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This is a long article. We all have short attention spans. Use the links below to jump straight to a tier or a team.

• What Changed This Week
• Injury News
• The Lowdown
• The Best of the Best - Cowboys
• The Next Best - Rams
• Certified Good Ideas - Bengals, Lions
• More Flawed (But Still Worth Stacking) - Falcons, Bills, Colts, Jaguars, Chargers, Saints, Giants, Buccaneers
• Eh, I Guess (Hold Your Nose and Draft) - Cardinals, Bears, Raiders, Vikings, Commanders
• If You Have To - Ravens, Broncos, Packers, Texans, Chiefs, Patriots, Eagles, Steelers, Seahawks, 49ers
• Don't Bother - Panthers, Browns, Dolphins, Jets, Titans

New to these tournaments? Start with 2026 DraftKings NFL Best Ball Tournament Basic Strategies for the format rules and roster construction basics.

What Changed This Week

Updated 9/1/2026. Every ADP in this article has been refreshed to today's DraftKings numbers, measured against the 8/20 update. Roster cutdowns are complete, so this is the last update before the season opens.

The Big Movers

• WR Kayshon Boutte, Texans: 200.7 to 163.2 (Round 17 to Round 14)
• WR Jordyn Tyson, Saints: 103.6 to 138.5 (Round 9 to Round 12)
• WR Chris Bell, Dolphins: 222.0 to 191.4 (Round 19 to Round 16)
• WR Keenan Allen, Colts: 186.4 to 156.0 (Round 16 to Round 14)
• WR De'Zhaun Stribling, 49ers: 110.5 to 82.9 (Round 10 to Round 7)
• WR Ja'Kobi Lane, Ravens: 159.7 to 139.6 (Round 14 to Round 12)
• TE Oronde Gadsden II, Chargers: 169.5 to 189.2 (Round 15 to Round 16)
• WR Tank Dell, Texans: 179.8 to 198.9 (Round 15 to Round 17)
• WR Travis Hunter, Jaguars: 167.3 to 184.5 (Round 14 to Round 16)
• WR Malachi Fields, Giants: 195.9 to 178.9 (Round 17 to Round 15)
• QB Michael Penix Jr., Falcons: 227.7 to 211.7 (Round 19 to Round 18)
• TE Terrance Ferguson, Rams: 169.0 to 155.6 (Round 15 to Round 13)
• QB Tua Tagovailoa, Falcons: 207.5 to 220.7 (Round 18 to Round 19)
• WR Zachariah Branch, Falcons: 197.8 to 210.6 (Round 17 to Round 18)
• WR Tre Tucker, Raiders: 161.4 to 149.2 (Round 14 to Round 13)
• WR Jalen Nailor, Raiders: 147.5 to 159.5 (Round 13 to Round 14)
• QB Fernando Mendoza, Raiders: 181.2 to 192.9 (Round 16 to Round 17)
• WR Adonai Mitchell, Jets: 176.7 to 165.3 (Round 15 to Round 14)
• TE Dalton Schultz, Texans: 172.7 to 161.7 (Round 15 to Round 14)
• WR KC Concepcion, Browns: 120.1 to 109.6 (Round 11 to Round 10)

Injury News

Current through 9/1/2026. Pared down to players who are out for the season, on injured reserve or PUP to start the year, in real danger of missing Week 1, or returning from an extended absence.

Out for the Season

• WR Jayden Higgins, Texans - torn ACL. Placed on injured reserve 8/21.
• WR Ricky Pearsall, 49ers - PCL. Out for the year after opting for surgery.
• WR Calvin Austin III, Giants - knee. Placed on injured reserve 8/27.
• C Tyler Biadasz, Chargers - knee. Placed on injured reserve 8/23. Rookie second-rounder Jake Slaughter takes over at center, which moves Kayode Awosika to left guard.
• C Danny Pinter, Ravens - torn patellar tendon. Placed on injured reserve 8/26. Baltimore was already thin at center after Tyler Linderbaum's departure.
• G Chase Bisontis, Cardinals - torn MCL. Placed on injured reserve. The 34th overall pick was competing with Isaiah Adams for the starting right guard job.

On Injured Reserve With a Return Designation

• WR Jordyn Tyson, Saints - hamstring. Placed on IR 8/30. Eligible to return in Week 5.
• LT Laremy Tunsil, Commanders - triceps. Placed on IR 8/31. Estimated return is Week 15.
• WR Tank Dell, Texans - knee. Eligible to return in Week 5. Nick Caserio said Tuesday that Dell is closer than he was in training camp but still not there.
• RB Isiah Pacheco, Lions - back. Placed on IR 9/1. Eligible to return in Week 5.
• C Cade Mays, Lions - wrist. Placed on IR 8/30. Eligible to return in Week 5. Backup Seth McLaughlin is in concussion protocol.
• G Patrick Mekari, Jaguars - back. Placed on IR 8/31 following surgery. Eligible to return in Week 5.
• WR Christian Kirk, 49ers - calf. Placed on IR 8/30. Eligible to return in Week 5.
• QB Dillon Gabriel, Browns - back. Placed on IR 8/31. Todd Monken said the injury is not considered serious.

Starting the Season on PUP or NFI

• LT Ickey Ekwonu, Panthers - knee. Moved to the reserve/PUP list 8/31. Eligible to return in Week 6.
• RT Taylor Moton, Panthers. Moved to the reserve/non-football illness list 8/31. Eligible to return in Week 6.

Week 1 in Question

• WR Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals - knee. Zac Taylor said Tuesday that Chase will be limited in practice this week.
• WR Malik Nabers, Giants - knee. On the field in uniform at Tuesday's practice.
• WR Mike Evans, 49ers - groin. John Lynch said Tuesday that the team hopes to have Evans back at practice next week.
• WR Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers - toe. Did not practice Tuesday. Todd Bowles has said he hopes Egbuka is ready for Week 1.
• WR Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers - knee. Remained sidelined at Tuesday's practice.
• WR Khalil Shakir, Bills - undisclosed. Remained sidelined at Tuesday's practice.
• TE Sam LaPorta, Lions - hip. Returned to practice 8/25. He missed the final eight games of 2025 with a herniated disc in his back.
• RB Alvin Kamara, Saints - MCL sprain. Expected to be out about a month.
• RB Kyle Monangai, Bears - right knee. Ben Johnson called him week-to-week on Tuesday.
• RB Jeremiyah Love, Cardinals - ankle. At Tuesday's practice but not suited up.

Returning From an Extended Absence

• WR Luther Burden III, Bears - groin. Ben Johnson said Burden would practice Tuesday.
• WR Alec Pierce, Colts - ankle. Chris Ballard said Tuesday the hope is Pierce plays Week 1 against the Ravens.
• TE George Kittle, 49ers - Achilles. Activated off the PUP list 8/23 and being eased back into practice this week.
• TE Tucker Kraft, Packers - knee. Expected to be full go for Week 1.
• RB Christian McCaffrey, 49ers. Suited up and went through drills at Tuesday's practice.
• RB Chuba Hubbard, Panthers - hamstring. Returned to practice Tuesday.
• WR DK Metcalf, Steelers - undisclosed. Expected to be ready for Week 1.
• WR Michael Pittman Jr., Steelers - hamstring. Expected to be ready for Week 1.
• TE Kenyon Sadiq, Jets - hernia. Aaron Glenn said Monday that Sadiq remains on track for Week 1.
• RB Breece Hall, Jets - groin. Expected back for Week 1.

Off the Field

• WR Puka Nacua, Rams. Under NFL review for potential discipline under the personal conduct policy. He was not placed on the commissioner's exempt list. He is also listed with a groin injury and was off to the side for team drills Monday.
• LT Alaric Jackson, Rams. Also under NFL review. Separately managing a blood clot issue.
• WR Rashod Bateman, Ravens. Also under NFL review.
• RB Josh Jacobs, Packers. On the commissioner's exempt list. Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that he anticipates Jacobs playing at some point in 2026.

The Lowdown

This article is very specifically targeted towards stacking team passing offenses in the large DraftKings NFL best ball tournaments. This does have some overlap with Underdog formats, but data like ADPs is specifically from DraftKings. A few things to keep in mind:

1. ADP data is current as of 9/1/2026. I will keep these (alongside injuries) updated weekly during the preseason. Some ADPs will likely continue to move a good bit over the week(s). Apologies if anything is temporarily outdated.
2. The intent of this is to look for high ceilings without any real consideration for floors, specifically during the tournament playoff weeks that occur during weeks 15 through 17.
3. Tiering was done as a function of the quality of the offensive players themselves on top of their schedule. A "good" schedule has favorable conditions for shootouts with games either located indoors or in generally good-weather cities (for December).
4. This should not be the only system with which you build a roster. Even if you stack the passing offenses from two teams or partially stack three, you still need a few high-quality running backs and players from other teams to round out your team. You still need a reasonable floor to make it through the first 14 weeks in your original draft pod.
5. Just because a team is listed low on this list does not mean they don't have some valuable players to fill out your roster. Don't be afraid to snag a few players even from the down bad teams who you like outside of the stacks.
6. If you're entering into a truly massive tournament like the $20 Million competition, it may behoove you to really step outside the lines of the obviously good picks. If everyone else in your pod in round 1 has the Cowboys, Rams, and Lions who all crap the bed and you have the Texans who get into a shootout with the Jaguars, you win your pod. If you show up with those other stacks, you're in competition with the 11 other teams. Having the really weird team stack that no one else has, even if it may make getting through your regular season harder at times depending on the team, can put you only in competition with yourself.
7. There are some running backs that you can stack with their passing offenses if you truly want to buy-in to a team. Guys like Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey fall into that pretty neatly. You won't be able to stack Gibbs with Amon-Ra. Be smart about it - you'd really be overdrafting Josh Allen to pair James Cook with their passing offense given their ADPs.

