Yahoo Fantasy Football

Puka Nacua is featured in the episode artwork for Hayden's Top 16 Favorite Picks for the 2026 Fantasy Season, suggesting he may be among the source's preferred draft targets, though specific reasoning is not provided in the available content.

Ricky Pearsall, a 2024 first-round pick for the 49ers who was ticketed for a big role in 2026, will miss the entire season due to injury; this represents bad news for the 49ers' receiver room and eliminates him from fantasy consideration for 2026.

Haynes King, a Panthers rookie quarterback, is the subject of a bold prediction by ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, who believes King will factor into the Panthers' 2026 plans, suggesting he may see meaningful playing time.

Jeremiyah Love is listed as an early favorite for 2026-27 NFL Rookie of the Year odds, indicating strong expectations for his rookie season performance.

Zach Charbonnet's recovery from a torn ACL has complicated the Seahawks' transition at running back; however, a national NFL writer believes Seattle already has its next featured back waiting, suggesting Charbonnet may not be the primary option despite his prior role.

Kenneth Walker III left the Seattle Seahawks for the Kansas City Chiefs, creating a change of the guard at running back for Seattle and opening the door for another back to assume a featured role.

Zachariah Branch, a Falcons rookie wide receiver, is identified as one of the source's favorite rookie fantasy WR bargains and is noted as being undervalued; the source walked through his value in June and now considers him an even bigger bargain heading into the 2026 season.

Ladd McConkey is flagged as overvalued by the fantasy market; the source issued warnings about his valuation last summer and continues to caution against overvaluing him in 2026 drafts.

Luther Burden is highlighted as one of five fantasy football breakout picks to prioritize in 2026 drafts, suggesting the source expects him to emerge as a significant contributor this season.

Jalen Hurts is included in a list of five quarterbacks to avoid in 2026 fantasy drafts, indicating the source views him as a poor value or risky pick at his current draft position.

Jayden Daniels is listed among five quarterbacks to avoid in 2026 fantasy drafts, suggesting concerns about his fantasy outlook relative to draft capital.

Lamar Jackson is flagged as a fantasy football trap at his current price; he averaged a career-low 26.8 rushing yards per game last season, a significant decline from his historical rushing production that underpinned his fantasy value.

Stroud disappointed the last two years after a QB11 FPPG rookie finish, but context matters: he posted QB14 results through six weeks of his sophomore campaign before injuries struck his receiving corps. Removing the injury game and first game back, Stroud averaged 16.8 FPPG over 11 contests, which would have tied him as QB15. JJ Zachariason argues a brighter 2026 picture is easily painted with a stronger supporting cast, and Stroud is locked in as his team's starter for the full season while facing the ninth friendliest fantasy QB schedule.

After breaking onto the scene with a QB11 finish in FPPG as a rookie, Stroud has disappointed the last two years. However, he wasn't far off those numbers at the start of his sophomore campaign, posting QB14 fantasy results through the first six weeks before injuries struck his receiving corps. While he only managed QB23 fantasy numbers last year, an injury derailed his season and caused him to miss three games.

Willis offers significant fantasy ceiling thanks to his expected rushing production despite his ADP not rising into the middle rounds like other late-round QBs with massive rushing upside. In his three relief starts over the last two years with the Packers, Willis posted rushing totals of 41, 60 and 73 yards while averaging a touchdown per game on the ground, finishing as a top-seven fantasy QB in two of those three contests. It would be wise to pair him with a more stable option like Jared Goff.

Shough was a revelation during the second half of his rookie season, averaging the 12th-most points per game (17.6 FPPG) during his nine starts after taking over in Week 9. Among full-time starters over that stretch, he was eighth in attempts, fifth in completions, third in completion percentage and ninth in yards per attempt. He also ran for 174 yards with at least 30 rushing yards in three of his last five appearances and scored three rushing touchdowns. His environment has improved with the additions of first-round wideout Jordyn Tyson, running back Travis Etienne Jr. and guard David Edwards. In one of the fastest-paced offenses in the league, Shough is in the mix to crack the top-12 fantasy QBs.

Love hasn't been a top-12 fantasy quarterback in either of the past two seasons, falling to QB13 in fantasy points per game in 2024 and QB21 last season. This has occurred due to an overall drop in average yards and touchdowns through the air, but the bigger concern has been his reduced rushing production. Love ran for 247 yards and four TDs during his strong 2023 campaign but managed just 282 yards and one score over the last two years combined. While the potential for a spike-season is still there, Love is just one of many fantasy QB2s hoping to shock the world.

Stafford finished as QB5 in FPPG last season on the back of 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. However, that 46 TD total was more than he accumulated in the two previous seasons combined when he was QB20 and QB28. At 38 years old, Stafford has only thrown more than 32 TDs twice in his career, making it a risky game to expect elite totals from older passers year after year.

While Mahomes finished as the fourth highest scoring fantasy QB on a per-game basis in 2025, that bounce-back came after down seasons where he fell to QB11 in 2024 and QB12 in 2023. His 2025 rebound was thanks to career highs on the ground with 422 rushing yards and five touchdowns. It's unlikely he'll repeat those rushing stats in the first season after a torn ACL suffered in Week 15, as other quarterbacks returning from ACL tears have been hesitant to use their legs the following year. With less rushing attempts and so many good quarterbacks to choose from, Mahomes is a tough sell inside the top 100 picks.

