15 Veterans on New Teams You NEED to Draft | Fantasy Football 2026

Traded to Patriots; sharp drafters in high-stakes leagues (FFPC, NFC) pushing him into top-5 WR territory and mid-second round ADP; Dave Klug saw him go 11th overall in an NFC draft. Threat to lead NFL in touchdown catches given Josh McDaniels' historical success with traded WRs (Randy Moss 20+ TDs, DeVante Adams 14 TDs). Despite Eagles' low-volume passing game and early-season injury last year, still finished top-10 WR. Stefan Diggs hit 1,000 yards in 58% snap share in New England last year, demonstrating opportunity for WR1 production. Klug drafting him at the 1-2 turn without hesitation; channels '90s-2000s alpha WR energy similar to Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall. Still prefers CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Drake London, and Amon-Ra St. Brown as top-5 WRs but comfortable taking AJ Brown at 1-2 turn in 3-WR or full-PPR formats. Klug projects AJ Brown at ADP 18 overall and feels comfortable drafting him there in regular PPR leagues, though ceiling outcome could push him higher; expects realistic production around 17+ points per game this season.

The co-host notes that Alvin Kamara does not want to leave New Orleans and will remain on the roster; with Kamara getting paid what he gets paid, the Saints will not keep him on the bench, which limits Travis Etienne's upside in the offense.

Dave Klug identifies Bo Nix as the biggest winner in the Denver offense upgrade with Jaylen Waddle acquisition. Klug draws parallels between Nix entering year three and Josh Allen getting Stefon Diggs in his third year, which led to an explosion in production. Klug has been getting Nix in round 14 as a late-round QB selection and believes he has been at worst a backend QB1, with ceiling potential to ascend to a top-five quarterback now that he has a reliable secondary target in Waddle. Klug emphasizes there is no respect for Nix in the current market. Available at mid-QB2 pricing, especially in baseball drafts, enabling strong correlation builds with Jaylen Waddle and other Broncos receivers; positioned as a cheap streamer option in single-QB formats and redrafts if he has a breakthrough season.

Dave Klug notes that Brashard Smith, a former wide receiver, will not be as much of a threat in the Kansas City offense with Kenneth Walker's arrival. Klug was bullish on Smith last year but now views him as a lower-priority option in the backfield, unlikely to mix in significantly with Walker as the focal point of the Chiefs offense.

Brian Thomas Jr. is positioned as a potential big-time touchdown scorer option that could be drafted later than Parker Washington, offering touchdown upside in that range.

Brock Bowers is positioned as the clear top target earner for Las Vegas with a projection of 180 targets in the offense. The failed Max Crosby trade (Ravens pulled out) elevated Bowers' ranking significantly, as the Raiders lost their chance to draft a WR1 in the first round. Dave Klug ranks him in the top 10 overall and calls him one of the best clicks in drafts, with a massive edge at the tight end position across PPR, Underdog, DraftKings, NFC, Sleeper, ESPN, and Yahoo formats. Klug prefers Bowers over Kenneth Walker at the draft turn, particularly in tight end premium formats like FFPC, and advocates for anchoring with Bowers in round one and then using Kenneth Walker in round two. Klug enthusiastically endorses Bowers 'to the moon, wherever you can get him,' indicating strong conviction in his draft value.

Dave Klug prefers Carnell Tate over Mike Evans in the same ADP range, positioning him alongside Christian Watson as an exciting draft option with more upside than the aging veteran.

Referenced as a top-tier WR comparison on a points-per-game basis; used as a benchmark for evaluating other wide receivers' performance.

When asked to choose between Kenneth Walker and Chase Brown at running back, the co-host prefers Chase Brown 'very easily,' indicating stronger conviction in Brown's draft value relative to Walker.

Courtland Sutton remains a significant part of the Denver offense despite the acquisition of Jaylen Waddle. The second speaker expects Sutton to get the majority of targets in the red zone due to his contested catch ability, though Dave Klug believes Waddle will be the alpha in the offense. Sutton is described as a fine draft click at his current ADP.

Traded to Buffalo Bills after disappointing 2024 in Chicago; lands as WR1 attached to Josh Allen with excellent schematic fit. Josh Allen explicitly wants receivers who can get open off-script rather than stay on-spot, which aligns perfectly with Moore's freelance route-running style; reunites with Joe Brady (prior Carolina success). Dave Klug maintains bullish take despite Moore being ranked WR24 in FFPC, citing schematic fit over recent production decline and noting Josh Allen elevates talent around him. Klug ranks him in the WR22-26 range; while Allen spreads the ball around, Moore has ability to put up spike weeks and will be featured after Buffalo gave up a second-round pick for him. Prefers Moore over Jaylen Waddle despite similar ADP and willing to reach for him.

Traded wide receiver who was a win at his ADP; averaged double-digit PPG and was available at a cheap price all off-season, providing quick-start value at the beginning of the year, making him one of the successful traded WR outcomes.

Traded wide receiver with mixed results; Dave Klug grades his 2024 season as a C++ or push—not catastrophic but not a massive hit; still provided spike weeks despite the middling overall performance, suggesting modest value for those who drafted at cost. Currently going first among Steelers wide receivers but viewed as a worse fit than Michael Pittman Jr. for the offense; described as a finesse speed guy who plays outside the numbers rather than a contested-ball catcher across the middle; benefits from Pittman taking pressure off him by opening up outside opportunities, but lacks the arm strength support from Aaron Rodgers that he had in Seattle.

