FFT Express - Fantasy Breakups 💔 Players We’re DONE With in 2026! McCaffrey, Jefferson, Tyreek & More! (02/13 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Podcast Summary: FFT Express – Fantasy Breakups 💔 Players We’re DONE With in 2026! (Feb 13, 2026)

Main Theme/Purpose

This episode of Fantasy Football Today Express dives into the theme of “fantasy breakups”—players the hosts are emotionally or strategically finished with heading into the 2026 fantasy football season. The discussion focuses on top-tier talents who may no longer be worth their average draft position (ADP) due to age, injuries, team changes, or disappointing performance. Hosts Adam Aizer, Jamie Eisenberg, and a rotating co-host candidly debate notable names like Christian McCaffrey, Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers, Tyreek Hill, and others, while reflecting on trends, draft mistakes, and future lineup advice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Christian McCaffrey: Is It Time to Break Up?

(02:13) Co-host:

• Hesitancy to draft McCaffrey in 2026 due to age (turning 30), workload, and deteriorating supporting cast.
• Concerns over injuries to George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk likely leaving, and an unreliable offensive line.
• Still views McCaffrey as a first-round talent if “guaranteed 14+ games,” but unwilling to rank him as high as others (not top 1–3).
• Quote:

  “If you tell me right now he’s going to play 14+ games, I think he’s definitely worth drafting in round one… But some people still have him number one overall—or at least in the top three. I can’t get on board with that.” (02:40)

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2. Malik Nabers: Worried About the Comeback

(03:13) Jamie:

• Reluctance to invest a high pick due to Nabers' ACL and meniscus tears.
• Cites history of players underperforming in their first season back from major injuries.
• Concerns about team direction toward a run-heavy offense.
• Comfortable with third/late second-round pick, but not late first/early second, which may be required.
• Quote:

  “Guys who have these injuries, when they’re back, they’re not really back. And I don’t expect him to perform as well as he will in 2027… I think we’re gonna have to use a late first-round pick or early second-round pick on Malik Nabers.” (03:25)

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3. Justin Jefferson: QB Uncertainty Clouds His Value

(04:25) Co-host:

• Jefferson’s production tanked with rookie QB J.J. McCarthy (just ~10 PPR points per game), but was strong (~16 PPR) with a veteran quarterback.
• Not comfortable ranking Jefferson as a top-12 receiver; sees him more as a third-round target unless the QB situation improves.
• Expresses doubt over immediate quarterback improvement, even with GM and coaching changes.
• Quote:

  “McCarthy’s got to be better for Justin Jefferson to get back to the level of slam-dunk, must-draft, top-10 wide receiver. Right now he’s outside my top 20.” (05:21)

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4. Rashid Rice Over Neighbors/Jefferson?

(05:56) Jamie and Co-host:

• Surprise that Rashid Rice has outscored both Nabers and Jefferson two years running, sparking a debate over draft preference.
• Co-host would draft Rice over the others, pending any suspensions or off-field issues and with Mahomes at QB.
• Quote:

  “If Mahomes is ready to go week one, that’s a big part of it too.” (06:31)

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5. Isaiah Pacheco: Former Darling Now a Fade

(07:08) Jamie:

• Cut ties with Pacheco due to a lackluster Chiefs run game and uncertainty about his future role.
• Unimpressed with his performance, unimpressed by the Chiefs' lack of rushing production.
• Only interested if he moves to a top offense as a clear RB1; otherwise, sees Pacheco as a late, low-upside pick.
• Quote:

  “Pacheco and I are done. That was bad. It was a bad call. The Chiefs never got their run game going last year, and they’re gonna try, but I’m just out.” (07:35)

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6. Tyreek Hill: Hesitant After Injuries and Aging

(09:47) Co-host:

• Questioning Hill’s upside after another year older, injury history, and potential team switch.
• Notes he may still offer value, but unlikely to ever regain elite status; ranks as WR30, more of a mid-to-late-round flyer.
• Finds it hard to trust aging speed receivers off injuries, even with mostly positive rehab reports.
• Quote:

  “I just don’t know if he’s going to ever get back to being a difference maker… Hard to trust guys coming back from significant injuries. He’s a year older again. Who knows where he’s playing.” (10:17)

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7. Brian Thomas Jr.: Once Promising, Now Uncertain

(10:48) Jamie:

• Thomas was the first Jaguars receiver drafted in the recent mock, but the hosts are wary after a “stunningly bad year,” injury issues, team additions, and underwhelming usage.
• Hesitant to invest in him as more than a late sixth-round flyer unless circumstances (like a trade to a better offense) improve drastically.
• Open to bouncing back if traded to a situation with a strong quarterback and more targets.
• Quote:

