REdraft Day | Clicks and Fades in ’26

by Matty Kiwoom · Featured
REdraft Day Clicks and Fades in '26

This is the conversation fantasy managers should have before drafting. Let’s set the stage: A single-QB redraft league, PPR, and no TEP. In a format like this, every single roster spot matters.

Knowing exactly where the value is hiding and where the hype is lying to you can be the difference between a trophy and a toilet bowl. Let’s go position by position and talk about my one guy at each spot you should be circling, and the one guy you should be letting someone else reach for.

PlayerProfiler is home to award-winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out.

Redraft Day: Click ‘Em 📈or Fade ‘Em 📉

Quarterback Click | Bo Nix, Denver Broncos ✅

Bo Nix is being drafted after Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, and Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy. That usually lands him somewhere around round 12, and that doesn’t line up with what he’s actually done on the field.

Nix has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in each of his two pro seasons, which is not a fluke at that point… that’s a pattern. Wait on the position, grab Nix, and enjoy that fantasy ROI.

Quarterback Fade | Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals ❌

Joe Burrow is a great player; no one is arguing that, but he’s being drafted far too high for a pocket passer in a single-QB format. If you’re going to spend an early pick on a quarterback, that pick needs to go to a guy who can scoot, aka a “Konami Code” type who can win you the week with his arm and his feet.

Burrow doesn’t offer that rushing upside, so paying premium draft capital for him shrinks your margin of victory coming out of the gate.

Running Back Click | D’Andre Swift, Chicago Bears ✅

Somehow being drafted as RB25 right now, the price completely ignores D’Andre Swift‘s track record. He has never finished worse than RB21 in his entire career. On top of that, the Bears didn’t bring in any real competition at the position this offseason, so his projected touches will be very similar to that of 2025.

Say it with me… value, value, value!

Running Back Fade | Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals ❌

Jeremiyah Love is a dynasty gold bar, a player that should go with the 1.01 in rookie drafts, but using a top 12 to 15 pick in a redraft format has too much risk. There’s just too much veteran competition already sitting in that backfield for a rookie to walk in and fully take over.

Realistically, Love is looking at 50-55% of the touches at best in Year 1, which doesn’t mean he will stink. It does, however, warrant caution given what caliber of player will be available at the back end of Round 1!

Wide Receiver Click | Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears ✅

A former top-10 NFL pick with legitimate star-level upside, you can get Rome Odunze around pick 75 right now. That’s what I like to call a gift. He was straight-up dominating before suffering an injury in 2025, and now D.J. Moore is out of the picture.

The target share is wide open and still has a lot of questions to answer, which is why I like leaning on the guy who comes at a perceived discount. In certain roster builds, he could even be a fantasy team’s third wideout or a flex play, so give me all the Rome I can handle.

Wide Receiver Fade | Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears ❌

Same team, same position, completely different market value. The hype train on Luther Burden III has left the station, but he might not even be the best receiver on his own team. He costs a top-40 pick, and he’s flashed, but “flashed” and “proven” are two very different things.

Right now, Burden is being drafted ahead of established guys like Jaylen Waddle, Ladd McConkey, Zay Flowers, DeVonta Smith, and Emeka Egbuka. That’s too rich of a price for unproven upside, when safer bets are sitting right behind him on the board.

Tight End Click | Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles ✅

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is set up to be the No. 2 target earner out of the gate while rookie Makai Lemon works his way into the offense. That’s a really valuable role at a shallow position, and the cost is enticing to say the least.

With A.J. Brown off in New England, Goedert profiles as the most effective red zone threat in the offense, and the numbers he’s already put up without Brown on the field back that projection up. At tight end, a clear, defined role like this is exactly what you’re hunting for.

Tight End Fade | Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals ❌

This is NOT a fun take, because Trey McBride is a great player. Nobody’s questioning the talent, but there are real red flags attached to a tight end going inside the first two rounds of redraft leagues. Arizona projects to institute a run-heavy scheme, and the quarterback room might be one of the worst in the entire league.

Sometimes the hardest take to make is fading a guy everyone loves, but that’s exactly the take that ends up saving your draft.

Final Word

At the end of the day, winning your fantasy league isn’t about drafting the guys everyone else is excited about; it’s about finding the gap between where a player is being drafted and what he’s actually going to produce. Simple enough, right?

Nix, Swift, Odunze, and Goedert are all sitting in that sweet spot right now, priced well below their realistic outcomes. Burrow, Love, Burden, and McBride, on the other hand, are all being drafted on name value and hype rather than situation and opportunity.

Do the homework, trust the process, and let the rest of your league reach for the names while you load up on the value. That’s how you build a roster that’s still playing for something in the fantasy postseason.

For more articles from PlayerProfiler, check out the fantasy home page – NFL Fantasy | PlayerProfiler – Fantasy Football News & Media

Bang it right here for more of Matty Kiwoom’s articles, streams, and content!