A lot happened in Preseason Week 1. All of my detailed notes are in here, but today’s column will look at the details of where they land in my updated 2026 fantasy football rankings. These are half PPR rankings for redraft, with some notes on best ball and full PPR scoring when needed.
Jordyn Tyson out two months
The timeline is important. A 2022 torn ACL/MCL/PCL can’t go overlooked. That’s a near full dislocation of his knee, and to me, it impacted his willingness to add yards after the catch in the following seasons (for reasons I can totally understand). Unfortunately, we’ve seen countless players come back from serious injuries only to pick up lingering soft-tissue injuries. Tyson had two different hamstring injuries at Arizona State and was barely ready for drills by the time the 2026 NFL Draft rolled around. They took things slowly this offseason, and then a “new” hamstring injury occurred when he slipped in practice. Even if this hamstring is different from the other ones, it’s still worrisome that there are soft-tissue injuries.
Does he need to rework his entire lower half in ways that Christian Watson, MarShawn Lloyd and others have had to? I’m expecting that type of report to surface next offseason.
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In the meantime, the Saints are smart for taking their time with Tyson. I fully believe this will take two months if not more. October would be on the early side. November or another setback can’t be ruled out, especially with the Saints’ October schedule being on Metlife turf (Week 6), in France (Week 7) and on bye (Week 8). If the Saints wanted to be extra safe, a Week 9 return at home against the Browns could be a behind-the-scenes target. I’m going to assume he’s out for about seven games.
In redraft leagues, Tyson is still draftable if the bench spots are deep enough. The reality is, there’s a point in drafts where the WRs we’d be drafting are also long shots to be starters before bye weeks, so Tyson’s zeros aren’t actually that important. For me, that’s 129th overall as the WR54 right after Jayden Higgins, Denzel Boston and Jalen Coker, all of whom are young, upside plays with 2-WR set snaps projected from the get-go. The next tier of receivers (Rashid Shaheed, Khalil Shakir, Travis Hunter, Jakobi Meyers) have real questions.
Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson move up
With Tyson now out roughly seven weeks to open the season, it’s time to talk about what Olave and Johnson did last year again. Olave was the WR7 on WR6 usage in PPR leagues last season. Johnson was the TE15 on TE13 usage. Keep in mind that the Saints offense theoretically should get better with a Year 2 QB, a year two LT, an upgrade at LG, a year three RT and another year of introducing the Kellen Moore system. I’ll be using those marks from last year when ranking these players early on, and even if we discount the rest of their season when Tyson returns, these players deserve to be picked earlier than they are today.
Olave is my WR12 and 25th overall player in half PPR. That’s about as low as I could possibly go, and there’s an argument that he could actually be at the top of this Round 2 tier of Malik Nabers, Drake London, George Pickens, Nico Collins and A.J. Brown. Olave’s own history of injuries has me breaking some ties against him, but he’s very good and the Saints were first in neutral pace last year while playing in a bad division and in a dome environment. It’s a good spot for him to be in.
Johnson is my TE15 and 152nd overall player, if we’re including kickers and defenses. In Week 1 without Tyson, there’s an argument for him to be a top-12 option with George Kittle in question and Isaiah Likely hurt by the sudden return of Nabers. Johnson is a good option to pair with Kittle as an upside TE2.
DeVaughn Vele will be in 2-WR sets without Tyson early on for those in really deep leagues. He averaged 5.8 targets in six games with Tyler Shough last year, but the RBs will be so involved that it’s hard to see Vele factoring in 12-team leagues.
Breece Hall out weeks, not months
This is the typical timeline for a groin injury, depending on the severity. A lower-grade injury typically means two games missed during the season, with increased reinjury risk. The Jets will have a near full month before Week 1, and if they take their time and give Hall Weeks 1-2 off, then that’s not that big of a deal in redraft. The season is long. To me, Hall can be dropped just minimally at this point. There’s time for a normal recovery, and I’m struggling to find bullet-proof options at the end of Round 3.
