Sports
Fantasy guide to offseason signings: Broncos add to WR room, trade for Waddle
The fantasy football offseason is heating up with NFL free agency upon us and the potential for big-time trades at any time. This column is designed to be a one-stop shop for quick-hitting analysis of the most impactful player movement.
ESPN Fantasy writers Matt Bowen, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Eric Karabell, Liz Loza and Eric Moody offer their insights into what each move means for a player’s fantasy value in 2026, and Mike Clay supplies his projections for each player. (All projections are for 17 games unless otherwise noted)
Wide receiver
March 17: Broncos add WR Waddle in deal with Dolphins
Fantasy impact: Positive
Moody: The Miami Dolphins continued their rebuild by sending wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos will receive Waddle and the Dolphins’ fourth-round pick (111th overall), while the Broncos will send their first-round pick (30th overall) as well as third- and fourth-round picks (94th and 130th overall) to Miami. Waddle, who opened his career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, had 910 yards and six touchdowns last year, averaging 56.9 yards per game in a declining Miami offense.
In Denver, he’ll step into a pass-heavy system that ranked fourth in attempts and pair with Courtland Sutton to give Bo Nix a legitimate downfield threat. Waddle averages 13.5 yards per reception for his career, far above the Broncos’ 10.1 team mark from last season, which suggests a potential efficiency boost for Denver.
For Miami, free agent addition Malik Willis no longer has a proven top target, with no returning wide receiver having surpassed 317 yards last season. The offense could struggle significantly. Meanwhile, Waddle’s fantasy outlook gets a boost in a more stable and aggressive passing environment. This move shouldn’t cause a significant spike in his average draft position, but Waddle still profiles as a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside heading into the 2026 season.
March 10: Romeo Doubs signs with Patriots
Fantasy impact: Positive
Cockcroft: Fantasy managers will rejoice at the idea of Doubs, who never saw greater than an 18.4% target share in his first four NFL seasons, getting out of Green Bay — but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee him No. 1 receiver status in his new digs. It’s a fair guess that he’ll settle as that, and QB Drake Maye‘s sophomore-year progression heightens the amount of upside for Doubs, whose 8.4 yards per target average last season ranked 16th. Assuming the offseason dust settles in his favor, Doubs could sneak into the top-20/WR2 class for fantasy, though he’s wiser selected among the WR3 group.
Clay’s projection: 63 receptions, 821, 6 TD
March 9: Veteran Mike Evans signs with 49ers
Fantasy impact: Positive
Karabell: Evans, 32, comes off the worst season of his Hall of Fame career, the first in 12 years that he failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards. Evans missed nine games with hamstring/collarbone injuries. Then again, in 2024, he caught more than 70 passes for the ninth time, despite missing three games, and he scored 11 touchdowns. The 49ers get a motivated player who can still produce when healthy, and there is excellent opportunity for volume and touchdowns with QB Brock Purdy and a mostly underwhelming crew of wide receivers. Evans should return to 1,000 receiving yards and perhaps double-digit touchdowns, making him a likely WR2 option who, because of his age, will not be evaluated as such in most drafts.
Clay’s projection: 65 receptions, 1,089 yards, 7 TD
March 9: Wan’Dale Robinson joining Titans on four-year deal
Fantasy impact: Positive
Bowen: It’s a four-year deal for Robinson to reunite with former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who now takes over as the offensive play caller in Tennessee. A dynamic mover in the slot, Robinson (13.6 PPG) caught 92 passes last season with the Giants, while also displaying more vertical production. The second-year development of Titans quarterback Cam Ward is critical to Robinson’s numbers in ’26, and we need to see if the team adds more receivers or moves on from veteran Calvin Ridley. Robinson, for now, should be viewed as a reliable target for Ward, putting him in the lower-tier WR3 mix.
Clay’s projection: 82 receptions, 890 yards, 2 TD
March 9: Rashid Shaheed remains with the Seahawks
Fantasy impact: Neutral
Loza: Re-signed by Seattle to a contract worth upwards of $51 million, Shaheed is committed to Seattle for the next three years. After being traded by the Saints early last November, Shaheed’s consistent usage as a receiver diminished but his speed and versatility became more regularly showcased. In addition to working as the team’s No. 3 WR, Shaheed excelled on special teams and worked as a rusher, hauling in three grabs of 20 or more yards and ripping off three runs of 10 or more yards from Weeks 10 through 18. The heft of his deal suggests potential growth in the offense, though he’s unlikely to provide regular production from a fantasy perspective.
