What Fantasy Players NEED To Know About 2026 NFL Offensive Lines (w/ Dan Fornek)
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this video and kept the full transcript here for context.
46 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 17, 2026
Published
Mon, August 17, 2026
13
Player insights
13
Players mentioned
Topics
Brandon ColemanBreece HallBucky IrvingCaleb WilliamsD'Andre SwiftDavid MontgomeryEvan EngramJames CookJoe BurrowJordyn TysonJuwan JohnsonSaquon BarkleyTrevor Lawrence
Player analysis
Player insights
Brandon Coleman
NegativeRole39:06
Coleman is the Commanders' initial plan at left tackle in place of the injured Laramie Tunsil. However, the source flags a significant concern: Coleman was the starter in 2024 when Washington went to the conference championship but gave up nine sacks that year—the same number the rest of the offensive line combined allowed. This poor pass protection performance raises questions about his ability to handle the left tackle position.
Insight pageBreece Hall
PositiveValue36:25
Hall is going in the late third round, early fourth round in some leagues (ADP ~312 in FFPC 350), which the source views as strong value. Last year he had his first 1,000-rushing-yard season and was fourth in breakaway runs with 17 rushes for 15+ yards and eight for 20+ yards. The source is comfortable with his ADP and notes that at his current price, he's a target for those prioritizing wide receivers early.
Insight pageBucky Irving
PositiveValue41:53
Buccaneers running back preferred alternative to year-two RBs in the 4-5 range; the source is comfortable with Irving because Tampa Bay ranks as the third-best offensive line, providing better pass protection and run-blocking environment than other year-two RB situations.
Insight pageCaleb Williams
PositiveProjection8:04
Faced a significant adjustment last year transitioning to under-center snaps, which the source believes was a key issue for the Bears offense; by week six, Williams had likely taken more under-center snaps than in his entire life. The source is encouraged that Ben Johnson continued forcing this adjustment throughout the year, suggesting Williams will be more comfortable and effective in 2026 with a full offseason to develop under-center mechanics and footwork. Year 2 passing game improvement expected under Johnson; Williams showed gradual improvement under center throughout 2025 despite initial mechanical struggles. First-year context (new OC, rookie linemen, young supporting cast) should not be used to judge 2025 performance; at 24 years old, improvement is expected and reasonable. Ben Johnson offenses in Detroit improved from year one to year two to year three.
Insight pageD'Andre Swift
PositiveRole42:14
Bears running back preferred over year-two RBs; the source is confident in Swift's role and familiarity within the Bears offense. Represents an established, proven player rather than an unproven second-year back.
Insight pageDavid Montgomery
PositiveRole42:21
Texans running back positioned as focal point of Houston offense; the source prefers Montgomery over year-two RBs because he is an established, proven player on a team with a good defense. Represents a safer, more reliable option than unproven second-year backs.
Insight pageEvan Engram
PositiveProjection19:14
Jaguars running back is ninth in all-purpose yards over the last four years and should benefit from the upgraded offensive line; source has been bullish on targeting ETN throughout the offseason despite concerns about Alvin Kamara's presence, believing the improved line is a significant upgrade from last year's questionable unit.
Insight pageJames Cook
PositiveProjection0:42
Cook posted 1,600+ rushing yards and 5.25 yards per carry last year behind Buffalo's offensive line; the source expects continued efficiency given the line's continuity (four returning starters who've played together three years), elite pass protection, and fifth-highest rushing success rate in the NFL, with the added benefit of more five-man protections freeing tight ends and running backs for routes.
Insight pageJoe Burrow
NegativeProjection30:09
Bengals quarterback ranked 8th among 90 quarterbacks with 90+ attempts in ball release speed last season, averaging 2.55 seconds per throw. Fast ball release reduces pressure on the offensive line and allows defenses to avoid stacking the box, which supports optimism about the Bengals' offensive line performance and skill-position upside.
Insight pageJordyn Tyson
PositiveValue15:29
Saints WR was brought in as part of a significant talent acquisition at skill positions for 2026, alongside Bryce Lance, Oscar Delp, and Travis Etienne, signaling the Saints' investment in offensive weapons. The source describes Tyson as a fantastic fantasy target right now and is bullish on the Saints offense producing at ADP if the offensive line performs at an elite level and Tyler Shuck steps forward.
Insight pageJuwan Johnson
PositiveValue18:03
Saints TE has fallen in drafts but remains viable in an offense that could produce at an extremely high level if the offensive line performs and Tyler Shuck steps forward; the source is bullish on targeting Johnson at current ADP.
Insight pageSaquon Barkley
NegativeInjury14:01
Giants RB's fantasy value hinges on injury risk from a dislocated ankle with fracture and ligament involvement; the source has seen many players struggle with this injury type and personally has trouble getting on board with the risk, though acknowledges that if he's healthy, the Giants' improved offensive line could protect him well. However, a second the source is targeting Barkley in drafts and is optimistic about his return value, interpreting his June flips and offseason conditioning as signs of health and readiness; if he can stay healthy, he returns significant value this year under the Harbaugh-Roman offensive system. The key question is willingness to accept the injury risk versus the upside of the improved Giants OL.
Insight pageTrevor Lawrence
PositiveProjection42:32
Jaguars QB's mobility and ability to move within the pocket mitigate offensive line concerns; avoided 12 sacks in 2024, demonstrating understanding of what's in front of him. The source is less concerned about the Jaguars passing game because of Lawrence's mobility and is willing to target him if confident in the offense overall.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Which offensive lines can fantasy managers trust in 2026? And which offensive lines should we be worried about? Theo Gringer, lead fantasy
0:08analyst right here at Rotoire. Joined today by NFL offensive line expert Dan Fornick. Dan just dropped an amazing article ranking every single offensive
0:18line. You can find that right over at Rotoire. And if you're watching this on the YouTube stream, we're going to put
0:23it right in the show description for you to click on. But make sure you go check that out. It's Dan Fornick. And Dan,
0:29we'll just go right off the top. Let's read a couple of your early rankings. I mean, no real surprises here. Denver at
0:35one, Philadelphia at two, Tampa Bay at three. Then we've got the Buffalo Bills at four. And this one got me very, very
0:42excited. Last year we had James Cook go for over 1,600 rushing yards, five and a quarter yards per carry. Just how good
0:50is Buffalo's offensive line this year?
