8 Players Moving Up and Down Fantasy Draft Boards with the NFL Preseason Underway

The preseason is off and running.

Thursday night concluded a full slate of games. There will be three more Friday and seven on Saturday. By Sunday morning, NFL fans will have had their first glance at all 32 teams in 2026.

Fantasy managers will react to the weekend's developments—perhaps too strongly in some cases.

We have already seen quite a bit of movement on fantasy draft boards over the past week or two.

Once the pads come on in camp and reports start to surface about some players showing out and others getting nicked up, that news reverberates through fantasy football. The asking price for standouts spikes. If a guy gets hurt or struggles on the practice field, his average draft position in fantasy can plummet.

We'll see that much more movement as we move into the preseason and fantasy draft season kicks into overdrive. But with the preseason now underway, we're already seeing some fantasy assets move sharply up and down draft boards.

QB Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

Multiple NFL teams entered training camp unsure who their starting quarterback would be in 2026. But while clubs like the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns head into the preseason with a competition under center still underway, the Minnesota Vikings have made a decision.

While addressing the media earlier this week, Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell said newcomer Kyler Murray will be the starting quarterback when the Vikings host the rival Green Bay Packers on September 13:

"After some dialogue in-house, and daily analyzing the overall of where we are at right now, we did name Kyler Murray our starting quarterback. From the outset of our offseason, we have been intentional and open about the goal of creating a competitive environment. I do think there's been improvement. I think there's been guys with positive feelings towards their own individual outlook on things, as well as our team's confidence in the position."

This wasn't exactly unexpected. J.J. McCarthy was one of the worst passers in the NFL last year. But now that it's official, Murray's ADP is going to climb from its current spot at QB17.

Admittedly, Murray hasn't been great in recent years. But just two years ago he was a top-10 quarterback in fantasy points, and he has demonstrated elite fantasy upside in the past.

The offense in Minnesota is loaded with skill-position talent. O'Connell's offense made Sam Darnold a top-six fantasy quarterback in 2024. And Murray's ability to gain yardage with his legs is a major boost to his fantasy value.

For fantasy managers who like to fade quarterbacks and wait as long as possible to draft a starter, Murray has to be near the top of their target list.

QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Matt Krohn

The fantasy stock of Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has shifted dramatically over the past week or so.

At first, it appeared he was going to get a boost—the signing of veteran wideout Stefon Diggs gave Daniels and the Commanders the No. 2 wide receiver that the team so badly needed.

However, the good feelings didn't last long. Shortly after Diggs was signed, it was announced that Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil would miss most of the season after tearing his triceps in practice.

As ESPN's Kevin Clark told First Take, it was a brutal injury:

"I just look at this offense, and I see Jayden Daniels having to go into Superman mode. And if you're saying there are injuries on the offensive line, I talked with Jayden Daniels on Saturday, and I said, 'Who is the most underrated guy on this team?' And he said, 'It's a unit. It's the offensive line.' And he talked about Laremy Tunsil, and he waxed poetic about how important Laremy Tunsil is, his place in this league, all of that stuff, and then a couple hours later we found out he might be out for the season. This is massive."

This analyst already had concerns about Daniels' sixth-round price tag and his ability to recapture his rookie form after a disappointing 2025 season. Now the Commanders have lost arguably the best blindside tackle in the game.

With Tunsil out, drafting Daniels as a top-five fantasy QB invites substantial risk of disappointment.

RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

The first two seasons of Jonathon Brooks' career have gone about as badly as they possibly could.

The first running back selected in the 2024 draft, he spent most of his rookie season rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in college. When he finally did see the field, he tore the same ACL again—an injury that wiped out his entire 2025 campaign.

Now, however, Brooks is reportedly fully healthy, and after a steady drumbeat of positive reports regarding his exploits on the practice field, Carolina head coach Dave Canales told reporters that he would play with the first team against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday:

"He's in great shape; He's ready to rock, he's ready to play football. And so now that's just the next part of it. And you know, he'll play with the first group, he'll mix in and out with Chuba (Hubbard), and we'll be able to get a good look at those guys with a couple of drives."

Brooks is still a risky fantasy pick—he has nine carries for 22 yards for his career. But his ADP has risen to the point that he and Hubbard are being drafted within a handful of picks of one another.

And now that Hubbard will miss Saturday's game with a hamstring injury, Brooks is going to have a chance to stake his claim to being the lead back for the Panthers.

And by this time a week from now, it won't be surprising if it's Brooks coming off fantasy draft boards first—by several rounds.

RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Fantasy managers have high expectations for Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton entering his second season—so high that he is being drafted as a top-10 option at the position early in Round 2.

However, new Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel gave fantasy managers who already invested an early pick in Hampton some concern earlier this week when he told reporters that he plans for Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal to also play a significant role for the Chargers offensively in 2026:

"There's good news and bad news, fantasy owners. Good news is I see all three of those guys producing at a very high level. The bad news is I can't tell you which games those are. I like to have backs be fresh, just because I think it's a competitive advantage against a defense who's not subbing out. I'm not very comfortable, when a guy I can tell is in the zone, to take him out. So, you kinda play hot hand once you're into games. Specifically, I'll use all three of those guys probably every game. The relative ratio that will be based on opponent and what we're asking the guys to do."