Clay’s projection: 41 receptions, 625 yards, 4 TD
March 9: Alec Pierce re-signs with Colts
Fantasy impact: Positive
Bowen: Pierce returns to Indianapolis on a four-year deal, one that pays him top-tier money ($86 million guaranteed). With the team also trading away wide receiver Michael Pittman to the Steelers on Monday, Pierce is now in line to see a bump in volume. In 2025, Pierce’s 21.3 YPC led the league, and he had 17 receptions of 20 or more yards. There’s a true vertical stretch element to his game, plus we should see Pierce deployed on three-step throws and in-breakers at a much higher rate this season. The Colts still need to address the quarterback position, either bringing back Daniel Jones or signing another veteran passer, but the arrow is pointing up on Pierce, who joins tight end Tyler Warren and slot receiver Josh Downs as the top targets in Indy. Pierce should be viewed as a WR2/Flex.
Clay’s projection: 59 receptions, 875 yards, 6 TD
March 9: Colts trade Michael Pittman Jr. to Steelers
Fantasy impact: Neutral
Karabell: Pittman, 28, finished last season as fantasy’s No. 18 PPR WR, though much of his production occurred in the first half of the season when he caught six touchdown passes. Pittman scored only once in the final nine games, his production stymied even before starting QB Daniel Jones (Achilles) was injured and replaced by Philip Rivers. Fantasy managers were not pleased.
Pittman’s best season came in 2023 (109 receptions, 1,152 receiving yards), with career backup Gardner Minshew as the primary QB. Pittman needs bigger volume, not necessarily a prime Tom Brady at QB, and he might get more looks with Pittsburgh, even if Aaron Rodgers, 42, announces his return. The possession-minded Pittman should be able to coexist with DK Metcalf, who plays a different role as a downfield threat in an offense. Pittman has enjoyed no fewer than 111 targets in the past five seasons, and he should reach that mark again in Pittsburgh.
Clay’s projection: 93 receptions, 981 yards, 4 TD
March 5: Bears trade veteran wideout Moore to Bills
Fantasy impact: Positive
Bowen: With ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that the Chicago Bears are trading wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills — which will become official at the start of the league year — let’s discuss the fantasy implications for both clubs.
In Buffalo, Moore fills a need as a volume target for quarterback Josh Allen in new head coach Joe Brady’s offensive system. Moore, who caught 50 of 83 targets for 682 yards and six scores in 2025, will see a bump in usage with the Bills, using his physical traits to play through contact while creating separation to the ball.
Moore will be a three-level route runner under Brady, too. He’ll be pressing defenses vertically and running the in-breakers, in addition to the screens and unders that cater to his explosive run-after-catch ability. When paired with Allen, Moore should be viewed as a WR2 who can produce breakout weeks.
Back in Chicago, we know about the emergence of wide receiver Luther Burden III, who showed flashes of his high-level playmaking ability late in his rookie season. Burden, who had a breakout game in Week 17 versus the 49ers (27.8 points), is an electric mover and an easy fit in Ben Johnson’s system. That’s the multilevel speed and the ball carrier vision in space.
Burden’s role will elevate in 2026, as he joins wide receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland as the top targets for quarterback Caleb Williams. We could see any of these three players taking the lead week-to-week depending on the game plan and/or opponent. But as we sit here now in March, Loveland will be in my TE1 ranks, and I’ll pencil in Odunze as a midtier WR2 and Burden as an upside WR3 who has the ability to post some WR1 weeks.
Clay’s projection: 63 catches, 870 yards, seven touchdowns receiving
Quarterback
March 16: Jets trade Justin Fields to Chiefs
Fantasy impact: Negative
Cockcroft: Fields, who among qualifiers during his five-year NFL career has the worst sack (10.5%) and quarterback contact (36.7%) rates, as well as the third-worst completion percentage (61.4%) and fourth-worst off-target rate (17.7%), provides puzzling contrast in styles to Patrick Mahomes (torn ACL and LCL) as the latter’s prospective short-term fill-in. It’s a potential signal of the Chiefs’ confidence that Mahomes could be ready in time for Week 1, though any games Fields starts runs the risk of hampering the team’s passing production, particularly wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy and tight end Travis Kelce. Fields’ mobility is the one skill that might make him a superflex/QB2 fill-in against weaker defensive opponents, but he’s otherwise not much of a fantasy option.