0:53And what can this do for not only Cook but but Josh Allen and also Joe Brady in his first season as head coach?
1:00>> Yeah. Um some of the things I like about Buffalo. Um one of the big things for me that I'm looking for is continuity
1:07year-over-year. Um you want offensive lines, you want players, ideally more than one that have been in a place for a while. They've been in a system for a
1:15while. So, when you look at Buffalo, not only do they return four starters from last year, but those guys have played
1:22together for three years. Um, it's a good team in pass protection. Now, part of that is Josh Allen. And there's been
1:29some stuff coming out this year or this week where it's like, oh, you know, there's issues with like setting the protection and stuff like that. But
1:36again, when you have that continuity, you know, you can go into these fiveman protections, which means we're getting our tight ends out on routes. for
1:43getting our running backs out on routes.
1:45Um the the run game, it's steady. They have the fifth highest rushing success rate last year. The one area where I'm
1:53kind like where it could become a concern. Um Aaron Cromer, who's their offensive line coach, retired this off season. He's one of the high-end guys.
2:01Um but like where would that would be concerning for me is more in terms of depth. If they need to lean on some of
2:07these guys if someone gets hurt, then maybe the the floor drops a little bit.
2:12But at the same time, you look at what they have behind their starters. Lloyd Cushenberry, multi-year starter with Denver and Tennessee. Austin Corbett was
2:19a starter at multiple positions with Carolina. Um, they have a couple developmental guys and Cedric Van Pan Granger who's a center from Georgia a
2:27couple years ago. Jude Bowy they took in the fourth round this year. So, I like their starters. Their depth has experience. It's easy to see a path
2:35where it's like, okay, even if a guy gets hurt, the guy stepping in is also experience. So, I that's something I
2:40value as well.
2:41>> Yeah. And I love how you break it down in the article. Uh you've got several categories that you're looking at.
2:46Depth. I love the continuity angle. You know, the returning starters for most teams, returning starters is a positive, Dan, but for some of the bad offensive
2:55lines, it can lead to further question marks. But Buffalo, we've got a lot of positivity there. Joe Brady, Pete Carmichael, James Cook is just for me a
3:04flag plant guy this year. They're talking about increasing his his uh work in the passing game and just knowing that the efficiency should still be
3:12there for him as a runner. I'm really excited about that one. We keep going down your list and it it's unsurprising.
3:20I mean, offensive line play and elite fantasy football success sort of correlate with one another. You've got the Indianapolis Colts. You've got the
3:28Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys, the LA Rams, and then the San Francisco 49ers. And then I think it was the Chargers right after that. I might be
3:38missing LA, but LA Chargers before the 49ers, right?
3:42>> Yes. Yes. Chargers nine, Niners 10.
3:44>> Yeah. So, we're we're into inside the top 10 here. And I think the like the Colts, everybody sort of understands
3:50last year they were leading the NFL in points per game for the the first half of the year. came out like game gang
3:56busters. Dallas, we're betting on them.
3:59Multiple pieces for fantasy. The Rams, we understand that one. 49ers, we get it. What what's interesting to me is Dan, when you were doing this, we've
4:07been working together a long time.
4:09Really excited to have you over at Rotoire now, but we worked for years uh years ago at Player Profiler when I was
4:14directing content over there. And I just remember how like the Chicago Bears offensive line, we looked at that before Ben Johnson was hired as like one of the
4:23net negative offensive lines. Like we had to fix this in a major way. They have done it. Year two for Ben Johnson.
4:29They have what could be an elite offensive line. Last year they were top five overall in rushing yards as a team.
4:35Over 2400 rushing yards. We're betting on a lot of Chicago Bears this year in fantasy. Just how confident are you in
4:42this unit really becoming a dominant force in the NFL?
4:47>> Well, it's so the Chicago Bears are an interesting one. Six probably on the surface. We have this conversation about continuity. Six may feel kind of high.
4:55We know their starting left tackle from last year towards the end of last year, Azie Trapilo. He's going to maybe be out
5:02for most of the year, but now they're saying he might be back by the end of training camp. Um, you know, speaking
5:07from personal experience, I've torn my patellar tendon and that is just an absolutely terrible recovery. You're you're you're back to um, you know,
5:16return to practice or return to play. It it was six or seven months, but I would say, and I'm not, you know, I'm not an
5:23NFL left tackle. I don't have the resources that they do to get healthy and all that stuff, but it probably took
5:28me a year to 15 months to feel normal again. And even now, normal is my knee hurts when I walk down the stairs, but
5:35that's also just, you know, being 38.
5:38Um, but so they have Braxton Jones. He had started for the Bears in the past.
5:43He was on the team last year. He won the left tackle job out of training camp. He wasn't completely healthy. I think it's
5:49encouraging that they felt good enough about who he is to bring him back. Um, Drew Dolman, their center, retires. That was their big free agent a year ago. But
5:58then they trade for Garrett Bradberry.
6:00So, not only is that an experienced NFL piece, he also was a college teammate with left guard Joe Tuni. So, like they
6:06know each other really well. They draft Iowa center Logan Jones in the second round. He's another, you know, athletic center, probably rated by many of the
6:15number one center in the class. So, they've addressed to me those needs. If Braxton Jones falters, they brought Jedric Wills in. He was the former first
6:24round pick. He didn't play last year in Cleveland getting healthy. Um, but one of the things that Ben Johnson does so
6:30well, and it's something that I think is going to just continue to grow, you're starting to see teams really utilize motion in or in the run game because
6:39what motion does is it forces the defense to adjust. You have to your eyes have to watch the motion, man. Is the
6:46ball going to this guy? Is that guy going to be blocking? Is he going to release in the flat? Is he going to go
6:51up field? And so what happens is it causes the defense to freeze, which gives your offensive line a chance to get on get onto their blocks, get to the
6:58second level and get angles. And so last year, Chicago had the 11th most rushing attempts with motion at or before the
7:06snap. They finished third in rushing success rate on those plays. And they had uh the third highest yards before contact on those plays as well. So Ben
7:16Johnson is, and by all accounts, he's this, you know, he's a genius. he's sitting here and he's ahead of the curve
7:22with what he's doing. So, there are two new holes on this offensive line, but it's so easy to be optimistic when you
7:28have a coach who understands here's how I can leverage this to minimize those problems. And when you surrounded by Joe Tuni and Jonah Jackson and Darnell
7:36Wright, you could get away with having, you know, a lesser tackle or a new center because you have that experience.
