25 NFL Team Notes with 2026 Fantasy Football Implications

What happened during one season can have a domino effect on what can happen in a future season. What happens one season can foreshadow what is to come in a future season. So in the NFL, when reflecting on what happened in 2025, it is important to use that information to ask ourselves what that can mean for 2026.

Per usual, I did a bunch of digging from the 2025 NFL Season. I provide you with some of my notes from 2025 and what those notes can mean for 2026. This, in turn, can make you think outside the box and be actionable in your current Dynasty Fantasy Football leagues or with your future Fantasy Football drafts. Let’s get it

25 NFL Team Notes from 2025 with 2026 Fantasy Football Implications

1. The Cardinals finished the 2025 season with the most passing attempts (649) and the fewest rushing attempts (366). James Conner’s return, along with the signing of Tyler Allgeier this offseason, should change this dynamic and potentially make for a more balanced offense in 2026. This could mean less passing volume, but more efficiency.
2. Kyle Pitts led the Falcons in targets (118), receptions (88), and receiving yards (928) in 2025. This, of course, came with Drake London playing just 12 games, but Pitts showed out for his best Fantasy Football season. The Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski this offseason, which can be encouraging for Pitts as Harold Fannin Jr. completed a rock-solid rookie season and David Njoku was very successful before hand with Stefanski on the Browns.
3. In 2025, Khalil Shakir’s 95 targets were 36 more than any other Bill, his 72 receptions were 33 more than any other Bill, and his 719 receiving yards 148 more than any other Bill. This further emphasizes how important the DJ Moore acquisition will be to Josh Allen. DJ Moore has had historic upside, and although his 2025 with the Bears was a “down” year, he did have much better competition there and still came up huge for the Bears in big games.
4. Rome Odunze led the Bears in targets, despite playing just 12 games, and also led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns per game in 2025. Why is this important? Because this offseason has been the full-blown Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland hype train, even more emphasized with DJ Moroe gone. I love those two guys, too, do not get me wrong, but Odunze feels like a forgotten asset due to missing time, which could make him a value.
5. Harold Fannin Jr. led the Browns in targets (107), receptions (72), receiving yards (731), and receiving touchdowns (six) as a rookie last season. This was following a massive Jerry Jeudy 2024 season, and also with David Njoku playing 12 games. This is huge, and Fannin can continue to rise if the quarterback and general team situation shifts in 2026. Todd Monken will be the new Head Coach, who has worked with both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely with the Ravens, and also had two seasons with Brock Bowers back at Georgia.
6. Jake Ferguson averaged 8.7 Fantasy PPG in 2025 when CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were both on the field. This is important because Ferguson had massive games with Lamb off the field, and had a solid season from a bird’s eye view. If you look closer, though, you will see a significant difference when Lamb and Pickens are on the field, arguably the NFL’s top wide receiver duo. Proceed with caution in 2026.
7. Rico Dowdle, now a Steeler, vacates 236 rushing attempts and 39 receptions from 2025. This is important for two reasons: 1) This could emphasize a Chuba Hubbard bounce back in 2026, who was an end-of-season riser in the NFL Playoffs, and 2) Jonathon Brooks should be healthy, which can mean touches available for a relevant role.
8. David Montgomery, now a Texan, vacates 158 rushing attempts and 24 receptions from 2025. Isiah Pacheco was a former starter for the Chiefs, who had Fantasy Football relevance when healthy. Pacheco declined following injuries, but could bounce back as he takes on the vacated Monty role behind Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit. In a solid Lions system, Pacheco is at minimum a top handcuff behind Gibbs, with the potential to have some spike weeks as the complement.
9. JK Dobbins led the Broncos in both rushing attempts (153) and rushing yards (772) in 2025. This is with Dobbins playing just 10 games due to a foot injury. The Broncos re-signed Dobbins this offseason and have spoken highly of him. RJ Harvey had some spike Fantasy Football weeks as a rookie last season, but people are going to forget that Dobbins was operating as the lead rusher when healthy. Dobbins can be a later-round steal in 2026.
