Big Board Explained (Players 91-120)

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Even after 25-plus years in the fantasy industry and much success in high-stakes leagues, there inevitably comes a day early in each season in which I wish I had taken the time to write out the bull and bear case for each player likely to get drafted. Such a thing takes a lot of time, which is part of the reason why it is so hard to find such a thing on any fantasy website. With my Big Board rankings being released as we speak, now feels like the perfect time to conduct such an exercise. Along with several members of my talented writing team here at The Huddle (Steve Hungarter, Harley Schultz, HC Green, Kevin Tompkins), we present the first edition of what I hope becomes a yearly tradition: detailed analysis as to why a player will live up to his Big Board ranking and why he may not. Note: Rankings are based on the release of the 8/21 version of the Big Board. Because of the amount of time it will take to update each of the five articles in this series each time there is a change in the rankings, there are no plans to update the rankings next to each player in this story. If new players are added to the Big Board over the final few weeks of the preseason, I will add a sixth installment at the end of the series. The links to all five stories (and the 150 players we discuss) are below: 1-30 | 31-60| 61-90 | 91-120 | 121-150

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91. QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Why Mayfield will justify this ranking: Mayfield has roughly 150-200 million reasons to go ham this season. He has already vowed to have a monster season to justify one final big offseason contract. He has no shortage of weapons and a schedule featuring only one potential cold-weather game (Week 9 in Chicago) that should allow him to perform on par with his recent seasons. Over the last three years, he has finished top 10 in passing attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. The addition of offensive coordinator Zac Robinson brings an experienced play-caller to the fold again after Josh Grizzard failed in his first OC gig last year. What could keep Mayfield from justifying this ranking: His contentious salary request affects his mojo. Another reason he could fall short is if Emeka Egbuka fails to take a step forward in Year 2 or his preseason toe injury bothers him all season. The departure of Mike Evans also hurts the chemistry of the offense. -- Schultz 92. WR Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville Jaguars Why Meyers will justify this ranking: Jacksonville shelled out $60 million ($30 million guaranteed) and two draft picks to acquire Meyers. This alone should keep him on the field for at least the 79% of snaps he garnered after the trade last season. Spanning three different teams, Jakobi has topped 70 receptions in each of his last five seasons, showcasing his consistency. What could keep Meyers from justifying this ranking: Too many mouths to feed in the Jacksonville offense. Both Parker Washington and Brian Thomas have shown out in training camp. Washington already outperformed Meyers at the end of last season, so Meyers could fall to third among the receivers. -- Schultz 93. WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars Why Thomas will justify this ranking: Thomas put fantasy teams on his back over the second half of his rookie season. The talent and ability to dominate are not in question with him. He is ridiculously athletic and one of the few players in the league who could run mostly deep routes and still be somewhat consistent for fantasy purposes. It appears head coach Lian Coen plans on having him play the same role in this offense as Brandin Cooks (80-1,204-5) had when Coen was an assistant with the Rams in 2018. The fact that Jacksonville has made it clear that Thomas will be the primary "X" receiver already suggests he is unlikely to leave the field very often. What could keep Thomas from justifying this ranking: The Jags' desire to use Thomas as the primary X tells fantasy managers he will spend most of his time on the perimeter. The problem with that is quarterback Trevor Lawrence has a long history of leaning on his slot receivers and/or tight ends. Jacksonville has one of the most talented receiver rooms in the league, so there is a real chance he could lose snaps to Jakobi Meyers and/or Travis Hunter. Perhaps most importantly, Thomas' perimeter-heavy role means he is going to >face his fair share of difficult No. 1 cornerbacks. Predicting matchups is far from an exact science, but it is hard to imagine Thomas will thrive in fantasy if he is facing top-10 corners in half of his games this season. -- Orth 94. RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers Why Hubbard will justify this ranking: Carolina's top running back has finished as the RB15 and RB17 in two seasons under head coach Dave Canales. The running game has been a priority for Canales since he burst on the scene in his only season as Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator in 2023. It will have to remain a priority in 2026 as the Panthers continue to take pressure off Bryce Young to carry the offense. One of the main differences in Carolina in 2026 is a defense that should be significantly better than anything Canales has had since he became a head coach in 2024, which should lead to more games in which Hubbard