  “Too many things went wrong for him… I’ll take Brian Thomas Jr. probably around late round six or later, I’ll take a shot on the talent but not excited to draft him this year.” (12:17)

• If he becomes Josh Allen’s primary weapon, Jamie’s “back in.” (12:50)

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8. Group Reflection: Rookie Wide Receiver Trends

(11:00) Jamie:

• Contemplates the “900-yard rookie” trend, which had suggested year-two breakouts (Metcalf, McLaurin) but failed with Thomas and Lad McConkey.
• Emphasizes caution: previous trends aren’t guarantees.
• Notes that not all promising rookies pan out despite solid first-year production.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On McCaffrey:

  “At least as we sit here… Ricky Pearsall is their best receiver and he can’t stay healthy and the offensive line needs a lot of work.” (02:21)

• On Malik Nabers:

  “I’m tired of falling for this... When they're back, they're not really back.” (03:23)

• On Justin Jefferson:

  “It was so bad, it was absolutely atrocious… with McCarthy, barely averaged over 10 PPR points per game.” (04:31)

• On Isaiah Pacheco:

  “I just think it’s kind of over. Was he a seventh round pick? ...I think he had his moment and unfortunately it faded.” (09:30)

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Segment Timestamps at a Glance

• 02:13 – McCaffrey Breakup Rationale
• 03:13 – Malik Nabers ADP and Injury Concerns
• 04:25 – The Jefferson Dilemma (QB instability)
• 05:56 – Rashid Rice Outperforming Peers
• 07:08 – Saying Goodbye to Pacheco
• 09:47 – Tyreek Hill's Decline and Risk
• 10:48 – The Brian Thomas Jr. Bust Discussion
• 11:00 – Rookie Wide Receiver Theory Re-examined
• 12:38 – Would a Trade Save Brian Thomas Jr.?
• 14:24 – Closing Reflections

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Takeaway

The hosts urge fantasy managers in 2026 to proceed with caution when considering former fantasy superstars coming off injury, aging, or stuck in poor situations. High draft capital shouldn't override concerns about team context, health, and trend reversals. As Jamie summed up about breakups: “At that point, you’re shooting for upside. And I think [Brian Thomas Jr.] still has plenty… it’s just we saw the downside, which was awful.” (14:17)

Fans of fantasy football can use this episode as a primer on avoiding the emotional attachments that can compromise draft strategy—don’t be afraid to make the tough breakups this season.

Transcript

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[Jamie]

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[Co-host]

Oh boy. I hate to say this, but you know, the, the age and the numbers are just not in his favor. But I, I'm gonna have a hard time drafting Christian McCaffrey. Very similar to how I felt about Saquon Barkley last year. A lot of work. He's older, 30 years old now in June and everything around McCaffrey it feels like it could be worse. I mean, at least as we sit here, you know, leading into Valentine's Day weekend, you have George Kittle coming off an Achilles injury. You have Brandon Iuk most likely off the roster. You have Juwan Jennings as a free agent. Ricky Pierce all is their best receiver and he can't stay healthy and the offensive line needs a lot of work. And so McCaffrey when he's on the field, he's awesome. I think if you tell me right now he's going to play guaranteed he's playing 14 plus games. I think he's definitely worth drafting in round one and I'm still gonna have him ranked in round one. But as we've talked about with our early rank list, there are some people still have him number one overall or at least in the top three. I can't get on board with that. So Christian McCaffrey is somebody I'm probably going to avoid a lot in fantasy drafts in 2026.

[Jamie]

Okay, I'll give you a first rounder that I'm breaking up with. I think he'll probably end up being a early second, maybe creep into the first round pick. But it's Malik Neighbors. I just don't like players coming off major injuries. He tore his ACL and he tore his meniscus. Look, I think at this point it was early enough in the season. I think at this point he's probably going to be ready at some point in training camp. I don't even know that he's going to miss any games, but I'm tired of falling for this. Guys who have these injuries, when they're back, they're not really back and I don't expect him to perform as well as he will perform in 2027 when he's a full two years removed from the injury. And it's if I had to pick him with a third round pick or a late second round pick, sure. But I think we're gonna have to use a late first round pick or an early second round pick on Malik Neighbors. Additionally, I think this team wants to run the ball. I think they're going to try to be a run heavy offense. All of their recent coaching moves I think suggests that. So you know he's still going to dominate targets. Obviously he's a fantastic player and I love him. But as of right now, I don't see myself drafting a lot of Malik Neighbors. Who's next on your breakup list?

