Buried in an article comparing Bucs RBs Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell, Stroud notes that RB3 Sean Tucker “morphed into the Bucs’ short-yardage and goal-line specialist a year ago and led the club with seven rushing touchdowns.” Many teams employ two-player backfields. Stretching it to three makes things tough for fantasy purposes. Stroud does not definitively state that Tucker will again operate as the short-yardage and goal-line specialist, but he shares that tidbit just before forecasting a balanced approach. Tucker’s role in the rotation must be monitored closely this spring and summer — not just for his fantasy value, but for Irving and Gainwell’s as well.
Per Wolfe, the Panthers have had “a great start” at organized team activities (OTAs), which is somewhat confusing because the Panthers’ first OTA session is scheduled for May 26th. Young is apparently impressing someone on the field somehow, though. Regardless, Wolfe believes the Panthers’ offseason has made them “true contenders” capable of winning 10-12 games. They have won 13 over the past two years. If Young really is stepping up his game, that is good news for WR1 Tetairoa McMillan’s potential second-year leap. He posted a 70/1,014/7 receiving line en route to earning OROY honors last year. Young has a long way to go before we can view him as anything more than a fantasy QB2. Hopefully, the positive reports continue to roll in. If the Panthers really can win double-digit games, Young will ostensibly play a key role in the effort.
Brissett has one year left on his deal, which includes $1.5 million in guarantees. He can make up to $5.39 million. Fellow Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason that netted him $5.14 million in guarantees. The front office also invested a third-round pick in rookie QB Carson Beck. It’s easy to see why Brissett is seeking increased financial security, but he may not have the leverage required to attain it. It is unknown whether Brissett will attend next week’s voluntary organized team activities. A mandatory minicamp for veterans and rookies is scheduled to take place June 8-10. Things could become even more contentious if he refuses to attend the mandatory events. Hopefully, the dispute will be resolved soon. Brissett, 33, showed last year that he has the ability to distribute the ball in a fantasy-friendly manner for Cardinals pass catchers.
Rhim specifically cites former Dolphins TE Jonnu Smith, who posted an 88/886/8 receiving line, while totaling 505 yards after the catch under McDaniel in 2024. McDaniel and TEs coach Chandler Henley plan to create a “run-pass conflict” for opposing defenses, which starts at the tight end position. The offense will expectedly use two-tight end sets often. Rhim notes that Njoku, 29, has “been one of the league’s best tight ends at yards after catch for the past decade,” although he “is coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro” and has been bothered by lower-body injuries recently. Whether Njoku has enough left in the tank to handle TE1 duties remains to be seen. It is worth noting that Rhim never once mentioned TE Charlie Kolar in the article, suggesting he is stuck in the TE3 spot behind Njoku and second-year TE Oronde Gadsden.
Rhim caveats the thought by adding that increased tight end usage “is not a guarantee.” The key takeaway for second-year TE Oronde Gadsden is that Rhim thinks recent free agent signee, TE David Njoku, could take on the TE1 role, noting Njoku possesses “valuable experience that a guy like Gadsden can learn from.” That said, in a piece where Rhim highlighted the tight end position’s importance in the new scheme, he referenced only Gadsden and Njoku, seemingly indicating this is a two-player race for the TE1 job. Njoku’s play has declined recently, as has his health. Gadsden might currently be the TE2, but we have to get through spring and summer practices first.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell attempted to address McCarthy’s accuracy woes by harping on the young quarterback’s footwork last season. He also tends to fire passes “on a line,” which only exacerbates his ball placement issues. Per Lewis, McCarthy has spent weeks with private throwing coach John Beck to improve both issues. Time will tell if Beck’s teachings have the desired effect. Lastly, Lewis believes that the way “McCarthy shows up to work every day and how his habits progress in his third season” is the final piece to the puzzle. The Vikings want their 2026 starter, be it McCarthy or QB Kyler Murray, “to lift the tide for the entire team.” McCarthy has been fully unable to do so thus far. Despite being the incumbent, McCarthy is currently viewed as the underdog in this summer’s quarterback battle. Avoid him in spring drafts for now.
DiNucci spent the end of last season on the Broncos’ practice squad and, per The Denver Post’s Troy Renck, DiNucci “knows Webb as a coach and a friend.” Nix begged Broncos head coach Sean Payton to play uptempo last season, but Payton limited the offense to just 3.8 uptempo plays per game, per PFF. That said, the Broncos tied for seventh in plays per game, at 66.9. Renck notes that Webb “has already shortened Payton’s Shakespearean soliloquy play calls into abbreviated verbiage,” giving Nix more time to diagnose the defense at the line and potentially run more plays. More plays mean more opportunities to score fantasy points. Renck is not yet convinced Payton will allow Webb to play uptempo, but Payton is reportedly aware that the Broncos need to improve offensively and the players “remain energized” by Webb’s promotion. Expect updates on this during training camp, at the latest.
