Draft Day Winners and Losers

Sun Apr 26 9:43am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Price lands in a great spot


The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books. As always, it was an interesting one with many twists and turns. The big question now for fantasy owners is who are the winners and losers of this draft? Well, we are here to help you with that question. Below are the players - both rookies and veterans - that were impacted either good or bad from the happenings of this year’s draft. Adjust your rankings accordingly. 

WINNERS

Tyler Shough, QB, Saints. The Saints gave Shough another big-time receiver to work with in Jordyn Tyson. He might end up being better than Chris Olave, who is a very good receiver. This gives Shough a big-time one-two punch. New Orleans also took tight end Oscar Delp in the third round. Delp was one of the top rated tight ends in the draft and should get some immediate chances in the passing game despite Juwan Johnson being around. The Saints did a great job of giving Shough more talent to work with offensively this offseason, boosting his fantasy value in a big way.

Jadarian Price, RB, Seahawks. Price couldn’t have landed in a much better spot. He should start from day one for the defending Super Bowl champions with Zach Charbonnet returning from a major injury. HIs ceiling is going to be very high early in the year. And if he plays well, Price could retain that starting job even when Charbonnet gets healthy.

Makai Lemon, WR, Eagles. Lemon saw his draft stock fall a little because of some of his bizarre behavior in interviews but that didn’t deter the Eagles from taking him. With AJ Brown expected to get dealt, Lemon lands in a great spot his rookie season. He should be a starter opposite DeVonta Smith. Lemon has a real chance to be the top receiver in this offense from years to come.

Geno Smith, QB, Jets. Sure, it is Geno Smith, but you can’t ignore what the Jets did offensively in the draft. Suddenly, Smith looks a lot more appealing than he did before the draft. New York added both tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper in the first round. These guys are big-time playmakers in the passing game and likely to start at each of their positions from day one. The Jets finally have two solid starting receivers, a top pass-catching tight end and a good starting running back.

Malachi Fields, WR, Giants. The Giants took Fields in the third round but he lands in a great spot for possible immediate playing time. There is not much behind Malik Nabers at this point. Fields could start right away. He is a big, strong receiver that might be a good complement to Nabers. Fields uses his size well and could draw coverages underneath, allowing Nabers to thrive over the top. Fields could be a sneaky target monster for fantasy teams in year one.

Chris Bell, WR, Dolphins. Bell saw his draft stock fall because of a torn ACL suffered last November. He has a chance to be ready for the start of this year, though. And he lands in a great spot to make an immediate impact. The Dolphins have all sorts of openings at receiver, so don’t be surprised if Bell ends up No. 2 or 3 on the depth chart. He is a big receiver that does his best work underneath. He is good at turning a short pass into a big play. Bell uses his strength to his advantage and quickly could become a reliable target for new starting quarterback Malik Willis.

Demond Claiborne, RB, Vikings. Claiborne was a sixth-round pick but don’t let that deter you from considering him come draft day. He has the makeup to be a really good third-down back. And he heads to have offense with question marks at running back. Don’t be surprised if Claiborne carves out a role offensively his rookie year. He has big-time burst at the position and great moves in space.

LOSERS

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Jets. Sadiq was the top tight end in this year’s draft but lands with maybe the worst offense in football. Plus, he has Mason Taylor to compete with for targets at tight end. The Jets are going to find all sorts of ways to use Sadiq but you have to wonder how impactful his rookie season will be in this offense. Sadiq is going to have fantasy value but he would have looked a lot better in another uniform.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals. First off, Love is a huge talent and is going to be a star in this league for years the come. This wasn’t exactly an ideal landing spot for him, though. The Cardinals have Tyler Allgeier, James Conner and Trey Benson already on the roster. All three of those backs are more than capable players and could cut into the playing time of Love some his rookie year. This might be a little bit more of a timeshare than fantasy teams hoped for Love. And you have to worry about Allegeir vulturing the goal-line work from Love. Plus, the Cardinals have some quarterback concerns, which could lead to teams stacking the box to stop the talented Love. He could still have a good season but might not reach the heights you thought he might if he was drafted by a team like the Titans or Commanders.