7:45>> Yeah. I mean, we're used to seeing Ben Johnson offenses absolutely crushing in terms of balance and also, you know, in
7:52terms of fantasy producers. I mean, we go back to Detroit, just how many years we had uh rushing yardage production and
7:59passing yardage production both inside the top 10. It was like every single year. And I think we'll see that again.
8:04Where's your optimism level for Caleb Williams right now, Dan?
8:09I think this and now this is me and and for people who don't know me I my experience with football um you know I
8:16played college football I was an offensive lineman FCS I was not a quarterback so I can't sit here and say but I think I believe that one of the
8:24issues that the Bears had last year was this transition to under center. I believe probably by the by-week I think they were week six last year Caleb
8:32Williams had probably taken more snaps under center than he had in his entire life. And I think for a lot of us, it's
8:38like, okay, what's the difference? The quarterback usually starts back, but now he's up. But fundamentally, you know, from experienced coaching, when you're
8:46in shotgun, you're starting at the top of your drop. Your footwork is one, two, three, get it out quick, right? It it
8:51changes. If you're in a fivestep drop, you're kind of getting a little bit more depth and getting the ball out. Under
8:56center, you have to make sure you're getting to your depth. You have to make sure you're finding who is my key, who
9:01is my read, who am I looking for. You're trying to get on platform. you're trying to make sure that you have no idea
9:06you're turning your back sometimes on play actions to the offensive line. You don't know what your blocking looks like. And I was encouraged that
9:13throughout the year, not only did Ben Johnson force Caleb Williams to keep doing that because we see that sometimes every summer it feels like the Bengals
9:21are trying to go under center with Joe Burrow and then they realize, well, he's better in gun. He wants to see
9:25everything like let it go. But they made Caleb Williams keep doing it and gradually it started to look better and better. So, for me, I'm super optimistic
9:34on Caleb Williams and you know, I'm as I'm broadcasting here from a basement in Chicago. Um, so there's a little bit of
9:42bias there, but I think >> regional bias. Regional bias. Yeah.
9:45>> Right. Exactly. But I do think to judge him off of last year is probably a bit much. If it struggles
9:52this year, if it looks similar this year, it's okay to panic. But I'm willing to Okay, let's see what an offense from the psycho Ben Johnson who
10:01had all the probably had a cut up of every single thing he did wrong and a player who's apparently willing to
10:06accept coaching. What does this look like in year two when we can see the flaws and attack them a little bit more
10:12aggressively? So, I'm optimistic and I'm willing to kind of believe that the passing game is going to take a pretty good jump this year.
10:19>> Yeah, I'm I'm very bullish on on Caleb Williams and it's okay for 24 year olds to get better. I think a lot of people
10:25talking about these guys like finished products. It's not like we're talking about a 31-year-old who were asking him to do something completely different.
10:31Caleb last year, first year with Ben Johnson, a number of first year offensive linemen, a number of rookies around him, uh, and now a chance to have
10:40continuity and Ben Johnson offenses in Detroit, go from year one to year two to year three, up and up and up. I think
10:46we'll see the same thing in Chicago this year. we get outside the top 10 and we get into like the interesting tier of
10:52off of offensive lines and this is going to make people I think a little bit excited. You've got Kell Moore's New
10:58Orleans Saints at 11 and then you've got the new coaching staff under Harbaugh in New York. The Giants come in at 12. We
11:06talked a little bit in the pre-show about sort of the most improved offensive lines from this time last year to to today and these two sort of stand
11:15out. Let's start out with uh the Giants because this could end up being again we talked about the Giants having a like
11:22some negativity on the offensive line for sort of multiple seasons. Now we've got Harbaugh coming in. We've obviously seen Pat Ricard brought in at fullback.
11:32Malachi Fields the the big wide receiver drafted in round three who's a very good blocker. Number of tight ends including Isaiah likely brought in. And there's
11:42obviously Francis Maui Noah who not sure your favorite offensive lineman in the NFL draft, but for me it was probably Maui Noah. I think he's an absolute Mer.
11:51I think he's going to be an allp pro and they're going to be playing him at guard this year, which is interesting. Um, and
11:57I think he'll he'll eventually become a tackle. I'm not sure if you're if you're on that, but does this give you optimism
12:02for Cam Scataboo and also for Jackson Dart excelling in year two? Scataboo's sort of risen in ADP. Dart's sort of sitting there in that high-end QB2
12:12range. A lot of mixed opinions on him.
12:15Not a whole lot of love for Matt Naggie, but this offensive line could be good.
12:20Yeah, I think the engine of the offensive line for this team is Andrew Thomas. And I think last year we saw and
12:27it it's probably been something that's been there over time. Um, but four Andrew Thomas missed four games last year and the offensive line was a middle
12:36of the road unit. uh 17th in rushing success rate, 16th in stuffed run rate, 22nd in time to pressure for the
12:43quarterback. In the 13 games, Andrew Thomas is active. Their rushing success rate climbs to 12th. Their stuffed run rate, they were the second lowest in the
12:52NFL. They had the sixth best time to pressure. So, he is this force multiplier at left tackle. He allows you the freedom and the flexibility to
13:02protect your weaker links along the offensive line. Germaine Aluminor has been really good since he's come over there. They reward him with a contract.
13:09I really enjoyed Francis Maui Noah and I think that he could be one of his problems it felt like watching him was
13:16those speed rushers on the edge. He didn't lose much in college, but like the guys in the NFL are all better than
13:22anybody you ever face in college. So, by putting him inside, you're kind of putting him on bigger, maybe slower bodies that play more to his strengths.