March 12: Kyler Murray signs one-year deal with Vikings
Fantasy impact: Positive (for the team more than the player)
Cockcroft: In Minnesota, Murray will have a multitude of receivers with whom to work, from Justin Jefferson to Jordan Addison to tight end T.J. Hockenson, not to mention that running back Aaron Jones Sr. is a capable pass catcher in his own right. It’s an upgrade over what Murray had with the Arizona Cardinals the past three seasons, though injuries cost him 21 of the Cardinals’ 51 games in that time. He averaged 17.4 fantasy points with the Cardinals, which would have placed him 13th among the 27 qualified quarterbacks using only 2025 statistics. Murray should be able to match and probably exceed that with the Vikings, meaning his healthy games should manage to scrape the back of the top 10, but his injury history keeps him out of that rankings range for draft-day purposes.
Clay’s projection: 360-for-537 passing, 3,601 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT; 504, 4 TD
Read more about the move here.
March 11: Daniel Jones re-signs with Colts
Fantasy impact: Positive
Cockcroft: Jones returns to the very place where he scored more fantasy points through his team’s first 12 games than in any of his prior six NFL seasons — and at reasonable cost relative to others at his position. He was fantasy’s QB7 through those 12 fully healthy games, and the Colts’ decision to re-sign Alec Pierce, who emerged as a premier receiver over the season’s final 10 weeks (fantasy’s WR13 in that time), assures Jones a well-rounded offense from which to work. Jones, who suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Week 14, might not quite be ready by Week 1 and has more injury risk than a typical quarterback. Still, he’s a good backup option in standard leagues and could be a value in superflex/2QB leagues if his recovery progresses swiftly.
Clay’s projection: 335-for-505 passing, 3,563 yards, 22 TD, 11 INT; 306 yards rushing, 6 TD
March 10: Raiders trade Geno Smith to Jets
Fantasy impact: Positive
Cockcroft: Smith, the Jets’ 2013 second-rounder and their starter in 2013-14, returns to the team where he flopped initially after what was a three-year resurgence with the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, those good Seattle years were followed by a miserable 2025 with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he either led or tied for the league’s lead in both sacks (55) and interceptions (17). Smith could rebound behind a far better Jets offensive line than the 2025 Raiders line, and he’ll have productive players to work with in running back Breece Hall and No. 1 receiver Garrett Wilson. Assuming Smith beats out Justin Fields for the starting job (which is a fair guess), there could be some fantasy matchup opportunities, and Smith would warrant a superflex/2QB bench spot.
Clay’s projection: 363-for-537 passing, 3,755 yards, 18 TD, 14 INT passing
March 9: Malik Willis signs with Dolphins
Fantasy impact: Positive
Karabell: Willis, 26, entering his fifth NFL season, finally gets a legitimate opportunity to be a starting QB in Miami. The Tennessee Titans‘ third-round pick from 2022 started six games in four seasons. He shined during his brief work last season for the Green Bay Packers, rushing for 60 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and completing 85% of his 35 passes for the season, so there is obvious statistical upside for this athletic, dual-threat option. Willis replaces Tua Tagovailoa, Miami’s often-underwhelming starter for six seasons.
The Dolphins last won a playoff game during the 2000 season, but adding Willis to an offense led by magnificent RB De’Von Achane and solid WR Jaylen Waddle is a good start to energizing the offense (remember, WR Tyreek Hill is no longer on the team). Willis instantly becomes a fantasy sleeper, not someone we can call a safe top-10 option because, let’s face it, quarterback is deep with proven veterans, and some of them add value with their legs. But Willis might become a reliable option soon.
Clay’s projection: 334-for-522 passing, 3,596 yds, 17 TD, 11 INT; 105 carries, 545 yards, 5 TD rushing
March 9: Tua Tagovailoa signs with Falcons
Fantasy impact: Neutral
Loza: Shortly after officially being released by the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The move suggests Atlanta will release Kirk Cousins and that Michael Penix Jr. (ACL) is unlikely to be ready at the start of the 2026 regular season. Newly hired offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who served as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2025, figures to focus on the ground game, relying heavily on the talents of Bijan Robinson. Given the lack of depth behind Drake London and Kyle Pitts Sr., Tua figures to work as a game manager with minimal fantasy upside.
Clay’s projection: 202-for-298 passing, 2,311 yards, 11 TD, 8 INT
Running back
March 12: Emanuel Wilson signs with Seahawks
Fantasy impact: Neutral to positive
Cockcroft: At quick glance, Wilson will serve as a temporary fill-in for Zach Charbonnet (torn ACL), whose timetable ranges anywhere from 8-12 months from when he suffered the injury in January, though the Seattle Seahawks could add further depth to fill in those September (and perhaps October) games. George Holani and Kenny McIntosh are also around as alternative options. Wilson scored 32.3 fantasy points combined in a pair of late-season starts (Weeks 12 and 18) for the Green Bay Packers, but he also added 33.8 more points in his three other games with double-digit carries. If this is where the Seahawks wind up with their backfield come training camp, Wilson could be a fantasy late-rounder with early-season potential in standard leagues.