KC Concepcion, WR, Browns. Concepcion is another really talented pass catcher but landed in a terrible spot for his fantasy value. He heads to the Browns and likely starts immediately but the Browns quarterback room might be the worst in football. He is a pretty good bet to be up and down his rookie year. 

Mike Washington, RB, Raiders. Washington lands in an awful spot for his future. He is going to be behind second-year back Ashton Jeanty. He is the clear workhorse back of this offense. Washington was talented enough to be a starter in the NFL his rookie year but that is not going to happen in Las vegas. He is going to have a hard time finding the field consistently in this offense.

Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles. Goedert signed a deal to return to the Eagles but now has rookie Eli Stowers to compete with for playing time at tight end. Goedert is likely to still start but Stowers is the future at the position and could end up carving out a big role in the offense his rookie year. Goedert is always kind of hit or miss on a weekly basis and the addition of the talented Stowers clouds things even more for him. Goedert is trending down after the draft.

RJ Harvey, RB, Broncos. The Broncos brought back JK Dobbins after the season and now added Jonah Coleman in the draft. Coleman was considered one of the best running backs in this class. Harvey could be part of a real timeshare at running back. You have to wonder how much confidence the Broncos have in Harvey after their moves this offseason. He is a real question mark for the coming year.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

Top Headlines
The Paur Report

Beat Howard Bender Livestream 9 PM ET (5-20)

Player Notes
Calvin Ridley May 21 4:30pm ET
Calvin Ridley

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley (leg) was not seen at the team's OTA practice session on Thursday, according to A to Z Sports' Buck Reising. It's not a huge surprise that Ridley still isn't ready for offseason workouts after he broke his fibula in the Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans last November. The 31-year-old veteran pass-catcher finished with a career-low 17 receptions (36 targets) for 303 yards and no touchdowns in seven games played in 2025 in his second year in Tennessee. Not only is his health a concern going into his eighth year in the league, but volume will most likely be an issue, too, after the Titans added target-hot Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency and rookie Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft. Ridley will also be playing for a coaching staff in 2026 that isn't tied to him at all, which will likely be bad news for his involvement when he's healthy. He has plummeted to WR61 in RotoBaller's redraft rankings for 2026, and he won't be an intriguing buy-low target in dynasty/keeper leagues.

From RotoBaller

Carnell Tate May 21 4:20pm ET
Carnell Tate

Tennessee Titans rookie first-round wide receiver Carnell Tate was an "instant winner" during the team's OTA practice session on Thursday, according to Austin Stanley of A to Z Sports. Tate, the fourth overall pick in April out of Ohio State, had multiple touchdown catches from quarterback Cam Ward in team drills, both long and short. He was catching footballs all over the field, both open and contested, and his hands and body control were "as advertised." Some draft analysts thought the Titans reached considerably when taking Tate within the first five picks of this year's draft, especially after his 4.53-second 40-yard dash was a disappointment at the combine. The 21-year-old wins with quickness and strong route-running skills over physicality at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds. He might not be the highest-ceiling rookie wideout, but he is expected to contribute immediately in coordinator Brian Daboll's offense, and he should be fantasy relevant right away in redraft leagues in 2026. Tate's fantasy value in his rookie year will be tied to Ward's Year 2 development, but RotoBaller has the former Buckeye ranked as the No. 29 fantasy WR in 2026.

From RotoBaller

Ashton Jeanty May 21 4:00pm ET
Ashton Jeanty

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak hinted that second-year running back Ashton Jeanty could have a much bigger role in his offense in his second year in the league, according to Paul Gutierrez of Raiders.com. "It's important to have a quality second back, but the best player has got to play, and we've got to get them on the field as much as we can. I don't know the play-snap percentage, but you look at [49ers running back] Christian McCaffrey, his play-snap percentage is high. So, those great backs, they don't want to come off the field," Kubiak said. After he was the sixth overall pick last year out of Boise State, Jeanty's 3.7 yards-per-carry average was a disappointment in his first year in the NFL, even though he led all rookies with 975 rushing yards, 1,321 scrimmage yards, five rushing touchdowns, and five receiving TDs. He was the fifth player in league history with that many scores on the ground and through the air in his rookie campaign. The Raiders want rookie fourth-rounder Mike Washington Jr. to push Jeanty as much as possible, but Jeanty should be as close to a workhorse as it gets. Jeanty finished as the RB13 in half-PPR scoring in 2025 and is currently ranked as the No. 8 redraft RB for the upcoming 2026 season.