and Jonathan Brooks combine for 25-28 carries. What could keep Hubbard from justifying this ranking: Rico Dowdle proved last year that Hubbard does not have a stranglehold on the starting job. Brooks was the top running back prospect in the 2024 draft (right after Hubbard's breakthrough 2023 campaign) and the second pick made by the Canales-Dan Morgan (Carolina's general manager) regime, so it is a good bet he will get every chance to prove himself. While he may be coming off his second ACL surgery, the Panthers wisely sat him last season in hopes he could be the player they envisioned coming out of the University of Texas. Considering fantasy managers just witnessed Hubbard losing his starting job for a time last season, there is at least a decent chance Brooks will be able to do the same if he stays healthy. 95. WR Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers Why Reed will justify this ranking: With Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks gone, there are 131 targets from 2025 to be redistributed. Those departures also make for clearer roles among Green Bay's top three receivers with Reed penciled in as the primary slot where he can use his speed and elusiveness all over the field. Look for him to add some value on gadget plays as well. What could keep Reed from justifying this ranking: Ever since opening 2024 with two games of 130-plus yards in the first month, Reed has topped 80 yards in a game just once. Even in a streamlined receiver room, Reed, who missed much of last season with a shoulder injury, could wind up being the fourth option behind Matthew Golden, Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft. -- Green

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96. WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos Why Sutton will justify this ranking: Sutton will justify this ranking if he simply has another Sutton-like season. The 30-year-old has been the clear alpha in Denver since Bo Nix arrived in 2024, especially in the red zone. At approximately 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, he gives the Broncos the kind of size on the perimeter that only one other wideout on the roster (Pat Bryant) does. Sutton has been a bit of an under-the-radar top-15 fantasy receiver in consecutive years despite head coach Sean Payton's tendency to tinker with personnel packages and his receivers' playing time. Payton has given up his play-calling duties this season to Davis Webb, who is expected to use more spread looks. While more spread looks are not always the answer to the question of how to get receivers more targets, Sutton will probably appreciate more of the one-on-one opportunities it should provide. What could keep Sutton from justifying this ranking: The primary reason why it will be difficult for Sutton to remain a strong WR2 play in fantasy is the arrival of Jaylen Waddle. In theory, adding a player like Waddle can sometimes help his partner in crime by making him less of a priority for the defense. In other cases (and fantasy managers should expect Sutton to fall into this group), the new kid in town will have the passing game designed with his strengths in mind and the rest of the receivers on the team will have to fill in complementary roles. Sutton's fantasy managers saw Payton's desire to push Sutton into more of a secondary role when he force-fed Troy Franklin over a five-week stretch over the middle of last season. Franklin could not produce in that yard-after-catch role in the way Payton wanted him to, which likely led to the trade for Waddle. Expect Waddle to execute Payton's vision and take over as the clear alpha in Denver. -- Orth 97. TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers Why Kittle will justify this ranking: If Kittle can play Week 1 and the losses in the receiver room open up more targets for the veteran tight end. Despite missing games in eight of his nine NFL seasons, Kittle has always come back and produced, averaging 64 yards per game over his regular-season career. Note: if you draft Kittle, you should handcuff him with Jake Tonges later, as Kittle would be an extreme outlier if he returned to form less than a year after tearing his Achilles. What could keep Kittle from justifying this ranking: Kittle is coming back from an Achilles injury. No one ever comes back 100% the same after such an injury. Yes, he is a tough S.O.B., but he will likely not be himself until midseason even if he plays right away. So, my suggestion is to not draft him and possibly trade for him in Week 6, when his current owner is likely 2-4 or 1-5. -- Schultz 98. RB Kenny Gainwell, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Why Gainwell will justify this ranking: If Bucky Irving struggles to stay healthy again, then Gainwell should have little problem flying right past this ranking. Barring that, Gainwell may be a better version of the player he is replacing (Rachaad White). Gainwell has improved as a runner in recent years, but the 2025 season made it very clear he was not used nearly enough in the passing game over the first four years of his NFL career. Even if Gainwell cannot force his way into a 1A/1B backfield with Irving, he should give new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson the option to do some unique things in the passing game. Gainwell is highly unlikely to come anywhere close to last year's 73 catches (or 85 targets) again, but he should be involved enough as