For the full snap-by-snap breakdown of who played where and for how long, read Dwain's preseason Week 1 takeaways: https://www.fantasylife.com/articles/fantasy/nfl-preseason-week-1-takeaways-for-fantasy-football
Preseason games are mostly noise. A few of them aren't — and this is the pass that separates the two.
Zain Dhanani and Dwain McFarland go team by team through everything that mattered in Week 1 of the preseason, starting with the situations that could genuinely move a player's price. The Cardinals backfield with Jeremiyah Love, plus what the Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson split looked like. DJ Moore and Dalton Kincaid in Buffalo. A crowded Green Bay picture with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Tucker Kraft and Marshawn Lloyd. Cleveland's offense with Quinshon Judkins, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Harold Fannin Jr. And in New York, Cam Skattebo and Isaiah Likely.
From there it's the second tier of situations worth tracking: Aaron Jones against Jordan Mason in Minnesota, Tetairoa McMillan's usage in the slot, a Jets group with Adonai Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr., Braelon Allen and a Breece Hall update, the Titans with Pollard and Spears plus Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson and Gunnar Helm, Miami's offense under Malik Willis with Greg Dulcich and Caleb Douglas, the Chiefs backfield and receiver room, and Cincinnati's new-look offense.
Plus two quick-hit rounds that matter more than their length suggests: the handcuff running backs worth a late pick — Tank Bigsby, Mike Washington Jr., Jaydon Blue, Keaton Mitchell, Woody Marks and Seth McGowan — and the tight end battles with Oronde Gadsden II and the Pat Freiermuth versus Darnell Washington split in Pittsburgh. They also get to the rookie receivers who played with backups but have been shining in camp, including De'Zhaun Stribling and Ja'Kobi Lane.

Matthew Freedman and Dwain McFarland lay out exactly how they're drafting quarterbacks and running backs in 2026 — the strategy behind each position, and the specific players who fit it.
QB comes first and it comes fast. Dwain breaks down how many points league-winning quarterbacks actually score by round, why dual-threat QBs account for nearly all the high-WAR seasons, and then sorts the 2026 field by ceiling: Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts at the top, then Jaxson Dart, Caleb Williams, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence and Kyler Murray, down through Bo Nix, Brock Purdy and Patrick Mahomes. He names his priorities, his fades, and two late-round quarterbacks he genuinely likes in Malik Willis and Tyler Shough.
Then it's the main event. Dwain makes the case that elite running backs still matter — passing volume is down, which pushes RB production up relative to WR and TE — and shows where the WAR hit rates actually live by round. He walks through which RB archetypes win leagues, why receiving and dual-threat backs account for more than half of all 20-plus PPG seasons, and how the plan shifts between early, middle and late rounds depending on format.
The back half is round-by-round targets and fades. Rounds 1 through 3 covers Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, Ashton Jeanty, Kenneth Walker and Chase Brown, along with the backs he's avoiding entirely. Rounds 4 through 6 gets into Cam Skattebo, Bhayshul Tuten and a rookie he keeps ending up with in simulated drafts, plus a fade that he finds genuinely funny. Rounds 7 through 9 centers on Jonathon Brooks and Blake Corum. And the late rounds get sorted by what your roster already looks like — Jordan Mason, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Kenneth Gainwell, Rachaad White, Chris Rodriguez, Tank Bigsby, Isiah Pacheco, Brian Robinson Jr. and Marshawn Lloyd.
Use promo code FFIL for 10% off FantasyLife+ to see Dwain's full tiers, ranks and projections.
Topics in this video:
2026 fantasy football, QB draft strategy, RB draft strategy, fantasy football targets and fades, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Jaxson Dart, Malik Willis, Tyler Shough, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, Ashton Jeanty, Kenneth Walker, Chase Brown, Cam Skattebo, Bhayshul Tuten, David Montgomery, Quinshon Judkins, Jonathon Brooks, Blake Corum, Kenneth Gainwell, Isiah Pacheco, Tank Bigsby, handcuff running backs, fantasy football draft strategy
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00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:11 - How Many Points Do League-Winning QBs Score?
00:08:14 - Which QB Types Win Leagues?
00:11:35 - Elite-Ceiling 2026 QBs
00:34:28 - Great, Good and Average Ceiling QBs
00:46:27 - Why Elite RBs Still Matter
00:48:11 - How Many Points Do League-Winning RBs Score?
00:50:58 - Which RB Archetypes Win Leagues?
00:55:53 - The 2026 RB Draft Plan
00:56:24 - Rounds 1-3 RB Targets and Fades
01:22:10 - General Draft Strategy Rules

01:23:24 - Rounds 4-6 RB Targets and Fades
01:37:23 - Rounds 7-9 RB Targets and Fades
01:42:41 - Late Round RB Targets and Fades