And with that...

The Best of the Best

Your Bettor Results 2026 DraftKings Best Ball Best Team Offense Stack Award (inaugural year, I'm workshopping the name) goes to:

The Dallas Cowboys (Bye Week 14)

Players of Note

• WR CeeDee Lamb (ADP: 11.5, Round 1)
• WR George Pickens (ADP: 24.1, Round 3)
• QB Dak Prescott (ADP: 79.5, Round 7)
• TE Jake Ferguson (ADP: 129.8, Round 11)
• WR Ryan Flournoy (ADP: 171.1, Round 15)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Rams
• Week 16 at home against the Jaguars
• Week 17 at home against the Giants

As much as it pains me to say this as a Giants fan, the Cowboys are your best stackable team for Best Ball tournaments this season. The combination of their typically strong offense, their recent mediocre defense, and a beautiful playoff schedule are hard to beat here.

The Good

1. Their ADPs all fall into a pretty neat order that allows you to build your roster with other high-quality stacks, and you don't have to commit too much in the way of draft capital except for Lamb and Pickens. Those two are basically the only draft inefficiency. If you land in the first half of the draft order, you'll need to overdraft Lamb. If you're in the back half of the draft order, you'll need to overdraft Pickens. Not a huge downside, to be fair.
2. The playoff schedule is impossible to top. All three games are inside. Two of them are at home. All three have shootout potential. All three games are on Sundays; no short weeks here at all. There's really not much more you can ask for.
3. Flournoy is an incredibly cheap filler option for very little draft capital. He's not going to make it into your lineup the vast majority of weeks - but he did have two weeks last year over 20 points (one of which was almost 30). Outside someone becoming a valuable starter for whatever reason, that's what you want from those late wide receiver picks.

The Questionable

1. Lamb's stats were definitely down last year due to injuries and Pickens' offensive explosion. You hope that he can reach those heights like 2023 again, but we'll see.
2. Ferguson was most successful when Lamb was injured. If his stats are a bit suppressed while Lamb is healthy again, you're probably going to need another strong tight end to anchor that position.

The Next Best

The Los Angeles Rams (Bye Week 11)

9/1 update: Puka Nacua and starting LT Alaric Jackson are both under NFL review. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Puka Nacua (ADP: 4.5, Round 1)
• WR Davante Adams (ADP: 48.6, Round 5)
• QB Matthew Stafford (ADP: 95.0, Round 8)
• TE Terrance Ferguson (ADP: 155.6, Round 13)
• TE Colby Parkinson (ADP: 207.9, Round 18)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Cowboys
• Week 16 away against the Seahawks
• Week 17 away against the Buccaneers

The Good

1. There are three potential shootouts on this playoff schedule. Though the Seahawks game may have crappy weather, they were in the same boat last year - a Thursday game in December in Seattle. The weather sucked. It was still a shootout. That week 15 game against the Cowboys may end up being the best game of the tournament playoffs.
2. Sean McVay is going to keep this offense chugging. They're a very solid team top to bottom.

The Questionable

1. This offense runs on Matt Stafford. He needed to put up a pretty insane passing season last year to have true value and he doesn't have any rushing upside to make up for lost passing stats. He's also 68 years old and his back is held together with something that doesn't hold things together very well. Like, I don't know, oatmeal.
2. Puka Nacua is a uh, a biter apparently. There is speculation that he could be suspended for the first game of the season, but nothing official on that yet.
3. Adams is getting older (he'll be 34 the day before the Christmas game against the Seahawks) and has missed three games both of the last two seasons.
4. I listed two tight ends in the ADP section. This team has five. Those two, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, and they just drafted Max Klare in the 2nd round after picking up Ferguson in the 2nd last year. McVay has become obsessed with tight ends. He might cut every wide receiver except Nacua and Adams and sign more tight ends he can play. They're all in-line tight ends. This could be a really absurd...tight end...committee...where none of them really distinguish themselves.
5. I don't think there are any receivers besides Nacua or Adams worth considering for this format.
6. The defense picked up Myles Garrett and got Aaron Donald back. A strengthened defense may reduce the amount of passing they're doing. I don't think that it would change the Cowboys game or anything like that, but it's a consideration for the full season.

Certified Good Ideas

These teams have a few more flaws than the Cowboys or Rams, but still have quite a bit of upside and will work perfectly fine as your primary stack. These are listed in alphabetical order (as are all teams in the sections that follow this one).

The Cincinnati Bengals (Bye Week 6)

9/1 update: Ja'Marr Chase is limited in practice this week with a knee injury. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Ja'Marr Chase (ADP: 3.2, Round 1)
• WR Tee Higgins (ADP: 36.9, Round 4)
• QB Joe Burrow (ADP: 62.3, Round 6)
• TE Mike Gesicki (ADP: 227.0, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Panthers
• Week 16 away at the Colts
• Week 17 at home against the Ravens

The Good

1. The Bengals are typically a very pass-heavy offense, and nothing changed with their coordinator staff. That's not going anywhere.
2. Their schedule is mostly alright. A game in (hopefully) good weather in North Carolina, then in a dome in Indianapolis. If the Panthers and Colts actually pan out offensively, there could be some high scores in those weeks.
3. Flacco is still around and he filled in admirably for Burrow while he was injured. I don't love the idea of relying on a 41-year-old to maintain an offense if the starter goes down, but Flacco seems capable of keeping this thing going for the most part.

The Questionable

1. Burrow's health isn't incredibly reliable. His excellent 2024 season is bookended by injury seasons in 2023 and 2025. I think his offensive line may want him harmed for that time he dyed his hair blonde.
2. Zac Taylor can be an absolute donut of a coach sometimes.
3. There's really not much to build an entire team out of here, to be honest. You have Chase and Higgins and then Burrow. Gesicki may have a spike week or two but doesn't have a hell of a lot of value overall. I'm not interested in any other wide receivers here, and it doesn't seem like anyone else is either given that they're generally going undrafted. I think you basically always want to try to stack another offense with the Bengals to give your team an actual robust backbone.
4. The Ravens game in the finale week can go either way, really. It's a divisional game outside in Cincinnati in December. Maybe we see a shootout. Maybe we see a defensive slugfest in crappy weather.

The Detroit Lions (Bye Week 6)

9/1 update: Isiah Pacheco and starting center Cade Mays are both on injured reserve, and Sam LaPorta's Week 1 status is uncertain. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (ADP: 7.1, Round 1)
• WR Jameson Williams (ADP: 50.9, Round 5)
• TE Sam LaPorta (ADP: 86.9, Round 8)
• QB Jared Goff (ADP: 104.2, Round 9)
• WR Isaac TeSlaa (ADP: 198.8, Round 17)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Vikings
• Week 16 at home against the Giants
• Week 17 away at the Bears

The Lions have an incredibly well-balanced offense. Though they've had some issues with their offensive line recently, this offense is still one you want to make a lynchpin of your drafts.

The Good

1. I don't really know if I have to say much besides "this offense is pretty awesome overall".
2. The schedule is pretty swell even outside of the playoffs in terms of playing inside. Out of their first 13 games, they're indoors for 10 of them. The outdoor games include Buffalo in September, North Carolina in October, and Miami in November. Not much bad weather to be expected for them.
3. I view TeSlaa like Ryan Flournoy. He won't make it into your lineup every week (or most of them, to be fair), but he'll occasionally catch a long touchdown and have a nice spike week where you'll benefit from some extra points. There's a little bit more usage available now that Kalif Raymond has moved on, leaving TeSlaa firmly in that WR3 spot. TeSlaa only had 16 catches last year but caught six touchdowns. Probably not sustainable, but you hope he picks up more usage and you get a cheap win late in the draft. Plus, he looks like the love child of Shambo and Ozzy from Survivor. That's not nothing. Ozzy is one of the greatest athletes to ever grace the show. Shambo can telepathically communicate with chickens. With their powers combined, Isaac TeSlaa might give you a week or two of viable points.

