ICYMI: The offseason fantasy guide to every NFC team

· Yahoo Sports

If you tuned out of fantasy football or just football in general late last season when your fantasy leagues were decided, I mean, I get it. We’ve all done it! We’ve all just dropped football cold turkey, only to get sucked back into the year-round news cycle around the NFL Draft or when the new schedule is released each season.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, consider this two-part series a refresher for what’s happened so far this offseason. We already went through the AFC. Now, we’ll tackle the NFC. All the news that’s fit to print about what’s changed with each team in the NFL from the end of last season to right now is here from a fantasy lens.

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Let’s get right into it!

Arizona Cardinals

  • Brought in a bunch of running backs!
  • And a bunch of new quarterbacks, too?
  • New head coach and offensive coordinator!

Remember last season when the Cardinals were down to running backs Bam Knight, Michael Carter and Emari Demercado? I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that in 2026. Not only did the Cardinals bring back James Conner and Trey Benson, but they also signed Tyler Allgeier and drafted Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick in the NFL Draft! So, uh … that’s a LOT of running backs. Are the Cardinals running the wishbone offense under new head coach Mike LaFleur?

Jacoby Brissett is the starting quarterback here, but he is missing voluntary team workouts to get a long-term contract. We’ll see how that goes, but the team also brought in Gardner Minshew and drafted Carson Beck in the third round. It seems like the Cardinals are taking multiple positions and throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. Thankfully, the wide receiver starters didn’t change much, only adding Kendrick Bourne to a group headlined by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. Trey McBride, of course, is a stud.

Atlanta Falcons

  • New head coach and offensive coordinator here, too!
  • Possible quarterback roulette all season
  • WR2/WR3 ambiguity

The on-the-field brain trust of the Browns now assumes the same positions in Atlanta, as head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees have a lot more to work with here than they did with the Browns. The first thing they have to figure out is who will be the starting quarterback between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. Penix was reportedly throwing during offseason work (as he returns from a torn ACL), so we should have an even quarterback competition on our hands in training camp.

Outside of the quarterbacks, everything else is mostly set in stone with those you love in fantasy. Bijan Robinson is the near-universal 1.01 in drafts, Drake London will be drafted either at the end of the first round or the beginning of the second round, and Kyle Pitts was franchise tagged by the Falcons, so he’ll look to build off a productive 2025 season.

Look out for rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who could take over from Darnell Mooney as the WR2 in Atlanta during the season. Right now, veteran receivers Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus stand in his way and probably will run routes for the Falcons to begin the season.

Carolina Panthers

  • Everybody is back (except Rico Dowdle)
  • Lurking in the backfield is Jonathon Brooks? (*Jaws music intensifies*)

Head coach Dave Canales looks to build off some solid momentum from last season, with Bryce Young at quarterback and second-year receiver Tetairoa McMillan. That part is set in stone. Jalen Coker was named the WR2 for the Panthers as well. Rookie Chris Brazzell II will challenge former first-round receiver and current disappointment Xavier Legette for the third wide receiver spot.

The backfield still has Chuba Hubbard leading the way, but Brooks looms. Brooks injured his ACL for the second time in his career in December of 2024 and didn’t play a single snap in 2025 as he recovered. The Panthers let Dowdle test free agency and he left for Pittsburgh. The fact that the team only added depth in AJ Dillon reinforces the idea that it thinks Brooks is ready to contribute this season. He’s been a riser in dynasty circles and as a late-round pick in redraft leagues as somebody who can gain more work as the season progresses.

Chicago Bears

  • Year 2 of Ben Johnson
  • Skill position consolidation
  • Colston Loveland takes over as TE1

The Bears have a ton of forward momentum that they haven’t had as an offense in quite some time, since the Jay Cutler era? Well, Johnson is building something substantial here in Chicago, and this season will be the one where a Bears quarterback throws for 4,000 yards.

Quarterback Caleb Williams goes way too low in fantasy drafts. Meanwhile, Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III are ready to propel this offense into the stratosphere. At cost, getting veteran pieces of this offense is also a great move with wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back D’Andre Swift.

The Bears are the buzziest team in the NFL and one that is ready to make a big leap into the upper echelon of the NFL, so I want at least one or more Bears to help anchor my fantasy lineups this summer and into the fall.

Dallas Cowboys

  • Every starter is back on offense
  • George Pickens signs franchise tag
  • Run 2025 back in 2026

Everything you knew about the Cowboys in 2025 can be copied and pasted into 2026. Running back Javonte Williams got a long-term deal to stay with the Cowboys, while Pickens signed his franchise tag. Of course, quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson round out the gang of Cowboys that are all plenty productive on one of the best offenses in the league.

Detroit Lions

  • Subtract David Montgomery, add Isiah Pacheco
  • Offensive line shuffling
  • Same offensive core we all know and love (with a new offensive coordinator)

While the Detroit Lions replaced last season’s offensive coordinator, John Morton, with former Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, it is otherwise mostly business as usual for these Lions in 2026. Montgomery was traded to the Texans, but Jahmyr Gibbs is plenty capable of handling the bulk of the workload. The Lions did bring in Isiah Pacheco to back up Gibbs, but it seems unlikely that Pacheco will have anything close to the same standalone role as Montgomery had in Detroit.