What actually predicts tight end success in fantasy football? Dwain McFarland and Matthew Freedman break down the stats that matter most at the TE position — and the ones that are just noise — so you know exactly what to look for in your 2026 drafts.
We dig into why receiving yards per game beats fantasy points per game at this position, how touchdown dependency makes low-end TE1s so volatile year over year, and what yards per route run and first down share tell you about which part-time tight ends are about to earn bigger roles. Then we get into the environment around the player: how heavy personnel usage is at its highest mark since 2015 and what that does to TE routes, targets and efficiency, which playcallers use it most, and how much motion and play action actually move the needle.
Finally, we apply the full framework to the 2026 TE board — the age curve that says when tight ends peak and when they fall off, whether you can trust a tight end on a bad passing offense, and the players who stand out. Freedman makes his case for Harold Fannin, Dalton Kincaid and Dalton Schultz, and Dwain walks through his tight end tiers for 2026.
Topics in this video:
What matters for fantasy TEs, tight ends, fantasy football 2026, tight end tiers 2026, league winning tight ends, TE age curve, heavy personnel, yards per route run, fantasy football analytics, TE draft strategy Subscribe for more fantasy football content
TIMECODES

Everyone can tell you why every player is going to have a great season — they can't all be great. Matthew Freedman is joined by Zain Dhanani (@DhananiZain) to skew negative, break down what actually makes a player a fade, and reveal the 10 players on their DO NOT DRAFT list for 2026 fantasy football.The fades run from Round 1 to the late rounds: Jonathan Taylor, Trey McBride, Bucky Irving, Bo Nix, Jameson Williams, RJ Harvey, Jaxson Dart, Carnell Tate, Jake Ferguson, and Jordan Addison. Why does Derrick Henry make Taylor the wrong first-round pick? Why was McBride's monster season a perfect storm that won't repeat? And which rookie top-10 pick is being drafted like a No. 1 WR when he might be the third option on his own team?Plus: how to actually treat the players you're fading on draft day — and a sneak preview of Freedman's Fades, coming to FantasyLife.com next week.Topics in this video:do not draft list 2026, fantasy football busts, players to avoid fantasy football, fantasy football fades, Jonathan Taylor fantasy, Trey McBride fantasy, Bucky Irving fantasy, Bo Nix fantasy, Jameson Williams fantasy, Carnell Tate fantasy, Jaxson Dart fantasy, fantasy football draft strategy 2026Subscribe for more fantasy football content00:00:00 - Intro00:10:10 - How to Treat Guys We're Fading?00:15:05 - What Makes You Fade a Guy?00:18:35 - Bo Nix00:28:20 - Trey McBride00:37:05 - Jonathan Taylor00:45:05 - Jameson Williams00:55:20 - RJ Harvey01:06:50 - Bucky Irving01:12:20 - Carnell Tate01:18:50 - Jaxson Dart01:33:05 - Jake Ferguson01:38:05 - Jordan Addison

What actually predicts running back success in fantasy football? Dwain McFarland and Matthew Freedman break down the stats that matter most at the RB position — and the ones that are just noise — so you know exactly what to look for in your 2026 drafts.

What actually predicts quarterback success in fantasy football? Dwain McFarland and Matthew Freedman break down the stats that matter most at the QB position — and the ones that are just noise — so you know exactly what to look for in your 2026 drafts.

Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland deliver the complete New York Jets fantasy football preview for 2026 on this episode of Fantasy Football is Life. We go position by position through every quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end on the Jets roster — ranking them, projecting their roles, and telling you exactly where to draft each one.

Can Geno Smith get back to his 2022 form? Is Breece Hall a dark horse league winner? Can Garrett Wilson pick up where he left off? What to expect from Omar Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq? We break it all down so you're fully prepared for your 2026 fantasy drafts.

📋 Players Covered:

Geno Smith

Breece Hall

Garrett Wilson

Omar Cooper

Kenyon Sadiq

AND MORE!

____________

If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards.

We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5

And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing

But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!

Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland deliver the complete Miami Dolphins fantasy football preview for 2026 on this episode of Fantasy Football is Life. We go position by position through every quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end on the Dolphins roster — ranking them, projecting their roles, and telling you exactly where to draft each one.

Is Malik Willis a must have late round QB? Can De'Von Achane still ball in a bad offense? Should you draft any Dolphins WRs? Is Greg Dulcich going to live up to the hype? We break it all down so you're fully prepared for your 2026 fantasy drafts.

📋 Players Covered:

Malik Willis

De'Von Achane

Malik Washington

Chris Bell

Greg Dulcich

AND MORE!

____________

If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards.

We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5

And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing

But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!

Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland deliver the complete Buffalo Bills fantasy football preview for 2026 on this episode of Fantasy Football is Life. We go position by position through every quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end on the Bills roster — ranking them, projecting their roles, and telling you exactly where to draft each one.

Will Josh Allen continue to terrorize fantasy football opponents? Should we be underestimating James Cook? Can D.J. Moore give us 2020-2023 Stefon Diggs production? Is Dalton Kincaid THE late round TE for 2026? We break it all down so you're fully prepared for your 2026 fantasy drafts.

📋 Players Covered:

Josh Allen

James Cook

D.J. Moore

Khalil Shakir

Dalton Kincaid

AND MORE!

____________

If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards.

We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5

And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing

But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!