6 Backfields To Target, Monitor And Fade In Fantasy Football 2026

If there is one element to fantasy football analysis that is underserved, it’s probably offensive line play.

It’s not sexy or glamorous, but it would be insane to downplay its importance within our fake football realm.

A good offensive line has the chance to elevate middling talents (think the RB2s in San Francisco over the years), while a poor offensive line can submarine a special talent—just ask Ashton Jeanty about last year.

It’s why I was particularly intrigued to see these aggregated offensive line ranks hit my timeline yesterday.

A few quick thoughts …

Keep An Eye On These Backfields

No. 1 - Broncos: I need more of this backfield in my portfolio. I’m not a fan of RJ Harvey (feels like he can get squeezed in both directions), but all three of the Denver backs are going after pick 85 on Underdog. Similar to the Vikings RB situation we discussed the other day, I think we want to aggressively take stabs on Harvey, J.K. Dobbins and Jonah Coleman.

No. 2 - Eagles. Don’t be scared of Saquon Barkley this year. He went from 13 TDs in 2024 to 7 last year. All signs point to a bounceback—especially with a new OC in town.

No. 5 - Buccaneers. With news trending positively on Bucky Irving, his Round 5 price tag is most certainly worth the risk.

No. 7 - Panthers. Carolina has had a sneakily good running game the past few seasons. Even with the gap closing between them, I want to target both Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks.

No. 31 (Titans) & No. 32 (Browns) - Tony Pollard and Quinshon Judkins are pretty tough clicks … especially with pass-catching threats behind them on the depth chart.

WHERE ARE THESE BACKS ON THE BIG BOARD?

Chase Glory For The Next 5 Years

The accomplishments are already significant for Ja’Marr Chase. OROY in 2021, compiling 1,455 receiving yards and 13 TDs. Again, he was a rookie! An otherworldly 127-1,708-17 Triple Crown season in 2024. Last season, with QB Joe Burrow missing nine games, Chase still posted a solid 125-1,412-8. He’s 26 and that’s his floor production. You can lock him in for more big production the next five seasons, and likely beyond.

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Around the Watercooler

Your favorite football nerds are back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …

👀 You’ve read about a lot of sleepers for 2026 … but which should you really target and fade?

📚 Is a QB-WR1 stack really the best target in this elite offense? What about QB-RB-TE?!

📫 How should we attack the Packers’ WRs? Kendall’s mailbag has the plan.

🪞 If this elite QB looks in a mirror … he sees a similar version going rounds later.

🤔 Who is the Ravens’ WR2 to target? Some decent coaachspeak here.

🥊 A pair of sophomore WRs going in the same range. Choose your fighter.

🤫 Some cool data on QB sneak rate. Hard to stop Josh Allen.

🏔️ Speaking of the new Daddy Allen, has he reached his peak?

🧨 Breakout candidates for all 32 teams. I gasped at the Bengals one.

🤯 Whoa, epic ball knowledge. Keep him out of my league.

🥶 Fade this young stud QB at your own risk. Could get chilly if you pick wrong.

Time For A Mock Draft: Hitting WR Heavy, Early

One of the best things to celebrate after July 4th is mock draft szn! Matthew Freedman helped kick off this prime time of summer prep with his own 12-team mock draft. Should you hit RB early, or hang back and fill up on pass-catching studs first? And to stack, or not to stack? That is the question. You’ll want to see what he did at TE. We’ll have to ask Kendall if she approves of Freedman’s QB strategy.

And if you want to try a mock draft of your own, go right here. You won’t stop at just one. ⤵️

LOADING UP ON AN OFFENSE IS NOT A CHEESY STRATEGY

Rate My Dynasty Trade: Justin Jefferson For Who?

We know last year was tough on Justin Jefferson. We lived it, it was tough on all of us who just want good things for J-Jettas. But we move on, and that may mean measuring the temperature of leaguemates in dynasty to see if they’ve soured on Jefferson after a “down” season.

That’s what Jake Trowbridge did, and he didn’t have to turn down an offer in any of his leagues—we tried. He just had to open the Fantasy Life Discord channel and ask our audience for some of their recent deals. Jake gave them ratings. See if you agree. ⤵️

LAMAR JACKSON FOR GEORGE PICKENS IS A BANGER

No Tissues Needed: Tiers of Quarterbacks

We’ve enjoyed Dwain McFarland’s QB Tiers article, now it’s time for him to break it down with Kendall Valenzuela and Pete Overzet so we can formulate the optimal strategy with the signal-callers. Make sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Life Show YouTube channel to catch every episode. ⤵️

WHO ARE THE SLEEPERS WHO CAN JUMP INTO QB1 STATUS?

Published Jul 9, 2026, 7:00 AM ET