Clay’s projection: 58 carries, 248 yards, 2 TD rushing; 14 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD receiving
March 12: Rachaad White signs with Commanders
Fantasy impact: Positive
Cockcroft: White’s production has declined since he finished 2023 as the RB4, with Bucky Irving emerging as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ clear primary back in the two seasons since, but Washington is a good landing spot for the fifth-year player. White should serve as the Commanders‘ passing-down back and might challenge Jacory Croskey-Merritt — who cooled to the tune of nine games of under six fantasy points in his final 12 after scoring in double digits in three of his first five — for the starting role. Expect the Commanders to bring in additional depth to compete for carries, keeping the situation fluid, but White might wind up the most logical pick to lead the backfield in yardage. It’s not unthinkable that he could come out of the offseason with a ceiling among the top 25 running backs.
Clay’s projection: 163 carries, 696 yards, 7 TD rushing; 42 receptions, 270 yards, 2 TD receiving
March 10: Isiah Pacheco joining Lions
Fantasy impact: Negative
Cockcroft: Pacheco appears to be the Lions’ choice to replace David Montgomery as the team’s complementary back to Jahmyr Gibbs, though that hardly means he’ll slide directly into the role that made Montgomery the RB17, RB18 and RB27 the past three seasons, respectively. Pacheco’s metrics tumbled the past two seasons, and his 8.5% explosive play rate last year was noticeably beneath the league’s average (10.0%). He’ll probably be more of a change-of-pace back behind Gibbs, the top-scoring running back in 2025 who is in the prime of his career. Consider Pacheco a fantasy insurance policy.
Clay’s projection: 162 carries, 702 yards, 5 TD rushing; 21 receptions, 141 yards, 1 TD receiving
March 9: Chiefs adding Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to backfield
Fantasy impact: Positive
Karabell: The Kansas City Chiefs, coming off a disappointing 6-11 season and needing running back help, plan to sign Super Bowl LX MVP Walker during free agency. That might solve the problem, as Walker is coming off the second 1,000-yard rushing season of his four-year career. He was a productive player with the Seattle Seahawks, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and scoring 31 touchdowns, but he never approached 250 rushing attempts (or 300 touches) in a season.
That might change with the Chiefs, whose most recent 1,000-yard rusher was Kareem Hunt during the 2017 campaign. Hunt led the 2025 Chiefs with 611 rushing yards. Walker, who finished 22nd among running backs in PPR scoring this past season, has long been viewed as a potential top-10 fantasy option at the position, but the Seahawks opted to share his touches with Zach Charbonnet, blunting each player’s intriguing statistical upside. The Chiefs need to rebuild (and get healthy) a once-standout offensive line and get star QB Patrick Mahomes (knee) back for September, but the signs are here for Walker to handle the largest workload of his career. This is, of course, good news for fantasy, assuming Walker, who missed games in each of his first three seasons with various ailments, can stay healthy.
Clay’s projection: 264 carries, 1,180 yards, 9 TD rushing; 48 receptions, 367 yards, 2 TD receiving
March 9: Rico Dowdle agrees to sign with Steelers
Fantasy impact: Positive
Bowen: Dowdle, who agreed to a two-year deal with the Steelers on Monday evening, brings a decisive north/south running style to Mike McCarthy’s club. Straight-line juice here. In 2025, Dowdle had three breakout games with the Panthers — scoring 26 or more fantasy points — and he finished the season with 39 receptions. Dowdle joins Jaylen Warren in an anticipated split-backfield approach, which keeps both players near the RB2/Flex line. However, if Dowdle can emerge as the early down/goal-line runner, he would carry more value on a week-to-week basis.
Clay’s projections: 197 carries, 864 yards, 5 TD rushing; 30 receptions, 221 yards, TD receiving
March 9: Travis Etienne Jr. signs with Saints
Fantasy impact: Potentially positive
Karabell: Etienne, 27, finished the 2025 season as fantasy’s No. 10 PPR RB, as much of his volume from his outstanding 2023 returned. Like many Jaguars, Etienne was not effective in 2024, scoring only two touchdowns among 189 touches. He scored 13 touchdowns on his 296 touches last season, though it might be asking a lot for him to see similar volume in New Orleans with franchise stalwart Alvin Kamara remaining on the team.