As for the pass-catchers, Detroit returns the usual crew: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and tight end Sam LaPorta - all being thrown to by Jared Goff. The Lions fortified the offensive line, adding first-round tackle Blake Miller. Outside of Miller and a fifth-round receiver (Kendrick Law), they spent most of their picks on the defensive side of the ball.

Green Bay Packers

  • Addition by subtraction?
  • Tucker Kraft’s return from injury
  • Is Matthew Golden even that good?

The Packers didn’t do much to add to things from 2025 until now, but they sure did some subtraction. Gone are Romeo Doubs (to New England), Dontayvion Wicks (via trade to Philadelphia), Emanuel Wilson (to Seattle), and Malik Willis (to Miami). But hey, the Packers got Skyy Moore and Tyrod Taylor! And a kicker, too!

*smattered applause*

Some analysts cansee through this ruse, but it’s going to take a lot to get the Packers out of the seventh seed in the NFC, where they’ve been in the last three seasons.

The same core is here, with quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs, along with receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden, who will get a more prominent role this season with Doubs and Wicks gone. Kraft could lead this team in targets and should be ready either in Week 1 or a little bit later into the regular season following a season-ending torn ACL last November.

Los Angeles Rams

  • The same 2025 offensive stars are back in 2026
  • Matthew Stafford is 38; will Ty Simpson play this season?
  • Will Kyren Williams and Blake Corum operate in more of a timeshare this season?

The Rams remain a huge constant and will always be a target of mine in terms of offenses I want pieces of. Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are excellent picks for your fantasy rosters. Williams may be a little overrated. By the same token, Corum might be undervalued, given the talk that they could have a more even split this season.

The Rams led the charge on the 13 personnel wave that swept the NFL with multiple tight ends on the field. Despite having some talented tight ends, I don’t think I want to be in the business of choosing WHICH Rams tight end to plug into a fantasy lineup each week. Head coach Sean McVay is the best “X’s and O’s” schemer in the NFL, and I trust him with my life to help guys like Nacua and Adams get open.

Simpson was drafted in the middle of the first round by general manager Les Snead and McVay. However, if Simpson is playing at all in 2026, something will have to go very wrong with the Rams.

Minnesota Vikings

  • Kyler Murray is in at quarterback
  • Jauan Jennings added as the team’s WR3

Quarterback was one of the big Achilles’ heels for the Vikings last season, as they had to cycle through 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to Carson Wentz and end the season with Max Brosmer. Not great! The Vikings picked up Murray and will likely start him in Week 1. Murray has underachieved throughout his career as a No. 1 overall pick in 2019 with the Cardinals, but he gets a new lease on his fantasy life. His weapons now are MUCH better than what he had in Arizona.

Planet Earth’s best wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, should bounce back from his least efficient season as a pro, and don’t forget that the Vikings also employ Jordan Addison as well! Last week, the Vikings signed Jennings to be their third receiver, so Minnesota is loading up on the pass-catching side.

Last season’s running back tandem remains, as Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason will split the backfield. Both are solid later-round picks, but Jones is over 30 and Mason hasn’t caught a pass since the Reagan administration. It’s not a great backfield to dive into from a fantasy perspective, especially when you consider some of the rushing touchdowns now may go to Murray as well. At cost, both Jones and Mason are solid buys later in fantasy drafts.

New Orleans Saints

  • A revamped offense for Tyler Shough in Year 2
  • Travis Etienne Jr. to push Alvin Kamara out the door
  • A huge across-the-board athleticism upgrade

This is one of my favorite offenses to target now, as Shough now gets to hand the ball off to Travis Etienne Jr. and throw passes in the direction of not just Chris Olave and Juwan Johnson, but also first-round pick Jordyn Tyson and fourth-round pick Bryce Lance.

Did I add Lance because I’m located in Fargo, ND, and heavily follow North Dakota State football? MAYBE.

Either way, the Saints are a sleeper this season and one I’ll be targeting as a team that makes a big rise offensively. As for Alvin Kamara, he’ll still get some touches, but his fantasy relevance may have petered out at the end of last season. Now that the Saints have paid Etienne some big bucks, the Kamara era will likely go out with a whimper.

New York Giants

  • Enter John Harbaugh, familiar Baltimore pieces
  • Cam Skattebo returns from season-ending injury to lead backfield
  • Year 2 of Jaxson Dart … and a bunch of new weapons

Out is Brian Daboll and in is Harbaugh, who gets this youth-laden roster, especially on offense. Malik Nabers missed most of 2025 with a torn ACL and should be back for Week 1 as long as everything checks out. Wan’Dale Robinson has gone to Tennessee, so that made it important to bring in some depth. The Giants added Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III and then plucked former Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely in free agency. New York then spent a third-round pick on wide receiver Malachi Fields. They’ve at least brought in a bunch of pieces to help out Dart.