The Questionable

1. The regular-season schedule is a pro. The tournament playoffs schedule is the con. Two dome games, yes, including one at home in a game against what could be a Giants offense on the rise. But Minnesota, despite their offensive struggles last year, still had a pretty strong defense. The Lions actually lost both of their games to them last year; their December away game against Minnesota was an abomination in which they only scored 10 points. Goff didn't even cross 200 passing yards. And of course, there's the issue of the outdoor game in Chicago. You'd expect a shootout, but noted Ryan Gosling impersonator "Jared Goff" is a California boy. He's actually pretty terrible playing outside and has been his whole career. The Lions put up 52 points on Chicago at home last year. On the road in December, they put up 19. The yards were there in that one, but the points were not. They're facing the same "at Minnesota, at Chicago" end-of-season schedule that produced those crappy results. No, games from last year are absolutely not 1:1 predictions for this year. But it's something to keep in mind.

More Flawed (But Still Worth Stacking)

The Atlanta Falcons (Bye Week 11)

Players of Note

• WR Drake London (ADP: 23.8, Round 2)
• TE Kyle Pitts Sr. (ADP: 90.1, Round 8)
• WR Zachariah Branch (ADP: 210.6, Round 18)
• QB Michael Penix Jr. (ADP: 211.7, Round 18)
• QB Tua Tagovailoa (ADP: 220.7, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Commanders
• Week 16 at home against the Buccaneers
• Week 17 at home against the Saints

The Good

1. This team is CHEAP to draft. London is the only player with an ADP before the 8th round.
2. The playoff schedule should be pretty amazing if the December weather in DC holds up (which it will, thanks global warming!).

The Questionable

1. The QB situation could be incredibly ugly. Tua has fallen off from his prime. Penix has not really shown anything of value in the NFL so far and is as much of a non-rushing statue as like, Matt Stafford. Both are incredibly injury prone. Tua has had multiple concussions. Penix has torn his ACL three times (two in the same knee) on top of one shoulder injury to each shoulder. Legitimately five season-ending injuries. They're the QB versions of Chris Olave and Jordyn Tyson. I'm not cutting out their faces and putting them on the SpongeBob picture in MS Paint like I did for those two Saints players, so use your imagination (I can only afford so much compute in Paint with the economy the way it is). It's also a pretty unclear starter situation. With the Raiders, you expect Mendoza to take over later in the season. Here, either one could be starting at almost any point. At the very least, both are end-of-draft picks so you don't have to invest much to get both.
2. Pitts has been insanely inconsistent over his career, game-to-game and year-to-year. That's not as much of a pain point in best ball, but you're probably going to need to beef up your tight end position outside of him if he continues to put up a billion points in a single game and have relatively mediocre games otherwise.
3. Branch is a rookie 3rd rounder and not guaranteed to start the season in the lineup over other mediocre guys like Jahan Dotson or Olamide Zaccheaus.

The Buffalo Bills (Bye Week 7)

Players of Note

• QB Josh Allen (ADP: 28.5, Round 3)
• WR DJ Moore (ADP: 40.3, Round 4)
• TE Dalton Kincaid (ADP: 103.2, Round 9)
• WR Khalil Shakir (ADP: 133.8, Round 12)
• WR Keon Coleman (ADP: 219.6, Round 19)
• TE Dawson Knox (ADP: 230.8, Round 20)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Bears
• Week 16 away at the Broncos
• Week 17 away at the Dolphins

The Good

1. Josh Allen is such an absurdly consistent fantasy asset. He throws the ball very well, he rushes plenty, he's pretty durable, he's married to Hailee Steinfeld (huge in my points per Hailee Steinfeld leagues). His bust weeks are few and far between. If you invest in Allen, you're probably hoping and expecting that he'll be in your lineup most weeks and your investment in other QBs doesn't have to be dramatic.
2. They have a new head coach, but it's Joe Brady who has been with the team since 2022. Would not expect much of a change there.
3. DJ Moore is probably going to be a pretty slick weapon in this offense.

The Questionable

1. The playoff schedule isn't amazing. They could be in shootouts against the Bears or Broncos, or those both could be in incredibly crappy weather in December Buffalo and Denver. The Broncos defense is obviously going to be strong regardless. The game against the Dolphins could get ugly extremely quickly, leaving limited offensive upside for the team as a whole.
2. Kincaid has had trouble staying healthy and you probably wish that his offensive ceiling was higher than it has been. At the very least, Knox is completely free.
3. Shakir has a low average depth of target (ADOT). While the full PPR scoring system helps him, he has trouble really reaching extreme heights as a receiver that you may be looking for. I think that's going to be even more of an issue with Moore present.
4. I have Keon Coleman on the ADP list because he's actually being drafted, but he has been flat-out bad in the NFL so far. Guy turned into a healthy scratch a few times last season. Not interested in drafting him. Maybe I should have a separate section called "players to avoid like the plague" instead of having him in the "players of note" section.
5. There may be sort of an issue with the offense as a whole - are you potentially only going to be able to really trust Allen and Moore? I'd see that as a reason to always stack the Bills with another team with more viable players and potentially better weather/more dome games.

The Indianapolis Colts (Bye Week 13)

Players of Note

• TE Tyler Warren (ADP: 61.3, Round 6)
• WR Josh Downs (ADP: 92.3, Round 8)
• WR Alec Pierce (ADP: 102.8, Round 9)
• QB Daniel Jones (ADP: 138.6, Round 12)
• WR Keenan Allen (ADP: 156.0, Round 14)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Titans
• Week 16 at home against the Bengals
• Week 17 away at the Browns

The Good

1. This offense was absolutely humming at the beginning of last season when everyone was healthy.
2. A home indoor game against the Bengals is absolutely beautiful to see in week 16.
3. You don't have to draft a single player before round 5.
4. Jones is a pretty damn cheap QB with solid rushing upside.

The Questionable

1. Alec Pierce is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
2. Daniel Jones is a colossal question mark. He's coming back from a leg fracture AND a torn Achilles. He has racked up injuries throughout his career and has played very poorly more often than he has played well. Was the beginning of last season even real? Their schedule was pretty easy when their offense looked incredible. I will 100% give him credit for shredding the Broncos defense, at least. But he also looked like vintage Daniel Jones shit against the Rams. He also lost a reliable target in Michael Pittman.
3. I'm not loving that week 17 game against the Browns. That's the tournament clincher game, if you make it that far. Outdoors in Cleveland in December against a team that might be starting my grandma at QB by that point. She has been deceased since the 80s, FYI. That game may have very little in the way of upside for this offense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (Bye Week 7)

9/1 update: starting guard Patrick Mekari is on injured reserve. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Parker Washington (ADP: 49.0, Round 5)
• WR Brian Thomas Jr. (ADP: 75.0, Round 7)
• QB Trevor Lawrence (ADP: 91.5, Round 8)
• WR Jakobi Meyers (ADP: 132.3, Round 12)
• TE Brenton Strange (ADP: 151.0, Round 13)
• WR Travis Hunter (ADP: 184.5, Round 16)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Texans
• Week 16 away at the Cowboys
• Week 17 at home against the Commanders

The Good

1. Jacksonville took a pretty solid leap on offense last year. Lawrence started to look more like the QB he was drafted to be. In Liam Coen's second year, this could be a pretty transcendent offense if everything pans out.
2. The WR position is DEEP - you could conceivably skip one of Washington, Thomas, or Meyers and come out of the draft with the other two + Strange and be perfectly happy.
3. A likely shootout against the Cowboys and a potential one against the Commanders to end the season is exactly what you want to see.

The Questionable

1. The wide receiver position could be deep enough that none of them emerge as a true overwhelming star. I'm not even considering drafting Travis Hunter. Since he's been drafted, I've always been of the mind that he'd primarily be a defender with a few offensive packages that don't make him worth as much in fantasy as in real life. Their roster construction seems to confirm that.
2. Lawrence has been incredibly up and down his entire career. Lawrence was the 3rd-highest-rated college recruit since 2000. Sometimes he looks like that player. Sometimes he passes the ball as well as Justin Fields (I just wanted to shoehorn a reference to him in here since he was tied with Lawrence for that recruiting ranking).
3. I hate, hate, hate that week 15 game at the Texans. It absolutely sucks to enter round 1 of the tournament playoffs with a game on the road against a suffocating defense like that. The Jaguars offense was pitiful against them last year. Obviously this team is capable of great things on offense regardless of who they're facing, like when they eviscerated the Broncos in Denver last year. But this passing offense was pretty crappy against the Texans in both games last year. Maybe a revived Houston offense creates a shootout environment. Maybe the Jaguars offense craters your lineup.