Ranked as a top-5 WR preference ahead of AJ Brown; used as a comparison point for elite WR positioning in 2025 rankings. Drake London is highlighted as a strong second-round wide receiver target in the new-team context, positioned alongside AJ Brown as a quality option at the position.

Traded wide receiver who delivered WR1 production at a favorable ADP; outscored teammate CeeDee Lamb on a points-per-game basis, making him the clear winner among traded receivers last season and exemplifying the high hit rate for traded WRs. Dave Klug described the impact as massive, especially given his draft cost.

Historical example of rookie wide receiver value inefficiency; drafted in round six despite elite talent, illustrating how fantasy managers' reluctance to draft rookies creates draft-day value opportunities for those willing to take on the risk.

Dave Klug prefers Javante Williams over Travis Etienne in the running back ADP range, indicating stronger conviction in Williams' draft value at that tier.

Traded to Denver; Dave Klug views him as a great target after Broncos traded a first, third, and fourth-round pick for him. Waddle checks off multiple boxes with wide receiver one upside, though may not have the ceiling of AJ Brown or George Pickens. Klug bullish on Denver offense taking a big step forward with Bo Nix in year three, drawing parallels to Josh Allen's explosion with Stefon Diggs in his third year. Waddle going at WR23 in FFPC ADP and represents an easy click for Klug. Concern exists about upside given Courtland Sutton expected to get majority of red-zone targets with his contested catch ability, and Sean Payton's tendency to spread the ball deep into his personnel bag means other receivers will be involved, potentially capping ceiling.

Traded wide receiver who finished as a low-end WR1 in counting stats after joining Cleveland; described as absurd, exemplifying the upside unlock that traded receivers can provide when landing in the right situation.

Kenneth Walker is a top-15 RB in ADP across all formats after signing with Kansas City. Over the last two seasons, he averaged 18.7 PPG in 11 games when playing 60%+ of snaps and now has the backfield to himself after Seattle's Zack Charbanet usage. Kansas City's coaching staff plans to utilize him in the screen game as a pass-catcher. Dave Klug projects Walker will have the most touches by a Kansas City Chiefs running back since Jamal Charles, estimating around 300 touches, with Andy Reid scheming plays for him and Walker becoming the offensive focal point if he stays healthy. Klug positions Walker as the 2026 version of 2024 Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry.

Dave Klug identifies Michael Pittman Jr. as the best bet to lead the Steelers in targets and catches at a very cheap price tag. Pittman is described as a gritty contested-ball catcher who works across the middle, earns opportunities through blocking, and is a better fit for the Steelers offense than DK Metcalf. Historical production: 156 targets in 2023, 141 targets in 2022; averaged 11.9 PPG last year and has been WR26+ in PPG in four of the last five years despite a disappointing 2024 season. At 28 years old, Klug believes he still has gas in the tank as a proven target earner when the offense wants to use him heavily.

Dave Klug fades Mike Evans in San Francisco despite positive coach speak and maintained separation ability. Core concern: Shanahan's offense is predicated on receivers creating after the catch, which is not Evans' strength—he ranked 121st of 122 qualifying receivers in yards after the catch per reception last year, behind only Kahan Booty. Additional red flags: Tampa Bay letting him walk in free agency at age 33 after over a decade suggests the team doesn't believe he has much left; the broken 1,000-yard streak removes late-season target force-feeding that kept it alive. Klug prefers Carnell Tate and Christian Watson in the same ADP range, and explicitly states Evans is on his fade list and he has not been drafting him in managed redraft formats.

Free agent running back signing to Carolina Panthers exemplifies the successful team-change strategy; part of a high hit rate for RBs signing as free agents in the off-season, demonstrating that team-change opportunities can unlock significant fantasy value.

The co-host prefers Omarian Hampton over Kenneth Walker, indicating stronger conviction in Hampton's draft value at the running back position.

RJ Harvey is available late as a pass-catcher option for correlation builds in fantasy drafts, fitting into late-round running back strategies alongside Jaylen Waddle and Bo Nix.

Dave Klug cautions against overvaluing Kenneth Walker by making a Saquon Barkley comparison, noting that too many people are getting ahead of themselves with that comp and that Walker is not a Barkley-caliber player. Klug prefers Kenneth Walker to Saquon Barkley, indicating he views Walker as the better draft value despite Barkley's established production; Klug frames this as preferring 'the new hotness over the older running back.'

Patriots WR who hit 1,000 yards last year in a part-time role with 58% snap share; demonstrates the opportunity available for a WR1 to step into New England's offense, providing context for AJ Brown's potential production. Stefan Diggs, now 31 years old, averaged 12.5 PPR points per game last season after being traded to Buffalo; cited as a comparable reference point for AJ Brown's potential production and age context in the new-team WR discussion.

Travis Etienne had a career year in Jacksonville with 296 touches and was a major ADP hit last year; he has since steamed up in ADP to around running back 15 after signing with the New Orleans Saints. Dave Klug is neutral on Etienne, noting he has mixed him in drafts but finds himself preferring other running backs like Javante Williams and Cam Akers in the same range. Etienne's upside is limited by Alvin Kamara's presence on the Saints roster; with Kamara getting paid what he gets paid, the Saints will not keep him on the bench, which constrains Etienne's offensive role.

Trey Tucker is more versatile than commonly realized, running big boy routes last year. His role could mirror the Rasheed Shaheed role from Clint Kubiak's New Orleans season, positioning him as a potential over-the-top threat in the Raiders' passing game. Dave Klug notes Tucker could have spike weeks in the Kubiak offense; he had a 40-point PPR game last season, offering ceiling upside despite inconsistency. Available in the WR60-65 range on Underdog.