Fantasy Football 2026: How play action, pre-snap motion, and RPO rates define 2026 fantasy value

• Play-action concepts drive premier passing efficiency: Play-action attempts elevated league-wide output to 7.76 yards per attempt compared to just 6.72 YPA without it.

• Pre-snap motion hits an all-time high: Strategic schematic movement continued its upward trajectory across the league, climbing to an all-time average rate of 63.92% as coordinators look to force defensive adjustments before the snap.

• Malik Willis has hidden upside in Miami: Backed by a historic collegiate and pro baseline, Willis paces all modern dual-threat signal-callers with an elite 92.9 PFF RPO rushing grade, making any expansion of the Dolphins' RPO package a major catalyst for his fantasy ceiling.

Offensive-minded head coaches and coordinators have steadily increased their use of play action, shifts and motion over the past three seasons, while RPO usage has declined.

Offenses that frequently use play action and pre-snap movement tend to create more efficient opportunities for their skill-position players, boosting per-play fantasy production. Fantasy managers should prioritize players attached to playcallers who consistently leverage these concepts.

RPO-heavy offenses are generally less predictable from a fantasy perspective, though they can provide dual-threat quarterbacks with a modest boost in rushing efficiency.

The impact of play action remains substantial. Across the NFL in 2025, the average expected points added (EPA) per play improved from -0.031 on non-play-action plays to 0.054 on play-action plays. Yards per pass attempt also climbed from 6.72 to 7.76 when offenses incorporated play action.

Shifts produced less favorable results league-wide. Average EPA per play declined from -0.014 without shifts to -0.070 with shifts. Motion, however, continued to provide a measurable benefit, improving average EPA per play from -0.042 without motion to 0.002 with motion.

RPOs generated mixed results. Average EPA per play fell from -0.015 on non-RPO plays to -0.030 on RPO plays. However, quarterbacks averaged 4.56 yards per rushing attempt on RPOs compared to 4.39 on non-RPO plays.

A look at 2025

Rams head coach Sean McVay scaled back his offense’s shifts and motion usage to 65.9% last season, though that still ranked above the NFL average. Even with the reduction, Los Angeles remains one of the league’s most creatively designed and fantasy-friendly offenses.

In just one season, Bears head coach Ben Johnson transformed Chicago’s offense from a fantasy-unfriendly, negative outlier into one of the NFL’s most efficiently designed units.

New Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury spent the past several seasons under Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel, making it likely that Seattle will maintain a high rate of shifts and motion. Questions remain about the offense’s 2026 play-action usage, but given the Seahawks’ recent success with the concept and Fleury’s background in a Shanahan-style system, a significant reduction appears unlikely.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor surprisingly reduced his offense’s play-action rate from its 2024 level (19.5%). Considering the caliber of Cincinnati’s offensive talent, the decline is difficult to justify. If the Bengals continue to underutilize play action, they risk limiting the efficiency ceiling of one of the league’s most talented skill-position groups.