Fantasy Football Player Notes

Cam Ward struggled mightily for most of his rookie year but showed improvement late in the season, creating optimism for 2026. The No. 1 pick in last year's NFL Draft averaged just 10.2 fantasy points per game over his first 12 starts. He averaged a paltry 5.7 yards per pass attempt over that span, with seven TD passes and six interceptions. Ward didn't have more than one TD pass in a game until Week 14, but then he had three consecutive games with two TD passes. Over Ward's last four starts of 2026 (not including a brief cameo appearance in Week 18), he averaged 15.5 fantasy points per game. A shortage of pass-catching weaponry was a major problem for Ward as a rookie. The Titans addressed that issue by signing WR Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency and drafting Ohio State WR Carnell Tate No. 4 overall. Hopefully Ward will get better protection from his offensive line in 2026 after taking a league-high 55 sacks last year. Ward is probably only a consideration in superflex leagues or extremely deep redraft leagues for 2026, but the talented youngster could come on quickly.