a receiver out of the backfield to be a capable flex option. What could keep Gainwell from justifying this ranking: There is certainly a world in which Irving stays as healthy as he did in 2024 and forces Robinson to turn Gainwell into a change-of-pace back and nothing more. (Gainwell's two-year, $14 million contract this offseason would suggest otherwise, however.) Gainwell scored eight touchdowns last year, which was easily a career high. The odds he approaches that number while losing goal-line work to Sean Tucker (or Irving) and serving as Irving's change-of-pace are slim. The other likely reason Gainwell falls short of this ranking is that Tampa Bay's offensive line stays healthy enough that Baker Mayfield does not need to check it down very often. -- Orth 99. WR Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots Why Doubs will justify this ranking:For starters, Doubs got out of an unconcentrated offense in Green Bay and immediately linked up with Drake Maye and the Patriots in free agency. Last season, Doubs put up one of the better seasons he has had in his four NFL campaigns on a Packers team that spreads the ball around to a half-dozen receivers. Despite that, Doubs still managed 85 targets and 724 yards, with the best yards-per-route-run (1.73) of his career. Adding A.J. Brown to the mix does not hurt anything for Doubs; it actually relieves a lot of pressure to produce. Doubs goes WAY too low in drafts, so it is not going to be very difficult to pay off his ranking this season. What could keep Doubs from justifying this ranking:If some of the secondary players play way too much of a role for the Patriots, that could severely limit Doubs hitting even his median projection. We know Brown is going to get his as the top target. We would like to think that with the sizable contract Doubs received in free agency, he would be pretty safe. However, we still have players like Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas, and tight ends Hunter Henry and rookie Eli Raridon to contend with. -- Tompkins 100. WR Stefon Diggs, Washington Commanders Why Diggs will justify this ranking:Diggs may be entering his age-33 season with the Commanders, but he is still really, really good! Diggs' 23.9% TPRR is 85th-percentile among all pass-catchers age 32 or older with at least 250 routes. He is in VERY good company with Hall-of-Fame-level players, and the risk is always there with an older wide receiver, but the "falling off a cliff" risk of Diggs is pretty low, all factors considered. He should be a solid 1B with Terry McLaurin in this Washington offense, and his ability to attract targets is something desperately needed in this offense. Granted, he may not even be a receiver who runs 75% of his team' routes anymore, but he is pretty damn efficient per route and per target. Although Diggs is rising up draft boards now that he has a team, his landing spot makes him PLENTY worth drafting and an easy hit if everything falls right. What could keep Diggs from justifying this ranking:The ravages of age for Diggs and what typically happens to wide receivers after the age of 32. We have seen it time and time again, where players just fall off a cliff without warning, and that risk is present with Diggs. Even just removing the player takes, the Commanders' offense outside of Jayden Daniels does not exactly scare many teams, and it is McLaurin, a bit of Diggs and a bunch of guys. That could also do Diggs in, as the offensive environment could take a massive hit if Daniels is not careful with taking hits as a mobile quarterback. -- Tompkins

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101. TE Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens Why Andrews will justify this ranking: Andrews is always dangerous in this offense and Isaiah Likely is no longer around to steal snaps and/or targets. He still plays with Lamar Jackson and remains dangerous near the end zone. Although the focal point of the passing game has moved over to Zay Flowers in recent years, Jackson still leans heavily on his draft classmate in scoring territory. What could keep Andrews from justifying this ranking: Touchdowns can hide declining volume for only so long. If his targets decline, he could be in trouble. A couple of rookies standing out in training camp could also keep his production down. Ja'Kobi Lane is a big-bodied receiver who could easily emerge as a serious threat in the red zone, while Matthew Hibner may just end up filling the void Likely left behind. -- Hungarter 102. RB Rachaad White, Washington Commanders Why White will justify this ranking: Even though he is a backup, he has a defined role in catches and red zone duties. Much like the player who replaced him in Tampa Bay (Kenny Gainwell), White appears locked into two of the most important roles a running back can have (third down and two-minute work). Although Jacory Croskey-Merritt appears to be making a push to start this summer, he has struggled with fumbles. How many will Washington put up with before it turns to White more often on early downs? What could keep White from justifying this ranking: Washington's first unofficial depth chart currently lists Croskey-Merritt ahead of White, which makes a true lead-back role difficult to project. If White is primarily a receiving specialist, his weekly carry volume may be too low for reliable production. Even if he lands the starting job at some point and sees more early-down work, it is