Skattebo was thrust into a fantasy-friendly role after the Nabers injury, and he exceeded all expectations before succumbing to his own season-ending injury in Week 8. We’ll see if he’s ready to lead the backfield starting in Week 1, but the Giants still have Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary to help bridge the gap.

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Some new wrinkles on mostly the same 2025 offense
  • Will A.J. Brown be traded? (Probably.)

The Eagles may or may not trade Brown once June 1 hits, but the “may” side seems incredibly likely given that they used a first-round pick on wide receiver Makai Lemon. Lemon and DeVonta Smith will pair with Dallas Goedert to consolidate a large portion of the targets for this team. The Eagles did use a second-round pick on tight end Eli Stowers, so it looks more like it’s Goedert’s last season in Philadelphia. They also added much more wide receiver depth than they’ve had in years past, with the acquisitions of Dontayvion Wicks (via trade) and Marquise Brown (free agency).

Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley remain the same fantasy stalwarts, although they’re both a year older. Kevin Patullo was one-and-done as a play-caller in Philly. Replacing him will be another first-time offensive coordinator in Sean Mannion, who is expected to utilize some of the West Coast offensive principles he learned under head coach Matt LaFleur in Green Bay over the last two seasons.

San Francisco 49ers

  • Same Brock Purdy, new weapons and a new dynamic in the passing game
  • Christian McCaffrey is still good, folks

The 49ers are a team in flux right now, especially with their pass-catchers. Mike Evans spent 12 years in Tampa Bay and now comes to the 49ers to lead this group of receivers with Ricky Pearsall and veteran free-agent signee Christian Kirk. George Kittle may not play in Week 1 following an Achilles tear suffered in the playoffs, so that’s a big loss out of the gate. San Francisco did add second-round receiver De’Zhaun Stribling as well to add some juice to the room, and he’ll certainly have a bit of a role.

McCaffrey was awesome as a receiver but showed his age a bit as a rusher, so the 49ers added third-round running back Kaelon Black to the room. We’ll see if Black is a primary spell for McCaffrey, but head coach Kyle Shanahan and offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak want to reduce McCaffrey’s workload to keep him fresher as he enters his age-30 season.

Seattle Seahawks

  • Running back uncertainty in a post-Kenneth Walker III world

The Super Bowl champions haven’t changed much in the passing game, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a full season of Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp and tight end AJ Barner all back. Of course, Sam Darnold will be throwing the ball to them.

Where the change for the Seahawks lies is in the running game, where Walker has signed a big-money deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Seahawks brought in Emanuel Wilson in free agency and drafted Jadarian Price in the first round to pair with veteran Zach Charbonnet. With Charbonnet’s status in Week 1 up in the air thanks to a torn ACL in the playoffs, Wilson and Price are expected to carry more of the load than usual until Charbonnet’s return. Prepare for a muddy backfield unless Price dominates beforehand.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • No Mike Evans for the first time since 2014
  • Wide receiver shuffling for 2026

It’s already weird to see a Buccaneers roster without Mike Evans on it. But Father Time is undefeated, and time keeps moving forward. Evans’ departure opens up an opportunity for Emeka Egbuka to be the WR1 here in Tampa. Egbuka’s second half was underwhelming, but he and quarterback Baker Mayfield both dealt with injuries after fast starts. Mayfield should be able to make everything work here for the second-year receiver.

Chris Godwin also remains in Tampa and is an underrated redraft asset considering his productivity in fantasy and being the second receiver. The Buccaneers also added rookie receiver Ted Hurst in the third round, and he’s being labeled as the “X” receiver, where Evans made his career for 12 seasons.

Bucky Irving still heads the running back room, but replacing Rachaad White is Kenneth Gainwell, who has some of the same skills as White. Gainwell was hugely productive in Pittsburgh over the second half of the season in 2025 and should find a lot of work in Tampa. This backfield tandem feels like a slight negative for Irving but a slight positive for Gainwell as they meet in the middle for touches.

Washington Commanders

  • Washington added a bunch of receivers and still has just one wideout we care about (Terry McLaurin)
  • A revolving door of mediocre running backs
  • Chig Okonkwo replaces Zach Ertz

The things the Commanders do are somewhat frustrating because it feels like they’re not doing everything they can to maximize the competitive window for quarterback Jayden Daniels in his rookie contract. McLaurin is the unquestioned top receiver, and it looks like new tight end Chig Okonkwo was brought in to be the second receiver. Perhaps it can be third-round pick Antonio Williams who can rise above a glut of failed prospects to be a worthwhile target? The pass-catchers as a group don’t exactly inspire a ton of confidence.

The running back room subtracts Chris Rodriguez Jr. and adds Rachaad White, who will probably play a lot more than we want him to. If I’m going to put my chips in on one Washington running back to provide the most fantasy value this season, it’s White. Jacory Croskey-Merritt had moments last season, but he ended up ceding a lot of his work to Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols, who also returns in 2026.

This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Analyzing The Offseason For Every NFC Team From A Fantasy Perspective

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