August Is a Noisy Fantasy Month
Finding the signal is difficult, and GMs are often forced to make vital team-building decisions amid the din. Last year, Scouting Academy Director Dan Hatman and I delivered a podcast on how to separate the signal from the noise in training camp and the preseason.
What You Didn't Know about NFL Training Camp and the Preseason is well worth a listen, even if we're more than halfway through August. The difficulty with training camp and the preseason is that what moves the fantasy needle isn't always the most popular or visible points in the media.
This week, I'm sharing my biggest risers and fallers in my August redraft rankings, and how it may (or may not) change some of my fantasy strategies with drafts and team-building.
August Risers
QB Bo Nix, Denver: Quarterbacks with at least three starter-level skill talents in the receiving corps are good bets for fantasy QB1 value and even higher ceilings. Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton are a capable 1-2 punch, and this should open the field for either Evan Engram and/or Pat Bryant to deliver fantasy value. At the very least, Engram, Bryant, and Troy Franklin should combine to deliver the equivalent of WR2 fantasy value that elevates Nix into a clear-cut QB1 with a top-five ceiling. Nix is a good value.
RB Javonte Williams, Dallas: The offense appears intact, and the continuity of scheme is a good thing for Williams.
RB Jaydon Blue, Dallas: Talented but immature as a worker last year, Blue has figured out how to approach the job like a pro, and it's showing for the Cowboys. The clear-cut RB2 on the depth chart, Blue has the explosion and downfield receiving skills Williams lacks. He could change the outlook of a roster if Williams gets hurt.
RB Chase Brown, Cincinnati: I've been slow to warm up to Brown as a clear-cut fantasy RB1 only because a healthy Joe Burrow could limit Brown's rushing potential. Still, that hasn't stopped contemporaries like Christian McCaffrey and James Cook III from getting there despite having a top-five producer under center.
RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina: The former early-round pick from Texas only lacks elite breakaway speed, but he's fast enough to maximize his tremendous skill set at the running back position. If he doesn't take away Chuba Hubbard's primary role by late October, I'll be shocked. If the Panthers can play winning football on offense, which still remains to be seen on a weekly basis, Brooks could match Rico Dowdle's 2026 hot streak for a longer stint.
RB Tyjae Spears, Tennessee: I'm not drafting Spears, but I'm seeing that the Titans seem intent on using Spears more often than in recent years. I"ve always been a fan of Spears' game, but I'm not convinced the enhanced usage will be worth the draft value. He's higher on my board, but not matching the value I want from the pick.
WR Chris Godwin Jr., Tampa Bay: Last year, Godwin was falling down my rankings in his feature because we saw the photo of the atrophied ankle. This year, Godwin is healthy, Mike Evans is gone, and Emeka Egbuka has a toe injury (see below). Add that up, and Godwin could lead the Buccaneers in most receiving categories this year.
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina: I waited most of the offseason to see if the Panthers would move McMillan to the slot, and I moved McMillan up my board when Dave Canales confirmed the plan. When Chris Brazzell II got hurt, I dropped McMillan's value because the commitment to the big slot role became a question mark. Now that the Panthers signed Darren Waller to essentially play that Brazzell role, I'm more confident in McMillan remaining in the big slot role where he won't get pressed. I'm sold.
WR Nico Collins, Houston: Collins has missed significant playing time each season for 60 percent of his career, but I'm hopeful he's trending upward and won't miss more than 1-2 games. If that's the case, he's the clear-cut WR1 on the Texans and a fantasy WR1 for most drafts, especially with Jayden Higgins out for the year.
WR Jaylin Noel, Houston: Collins aside, it's good to have a redundancy option with the talent to become the primary option in an NFL offense. Noel may not seem the most likely option, but he's the best when you look deeper. Tank Dell's return to form is closer to wish-casting than reality.
Noel was a C.J. Stroud favorite in limited time last year; he's a capable flanker with slot-level quickness and routes. Noel has strong speed, and he earned high-impact situational targets last year.