From RotoBaller

Malik Nabers May 21 3:30pm ET
Malik Nabers

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said that wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) is in the slog of (his rehab, the grind of it," according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. The goal is for Nabers to be ready for the start of the 2026 regular season and to get on the field at some point during training camp this summer. "If he's out there, great," Harbaugh said. Nabers' rehab is taking longer because he tore both his ACL and meniscus early last season, but there's still a chance the talented pass-catcher will be ready for a Week 1 showdown on Sunday Night Football against the division-rival Dallas Cowboys. It was recently reported that Nabers also had a clean-up procedure on his surgically-repaired knee to remove scar tissue, adding to the uncertainty about whether Nabers will actually be ready for Week 1 this fall. His status for the start of training camp will be a closely followed storyline, and it's clear from Harbaugh's comments that the Giants are unsure of how active he'll be at the start of camp in late July. The former first-rounder out of LSU has elite WR1 potential in fantasy when he's fully healthy, but the uncertainty around his recovery from a serious knee injury may cause him to fall into the lower WR1 tier.

From RotoBaller

Devon Achane May 21 3:10pm ET
Devon Achane

The Miami Dolphins signed running back Carlos Washington Jr. this week after RB De'Von Achane (undisclosed) missed at least one OTA practice session with an unknown injury, according to C. Isaiah Smalls II of The Miami Herald. It's unclear how serious Achane's injury is at this time, but with over a month until training camp begins in late July, the Dolphins could just be exercising extreme caution with their best offensive player. We'll continue to keep a close eye on Achane's status during the offseason program. The 24-year-old was rewarded with a four-year, $68 million contract extension earlier this month after breaking out with 1,350 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 238 carries in 16 starts in 2025 in his third season in the NFL. Achane also added 67 catches for 488 yards and four touchdowns as a pass-catcher and led the NFL with 5.7 yards per carry. Efficiency in the Dolphins' rebuilding offense could remain an issue for Achane's fantasy football ceiling, but he should continue to make up for it with sheer volume. Consider him a top-10 fantasy RB going into his fourth NFL campaign, as long as he's healthy.

From RotoBaller

Dalton Kincaid May 21 2:20pm ET
Dalton Kincaid

So far in Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid's young NFL career, his best showing came in his first year in the league in 2023, when he caught 73 of 91 targets for 673 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (11 starts). Since then, the 26-year-old's numbers have been down thanks to knee and hamstring injuries. The former 25th overall pick out of Utah in 2023 started in only four games in 2025 and played a career-low 38% of his available offensive snaps. Despite not electing to have offseason knee surgery, Kincaid said "it's probably the best I've felt in my career at this point in the year," according to Tim Graham of The Athletic. In just 12 games played during the regular season last year, Kincaid had a career-high five touchdowns and added two more in two postseason contests. He dropped just one pass all year. So far this offseason, Kincaid has come back stronger and healthier, and he has an opportunity to cement himself as one of the top TEs in the league if he can play a full season. Because of his limited role and injury issues the last two seasons, Kincaid should be a low-end TE1 target in fantasy drafts with upside for more.

From RotoBaller

Keenan Allen May 21 1:58pm ET
Keenan Allen

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said on Up & Adams on Thursday that the "door isn't closed" for veteran free-agent wide receiver Keenan Allen to potentially return to the Chargers. Hortiz adds that the team is giving their younger players a chance to grow and develop first and foremost, but they continue to stay in touch with Allen's representatives. There have been rumors that Allen could sign with the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs, which could be gaining steam after recent news on Rashee Rice's knee surgery and violation of his probation. The 34-year-old Allen remains on the open market with June quickly approaching after he caught 81 passes on 122 targets for 777 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his return to L.A. in 2025. If the six-time Pro Bowler were to return to the Bolts, he'd likely be competing for the WR3 or WR4 role behind Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, at the very least. He'd have more deep-league fantasy football appeal if he were to sign in Kansas City.