Kamara (knee) missed the final six games of 2025, and he wasn’t thriving statistically to start with as the team introduced rookie QB Tyler Shough. However, we cannot ignore that Kamara, 30, is one of the top pass-catching running backs of the era, and he caught 68 passes two seasons ago. Etienne has been an effective receiver, scoring six of his touchdowns through the air last season, but this could easily be a frustrating timeshare. Kamara’s fantasy value takes a bigger hit here, as we should not expect nearly as many rushing attempts, but it is also likely that Etienne lacks the volume to perform as a fantasy top-10 running back after doing so two of the past three seasons.
Clay’s projection: 240 carries, 1,070 yards 5 TD rushing; 37 receptions, 328 yards, 2 TD
March 9: Tyler Allgeier signs with Cardinals
Fantasy impact: Positive
Karabell: Allgeier, 25, rushed for more than 1,000 yards during his rookie season with the Falcons … and then the franchise drafted Bijan Robinson. Let’s just say there is no Bijan Robinson in Arizona. Allgeier, a bruiser at 225 pounds who can run between the tackles, remained a productive player with his lesser volume over the past three seasons, including 2025 when he rushed for eight touchdowns, and now the volume should rise. The Cardinals brought back veteran James Conner (foot) and Trey Benson (knee) is still here, but Allgeier is younger, more durable and he certainly could become an RB2 option for fantasy. All he really needs is more volume, and depending on Conner’s health, he might get it.
Clay’s projection: 127 carries, 510 yards, 4 TD rushing; 18 receptions, 133 yards
March 9: Kenneth Gainwell signs with Buccaneers
Fantasy impact: Negative
Karabell: Gainwell, 26, was a surprise fantasy contributor during the 2025 season, as he led all Steelers flex-eligible players with 221.3 PPR points, finishing No. 16 among RBs in scoring. That was certainly not expected, as Gainwell, after years of reserve work with the Eagles, surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards and scored eight touchdowns. The good news, for him, is he earns his biggest contract. But Tampa Bay already has a star RB in Bucky Irving, so it might be difficult to expect another 187 touches from Gainwell.
After all, Gainwell caught 73 passes in his lone Steelers season! That seems unlikely to continue with the Buccaneers, as the team might opt for a typical timeshare, with Irving handling a high majority of rushing attempts. Regardless, this signing doesn’t appear to aid Gainwell’s fantasy value, and Irving, nearly a RB1 option during his rookie season, should see his volume compromised as well. Although we could see each of these Buccaneers RBs earn RB2 status in 2026, it might be frustrating for fantasy managers looking for upside.
Clay’s projection: 122 carries, 549 yards, 6 TD rushing; 55 receptions, 366 yards, 2 TD
March 2: Lions trade David Montgomery to Texans
Fantasy impact: Positive
Karabell: Montgomery, 28, thrived in his first two seasons in Detroit in a timeshare with star Jahmyr Gibbs, scoring 25 rushing touchdowns, but his role and volume decreased in Year 3, especially over the final eight weeks. The Lions decided to move on, clearing Gibbs for more volume and production, and certainly one now can make the case for him as the first running back — and perhaps player at any position — off the PPR draft board for 2026. After all, Gibbs was already a top-three PPR RB the past two seasons. More touches would be exciting for all.
Montgomery should return to 200-plus touches in Houston — perhaps pushing promising Woody Marks aside a bit — but there might be a receiving-minded running back to be named later helping him out, too. Sans veteran Joe Mixon (foot) for the entire season, no Texans running back reached even the low bar of 25 receptions, with the entire crew combining to catch only 54 passes. Montgomery caught 54 passes for the 2020 Chicago Bears, but he averaged only 25 receptions per his three Lions campaigns.
The Texans might not be done adding to their backfield, searching for a third-down option. Marks delivered six double-digit PPR efforts (though he did not rush for 75 yards in any game) during his rookie season despite little pass-catching relevance, so adding Montgomery to the crew is bad news for him. Then again, Marks had his chance; he scored two rushing touchdowns all season. Montgomery has scored multiple rushing touchdowns nine times.
This trade aids Montgomery’s stock, though. Solidly built at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, expect the Texans to utilize the seven-year veteran on early downs and near the goal line. Do not expect double-digit touchdowns, because the Texans are certainly not the Lions’ equal in terms of offensive talent, scheme, creativity or coaching. However, before this move, we could not make a case for Montgomery, the No. 27 PPR RB scorer last season, as even a safe RB3 for the 2026 draft. Now we can dream about RB2 production.