Purdy has averaged top-12 fantasy stats for three straight campaigns, including the second-most at the position (22.7 FPPG) during an injury-shortened 2025 season. He was the hottest fantasy quarterback down the stretch last year, averaging 28.3 points per game over the final five weeks—more than any other passer. Purdy has proven himself as a reliable fantasy starter with a surprising ceiling.

Lawrence was a top-six fantasy QB on a per-game basis during his first season in Liam Coen's offense and improved down the stretch as he became more comfortable. The 26-year-old finished as a top-five fantasy QB in four of his last five outings. He faces the fourth easiest fantasy schedule among QBs in 2026 and has an even deeper group of pass-catchers to work with.

Herbert finished as the second-highest scoring QB in 2021 and has shown stretches of strong production under Jim Harbaugh. Last year he averaged the fourth-most fantasy points among quarterbacks over the first nine weeks (21.8 FPPG) before injuries to himself and his offensive line took their toll. With better injury luck and the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, a top-five fantasy finish is well within reach.

Burrow has dealt with injuries and underperformed at times recently, leading managers down a road of regret for investing heavily in his services.

Daniels was QB4 overall in fantasy points per game as a rookie with six outings above 28 fantasy points, including four of his final five appearances. After an injury-riddled 2025 season where he only played the majority of snaps in six games, he returns healthy in a new offense that added Stefon Diggs and Chig Okonkwo alongside Terry McLaurin. If he stays upright, there's a non-zero chance Daniels pushes to be the No. 1 fantasy quarterback this season.

Jackson has dealt with injuries and underperformed at times recently, leading managers down a road of regret for investing heavily in his services.

Allen is described as 'as close to a sure thing as exists in the fantasy world,' having finished as the top QB in four of the last six seasons and never falling below third at the position during that span.

Rodriguez Jr. shares a similar skill set with Bhayshul Tuten in Jacksonville's backfield, creating ambiguity about Tuten's role and potential split of carries in 2026.

Gibbs was the superior talent in Detroit's backfield, but David Montgomery was able to force a timeshare, taking goal-line carries and averaging 2.7 targets per game despite Gibbs' presence.

Marks underperformed in every rushing efficiency metric as a rookie for Houston, establishing weak competition for David Montgomery in the Texans' 2026 backfield and reducing Montgomery's relative risk.

Dowdle's ADP of 85.7 places him within the RB Dead Zone range, identifying him as a potential candidate to navigate carefully in 2026 drafts based on the Dead Zone framework discussed.

Stevenson's ADP of 82.7 places him within the RB Dead Zone range, identifying him as a potential candidate to navigate carefully in 2026 drafts based on the Dead Zone framework discussed.

Warren's ADP of 76.3 places him within the RB Dead Zone range, identifying him as a potential candidate to navigate carefully in 2026 drafts based on the Dead Zone framework discussed.

Tuten's ADP of 63.2 places him in the RB Dead Zone with significant red flags. He has zero NFL starts and his highest single-game target share last year was only 9.0%, mirroring the cautionary Kaleb Johnson example. Tuten shares a similar skill set with backfield mate Chris Rodriguez Jr., creating ambiguity about his role. The Jaguars' offensive uncertainty and potential split with Rodriguez Jr. suggest Tuten may be viewed as a Dead Zone RB by season's end despite potentially starting the year.

Montgomery's ADP of 53.7 falls outside the traditional RB Dead Zone range, but Mike Mcdaniel views him as a worthwhile swing at cost due to favorable risk-reward. Offseason reports confirm he will be Houston's RB1 for 2026. In Detroit, Montgomery forced a timeshare despite superior talent (Jahmyr Gibbs), averaging 2.7 targets per game and securing goal-line carries. He joins a Texans backfield where former lead back Woody Marks underperformed in every rushing efficiency metric as a rookie, reducing Montgomery's relative risk versus upside.

Jacobs' departure from the Raiders landed Zamir White in the RB2 conversation for 2024. White had earned 19 targets while sharing carries with Jacobs, but the situation broke differently than anticipated when Jacobs left.

Harris was out of the picture when the Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson in Day 2, creating the narrative that Johnson would be the RB1. The source uses Harris's absence as context for why the market bought into Johnson's lead role.

Marks fell below league average in every rushing efficiency metric as a rookie for Houston, providing context for why David Montgomery is positioned as the Texans' RB1 for 2026. The source uses Marks' poor efficiency to support the case that Montgomery's competition is weak.

Dowdle is listed with an ADP of 85.7 for 2026, falling in the Dead Zone range. The source identifies him as a potential Dead Zone candidate but provides no specific analysis of his role, situation, or upside in the excerpt provided.

Stevenson is listed with an ADP of 82.7 for 2026, falling in the Dead Zone range. The source identifies him as a potential Dead Zone candidate but provides no specific analysis of his role, situation, or upside in the excerpt provided.

Tuten is listed with an ADP of 63.2 for 2026, falling in the Dead Zone range. The source identifies him as a potential Dead Zone candidate but provides no specific analysis of his role, situation, or upside in the excerpt provided.