From RotoBaller

Ty Simpson May 21 1:40pm ET
Ty Simpson

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson won't start right away, but his long-term upside in such a prominent offense gives him significant value in dynasty fantasy football leagues. Matthew Stafford is already 38 years old, and although he continues to play at an MVP level, there's no debate that he's in the final stage of his career. Whether he gives it one more year or a few more remains unclear, but the selection of Simpson indicates that the Alabama prospect will be the Rams' quarterback of the future. With the Rams interested in signing wide receiver Puka Nacua long-term, Simpson should have a star-studded receiving corps at his disposal whenever he does take over as the starter. As a result, he ranks as the QB26 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. That doesn't quite get him into the first round of rookie drafts, though. Instead, he projects as an early second-round pick.

From RotoBaller

Cam Ward May 21 1:30pm ET
Cam Ward

Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh said that second-year quarterback Cam Ward (shoulder) is "perfectly healthy" and is throwing the football around during offseason workouts, according to Jim Wyatt of the team's official website. Ward suffered a sprained AC joint in his right throwing shoulder in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he didn't have any structural damage and will be a full-go by the time training camp rolls around in late July. Last year's No. 1 overall pick predictably struggled in his rookie season as Tennessee's starter under center from Day 1, completing 59.8% of his passes for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 17 starts. He also had 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns to finish as the QB22 in fantasy in his first year in the league. It didn't help that he was sacked a league-high 55 times. But with an upgraded supporting cast on offense and with new play-caller Brian Daboll in town, Ward is primed for a Year 2 leap. RotoBaller has him ranked as the QB25 in redraft formats for 2026.

From RotoBaller

Fernando Mendoza May 21 1:30pm ET
Fernando Mendoza

Although Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza worked mostly third in the team's OTA practice on Wednesday behind Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell, he has impressed the coaching staff, according to Sam Warren of The Athletic. The No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft mostly worked with rookies during competitive periods of practice. Mendoza and O'Connell will get their fair share to compete for the starting job going into Week 1 of the regular season, but Cousins appears to be in the driver's seat to start the season opener in early September. The rookie's positioning in the QB rotation is due to his inexperience in the NFL and in new head coach Klint Kubiak's offense. Despite being eased in, the former Indiana product hasn't failed to impress. "Anything that you put in front of him, he's going to attack it," Kubiak said. "Anything that's new, he spends extra time on it. You can tell he fixes things from one day to the next. Very coachable, and that can be said for all those quarterbacks in the room." Although Mendoza might not start from Day 1 at the next level, he's still the clear-cut top QB in rookie-only drafts in dynasty leagues going into the 2026 season, and he could be starting in Vegas sooner rather than later, depending on how Cousins fares.

From RotoBaller

James Cook May 21 1:20pm ET
James Cook

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III has not been present for the team's OTA practices this week, according to Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com, and third-year RB Frank Gore Jr. has stood out in his absence. Gore looked "explosive and decisive" while running through holes. Although OTAs are voluntary in the offseason, it's notable that Cook is a no-show, especially after already signing a four-year, $46 million contract extension last summer. Cook may already be unhappy with his contract after all of De'Von Achane, Kenneth Walker III, Breece Hall, and Travis Etienne Jr. were given bigger deals this offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards on a career-high 309 carries last year while scoring 12 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games to finish as the RB5 in half-PPR scoring. He also had 33 catches for 291 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Cook has now scored on the ground 28 times in the last two seasons, and he'll continue to be viewed as a top-five fantasy RB with QB Josh Allen leading an explosive offense behind a strong offensive line.

From RotoBaller

Darnell Washington May 21 1:00pm ET
Darnell Washington

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington is trending in the wrong direction in dynasty fantasy football leagues, and managers could justify dropping him as the post-rookie draft roster crunch approaches. Washington had 31 catches, 364 yards, and one touchdown last year, and we're not convinced he'll be able to surpass those numbers in 2026. Now heading into his fourth year, the odds aren't in Washington's favor. Not only has he failed to live up to expectations through three NFL seasons, but he also has no connection to the new Steelers coaching staff, led by Mike McCarthy. Furthermore, the Steelers brought in competition in the form of fifth-round rookie Riley Nowakowski. Washington should hold onto the No. 2 tight end role (behind Pat Freiermuth and ahead of Nowakowski) initially, but he could end up falling to third as the year goes on. Washington is also heading into a contract year, which could be more incentive for the Steelers to reduce his reps and lean more on Freiermuth and Nowakowski. While free agency could be a much-needed fresh start for Washington next year, he doesn't have the track record needed to sign somewhere as a starting tight end. Therefore, both in the short term and long term, Washington's dynasty outlook is bleak. Managers can absolutely justify dropping him, as he has fallen to TE52 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.

