Welcome to the weekly Fantasy Notebook, the must-stop spot for keeping your finger on the pulse of Fantasy Nation. NFL news and developments drive fantasy values. The Notebook is here to keep you in the loop on all of it throughout the season -- and into the offseason.
As we close in on Week 1, the Notebook is shifting into regular-season mode. You'll find the full version on the site every Thursday.
And with the exhibition season rolling into Week 2, there's no shortage of actionable intelligence being generated. In fact, it sometimes seems like there's a surplus. How do you avoid getting caught up in the weeds?
Hit the Footballguys 2026 NFL Preseason Reports.
You'll find everything you need to know from each team's training camps and preseason games, plus what it means for your fantasy football leagues. The full reports are updated weekly through August and repackaged into concise, easy-to-read Need-to-Know Summaries that focus on the information that matters most to you.
Of course, we have plenty of content beyond that, including a massive collection of Fantasy Articles, Podcasts, Rankings, Tools, and more.
The weekly Fantasy Notebook is part of that. So let's dive into this week's edition . . .
Quiet Please
Attention and value aren't the same thing. Sometimes lack of attention is itself actionable.
With intel and information so readily available, I find it interesting when players aren't being discussed much.
Attention creates price movement; lack of attention can preserve value.
Let's look at four players who I think merit more attention but aren't getting it. We'll start at the top, with . . .
The King of Quiet
We have a new coaching staff in Baltimore this year, with a promising young offensive coordinator. But most of the attention has been focused on Lamar Jackson and his receiving corps.
There hasn't been much discussion about Derrick Henry.
That's surprising even without any major developments involving him.
After all, Henry's 3,516 rushing yards over the last two seasons are the most in the NFL.
ESPN's Mike Clay notes that Henry finished the 2025 season second in the NFL in rushing yards for the fourth season in a row, and his 24 carries inside the 5-yard line were easily the most in the league.
That wasn't new.
Henry leads the NFL in carries inside the 5-yard line with 42 and is second in touchdowns (34) since joining Baltimore before the 2024 season. He hasn't finished lower than eighth among running backs in touchdowns since 2017.
Although he's a non-factor in the passing game, Henry continues to run at a high level. His 5.2 yards per carry last season ranked fifth among qualified backs.
Henry totaled over 300 carries in each of his first two seasons in Baltimore.
Not surprisingly, he also continued to rack up career achievements and high-end fantasy numbers.
And He's Not Done, Is He?
As the team's official website suggested, "King Henry doesn't need a successor just yet. He shows no sign of slowing down at age 32."
Still, there have only been 12 1,000-yard rushing seasons for players who were at least 32 years old.
Why should we believe Henry will be the 13th?
There are a number of reasons, including . . .
Those New Coaches
New head coach Jesse Minter said the Ravens would be counting on Henry to be a "major, major" part of their offense in the 2026 season.
Incoming offensive coordinator Declan Doyle wouldn't specify the number of carries for Henry this year but said the five-time Pro Bowl running back will have "an immense role."
"I was telling the offensive staff how cool it is when you call a run play -- and you're a first-time playcaller -- and Derrick Henry is the running back. And you're like: the odds of this working are a lot higher."
That's exactly what fantasy investors want to hear. Knowing the desired outcome -- a massive workload for Henry -- will help us.
Henry finished as RB7 last year and RB4 in 2024 while carrying the ball more than 300 times for the Ravens.
Having Jackson in the backfield is a massive boon.
Clay argues that Henry remains a featured rusher in a terrific offense and is well-positioned for his fifth consecutive top-eight fantasy campaign.
For me, Henry is a reasonably priced gamble. I see elite production being normalized and discounted because of age.
His RB12 Average Draft Position (ADP) trails my expectations.
Given his track record and remarkable offseason conditioning regimen, I'm willing to spend the 21st pick overall to find out if Henry is the ultimate NFL unicorn or not.