Hall is my RB16 and 32nd overall player. It’s important to remember that the weekend before this, Hall handled 10-of-11 snaps with the first-team offense, and the Jets’ staff has called him a bellcow, which is not the tune they used last year. The Jets could’ve traded him. They could’ve let him walk. They opted to tag and then extend him instead. They are committed to him as a featured part of an offense that is quietly solid across the offensive line. Hall was the RB17 in 12 games last year if we remove the disaster games with Brady Cook at QB. That’s where he’s going today.
Jeremiyah Love has high-ankle sprain
The Cardinals drafting a RB at third overall and also needing to see him in extended preseason action is wild to me, but nevertheless! Love is at risk of missing the first weeks of the season in a worst-case scenario. High-ankle sprains typically mean 4-6 weeks, and it’s always concerning when teams rush back this injury. The Cardinals do have four weeks until Week 1, but it wouldn’t be crazy if he’s back in Week 3 either. That said, that’s not the biggest deal in the world in redraft. You don’t get zero points in your RB spot if he’s out. The RB you drafted in Round 8 is just in your lineup instead. That’s okay for the short term.
Love is my RB13 and 26th overall player, accounting for injury. Let’s not forget that one big negative case against him was playing time, and that was squashed by what happened in Preseason Week 1. Love balled the hell out, and when Tyler Allgeier was still playing, it was Love out-snapping the veteran, 16-6. That’s the modern-day bellcow split. He was also out there inside the 10-yard line on a 3rd-and-3 play-action attempt, so it’s not as simple as Love being vultured by Allgeier.
If not for that final-play injury, Love would be up to 17th overall as the RB11 for me. He absolutely looked like an elite talent with a great workload. That’s worth the risk in Round 3.
Keenan Allen to the Colts
It’s a one-year, up-to-$8M deal for the veteran, who somehow, someway led the Chargers in targets last year off the street. Allen is still a short-area weapon because he’s tough and smart. He was especially beneficial on 3rd-and-medium situations and is likely viewed as a 2-WR set starter if Alec Pierce misses time. Allen has played under coach Shane Steichen before. He averaged 10.5 targets per game while playing in 2-WR sets and in the slot in 3-WR sets. That’s been the envisioned role for Josh Downs in 2026, but the Colts have rarely played him in 2-WR sets to date. I’m guessing Allen is going to be in the Michael Pittman Jr. role as an underneath flanker, while Downs is the explosive slot option. Pittman was the WR29 on WR36 usage in half PPR last season. Allen was the WR46 on WR20 usage. Downs was the WR51 on WR51 usage.
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If Allen is going to have a fantasy role, it’ll be right away while Pierce is out or limited, but the Colts have a lot of competition for underneath targets already. Last season, the average depth of target for Downs (7.5) and TE Tyler Warren (6.1) were nearly identical to Allen’s (8.5), while Pierce was the downfield threat. Downs and Warren will get manufactured touches ahead of Allen, though 2020 was Allen’s best season in terms of screens (20).
Allen is my WR59 in redraft, but if you drafted a team full of currently injured players or rookies without a set starting role, then I can justify him higher for rented work in September. That’s close to Jakobi Meyers in my rankings, who is a great stylistic comp. Meanwhile, Downs deserves a slight knock, as Allen’s skill set is somewhat redundant to his. Downs is my WR44 after sneaking into my top-36 with Pierce’s rehab appearing to stagnate a bit. Warren didn’t fall in positional rankings (TE4), but I moved him down to 66th overall and back into the tier with Sam LaPorta and Tucker Kraft rather than being lumped in with Colston Loveland.
Stock Up: WR Sleepers
De’Zhaun Stribling was the biggest winner in Preseason Week 1. He played outside and in the slot. He won a ton of his reps. Some underneath. Some manufactured. Some on the boundary and some just because he’s a great athlete. There’s a need for this aging 49ers skill group early on, and we should have more confidence that it’s Stribling stepping up in 2-WR sets right away in Week 1. Stribling is my WR40 and a must-draft player if your league is asleep at the wheel.
For those curious, Stribling was graded as a Round 2 player by me before the NFL Draft, with this in his writeup: “At 6'2"/207 with 87th percentile hands, Stribling has valuable traits in regards to athleticism and hands. He had an incredible one-handed touchdown catch on a back shoulder and only one drop all year. His 4.36 forty absolutely showed up on a 75-yarder against Georgia and on a TD against Florida when he split defenders. He destroyed Georgia the entire game (7-122-0), and finished with multiple truck sticks against Tulane and Miami after the catch.”
