Coach: Mike Macdonald 7 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: Jaxon Smith-Njigba 24 PPG, Ashton Jeanty 22 PPG, Justin Jefferson 18 PPG, Jake Ferguson 14 PPG, AJ Barner 13 PPG 6th men: Kenneth Gainwell 12 PPG, Tyler Allgeier 11 PPG, Jalen Nailor 11 PPG, Greg Dulcich 11 PPG **Josh Jacobs 23 PPG
What an arrival for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who went nuclear after receiving the reins as their #1 receiver. It was even better than most people anticipated, finishing as last year’s WR1 and IFL’s #9 RB/WR/TE. He checked every statistical box, ranking 6th in targets per game (9.75), 3rd in receptions per game (7), 2nd in receiving yards per game (105.47), and 9th in TDs per game (.59). JSN is locked into top-5 usage moving forward and has showcased a complete package as a do-it-all receiver. To make matters better, he’s never missed a game. He’s as stable of a fantasy asset as there is.
Ashton Jeanty had one of the injury scares of training camp, after going down with an ankle issue. He was not put on IR, and it appears he’s on track to play early in the season. As of this writing, he’s iffy for Week 1.
There are 10000 ways to look at Ashton Jeanty’s rookie season, but if you were to go back to April 2025 and say that he’d finish as the #20 RB/WR/TE, his GMs would take that. He was the workhorse we all expected as the 1.06 in the NFL Draft and got a top-tier opportunity. His snap share was 5th among RBs (78%), finished 10th in carries per game (15.65), 23rd in rushing yards per game (57.35), 15th in receiving yards per game (20.35) and 19th in total TDs (.59). While he clearly left meat on the bone from an efficiency standpoint, he did the best he could by finishing 4th in evaded tackles per game at 5.24. Jeanty is prime for progression if he can keep his usage the same and just be more efficient. New HC Klint Kubiak should certainly assist.
One of the most difficult evaluations has to be Justin Jefferson. Despite playing every game and receiving 141 targets, JJ somehow finished with a pathetic 13 PPG and 2 receiving TDs. After week 9, he scored over 10 points only once, rendering him completely unstartable. So where are we with him? Will he ever be an elite WR again? Without another QB change, I don’t think so. Kyler Murray is not going to be the answer to get JJ back into the Puka/Chase/JSN tier. That being said, we should absolutely see a progression in JJ’s TD numbers, along with small upticks in his targets and receiving yards per game, with a functional offense. JJ ranked 12th in targets per game (8.29), 13th in redzone targets per game (1.06), 16th in receptions per game (4.94), and 18th in receiving yards (61.65). Moving into 2026, he’s a quality #3 RB/WR/TE, but there will likely be some slumps with another season of QB purgatory.
Jake Ferguson shot out of the gate with 5 out of the first 7 games, scoring over 22 points. Things cooled off dramatically from that point on, with only one week over 16 points the rest of the way. So what are we gonna get in 2026? Unfortunately, Fergs’ spike coincided with most of Lamb’s injury and was a bye-week filler type after his return. Unless an injury occurs, Ferguson should be a backup option or a bye-week fill-in if Lamb/Pickens goes down.
We got a useable fantasy season from AJ Barner, which was better than most any of us expected. Especially after the Seahawks used a 2nd round pick on Elijah Arroyo, Barner was largely left on waivers in many fantasy circles (go look at Barner’s extensive transaction history if you want a treat; he’s had 7 GMs take a flyer on him in three years). What’s the ceiling here? Barner’s opportunity was a mixed bag, but largely sat in the 80% snap share across the 2025 season. He even had near-100 % snaps in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl. Barner hit 6 targets 4 times last year and averaged 4 targets per game, ranking 26th among TEs. While the 200-point season was promising, I don’t see a path to relevancy, but it’s possible if they elect to really get Barner involved, as JSN is the only established target earner. Keep an eye on his usage early season; he may enter the Jake Ferguson tier as a back-end starter.
It’s tough to gauge what the season has in store for Josh Jacobs. I think this article articulates the Commissioner’s Exempt list well. I’ve left Jacobs blurb in here to showcase the impact of his suspension on Blake’s team.
He’s consistently boring, but Josh Jacobs is a stud muffin delux who has delivered from the moment he entered the NFL. 2025 was no different, finishing 13th in the NFL in rushing attempts per game (16), 19th in rushing yards per game (62), 19th in receiving yards per game among RBs (19), and most importantly 5th in TDs per game (.94). Jacobs is a dual threat back, who is still kicking as an above average runner despite the 1,840 attempts over his entire career. So long as he doesn’t face a suspension for his domestic violence incident, he’s clear for takeoff for another elite fantasy season.
PK: Cam Little 9 PPG
PN: Jack Fox 9 PPG
DT: Byron Murphy 15 PPG
After a 0-sack rookie season and some question marks around Murphy’s IDP prowess (how you doin’ Jalen Carter owners?), Murphy delivered a sophomore season to be proud of. He concluded 2025 with 62 tackles and 7 sacks on 21 pressures. He’s developed into a fine run defender, and he’s one of the finest young players in the NFL. As we head into year 3, there might be another gear to his game, but it’ll be tough opportunity-wise given Leonard Williams eats up tackles right next to him too.
DE: Trey Hendrickson 15 PPG, Bradley Chubb 13 PPG (Travon Walker 12 PPG, Nolan Smith 10 PPG)
Trey Hendrickson was near the center of one of the offseason’s biggest storylines. The Ravens traded two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby only to nix the deal and sign Trey to a 4-year $112 million contract. The 31-year-old has been yearning for a new contract for what felt like an eternity. Especially after an injury-marred season, it felt like quite a pretty penny. At his best, Hendrickson is a top-5 pressure threat, but a below-average run defender. He is boom/bust as an EDGE, but was booming with back-to-back 17-sack seasons in ’23 and ’24. He’ll have plenty of opportunity again for a team that should be winning 10+ games.
