The NFL scouting combine has been taking place this week in Indianapolis. With everyone from the football world, including media, scouts, coaches and prospects, experiencing the proceedings, we’re seeing an influx of news as we head toward NFL free agency on March 9 (for the legal tampering window) and the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
With plenty of headlines flying around, here are a few stories that stood out when considering the 2026 fantasy football landscape.
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Will Kubiak stunt Jeanty’s value in Year 2?
The splash head-coaching hire of the offseason was Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak landing the gig in Las Vegas with the Raiders. Kubiak is fresh off winning the Super Bowl as the offensive coordinator with Seattle and will now look to turn around a franchise that has made the playoffs twice since 2002.
For the greater football world, this is exciting. For Ashton Jeanty, it may be the opposite. Kubiak told reporters this week that he wants to have a “two-man show” in the backfield, looking to add a “Robin” to Jeanty’s “Batman,” so to speak.
If you had Kenneth Walker III on your fantasy roster this past season (like me), you know how frustrating that was. Kubiak refused to give Walker a big workload and Zach Charbonnet consistently cut into his carries, thwarting the high-end value of each back. It took a late-season injury to Charbonnet for Walker to really thrive in the postseason.
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Jeanty had a lackluster rookie season by fantasy standards, considering he was a consensus first-round pick in most formats. Still, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards with five touchdowns, adding 55 catches for 346 yards and five TDs. Jeanty finished with the seventh-most rushing attempts in the NFL with 266. If that number goes down, it could mean regression or a roadblock to Jeanty being an elite fantasy RB under Kubiak. We’ll see who ends up being the No. 2 in this 1-2 punch.
Cowboys officially use franchise tag on Pickens
The Dallas Cowboys are keeping WR George Pickens via the franchise tag, which is a one-year deal worth a projected $28.8 million. This isn’t all that surprising as the Cowboys will look to hammer out an extension with the breakout wide receiver before the 2027 season.
After being acquired from the Steelers before 2025, Pickens had his best NFL season, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, finishing as the WR4 in total scoring in half-PPR. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out, given what happened with star pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who was dealt to the Packers after contract negotiations before this past season fell through.
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If Pickens and the Cowboys can’t reach a long-term extension, we could see a similar situation develop. For now, Pickens enters 2026 as one of the top wideouts in fantasy.
Richardson, Colts agree to seek trade for QB
The Indianapolis Colts and QB Anthony Richardson have agreed to part ways as the two sides will work on a trade to another team. The Colts are looking to bring back QB Daniel Jones, who performed well before tearing his Achilles last season. Richardson was serving as the backup until a freak accident had him sidelined from Week 6 on. AR is in the final year of his rookie deal and could have a handful of potential landing spots with the QB market thin in free agency.
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Teams who could be in the market for a new QB include the Vikings, Cardinals, Browns, Steelers and Dolphins. It’s unclear if Richardson would be given a shot to start or brought in as depth. In just 17 games in his NFL career, he has a 67.8 passer rating, though we know what he’s capable of doing on the ground, rushing for 499 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games in 2024.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was at the combine after his team lost in the Super Bowl to Seattle. A glaring hole in the offense for most of the season was at wide receiver, where New England could use some injection of talent. Eagles WR A.J. Brown had a down season in 2025 and was clearly frustrated with his situation in Philly. Naturally, there’s speculation Brown could be dealt and the Patriots could be a destination.
Vrabel didn’t reveal much when asked about the potential of adding Brown this offseason. It could take a second-rounder to land the disgruntled wideout as well. Either way, if AJB lands in New England, it could boost his fantasy value for 2026. We saw the type of leap QB Drake Maye took in Year 2. That was with a mostly underwhelming receiver room. This deal feels mutually beneficial (plus, it would be great for fantasy managers).
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Vikings to “explore possibilities” at quarterback
The Minnesota Vikings allowed Sam Darnold to walk out the door after the 2024 season and now he’s a Super Bowl champion. Clearly, it was a mistake to let him walk. J.J. McCarthy was drafted in 2024 and missed that season due to injury. So, as a rookie of sorts, McCarthy took over the reins of the offense in 2025. He did not fare well despite Kevin O’Connell being a so-called “QB guru.”
So after the down season, the Vikings are going to “explore all possibilities” at the position this offseason, executive Rob Brzezinski told the Minnesota Star Tribune. O’Connell told ESPN earlier in the offseason that he still believes in McCarthy but the team will look to add depth and competition.
With the Vikings in search of a QB, a few potential options could be Tua Tagovailoa or Kyler Murray, both of whom are likely to be released by their respective teams this offseason. If Minnesota adds a veteran QB who can bring stability to the offense, it could be a big boost for WR Justin Jefferson for fantasy purposes. He finished as the WR28 in half-PPR scoring this past season and was one of the biggest busts in fantasy.
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