Fantasy Football Today (01/08/2026)

Episode: 2026 Top 12 QBs and Wild Card Weekend Preview!

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features hosts Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, and Jamie Eisenberg breaking down their projected Top 12 Fantasy Football Quarterbacks for 2026, along with a comprehensive, actionable preview of Wild Card Weekend for fantasy and DFS players. The hosts examine quarterbacks’ season arcs, debate player outlooks, and thoroughly analyze each playoff matchup for fantasy opportunities and pitfalls.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wild Card Weekend Hype and Game Previews

• The crew rapidly expresses excitement (and skepticism) over the Wild Card games, debating which matchups offer the best real-life and fantasy drama.

  • [02:07] Adam: “Ready for wild card weekend? We certainly are. We are excited for six games. Although, let's be honest... are we excited for Rams-Panthers?”
  • Overall, the consensus is there’s real playoff intrigue, but some matchups are better for fantasy than others.

• Weather Watch: Major factor for Saturday games.

  • [05:00] Adam: “The two Saturday games are the worrisome ones right now... Rams at Panthers and Packers at Bears. Rain in Carolina, snow and wind in Chicago.”

2. Must-Start Wild Card Playoff Players

• Christian Watson (Packers) and Matthew Stafford (Rams) are cited as fantasy must-starts for the playoffs (pending weather).
  • [03:41] Jamie: “I’m gonna go Stafford. I think he bounces back...”
  • Panthers’ pass D is noted, but Stafford’s upside with weapons is endorsed.

3. Key News and Notes

• Todd Bowles returns to Tampa Bay.
• Josh Jacobs is healthy and a recommended strong play against Chicago's struggling run defense.
  • [06:39] Dave: “That’s the player I would want in my playoff lineups this week… Jacobs coming back with fresh legs against the Chicago team.”
• Javonte Williams contract situation in Dallas discussed; skepticism about explosiveness and upside compared to peers like Breece Hall or Kenneth Walker.
  • [11:05] Adam: “If you were a Pokemon card…[Javonte] is not explosive at all.”
• JK Dobbins could return for AFC Championship.

4. 2026 Top 12 QB Rankings Deep Dive

Unanimous QB1

• Josh Allen (Bills):
  • All six CBS analysts have Allen ranked number one.
  • [13:44] Dave: “Yeah. Josh Allen is QB1 for everyone. Yeah, all six of us.”

QB2–4 Debates: Drake May, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson

• Big Three: May, Burrow, and Jackson round out the next tier.

  • [16:27]: “Everyone has Allen, Burrow, May, and Lamar Jackson in some order with Allen 1...”

• Lamar Jackson’s new coaching context is a potential wild card.

  • [14:56] Jamie: “A new coach... Is that a good or bad thing for Lamar? I think we'll find out.”

Rookie/Rushing QB Love

• Jaden Daniels and Jackson Dart: Both inside everyone’s Top 6 for 2026.
  • [17:54] Jamie (on Dart): “There’s just a huge amount of upside for a player on the rise... third in rushing TDs, third in rushing yards.”

Top 12 Consensus Orders

• Hosts rotate through their actual 1–12:
  • [36:52] Dave: "Allen, May, Burrow, Jackson, Dart, Daniels, Hurts, Dak, Herbert, Stafford, Caleb Williams, Trevor Lawrence."
  • [37:20] Jamie: "Allen, May, Burrow, Jackson, Daniels, Dart, Purdy, Hurts, Stafford, Prescott, Williams, Lawrence."
  • [37:37] Adam: “Allen, Burrow, Jackson, May, Daniels, Hurts, Prescott, Williams, Dart, Purdy, Mahomes, Stafford.”

Notable Quotes

• Caleb Williams: “I moved Caleb from 7 to 11.” — Dave, [23:53]
• Mahomes’s comeback risk/reward: “I'm sure a lot of people will be excited about Mahomes with a late round pick.” — Jamie, [27:12]
• On Jalen Hurts: “Safe. Very safe... anywhere from 5 to 10 in terms of where he'll get drafted.” — Jamie, [24:28]

Other QB Notes

• Stafford, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence all appear in various backend Top 12 spots.
• Adam is the only analyst to sneak Mahomes in the Top 12 at this point, pending health and supporting cast news.