13:30I think he's going to be an instant force multiplier. Depthwise, Lucas Patrick, Daniel Filele, Aaron Stinny all have NFL experience. It's really a good
13:41unit. They came in as a top 12 group for me. When it comes to Scatabo, I if you told me he wasn't coming off the injury
13:48he was coming off of, I would personally be more optimistic. But if he's healthy and it's me just mitigating risk, I a
13:56dislocated ankle with a fracture with ligament involvement. Like I've seen so many guys struggle with that. So for me personally, I have trouble getting on
14:03board with that aspect of it. But if you believe he's healthy, this offensive line could protect for him. And we know
14:10that Greg Roman is good as a run game caller, right? We don't know what Matt Naggi is going to do as a pass game, but
14:17we should hope that the offensive line can protect. It's definitely fair to have optimism about the Giants if you're solely looking at the offensive line,
14:25you know, and if if people want to bet big on Scatabo, it's hard to blame them based on what we saw last year. It's
14:31just how willing are you to take the risk of that injury?
14:35>> Yeah. And when you consider it's it's a John Harbaugh offense and he's bringing Greg Roman back. Greg Roman was with his
14:41brother. There's obviously this real connection that I think that the Harbaugh Roman philosophy is going to ring true. So, a lot of like the fears
14:50with Matt Naggie, the other one, Dan, is Matt Naggie historically doesn't use his quarterbacks right around the goal line.
14:57I think like you might get a little tap on the shoulder from from Harbaugh and Roman if if Naggi doesn't want to run
15:02dart on like first and goal from the one, but I I'm optimistic for Scataboo.
15:06I think he's a he's obviously kind of a kind of a maniac. Um, but I think the fact that the guy's going out there
15:12doing flips in June, I think some people saw that as like, oh my gosh, what are you doing? But I see that and I'm like,
15:18"This guy is healthy. This guy's ready to go and he doesn't really have necessarily a whole lot of regard for his body." Um, if he can hold up, I
15:25think he returns a ton of value this year. Uh, I am targeting him in drafts.
15:29Let's talk about the Saints, though. The Saints are another offense that I feel like if if Mike McDaniel didn't sign with the LA Chargers this year as OC,
15:39there'd be even more buzz about Kell Moore year two in New Orleans. They they did a ton to bring in talent uh at the
15:47skill positions. Jordan Tyson, Bryce Lance, Oscar Delp, and then certainly Travis ETN. Um but you look at the investments they've made on the
15:55offensive line over the last couple years. Could this be a real breakout offensive year?
16:01Fantasy football season is right around the corner and DraftKings is bringing you their biggest ball contest ever.
16:08We're talking a massive $20 million in total prizes, making this the largest baseball tournament in DraftKings history. And this year, not just one,
16:18but three players are going to walk away as millionaires. And right now, our partners at DraftKings are giving all customers a can'tmiss offer. Draft one,
16:27get one. Enter a lineup in the $20 million best baseball contest for just $25 and you'll receive a bonus baseball ticket to play again free for a share of
16:3920 million, giving you a second shot to be crowned a millionaire. It's simple.
16:44Just draft your team once. No weekly management. Let your top scorers automatically start each week. Every breakout star, every clutch play, and
16:52every touchdown counts towards your shot at a share of $20 million. Download the DraftKings daily fantasy app and enter a lineup for the $20 million best baseball
17:01contest for just $25 and get a bonus ticket to play free for another shot to win big. That's two shots without ever
17:08setting your lineups again in DraftKings biggest ball contest ever. Draft one, get one only on DraftKings. The crown is yours in partnership with DraftKings.
17:18Gambling Problem? Call 1800 Gambler. New York, call 877HNY or texty. Connecticut, call 8887897777 or visit ccpg.org.
17:3318 plus in most states. Restrictions apply, one per customer. Enter the best baseball 20 million headliner contest to get one bonus entry. $25 entry fee
17:44required. Reward expires at contest lock September 9th, 2026. See terms at draftkings.com/promotions.
17:52sponsored by DraftKings.
17:55Wore Kell Moore off offenses are usually printing for us in fantasy. You usually run a lot of plays. There's good tempo.
18:03Even last year, we saw all that consolidation for Chris Ave Jawan Johnson. Where's your enthusiasm level for this offense? And how good could
18:10this offensive line be?
18:13>> As of right now, um I'm skyhigh and I'll even be so in my final rankings. I'll let people behind the curtain a little
18:19bit. I have them at 11 currently before um they had an injury to Dylan Ru Rdens um the backup guard. He has a ton of
18:30experience. He was with the Titans, highly drafted. He was their most experienced depth piece. He tore his ACL, so that actually bumped them down.
18:37I had them in the top eight. Um I was skyhigh. I love Kelvin Banks. I've always enjoyed watching Kelvin Banks play. Um I I really struggled between
18:47him and Meu as the number one O line in that class. Um Tal uh Tally Fuaga was the first round pick the year before. He started on
18:57left, he moved over to right. He's kind of inconsistent in protection, but he could he gets people moving in the run
19:02game. Eric McCoy, when he's healthy, is one of the best centers in the NFL. The problem is he's played just 742 snaps
19:10since 2023. So you have to factor that part in. Um, but their biggest weakness was at left guard. They go out and they
19:17spend big money on David Edwards. And that's just one of those pieces that brings everything else into play. So now if McCoy does get hurt, you have an
19:25experienced right guard and Caesar Ruiz.
19:27You have an experienced left guard and David Edwards. Flanking them is two first round picks. Like the run game should not suffer because you can
19:35protect the center. And no matter what way you want to go, you have somebody who can help if McCoy is injured across
19:42the board. And if not, you can pick and choose where you want to attack, where you think the defense is weak. So, I
19:48think I I mean, I've been a big proponent of taking ETN throughout most of the summer. Um, you know, that he's
19:54one of those players, even with Alvin Kamar, like I just believe that he did what he did behind a questionable Jaguars offensive line last year. He's
20:02ninth in allpurpose yards across the NFL and over the last four years. That's a player that I like targeting in a
20:09situation that should be an upgrade.
