10 Players to AVOID in 2026 Fantasy Football (Feat. Zain Dhanani)

10 Players to AVOID in 2026 Fantasy Football (Feat. Zain Dhanani)

Everyone can tell you why every player is going to have a great season — they can't all be great. Matthew Freedman is joined by Zain Dhanani (@DhananiZain) to skew negative, break down what actually makes a player a fade, and reveal the 10 players on their DO NOT DRAFT list for 2026 fantasy football.The fades run from Round 1 to the late rounds: Jonathan Taylor, Trey McBride, Bucky Irving, Bo Nix, Jameson Williams, RJ Harvey, Jaxson Dart, Carnell Tate, Jake Ferguson, and Jordan Addison. Why does Derrick Henry make Taylor the wrong first-round pick? Why was McBride's monster season a perfect storm that won't repeat? And which rookie top-10 pick is being drafted like a No. 1 WR when he might be the third option on his own team?Plus: how to actually treat the players you're fading on draft day — and a sneak preview of Freedman's Fades, coming to FantasyLife.com next week.Topics in this video:do not draft list 2026, fantasy football busts, players to avoid fantasy football, fantasy football fades, Jonathan Taylor fantasy, Trey McBride fantasy, Bucky Irving fantasy, Bo Nix fantasy, Jameson Williams fantasy, Carnell Tate fantasy, Jaxson Dart fantasy, fantasy football draft strategy 2026Subscribe for more fantasy football content00:00:00 - Intro00:10:10 - How to Treat Guys We're Fading?00:15:05 - What Makes You Fade a Guy?00:18:35 - Bo Nix00:28:20 - Trey McBride00:37:05 - Jonathan Taylor00:45:05 - Jameson Williams00:55:20 - RJ Harvey01:06:50 - Bucky Irving01:12:20 - Carnell Tate01:18:50 - Jaxson Dart01:33:05 - Jake Ferguson01:38:05 - Jordan Addison ____________ If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards. We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5 And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!

What ACTUALLY Matters for RB Success in Fantasy Football? (+ 2026 RB Targets)

What actually predicts running back success in fantasy football? Dwain McFarland and Matthew Freedman break down the stats that matter most at the RB position — and the ones that are just noise — so you know exactly what to look for in your 2026 drafts. We dig into how RB fantasy scoring has shifted in recent years, what league-winning running back archetypes actually look like, and how much age and experience really matter — including if receiving backs or more well balanced backs are better to target. Then we get into the factors around the running: how much scheme drives fantasy production, and how much age can show us RBs that could drop off. Finally, we apply the full framework to the 2026 RB board and highlight the running backs who stand out — the ones who check every box, and the ones being drafted on reputation alone. Topics in this video: What matters for fantasy RBs, running backs, fantasy football 2026, receiving running backs, league winning RBs, RB age curve, running back scheme fits, fantasy football analytics, RB draft strategy Subscribe for more fantasy football content 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:09 - Which Stats Matter? 00:12:10 - RB Rushing vs. Receiving 00:15:31 - Repeat Performers vs. Fallers 00:20:25 - Is Efficiency Important? 00:30:25 - League-Winning Archetypes 00:33:33 - Who makes up each archetype? 00:58:22 - How Much Does Age Matter? 01:03:52 - Rookie RBs 01:11:50 - Should We Draft RBs On Bad NFL Teams? 01:21:17 - Positive Run-Game Concepts & Playcallers 01:29:58 - Players Who Stand Out? ____________ If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards. We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5 And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!

What ACTUALLY Matters for QB Fantasy Success: Rushing Ability, Scheme + More

What actually predicts quarterback success in fantasy football? Dwain McFarland and Matthew Freedman break down the stats that matter most at the QB position — and the ones that are just noise — so you know exactly what to look for in your 2026 drafts. We dig into how QB fantasy scoring has shifted in recent years, what league-winning quarterbacks actually look like, and how much age and experience really matter — including the early-career QB gems worth targeting before their price catches up. Then we get into the factors around the quarterback: how much scheme drives fantasy production, and how much the supporting cast matters. Finally, we apply the full framework to the 2026 QB board and highlight the quarterbacks who stand out — the ones who check every box, and the ones being drafted on reputation alone. Topics in this video:  What matters for fantasy QBs, quarterback fantasy football 2026, rushing quarterbacks, dual threat QB, league winning QBs, QB age curve, quarterback scheme fits, QB supporting cast, fantasy football analytics, QB draft strategy Subscribe for more fantasy football content Timestamps:  00:00:00 - Coming Up  00:02:43 - Stats That Matter Most for QBs in Fantasy Football  00:14:35 - The Shift in QB Fantasy Scoring  00:17:47 - What Do League-Winning QBs Look Like?  00:25:42 - How Much Does Age/Experience Matter?  00:28:58 - Early-Career QB Gems  00:33:15 - Scheme  00:47:42 - Supporting Cast  01:04:31 - Players Who Stand Out for 2026 #FantasyFootball #QBRankings #FantasyFootball2026 #FantasyFootballAnalytics #WhatMattersForQBs #BestBall #FantasyFootballPodcast #NFLOffseason ____________ If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards. We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5 And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!

Where Should Garrett Wilson Be Valued in Fantasy Football Drafts? | 2026 Jets Preview

Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland deliver the complete New York Jets fantasy football preview for 2026 on this episode of Fantasy Football is Life. We go position by position through every quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end on the Jets roster — ranking them, projecting their roles, and telling you exactly where to draft each one. Can Geno Smith get back to his 2022 form? Is Breece Hall a dark horse league winner? Can Garrett Wilson pick up where he left off? What to expect from Omar Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq? We break it all down so you're fully prepared for your 2026 fantasy drafts. 📋 Players Covered: Geno Smith Breece Hall Garrett Wilson Omar Cooper Kenyon Sadiq AND MORE! ____________ If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards. We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5 And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!

Can De'Von Achane Be A Top Tier RB In A Bad Offense? | 2026 Dolphins Preview

Ian Hartitz and Dwain McFarland deliver the complete Miami Dolphins fantasy football preview for 2026 on this episode of Fantasy Football is Life. We go position by position through every quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end on the Dolphins roster — ranking them, projecting their roles, and telling you exactly where to draft each one. Is Malik Willis a must have late round QB? Can De'Von Achane still ball in a bad offense? Should you draft any Dolphins WRs? Is Greg Dulcich going to live up to the hype? We break it all down so you're fully prepared for your 2026 fantasy drafts. 📋 Players Covered: Malik Willis De'Von Achane Malik Washington Chris Bell Greg Dulcich AND MORE! ____________ If you want more of Fantasy Life, check us out at FantasyLife.com, where all our analysis is free, smart, fun, and has won a bunch of awards. We have an awesome free seven-day-a-week fantasy newsletter (which would win awards if they existed, we assure you!): https://www.fantasylife.com/fantasy-newsletter-5 And if you want to go deeper, check out our suite of also-award-winning premium tools at FantasyLife.com/pricing But really we hope you just are enjoying what you clicked on here, and come back for more. We are here to help you win!!