stops, with 4-5 big plays.
We are in mystery box territory with the Buffalo Bills defense. Newcomer DC Jim Leonhard has never coordinated a defense, but he previously served as the passing game coordinator in Denver. We don’t know what the linebacker usage will be, but it’s safe to assume the LB1 will be Terrell Bernard. LB2 is up for grabs, and the favorite is 4th-year pro Dorian Williams, who has taken his sweet ass time to develop. We saw him receive some starter usage in 2024, but he was relegated to a reserve role in 2025. He’ll need to battle it out with 4th-round rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr for opportunity. Regardless, it’s possible he won’t have a full-time role anyway. For now, he’s a back-end IDP starter until we see more.
CB: Trent McDuffie 11 PPG, Upton Scout 11 PPG
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 several prolific IDP campaigns at corner, including 12 PPG in 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.
Rookie season corner delux from Upton Stout, who became the latest in a line of fun, pint-sized, small school players who impact our fantasy game. Stout is a part-time slot corner for the 9ers, but was startable in the role, finishing as the CB25 with 11 PPG. He received starter snaps from the jump, recording 82 tackles, 1 FF, 1 sack, and 5 PDs. The snap share varies wildly, so pay close attention to where he’s landing in the early going of the season. In pass-happy game scripts, he’s an easy start.
S: DeShon Elliott 15 PPG, Malik Mustapha 13 PPG (Alohi Gilman 13 PPG, Jonas Sanker 12 PPG (could see this go up tho with talk of ample nickel usage), Malaki Starks 12 PPG)
DeShon Elliott is an AFC Norther through and through. He started his career in Baltimore, grinding his way to a starting role. He then signed a starter-level deal with the division rival Steelers and is expected to retain that role in 2026. One item of note: he dealt with an MCL sprain, a severe hamstring tear, and knee hyperextension. He’s back to fully practicing and should slot into a high-end S2 with 100(ish) tackle expectations.
Malik Mustapha needed about half the season to get back into the groove of playing in the NFL, but when he did, he was a quality option for both real life and fantasy purposes. Starting in Week 7, Mustapha only posted two weeks under 10 PPG, providing a floor that is uncommon for safeties. While he’s not a big play threat, he does rack up the tackles and should be ticketed for a full-time role again in 2026. He is on the breakout radar and could find himself as a top 16 option.
Off: Dallas Cowboys 15 PPG
PPG: 323
W-L: 8-9
X-Factor: How high are the ceilings of the RBs?
Brian is so fucking back. The running back room is arguably the best in the IFL, and the offense is running 8-9 players deep. Defensively, there are quality young talents at almost every position, and there is potential for breakouts to vastly outperform projections. Inconsistency and trusting in unproven talents could prove difficult over the course of the season, but there are few squads that have better potential than this Dallas squad over the course of the next 2-3 seasons.