[Co-host]

A former number one overall pick as well. I probably the earliest I will look to draft this guy is the end of round two. But I have a hard time even ranking him as a top 12 wide receiver. And that's Justin Jefferson. We'll see what happens with the quarterback situation. Obviously that will change things, but if it's J.J. mcCarthy again, it was so bad, it was absolutely atrocious. He barely averaged over 10 PPR points per game in the starts with McCarthy. Now with Carson Wentz, he was over 16 PPR points per game. So any semblance of a proven quarterback, I think he'll be fine. And I do think McCarthy will be better. So I don't think we're looking at a guy averaging around 11 PPR points per game. I think we're talking about a guy that's going to get in that 13, 14 point per game range, which makes him a very good third round pick. But what I've seen so far in our drafts, it's a very small sample size. What I've seen in the rank list, again, small sample size. Not that everybody's back in on Jefferson, but it just seems like, oh yeah, he'll be better. Of course we better. McCarthy will be better. I don't know if that's the case. I'm hopeful, but I don't know if that's the case. So firing the general manager, we'll see what this draft looks like for them. But McCarthy's got to be better for Justin Jefferson to get back to the level of slam dunk. Must draft top 10 wide receiver. Right now he's outside my top 20. Top 10 in the rankings.

[Jamie]

Yeah. You know what's interesting is Neighbors and Jefferson went back to back in the draft that we did on Wednesday and they went with the fifth and sixth picks of rounds of round two. Neighbors, then Jefferson. And that's the point where I'd start considering Neighbors. I imagine you'd start considering Jefferson there mid round two.

[Co-host]

Start to consider. Yep.

[Jamie]

And then Rashid Rice was the next pick and he's been better than both of them two years in a row. It's kind of interesting, right? Like actually, I don't know for. Let me see if he was actually better than Neighbors this past year. Yeah, he was and he was better. So he's better than both of them two years in a row. So I mean why not take SHE Wright? Would you take Rishi Rice over them?

[Co-host]

I would. Pending no suspension for what he dealt with, with I believe the text messages or, or whatever the case was. That could be a problem for him. I don't want to speak without knowing. Yeah. The exact situation. But he had something recently and obviously moms, you know, if my home is ready to go week one, that's a big part of it, too. Yeah.

[Jamie]

Okay, let's take a break and get back to our breakup list. Take a breakup. Right. We'll be right back after this. For me, it started with a sweater, a blue sweater I bought from Quince that became my favorite sweater.

[Co-host]

And.

[Jamie]

And then I just started buying more and more clothes from Quints, which has organic cotton sweaters, polos for every occasion, lighter jackets for changing seasons. The list goes on. And why do I love buying clothes on quince.com, well, Quince works directly with top factories and cuts out the middlemen. So you're not paying for brand markup, just quality clothing. And everything is built to hold up to daily wear and still look good. So season after season. That sweater, I mentioned, I wear it a lot and it still fits great, looks great, keeps me warm, and I didn't break the bank for it. Refresh your wardrobe with quints. Go to quint.com fftpod for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N c e.com fftpod free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com fftpod hey, speaking of the Chiefs, it's over between me and Isaiah Pacheco. Love. It's curious to see where he ends up, but. Yeah, that was. That was bad. It was a bad call. And the Chiefs never got their run game going last year and they're gonna try. I'm curious to see who ends up being their starting running back there because they know they have to run the ball better. And if they run the ball better, that'll open up their play action game, which they said was not good enough this year, so Pacheco and I were done. Jamie, who's.

[Co-host]

What? What if he's a starter someplace else? Let's say he replaces Breece hall for the jets or he replaces Travis ETN for the Jaguars or one of those situations where he goes to another good offense and is walking in the door as the starter.

[Jamie]

I just don't.

[Co-host]

I don't think that happens.

[Jamie]

Yeah, I don't mean maybe if he went to the Jets.

[Co-host]

What if he's the Javante Williams replacement?

[Jamie]

Yeah, then I'd be interested in him for sure. But I don't know how many places Isaiah Pacheco goes and walks in as the starter.

[Co-host]

Agree? Yeah.

[Jamie]

All Right. Who's next for you?

[Co-host]

Well, what I'm just trying to think like, like Tony Pollard's injury and his recovery is encouraging for Pacheco. Right. Like two years after the fact. Same injury, Right.

[Jamie]

Broken like a leg. I don't know if it. Was it the same injury?

[Co-host]

Similar.

[Jamie]

Similar at least. Yeah. But I don't think Pacheco. Oh, he did have surgery. He had surgery in season and then he returned. Yeah, I know he's not, he's not like a great running back. I think he's probably better than Kareem Hunt, but he wasn't necessarily last year. Yeah, I don't know, I just think it's kind of over with Pacheco. He's. Was he a seventh round pick?