20:11Yeah, ETN's getting beat up a lot right now because I think people don't like the presence of Kamara, but there's also
20:17a scenario where this this offensive line is producing at an extremely high level. Tyler Shuck takes a step forward and you just see all New Orleans Saints
20:28producing at ADP. Like I think Jordan Tyson's a fantastic target right now.
20:32Jawan Johnson has fallen in drafts. He's still, you know, still going to be viable. Uh, and certainly Tyler Shuck going in like the QB20 range, he could
20:39end up being a back-end QB1. So, betting on this offense, I I'm I'm all in. I think this is like been one that in
20:46baseball, I have so many uh New Orleans stacks right now, but I'm trying to mix in a lot of these guys in reddraft as
20:52well. So, we we'll see how it goes.
20:54Really excited about your optimism. And you mentioned, you know, docking. You I think some people hear that and they say, "Whoa, you had him at eighth and
21:00then they lose a backup lineman." just how much do you value depth when uh assessing elite offensive line play in the NFL? Because I think a lot of
21:10fantasy managers might hear that and say, "How much does that really matter?
21:13You're telling me you had a math and then they lose a backup guard." But you seem to really value that, Dan.
21:19>> So with the offensive line, you we have to consider the fact that it it's one it's five players operating as one
21:27collective unit, right? And so just to illustrate, you know, the old saying is you're only as strong as your weakest link. Well, I would argue that for a lot
21:36of teams, your sixth offensive lineman is your weakest link. Last year, if we just look at 2025, the teams that had an offensive lineman
21:45play at least 200 snaps. The average across the NFL was 7.2. Offensive linemen playing 200 snaps per team. Only three teams, the Falcons, the Ravens,
21:56and the Jets, had only five guys play 200 snaps, which means they were the healthiest ones. Now, you can put an
22:03asterisk next to the Falcons because they lost their starting and backup right tackle during camp, but they lost them during camp. So, they had time to
22:10get Elijah Wilkinson up to date. It's a wide zone scheme, so the tackle isn't necessarily as important in the run game. You probably want a better guard
22:18than a tackle in a wide zone scheme just based on the blocking assignments. And then, you know, you only have four teams
22:24that use six guys. A and some of this, just to be clear, you know, a team like Buffalo is using Alec Anderson, one of
22:31the guys who's projected to be replace David Edwards. He's their sixth offensive lineman. Sometimes the Houston Texans didn't really have a second tight
22:40end. So, they were using Blake Fischer and a former second round pick that I actually used to coach back in the day.
22:46Um, they were using him as their extra tight end, their jumbo package, right?
22:50Their 12 personnel. Um, so if you assume that every team is going to have seven offensive linemen play about 20% of your
22:58snaps, well then you want to have depth.
23:01You want to have someone who knows what he's doing, someone you could plug in and you can feel comfortable, okay, we
23:05know there's going to be a drop off, but how much of a drop off is it going to be? Because at some point we are going
23:11to need our sixth or our seventh or even our eighth offensive line. There are as many teams that there are almost as many
23:18teams that had eight offensive line play 20% of their snaps as there were seven last year. So like you have to be
23:24prepared and you have to be ready for those guys to step in.
23:27>> Yeah, definitely an offensive line we want to keep an eye on. And I really appreciate your nuanced approach with this Dan. Like this is this article will
23:34make you better at at fantasy football.
23:37Like I think a lot of us uh overlook offensive line play, but it's such a direct correlation between Dan's rankings and you go to the end of the
23:44year, like we look at points per game averages uh in terms of scoring, there's going to be a lot of teams that Dan
23:50ranks highly that are going to be right there towards the very top of the NFL.
23:53Um, and one team that I'm a little nervous about cuz I saw them ranked at 16, which is a number that I'm not so
24:00used to when seeing the Detroit Lions, the Lions under Ben Johnson, I believe one year, Dan, correct me if I'm wrong,
24:07did you have Detroit at one overall one year or were they I believe they were one for you a couple years back.
24:12>> I Yeah, I believe that was the last year Ben Johnson was there. So that would have been 2024. Going into that year,
24:17they were my top ranked team. Yeah. So, top ranked team in 2024, the team that I think is going to lead the NFL in
24:24scoring, and we see them at 16 overall.
24:26So, not like a, oh my gosh, the, you know, the sky is falling, they're ranked 16 overall. Uh, but it's still not like
24:33a number that we're used to seeing with like this sort of offensive line and with this Dan Campbell run organization.
24:41Where are we at on Detroit? Should fantasy managers be worried? And is this an offensive line that you could see easily rising up? Um just what's your
24:50confidence level? I know you have them basically smack dab in the middle here.
24:54>> So when it comes to continuity on paper, if you look at it, they have three technically returning starters, right?
25:01Penuel who's their left tackle.
25:04Christian Mahogany their left guard.
25:05Tate Ratlage their right guard. He was their second round pick I believe last year. But Pen Suell is flipping from right tackle to left. So, he played left
25:14tackle at Oregon. Um, obviously didn't.
25:17He opted out, I believe, the 2020 COVID season. So, it's been a while. 2019 is the last time he's full-time done it,
25:23but he's such a high quality player.
25:25It's like Tristan Warfs in Tampa Bay.
25:27You flip him and you just assume he's going to become awesome, right? Um, they were a team that was probably in the
25:34fringe top 12 for me, but then their center, Cade Mays, who was their big inside interior upgrade, he's out with a
25:41broken wrist. We don't really know what that looks like and when he's going to return. So now that puts Juice Scrugs in
25:48between a left guard that struggled and got hurt last year, a right guard who's a young player who you're trying to get
25:53more out of, and then there was an old saying way back in the day, and I I truly don't know who said it, but it it
25:59has rung true for the most part. If you have a rookie t left tackle, it used to be back in the day, you aren't a
26:07contending team. You're not a Super Bowl team. And for the most part, if you look at it, I think there's only been nine
26:13teams in the Super Bowl era who have made it to a Super Bowl with a rookie tackle. And I would say in today's NFL
26:20with the fact that, you know, edge rushers are good from both sides, we could probably expend expand that to any tackle. If you have a rookie tackle, you
26:27may not be a team that we should take seriously. Look at Will Campbell, how he struggled in the playoffs. The Patriots
26:34got, you know, who knows how Denver goes if Bo Knicks is healthy, right? We we just these are things they earned their
26:40way to the Super Bowl, but we constantly saw the left side of that offensive line get attacked and then Seattle just kind
26:46of broke the dams open in the Super Bowl and were really able to exploit that. So Blake Miller, their rookie right tackle,
26:53first round pick. Um he has the most career starts in Clemson history. He was a player that I watched and it's like he
26:59looks like he is he is Detroit football.
