Fantasy Football Today Express: What Did the Playoffs Change? Early 2026 Fantasy Rankings & Overreactions!

Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Adam Aizer (A), Jamey Eisenberg (B)
Theme:
This FFT Express episode tackles the biggest early fantasy football questions for 2026—analyzing how playoff performances impact player values, first-glance at rookie QB battles, running back upside, and wide receiver shake-ups ahead of draft season. Adam and Jamey discuss major overreactions and early rankings shifts, with particular focus on post-playoffs outlooks and what NOT to overreact to for draft prep.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jalen Hurts: Early 2026 Fantasy Quarterback Ranking

Timestamp: 02:43-03:48

• Jalen Hurts’ Struggles and Value:
  • Hurts had a disappointing playoff showing, continuing a late-season slump.
  • Analyst view: He’s still top-10, but upside is questionable if A.J. Brown is traded.
  • Jamey’s Early Ranking: QB9 with significant volatility in the 6–10 QB tier.

    “If he loses A.J. Brown, that's going to be tough to swallow. So right now, he's QB9 for me… I like Justin Herbert better… Jayden Daniels… Jackson Dart better than Jalen Hurts.” —Jamey (03:07)

  • Coordinator change may help (“losing Petullo… hopefully getting a new voice and new system will help”), but uncertainty lingers.

2. Rookie (and Young) Quarterback Outlook: Drake May vs. Caleb Williams vs. Bo Nix

Timestamp: 03:48-05:28

• Favorite Young QB:
  • Jamey prefers Drake May (“It's Drake May, but Caleb Williams not far behind.”).
  • May’s upside linked to New England’s potential upgrades at WR (possible A.J. Brown trade).
  • Adam notes May outproduced Williams: “Drake May averaged almost three more fantasy points per game… Drake May had 103 rush attempts and Caleb Williams had 77.” (04:32)
  • Rushing ability is a big separator (“May rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns” vs. “Can’t complain about 383 rushing yards” for Williams).
• Playoff and Late-Season Splits:
  • Adam provides late-season stats: Weeks 10–17, May outpaced Williams in PPG (24.7 vs. 21.3).

  “So a big edge to Drake May…[but] you could just see a scenario where Caleb's better…” —Adam (05:28)

  • Bears’ better receiving core helps Williams’ case.

3. Ken Walker: 2026 Fantasy Value after Playoffs

Timestamp: 07:05-08:27

• RB Ascendance:
  • Drafted in the 3rd round of their early mock; Jamey is actually higher, advocating for him in the 2nd round.
  • Top-10 RB upside if he remains the feature back in Seattle, especially with Charbonnet (backup RB) facing extended recovery.

    “The sky's the limit for Walker if he returns… he averaged 23.1 PPR points per game [as the starter]. The only two players… better than him… were Christian McCaffrey and Puka Nakua.” —Jamey (07:54)

  • Injury history, new OC, and contract situation are risk factors but potential is enormous.

4. Playoff Overreactions: Who Remains Unchanged?

Timestamp: 08:27–10:11

• Who didn’t move the needle regardless of the postseason?
  • Drake May: No change despite “a miserable postseason,” still top-3 for Jamey (“He had over 20 fantasy points in the Super Bowl, but clearly not his best stretch of games.” —Jamey, 08:43).
  • Justin Herbert: Adam’s pick (“…the whole end of the season for Herbert where I'm excusing basically everything.” 09:06).
  • JSN (Jaxon Smith-Njigba): “He had one good playoff game… Not gonna fault him for that.” —Jamey (09:38).
  • Ken Walker’s surge is believed, not dismissed as fluky.
• Injuries affecting playoff context:
  • “Drake May was pretty hurt in the Super Bowl, too, I think...certainly was dealing with a shoulder injury.” —Adam (09:54)
  • “Will Campbell, you know, the reports coming out that he played through… not being 100.” —Jamey (10:01)

5. Chicago Bears WR Rankings for 2026

Timestamp: 10:11-11:22

• Rankings per Jamey:
  1. Luther Burden
  2. Rome Odunze
  3. DJ Moore

  “I go Burden one, Odunze two, Moore three…there’s more upside for…Ben Johnson’s guy.” —Jamey (10:17)

  • Points to Burden’s breakout (when other WRs were out) and Moore’s drop due to diminishing target share.
  • All project as similar-range (outside top 24) options.
• Snap Share Worries:
  • Adam highlights: “Burden snapshare was disappointing…reminds me of Jaden Reed, just slot guy, can't really get on the field as much…” (10:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hurts' 2026 Value:
  “I still think there's a lot to offer… a top-10 quarterback and…great value.” —Jamey (03:07)
• Perspective on Drake May’s Rushing Upside:
  “He just runs more. I wish we could see that from Caleb Williams. Such a great athlete...” —Adam (04:32)
• Ken Walker’s Fantasy Ceiling:
  “The sky's the limit for Walker if he returns… he averaged 23.1 PPR points per game.” —Jamey (07:54)
• On Postseason Overreactions:
  “So I'll go negative to no change. And that would be Drake May.” —Jamey (08:43)
• On Bears WRs:
  “I go Burden one, Odunze two, Moore three… all of them are outside my top 24.” —Jamey (10:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:43] – Jalen Hurts’ post-playoff fantasy ranking and A.J. Brown impact
• [03:48] – Rookie QB comparison: May vs. Williams vs. Nix
• [05:28] – Late season and playoff splits for young QBs
• [07:05] – Ken Walker’s fantasy draft value after playoff run
• [08:27] – Who’s postseason affected their stock the least?
• [10:11] – Bears WR hierarchy for fantasy and snap count concerns

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The tone is conversational, candid, and analytical—typical for FFT. The hosts blend enthusiasm for breakout candidates with skepticism, cautioning listeners not to overreact based on limited playoff sample sizes. The show highlights opportunity, injury risk, and team context above mere recency bias, giving long-term perspective to fantasy managers prepping for 2026 drafts.

Useful for:
Anyone wanting actionable early rankings, insight on headline players post-playoffs, and a measured perspective for their dynasty/keeper or early draft prep.