hard to imagine someone with a 3.9 YPC average for his career is going to run away with the job. -- Hungarter 103. TE Isaiah Likely, New York Giants Why Likely will justify this ranking:If Isaiah Likely can rise above the non-Malik Nabers riff-raff to be the second target and relegate tight end teammate Theo Johnson to true backup status. All we have seen from Likely are small samples, but he has a solid shot to land a full-time role and be a difference-maker alongside Nabers. Likely has shown some moderate efficiency, but he had his worst season as a pro last season with just a 14.3% targets-per-route-run and 1.29 yards-per-route-run. A season with over 60 targets for Likely will be his first, but there is not much else in the way of his becoming the clear second target for Jaxson Dart. If that happens, Likely could spike his ranking and provide meaningful value at tight end for fantasy. What could keep Likely from justifying this ranking:Basically, just doing what he did in Baltimore. Is it a foregone conclusion that Likely has routes waiting for him from Week 1 and forward? I could see an initial split between Likely and Johnson at tight end, which would seriously sap Likely's top-end outcome and just put him back in the same situation he was in with the Ravens for the first four seasons of his career. Perhaps Likely's inefficiency is just who he is as a player? That is definitely possible, because once a player shows you who he is, believe them. If Likely blends into the surroundings rather than rising above to become a fantasy-worthy asset, then he is just another touchdown-dependent bye-week streamer. -- Tompkins 104. TE Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills Why Kincaid will justify this ranking: The Bills told on themselves last season. Whenever Kincaid was on the field, the team threw the ball almost 50% of the time. That is the amount of respect they have for this player. To that end, Kincaid posted 571 yards and five TDs ‐ along with a ridiculous 2.79 yards-per-route-run ‐ on 49 targets in 12 games last year. Kincaid is being attached to Josh Allen, and that is enough to keep the ceiling interesting. What could keep Kincaid from justifying this ranking: Just because you are one of your team's best catch producers, it doesn't mean it will translate. At some point, projected opportunity has to become actual opportunity. Kincaid has missed at least four games in each of the last two seasons, which is a problem. The bigger issue, however, is a career snap share of just over 50%. Only nine times in 41 career games has he played at least 70% of his team's offensive snaps. -- Hungarter 105. RB Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans Why Pollard will justify this ranking: It speaks volumes about Pollard's talent and durability that he has produced four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The arrival of new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will fix a multitude of problems in Tennessee, meaning we should not see a repeat of the league's 30th-ranked scoring offense or 31st-ranked total offense. The defense should also be vastly improved, which should allow the rushing attack to be more of a priority longer in games. Another huge upgrade should come from the passing game in particular, as Cam Ward enters his second year and will have Carnell Tate to stretch the field. What could keep Pollard from justifying this ranking: Several things, in all honesty. The most obvious reason would be Callahan relying on more of a committee approach than Brian Callahan and Nick Holz did. This would make sense from the perspective that Tyjae Spears and Nicholas Singleton are quite adept as receivers (Pollard is as well, but this would be a way to get him some rest and the others some work). If that happens, Pollard would be more dependent on rushing success than he already was, which would likely be bad news because volume is usually king for running backs in fantasy and the Titans did little to address the offensive line in the offseason. -- Orth

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106. TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys Why Ferguson will justify this ranking: Ferguson is most definitely an "eat your vegetables" tight end in fantasy drafts, but he is in that Dallas Goedert "he is going to exist and be annoying for the wide receivers" role for the Cowboys. Let's not forget that Ferguson was fantasy's TE1 up until Week 8, when Trey McBride activated and went scorched earth on fantasy football. Ferguson has always been a quietly solid target earner, with targets per route run percentages at 20% or more in three of four seasons. Helping to buoy Ferguson's TE5 finish last season was eight touchdowns, which could see a little scaling back. With that said, Ferguson is not being drafted like the TE5 this summer. That is awesome for anybody not wanting to pay high prices for some of the flashier names at the position. What could keep Ferguson from justifying this ranking: The upside for Ferguson is that he is moderately useful in a very good offense; it is not BECAUSE of Ferguson that the offense operates. He is merely just somebody hanging around and useful in small doses, like the janitor in high school. You don't think about him, but you are thankful he is there at the end of the day. That is Ferguson in a nutshell. It is certainly possible the Cowboys' wide receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens dominate targets and leave Ferguson out in the cold as well, making him a riskier start in fantasy football. -- Tompkins 107. WR Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills Why Shakir will justify this ranking: Shakir is an undervalued asset who has been one of the better YAC threats in the NFL over the better part of this decade. Shakir has averaged 7.7 YAC per reception over his four seasons as a pro, and has 95 and 91 targets in the last two seasons. This season, DJ Moore steps in as the presumed top wide receiver for the Bills, but Shakir's role is so important for Buffalo that it is hard to imagine his production dropping off too much. It shouldn't be too hard for Shakir to pay off his ranking and then some, especially in PPR formats with a 74-reception average in his last two seasons. What could keep Shakir from justifying this ranking: Shakir could potentially drop off like a rock in the ocean if new head coach Joe Brady prioritizes Moore, à la Stefon Diggs coming to Buffalo in 2020. If Moore resurrects his pre-Chicago career from 2023 and prior, it will trickle down to every pass-catcher in the Buffalo offense. Shakir assimilating into the rest of the pass-catchers like Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Dalton Kincaid and others would be crippling for any fantasy value Shakir is hoping to cling to. -- Tompkins 108. WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs Why Worthy will justify this ranking: Patrick Mahomes returns to full health and spreads the ball around as he has in the past and/or Worthy is forced to step up if/when Rashee Rice gets suspended. Head coach Andy Reid reportedly had big plans for Worthy last season before the latter's shoulder injury early in the opener put a limit on what routes Kansas City was willing to let him run. Worthy may benefit as a field-stretcher if Justin Fields is forced to play more than four games. 20 of Fields' 52 career touchdowns have come from 20 yards or more. What could keep Worthy from justifying this ranking: Mahomes misses considerable time or Rice gets his suspension, and Worthy is unable to take advantage of his absence (3.7 receptions per game in the 18 regular-season games that he has played and Rice did not). Worthy is also not built to take a lot of punishment, so it is well within the range of outcomes that he will miss multiple games. -- Schultz 109. QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears Why Williams will justify this ranking: Williams might be one of the most polarizing quarterbacks in fantasy because of helmet scouting ("No Bears quarterback is ever going to pass for 4,000 yards!") and that we have finally shaken ourselves out of the Mitch Trubisky/Justin Fields doldrums to get a real quarterback into the fold. Year 2 of the Ben Johnson offense could be a special one for Williams, who has a Drake Maye-like trajectory in his grasp. Why can't Williams get over 4,000 yards, 35 touchdown passes, 400 rushing yards and a handful of rushing scores? That would catapult him into the elite of fantasy quarterbacks. With the weapons at Williams' disposal, it seems like it is not "a matter of if, but when," with his fantasy football ceiling. He has moved up into the first eight or so quarterbacks, but the price is still pretty good to find out if Williams can make the jump into superstardom in fantasy and in real life. What could keep Williams from justifying this ranking: The Bears. Just by being the Bears. Williams more than halved his sack rate from his somewhat bad rookie season to his solid second campaign, and that has been a key. With Williams happy to do the Aaron Rodgers move of throwing the ball away to live another down, he is taking care of the ball and not being as reckless. Speaking of reckless, can Williams find a little accuracy? He was 30th in adjusted completion rate last season and just 22nd in yards per pass attempt. Not making improvements in just delivering the ball accurately is going to put him behind the curve with the fantasy elites who routinely make tough, tight-window throws. Williams has so much to build on, but the accuracy and losing center Drew Dalman to retirement could really affect Williams more than we realize. -- Tompkins 110. TE Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders Why Okonkwo will justify this ranking: Okonkwo could be a league winner if everything lines up correctly. We have seen him show flashes. His athletic ability has never really been the problem. Although he is a much different player than Zach Ertz, we have seen Jayden Daniels lean heavily on his tight end. While Ertz may have better hands, Okonkwo can stretch the field and do more after the catch. If the duo build a strong connection early, 60-plus receptions and 6-8 touchdowns is not a ridiculous expectation. What could keep Okonkwo from justifying this ranking: We have been waiting for Okonkwo's athletic traits to translate into consistent fantasy production for several seasons. A new team does not automatically solve that problem. Washington has plenty of wide receivers and tight ends trying to catch fire and make a name for themselves, so he will need to catch on quick the first few weeks of the season. -- Hungarter