27:02>> Yeah, he's a Yeah, like we loved him in the draft. like, you know, not to get too off like >> I know that you're you're you're an
27:08elite offensive line expert when it comes to NFL draft prospects. Like he checks off all the boxes. He's like a former wrestler. The size is elite. A
27:16million starts at the highest level of college football. It was a very like onbrand pick for them.
27:23>> He missed one practice in his career during spring and it was the day he got a wrist surgery and he came back the
27:31next day and he was still So it's like a maniac. Yeah, he is a Dan Campbell pick.
27:35He's going to fit in well, but I think losing that stability. Cade Mays, good starter last year. Juice Scrugs has starting experience, but there's a
27:43reason why Houston was willing to trade him to get David Montgomery and some draft picks. So, I think the interior is
27:49a little bit of a concern for me, but Drew Petting, you know, it he's been an okay offensive coordinator when given
27:56the chance. Um, you have Hank Freillley, a really, really good offensive line coach, arguably probably the best one in the NFL now that Jeff Stoutland isn't
28:04doing it, and you have Dan Campbell. So, it's like if they can help Ping kind of get the run game on track, it's an
28:11offensive line that could absolutely climb. It's just I would feel better about it if I knew Cade Maze was at center, if I knew that they didn't have
28:19another question mark among their interior where I already had two question marks coming into the season.
28:25So, just to keep going on the rankings, it was 14 was Baltimore, 15 was Pittsburgh, 16 Lions. Then we go 17 with
28:31the Atlanta Falcons. Some positivity there in your article with them. New England at 18. We talk about Will Campbell's improvement being like very
28:39key. The Bengals are interesting, Dan.
28:41They they have a ton of continuity really as a as a team, but the offensive line, uh, this is all five starters
28:49returning. Quick thoughts on them.
28:51>> Yeah, I like them a lot. Um, returning all five starters is big. My only question coming in, um, they definitely
28:58grew towards the end of the year.
28:59Amarius Mims is starting to look like he should be should have been a first round pick. Um, Dylan Fairchild played well,
29:06but when Joe Burrow came back, um, he was the quarterback eight among 90 quarterbacks with 90 attempts at getting the ball out fast. He averaged 2.5
29:17seconds or 2.55 seconds per throw, which if the ball's getting out fast, that is allowing defense, you know, that's not putting as
29:26much pressure on the offensive line and protection. Um, if the ball's getting out fast, defenses can't necessarily stack the box because the ball's coming
29:34out quick. So, you're going to try and get into those passing lanes. So, I'm I'm optimistic. I think the continuity is really good. I think they have pieces
29:42to be a very good unit. I just want to see what does it look like, especially with them trying to go under center
29:48more. Like what does that look like? Um because the reviews in camp have been pretty spotty so far. Um but if they can
29:56figure that out or if they can find that groove and get get into the season healthy, that's a unit that I could
30:01easily see climbing and pushing into that top 12 group as time goes on.
30:05>> Yeah, it's interesting. You talked about last year the transition for Caleb Williams going under center. This year we're going to see Jaden Daniels under
30:11center a lot. We're going to see Jaylen Herz under center a lot and like you said the Bengals I think are really
30:15going to try it with Joe Burrow if it works out. I mean I think it's a copycat league and teams see sort of the
30:21success. Um but it also could go south and teams could be just right back in the shotgun. We'll keep an eye on that.
30:27And Dan is going to be doing updated offensive line rankings every week over at Rotoire including more like appointment read articles. Uh make sure
30:35you're following all that. Let's keep this conversation going and let's keep the rankings going. So, we talked about the Bengals at 19, Kansas City at 20,
30:4421, Minnesota, and I think a a lot of that sort of rests on how healthy Darasaw is and how how much he bounces
30:51back. Did I summarize that correctly, Dan?
30:54>> Yeah, 100%. That and they have um Frank Smith as their new offensive coordinator. He was with Mike McDaniel in Miami. How well do they acclimate to
31:03more of a wide zone offense? Their interior isn't necessarily these quicker guys that you want to see on those kinds of plays. So, how well do they mesh with
31:11this rush style is another question I have.
31:13>> But a lot of uh a lot of optimism usually when we have a Kevin Oonnell offense, especially I mean you can't
31:18fall out of the first floor, and last year was about as bad as it gets. So, it's all it's all up all uphill from
31:24here. Um what's interesting for me is you have the Jets at 22, Arizona at 23, and then the Raiders, who were dead last
31:31in scoring in the NFL last year at 24.
31:34Last year, we saw massive improvements with Clint Kubak. it with Seattle's offensive line. Seattle gave up one of the league high uh numbers in terms of
31:43sacks in 2024. Last year they were like bottom five in sacks allowed. Uh Clint Kubak see seems like an offensive line
31:51whisperer. You've got them at 24, but this feels like an optimistic rating for a team that had real problems last year.
31:58>> Yeah, I think number one, when you're without your left tackle for most of the season, that's always going to hurt. Um,
32:05as time has gone on and we've heard more and more about what the Raiders were doing last year and the fact that it um,
32:12Pete Carol's son was the offensive line coach, it didn't really seem like it was jelling super well. You have them starting a bunch of guys who aren't
32:21necessarily proven this year. You get Colton Miller back healthy. You make the signing of free agency with Tyler Linderbomb. Um, you still have Jackson
32:30Powers Johnson competing at guard. You add Spencer Berford who isn't a great left guard but he's experienced and he's from the 49ers system so he's kind of
32:39got that wide zone background. Um you know you draft Trey Zoo Texas A&M's I believe he was their left tackle last
32:46year he was their third round pick. He's probably a guard in the NFL. So you're putting these structures into place so
32:52that you can go into this wide zone system and really where the pass protection comes in. if you can run the
32:57ball well, he's going to playaction you to death and they're going to attack you and they're going to be able to push
33:03downfield. Um, and that's kind of what Sam Darnold was able to do. You know, what does that look like with Kurt
33:08Cousins and Fernando Mendoza? Time will tell, but I think there's a re and you had offensive line coach, um, Rick Dennison. He's a really good offensive
33:17line coach. And so, you're starting to see the foundation of this offense settle. And that's a reason for optimism. you're going to be able to
33:26mitigate some of your stuff as long as Coltton Miller Miller is healthy with Tyler Linderbomb in the middle. You've got two above average players there and
33:35you have experience at other spots. So, I think there's a it's hard to rank them higher going into the season, but I
33:41could see them taking off, especially with a former top 10 pick at running back. I'm a big Ashton Gent believer and
33:47I think that he's going to really take off in this offense if he's healthy.