Browns’ first-round weapon KC Concepcion is up to WR38 after the Browns unleashed him as a slot receiver, 2-WR set contributor and manufactured-touch asset. His TD was further evidence that his density and physicality give him a lot more upside than the comps I saw in the redraft process. He was my 14th overall player and WR2 in the NFL Draft with comparisons to Jaylen Waddle, Stefon Diggs and Zay Flowers. It sounds like new OC Todd Monken is in agreement with me. I’m excited for his workload as the season progresses.
Matthew Golden played in 2-WR sets over Jayden Reed. I'm in on the former first-round pick with elite speed on a routinely efficient offense, especially without a rotation at receiver to worry about. Golden is my WR32 and one of my highest-drafted players. The Packers experimented with quick snaps right out of the huddle in the preseason game after the staff has called out playing too slow as a hindrance in the most recent seasons. More plays would be welcomed.
Ja’Kobi Lane only helped himself more by scoring an in-cut TD, converting a zone hitch for a first down and adjusting to another crosser on his back shoulder for a first down in the preseason opener. He’s not only trending towards being a starter for the Ravens in Week 1, but he could be pushing Rashod Bateman for 2-WR sets already. Lane’s size is a welcomed sight for an undersized receiver room. Lane is my WR67 for those drafting in deep leagues.
The Dolphins were fun. The OL looks underrated with an elite C (Aaron Brewer), emerging phenomenal athlete LT (Patrick Paul) and first-round LG (Kadyn Proctor). They cooked the Commanders with between-tackles runs with De’Von Achane, who didn’t come off the field with the first-team offense. Achane is back up to my 11th overall player. The good news is we can wait until Round 2 to get him.
Beyond Achane, third-round WR Caleb Douglas started in 2-WR sets and made a great one-handed play. If we ignore him stepping out of bounds on another rep, Douglas had an encouraging opener. Then we get news that rookie WR Chris Bell is off of NFI with an earlier-than-expected return from a torn ACL. His athleticism made me spit coffee during draft prep. The deepest of leagues should be taking shots on both of them.
Stock Down: Committee Members
The Titans rotated everyone. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears rotated in bulks of about five plays each, without it being split by situation. That’d be frustrating if the Titans repeat their 2025 offensive output or what they put on film in Preseason Week 1. Cam Ward was erratic and sped up, in addition to missing receivers with unexpected poor accuracy. Beyond that, the Titans used five receivers on the Ward drives. Calvin Ridley and Carnell Tate opened in 2-WR sets over slot-only Wan’Dale Robinson, but last year’s rookies Elic Ayomanor and slot Chimere Dike also factored in. That came at the expense of all three of Ridley, Tate and Robinson. Tate is the one with the clearest upside (duh), but the concerns are showing themself. I rank him as the WR38. Robinson is the WR60 in half PPR. I guess you can have more optimism in full PPR but that’s a dangerous game on this offense.
The Bills rotated everyone, but unlike the Titans, their offense is sick. DJ Moore was utilized in the peak DJM ways, and he was a near full-time player before his ankle got caught up on a sideline tackle. He’s a nice click in Round 5 once he’s back at practice. Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir lost snaps to Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer and heavy personnel looks. Dawson Knox started the game in 11-personnel as an example. Kincaid’s pathway as a TE is easier than Shakir’s at WR in terms of redraft appeal.
Isaiah Likely did not start. He lost snaps to FB Patrick Ricard, TE Theo Johnson and TE Chris Manhertz for blocking reasons. Likely played 6-of-16 snaps with the first-team, and all of them were pass plays where he did not have his hand in the dirt. It’s only preseason, but Likely was closer to a Wan’Dale Robinson replacement than a traditional TE. On the margins, the loss of playing time will hurt him, as those 2-TE play-action shots are how we can find explosives. But ultimately, Likely is going to still be out there for a bulk of the obvious passing situations as an upside TE2. At one point, Likely could be argued as a fantasy TE1. Malik Nabers’ progress and this preseason usage have forced me to place Dalton Kincaid, George Kittle and Dallas Goedert ahead. He’s my TE12.