From RotoBaller

Fernando Mendoza May 21 12:50pm ET
Fernando Mendoza

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza might not start Week 1, but he remains an appealing dynasty option and the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback among this year's rookies in fantasy football. Mendoza worked behind Kirk Cousins and Aidan O'Connell during OTAs on Wednesday. Managers shouldn't read too much into this pecking order, as it's common for rookies to take the backseat during practices this early in their careers. With that said, it does seem like there's a real chance that Cousins starts Week 1 for the Raiders while Mendoza learns from him, develops, and prepares to take over the offense midseason. Regardless of whether Mendoza starts right away or rides the bench for a little while, he's an undisputed riser in dynasty fantasy football leagues. His passing skills, mobility, and toughness give him top-12 quarterback upside, and he should have a very long career ahead of him. Currently, he ranks as the overall QB17 in RotoBaller's dynasty fantasy football rankings, and he projects as a mid-first-round pick in 2026 rookie drafts.

From RotoBaller

Tyreek Hill May 21 12:40pm ET
Tyreek Hill

Free agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill remains unsigned heading into the final stretch of May. There are still more than three months until the NFL season, but managers would like to see Hill sign sooner rather than later so that they can evaluate his landing spot and fantasy football outlook. There have been very few indications of which teams might pursue Hill, so it appears that his free agency remains wide open. With that being said, the Chiefs seem like a natural fit. Not only is he familiar with the organization and Patrick Mahomes, but Kansas City could use a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver as Rashee Rice (personal) continues to deal with off-the-field problems and Xavier Worthy has not yet lived up to his first-round draft capital. Hill played in four games with the Dolphins last year, averaging 5.3 catches, 66.3 yards, and 0.3 touchdowns per contest. He's not far removed from his WR2 finish in 2023, but he's certainly in the back half of his career and may have trouble returning to top-12 receiver form. Nevertheless, his experience and speed make him an intriguing receiver in redraft leagues, as well as dynasty leagues where he can be acquired for a reasonable price.

From RotoBaller

Mack Hollins May 21 12:30pm ET
Mack Hollins

New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins' role isn't perfectly clear ahead of the 2026 season, as there continue to be plenty of questions and moving parts in Foxborough. Most notably, we still don't know whether the Patriots will trade for A.J. Brown, a move widely reported but not yet official. If Brown does head to New England, Hollins would fall to fourth on the depth chart behind Brown, Romeo Doubs, and Kayshon Boutte. However, other questions also exist in regard to the depth chart. Most notably, Boutte's role is uncertain, as he continues to skip offseason workouts in search of a new contract. It's possible that Boutte could be traded (perhaps to the Eagles for Brown), and if that happens, it'd be great news for Hollins. Regardless of how the rest of New England's offseason shakes out, Hollins proved last year that he deserves to have a prominent role in this offense going forward. He served as one of Drake Maye's favorite targets, catching 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns over 15 games. His best stretch came from Week 7-16, when he ranked as the WR39 and averaged 7.4 fantasy points per game (half-PPR). He wasn't a dependable WR3/flex every single week, but he was on the fantasy radar more often than not, giving managers a potential starter in deeper leagues. If he keeps it up in 2026, he'll remain a low-cost, low-risk receiver with WR3/flex upside.