33:51>> Yeah, we we had Ryan Paganetti on uh last week. He was with the Raiders last year and they talked about like Colton
33:57Miller was a player that internally they viewed as really an elite player and when they lost him it was kind of all
34:02downhill.
34:03>> Talk about the Jets because sort of like the Saints in a sense that they put all this investment through the draft. We
34:10saw Ulu Fashionu drafted a year later Armanu who looks like he could be an allp pro sort of like Kelvin Banks. Then
34:18they extended Joe Tipman who's been a really solid player for them. You've got them at 22, but four starters returning.
34:25Uh, a lot of continuity there. Where are you at on the Jets? Could they overperform?
34:31>> So, they have all the talent in the world and and you're 100% right. It is very similar to the New Orleans Saints.
34:37They are this highly talented two first round picks that tackle in the like they have this young tackle group. Joe Titman's been a good guard. They
34:44invested in Dylan Parm to fix left guard. Um, Josh Meyers is an okay center. He's fine. My big concern with them is Frank Reich. Um, if you look at
34:55the Frank Reich coaching history, he is fired from the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. He lasted 11 games with the Carolina Panthers in 2023. Both times,
35:06both places he was in, the offensive lines were struggling by the end. And then he leaves and they instantly ascend to these top groups, you know, India.
35:15And some of that is, you know, with Carolina, he leaves and they add two guards. Like, does that matter?
35:20Absolutely 100%. But it's still the bones of that unit are still together.
35:25And so I have concerns. Is he a guy who is going to get the most out of this group or is the talent going to have to
35:32rise? And then you add in the fact that their depth isn't very strong. You know, Max Mitchell is a guy they took in the
35:38day three a couple years ago. He's played a little bit at right tackle, but he's not super experienced. Chuck Sakoraphor was in Pittsburgh. He, you
35:46know, has been replaced several times over by now. So, if anyone gets hurt in this unit, what does that look like? And
35:52can Frank Reich and the offense support that? And based on his last two stops, I just don't know that that's true.
35:59>> Yeah, he's definitely doesn't like make us like super confident. It it just feels like such a weird hire. But there
36:05is talent there. And specifically Bree Hall, who last year at his first thousand rushing yard season, we're seeing Bree Hall go in like the late
36:13third round, early fourth round in some leagues. I took him at the 312 yesterday in an FFPC 350. I love that value. But
36:21last year he was fourth in breakaway runs. He had 17 rushes that went for 15 yards plus. He had eight that went for
36:2820 yards plus. Where's your optimism level if this offensive line can hold up? Could we see Bruce Hall return major value? Uh obviously the pass catching,
36:38we've seen it in previous seasons. He would need to have some utilization there to really pay off. But where's your comfort level with Bree Hall when
36:45you look at this this offensive line?
36:48>> Yeah, I'm comfortable with where he's going. He's not a part of that early pack, that first second round. If he was
36:54going in the second round with those guys like, you know, Derrick Henry, Chase Brown, all that, I would probably say, hey, pump the brakes a little bit.
37:02But if you're someone who wants to target wide receivers early because that's where you think you can have an edge, people are really going after
37:10running backs in round one and round two. And so Bree Hall is one of these guys we know he's explosive. The having
37:16four starters returning the four starters elevates the floor, especially the talent level. We have some first round picks there. The continuity raises
37:24the ceiling. if they can overcome the coaching or if they can find a way, you know, one thing that could help um their
37:31offensive line coach Steve Hayen, he returns from last year's staff, so he has familiarity with the talent. So, if he and Frank Reich can work together and
37:40be like, "Okay, how do we make this offensive line work? That's a reason to believe a little bit more than if it was
37:47just Frank Reich bringing in his own guys because we've seen that kind of falter the last few stops." So, we've got at 25 the Houston Texans. Uh there's
37:57some at least some interesting offensive uh young offensive linemen there. They took Urseri in in the 2025 draft this year. They took Kalin Rutled who's like
38:06an absolute mauler. Then you've got Miami Dolphins at 26. Again, Kaden Proctor, another like they put big investment there. You mentioned how they
38:15they move some guys around. Uh then we get down to 27, the Washington Commanders. Obviously, if Laramie Tonsil was healthy, where would you have had
38:24Washington?
38:25>> I think I initially had them around probably like a high like 20. I think they were 20. Um, tonsil like a good
38:33having a good left tackle, having a player that you can put on an island and that you know is going to get one-on-one
38:39and allows you to free up your other four offensive linemen to help each other. that is such a value that it is
38:47absolutely worth a seven spot drop in these rankings, especially because it really sounds like they're not going to have tonsil at all this year. As time
38:56goes on, there's real questions over if he can contribute at all. And so, you know, that means that you're putting Andrew Wy or their initial plan is
39:06Brandon Coleman at left tackle. And I've seen people on social media say, "Well, Brandon Coleman was their starter in 2024 when they went to the conference
39:15championship." He also gave up nine sacks that year. The rest of their offensive lineman combined gave up nine sacks. Um, they had a more experienced
39:25center with Tyler Bianish, right, who you cut this off season.
