2026 Fantasy Football Q & A with Scott Barrett and Brett Whitefield (July AMA)

Brett has concerns that AJ Brown is not the same guy he was, citing GPS data showing drop-offs over the last two years that could be injury or scheme-related, and worries about inherent risk in a new environment.

Brown played for the Titans and Eagles, offenses that ranked bottom three in passing yards per game, while the Patriots ranked top three last year, suggesting he may have more opportunity to break out.

While AJ Brown has upside potential from his accomplishments on the Titans and Eagles in bottom-three passing yard offenses, the Patriots ranked top three in passing yards per game last year, which could help him break out.

Brown is getting up there in age, Matt Harmon noted a decline on film, and injury experts like Jeff Mueller suggest he may be a player to get out on a year early rather than a year late.

AJ Brown is listed as a potential pairing option with Puka Nacua at 10th overall in a 10-team PPR three-WR league, though London is preferred.

Pierce is being drafted one pick ahead of Courtland Sutton in the current draft landscape, creating an interesting valuation sweet spot in the wide receiver tier.

Alec Pierce received significant investment from the Colts GM and head coach, who are expecting him to produce after giving him substantial money.

Alec Pierce ranks second only to Tyreek Hill in deep fantasy points per game over the last two years and could break leagues if he starts getting more short to intermediate targets after the Colts traded away Michael Pitman Jr.

The Colts gave Pierce $30 million and traded away Michael Pitman Jr. (who had three seasons over 140 targets), clearly paving the way for Pierce to take on the alpha receiver role.

Pierce is a 95th percentile athlete by sport score with excellent intermediate route-running skills (digs, slants, posts, comebacks, hitches) that were masked by inaccurate quarterback play in college.

Brett Whitefield is all-in on Pierce because he cannot logically believe an NFL team handed a guy $30 million to not use him as their premier wide receiver, especially with vacated targets from Josh Downs' injury issues.

Pierce is the best deep threat in football over the last three years (second only to Tyreek Hill), and if he starts getting screens and curl routes, there is significant upside in an offense that was leading the league in passing yards.

Baker Mayfield played with a blown-out shoulder for the final six or seven games of the season, which likely impacted his performance and his receivers' production.

Baker Mayfield played with a blown-out shoulder for the final six or seven games of last season, which likely impacted Amika Buuka's receiving production.

Baker Mayfield was on the injury report 11 different times with 25 different injuries and had the league's worst catchable target rate after the first five-week stretch.

Robinson could have a 10,000 yard season and break leagues, hitting 30 fantasy points in five of his last eight games and finishing with the 12th most yards from scrimmage in NFL history.

Robinson had more receiving fantasy points per game than Lad Mani and Alec Pierce last season as a pass catcher, and with Tyler Allgeier gone, he could be a league-breaking pick at 102 overall.

Robinson is ranked 102 overall and is considered a league-breaking pick comparable to the glory days of fantasy football when elite backs like LaDainian Tomlinson went 101 and Priest Holmes went 102.

Robinson has a downside case that hasn't been discussed much: the Falcons' offensive line is in decline after losing right tackle Caleb McGary to retirement and Drew Dolman in free agency, with below-average replacements.

Robinson's situation is further complicated by Kevin Stefanski being a poor head coach, ranked in the F tier by analysts, which could limit his upside.

Kevin Stefansky's poor head coaching (F-tier ranking) is a downside concern, as he ran split backfields even with Nick Chubb in Cleveland, potentially limiting Robinson's fantasy value.

Bejan Robinson had over 100 targets last year with more receiving fantasy points per game than Lad Makanki, functioning as a dual-threat weapon that should provide both floor and ceiling upside.

Brett Whitefield is worried about CeeDee Lamb and considers him the biggest landmine first round pick, noting he was outscored by 90 fantasy points by George Pickens when both were on the field together last year.

Godwin is going much cheaper than Ibuka in drafts, making him a potentially interesting alternative in the crowded Tampa Bay receiver situation.

Godwin could potentially lead the team in fantasy points, though the analyst feels it's a tough puzzle to figure out given the crowded receiver room.

Christian McCaffrey, along with Bejan Robinson and Gibbs, is viewed as a different caliber of dual-threat running back compared to other pass-catching backs in the league.

Sutton is being drafted just after Alec Pierce in the current draft landscape, part of an interesting valuation sweet spot among wide receivers.

Courtland Sutton had an excellent season last year but is being drafted in the 90s, which seems undervalued given his recent performance.

Douglas benefits from Drake May's tendency to spread targets evenly among receivers, getting opportunities when Stefon Diggs doesn't have big games.