From RotoBaller

Michael Wilson May 21 10:10am ET
Michael Wilson

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson topped 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in 2025 and was one of the most impactful fantasy receivers in the league over the second half of the year. Wilson played the final eight weeks of the season on a 119-catch, 1,647-yard, 15-touchdown pace that made him the WR2 over that stretch. At RotoBaller's dynasty WR34, his ranking may seem low for a 26-year-old wideout who just helped to win leagues, but almost all of Wilson's damage was done while Marvin Harrison Jr. was either sidelined or playing through injury. Wilson's full-season pace across the ten games in which Harrison saw at least 30 offensive snaps falls to a much more pedestrian line of 44 receptions, 530 yards, and three scores. Arizona is also likely to field a much more balanced offense in 2026 after throwing the ball at a near record level once Jacoby Brissett took the starting job in Week 6. The Cardinals added Tyler Allgeier through free agency before spending the third overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Jeremiyah Love. The team also drafted quarterback Carson Beck at the top of the third round, while Brissett and the team are currently in a contract dispute. With an eye clearly on the future and a loaded 2027 draft class, there are no guarantees of who will be under center for Arizona by year's end, potentially hurting the stock of all Cardinals pass catchers and further impacting Wilson's sell window.

From RotoBaller

Jake Ferguson May 21 9:50am ET
Jake Ferguson

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson took advantage of an early-season opportunity to finish as the TE8 in half-PPR formats in 2025. With five-time Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb missing meaningful time with a high-ankle sprain, Ferguson's 13.6 fantasy points per game through Week 7 were enough to make him the TE1 to that point. Unfortunately, with Lamb returning to health and George Pickens experiencing a true fourth-year breakout, Ferguson was unable to sustain that pace down the stretch, finishing as the TE22 over the final 11 weeks of the season. With the Cowboys deploying 11 personnel at one of the league's highest rates, and the team capable of trotting out two bona fide Alphas even in two-receiver sets, Ferguson's ceiling will always be capped in a fully healthy Dallas offense, though the same is true for all but the truly elite tight end talents around the NFL. Ferguson's advantage comes in running with one of the most high-powered offenses in the league while providing injury insurance to not just one, but two capable target-earners. Having already shown his ability to win weeks when called upon, the 27-year-old Ferguson comes into 2026 as RotoBaller's dynasty TE13.

From RotoBaller

Brock Bowers May 21 9:40am ET
Brock Bowers

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers broke the single-season rookie reception record in 2024, and while injuries largely defined his second season, when healthy, he was still a force. Bowers missed five total games, was shut down twice, and was clearly affected throughout the year by a bone bruise and PCL sprain. However, in his two healthiest games of 2025 (Week 1 to begin the season and Week 9 when initially returning from injury), he caught 17 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, finishing as the TE2 and TE1 while averaging 27.8 half-PPR points. At only 23 years old, Bowers is RotoBaller's TE1 and one of the most valuable players in all of dynasty. Klint Kubiak arrives in Vegas having deployed heavy personnel packages at one of the league's highest rates with Seattle, and with no Jaxon Smith-Njigba-type on the Raiders' roster, Bowers could see one of the highest first-read target shares in the league. Now tied to 2026 first overall pick Fernando Mendoza for the foreseeable future, Bowers has a chance to dominate for a long time at a position that can provide a league-winning advantage for fantasy.

From RotoBaller

Mike Gesicki May 21 9:30am ET
Mike Gesicki

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki has finished outside the top 20 at the position in three of the last four seasons, and while missing four games in 2025 with a pectoral injury, his TE40 fantasy finish marked the worst result since his rookie season. Gesicki's spot on the depth chart is relatively enviable, often working as the third option in the passing game. But with Ja'Marr Chase earning more than 170 targets in each of the past two seasons and Tee Higgins averaging 101 looks of his own in that span, there is less available work for a third option, particularly when acknowledging the pass-catching prowess of running back Chase Brown. The Bengals' high-powered offense is always capable of providing spike weeks, but without an injury ahead of him, predicting when those weeks might come for Gesicki can be a frustrating task that often leaves him out of starting lineups. Entering his age-31 season, he remains a must-roster dynasty player, simply for what he can provide as injury insurance should one of the team's elite target-earners miss time, but at RotoBaller's TE48, Gesicki offers very little standalone value.

From RotoBaller

Kirk Cousins May 20 9:53pm ET
Kirk Cousins

Las Vegas Raiders QB Kirk Cousins took a majority of the reps with the first-team offense at practice Wednesday, May 20, and the 'expectation' is that Cousins will open the season as the starter, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com.

Fantasy Spin: Although Fernando Mendoza will ultimately have his chance to run the offense, it appears that Cousins could open the season under center. Cousins should be in the QB2 mix if he starts.

From TheHuddle