5. DFS and Wild Card Player Targets: Positional and Game-by-Game Analysis

Saturday Lineup Tips

• Jamie’s DFS strategy: “Love-Watson Packers stack, come back with Luther Burden… Kyron Williams against the Panthers is an easy bet too.” [38:36]

Game & Position Analysis Highlights

• Packers–Bears: Target Love, Watson; watch for weather pivot north. “If Green Bay decides to take it conservatively and lean on Josh Jacobs, that can mess up the game scripts...” — Dave [41:09]
• Bills–Jaguars: Best weather, highest-scoring matchup expected. Play Allen, Cook.
• 49ers–Eagles: "San Francisco's in for a really tough day, especially without Trent Williams..." — Jamie [43:12]
• Steelers–Texans: Avoid most skill players, possibly Dalton Schultz at TE given PIT weakness.
• Chargers–Patriots: Patriots' defense is improving; Dave expects the Pats will put up points with Drake May but expects lower scoring overall (“20 to 10 game” — Jamie [58:59]).

Favorite Value/Contrarian DFS Plays

• Hunter Henry (Patriots), “Chargers have been really bad against tight ends lately... Henry's been on fire.” — Jamie [47:26]
• Ramondre Stevenson as a budget RB, “absolutely en fuego right now... 17 or more PPR points in his last three games.” — Jamie [47:34]
• Colston Loveland (TE): Possible upside if Odunze limited, but target share in flux.

General DFS Philosophy

• Many top-end QBs offer late value due to depth.
• “Wouldn’t you love to have two of them” — Dave on the merits of double-dipping at QB late. [31:33]
• Avoiding 49ers, Steelers, and most Panthers for this slate.
• Weather awareness critical for Packers, Bears, Rams, and Panthers games.
• Lazily assuming high passing volume for “new hot weapons” can backfire—beware rookie/sophomore QB overhype.

6. Wild Card Game-by-Game Fantasy Takeaways

Quick “Do They Put Up Points?” Recap

• Rams @ Panthers — “Yes” for Rams (Stafford/Williams), “No” for Panthers [52:02]
• Packers @ Bears — “Yes” for both, Packers favored [52:10]
• Bills @ Jaguars — Play Bills (Allen/Cook), nervous on Jags [53:10]
• 49ers @ Eagles — Do not trust 49ers O (injuries/Eagles rush), confident in Eagles attack [54:11]
• Chargers @ Patriots — Slightly to Patriots, low scoring expected [58:59]
• Texans @ Steelers — Strong avoid, run to DEF for either team [59:18]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Adam (on Javonte Williams):
  “He would get a ton of work and do not really that much with it in the second half of the season. I don’t know. I had a lot of Javonte and... usually was fine, but... I just felt like he could have been better.” [11:05]

• Jamie (on DFS QB value):
  “It’s easy to get away from the high-end running backs. If you want to build a team that has Josh Allen for example, you know, the cheap options at running back make a lot of sense.” [50:06]

• Adam (on the nuances of the QB Top 12):
  “We’ve seen Dart be great, but also C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson were top five or six in ADP last year and were huge busts.” [20:57]

• Dave (on season-long QB drafting):
  “By the time I’m interested in drafting these quarterbacks... I don’t mind taking a chance... In fact, I’d like to get two of these guys late.” [25:56]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:21] – Show Agenda: News, Top 12 QBs, Wild Card Preview
• [05:00] – Weather Concerns: Impact on game/player selection
• [06:39] – Josh Jacobs Analysis
• [13:44] – Top 12 QB Rankings Discussion Begins
• [17:54] – Jackson Dart & Rushing QB Value
• [24:18] – Jalen Hurts Outlook
• [27:12] – Patrick Mahomes: Comeback Risk & Reward
• [36:52] – Top 12 QBs: Full Consensus Readout
• [38:36] – DFS Saturday Lineup Insights
• [41:09] – Game-by-Game DFS/Matchup Deep-Dive Begins
• [52:02] – Offensive Output: Game-By-Game Fantasy Confidence
• [59:18] – Texans–Steelers: Defensive Target Game
• [63:44] – Hosts’ Picks For Each Wild Card Game

Conclusion: Takeaways for Fantasy Players

• Top QBs: Josh Allen is the clear No. 1. Burrow, May, and Jackson jockey for 2–4; lots of rookie/rush QB upside in Daniels and Dart; Hurts, Dak, and Stafford are “safe.” Mahomes and Herbert are wildcard picks due to team context/injury.
• DFS/Wild Card: Weather and matchups are everything—target Packers and Rams skill players (if weather holds), back Bills’ stars, approach Jags/49ers with caution, and generally avoid Steelers/Texans. Consider value picks like Stevenson, Henry, and Loveland.
• Don’t Overreact to Trendy Hype: Analyze underlying opportunity—not just the “next big weapon” label, especially with rookies and post-breakout QBs.
• Roster Construction Tip: Double-tap late QBs in redrafts for upside and security.

For more details and specific ranks, visit CBSsports.com for the full Top 12 lists from all six analysts. Enjoy Wild Card Weekend and good luck with your fantasy and DFS plays!