Clay’s projection: 199 carries, 863 yards, six touchdowns rushing, 31 receptions, 241 yards and one touchdown receiving
Tight end
March 11: Okonkwo likely to command TE targets in D.C.
Loza: Chig Okonkwo agreed to a three-year deal worth an estimated $27 million with the Washington Commanders on Thursday. Despite flashing moments of YAC brilliance, the Maryland product was unable to consistently produce in Tennessee, failing to clear 60 receptions or 600 yards in any of his four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Likely to emerge as the team’s TE1 and replace Zach Ertz (who averaged 5.5 targets per contest in back-to-back seasons), Okonkwo is back on the breakout radar. Operating in a more explosive offense led by Ben Johnson acolyte David Blough and catching passes from Jayden Daniels, Okonkwo could flirt with top-15 positional fantasy numbers in 2026.
Clay’s projection: 53 receptions, 565, 2 TD
March 9: Isaiah Likely signs with Giants
Fantasy impact: Positive
Karabell: Likely, 25, failed to reach 50 receptions or 500 receiving yards in any of his four seasons playing in Baltimore with three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews, but opportunity is calling with the New York Giants. Sure, the Giants boast third-year option Theo Johnson, who broke out statistically last season, but they get more upside with Likely, a more athletic, better downfield target for QB Jaxson Dart. Likely, who individually profiles more as a large WR with TE eligibility, might not garner TE1 consideration initially, but it is certainly possible he doubles his 2025 production (27 receptions, 307 receiving yards, one TD) in his first season in New York and becomes quite relevant in fantasy.
Clay’s projection: 62 receptions, 647 yards, 4 TD
March 9: Travis Kelce stays in Kansas City for one more season
Fantasy impact: Neutral
Loza: Despite rumors about a potential retirement, Kelce is set to stay in Kansas City, inking a one-year contract worth an estimated $12 million. The 36-year-old averaged 11.4 fantasy points per game (TE8) in 2025, drawing his fewest number of looks (108, TE4) and collecting his fewest number of catches (TE6) since 2015. With Patrick Mahomes‘ (ACL) health in question and given the infusion of young talent at the position, Kelce’s days as a top-five producer appear to be in the rearview. Still, the vet remains a key element in the team’s offense, likely to command a hearty target share. He’s shaping up to be a less-than-inspiring low-end TE1 for fantasy purposes.
Clay’s projection: 73 receptions, 753 yards, 5 TD
Sports
LeBron James’ 6 dunks vs. Rockets key Lakers’ 7th straight win
HOUSTON — As LeBron James sat in front of his locker late Wednesday, he had ice packs wrapped around his right elbow and both knees while his feet soaked in a bucket of ice. He insisted he felt every bit of his age, 41 years and 78 days old.
“Look at me right now,” James said after starring in a 124-116 road victory over the Houston Rockets that matched the Los Angeles Lakers‘ winning streak to a season-best seven games. “Right now, I feel like s—. But in the game, I felt pretty good. Before the game, I didn’t feel that great. I mean, I was yawning and tired and telling myself, I was literally just like talking to myself like, ‘Come on, here we go. Let’s figure it out. Let’s get through it.’
“But I felt pretty good in the game. I’m happy I’m able to make a few plays to help our team win.”
Six of those plays during James’ 30-point performance on 13-of-14 shooting were dunks.
“That’s really impressive,” said Lakers star Luka Doncic, who had another sensational outing with 40 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. “It’s insane.”
According to ESPN Research, James hadn’t had that many dunks in a game since March 9, 2017. James threw down three alley-oops, matching his most in any game during his legendary 23-year career.
The first of those alley-oops was an errant lob from guard Marcus Smart to James on a back cut, a pass that appeared to be sailing into the baseline seats. But James soared to catch the pass and slam it home, a spectacular highlight for any player regardless of age.
“The fact that he’s 41, he’s still as athletic or more athletic than about 95% of the league — still — and he’s probably, I think everybody would agree, has lost a little athleticism,” said Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who had 14 points and eight assists. “It’s just insane to think [about]. It’s absolutely mind-blowing.”
James’ display of athletic prowess in Wednesday’s win was on the extreme end of the spectrum, but it wasn’t necessarily shocking. According to NBA Advanced Stats, he entered the night second in the league in fast-break points (279) behind speedy Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey. James has 77 dunks in 48 games, including three in Monday’s win over the Rockets.
“I’m not surprised anymore,” said Kevin Durant, the Rockets’ 37-year-old superstar who had 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the loss. “I mean, he’s a freak athlete. He’s a generational athlete. He cares and loves the game. Cares about his body. This is what he does. He’s built for this, you know what I’m saying? Since he was a kid.
