- Bhayshul Tuten is nearing a clear path to RB1 duties: Recent reports suggest Travis Etienne Jr. could be playing elsewhere in 2026, and Tuten faces little to no backfield competition as things stand.
- The franchise tag is not the ideal outcome for Kyle Pitts: Dynasty managers were hoping he could land a long-term deal as a featured offensive weapon, but now he'll enter the 2026 season on a one-year deal that carries risk, assuming the Falcons don't extend him.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
We’ll be taking stock of dynasty fantasy football assets each week of the offseason. Here are two players whose stock is trending up, two whose stock is trending down and one who carries stash potential.
Stock Up: RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
The last time new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy had a rookie running back drafted as early as the second round was in 2013 with the Green Bay Packers. That season, Eddie Lacy accumulated 1,178 rushing yards, 257 receiving yards and 11 scores for an RB7 PPR finish.
Thirteen years later, McCarthy is once again in control of an offense with a young second-round running back, Kaleb Johnson, who will effectively be a rookie after seeing limited playing time in 2025.
A word of caution: Johnson’s lack of usage under head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in 2025 was concerning. It’s never a good sign when a skill-position player drafted that early is used that sparingly. But we’re talking simple “stock up” and “stock down” here, and Johnson’s stock can only go up, especially with McCarthy now calling the shots on offense.
Johnson should benefit from the coaching change in Pittsburgh after seeing only 28 carries as a rookie. He entered the NFL with a 94th-percentile yards after contact per attempt average and a 78th-percentile forced missed tackles rate during his final college season.
Johnson is fully capable of creating his own yards; he just needs a chance. Although Jaylen Warren remains entrenched as the Steelers’ starting running back, the hope is that McCarthy will give the 22-year-old Johnson a chance to show what he can do, potentially leading to a starting role in 2027.
Bottom Line: Trust that a new coaching staff will give a second-round skill-position player at least a chance to show what he can do. It may not be Johnson's time to shine in 2026, but a positive display could put him in line for lead-back duties in 2027.
Stock Down: TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts did everything right in 2025 to earn himself a long-term contract, yet he is now set to play on a one-year deal after Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said the team will franchise-tag him.
The franchise tag is bad news for dynasty purposes in the long term. PFF projected Pitts to secure a three-year, $48 million contract in free agency, making him a locked-in featured player in an offense for years to come. Now, there’s the risk that he will endure a down 2026 campaign or suffer an injury, both of which would likely lead to an uncertain free agency next offseason.
Pitts was the PPR TE2 in 2025, notching career highs in touchdowns, targets and receptions. A Week 15 blowup game (11 catches, 166 yards and three touchdowns) certainly helped, but it was generally the most consistent season yet for the former No. 4 overall pick.
Unless the Falcons opt to work out a long-term deal with Pitts this offseason, his dynasty value will take a hit, albeit slight.
Bottom Line: Instead of a long-term deal, Pitts is currently slated to play on the one-year franchise tag. He faces the risk of injury or a lackluster year after proving himself deserving of a big contract in 2025.
Stock Down: QB Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
With the news that Kyle Pitts, one of the league’s top tight ends, will likely be in Atlanta for another year and that the Falcons are planning to release quarterback Kirk Cousins, per general manager Ian Cunningham, it’s easy to forget that Penix stands on shaky ground.
The 2024 top-10 pick is coming off a season-ending ACL injury, after subpar play, and likely won’t be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Plus, there’s a new regime in Atlanta, one that has no ties to him. That’s a recipe for a future fantasy cut candidate.
Penix was the PPR QB26 in Weeks 1-11 this past season before being shut down, and he targeted Pitts just 49 times over that span — the same number as running back Bijan Robinson and 33 fewer than top wideout Drake London. So, the aforementioned Falcons news bits aren’t exactly anything to get excited about in regard to Penix.
The Falcons will have to find a potential starting quarterback one way or another, since Penix’s recovery is expected to last at least until near the start of the 2026 season. Whether he regains his starting role once healthy remains to be seen.
Bottom Line: Penix's stock has already taken a tumble amid his ACL recovery. Now, Kirk Cousins' release will force the Falcons to find a starting quarterback to step in if Penix isn't ready for the 2026 season. Under a new regime, that player may be good enough to keep Penix off the field even once he's healthy.
Stock Up: RB Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars
Tuten’s stock has always been on the rise amid Travis Etienne Jr.’s pending free agency. Now, several reports indicate that Etienne could be playing elsewhere in 2026.
The Kansas City Star’s Pete Sweeney said that Etienne has “legitimate interest” in joining the Chiefs. NFL insider Benjamin Allbright suggested the Broncos will pursue Etienne, as well.
It appears Tuten will be leading the Jaguars’ backfield in 2026, and as things stand, he has little to no competition. The team traded Tank Bigsby midseason, leaving 2025 seventh-rounder LeQuint Allen as his primary backfield mate.
Although Tuten didn’t get a ton of touches as a rookie, his Week 11 performance provided a glimpse of what could be. The fourth-round rookie turned 15 carries into 71 yards and a touchdown, earning himself a career-high 78.1 PFF overall grade in the process.
Bottom Line: Recent reports suggest that Travis Etienne Jr. will be headed elsewhere this offseason, leaving the door wide open for Tuten to be the Jaguars' lead running back.
One Sleeper to Stash: WR Konata Mumpfield, Los Angeles Rams
Mumpfield began to factor into the Rams’ offense late in the 2025 campaign, and he played no fewer than 20 offensive snaps from Week 12 through the end of the regular season. While his fantasy numbers were inconsequential — a WR109 finish in that span — he is slated to move into the Rams’ WR3 role, assuming Los Angeles doesn’t retain Tutu Atwell, who was phased out of the offense by the season’s end.
The Rams picked Mumpfield in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft after he separated extremely well in his final college season (82nd percentile). But on his limited sample in the NFL, he ranked last in open-target rate. A more consistent role could be the key to unlocking the Pittsburgh product.
At the very least, you’re stashing a player who should see plenty of snaps in 2026 and maybe beyond, even if he's competing for targets with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Bottom Line: The Rams handed Mumpfield more work down the stretch of the 2025 season and will likely have an opening at WR3. He will have trouble stealing targets from the team's top two options, but at this rate, he may become a more consistent player in the offense.
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