The Los Angeles Chargers (Bye Week 7)

9/1 update: starting center Tyler Biadasz is out for the season. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Ladd McConkey (ADP: 32.0, Round 3)
• WR Quentin Johnston (ADP: 72.8, Round 7)
• QB Justin Herbert (ADP: 86.0, Round 8)
• WR Tre Harris (ADP: 180.8, Round 16)
• TE Oronde Gadsden II (ADP: 189.2, Round 16)
• TE David Njoku (ADP: 212.6, Round 18)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the 49ers
• Week 16 away at the Dolphins
• Week 17 at home against the Chiefs

The Good

1. Mike McDaniel is the new offensive coordinator, and with him should come a very fantasy-friendly offensive system.
2. The offensive line is completely different than what they dealt with last year - Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are both returning from injury, they drafted a new starting guard in the 2nd round, and they signed a new guard and center in free agency.
3. Ladd McConkey is back healthy.
4. Quentin Johnston seemed like he took a step forward last year - then his stats cratered when Joe Alt got hurt due to the deep passing game disappearing. You're hoping that he returns to that early-season form.
5. Their playoff games are in good-weather environments.
6. Madison Beer?

The Questionable

1. Health is not a guarantee. Herbert, Hampton, McConkey, Johnston, and their tackles have all had injuries in recent years.
2. The opponents may not be ideal for the tournament playoffs. The Dolphins game could be an ugly blowout where the Chargers run all over them. A divisional game against the Chiefs can always be a wildcard, like their barn burner of a 16-13 game in December last year.
3. Gadsden had a hot start a few games into the season, then fell off pretty badly. He now has competition in David Njoku. Not that Njoku is still in his prime, but competition is competition.
4. I would not bother with Tre Harris. Even in DraftKings' incredibly generous scoring system, Harris did not hit double-digit points once last year. Not a single time. That's kind of incredible, to be honest. He's the kind of player who would never hit your lineup unless a catastrophe occurred, and even then he's not providing you with much. He's being drafted around other receivers I highlighted like Flournoy and TeSlaa. I'd much rather have those guys.

The New Orleans Saints (Bye Week 8)

9/1 update: Jordyn Tyson is on injured reserve and Alvin Kamara is expected out about a month. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Chris Olave (ADP: 21.6, Round 2)
• QB Tyler Shough (ADP: 125.4, Round 11)
• TE Juwan Johnson (ADP: 134.2, Round 12)
• WR Jordyn Tyson (ADP: 138.5, Round 12)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Buccaneers
• Week 16 at home against Arizona
• Week 17 away at Atlanta

It might surprise you to see the Saints this high up on here. They have a few things going for them, especially in terms of this specific fantasy environment.

The Good

1. As long as the Florida weather cooperates (which I mean, you're at least past hurricane season that late in the year), that's a pretty beautiful schedule for the playoffs. Two dome games. The Saints are sitting pretty. All three games could be those classic "these teams suck but there's a lot of offensive talent against crappy defenses so they turn into shootouts" situations.
2. You're hoping that a renewed run game and an improved offensive line will make for a more effective offense overall. This will be their second year in Kellen Moore's system.
3. Shough has some excellent rushing upside to give him a high floor throughout the season, even if the passing game fails occasionally. I think he's a pretty excellent fit in Moore's offense that had Philly firing on all cylinders two seasons ago.

The Questionable

1. Shough had a really great stretch of starts against some of the most putrid passing defenses you'll ever see. We're talking games like the Panthers, Dolphins, Jets, and Titans. Teams that gave him some resistance like the Rams led to some pretty terrible games. The good news on that front is, well, it's not like his schedule contains a bunch of amazing pass defenses or anything like that. I will note, however, that both of his games against the Bucs were pretty terrible from an offensive production perspective.
2. There isn't a hell of a lot of usable receiver depth beyond Olave and Tyson, and they may be the most injury-prone receiver tandem in the NFL. This offense could be awesome if they're healthy. It could also completely collapse into nothing with injuries to these two.
   1. Olave has had FIVE concussions dating back to college. Two resulted in no games missed. Two resulted in one game missed. The most recent in 2024 resulted in eight games missed. This is a recurring problem that isn't going to get better. Olave also most recently missed the last game in 2025 due to a blood clots issue in his lungs. He was treated for it and is healthy right now, but that's still a situation to keep in mind.
   2. Tyson had three season-ending injuries in college. A torn ACL, MCL, and PCL in 2022, a broken collarbone in 2024, and hamstring strains in both legs in 2025.

The New York Giants (Bye Week 8)

9/1 update: Calvin Austin III is out for the season and Malik Nabers is dealing with a knee injury. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Malik Nabers (ADP: 23.2, Round 2)
• QB Jaxson Dart (ADP: 112.1, Round 10)
• TE Isaiah Likely (ADP: 114.7, Round 10)
• WR Malachi Fields (ADP: 178.9, Round 15)
• WR Odell Beckham Jr. (ADP: 223.9, Round 19)
• WR Darnell Mooney (ADP: 225.3, Round 19)
• WR Darius Slayton (ADP: 228.3, Round 20)
• TE Theo Johnson (ADP: 231.7, Round 20)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Browns
• Week 16 away at the Lions
• Week 17 away at the Cowboys

The Good

1. Jaxson Dart developed a lot faster than anyone thought he would last year. His passing was better than expected, and his rushing upside remains tremendous. He now has the same head coach as the guy who made Lamar Jackson an MVP.
2. The team really bolstered their receiving corps with free agency signings and a wide receiver pick in the 3rd round.
3. Their offensive line last year actually wasn't as tragic as it has been in recent years, and they invested the 10th overall pick in another lineman.
4. Nabers appears to have healed from his injury well enough and is participating in camp.
5. Outside of what might be a gross game against the Browns in week 15 outdoors in New Jersey in December, you're looking at two other playoff shootouts in domes in weeks 16 and 17. Being in New Jersey at any time is bad enough, but it's even worse in December. Let's hope they persevere.
6. Low ADPs galore. Nabers is a 2/3 turn pick. Outside of that, Dart is the next highest pick in the 9th.

The Questionable

1. Dart really needs to work on his decision making, on the field (...and off it, too). While people think he had multiple concussions last season, he only ended up actually getting one. That doesn't change where that perception came from - he took a lot of big hits and ended up in the blue tent multiple times.
2. You may have noticed that I listed a comically high number of receivers on here, much more than any other team. Even as a Giants fan, I'm having a hard time deciphering how this receiving corps will turn out. Nabers is obviously the alpha, but the injury concerns that were noted when he was drafted have reared their ugly head during his two seasons in the NFL. Darnell Mooney is probably locked in as the #2 and the starting slot receiver; you're hoping that he returns to the form he had for his two good years in Chicago and Atlanta. Darius Slayton will be on the roster, but I don't think he'll have any real fantasy value. They drafted Malachi Fields in the 3rd round, but he's more of a red zone target without any real dynamic playmaking ability. OBJ is a fun nostalgia pickup (I received his jersey for Christmas right before he was traded :D), but he didn't play football last year and when he did play before that he was pretty clearly washed. Outside of Nabers and maybe Fields or Mooney, are you really interested in drafting anyone from this wide receiver group?
3. Are we in love with the idea of Isaiah Likely more than we're in love with Isaiah Likely (just like my dating life, smh)? He's on a new team, yes. But he's on a new team...with the same head coach he had previously. He's not playing with Mark Andrews anymore...but Theo Johnson is also a prototypical in-line tight end, and he's still here, and they'll be sharing the field quite a bit. This team is also going to run a lot, both with their QB and RBs. Is his situation THAT different than it was with Baltimore? Let's do a little thought experiment. Let's compare the 2025 receiving yards of all the main receivers on the Giants' roster this season to Likely's career seasonal yards. It's not amazing to look at to be honest. Johnson had a better season last year than Likely ever has. I'm just not really sure there's a place for him to really break out here on what might be a very "crowded" (with mediocrity) receiving corps after Nabers. Is Johnson, who you can get in round 20, a better best ball pick than Likely in round 10? I tend to think so.
   1. Darius Slayton: 538
   2. Theo Johnson: 528
   3. Isaiah Likely 2024: 477
   4. Darnell Mooney: 443
   5. Isaiah Likely 2023: 411
   6. Isaiah Likely 2022: 373
   7. Isaiah Likely 2025: 307
   8. Malik Nabers: 271 (in four games)
4. I'm not entirely sold on how this offense is going to be run. Matt Nagy is the offensive coordinator. He can maybe probably sort of make a passing offense. He's also incompetent at creating a rushing offense. Noted Harbaugh-family-blackmail-possessor Greg Roman is here (I just feel the need to point out that Roman, despite being fired fairly frequently, has worked with Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh at the 49ers, John Harbaugh at Baltimore, Jim Harbaugh at the Chargers, and now John Harbaugh at the Giants) to develop the run game, presumably to make up for the fact that Nagy can't do the whole rushing offense thing while Roman cannot do a passing offense. I'm sure he'll be the next Giants' offensive coordinator once Nagy is fired. Anyway. To my point. Either you end up with an offensive system built off the strengths of those two or you end up with a horrible abomination stitched together from their different philosophies that crashes and burns.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Bye Week 10)

9/1 update: Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan were both sidelined at Tuesday's practice. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Emeka Egbuka (ADP: 42.6, Round 4)
• WR Chris Godwin Jr. (ADP: 68.7, Round 6)
• QB Baker Mayfield (ADP: 125.8, Round 11)
• WR Jalen McMillan (ADP: 169.9, Round 15)
• TE Cade Otton (ADP: 193.8, Round 17)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Saints
• Week 16 away at the Falcons
• Week 17 at home against the Rams

The Good

1. Three potential shootout games in the playoffs, in a dome for one and what should hopefully be good Florida weather for the other two.
2. You're hoping for a healthier offense overall, like the Chargers. Baker was injured last year. Bucky Irving was injured last year. Mike Evans was injured last year. Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan were both returning from injuries. The offensive line was hurt.
3. Godwin is now a year removed from his injury and you hope that he returns as a great complementary piece to second-year Egbuka.
4. Very workable ADPs for what could be an excellent passing offense.