Henry is ranked 101 overall and is considered a league-breaking pick alongside Bijan Robinson at 102, comparable to elite backs from fantasy football's glory days.

DK Metcalf was mentioned as an example of a talented receiver who struggled in an Arthur Smith offense, similar to Drake London.

Brett prefers Drake London in round two, making an exception to his running back preference. London averaged 10.5 targets per game, 109 yards per game, and 24.5 fantasy points per game before his PCL injury, hitting 100 yards in 5 of 6 games and looking like a major league winner.

London started the season with an AC sprain injury and suffered a PCL injury that caused him to miss games.

Before his PCL injury, London averaged 10.5 targets per game, 109 yards per game, and 24.5 fantasy points per game, hitting 100 yards in five of six games, suggesting he could be in the Jamarr Chase and Puka Nacua range.

London was setting the world on fire before his PCL injury and looked like he should be in the Jamarr Chase and Puka Nacua range of elite receivers.

Drake London was mentioned as an example of a talented receiver who struggled in an Arthur Smith offense, contrasting with George Pickens' success in that system.

George Pickens is a complete alpha receiver who excels at the catch point, has improved route running, makes circus catches, can play multiple positions (X, big slot, Z), and outscored CD Lamb by 90 fantasy points when on the field together last year.

George Pickens' statistical profile over the last three years is basically tied with Jamar Chase in key metrics, which is a shocking revelation that contradicts the perception he could be Jamar Chase tier talent.

Even controlling for CD Lamb's injury, Pickens was the alpha in the Cowboys passing game after the bye week (week 11 onward) when Lamb was fully healthy, outproducing Lamb in that stretch.

Pickens' yards per target over expectation stat of 1.73 over a three-year span is top three in the league, demonstrating elite efficiency.

Pickens represents elite wide receiver value as a second option in the Cowboys passing game, making him an attractive alternative to taking CD Lamb in round one when both are productive.

Chase is awesome but the Rams wide receiver one has outscored him every year of his career except for one, raising questions about whether Puka Nacua might be the better pick.

McMillan is splitting wide receiver three duties with Amika Ibuka, indicating a crowded receiver room at Tampa Bay.

McMillan could potentially lead the team in fantasy points, though the analyst feels the Tampa Bay receiver situation is a tough puzzle to figure out.

There is a perception that Jaylen Waddle will be the alpha receiver with Courtland Sutton as the beta, though this assumption is being questioned.

Josh Downs is a slot-only player who is frequently injured and unable to stay on the field, creating vacated targets for Alec Pierce.

Justin Herbert is the best quarterback a McDaniel-tree coach has ever had, with potential to elevate McDaniel's offensive system in a way previous QBs like Tua could not.

Michael Pitman Jr. was traded away by the Colts despite having three seasons over 140 targets, clearing the path for Alec Pierce to become the alpha receiver.

Patrick Mahomes gets more credit than Tyreek Hill for the Chiefs' success, but Mahomes cannot hit a deep ball anymore and his success is largely dependent on Hill's presence.

Nacua has outscored Jamarr Chase every year of his career except for one, suggesting he may be a better pick than Chase in the early rounds.

Puka Nacua at 10th overall in a 10-team PPR league with three wide receiver starts is considered good value, with London recommended as the pairing pick.

Rome Odunze (London) is strongly preferred as a pairing with Puka Nacua at 10th overall in a 10-team PPR three-WR league, with Scott Barrett expressing he 'really like[s] London this year.'

Saquon Barkley is the second choice after London to pair with Puka Nacua at 10th overall in a 10-team PPR three-WR league.

Diggs has inconsistent target distribution under Drake May, who spreads the wealth among receivers; Diggs will have big games followed by disappearances as targets go to Deario Douglas and Kaylen Bouty.

Ted Hurst is a rookie who appears to be the only player on the roster with the build and skill set to play X receiver, though it's unclear if coaches see it that way.

TZ Johnson was phenomenal last year as a rookie and was an analytics darling, though his skill set as a slot-only type is traditionally harder for the NFL to project.

Tua's success in Miami is entirely dependent on Tyreek Hill; without Hill, the offense was one of the worst in the league, and Tua's contract value is largely attributable to Hill's presence rather than his own arm talent.

Tyreek Hill's on-off splits show the Miami offense is dramatically worse without him—EPA per play drops to bottom five, EPA per run drops by double, and yards per carry drops by 1.5 yards, making him the most valuable non-QB offensive player of his generation.

Tyreek Hill is considered to have had the biggest impact at a single position in the NFL and is part of the Mount Rushmore of wide receivers alongside Randy Moss, Megatron, and Jerry Rice.