10. Upon return from injury, Christian Watson in Weeks 8-18 finished as the WR17 for Fantasy Football in 2025. Watson was averaging 61.1 receiving yards and 0.6 receiving touchdowns during this span, which would be over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns across a full 17 games. Watson has flashed major touchdown and yardage upside through time, Romeo Doubs is now a Patriot, and a fully healthy season can finally mean the Fantasy Football breakout in 2026.
11. Jayden Higgins scored 13+ Fantasy Points in 4/11 of his final regular-season games as a rookie in 2025. Higgins also caught six of his 10 targets for 59 yards in the Texans’ AFC Divisional loss to the Patriots. While there is plenty of competition to catch passes from CJ Stroud between Higgins, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Dalton Schultz, Higgins flashed as a rookie. He is a sneaky candidate to take a big sophomore leap in 2026.
12. Jaguars targets per game in 2025: Jakobi Meyers – 6.78, Brian Thomas Jr. – 6.5, Travis Hunter – 6.43, Parker Washington – 5.94, and Brenton Strange – 5.0. So much hype for Washington, due to him being a great waiver wire pickup for many people who are hoping for more. For me, 1) Brian Thomas Jr. was a prospect filled with upside, who balled out as a rookie, and is being written off because of a sophomore slump, and 2) Jakobi Meyers has been a historically underrated FLEX for Fantasy Football through his career. While others are hyping Washington, I am ready to pick up BTJ and Meyers in the shadow realm. Oh, and watch out if Travis Hunter’s receiver role climbs.
13. Tyler Warren was the TE4 in total Fantasy Points for the position Weeks 1-13, then the TE21 Weeks 14-18. This is important because it was a before-and-after look at Daniel Jones, healthy, then injured. The Colts re-signed Daniel Jones, which is positive for Warren moving forward, who will return from his Achilles injury in 2026. The Colts also moved on from Michael Pittman Jr., who vacates a large role that Warren can even further eat into for 2026. The rookie looked great in 2025 and can explode more in 2026. If Daniel Jones is lacking mobility following this injury, it could mean even further emphasizing Warren as the easiest outlet in 2026 as well.
14. Rashee Rice in 2025 led all players in yards after catch per game. This emphasizes the playmaking ability of Rice with the ball in his hands in this Kansas City offense. Rice played in 16 games as a rookie, but then four and eight games the next two seasons. The true Fantasy Football breakout has yet to come. Rice was suspended in 2025 and has the chance of suspension again in 2026 due to off-field issues. If Rice does not get suspended, and we get a full season, it could mean big things.
15. Tre Tucker in 2025 led the Raiders in targets (92) and receiving yards (696). Brock Bowers only playing 12 games was the obvious reason, but so many people were hoping for more out of rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton, only for Tucker to be the best receiver. Tucker showed small signs of upside, and with the Raiders likely taking Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick and taking steps to improve their team in general, it could mean sneaky FLEX upside out of Tucker for 2026. Especially with a bottom-tier wide receiver room in the NFL.
16. Via PlayerProfiler, Oronde Gadsden II finished his rookie season #5 in average depth of target, #3 in deep targets, #8 in red zone targets, #10 in yards per route run, #4 in yards per target, and #3 in yards per reception. Clear upside and efficiency metrics are evident here. Mike McDaniel is the new Offensive Coordinator for the Chargers in 2026, and the upside that was attached to Jonnu Smith and Darren Waller back on the Dolphins with McDaniel should be appealing for Gadsden.
17. Blake Corum finished 2025 with 746 rushing yards at 5.1 yards per carry with six total touchdowns behind Kyren Williams. This was with Kyren Williams playing a full season. Corum’s 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 rushing attempts in Week 14 raised some major eyebrows. Corum pushed to make this Rams backfield more of a committee than the year prior, and he should be looked at as the best running back handcuff to roster for 2026.