The Questionable

1. Mayfield, at present, is in a contract dispute with the team. His tendency to play through injuries like he did last year tends to be more detrimental than helpful.

Eh, I Guess (Hold Your Nose and Draft)

The Arizona Cardinals (Bye Week 14)

9/1 update: rookie guard Chase Bisontis is out for the season and Jeremiyah Love is dealing with an ankle injury. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• TE Trey McBride (ADP: 27.8, Round 3)
• WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (ADP: 63.3, Round 6)
• WR Michael Wilson (ADP: 73.8, Round 7)
• QB Jacoby Brissett (ADP: 167.9, Round 14)
• QB Carson Beck (ADP: 227.1, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Jets
• Week 16 away at the Saints
• Week 17 at home against the Raiders

The Good

1. The Cardinals are littered with talent at the skill positions.
2. The playoff schedule is juicy - all three games are played indoors and none are against tough defenses. Combined with the Cardinals' crappy defense, they may end up in three shootouts.

The Questionable

1. You're paying a very high price for skill position players on what should be a very bad team.
2. You may or may not have QB continuity. Brissett re-signed, but they did draft Beck in the 3rd round. Not saying that Beck will definitely get playing time since 3rd round QBs aren't typically forcing a coach's hand with regards to playing time (please don't overthink his HoF Game performance), but Brissett isn't a long-term starter here either. Minshew is there too, yea, but I don't really think he sees the field unless Brissett gets injured.
3. The extremely pass-heavy offense that appeared last year that led to McBride and Wilson having such insane numbers was mostly a function of literally all their running backs going to the glue factory. They drafted Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick.
4. New head coach Mike LaFleur is coming from the Rams' offense, but he was not the playcaller there. He will be the playcaller here while assuming head coaching duties for the first time. He had some pretty uninspiring offenses in past jobs and brings with him noted football terrorist Nathaniel Hackett as his OC. Even though Hackett is not the playcaller, I am genuinely curious if that might shift if LaFleur is handling too much as a rookie head coach.

The Chicago Bears (Bye Week 10)

9/1 update: Luther Burden III is back at practice and Kyle Monangai is week-to-week. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• TE Colston Loveland (ADP: 39.6, Round 4)
• WR Luther Burden III (ADP: 46.4, Round 4)
• WR Rome Odunze (ADP: 56.5, Round 5)
• QB Caleb Williams (ADP: 71.3, Round 6)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Bills
• Week 16 at home against the Packers
• Week 17 at home against the Lions

The Good

1. Ben Johnson's offense took off like a rocket last season in his first year with Chicago, and I expect more of the same this year (scorching hot take, I know).
2. There's more clarity in the skill positions this year - Moore is gone leaving Burden and Odunze as the top two receivers, and Loveland is very clearly over Kmet at the tight end position.

The Questionable

1. You have to pay a very high price to stack this offense. Legitimately, you're taking Loveland-Burden-Odunze-Williams in rounds 3 through 6 back-to-back-to-back-to-back. That makes it hard/impossible to stack with a lot of the other good offenses that have key players in those rounds. You can make something like a stack with the Giants work. If you're sticking with the Bears alone, snag two workhorse running backs in rounds 1 and 2 before hitting this stack.
2. Burden's ADP is a good bit higher than Odunze's, but I'm not sure if that's entirely fair if Odunze is actually healthy.
3. The playoff schedule is pretty ugly for this format. All three games are outdoors in Buffalo and Chicago. Two are divisional games. Last year's results are not this year's results, but their late-year home games against the Packers and Lions were not particularly high scoring.

The Las Vegas Raiders (Bye Week 13)

Players of Note

• TE Brock Bowers (ADP: 19.1, Round 2)
• WR Tre Tucker (ADP: 149.2, Round 13)
• WR Jalen Nailor (ADP: 159.5, Round 14)
• QB Fernando Mendoza (ADP: 192.9, Round 17)
• QB Kirk Cousins (ADP: 217.3, Round 19)
• TE Michael Mayer (ADP: 226.3, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Broncos
• Week 16 at home against the Titans
• Week 17 away at the Cardinals

The Good

1. Outside of Bowers in the 2nd round, these ADPs are basically bargain-bin shopping. Mayer is a last round dart throw in the event that the Raiders end up running a lot of two tight end sets to make up for their receiver corps.
2. Nailor and Tucker are both pretty spikey players, ideal for best ball.
3. There should be a pretty clean QB transition here - Cousins in the early part of the season, transitioning to Mendoza somewhere along the way. I have to believe he gets in at some point no matter what; the last time a QB taken 1st overall didn't start a game their rookie season was Carson Palmer in 2003.
4. Revamped offensive line with the addition of Tyler Linderbaum and getting Kolton Miller back from injury.
5. Klint Kubiak brings with him a very play-action heavy offense that won the Super Bowl last year and had the Saints absolutely ripping things up in their first few games in 2024 before injuries hit.
6. The schedule includes two home games and an away game, all in domes.

The Questionable

1. Cousins was pretty bad in Atlanta last year, so you may be dealing with subpar QB play before they switch to a rookie QB who may or may not have it immediately.
2. Is "Jalen Nailor WR1 and Tre Tucker WR2" particularly inspiring for a passing offense?
3. Your rookie QB will start the tournament playoffs against the Broncos' defense.
4. While Linderbaum is a tremendous addition to the offensive line, he's only so-so as a pass blocker. Most of his value comes from being the best run blocker there is.

The Minnesota Vikings (Bye Week 6)

Players of Note

• WR Justin Jefferson (ADP: 10.6, Round 1)
• WR Jordan Addison (ADP: 98.6, Round 9)
• QB Kyler Murray (ADP: 118.6, Round 10)
• TE T.J. Hockenson (ADP: 169.2, Round 15)
• WR Jauan Jennings (ADP: 177.4, Round 15)
• QB J.J. McCarthy (ADP: 229.3, Round 20)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Lions
• Week 16 at home against the Commanders
• Week 17 away at the Jets

The Good

1. This team has a TON talent at the receiver position and a very good offensive coach in Kevin O'Connell. Jefferson is available towards the end of the 1st and the rest require minimal investment.
2. Two home games in their dome during the playoffs.

The Questionable

1. The two options at quarterback are someone who is 3'5" who literally can't see over his offensive line and a guy who gave himself the nickname "Nine". Murray's production hasn't been stellar and he's had some injuries as of late. JJ McCarthy is sinister garbage. This offense did not survive bad QB play last year despite the talent. Murray is going to start at this point, for whatever that's worth.
2. Hockenson is old and his production the last two seasons has been nothing special. Addison has never really truly broken out and his counting stats are decreasing year after year. He now has better competition (than Jalen Nailor) in Jauan Jennings. Jefferson as it turns out is, unfortunately, not entirely QB proof like say Ja'Marr Chase showed last year.
3. I don't love an outdoors game against the Jets to end the year. The Jets are going to be pitiful. The Vikings have a great scoring defense. Your championship week might turn into a ball-control disaster for this offense in lousy New Jersey weather (lousy December weather, not lousy Smarch weather).

The Washington Commanders (Bye Week 7)

9/1 update: starting LT Laremy Tunsil is on injured reserve with an estimated Week 15 return. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Terry McLaurin (ADP: 55.3, Round 5)
• QB Jayden Daniels (ADP: 77.6, Round 7)
• WR Stefon Diggs (ADP: 85.8, Round 8)
• TE Chig Okonkwo (ADP: 149.0, Round 13)
• WR Antonio Williams (ADP: 217.6, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Falcons
• Week 16 away at the Vikings
• Week 17 away at the Jaguars

The Good

1. Jayden Daniels, if healthy, showed he can be an extremely dynamic QB his rookie year.
2. The team just added Stefon Diggs to a receiving corps that was otherwise going to be "?" after McLaurin.
3. I expect McLaurin to get back on track now that he's not dealing with a holdout that made him miss training camp all of last year, which has historically been a big problem for most players.
4. Okonkwo is a very athletic tight end replacing the corpse of Zach Ertz.
5. A good-weather game against the Jaguars in the championship week is excellent.