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111. RB Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings Why Mason will justify this ranking: Mason's value is tied to exactly what late-round running backs should offer: goal line work sprinkled in with some carries. He has an aging Aaron Jones in front of him, which is not a huge obstacle to overcome at this point. Mason also improved his body in the offseason and appears to be more explosive. As the big back in what could be a very good offense, Mason could be a cheaper version of David Montgomery. What could keep Mason from justifying this ranking: The team scheme holds him back. The obvious problem is that Mason may spend much of the season as a complementary runner, considering Jones is the superior receiver. Fantasy managers also need to keep an eye out for Demond Claiborne. Jones has already sung the rookie's praises, and it might only be a matter of time before he leads the backfield. -- Hungarter 112. WR KC Concepcion, Cleveland Browns Why Concepcion will justify this ranking: Concepcion drew a lot of comps to Zay Flowers during the draft process. He has a realistic chance to play that role for Cleveland right away in an offense run by the coach who oversaw Flowers' development in Baltimore (head coach Todd Monken). In an offense powered by arguably the worst quarterback room in the league, his inside/outside versatility (and ability to get open quickly) should make him a favorite of which quarterback is starting for the Browns in a given week. What could keep Concepcion from justifying this ranking: Rookie receivers don't automatically earn meaningful volume, particularly when joining an offense with quarterback uncertainty. Concepcion will also have to fight Harold Fannin Jr. for short and intermediate targets and is not near the threat in the red zone that Fannin or fellow rookie Denzel Boston is. There is also the issue of Cleveland likely being one of the worst offenses in the league. -- Hungarter 113. TE Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars Why Strange will justify this ranking: While the receiver room may rotate snaps and usage, Strange is the unquestioned top tight end on the roster. He saw 32% more targets than the rest of the tight end room combined. This should allow him to continue his 75% snap rate. The Jags' draft would suggest they want to use more 12 and 13 personnel, which would seem to benefit Strange as he is clearly the best pass-catcher of the tight ends on the roster. The likelihood is Jacksonville drafted two rookie tight ends with an eye on allowing Strange to detach from the line of scrimmage more often. What could keep Strange from justifying this ranking: Just too many other weapons ahead of him in the pecking order, such as Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and (occasionally Travis Hunter). Despite Jacksonville's draft investment at his position, Strange is probably only one Nate Boerkircher injury away from being needed to play inline more often. -- Schultz 114. RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos Why Harvey will justify this ranking: Much may have changed over the last year or two in Denver, but it seems pretty clear that head coach Sean Payton wants Harvey as the pass-catching complement in his offense. As most fantasy managers know, targets (and receiving work in general) are much more valuable than carries. There is also a bit of the same contingent upside behind J.K. Dobbins that existed last year, although the rise of rookie Jonah Coleman means Harvey probably has little chance to become the featured back he was for the second half of last season. Although Harvey did not show it very often last year, he is (or at least can be) an explosive runner, meaning he does not require a lot of volume to make an impact in fantasy. What could keep Harvey from justifying this ranking: The first reason is Dobbins avoiding a multi-game injury longer into the season than he usually does. The second is the aforementioned rise of Coleman. Make no mistake about it: Denver believes it has Dobbins' successor in the rookie. How much that affects Harvey's current role remains to be seen. Payton has long favored a committee backfield, so the likelihood of Coleman making Harvey obsolete is very low. Harvey is the more explosive back as well. With that said, Coleman is very capable as a receiver out of the backfield. The point to be made here is that Harvey has almost no shot to repeat last year's overall RB19 finish unless both Dobbins and Coleman miss significant time. -- Orth 115. WR Makai Lemon, Philadelphia Eagles Why Lemon will justify this ranking: Lemon can work multiple depths as a receiver, boasting the toughness to go over the middle and the speed to get deep. He seems a logical fit to assume some of the quick-hitting routes that went to A.J. Brown in years past. What's more is that the rookie projects as a strong yards-after-the-catch receiver. The hiring of Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator should inject some life into an Eagles offense that underperformed in 2025. What could keep Lemon from justifying this ranking: Lemon was not the only addition to the receiver room this offseason, as the team also traded for Dontayvion Wicks, who has reportedly had a strong camp, and signed veterans Hollywood Brown and Elijah Moore. This is a team built to win now. If Lemon's transition to the NFL is gradual (or his early hamstring injury set him too far back), the Eagles have other options to deploy. -- Green