Preason injuries are keeping his Average Draft Position low, but he's the second-most talented receiver who will likely be healthy enough to show it on this roster. The price is too good to ignore Noel. There's a potential world in 2026 where Noel earns over 100 targets.
WR Quentin Johnston, LA Chargers: A skilled quick-game route runner, Johnston's wheelhouse is short routes with yards-after-the-catch potential. We're going to see a lot of this for Ladd McConkey and Johnston. After watching Johnston improve his overall game during the past two years, I'm optimistic we'll see no worse than fantasy WR3 value.
WR Caleb Douglas, Miami: Yes, Douglas has risen up my board, but I'm not convinced it makes him a worthwhile fantasy option. Odell Beckham Jr.-like catches are more commonplace than many think, and the real-real with evaluating wide receivers is how well they perform against press-man coverage and reading disguises in zone coverage.
Douglas isn't earning these opportunities that he can do more than work from an inside alignment and win against loose zones. Douglas's role may command more targets, but within the scheme of this offensive design and personnel -- are you really trusting Malik Willis to find his third option before he runs? Considering that the first two options are likely Malik Washington and Pat Dulcich, the answer should be no.
WR Pat Bryant, Denver: There's at least one Broncos writer over at Sports Illustrated who is ready to declare Bryant the President of the Universe and likely to take Courtland Sutton's job this year. I agree with writers who see Bryant as the clear-cut WR3 on the Broncos. This allows Troy Franklin to become a mismatch in four-receiver sets. I'm not ready to buy that Bryant is taking Sutton's job this year without an injury. The news is good enough to elevate Bryant, but not enough to make him a draftable priority.
WR Stefon Diggs, Washington: We're not high enough on Diggs. We see his age, a new team, and late entry into training camp, and we project with caution. Diggs may be a questionable knucklehead off the field, but on it, he's all business and a fast learner. This isn't a DeAndre Hopkins post-Texans scenario. Diggs could out-produce Terry McLaurin in some receiving categories as the Commanders' No. 2 passing-down option this year.
WR Davante Adams, LA Rams: He was WR9 last year and only played 14 games, and I had him at WR28 this year but with two more fantasy points scored than last year. People fear the TD totals and a regression, but Adams is a complete route runner and not some football version of a designated hitter.
WR Rashod Bateman, Baltimore: Ja'Kobi Lane is a fun highlight story, but he's not a complete route runner with NFL-level expertise in reading zones and being on the same page as his starting quarterback -- at least not yet. Lane is trying to become that fourth receiver who aligns inside against mismatches of coverage and wins enough with these looks that he gives the Ravens a temporary high producer along the lines of Chase Claypool or Kenny Golladay -- at least until defenses adjust or Lane adds more to this game.
Bateman is a fantasy disappointment, so the bias is steeped in disappointment. It doesn't change that Bateman is the second-most refined wide receiver on the Ravens. Nor does it change that the Ravens are moving Bateman around the formation to create mismatches.
If disappointment is the only reason you aren't drafting Bateman after the 18th round and you're choosing non-starters playing with worse quarterbacks, I suggest you rethink that position.
TE Sam LaPorta, Detroit: The back injury concerned me, but LaPorta has looked healthy and back to his rookie-year form. Still, Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jahmyr Gibbs pose obstacles to LaPorta's path to clear-cut fantasy TE1 value.
TE Dalton Schultz, Houston: In contrast to LaPorta, Schultz just lost teammate Jayden Higgins, and it's doubtful Tank Dell is healthy enough to return to form this year -- if any year. Schultz is the safest bet for increased value without Higgins and should earn low-end fantasy TE1 value.
TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia: I think I overvalued Makai Lemon this spring and undervalued Goedert. The offense may be different and more sophisticated, but Goedert is the second-most reliable option in the receiving corps. Add to the fact that the Eagles are using a wide-zone offense, and the TE earns a lot of good play-action looks in this system. Goedert is a fantasy starter again, even if the Eagles lost more than they gained at the wide receiver position in 2026.