Speed will undergo surgery to repair his injured tissue. Per Wilson, Speed faces “at least a three-month recovery followed by rehab.” He has no exact timetable. The 30-year-old linebacker suffered the partial tears while lifting weights at the Texans’ offseason workout program. Speed totaled 37 tackles and seven quarterback pressures on defense last year. His 12 special teams tackles ranked second on the team. It’s an unfortunate loss for the team.
A recent report indicated that the new offense “is expected to have Shanahan/McVay influences,” so the new report from The Athletic’s Zach Berman tracks. The Eagles ran 860 plays out of the pistol and shotgun last year, and just 267 under center. However, they averaged 8.43 yards per attempt under center and 9.07 yards per play-action attempt from under center. Both figures lead their respective pistol and shotgun metrics by more than 0.70 yards. Berman notes that Hurts has had a new play-caller every year since 2016, so he’s no stranger to starting over. That said, Mannion plans to blend his preferences with those of his quarterback. Mannion is confident that Hurts “can do anything we ask of him,” and Hurts was reportedly excited about the new hire. As for Hurts’ rushing usage, it “will be a part of [the offense], but it won’t be the only part of it.” Hurts remains a fantasy QB1, but his spot in that tier is still being determined.
The Vikings have already conducted interviews with 10 candidates virtually. The five finalists are Rams assistant general manager John McKay, Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt, Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray, Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley and Vikings executive vice president of football operations and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski. Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf previously indicated that the team plans to employ the front office structure as they have in the past, though The Athletic’s Alec Lewis highlights a reader’s question about whether the Vikings might keep Brzezinski in a managerial role and also hire a “personnel guy” under him to help with roster decisions. If so, it seems plausible that some candidates might prefer to wait until they have a chance to run an organization their own way.
Stafford aggravated a disc injury between the offseason workout program and training camp last year. He did not practice until August 18th. Reports on the injury ran the gamut. At one point, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue reported that the Rams “aren’t worried” about the injury, before later reporting that the back injury “is going to be a thing” all year. Ultimately, time spent in an Ammortal chamber outside the Rams’ facility helped Stafford get ready for an NFL MVP season. Injury risk is, of course, present. But Stafford remains one of the rare pocket passers capable of producing an elite QB1 season. Draft him accordingly.
This comes from an article written by Chris Harlan of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, where Jones said the time continues to monitor him “day by day” as he works his way back from spinal fusion surgery. Jones was present at the Steelers’ OTAs this week but did not participate in team drills, and could face a battle for playing time with Troy Fautanu looking to move to left tackle, and rookie Max Iheanachor expected to man the right tackle position. Jones said his recovery is going well, but given the severity of the injury, it could be some time before we see him in action again.
Ward said he hopes the weight loss will improve his durability and allow him to play with a bit more speed in 2026. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick will play next season in an offense led by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who has taken advantage of his quarterback’s athleticism in the past by incorporating it into the running game. Whether or not Ward, who rushed for just 159 yards in 17 games last season, will see more work as a runner next season is to be determined, but it’s worth noting that Ward did total 1,061 rushing yards in 38 FBS games, per PFF, which factors out yards lost on sacks. Of the 287 rush attempts he saw over that span, 180 of those runs (4.7/gm) came on designed plays. Ward turning into more of a dual-threat quarterback would provide a more solid floor for his fantasy outlook next season after he finished as the QB34 in fantasy points per game as a rookie.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan was first. Robertson-Harris is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Giants last offseason and is now likely to miss all of this season. The veteran lineman totaled 35 tackles and three TFLs in his first season with the team, while starting all 17 games he appeared in. The soon-to-be 33-year-old will now look to undergo surgery and begin rehab in hopes of continuing his career next season on what will likely be a one-year deal.
Hill suffered a gruesome knee injury in Week 4 of last season. Hill suffered a dislocated knee, along with a torn ACL and LCL, while also injuring other ligaments. The 32-year-old receiver has undergone multiple surgeries since his injury, with his most recent injury coming in February. Hill could have a decent market when he is able to return, but it doesn’t sound like he’s anywhere close to seeing the field. Unsigned and injured, Hill doesn’t have any fantasy value at this point, and could be hard for fantasy managers to trust in 2026, even when healthy, given when we could expect to see him.
Speaking on Thursday, Harbaugh was sure to point out that Nabers’ injury was “not a simple knee” injury while adding that his star receiver is in the building “every day working hard” to make his return. Nabers underwent a cleanup procedure on his knee several weeks ago, but it isn’t expected to affect his return. Harbaugh said last month that Nabers wouldn’t be on the field until training camp, and maintained on Thursday that a return by camp was still the goal, but said the team will see what happens” from here. Nabers’ injury has been baked into his ADP all offseason, as he’s currently going in the mid to late second round of drafts. It wouldn’t be surprising if his ADP continued to dip until we have more certainty around his situation.
