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- Why The NFL Combine Still Matters
The NFL Scouting Combine is officially underway.
Here’s everything you need to know about the event your co-worker absolutely can’t resist calling the “Underwear Olympics” …
📆 The exciting stuff starts Friday. With all due apologies to the defensive players and place kickers, us fantasy heads are most interested in the measurements and workouts for the skill position players. Here is the relevant info:
QBs, RBs & WRs: Saturday (measurements & workouts), Sunday (bench press)
TEs: Friday (measurements & workouts), Saturday (bench press)
🤔 Does the combine actually matter for fantasy? Kind of … combine testing influences where NFL teams select these players, but after that it is baked into NFL Draft capital and we run the risk of double counting it. For a more nuanced explanation of what matters for each specific position, I highly recommend reading Dwain’s recent piece where he did a deep dive into historical NFL Scouting Combine data to answer these exact questions.
⌛️ Are the times a-changin’? In recent years, it’s become standard for the top prospects to skip the combine—think Marvin Harrison Jr. two years ago. On the one hand, this is frustrating for our purposes. GIVE US THE DATA FOR OUR (SUPER) MODELS. But it’s also hard to blame them. If they are guaranteed a high selection, there’s only downside to their draft stock by participating.
That’s why it is so exciting that Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love is expected to work out this week despite being projected as a Top 10 overall pick.
🔍️ Who should I keep an eye out for? There are too many to count, but one I’m particularly interested in is Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, who Freedman thinks could go as early as No. 5 overall to the Giants. If he runs close to a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash he’s likely to cement himself as the first WR off the board.
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NFL DRAFT
Combine Rumors: What’s Everyone Talking About?
One of the most underrated aspects of the NFL Scouting Combine has to be the chatter that happens both at Lucas Oil Field and throughout the restaurants and bars in downtown Indianapolis—drink for every time you hear about St. Elmo’s. That chatter could be the beginning of trade talk. It could show teams’ interest in free agents. And it could impact a player’s draft capital. It’s football talk and we’re here for it.
Matthew Freedman compiled some of the most compelling rumors going into combine week, focusing on the draft prospects. Is Fernando Mendoza really a franchise changer? Could the Jets trade up? Who do the Cardinals have on their radar at No. 3? Freedman has the appetizers for a main course of rumors that will be flying all over this week. ⤵️
Fantasy
RB Tiers: After Bijan, Gibbs and CMC, Who’s Next?
Let’s have a little fun. Let’s put a little more than 50 running backs—52 to be exact—and group them in clusters called “tiers.” Well, we didn’t, but Ian Hartitz had enough fun for all of us in dividing up the most fantasy-relevant RBs into 11 tiers. Then add in some key analysis on various topics that tie these players together.
For instance, up top Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey ended up on either side of the dreaded 370-touch mark, after which players supposedly slip backward in the ensuing season. CMC finished with a career-high 413 touches, while Bijan finished just short of the mark at 366. Does this tell us anything about what’s ahead? It helps to be a multi-talented back, as Ian writes:
They each boast a fantasy-friendly combination of pass-catching chops and high-end volume that should help prevent too big a decline in fantasy points even if their raw yards per carry numbers might not push for career-best marks.
Who are some players in Tier 2 who could rise up into the top group? Are there free agents who could become solid RB2s on your squad? Read on for Ian’s breakdown.⤵️
Fantasy
Around The Watercooler
The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from our merry band of football nerds …
🏈 Look at the tape, er, NFL Scouting Combine results. Then look at your Dynasty squad.
🏴☠️ Beyond the QB, how do the Raiders revamp the offense?
😍 LeBron James loves Jayden Daniels? Confirmed.
🤫 Pre-combine news and notes. Good stuff on Tua and Malik Willis here.
🚑️ An update on Zach Charbonnet. A late start to 2026?
🎯 The Falcons do what we expected. And lock up their TE.
💪 This is one of the reasons Malik Willis is the top free agent QB on the market for some. Don’t talk about sample size.
🎯 How do you rank these QBs in fantasy? No Dart throws here.
☀️ Another Sun God could be rising in the AFC. The vibes are strong with this one.
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