18. Jaylen Waddle vacates 100 targets, and Tyreek Hill vacates another 29 from 2025. The Dolphins cut ties with what was once a top wide receiver duo in the NFL this offseason. The Dolphins obviously made other significant changes, such as their quarterback, in an effort to “blow it up” and rebuild. The red flashing light here for me is that Miami is arguably the top landing spot for a rookie wide receiver in this coming NFL Draft. A wide receiver drafted by the Dolphins in 2026 could earn 120+ targets as a rookie, which would be a significant boost for Fantasy Football instantly.
19. TJ Hockenson finished 2025 with 66 targets, 51 receptions, 438 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. This is significant because it has meant people forgetting the history of Hock’s Fantasy Football impacts from the past, which was as recent as 2023 with the Vikings. Kyler Murray was also signed on a one-year deal for 2026 to take on the QB1 role for the Vikings. Trey McBride, during Kyler’s last full season, finished 2024 with 147 targets, 111 receptions, and 1,146 receiving yards. Hocken can be Murray’s new “McBride” in Minnesota.
20. Kayshon Boutte finished 2025 first in yards per target (12) and sixth in yards per reception (16.7). Boutte had a handful of impactful Fantasy Football FLEX weeks during Drake Maye’s near-MVP sophomore season. The Patriots cut ties with Stefon Diggs and paid Romeo Doubs this offseason. If the Patriots do not add any other significant wide receivers this offseason, Boutte’s connection to Maye can grow in 2026. Boutte’s 168 receiving yards in the postseason led all Patriots through four games played. Sleeper wide receiver.
21. As a rookie last season, in Weeks 8-18, Tyler Shough finished as a top 12 Fantasy quarterback in 50% of those games and scored 21+ Fantasy Points three times. Shough showed upside in various ways last season as a dual-threat quarterback. The connection to Chris Olave was evident, as Olave had a career year. The Saints signed guard David Edwards, running back Travis Etienne, and tight end Noah Fant so far this offseason. The Saints also have pick eight in this year’s NFL Draft. A full season of Shough after what we saw last year, with the offseason additions, can be huge in 2026.
22. Brock Purdy threw 20 touchdowns in nine games in 2025, which would be 37.78 across a full season. That is some major touchdown upside, and touchdown upside is attached to the history of newcomer Mike Evans. Across the 2024 and 2023 seasons, Evans totaled 24 receiving touchdowns. With George Kittle recovering from his Achilles injury and both Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk departing, the emphasis on Evans should be huge in 2026. Evans is an easy candidate for 10+ touchdowns this year.
23. As a rookie, Emeka Egbuka opened up the first five weeks of the season ranked fourth in receiving yards, tied for second in receiving touchdowns, and third in total Fantasy Points. While Egbuka finished the season as the WR23, the major upside was evident early on. Mike Evans is now a 49er, and while Chris Godwin is now healthy, there is a strong chance Egbuka is Baker Mayfield’s WR1 in 2026. What worked and what did not work last season for the Buccaneers through the air will be sorted out this offseason, and Egbuka’s sophomore season could be a huge one for Fantasy Football.
24. Kenneth Walker III vacates 221 rushing attempts and 31 receptions from 2025, with Zach Charbonnet recovering from an ACL tear in the NFL Playoffs. This is huge for whoever takes on the Seattle RB1 role in 2026, at least until Charbonnet is back. The depth chart today would say that it is Emanuel Wilson, who looked solid as the Josh Jacobs backup last season. This running back could also come directly from the NFL Draft, and that player would immediately have big Fantasy Football implications for 2026.
25. Zach Ertz earned 72 targets through 13 games before his significant injury, which is 5.54 per game. This role should be taken over by Chig Okonkwo in 2026. Okonkwo has finished with 560, 479, and 528 receiving yards going back the last three seasons for the Titans. Jayden Daniels had a great connection with Ertz the last two seasons, so Chig should be looked at more as a Fantasy Football tight end sleeper for 2026.