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The NFL is never what we thought it was going to be. Things go north and south very quickly, and before October even hits, the preseason rankings go out the window. That is why it is not only fun, but also smart to develop some bold predictions. These are things that can very well happen, in ways very different from what people think. If we play these predictions in fantasy football, they might help us win our league. Today, we pivot to the AFC South.
Chuba Hubbard is a Top-20 Running Back
The Carolina Panthers made the playoffs in year two under head coach Dave Canales. The offense exceeded expectations, and it did so on the ground. We saw Rico Dowdle become the RB18 in fantasy football, and now with him gone, all eyes turn to Hubbard.
Canales' offense does plan to use Jonathan Brooks, the third-year running back who has been injury-plagued throughout his career. Nonetheless, Hubbard projects to be the Panthers' RB1 with 50-60% of the backfield workload. A team that only ran the ball 45% of the time in the red zone is expected to increase that number in 2026, as Canales is a run-heavy play-caller. Hubbard ranks around D'Andre Swift and Travis Etienne Jr.
Nico Collins is a Top-5 Wide Receiver
In 2025, Collins' target share was only around 22%. He did have nearly 30% of the team's total receiving yards.
In 2026, new things are expected to be delivered. Collins is, with high expectations. Jayden Higgins is an average WR2, while Tank Dell may not be ready for Week 1, nor in full health. Beyond them linger Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson, plus Dalton Schultz at tight end. Neither of these players demands anything near a big target share.
The expectation is that Collins will rise to a 28-32% target share. Honestly, the ceiling could be as high as 35%. Collins is that good. He is about on par with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in the rankings.
Tyler Warren Hits Double-Digit Touchdowns
Outside of Jonathan Taylor, who will the Colts turn to in the red zone? Alec Pierce is untested inside the hashes. Josh Downs plays in the slot. All signs point to a heavy workload for Warren; a tank of a tight end who finished whoTE4, much without Daniel Jones. Imagine what Warren can do with an actual offense that was not improvised, unlike it was with Riley Leonard and Philip Rivers...
Brian Thomas Jr. Flops Again
Jakobi Meyers thrived, Parker Washington thrived, Brenton Strange thrived, and Travis Hunter is back. Where does Thomas Jr. stand? We do not know, but given what 2025 brought, no fantasy manager should gamble too much on Thomas Jr.
The now-third-year wideout ranked as the WR42 a year ago. A full year now with Meyers and Hunter, it seems like Thomas Jr. should only fall in the rankings rather than rise. It is not a smart investment, that is for sure.
David Montgomery is Not an RB2
Many fantasy managers might expect Montgomery to hop into a nice workload and provide top-20 returns. I am telling you that it is not that simple.
The Texans are expected to split work between Montgomery and Woody Marks this upcoming season. In what form of a split? We cannot know. Projections imply 50% of the backfield is Montgomery's and 30% is Marks'. The rest goes to CJ Stroud and Jawhar Jordan.
When the numbers are crunched, Montgomery falls short, especially in PPR settings. If his split is as expected, Montgomery may not hit 50 yards per game, nor any more than 5-7 touchdowns on the season. Our projections foresee Montgomery hitting 52 rushing + receiving yards per game, and about 0.5 touchdowns per game.
Projections Soon to Come...
More Fantasy Sports On SI News:
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- Tetairoa McMillan, David Montgomery, and Other Fantasy Football Storylines Entering Training Camp
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Nico Collins' Huge Returns, Plus 4 Other AFC South Fantasy Football Bold Predictions.