The Questionable

1. Jayden Daniels is basically just a very tall twink. Like Trevor from Trailer Park Boys. There are running backs who are 6" shorter than him who weigh 15 pounds more than he does. He rushes a lot. We saw last year that he can get absolutely rocked on rushes and picked up some pretty gnarly injuries (he also had that rib fracture his rookie year from a hit). Dan Quinn left him in a game in the 4th quarter down 30 points when he was just returning from injury, he got rocked a few times, and he got injured again on a pointless QB rushing play. Apparently he didn't rub enough dirt in it or something. Quinn is still the head coach.
2. You might get a shit-weather game against the Falcons at home and they also have to play the Vikings defense on the road.
3. Diggs' ADP is going to continue to climb; this is just what it is shortly after he signed.
4. Williams was a screaming buy pick at his low ADP when he was basically almost locked into the WR2 role already given their lack of real other options; now he's at least third on the depth chart with Diggs on the team.

If You Have To (Because Some Other Jerk Drafted the Stack You Wanted)

The Baltimore Ravens (Bye Week 13)

9/1 update: center Danny Pinter is out for the season and Rashod Bateman is under NFL review. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Zay Flowers (ADP: 34.1, Round 3)
• QB Lamar Jackson (ADP: 55.8, Round 5)
• WR Ja'Kobi Lane (ADP: 139.6, Round 12)
• TE Mark Andrews (ADP: 140.9, Round 12)
• WR Rashod Bateman (ADP: 221.3, Round 19)
• WR Elijah Sarratt (ADP: 227.6, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Steelers
• Week 16 at home against the Browns
• Week 17 away at the Bengals

The Good

1. Lamar should hopefully get back to being an exceptional fantasy asset.
2. There's room for passing growth for this team with a new coach and offensive system.
3. Flowers really broke out last season into a top-tier receiving option.

The Questionable

1. Lamar has never really supported a WR2 outside of one season of Bateman when he caught a lot of touchdowns. Even with a new offensive system in place, I don't think they're going to dramatically change how Lamar plays football. And even then, the WR2 position is pretty up in the air. Bateman was terrible last year/hampered by injury. Lane and Sarratt are both rookie wildcards.
2. Andrews ain't getting any younger, though he doesn't have to deal with Likely anymore.
3. Losing Linderbaum is a pretty big deal for the offense overall. Even if he wasn't a gold-standard pass blocker, they have not figured out the C position in the slightest yet. They have like 30 of them on the roster and that includes an elderly nun who accidentally wandered onto the practice field.
4. Unfortunately, I hate the schedule for the most part. Three divisional games all outdoors in cold-weather cities. You're hoping for a shootout with the Bengals in the championship week, which does provide a ton of potential value. Games against the Steelers and Browns may not get you there.

The Denver Broncos (Bye Week 10)

Players of Note

• WR Jaylen Waddle (ADP: 34.3, Round 3)
• WR Courtland Sutton (ADP: 78.7, Round 7)
• QB Bo Nix (ADP: 106.7, Round 9)
• WR Pat Bryant (ADP: 175.7, Round 15)
• TE Evan Engram (ADP: 219.9, Round 19)
• WR Troy Franklin (ADP: 223.3, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Raiders
• Week 16 at home against the Bills
• Week 17 away at the Patriots

The Good

1. This is a very talented offense helmed by one of the best offensive minds football has seen in Sean Payton. The receiving corps is deep and talented, especially with the addition of Waddle. If you miss out on Waddle early, you can still deep dive for Franklin or Bryant at the end of the draft in this format.
2. Nix grew tremendously last year and his rushing upside is great, especially at his ADP.
3. Even in cold cities for rounds 2 and 3, I sense shootouts against two other fantastic teams in the Bills and Patriots provided the weather holds up.

The Questionable

1. Waddle goes to the blue tent like six times per game and his ability to truly stay healthy is always a question mark.
2. A deep wide receiver corps like this can sometimes make it harder for individuals to standout with any real consistency.
3. I'm not particularly interested in Engram to be honest. His best years on the Giants and Jaguars came when their entire receiving corps were injured and this team has the depth to avoid that issue. His yards/reception and counting stats continue downward. He has never been a touchdown threat and only came away with one last season. The one plus I'll say is that he basically has no one behind him to compete with.
4. This team has a very strong defense (though it did have some lapses last year) and they don't always need to go crazy on offense to win. That Raiders game in round 1 of the tournament playoffs might really hurt from an upside perspective.
5. Nix's rushing was erratic at times last year; sometimes he'd end up a garbage statline like 7 carries for 10 yards.

The Green Bay Packers (Bye Week 11)

Players of Note

• WR Christian Watson (ADP: 54.1, Round 5)
• TE Tucker Kraft (ADP: 73.2, Round 7)
• WR Jayden Reed (ADP: 88.0, Round 8)
• WR Matthew Golden (ADP: 98.8, Round 9)
• QB Jordan Love (ADP: 114.5, Round 10)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Dolphins
• Week 16 away at the Bears
• Week 17 at home against the Texans

The Good

1. This wide receiver group has far more clarity in it than last year when it was sporting five viable WRs. With Doubs and Wicks gone you know that Watson, Reed, and Golden are the primary targets here.

The Questionable

1. Four viable receiving options with Kraft is still a lot and this team isn't THAT pass-heavy to provide weekly value for four players. Especially if Tucker Kraft returns to form from injury.
2. Three outdoor games for the playoffs. One against the hapless Dolphins and one against what is likely to be a savage Houston defense.

The Houston Texans (Bye Week 8)

9/1 update: Jayden Higgins is out for the season and Tank Dell is on injured reserve. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Nico Collins (ADP: 25.0, Round 3)
• QB C.J. Stroud (ADP: 148.1, Round 13)
• TE Dalton Schultz (ADP: 161.7, Round 14)
• WR Kayshon Boutte (ADP: 163.2, Round 14)
• WR Tank Dell (ADP: 198.9, Round 17)
• WR Jaylin Noel (ADP: 218.3, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Jaguars
• Week 16 away at the Eagles
• Week 17 away at the Packers

The Good

1. The team did actually take steps to beef up their horrible offensive line.
2. Even with an abysmal passing offense last year Collins and Schultz still ended up with pretty solid receiving lines.

The Questionable

1. The WR2 spot is murky beyond Collins. Higgins is done for the season. That leaves Tank Dell who is returning from a series of gruesome injuries, Jaylin Noel who got very little burn last season, and Kayshon Boutte who was just traded to the team.
2. It's possible the offensive line doesn't improve enough to actually get the passing upside you need here.
3. I do like the home game against the Jaguars in week 15, but I'm less stoked about away games at Philly and Green Bay in the following two weeks. Their defense can also make any matchup into a slow offensive game.

The Kansas City Chiefs (Bye Week 5)

Players of Note

• WR Rashee Rice (ADP: 27.5, Round 3)
• QB Patrick Mahomes (ADP: 103.3, Round 9)
• WR Xavier Worthy (ADP: 123.6, Round 11)
• TE Travis Kelce (ADP: 123.9, Round 11)
• WR Cyrus Allen (ADP: 164.8, Round 14)
• WR Tyquan Thornton (ADP: 226.0, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Patriots
• Week 16 at home against the 49ers
• Week 17 away at the Chargers

The Good

1. Eric Bieniemy is back as offensive coordinator. He was in charge when the Chiefs and Mahomes had their absolute best years. Even their 2022 season together was incredible after they traded Tyreek Hill. His departure directly corresponds to when their offense worsened.
2. Their run game was a massive problem last season. Kenneth Walker should help alleviate that deficiency.

The Questionable

1. Mahomes' fantasy stats haven't been incredible recently. He got off to a good start last year, but a lot of that was rushing to make up for their complete lack of rushing production from their backs.
2. There's a non-zero chance that Rashee Rice robs a bank or assassinates a world leader or something at some point during the season and gets suspended for a few games.
3. There's also a non-zero chance that Travis Kelce retires at halftime of a game to become a backup dancer for T-Swift.
4. The WRs after Rice are...eh. Worthy isn't really living up to what folks thought he could do when he was drafted. Thornton is fine. People are really hyping up Cyrus Allen, but let's not go overboard with a 5th round rookie who is probably the 3rd-4th option at best. There have been quite a few late round Chiefs receivers receiving camp hype in recent seasons, and none have amounted to anything. Allen is also really small; I think he's going to have some issues getting bodied by actual NFL defensive backs.
5. Two outdoor games in Kansas City to end the season. They're at least in LA for their finale, but their December game last year was pitiful (that one was in Kansas City, however).

