Welcome to Week 1 of the 2026 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Bold Fantasy Predictions
- The Players They Wish They Drafted Less
- The Players They Wish They Drafted More
- Listening to the Little Voice
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman:
Mike Kashuba: Mike Evans has been a rollercoaster of a draft pick when the season hasn't even started yet. In his new home in San Francisco, he's already had offseason injury concerns with his quad and groin.
Then Ricky Pearsall hit IR, and the receiver room looked like it was Mike Evans and no one else. Then Deebo Samuel Sr. returned, and De'Zhaun Stribling looks to be the darling of the offseason. Mike Evans could lead the league in touchdowns, or end up a hobbled WR3 in fantasy, and neither would surprise me at this point, and I'm not sure I want to be on this ride anymore.
Jeff Haseley: The three players I stayed away from, or actively regret drafting as much as I did, are Malik Nabers, Mark Andrews, and Jeremiyah Love.
I stayed far away from Nabers during drafts because the price tag just never matched the volatility of his situation. He spent most of the summer working back from last year's severe knee injury (ACL and meniscus damage), and even with positive reports heading into Week 1, entering the season with health concerns and a potentially less-than-100 percent situation is a major red flag.
When you invest top-tier draft capital in a receiver, you want certainty with production, not the anxiety of monitoring snaps, red non-contact jerseys, or potential mid-game setbacks. The talent is unquestioned, but the risk of a capped workload or a slow ramp-up made him an easy fade for me.
Andrews is one I wish I had taken less of, and it comes down to the unknown variables in Baltimore. With new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle stepping in to call the plays, we simply don't know how the tight end position fits into the target hierarchy.
The Ravens have talked about hunting for more explosive plays downfield and leaning into a different identity, which could mean a shift toward the wide receivers or a heavier dose of the run game. The draft capital for Andrews wasn't too high, but a player whose target volume might take a back seat in a new scheme is a gamble that could easily backfire.
Love's talent is undeniable, but the environment and circumstances around him in Arizona give me major pause. For starters, the Cardinals face one of the absolute toughest schedules against the run this season, meaning clean running lanes will be hard to come by.
On top of that, the game script will be a constant opponent; if Arizona finds itself trailing frequently, they'll be forced to abandon the ground game early. Factor in what could be a lingering high-ankle sprain and the coaching staff already hinting at a workload cap, and Love has way too many yellow and red flags to justify his heavy draft cost.
Corey Spala: I am trying hard to think if there is a player I wish I drafted less. I would like to follow my process: a formula to help guide me when drafting. This should mean I am avoiding players I do not want and targeting players I do want.
For example, I wish I had not drafted Brandon Aiyuk. However, the 13th-round investment will not be detrimental to my team. I will drop him and pick up a weekly streamer at a position of need any given week.
The scoring settings are a part of the formula, and Xavier Worthy has me second-guessing right now. This is a league that rewards big plays, and his 21st overall target depth and 21 percent of receptions over 20 yards in 2025 help justify the big play bonus at WR50. I am optimistic Kansas City deploys a healthy Worthy differently this year.
Identifying a singular player, Brock Bowers has me second-guessing the leagues I drafted him in. It is not that I do not believe in his talent and production. I am looking at the team builds and wondering if that early investment would have been beneficial at running back or wide receiver; players who may score similarly to Bowers.
In the middle rounds, we have no idea what can happen when drafting. Our leaguemates may make surprise selections. It may have been better suited to lock down a stud at another position and work the middle rounds more efficiently.
It doesn't help that the later rounds have suitable tight ends who can provide weekly starts (Mark Andrews), with potential to be a season-long option (Terrance Ferguson). You may also need to put in extra effort and manage your team properly with waivers.