Miami Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers was previously mentioned as a candidate to start Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, but those plans have changed after the team signed Malik Willis in free agency. The Dolphins underwent sweeping changes this offseason, replacing head coach Mike McDaniel with Jeff Hafley, releasing Tua Tagoaviloa, and signing Willis. The new coaching staff and front office regime -- which has plenty of ties to Green Bay -- signed Willis away from the Packers and will roll him out as their starter in 2026. That returns Ewers to the backup role after his brief stint as a starter during his rookie campaign in 2025. Across three substantial appearances from Week 16 through 18, he completed 66.7% of his passes for 569 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Miami can feel some relief that it has a former top college prospect as its backup, but we don't anticipate that Ewers would offer much fantasy appeal if he ends up being forced into action during the 2026 season. It also seems unlikely that Ewers would ever completely beat out Willis for the starting job after Miami made a $67.5 million commitment to the latter.

Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks has ascended into the No. 2 role on the depth chart ahead of the 2026 NFL season. The offseason is still young, and we certainly can't rule out the Packers adding another impact running back via the draft or free agency. However, as it stands, the 26-year-old Brooks is set to back up Josh Jacobs after the team saw Emanuel Wilson depart for the Seattle Seahawks. Originally a Miami Dolphin, Brooks spent the last two years in a depth role with Green Bay. He started to generate some buzz in 2025 as the Packers' backfield dealt with injuries, resulting in him finishing the year with 106 rushing yards, 13 catches, and 91 receiving yards. He didn't have a huge role by any means, but he did finish the regular season on a positive note with 13 carries for 61 yards in Week 18. Given that Jacobs is 28 years old and played through a lingering knee injury last year, it's not a bad idea for Jacobs' dynasty managers to trade a late-round pick for his handcuff, which, at the moment, would be Brooks.

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller was once viewed as a high-upside investment in fantasy football, but his value now continues to decline ahead of the 2026 season. Through the first few years of his career in New Orleans, Miller was held in check by injuries, coaching staff decisions, and the stardom of Alvin Kamara. To this point, he has never played more than eight games in a season. Finally, just as Kamara's career was starting to slow down and the Saints brought in a new coaching staff, it looked like things might be trending up for Miller. At first, they were; he had 65 yards and a touchdown against the Bills in Week 4 of the 2025 season. However, his upside came crashing down as he tore his ACL in Week 7 and was ruled out for the rest of the year. Now fighting his way back from injury once again, Miller faces a new challenge. The Saints made an enormous running back splash in free agency, signing Travis Etienne Jr. to a multi-year deal. The move signals that Etienne will be the clear lead back in New Orleans going forward, with Devin Neal stepping into the No. 2 ball-carrier role -- and that assumes that Kamara's time with the Saints is done. He's still under contract, so there's the potential for the Saints to carry Etienne, Kamara, and Neal into gameday, which could make Miller a healthy scratch. Regardless of whether he ends up as the third or fourth back in New Orleans next year, the bottom line is that Miller continues to trend in the wrong direction in fantasy football, especially as he still works through the components of his ACL recovery. He's droppable in many shallow and mid-depth dynasty formats.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith may not take as big a leap as initially anticipated in 2026. The Chiefs recently signed running back Kenneth Walker III to a three-year, $43 million deal, locking him in as their primary ball-carrier through 2028. That move seems to put a damper on Smith's upside after it initially seemed like he could be headed for a larger role. Smith patiently waited his turn behind Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, who both struggled in 2025. Meanwhile, Smith showed plenty of upside and the potential for a second-year breakout, finishing off the regular season with 12 carries for 56 yards (plus two catches on four targets) in Week 18. While the Chiefs did shake up their backfield by letting Isiah Pacheco (and likely Kareem Hunt) depart in free agency, they also signed Emari Demercado along with Walker, which means that Smith will likely open next season as the team's No. 3 running back once again. His path to carving out meaningful fantasy value in 2026 just got much more challenging, but managers should remain patient and hold him in dynasty leagues for now.