Top Fantasy Football Takeaways for 2026: AFC North

The 2025 season may be over, but fantasy football draft season never really stops.

On the FantasyPros Football Podcast, Ryan Wormeli was joined by Andrew Erickson and Jake Ciely to break down fantasy takeaways and early 2026 draft outlooks for every AFC North team.

The conversation centered on where perception is likely to drift this offseason — and which players could become values (or traps) depending on how the market reacts.

Below are the biggest fantasy football takeaways for the Steelers, Ravens, Bengals, and Browns, plus the early draft actions that matter most.

Fantasy Football Takeaways: AFC North

Let’s dive into the top fantasy football takeaways from the AFC North for 2026. And you can check out the full podcast episode below.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The “Kaleb Johnson isn’t dead yet” buy-low window

Key takeaway: Kaleb Johnson is the ultimate 2026 dynasty buy-low (borderline “buy free”)

Erickson and Ciely both landed on the same core point: Kaleb Johnson’s rookie season was a total non-event, but that doesn’t mean the story is over.

The case for a 2026 rebound is built around two things:

Second-year RB rebounds happen (historically, plenty of backs with quiet rookie years pop in Year 2)
Opportunity could open up if the Steelers don’t retain Kenneth Gainwell (a free agent)

The analysts emphasized that Johnson’s struggles weren’t just “he wasn’t good” — it was also that the players ahead of him played well, leaving him buried.

Draft/roster action

Dynasty: buy low anywhere you can (this is the “cheap lottery ticket” archetype)
Redraft: only matters if depth chart news breaks his way in camp/preseason
Ceiling comp from the show: a Tyler Allgeier-style outcome — usable weeks, flex value, and contingent upside if things break right

Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers is elite… and still volatile

Key takeaway: The Zay Flowers debate will shape 2026 WR values

This was the most contentious segment — because both arguments can be true:

Ciely’s stance: Zay Flowers is “volatile by design” in this offense. You’ll get spikes, but touchdown ceilings are limited if the Ravens don’t feature him in the red zone.
Erickson’s stance: Zay Flowers is simply too good to bet against. His underlying efficiency (yards per route run) puts him in elite company — and touchdowns can swing year to year.

The sharpest practical point from the discussion was about usage: if Flowers isn’t getting consistent red-zone opportunities, his season-long ceiling is naturally capped, even if he’s an excellent player.

Why this matters for 2026 drafts

The market is likely to remember how Flowers finished the season (big plays, strong stretch). The risk is that his late-season surge inflates price beyond what his weekly role supports.

Draft/roster action

If Flowers rises into WR1 pricing: you’re paying for a ceiling that requires either (a) usage change or (b) spike TD variance
If Flowers settles as a WR2/WR3: he becomes a strong roster-fit pick if you’ve already banked stability elsewhere

Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown could be a sell-high… or a value, depending on how the offseason goes

Key takeaway: Chase Brown‘s talent is real, but the workload certainty is not

Ciely framed Brown as a classic sell-high because the Bengals have repeatedly shown they want a committee when they have the option. Even when Brown was producing, Samaje Perine took meaningful work — including frustrating goal-line involvement early.

Erickson countered with an important reality: even with a split, Brown still produced — and if the Bengals offense remains a high-scoring unit, efficiency can keep Brown in the RB1/RB2 conversation even without bellcow usage.

So what’s the real takeaway?

It’s not “draft Chase Brown” or “fade Chase Brown.” It’s: Chase Brown‘s 2026 value will swing dramatically based on who Cincinnati adds.

Draft/roster action

If the Bengals add a real early-down/goal-line hammer, Brown’s ceiling dips
If they add a complementary back (or bring back a Perine-type), Brown can still pay off with elite offense + pass-game work
Watch the goal-line role closely. That’s the difference between “good RB2” and “league-winning RB1 stretch”

Cleveland Browns: The offensive line situation is the story

Key takeaway: Cleveland’s 2026 fantasy outlook hinges on a massive OL rebuild

The Browns segment zeroed in on the same root issue: the offensive line is a problem — and could get worse.

Ciely pointed out the scary part: Cleveland has major uncertainty across the line (including free agents), and they aren’t sitting on endless cap flexibility to fix everything instantly.

Erickson acknowledged the same concern, but brought a bullish angle: Cleveland’s rookies were forced into tough circumstances and still produced — which could make certain players values if the market overreacts and pushes everyone down.

Who matters most for 2026

Quinshon Judkins: talent is there, but price must reflect line risk
Harold Fannin: impressive rookie-year production, but may get pushed too high in drafts
QB situation: volatility risk on top of the line concerns

Draft/roster action

If Browns players fall too far due to pessimism, there may be value
If Judkins/Fannin get priced near ceiling outcomes, it’s easy to pass and let someone else take the risk

Final Takeaways: AFC North 2026 is a “price sensitivity” division

Across all four teams, the real edge is knowing what you’re willing to pay.

Steelers: Kaleb Johnson becomes interesting when he’s cheap enough to be a stash
Ravens: Flowers is great — but his price will decide whether you’re buying volatility or value
Bengals: Chase Brown‘s offseason additions matter as much as the player
Browns: the offensive line is the filter for every skill-position projection

If you nail pricing (instead of chasing the hottest end-of-season memory), you’ll find early value before ADP hardens.