The New England Patriots (Bye Week 11)

Players of Note

• WR A.J. Brown (ADP: 17.2, Round 2)
• QB Drake Maye (ADP: 66.5, Round 6)
• WR Romeo Doubs (ADP: 115.3, Round 10)
• TE Hunter Henry (ADP: 153.9, Round 13)
• WR DeMario Douglas (ADP: 226.6, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Chiefs
• Week 16 away at the Jets
• Week 17 at home against the Broncos

The Good

1. This is an offense on the rise. So much so that I'm actually sad to have them down here. What was already a strong passing game last year added AJ Brown and Romeo Doubs. All of their depth receivers like Douglas, Hollins, and Williams are still around too. That is a deep group.
2. I think Maye is in a position to rival Josh Allen in terms of fantasy points. His passing and rushing upside is fantastic. Don't let his poor playoff performance stain your view of him.
3. Mike Vrabel no longer has to live a lie (lol).

The Questionable

1. As mentioned, deep receiver groups can sometimes hurt weekly upside for individuals. I expect Brown to be the alpha, but Doubs may end up splitting stats with the other three.
2. I don't love that playoff schedule for this format. All outdoor games. Away at the Chiefs. A game against the pathetic Jets (Maye had an excellent 32.4 point game and a mediocre 15.4 point game against them last year). Then at home against the Broncos. Weather concerns and maybe some defensive struggles against the Chiefs and Broncos. You're hoping those defensive struggles flip the script into shootouts, but there's doubt about that.

The Philadelphia Eagles (Bye Week 10)

Players of Note

• WR DeVonta Smith (ADP: 30.3, Round 3)
• QB Jalen Hurts (ADP: 78.6, Round 7)
• WR Makai Lemon (ADP: 105.2, Round 9)
• TE Dallas Goedert (ADP: 116.6, Round 10)
• WR Dontayvion Wicks (ADP: 155.5, Round 13)
• TE Eli Stowers (ADP: 228.2, Round 20)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Seahawks
• Week 16 at home against the Texans
• Week 17 away at the 49ers

The Good

1. Their biggest issue was their terrible offensive system last season. They did the right thing and jettisoned their OC for a new one.
2. While they did lose their best receiver, they at least replaced him with a 1st round draft pick in Lemon.

The Questionable

1. A new OC doesn't necessarily mean a completely revived offense. Hurts' offense has been inconsistent. A bit more passing last year compared to the previous (but not as good as his 22/23 seasons). He lost some rushing offense last year as well. The Tush Push hasn't been as good since Kelce retired.
2. The team lost offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland in the offseason. He has coached the Philly offensive line since 2013. Y'know, that entire time period where you associate the Eagles with a good offensive line.
3. Dallas Goedert hasn't been an incredibly attractive fantasy asset for a while before last season. His yardage has fallen off pretty badly since 2022. He was saved last year by catching 11 touchdowns. His career high before that was five, all the way back in 2019. 2021 was the last year he caught more than three. That doesn't scream sustainable.
4. Both of their primary receivers are pretty small guys. Hell, none of their top five wide receivers are particularly large (Wicks is 6'1" but he's not big). Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore are small too. AJ Brown wasn't particularly tall either, but he was at least solidly built. Right now your two main starters are shorter twigs and both had hamstring injuries in camp.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (Bye Week 9)

Players of Note

• WR DK Metcalf (ADP: 81.7, Round 7)
• WR Michael Pittman Jr. (ADP: 108.6, Round 10)
• QB Aaron Rodgers (ADP: 177.2, Round 15)
• TE Pat Freiermuth (ADP: 203.7, Round 17)
• WR Germie Bernard (ADP: 214.2, Round 18)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Ravens
• Week 16 at home against the Panthers
• Week 17 away at the Titans

The Good

1. The offense picked up Michael Pittman, who I think is a better fit for Aaron Rodgers' playstyle at this point in his career than DK Metcalf is.
2. Mike McCarthy has taken over as head coach. He's here to pass the ball a million times, neglect the run game while forcing an annoying timeshare, and misuse his timeouts like Elon Musk with government money. For our purposes, we mostly care about the passing part.

The Questionable

1. Aaron Rodgers is infinity years old and wasn't even sure if he was going to play this season. I don't see him having the week-to-week upside to really carry the QB slot in a lineup. Plus, he may retire prematurely to go work for RFK Jr. Or eat a bunch of psychedelics in the locker room at halftime. We don't really have any clue what Aaron Rodgers may do on any given day and neither does he.
2. McCarthy's end in Dallas was pretty disastrous and I can't imagine he's really going to change his ways.
3. Two outdoor games in Pittsburgh as part of the tournament playoffs.

The Seattle Seahawks (Bye Week 11)

Players of Note

• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (ADP: 5.5, Round 1)
• WR Rashid Shaheed (ADP: 137.8, Round 12)
• QB Sam Darnold (ADP: 142.9, Round 12)
• TE AJ Barner (ADP: 178.7, Round 15)
• WR Cooper Kupp (ADP: 204.7, Round 18)
• WR Tory Horton (ADP: 229.1, Round 20)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Eagles
• Week 16 at home against the Rams
• Week 17 away at the Panthers

The Good

1. It's hard to doubt the Super Bowl champs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out in an incredible way last year and this team is well coached.
2. They played the Rams in Seattle around the same time last year. The weather was crappy. It was a Thursday game. It ended up as a shootout.
3. The offense is incredibly cheap to draft outside of JSN.

The Questionable

1. Klint Kubiak has moved on to become the head coach in Las Vegas, and with him leaves the awesome play-action offense we saw in Seattle last year (and in New Orleans the prior season before everyone on their offense got injured). Their new OC is the run coordinator from SF. Drafting a RB in the first round (especially one who is really just a runner and not a pass catcher) to go with that new OC (and their good defense) may mean more of a run-heavy offense. They already showed that card towards the end of the season last year and well, it won them a Super Bowl.
2. I know Sam Darnold looked great in Minnesota too, but you do have to wonder if he'll sustain that production given the rest of his career.
3. JSN had a pretty obscene target share last year - you're hoping he does if he's your anchor for this stack.
4. WR2 is pretty unsettled. Shaheed joined the team in a trade last year, but didn't contribute much in the passing game. Horton was a late-drafted rookie last year who showed scoring promise at the start of the season, but got injured midway through and missed the rest of it. Kupp is definitely not the Kupp of old. If the offense turns into a more run-heavy version of itself and the passing game is once again "JSN and some other guys who don't get nearly as many targets" we may have a shallow stack here.
5. Not totally loving an away game against Philly to start the playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers (Bye Week 8)

9/1 update: Ricky Pearsall is out for the season, Christian Kirk is on injured reserve, and Mike Evans has not returned to practice. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Mike Evans (ADP: 60.3, Round 6)
• WR De'Zhaun Stribling (ADP: 82.9, Round 7)
• TE George Kittle (ADP: 107.3, Round 9)
• QB Brock Purdy (ADP: 109.1, Round 10)
• WR Deebo Samuel Sr. (ADP: 122.3, Round 11)
• TE Jake Tonges (ADP: 225.7, Round 19)
• WR Christian Kirk (ADP: 227.5, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Chargers
• Week 16 away at the Chiefs
• Week 17 at home against the Eagles

The Good

1. If they're healthy (lol), then you're drafting a very strong offense for pretty damn cheap. Even in the face of injuries, Shanahan can make some pretty amazing things with scraps when it comes down to it.
2. Two California games to end the season (one in a dome), though that middle game against the Chiefs in Kansas City may not be as stellar.

The Questionable

1. Not many people know this, but the 49ers actually practice on a full-scale replica of Iwo Jima. The players dress up like US Marines and land on the beach while Kyle Shanahan shoots at them from the top of the nearby substation which he has disguised as Mount Suribachi. That's the only explanation for all their injuries. Purdy gets hurt. McCaffrey gets hurt, and given he handled infinity touches last season he will again. Mike Evans is new to the team, but he has had a lot of soft tissue injuries in his legs recently. Christian Kirk is slightly injured. De'Zhaun Stribling had a hammy injury too. Kittle is old and still recovering from an Achilles tear (and their run game is dramatically worse when Kittle is not on the field). Tonges was hurt to end the year last year. They had to sign Deebo Samuel to replenish their depth after Ricky Pearsall got sent to a farm upstate, and I'm just waiting for an anvil to fall on his head.
2. Their offensive line isn't what it used to be and really relies on Trent Williams to function at all, who is nearing 40 years old.

Don't Bother (Lest Ye Enjoy Suffering, Which Some People Do I Guess)

The Carolina Panthers (Bye Week 5)

9/1 update: both starting tackles are beginning the season on the reserve lists. See Injury News.

Players of Note

• WR Tetairoa McMillan (ADP: 44.6, Round 4)
• WR Jalen Coker (ADP: 126.6, Round 11)
• QB Bryce Young (ADP: 161.6, Round 14)
• TE Darren Waller (ADP: 218.2, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Bengals
• Week 16 away at the Steelers
• Week 17 at home against the Seahawks

The Good

1. I think Coker is a pretty fantastic value for what he's shown he can do, especially entering this season healthy.
2. The game against the Bengals to start off the tournament playoffs has amazing upside.