It was encouraging to see Bradley Chubb return as a serviceable defensive lineman after he tore his ACL, patellar tendon, and meniscus in 2023. It was the 3rd ACL tear of his career, and the fact he’s still playing is a medical marvel. Chubb signed a 3-year $43.5 million deal with the Bills, slated to be a role player for a team with championship aspirations. His pressure numbers were 22, indicating he’s more of a rotational piece at this stage of his career. (think Carl Granderson) He’s a borderline starter, with an outside shot of double-digit sacks again. (done so only twice in 7 healthy seasons)
LB: Alex Anzalone 16 PPG, Christian Harris 15 PPG, Teddye Buchanan 14 PPG
Alex Anzalone had a rough end to his time in Detroit and felt a bit disrespected by the team after they didn’t prioritize a contract extension. He signed with the Bucs this offseason, effectively replacing a retired Lavonte David. He’s locked into full-time snaps as a veteran presence the unit needs, and the range of outcomes is quite high. At his best, he was a 130-tackle guy, but historically Anzalone has been an inefficient tackler dating back to his time in New Orleans. In this projection, he directly replaces David’s 16 PPG in 2025, as this is a tough one to project.
It’s looking like Christian Harris is the odds-on favorite to man the 2nd LBer spot for the Falcons. They employ two full-time backers, so in theory, this should be a fantasy-viable spot. The gentleman who occupied that role, Divine Deablo, was not great in 2025 and is tasked with green-dot responsibility this season. Harris, meanwhile, may need to just breathe properly to post better stats with the same usage. (Deablo posted a pathetic 12.4 PPG) If Harris plays 100% of the snaps, he’ll be in many IDP lineups.
It was a stellar year-one showing for Teddye Buchanan, who quickly became the second LBer for the Ravens. As a day 3 rookie for a team with championship aspirations, that is incredibly impressive, beating out incumbent Trenton Simpson. He was trending to a low-end LB2 before a late-season ACL tear ended his season. Thankfully, he wasn’t placed on IR to begin the year and hasn’t been ruled out for Week 1. Buchanan, when fully healthy, isn’t a 100% snap player, but he’s trending into that Payton Wilson tier where he does enough to be considered in good matchups. Hopefully he’s back to 100% by midseason.
CB: Byron Murphy 11 PPG, Tarheeb Still 10 PPG (Dee Alford 10 PPG)
We saw Byron Murphy take a curious step back last year, despite a full-time snap share in Minnesota. Murphy has been a decent IDP corner at times over his 8-year career and can produce more than 10 PPG. He still posted a respectable 71 tackles, 2 INTs, and 7 PDs, finishing as the CB32. If he can bump up those PD numbers a bit, he could be back in the top 20.
Tarheeb Still is a hybrid boundary/slot corner for the Chargers. While he wasn’t quite a full-time player last year, he should play near 100% of the snaps and be a bit more consistent without any injury issues. He should exceed 50 tackles again and hopefully his 2-4 INTs like his rookie season. While not a weekly starter, he’s a quality option if there is a pass-heavy game script for his opponent.
S: Nick Cross 15 PPG, Trevon Moehrig 15 PPG, Brandon Jones 13 PPG (Craig Woodson 12 PPG)
After providing nothing his first and second years in the league, Nick Cross exploded and has since produced back-to-back S2 finishes in IFL scoring. He propelled his success into a second contract with the Commanders and is a locked-in starter again. They have a brand new DC in Daronte Jones, who has coached in Minnesota since 2022 under Brian Flores. That should be music to the ears of Cross owners everywhere, as Flores has produced plenty of productive seasons for his safeties in recent years. While it will be tough for Cross to finish as a top-2 safety every season and post 130+ tackles with Sonny Styles in front of him, look for Cross to still provide top-16 returns.
Trevon Moehrig has been a model of consistency after transitioning from free safety to strong safety three years ago for the Raiders. The past two seasons have been identical in Carolina, notching around 100-110 tackles and 3-4 big plays. That’s good for top-16 finishes, and he will likely land there again with nothing changing in his environment or role. He’s a good weekly starting bet.
We’ve seen highs and lows from Brandon Jones, who has flirted with some quality IDP production since joining the NFL in 2020. Injuries unfortunately seem to get in the way each year as he’s missed time in 3 of his 6 seasons. Jones is one year removed from a 18 PPG season, but took a step back with Talanoa Hufanga siphoning away opportunity in the box. His big plays also took a step back, with only 1 INT through 14 games. With a bit of uncertainty on what we’ll get, he’s still certainly a weekly starter, but it’s best to have a backup plan in case things don’t break his way again.
Off: Denver Broncos 13 PPG
X-Factor: Definitive answers to the injury and suspension questions.
PPG: 309
W-L: 6-11
I’m not sure any GM has been hit harder by injuries, suspensions, and cuts than Blake. Two of his top three players went down. Ashton Jeanty is questionable for Week 1 with a mystery ankle sprain, and Josh Jacobs is uncertain to play this year as he was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. Then there’s Tyrel Dodson, who was unceremoniously cut to no fault of his own. (now on the Panthers’ practice squad) Overall, the team has encouraging players across the roster, including foundational pieces that any GM can happily build around. If the breaks finally start going his way, perhaps he can repeat a divisional round appearance like in 2025.
