You’re probably not even thinking about the 2026 fantasy football season. Who can blame you? It’s been a month since fantasy football ended, and it will be another six months before we really get into preparing for the next one.
The NFL playoffs may not count for fantasy, but player values can and do shift based on how they perform. With one last game to evaluate players, let’s take a look at the relevant fantasy options from the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Fantasy Outlook: A First-Round Lock in 2026?
Given how reactionary fantasy managers are, it’s natural to expect Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 2025 season to propel him into the first round of 2026 fantasy drafts. There is always a bit of trepidation when it comes to players we didn’t expect to be the best at their position. But nothing about what JSN did last season looks fluky.
Smith-Njigba graded out second amongst all wide receivers with a 94.4 PFSN WR Impact Score. That tells us this wasn’t a case of a player who was not that good happening to be great for fantasy.
JSN averaged 21.2 fantasy points per game, finishing as the overall WR2 behind only Puka Nacua. He led the league with a 35.9% target share and was second with a 33.8% targets per route run rate.
The volume was elite. The efficiency was elite, which is even more impressive considering the volume. The secondary options in Seattle’s offense all complement Smith-Njigba while serving as no real threat to his target volume.
JSN is a true alpha, and everything about him looks legit. If there is any sort of discount because he’s only done this once, buy.
Kenneth Walker III Fantasy Value Remains Uncertain
Whereas with JSN we can feel very confident in what his situation will look like in 2026, the same cannot be said about Kenneth Walker III. There are way too many moving parts.
For starters, the version of Walker we’ve gotten in the postseason is not the same one we saw during the regular season. I have a theory about why.
Walker always had all the physical tools. The problem was either his lack of vision or his poor decision making. He either couldn’t see the running lanes well, or he could but deliberately chose to pass up nominal gains on mostly dead plays to chase the splash play. That often resulted in Walker turning 3-yard or 4-yard gains into zero or negative.
Over his past two games, though, Walker has looked like a different player. My theory is Zach Charbonnet tearing his ACL changed Walker’s mindset. Walker was previously playing like a guy who constantly needed to prove himself to earn more snaps. Without Charbonnet, Walker gets to play more freely. He doesn’t have to worry about splitting carries or being pulled at the goal line. Thus, we get to see the real Walker.
In 2025, Walker averaged a career-low 11.3 PPG. This was mostly because he only scored five touchdowns, as he ceded nearly all of the goal line work to Charbonnet.
Given the timing of Charbonnet’s injury, he’s not going to be ready for Week 1. He may not play at all in the 2026 season.
The prevailing belief was that Walker wouldn’t be back in Seattle. He is set to hit free agency in March. Now, it’s possible Walker not only returns but operates as a three-down back. But it’s still way too soon to have any strong opinion on what Walker will be in 2026.
Drake Maye Emerges as Elite Fantasy Quarterback
After showing flashes as a rookie, Drake Maye ascended as a sophomore. He averaged 21.2 PPG, finishing as the overall QB3. Given where Maye went in fantasy drafts, he was the second-best quarterback you could’ve taken (Matthew Stafford was No. 1).
Maye completed a league-best 72% of his passes despite not being a QB who checks it down all the time. Maye pushed the ball downfield more than any other quarterback. His 8.6 adjusted air yards per attempt led the league.
While Maye is not a rushing quarterback in the purest sense, he has the perfect build to fit in with the modern NFL QB. Maye averaged 26.5 rushing yards per game and scored four times on the ground. He gave fantasy managers 4.05 PPG via rushing production alone.
Everything about Maye’s performance looks repeatable. His 91.1 PFSN QB Impact Score led all quarterbacks who started at least 10 games. And he did this with a group of pass catchers that aren’t exactly instilling fear into opposing defenses.
If Maye can get a true outside threat to throw to, we could see him climb even higher in 2026 and beyond.
Patriots Backfield: Rhamondre Stevenson vs. TreVeyon Henderson
One of the most riveting debates of 2026 draft season is going to be the Patriots backfield. TreVeyon Henderson was hyped to the moon last August, ultimately climbing all the way from the 5-6 turn to the 3-4 turn. In total, his 12.1 PPG wasn’t totally a disaster, but it’s impossible to say he was a good pick.
Henderson could not overtake Rhamondre Stevenson, that is, until Stevenson got hurt. During the two games Stevenson missed, Henderson looked like he was ready to take off. It was over for Stevenson. The rookie had arrived.
Then something strange happened. Stevenson returned and got his job back completely. That just doesn’t happen to talented rookies.
Even more telling about the situation is how the playoffs have transpired.
This has not been a timeshare. The AFC Championship Game was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most important game in Mike Vrabel’s coaching career. How did he respond? By playing Henderson for a grand total of four snaps.
It is entirely possible, if not likely, that Henderson gets better as he gains more NFL experience. Stevenson could end up getting hurt. Maybe Henderson is just undeniable next season. It is far too early to make any grand predictions.
With that said, based on all the evidence we have from the Patriots’ 20 games played in the 2025 season, I will be valuing Stevenson ahead of Henderson for the 2026 season.
As a reminder, Stevenson averaged 12.8 PPG, 0.7 more than Henderson. Stevenson was the Week 1 starter and did not lose his job due to injury. Henderson couldn’t get on the field ahead of Antonio Gibson and was even losing some work to Terrell Jennings, a guy who probably won’t be in the NFL in two years, before injuries to both of them rendered them irrelevant.
My guess is the consensus will be Henderson goes above Stevenson in 2026 fantasy drafts. You won’t find me doing that.
Stefon Diggs Fantasy Value at Age 32
Prior to the 2025 season, the last time Stefon Diggs averaged fewer than 14.0 PPG was his rookie year when he was a fifth-round pick trying to prove he belonged. At 32 years old coming off a torn ACL, Diggs very clearly has lost a step or three.
While his downturn in production is concerning, it’s important to remember that Diggs has a skill set that historically ages well. He never relied on speed or raw athleticism to produce. Diggs is a precision route runner who does his best work close to the line of scrimmage.
This should help Diggs maintain fantasy relevance as he approaches ages where very few receivers are able to do so. But it is very safe to say the days of Diggs being an every-week fantasy starter are over.
The Patriots clearly understand what they have with this version of Diggs. They limited him to a 56% snap share. He only ran a route on 72.3% of pass plays. His 8.5 aDOT was 75th in the league. Diggs is an underneath option with reliable hands to serve as Maye’s safety blanket. He is not the playmaker he used to be.
In 2026, Diggs will be another year older but also another year removed from his knee injury. The return to full health should help offset further decline in his ability.
I do think Diggs will be worth rostering in fantasy. His 2.55 yards per route run ranked seventh in the league. Even though that may be a product of limited usage compared to the rest of his career, a player cannot post these YPRR numbers if he’s completely cooked.
Diggs in 2026 will probably look a lot like Diggs in 2025. It will be a mixed bag of production. He’ll have a couple of spike weeks when he scores, but you will never feel confident starting him.
