The TE Room Is Getting Crowded For The Chargers

Around The Watercooler

The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news and memes from our merry band of football nerds …

🦁 The Lions still have a roaring good offense. And they’re primed for another big season.

🫶🏼 Jeremiyah Love or Trey McBride in Round 2? Big decision early in the draft.

🫡 Possible sleeper RB in DC. Ready to break out for the Commanders?

🦅 Could we see Malik Willis 2.0 in Philly? Maybe not just a left-handed complement.

💪 Ty Simpson goes where in this mock? Be patient.

🤑 Another kicker gets paid. Good for a team that will be settling for a lot of FGs.

😡 Ugh, another Aaron Rodgers update. When will this end?

👀 Kaelon Black a reach? Ask him if he thinks so.

Chase Glory For The Next 5 Years

The accomplishments are already significant for Ja’Marr Chase. OROY in 2021, compiling 1,455 receiving yards and 13 TDs. Again, he was a rookie! An otherworldly 127-1,708-17 Triple Crown season in 2024. Last season, with QB Joe Burrow missing nine games, Chase still posted a solid 125-1,412-8. He’s 26 and that’s his floor production. You can lock him in for more big production the next five seasons, and likely beyond.

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The “Almost Perfect” Tier of RBs For 2026

The running back position is so back, baby. After years of the league becoming increasingly pass-heavy, the run game is making a resurgence. Add in the fact that most running backs are now pass-catching threats out of the backfield, and there has been an uptick in scoring at the position. Last season, 15 different running backs eclipsed 200 fantasy points in 0.5-PPR scoring. That figure was merely five a decade ago.

Four different players eclipsed 325 half-PPR points at the position, and having a true stud running back remains one of the biggest possible edges in fantasy football. Let’s dive into the current top 12 options in our fantasy football rankings and start by highlighting the Tier 2 options …

Tier 2 – Almost Perfect

4. James Cook
5. Jonathan Taylor
6. Kenneth Walker
7. De’Von Achane
8. Ashton Jeanty

This tier of players all have the potential to perform like Tier 1 studs. However, they also have at least one red flag each that keeps them out of the top tier.

Let’s start with Cook. He’s probably the safest option of the bunch, which is why he tops this tier. He led the league in rushing yards and rushing yards per game last season, and he also took on a greater role as a receiver down the stretch. His target share jumped up from just 6% through the first nine weeks to 9% from Week 10 on. That’s not a huge increase, but it was a solid development for his fantasy outlook. The big issue with Cook is that he shares a backfield with Josh Allen, who is always a threat to steal a score or two around the goal line. Cook had just 40% of the Bills’ carries from inside the 5-yard line last season, which is far from ideal for a fantasy stud.

Taylor’s biggest red flag is that he simply doesn’t catch passes. It’s not that he can’t catch; he had an 83.6% catch rate last season, but he doesn’t get nearly the same type of usage as the top running backs in fantasy. He does the vast majority of his damage on the ground, and he is undoubtedly one of the best in the business in that department.

Walker has long been one of the most talented RBs in football, ranking first in PFF’s positional grades last season. He’s been held back by having to share the rock with Zach Charbonnet in Seattle, and that shouldn’t be an issue in Kansas City. Unfortunately, the Chiefs had one of the worst rushing attacks in football last season, and they were 25th in ESPN’s Run Block Win Rate. The Seahawks were eighth in that metric, so even if Walker gets a larger percentage of his team’s touches, he could find the sledding much more difficult.

Achane is an elite talent at the position, especially as a receiver. His spot in Tier 2 has more to do with his team than himself. The Dolphins are expected to be more or less a disaster next season, so scoring opportunities could be hard to come by. He should still see plenty of volume, but it’s hard to be a top-flight RB with the potential for double-digit scores.

Jeanty was a blue-chip prospect in last year’s draft, but he’s coming off a disappointing rookie campaign. Most of that stems from the Raiders’ dismal offensive line, with Jeanty averaging just 1.6 yards before contact per attempt. That was one of the worst figures in the league among high-volume runners, so hopefully, the revamped Raiders’ offensive line helps open things up for him a bit more next season.

Josh Downs is Moving Up … In ADP

One of the perceived big winners of this offseason has been the Colts’ Josh Downs. With Michael Pittman Jr. now in Pittsburgh, Downs climbs up the target pecking order in Indianapolis. According to our current projections, he’s trailing Alec Pierce by only 3 targets. Yet almost three rounds separate them in ADP. People are taking notice, because Downs is one of the players climbing in ADP. Adam Pfeifer surveyed Underdog ADP to find who’s rising … and falling.

Who’s in the S-Tier of Quarterbacks?

Josh Allen finishing among the top 2 QBs in fantasy since 2020 has been about as predictable as the sunrise. Yet there have been others to join him among the elites like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and last year even Drake Maye. Should Allen continue to stand alone? Where do the other QBs stand AFTER Allen is placed on his throne? Subscribe to the Fantasy Life Show so you never miss an episode.