Ah, unofficial depth charts, how I loathe you and all your insights.
On the eve of the NFL season, we are bombarded with a number of unofficial depth charts from a number of teams, and sometimes they appear to matter quite a bit for fantasy football. And while the following is definitely worth nothing, make sure you actually read what I say about them because it’s never cut and dry. No, you should not drop Jeremiyah Love just because he’s the “backup.”
Fantasy football is fun and exciting because we don’t know how these offenses will work in reality; it’s a competitive advantage to keep things hidden, and it’s distinctly possible teams are yanking our chain trying to throw their opponents off. In any case, here are the main takeaways from unofficial depth charts released ahead of Week 1, heavily annotated so we don’t all go crazy for no reason.
Arizona Cardinals: Tyler Allgeier RB1, Jeremiyah Love RB2
Nobody is doing it like Tyler Allgeier in fantasy football: always the bridesmaid, never the bride, yet somehow always having the most fun at every wedding. Allgeier rose to fantasy infamy by “stealing” carries from young Bijan Robinson, and now he looks back and ready to do the same to Jeremiyah Love, because of course he is.
No disrespect to Allgeier; I’ve been vocal about avoiding Love in fantasy football drafts for that reason exactly. Rookies, particularly ultra-talented high draft picks, are often overvalued in fantasy drafts because of the associated hype. But with how terrible the Cardinals project to be this season and the fact that Love is already injured coming into Week 1, it’s no shock that Allgeier is the RB1 on the unofficial depth chart. This doesn’t mean Love isn’t going to play more — veterans often are named the “starter” out of respect — but the Cardinals are clearly not running the “Jeremiyah Love is the cornerstone of our team” public relations campaign just yet. They might not do that on the field either.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Jaylen Warren RB1, Rico Dowdle RB2
The Steelers backfield was already my least favorite to project, not because they lack options but because they have two good running backs who will definitely both play … thus killing the value of both of them. It would probably matter more if Dowdle was named the RB1 instead, since it would be a real slight to Warren to demote him given he’s been on the team longer. Nevertheless, all this chicanery confirms our worst fears: We are looking at a true backfield split.
Splits are not what you want in fantasy, and why I advised so heavily to draft RBs early and often. This is what’s waiting in the later rounds: complete chaos and confusion from which no light can escape.
Jaguars: Bhayshul Tuten or Chris Rodriguez Jr. RB1
Are you … are you kidding me with this Liam Coen? What do you mean Bhayshul Tuten or Chris Rodriguez Jr. as the RB1?! OR? There is no OR. As Master Yoda said: “Tuten or Rodriguez — there is no OR.”
This is A+ trolling by the Jaguars, and another entry in the NFL’s increasingly self-aware fantasy football ecosystem. Coen probably just wants to signal to both guys that their work has been appreciated and they will be a major part of the offense, but I bet he’s also enjoying the bit of internet freak-out he’s getting out of everyone. Chris Rodriguez Jr. is probably decently rosterable, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to react to this one. Tuten is still very much the more explosive player, and we have no clue how he’ll be deployed.
Los Angeles Chargers: Charlie Kolar TE1, Oronde Gadsden TE2, David Njoku TE3
This one is actually interesting, since the Chargers figure to be a plus offense for fantasy managers and their tight end could be a serious asset. Putting Kolar, who has 30 catches in his entire four-year career, up top feels like a challenge to Gadsden and Njoku, who will probably be featured more in the passing game.
If anything, this depth chart makes me more inclined to draft Omarion Hampton, since Kolar was deployed mostly as a blocker with the Baltimore Ravens. It seems OC Mike McDaniel intends to think run-first on the Chargers, and he is one of the league’s premium run-game designers. I would not, however, go scoop up Kolar off waivers; that might be a little much. But Gadsden and Njoku were already back-end TE2 options, so this isn’t a huge revelation outside of the deepest leagues.
Green Bay Packers: Marshawn Lloyd RB1, Tucker Kraft TE1
These are two clarifications — there was some uncertainty in Green Bay given Josh Jacobs’ legal situation, though Lloyd figured to be the RB1. However, OC Adam Stenavich did say the team would employ a committee, which may or may not be true. If you’re rostering anyone, it’s Lloyd. I wouldn’t necessarily be starting him in Week 1, though.
Kraft is also nice to see in the first spot given the team did acquire Jonnu Smith to back him up, and it’s a vote of confidence coming off last year's injury. I’m way in on Kraft as a fantasy asset in 2026, ACL tear be damned; he was tracking as the overall TE1 before getting injured last year, and you could get him in the eighth round or later. Give me all of that.
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