39:28>> And now on the Chargers, >> right, you had maybe not as talented as Josh Connorly, but Andrew Wy was your
39:35starting right tackle that year. Chris Paul as their left guard. Um I can't remember off the top of my head who they
39:40had at left guard there, but they and then Sam Cosby is the one holdover, the one guy who was really a full-time
39:45starter on both units. And so, you know, Brandon Coleman, yeah, he showed some flashes a couple years ago. The team thought so much of that they moved him
39:53into center last year and he was a backup center until this happened. So, I had concerns coming in um that, you
40:01know, Nick Aliggretti, your starting center, he's only played 178 career center snaps. Josh Connorly, you know, there were some positives last year. He
40:10still gave up eight sacks on and 43 pressures. So, like there were question marks coming in, but you could at least
40:17tell yourself a story where it's like, okay, Sam Cosby and Laramie Tonsel are good enough to offset that, but now I
40:24don't know how much they're going to be able to do that. And so, you know, it it's hard to be super optimistic and add
40:30in the fact Cliff Kingsbury for all of his limitations, he's proven to be a really good runame offensive coordinator.
40:38Well, we don't know what David Blau is.
40:40Is David Blau going to be able to capture some of that? Is he going to lean more on when he was a quarterback
40:45with Detroit, you know, he had a year with Anthony Lynn, who's on his staff now, I believe he's the running back's
40:51coach, and then he had a year with Ben Johnson. So, what is he going to be? How was he able to address this offensive
40:56line? It's hard to be super optimistic going into the season. You can just hope that, okay, Brandon Coleman has gr grown, Josh Connorly has grown, that
41:05they can make this work. But it's way less certain without Tonsel in the in the mix.
41:10>> A team that we're drafting a lot of and we have optimism for in fantasy football, but a major disconnect with
41:17where you have them ranked is the Jacksonville Jaguars. And certainly last year they didn't have like a worldbeating offensive line. Liam Cohen
41:25really kind of schemed it up, but where are you at on this one? 28th overall.
41:29Could we see regression with uh scoring with Jacksonville? I think are you worried about them offensively? Are you looking to avoid Jaguars in your drafts?
41:38Where are you at on this one?
41:40>> I think Liam Cohen is probably one of the better offensive coaches in the NFL.
41:45Um I think he's proven that. I have been someone I struggle with Bashaw Tutin. I see the explosiveness. I I understand
41:53the argument 100%. Like I I'm I totally get it, but how much can Bashalt Tutin have the same success as Travis ETN, a
42:04former first round pick, somebody who you could set your watch to for rushing, somebody who you know has experience, has familiarity with this. So I am not
42:14really necessarily on tootin that entire block of like year two running backs that go in that four five range on best
42:21ball. You know I typically am either taking the cheapest one which a lot of times right now is Bucky Irving which
42:27Tampa Bay is my third ranked offensive line so I'm comfortable with that. Or I'm taking guys I believe I know are
42:32good. David Montgomery, DeAndre Swift.
42:34They're not the sexiest names but like I know DeAndre Swift is in the Bears offense. I know David Montgomery is going to be the focal point of that
42:42Houston offense and a team that has a good defense. So, I have my concerns.
42:47I'm less concerned about the passing game because Trevor Lawrence has mobility. He has the ability to move within the pocket. He avoided 12 sacks
42:56last year. That's not necessarily sticky, but he at least understands what's in front of him, and that's okay.
43:02I just It sounds like they're moving.
43:04Um, one of the big issues, Cole Van Lannon, their left tackle last year, he hurt his knee week 18. He started this
43:10off seasonason on the pup list. I don't They have never come out and said what he did, but I think it's telling that
43:16Anton Harrison, their longtime right tackle, is playing left tackle. So now you're taking some of that continuity and you're dinging it a little bit
43:24because you you're moving a guy, you know? So, I just don't know what this unit's going to look like. And I I think
43:30it's fair. I have I struggle with the price tag on Tuton, but I think it's an offense where in baseball I probably am
43:36fine taking any of the pieces and hoping for the best. But in a managed league, maybe I'm just taking Trevor Lawrence
43:42and just and if I think the offense is good, then he's probably going to be a good player to have >> in Liam Cohen we trust, but doesn't
43:50really have the the raw pieces this year. Rounding out your rankings, Carolina at 29, the Green Bay Packers at 30 or excuse me, it was Green Bay at 30
43:59here. Um, yeah, Green Bay at 30. That's really bottom of the barrel there. Um, and then we've got the Cleveland Browns
44:05who've added a number of pieces at 31 and then Tennessee rounding out at 32.
44:10Dan's article is amazing. Make sure you go read it at rotowire.com if you're listening on the podcast. And if you're watching on YouTube, I'm putting it
44:18right in the show description. It's really one of the best fantasy football articles I've read all offseason long.
44:24Dan, you absolutely hit this one out of the park. Uh, let everybody know once again where they can find your work.
44:30Yeah. Um, basically right now I'm on roto wire for offensive line. Um, if there's a website that has the word roto
44:37or is an acronym, I'm probably doing some sort of fantasy content for them this year. Um, FTN, Roto Baller, PFSN, um, player profile. You know, I'm all
44:47over the place. Um, and then on Twitter, it's fornic. It's just, you know, my name, first middle initial. So, um, you
44:55know, I'm not super active on social media, but I always enjoy engaging with people and I and I try not to argue too
45:01much, but you know, it's it's just the way social media is, I guess.
45:05>> 100%. Make sure you follow Dan and make sure you stick with us here at Rotoire.
45:09We're going to drop shows like this all throughout August. We're going to help you crush your leagues this season.
45:14Do you love Survivor pools? Well, how about stepping your game up and entering the Survivor pool with Circa Sports?
45:21Circumillion 8 and Circus Survivor are going big for the 2026 football season with 30 million in guaranteed prizes.
45:29Cash in this football season in Las Vegas with three circa sports contest entry starting at $1,000 with no rake.
45:37You've got Circa Million, which is 18 weeks of point spread action. Uh 128 ways to win. The winner takes home $1
45:46million. You've got Circa Survivor picking one winner each week. Last one standing wins 20 million guaranteed to the winners. Then you've got Circa
45:55Grandimo, a massive contest with a $100,000 entry. You enter in Nevada and you play from anywhere. $30 million guaranteed. Visit
46:06circasports.com/contest for details.