Mason Ready to Stone Opponents
As Heavy.com's Jerry Markarian reported, running back Jordan Mason has been putting on a show at Vikings training camp. He's been one of their most consistent performers through the first two weeks, and some think he could be in for a big season behind Minnesota's vaunted offensive line.
Vikings On SI's Jason Harmon highlighted Mason after a big day at Wednesday's practice, one in which the veteran back broke off a long run.
Jordan Mason looks insane through camp so far. Massively underrated burst around the edge we get to see with the new run scheme. pic.twitter.com/iEY86HKF9z
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) August 13, 2026
Harmon went so far as to say that Mason could win the RB1 job if the early hot start proves to be sustainable. "Mason is listed as a co-starter with Aaron Jones Sr. on the Vikings' unofficial depth chart released Wednesday, but if he runs like this in season, he'll have a strong case to hold the RB1 title entirely to himself."
Purple Insider's Matthew Coller has been on Mason since before training camp started.
As camp opened last month, Coller reminded readers that between 2024 and 2025, only seven running backs in the NFL averaged more yards per carry than Mason.
If head coach Kevin O'Connell is serious about getting down to business with the running game, Coller argues, he will be leaning on Mason more, even if it comes along with pass protection/receiving shortcomings.
Evidence suggests that's been the plan all along this year.
Follow the Money
Markarian noted that Minnesota entered the offseason with Mason set to hit the open market. Jones, who was set to make $9 million this season, was an obvious cut candidate. However, the latter agreed to a pay cut and will instead make $5.6 million (with $5 million guaranteed) this season.
Mason, on the other hand, was brought back on a two-year, $10.5 million deal a few days later.
The fact that Mason ran for 758 yards and six touchdowns off his 159 attempts as opposed to Jones' 548 yards and two touchdowns off 132 attempts probably doesn't hurt, either. Mason was more efficient than Jones last season.
The Biggest Tell
The Vikings hired Frank Smith, who served as the Dolphins' offensive coordinator over the past four years, this offseason. The veteran coach will inject a healthy dose of wide-zone concepts into Minnesota's rushing offense, and that could complement Mason's patience and vision behind the Vikings' stout front five.
While Mason has never been known for his speed (he's always been considered more of a plodding runner), he's displayed far better burst than we're used to from him through the first three weeks of training camp.
Best of all, it seems like the role change is happening before ADP catches up to it.
Mason is currently being drafted as RB39 in Round 10.
While Jones is available a round later as RB41, this is a case where Mason's potential role has me ignoring the discount on his teammate.
Not Going Anywhere
As NFL.com suggested, it was mission accomplished for Denver's starters (minus Bo Nix) in Friday night's win in Atlanta, as wide receiver Courtland Sutton keyed the Broncos' first-drive touchdown by skying for a 40-yard catch down to the 1.
Sutton finished the game as the Broncos' leading receiver after pulling in all three of his targets for 60 yards.
And it made me realize how little we've been talking about him this summer.
Veteran Production Overshadowed by New Arrival
Entering his age-30 season, Sutton is coming off his two best pro campaigns -- back-to-back 1,000-yard, top-20 fantasy finishes after managing that just once in his first six years.
Last season, Sutton pulled in 74 catches, 1,017 yards, and seven touchdowns, with 52 receptions that moved the chains.
He's ranked top 12 in touchdowns each of the last three years and top 10 in end-zone targets for four straight.
This year, Jaylen Waddle's arrival adds target competition, which admittedly isn't ideal. Sutton's target share already dipped from 24 percent to 21 percent last year. His eight drops and a sub-60 percent catch rate last year were also notable flaws.
But he's still Denver's most reliable option in the red zone and on third downs. Fix the drops, and SBNation's Chad Hart thinks year nine could be Sutton's best yet -- even with Waddle on board.
He showed us the upside last Friday night.
Courtland Sutton. I like his chances of making the team. He’s gone for 3 catches for 60 yards in the first quarter. pic.twitter.com/eMku96261D
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 14, 2026
At WR36 and in Round 6, Sutton is a buy for me.