Coaches' preseason comments do not always predict regular-season usage, so this could ultimately prove to be a nonissue. But Hampton is being drafted with the expectation that he will not merely lead Chargers running backs in touches—he will dominate the workload.

If that isn't the case, it's going to be difficult for Hampton to return value this year.

WR Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

The good news for the Jacksonville Jaguars is that in Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers, they have one of the deeper wideout rooms in the league.

The bad news is that from a fantasy perspective, it's something of a muddied mess in Duval County. Washington and Thomas are being drafted back-to-back on average in Round 6.

However, training camp may be offering some clarity—it's Washington who has consistently been singled out as the best receiver on the field for the Jags.

As Derek Brown wrote for Fantasy Pros, if Washington carries over his late-season success from 2025 into 2026, he could be a league-winning value for fantasy managers:

"Washington finished last season with a flurry of insane production; if he picks up right where he left off, he'll be one of the best picks in fantasy football this season. Last year, in Weeks 16-19, Washington asserted himself as the Jags' clear WR1. During that stretch, he averaged 22.3 PPR points per game while soaking up six red zone targets and 13 deep targets (per Fantasy Points Data). In those four games, he had a 28.9% target share, 113.5 receiving yards per game, 3.78 yards per route run, and a 33.3% first-read share. Those are all absolutely elite metrics no matter how you slice it."

Right now, it appears it's Washington (and not Thomas) who is Trevor Lawrence's go-to target.

If that carries over into the regular season and he comes anywhere close to matching last year's late-season numbers, Washington will be more than just a steal.

He'll be an absolute bargain.

WR Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Over the first decade-plus of his career, Mike Evans was a machine—11 straight seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards.

However, that streak came to a crashing halt last year. Evans missed over half the season and caught just 30 passes in his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Now, Evans is in San Francisco, and his tenure with the 49ers has gotten off to a rocky start—he has missed most of camp with a quad injury.

However, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan downplayed the injury:

"Mike's going to be a starting receiver here. We don't like any of our guys to go every play. We want our guys going full speed, and it's hard to go full speed, every play. He's got a little quad (injury) right now, which I know Mike, (he) probably believes he could be back right now. We're being smart with him, but he's going to be good to go."

Evans was back out there for joint practices this week against the Tennessee Titans, and given the state of the wide receiver position in San Francisco, a healthy Evans would likely command a hefty target share.

However, he has missed a dozen games over the past two years, and it took 11 touchdowns in 2024 to salvage a season where he barely cracked 1,000 yards and averaged a (then) career-low 13.5 yards per catch.

The list of 33-year-old wide receivers who have had big seasons is not a long one. And with Evans already nicked up, his WR27 price tag in drafts looks closer to his fantasy ceiling than his floor.

TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren was already a valuable fantasy asset—the second-year pro is being drafted fourth at the position this year about halfway through the fifth round.

That asking price is looking better by the day. Not because of anything Warren is doing on the practice field, but because of what is happening around him in Indianapolis.

For starters, new No. 1 wide receiver Alec Pierce remains sidelined after offseason ankle surgery. There's no timetable for his return, although Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters that the team isn't worried about his Week 1 availability.

"It's been like any rehab," Ballard said. "There's ups and downs. There's a new normal that they have to get used to. But there's no setback. He's in good shape. He's making great progress. Every player comes back differently, and we feel good about where he's at."

The Colts also have another concern at wide receiver. Josh Downs has also missed practice time with a groin injury, although he was out there this week for joint practices against the Patriots.

There were already questions about the wide receivers in Indianapolis after the departure of Michael Pittman Jr. Now the team's new top receiver's rehab is progressing more slowly than most expected, and the No. 2 wideout is nursing a soft-tissue injury.

Only Trey McBride of the Cardinals and Kyle Pitts of the Falcons had more targets last year than Warren's 112.

With all the injuries at wideout, that number could be about to go up substantially.

TE Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

At the beginning of the summer, Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was being drafted sixth at his position on average. As the preseason begins, that ADP has dropped to TE8.

It needs to drop a lot more before this analyst would consider drafting him.

For his part, new Browns head coach Todd Monken told reporters he's been impressed by what he's seen from Fannin on the practice field:

"One thing I didn't know that I saw last year is his yards after contact. I didn't see that at Bowling Green, maybe I didn't study hard enough. Man, is he hard to tackle. As he develops his route-running skills, I wouldn't say he's a matchup guy yet, I think he'll continue to develop as a blocker. But if you get him the ball, I think he's a hard guy to bring down. I think he's a powerful man and only going to get better."

This isn't about Fannin—his rookie season was wildly impressive, especially when you consider that he made the jump from the MAC to the NFL.

But the Browns added two wide receivers in the first 40 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft—KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston—and both have drawn positive camp reports.

Cleveland's quarterback situation, however, remains a concern for Fannin's fantasy outlook. Deshaun Watson has reportedly been inconsistent in practice, while Sanders remains a question mark as he continues his development.

Fannin is going to be hard-pressed to match last year's sixth-placed finish in PPR points. In fact, it's more likely that he finishes outside the top 10.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.