The Questionable

1. I'm just not impressed with Bryce Young, and I don't think many people are. He just hasn't developed into a consistent passer. He played 16 games last season and passed for 3,011 yards. That's 188 yards per game. That doesn't support his own scoring (it's not like he rushes a ton) and it definitely doesn't support the pass catches. He went for 207+ passing yards only three times last season.
2. Starting left tackle Ickey Ekwonu is still recovering from a torn patellar tendon suffered in January. Starting right tackle Taylor Moton is dealing with a blood clot issue. Starting the season without both starting tackles is less than ideal, to say the least.
3. Outside of Tet and Coker, I don't think there's anything of value on the passing side. Legette ain't it. There was nothing particularly of value in the tight end room before Waller signed, and I don't think he moves the needle a ton. Maybe he'll have some decent scoring weeks like he did on Miami last year, but his health isn't lasting the whole season. Just not a particularly strong or deep stack.
4. An outdoor game against Pittsburgh and a game against the Super Bowl champs end the fantasy season and neither is particularly encouraging for high-scoring situations for this offense.

The Cleveland Browns (Bye Week 11)

Players of Note

• TE Harold Fannin Jr. (ADP: 100.8, Round 9)
• WR KC Concepcion (ADP: 109.6, Round 10)
• WR Denzel Boston (ADP: 155.5, Round 13)
• WR Jerry Jeudy (ADP: 198.7, Round 17)
• QB Tom Riddle (ADP: 221.6, Round 19)
• QB Shedeur Sanders (ADP: 224.3, Round 19)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Giants
• Week 16 away at the Ravens
• Week 17 at home against the Colts

The Good

1. Uhhhh. I like Harold Fannin, I guess. I think he's a pretty great player for his ADP and can be very useful to round out your TE room.
2. KC Concepcion is a good receiver prospect going for pretty darn cheap in these drafts.
3. They completely overhauled what was a pretty terrible offensive line last year. This could end up in the cons for all I know since it CAN always get worse when there's no continuity on a line, but let's pretend it's a positive for now.
4. The offense is extremely young and they're sort of a mystery box in that way. Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, and Harold Fannin are all first- or second-year players. The only starting vet in those skill positions is Jerry Jeudy. Maybe this ends up as a con too because of a lack of veterans, but you may be able to mine out some value from all these players with depressed ADPs from a lack of data around them.

The Questionable

1. Browns.
2. This goes without saying but, the QB situation. Voldemort won the starting job to begin the season. Since the end of the 2020 season, he has played in a whopping 19 games and has sucked when he does play. The ugly flaws in Sanders' game that caused him to drop in the draft were glaringly prevalent last season, especially his habit of holding onto the ball far too long and taking terrible sacks as a result because he refuses to throw the ball away. See the image below. Even if he takes over as the starter at some point (which he probably will), I don't think he improves the situation much. And lest we forget, Dillon Gabriel is still around (and the Browns drafted him higher than Sanders). Yea, he's 4'7" tall and plays insanely boring football. But his offensive stats last season were still somehow better than Sanders'. It's not impossible that he sees the field again this season. You want to draft into a three-QB situation? I don't think so.
3. Their playoff schedule is pretty shit. Three outdoor games in New Jersey, Baltimore, and Cleveland. A divisional game against the Ravens could get ugly if the Browns are as bad as we all think they will be.
4. Monken is a first-time head coach (in the NFL, he was a college head coach for a few years) at the ripe old age of 60. I think this was a pretty surprising hire and I'm not sure if he's here to actually build a team or a sacrificial lamb so they can keep being crap until they have the chance to draft a QB highly.
5. The Browns' new offensive coordinator Travis Switzer comes from a very run-heavy background in Baltimore. Maybe the team ends up leaning on Quinshon Judkins and their new line and the passing upside just isn't there when you need it to be.

The Miami Dolphins (Bye Week 6)

Players of Note

• QB Malik Willis (ADP: 133.7, Round 12)
• WR Malik Washington (ADP: 148.8, Round 13)
• WR Caleb Douglas (ADP: 178.2, Round 15)
• TE Greg Dulcich (ADP: 185.4, Round 16)
• WR Chris Bell (ADP: 191.4, Round 16)
• WR Jalen Tolbert (ADP: 228.6, Round 20)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Packers
• Week 16 at home against the Chargers
• Week 17 at home against the Bills

The Good

1. You're basically not paying anything to draft players from this offense.
2. Malik Willis on his own definitely has real value in this format - his rushing stats should give him a good floor that can help you out in lean weeks from your QB room.

The Questionable

1. These are not the same Dolphins that dropped 70 points on the Broncos three seasons ago. McDaniel and all of those players are gone. In their stead is a starting QB with a very erratic and small profile of starts, a bunch of JAGs at WR, and a tight end with beautiful hair and limited upside. Some folks seem high on Dulcich, but I'm not. He is who he is - he doesn't stay healthy, he doesn't really catch touchdowns, his volume tends to be low. He didn't change between Denver and Miami. He may have less competition in Miami this season than last year without Waddle, but I also think he's now on a team that is going to pass less and be worse at it.
2. Willis' stats really don't encourage me when it comes to this passing offense. He has only passed 20 pass attempts in his career twice, once in his rookie year on the Titans and once last year on the Packers. His 21 passing attempt game on the Packers last year was a 41-24 loss to the Ravens. His 23 passing attempts game on the Titans resulted in 99 passing yards. This team doesn't have the receivers the Packers do, either. Again, I think he'll have standalone value due to his rushing. Supporting a receiving corps to best ball viability, especially one with a very unclear hierarchy and no standout talent? I don't believe it.

The New York Jets (Bye Week 13)

Players of Note

• WR Garrett Wilson (ADP: 37.8, Round 4)
• WR Adonai Mitchell (ADP: 165.3, Round 14)
• QB Geno Smith (ADP: 183.9, Round 16)
• TE Kenyon Sadiq (ADP: 191.8, Round 16)
• WR Omar Cooper Jr. (ADP: 193.3, Round 17)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 away at the Cardinals
• Week 16 at home against the Patriots
• Week 17 at home against the Vikings

The Good

1. Garrett Wilson is a pretty damn amazing talent, and I'm not upset getting him where he's going in drafts if he fits how I'm drafting.
2. The team IS trying to invest in their offense, taking Omar Cooper Jr. and Kenyon Sadiq in the 1st round of the draft.
3. AD Mitchell is a good best ball pick at his ADP, among the same lines as Ryan Flournoy and Isaac TeSlaa.
4. They brought in Frank Reich as their offensive coordinator, who may actually create something resembling a functioning offensive system.
5. A week 15 game at the Cardinals has some potential upside.

The Questionable

1. Jets.
2. Geno Smith looked like crap on the Raiders last year and I can't imagine he's going to look much better on the Jets. The backups are Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook, and Bailey Zappe. Good luck with that.
3. This team is going to suck. They're playing two outdoors games to end the playoffs against the Patriots and Vikings and those defenses are probably going to punch them in the face.
4. Kenyon Sadiq is one of those tight ends who skyrocketed up the draft board based on athletic traits that he showed at the combine. That's not always a good sign for actual production, especially as a rookie.

The Tennessee Titans (Bye Week 9)

Players of Note

• WR Carnell Tate (ADP: 68.0, Round 6)
• WR Wan'Dale Robinson (ADP: 103.8, Round 9)
• QB Cam Ward (ADP: 160.6, Round 14)
• TE Gunnar Helm (ADP: 198.0, Round 17)
• WR Calvin Ridley (ADP: 205.5, Round 18)

Their Playoff Schedule

• Week 15 at home against the Colts
• Week 16 away at the Raiders
• Week 17 at home against the Steelers

The Good

1. The team is trying to invest in improving the offense for Cam Ward, drafting Carnell Tate and signing Wan'Dale Robinson.
2. I expect Gunnar Helm to take a nice step forward without Okonkwo in the mix.
3. The schedule is actually pretty okay, at least the games against the Colts and Raiders.

The Questionable

1. Ward obviously produced very little in his rookie season.
2. Regardless of his talent, Tate is still a rookie. Robinson had his first viable fantasy season just last year, mostly as a result of a very injured Giants' offense. He's not much of a scoring threat and while the full PPR scoring system does give him a decent floor, he's going to have a hard time reaching the heights you need to win these contests.
3. Their offensive line sucked last year and they didn't really do a heck of a lot to make it any better.
4. The wide receiver room may just end up being a big mess of mid stats. Dike and Ayomanor are still around and put up decent stats last season. Tate is going to have to really separate himself from this group for there to be a viable fantasy receiver.

Related Reading

For the format rules, roster construction targets, and the realities of actually winning one of these things, read 2026 DraftKings NFL Best Ball Tournament Basic Strategies.