“I think he could play until he’s 45 years old. I don’t know if he wants to be around that long, but I think he could play for another four to five more years, to be honest. And so yeah, it’s not a surprise anymore. I mean, his age, he is 41, but he looks great out there.”
James became the first Laker to score at least 30 points on 90% shooting since Shaquille O’Neal in March 2003. He became the oldest player in NBA history to accomplish that feat, a distinction previously owned by former Portland Trail Blazers center Arvydas Sabonis, who was 36 years and 108 days old when he scored 32 points on 11-of-12 shooting.
James’ lone miss came on a drive early in the fourth quarter. Houston’s Tari Eason was credited with a block, although James raised his arms and complained to the ref after falling to the ground.
“The one shot he missed, he was trying to foul bait,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick quipped.
Redick is also 41 years old, about six months older than James, and retired as a player in 2021 after a 15-year career. He joked that he feels like a “loser” seeing James’ explosiveness at his age on a regular basis.
“I can touch the rim still,” Redick said. “I can’t jump for three days after it, but I’ve got one jump in me.
“Just the preparation that he puts into his body over and over and over again — that to me is like the ultimate sign of competitive stamina. He just holds on to it every single day and he gets ready to ring the bell.”
The Lakers are relying on James less than ever and getting extraordinary results from the all-time leading scorer accepting his role as the team’s third offensive option behind Doncic and Reaves. James had 15 or fewer field goal attempts in his past eight games, twice as long as any previous streak in his career with that few shots. James is averaging 20.8 points on 61.5% shooting in that stretch, and the Lakers have won seven of the eight games.
“Part of the evolution of him on this team, and particularly in this stretch, has just been his patience,” Redick said. “His patience, knowing he’s going to get the ball and he’s going to have transition opportunities, and he’s going to have plays called for him, and he’s going to play off ball and get a corner 3 the first play of the game. He’s going to have those opportunities, and he’s played really patiently.”
James’ last bucket in Wednesday’s win, which strengthened the 44-25 Lakers’ grip on the third seed in the Western Conference, was evidence of the chemistry developing between Doncic and him. Doncic split two defenders on a pick-and-roll to drive down the middle of the floor, and James executed a perfectly timed cut from the weakside corner. Doncic drew a crowd in the paint and flipped a lob to James, who finished with two hands, a dagger that put the Lakers up six with 1:22 remaining.
Doncic celebrated by shuffling sideways up the court, smiling and staring down a courtside fan who had engaged him in trash talk throughout the game.
“Winning’s fun, so just the way we play I think is a lot of fun,” Doncic said. “That’s what we do. We win and we have a good time.”
Sports
Iran continuing World Cup preparations but will not play in US, says soccer chief
The Iranian national team are continuing to prepare for the World Cup finals and have no intention of pulling out of the tournament even if they will not travel to the United States, soccer chief Mehdi Taj said on Wednesday.
Iran were one of the first nations to qualify for the finals but their participation has been in doubt since the conflict between the Islamic Republic and the United States began in late February.
The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19 and is being staged in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Team Melli are scheduled to play all three of their opening-round group matches in the US but Taj said on Monday the Iranian FA (FFIRI) was negotiating with Fifa to have them moved to Mexico.
Iran will play Nigeria on March 27 and Costa Rica four days later in Antalya as part of a four-nation invitational tournament that had to be moved from Jordan because of the conflict in the Middle East.
“The national team is holding a training camp in Turkey, and we will also play two friendly matches there,” FFIRI President Taj was quoted as saying by the Fars News Agency on Wednesday.
“We will boycott America, but we will not boycott the World Cup.”
Taj was speaking on Wednesday as he welcomed the players from the women’s national team back to Iran at the border crossing from Turkey after their protracted journey from Australia.
All of the delegation, who were in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup, were offered asylum by the host nation because of fears for their safety in Iran. While seven accepted, only two ended up staying.
US President Donald Trump had urged Australia to offer the players asylum and later said that while the Iranian men were welcome to play in the US, it might not be appropriate for their “life and safety”.
Trump later stressed any threat to the players would not come from the United States, but Taj — a former member of Iran’s hardline Revolutionary Guard — used the president’s statement as grounds for demanding the venue switch.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that her country would be open to hosting Iran’s World Cup matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in June, but the final say on any venue switch would be Fifa’s.
Soccer’s world governing body said it was in contact with FFIRI but was “looking forward to all participating teams competing as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025”.
Beau Busch, the Asia-Pacific president of football players’ union FIFPRO, said it was Fifa’s duty to ensure the safety of everyone involved at the World Cup.
