Don't Forget About These 2 Veterans

They could muddy the waters...

Two pieces of news yesterday got me thinking on whether we are potentially underreacting to the looming presence of a couple veteran players in fantasy right now.

Let me explain…

News: Brain Daboll praised WR Calvin Ridley as a “good player

Question: Are we overrating Wan’Dale Robinson right now?

Verdict: Between Ridley—a solid veteran who has arguably been miscast as a true No. 1 over the past few years—and Carnell Tate—the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft who Dwain is projecting for a 20% target share—I’m worried that we haven’t pushed Robinson down enough.

The entire thesis of the Wan’Dale play is volume and now that is being threatened in a big way. He’s currently the WR52 on Underdog (and WR47 in our rankings), which feels rich. Give me the guys going after him instead—Jayden Higgins, Khalil Shakir, Jalen Coker, etc.

News: Alvin Kamara said he is “excited” to see what he and Travis Etienne can do together

Question: Are we too high on Etienne?

Verdict: I feel like we’ve all been working under the assumption that Kamara is going to retire, but these quotes seem to indicate that he isn’t going anywhere and might be willing to take a cap hit to stay with the Saints.

We know Etienne is a better interior rusher than Kamara at this stage, but it would be very annoying if the veteran siphoned away valuable pass-catching work and high-value touches. He’s likely slightly overpriced at RB15 on Underdog. Our rankings prefer guys like Breece Hall and Kyren Williams over him, which feels right to me.

Stay safe out there … and don’t forget about the olds.

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Fantasy

Chase and Fannon Highlight Freedman’s Favorites

We know there will be a hot debate all summer over whether to take Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs at the 1.01. But why not Ja’Marr Chase? He’s a WR Triple Crown winner, is still in an offense with one of the top passers in Joe Burrow and he’s barely going into Year 6 of his career. What’s not to love? Matthew Freedman updated his rankings after the NFL Draft.

Since 2024, he's No. 1 in targets (360), receptions (252), receiving yards (3,120) and receiving TDs (25). Since he entered the league in 2021, Chase is No. 2  in targets (767), receptions (520), receiving yards (6,837) and receiving TDs (54).

Only 26 years old and still very much in his prime, Chase enters 2026 with a ceiling as high as the heavens and a floor higher than almost everyone else's ceiling. ⤵️

Fantasy

Kendall’s Mailbag: Did You Hear About Eli Heidenreich?

Since you’re here, you’ve probably heard that a little bird—actually a full-sized Ian Hartitz—has emphatically shared that “Eli Heidenreich had 1,000 receiving yards … AT NAVY!”. It happened. Look it up. And then he got drafted by the Steelers. Kendall Valenzuela got asked about whether Heidenreich might be a sleeper for the coming season, and she shared her thoughts in her latest mailbag:

I am not putting Heidenreich on my radar unless it's for dynasty formats. Jaylen Warren has been durable his whole career, and Pittsburgh signed Rico Dowdle this offseason. When we look at Dowdle over the last two seasons, he has been effective as a rusher (4.57 yards per carry) and had 50 targets both years, but last season he ended on a low note. It's obvious these two are leading the backfield for the Steelers in 2026, but behind them? I don't know if Kaleb Johnson is going to be in the doghouse for this new regime, but either way, he's not a surefire bet. ⬇️

Fantasy

Around the Watercooler

Our merry band of football nerds is back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …

🏴‍☠️ Could Stefon Diggs reunite with Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas? Roll the dice.

🤓 Projections for every rookie. Love the range of outcomes analysis.

🐆 How will the Panthers backfield break down? Jonathon Brooks will factor in.

🤔 Who is this year’s George Pickens? What a smash he was last year.

🔏 The Chiefs ink their new RB. Will he be relevant this year?

🚑️ Is Tucker Kraft fully recovered from his ACL? Here’s the latest.

💎 Nicholas Singleton is a hidden gem, who could be uncovered in Tennessee.

🙌 Olave and Tyson the new Chase and Higgins? Be a believer.

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