[Co-host]

Yes.

[Jamie]

Yeah. So I think he had his moment and unfortunately it faded. I think he's, I think he's a NFL Cowboy running back, but I don't know, I don't imagine him getting drafted in the single digit rounds. Maybe if he goes to the Cowboys or something. Round eight. All right, who's next for you?

[Co-host]

So this one will be pending adp. And I know right now we're like I have him ranked which is right around wide receiver 30, which is not bad. But I don't see myself drafting a lot of Tyree Kill and you know, this was clearly a guy that was league winner, difference maker, all those things. We know he's going to be a year older. We know he's coming off of an injury. He's got a team situation that he's probably not going to return to. So I just don't know if he's going to ever get back to being a different man. We had some of those conversations during the draft like it's great value. Sure. If you get him at the right price and you know, talking about a number three receiver range with upside to still be probably top 20. I don't know if they'll ever get to being top 10 again. But everything according to the reports are positive in terms of his rehab. It's an injury that's not going to have a lot of long term negative impact on him. But similar to what you said about Malik Neighbors or at least what we said off there, like it's hard to trust guys coming back from significant injuries. He's a year older again. Who knows where he's playing. I'm probably just completely out on Tyreeko. Okay.

[Jamie]

And my last guy was Brian Thomas Jr. He was, I think the first, he was the first Jaguars receiver drafted in our draft. On Wednesday, right?

[Co-host]

Yep.

[Jamie]

Yeah, this is going to be an interesting year to test what had been a pretty rock solid. I wouldn't really call it a theory but a research base which is rookie wide receivers who, who reach 900 yards. That was really in a 16 game season. So you want to bump it up to close. 949, 50. They do that as rookies. They're pretty solid bets to just get better and you know, maybe the worst case scenario kind of career. There are some, some guys like Michael Clayton, some guys who just ended up being busts but you know, Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, these guys are kind of on the low end of the 900 yard club and two guys last year were poised for breakout second seasons and they stunk and they were Brian Thomas Jr. And Lad McConkey and Brian Thomas. I mean I'm just stunned at what kind of year he had and he was hurt for much of the year and, and then they brought in Jacoby Myers and Parker. Washington emerged but whatever the case may they had too many excuses for Brian Thomas Jr. Had some drops, just didn't play well. And I think, I don't think I'm buying back in. I'm much more likely, I think everyone is to buy into a lad McConkey bounce back than a Brian Thomas Jr. Bounce back. I can't even say I know what went wrong with Brian Thomas Jr. I think at the end of the year he was basically just a downfield target. Wasn't getting a lot of the easy stuff but too many things went wrong for him and you know, I, I think I'm, I think I'm just too hesitant. I, I'll take Brian Thomas Jr. Probably around late round six or later. I'll take a shot on the talent but not excited to draft him this year.

[Co-host]

If he's traded, how will you feel?

[Jamie]

I think you can't ignore how good he was. So I, I would like to see him get traded.

[Co-host]

But let's say he's Josh Allen's number one receiver.

[Jamie]

Oh yeah, then I'm back in.

[Co-host]

Let's say he's Jane Daniels number two receiver.

[Jamie]

Yeah, I'd be, I'd be pretty interested. I think, I think round round five, round six, there's a bad year for wide receivers, so there aren't that many I'm excited about but go ahead. San Francisco doesn't seem like he's a logical fit there, but yeah, I think that'd be, that'd be good. Gotta go to. He's got to have a good quarterback and he's gotta, you know, have an opportunity to be a target hog, I guess, for me to be real.

[Co-host]

Listen, I. I think at this point, obviously you put his pedigree compared to Myers and Washington and Travis Hunter, he's the best of the four. You put what he did as his rookie season. I don't know if any of those guys will ever match that.

[Jamie]

Right.

[Co-host]

You put what he looked like last year, and it's hard to say he's not third at best behind Myers in Washington. Yeah.

[Jamie]

And remember, Travis Hunter had that big game against the Rams and then I think they had their buy and coming out of it, it was supposed to be, well, they're going to start featuring Travis Hunter Moore, he's going to end up being the number one guy. Right. He got hurt. We never. Right. We never got to see it.

[Co-host]

So now that was before they acquired Myers and before Washington became a thing. So we'll see what Hunter's role is. But, yeah, it's tough to buy into Brian Thomas unless the round range you're talking about because you're just at that point, you're shooting for upside. And I think he still has plenty of upside. It's just we saw the downside, which was awful. Yeah.

[Jamie]

All right, thank you, Jamie. Thank you, everybody for watching and listening. Have a wonderful weekend. See you later on fft.

[Co-host]

Paramount podcasts.