“Fifa have an institutional responsibility to protect human rights,” the Australian told Reuters.
“What’s critical is that Fifa undertake a really comprehensive human rights impact assessment, and they assess to ensure that every single participant at the World Cup, every player, every fan, can be safe, and that any risks are identified and mitigated effectively.”
Sports
Miami (Ohio): First Four win vs. SMU ‘proved doubters wrong’
DAYTON, Ohio — Miami (Ohio) found itself in a unique position Wednesday night at the First Four.
The RedHawks had been a polarizing 30-win team in the lead-up to NCAA tournament selections. Was Miami good, or just a product of a weak schedule? Were all the major conference teams that avoided the RedHawks being silly or smart? After a 31-0 start, Miami had made the NCAA field, but just barely as an at-large, and would tip off in the First Four, just 40 miles from its campus in Oxford, Ohio.
The 11th-seeded RedHawks were 6.5-point underdogs against SMU, even though neither they nor the thousands who came to support them felt that way.
“The reason people love March Madness is they love to see quote, unquote, upsets,” coach Travis Steele said. “This wasn’t an upset tonight, at all.”
Miami left no doubt about its tournament viability, or the historic path it has taken, beating SMU 89-79 at UD Arena. The RedHawks led for most of the game, recorded their largest victory margin in an NCAA tournament game, made their most 3-pointers (16) in the tournament and posted their highest scoring total in a tournament game since 1958. They advanced to face No. 6 seed Tennessee in a first-round Midwest Region matchup Friday in Philadelphia.
Steele said he felt his team was better than SMU coming into Wednesday’s game, and his players proved him right.
“All the doubters that doubted us, all saying we don’t have Quad 1 wins, two wins, all that stuff, I don’t know what they’re going to say now,” star guard Peter Suder said. “We proved the doubters wrong. To win by double digits against a really good team, athletically, physically talented players, it’s huge for this program.”
Miami did not face a power conference team in nonleague play — the school repeatedly stated that those teams did not want to schedule the RedHawks — and went 30-0 in the regular season before falling to UMass last week in the Mid-American Conference tournament quarterfinals. Despite all of Miami’s winning, a schedule strength that hovered near the bottom of Division I created an odd at-large profile for the tournament selection committee to consider.
“I mean, we had to basically be perfect in the whole regular season to get that at-large,” Steele said.
A MAC team had not earned an at-large berth since 1999, when Miami rode All-American Wally Szczerbiak to the Sweet 16. The RedHawks were one of the last at-large teams in and began their first tournament appearance since 2007 in nearby Dayton.
The positive was Wednesday’s crowd, red and raucous, erupting with every 3-pointer and scoring burst from the RedHawks. Former Miami and NBA star Ron Harper was among the supporters and celebrated in the locker room.
Miami players frequently acknowledged their supporters, including Luke Skaljac, whose 3-pointer with 7:15 left forced SMU to call timeout.
“That was a great crowd, a home game for Miami,” SMU coach Andy Enfield said. “They probably had 12,000 fans here. Felt like 40 or 50 thousand.”
The crowd included Miami’s men’s swim and dive team, some wearing only Speedos and caps, who sprinted down the aisle behind SMU’s basket early in the second half to distract free throw shooter Corey Washington, just as they do at Millett Hall, Miami’s home court.
“What really surprised me was the swim team, when they came out,” forward Antwone Woolfolk said. “That was elite.”
Miami’s willingness to take and make 3-pointers propelled its offense, as the team had more made 3s (10) than 2-point attempts (9) in the first half. But the undersized RedHawks also held up inside, as the rebounding was even at 35-35. They collected 12 offensive boards, including Suder’s with 3:08 to play that set up a 3-pointer by Eian Elmer that increased the lead to 81-68.
Steele challenged his team after the UMass loss, as the RedHawks were outrebounded 41-24 and allowed 54 points in the paint and 23 second-chance points.
“We crashed the glass,” said Woolfolk, Miami’s tallest starter at 6-foot-9. “We put pressure on the rim, instead of letting pressure get put on us.”
The rebounding performance reinforced Steele’s pre-game theme: Attack.
“Our guys deserve to be in this position,” he said. “I felt like we were the better team going into the game was. And I think our guys have that real belief. That’s the most powerful thing you can have.”
Miami now gets another power conference opponent in Tennessee, and further success means similar opponents will follow. But the RedHawks had the tournament stage to themselves Wednesday night.
How many more people know about Miami (Ohio) now?
“I don’t even know, I can’t even count,” Suder said, smiling. “But it’s definitely a lot.”
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