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116. TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles Why Goedert will justify this ranking: As last year proved, Goedert is a trusted target of Jalen Hurts in the red zone. He easily outpaced A.J. Brown in targets inside the 20 (15-12) and inside the 10 (9-5) despite missing two games. Reports out of Philadelphia suggest first-time offensive coordinator Sean Mannion wants to keep Goedert heavily involved after the 31-year-old set career highs in catches (60) and touchdowns (11) in 2025. What could keep Goedert from justifying this ranking: Last year's 15 games were Goedert's most since 2021, so durability has been a problem for a while. Targets are always going to be the concern in Philadelphia. The Eagles have high-end receivers (despite trading away Brown) and a productive running game, so there will be times Goedert will be invisible through no fault of his own. -- Hungarter 117. RB Blake Corum, Los Angeles Rams Why Corum will justify this ranking: Corum was a highly skilled player at the University of Michigan who began to look more like his pre-injury self. While he is technically a backup, he is a player with an existing role and a clear path to dramatically more work. The idea is if he gets significant volume (most likely due to a multi-game injury to Kyren Williams), Corum would likely become of the top 10 backs in fantasy. Even if Williams remains durable, Corum has earned enough trust from head coach Sean McVay to receive double-digit opportunities most weeks in one of the league's best offenses. What could keep Corum from justifying this ranking: Corum has obvious upside, but drafting a clear backup running back who is not very involved in the passing game when other low-end starters could be available in drafts is pushing it. Until he gets more of the money touches (passing-game and/or goal-line work) OR Williams misses a few games, Corum may be capped as a low-end flex option most weeks. -- Hungarter 118. QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions Why Goff will justify this ranking: Despite being constantly ignored early in fantasy drafts, Goff has finished inside the top 10 in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns each of the last four seasons. He has not missed a game in four years and enters this season with essentially the same supporting cast that has helped him top 4,500 passing yards and throw for at least 30 touchdowns in three straight seasons. The defense also figures to struggle, which could mean Goff finds himself in a fair number of shootouts again in 2026. What could keep Goff from justifying this ranking: Plainly stated, only an injury to Goff or Amon-Ra St. Brown, or Jahmyr Gibbs historically dominating this offense on the ground, will keep Goff from exceeding this ranking. -- Schultz 119. QB Bo Nix, Denver Broncos Why Nix will justify this ranking: Nix is not being priced very efficiently, but that is to our benefit. The Broncos added Jaylen Waddle to the mix in Denver with Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin, so Nix is not without weaponry. With first-time play-caller and offensive coordinator Davis Webb being given the keys by head coach Sean Payton, the offense could be a little different, a more modern iteration of the Broncos offense. Nix took a slight step back in passing touchdowns and in his rushing in 2025, but he has a good chance to jump into the 30-touchdown club this season with Waddle in tow. Assuming his ankle is fully healthy, he has a chance to eclipse the QB7 fantasy finish he has posted in each of his first two NFL seasons. What could keep Nix from justifying this ranking:Just general accumulation. Nix has not thrown for 30 touchdown passes or eclipsed 4,000 passing yards in either of his two NFL seasons, which is hard to believe because he led the league with 612 pass attempts a year ago. He also has not rushed for more than 450 yards. Not that those are true benchmarks, but we typically see elite quarterbacks excel on the rushing front or be efficient while also being extremely pass-happy. Nix has not done either, so we need to either see him lean one way or the other to find his true fantasy ceiling. Being ranked below his two QB7 finishes, it is hard for him to NOT justify the ranking this season. However, if the Davis Webb play-calling is a train wreck, that could sabotage Nix from the get-go. -- Tompkins 120. QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys Why Prescott will justify this ranking: A pair of dominant receivers, an up-and-coming third receiver in Ryan Flournoy and a trusty tight end in Jake Ferguson will enable Prescott to continue to post high-end numbers. He has already posted top-five rankings in both pass attempts and passing touchdowns four times in his career. Plus, the defense ‐ while it should be improved ‐ may need a bit of time to embrace Christian Parker's scheme. That could lead to a few shootouts. What could keep Prescott from justifying this ranking: Over the last six seasons, Prescott has alternated between being fully healthy and missing games because of injury (games played: 5, 16, 12, 17, 8, 17). Following this trend suggests that he will miss games this season. He likely beats this ranking if he merely stays healthy and the team does not lose both of its top receivers to injury, although the defense could surprise early and allow the Cowboys to run the clock more often than it has in years. -- Schultz

This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Big Board Explained (Players 91-120)