Day, 51, will retain his prior role as well. The Chargers did the same with DBs coach Steve Clinkscale, adding defensive passing game coordinator to his title, and DL coach Mike Elston, adding defensive run game coordinator to his title. Former offensive assistant Josh Hammond has been promoted to assistant WRs coach and assistant ST coach and Mike Hiestand has been named defensive run game specialist. The team also added Jarrod James, Jimmy Thompson and Beau Snuggs as Alex G. Spanos Coaching Fellows.
Nothing is set in stone, but this quote is worth paying close attention to. Kubiak employed a steady two-running back rotation in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run last year. Is it possible he would adjust his philosophy if the backfield’s talent requires him to do so? With a “slight” smile, Kubiak said that the team wants “to put a lot of pressure” on RB1 Ashton Jeanty, before noting that 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey’s “play-snap percentage is high. So, those great backs, they don’t want to come off the field.” Jeanty echoed the sentiment, saying, “if I don’t have to, I don’t want to come off the field.” Now, if rookie RB Mike Washington Jr. takes spring and summer practices by storm, Kubiak will probably rotate him in regularly. However, it seems as though Kubiak is at least open to the idea of featuring Jeanty as a full-time player.
Triplett and his colleague, Nick Underhill, joked about how RB Kendre Miller (knee) will likely once again dazzle at organized team activities, before things fizzle for him. It’s a brutal take on the 23-year-old Miller, who has dealt with ankle, hamstring and knee injuries, plus one concussion, in his short career. Miller is currently rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in October 2025, but it sounds like he is expected to participate next week. If Kamara is released, Miller should at least get a chance to compete for the No. 2 role. Triplett believes the team has one A-back in RB Travis Etienne, and two B-backs in Miller and, presumably, RB Devin Neal.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal is worth up to $60 million with incentives. He can make up to $105 million over the next two seasons. Stafford, 38, is now the 11th quarterback currently averaging more than $50 million per year. Rams rookie QB Ty Simpson ostensibly now gets two seasons to learn from one of the game’s best pocket passers, while serving as Stafford’s primary backup. Stafford can once again be treated as a locked-in QB1 for fantasy.
Callahan reportedly made this the subject of one of their first meetings this offseason. That’s probably a good thing. Dart rarely hesitated to get physical as a scrambler and missed Weeks 11-12 due to a concussion. He was checked for concussions in multiple games. After taking over as the team’s starter in Week 4, he was the QB8 in per-game scoring, averaging 20.5 fantasy points per game. He still projects as a QB1, even if he slides on scrambles more often.
This is the third positive report in as many months for Likely, who is set to handle TE1 duties for his new team. Johnson is slated for the TE2 role after posting a 45/528/5 receiving line in his second NFL season last year. Giants WR1 Malik Nabers recently underwent a clean-up procedure on his knee and field-stretching WR Darius Slayton is recovering from core muscle surgery. Nabers will retake the No. 1 pass-catching role when healthy. Slayton, 29, is on the downslope. Likely is in the low-end TE1 tier and could improve his stock through the spring and summer.
This is not much of an endorsement. With Giants WR Malik Nabers (knee) and WR Darius Slayton (core muscle) sidelined by recent surgeries, Mooney and Austin are reportedly earning targets behind TE Isaiah Likely and TE Theo Johnson at organized team activities. Mooney ($10 million) and Austin ($4.5 million) signed one-year deals with the Giants in free agency. Nothing Stapleton “saw today would indicate that there’s no room” for free agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. in this wide receiver group. Avoiding the Giants’ healthy wide receivers in spring drafts is a prudent call.
Cleveland’s Mary Kay Cabot believes Sanders’ development from April to the first two days of organized team activities (OTAs) this week “has been profound.” It’s going to be a long spring. The Browns’ likely overhyped quarterback competition has drawn headlines for a while now. That said, Monken believes Sanders has “come miles, in terms of his progressions, getting the ball out, his understanding of concepts.” Monken has run fantasy-friendly schemes in the past. If Sanders can truly master the system, he might be able to support two (or more?) pass catchers in fantasy.
Stapleton initially writes that Thomas’ shoulder has been “barking” this offseason, before immediately saying that this is “strictly maintenance for his Lisfranc injury.” Thomas suffered the season-ending foot injury in 2024 and was sidelined until Week 3 last year. We had hoped that the foot injury was fully behind him and we do not like the fact that he also has a shoulder issue. Ironically, Stapleton notes that Thomas “is doing more now than he has each of the past few years at this time.” The Giants are undoubtedly hoping he can resume playing at the level that earned him second-team All-Pro honors in 2022.