Last Updated: April 27, 2026
This page is continuously updated with new takes from recent ETR content. Items contain some combination of reactions to news, market sentiment, and macro fantasy football analysis. Each is attributed to the analyst who said it, and you can find the link to the full source for review.
These are not comprehensive summaries. Many insights remain available only in their original form. Our goal is to deliver expert analysis that is actionable, independent, and trustworthy.
Previous Takes
NFL Team-by-Team Draft Grades (April 27)
NFL Draft Round 1 Reaction (April 24)
ETR Mock Draft w/ Silva, Smith, Standig, & Renner (April 21)
QB & TE Tier List w/ Renner (April 13)
RB Tier List w/ Renner (April 9)
Episode Summary: 2026 NFL Draft Team-by-Team Grades w/ Silva (April 27, 2026)
- Adam Levitan: Jeremiyah Love is closer to a third-round fantasy pick on raw projection. Once you mix in Tyler Allgeier carries, James Conner work, target volume on Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson, and regress Jacoby Brissett dropbacks back to normal, the math gets hard. We juiced his ceiling to land at 23 overall on DraftKings, but the model wanted him later. Expect him to go ahead of our rank in drafts. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (5:53)
- Evan Silva: Tyler Allgeier owns the short-yardage and goal-line work in Arizona. It is a tank year, and the Cardinals have no reason to load Love up in Year 1. Allgeier is 15-20 pounds heavier and was already good at this exact role in Atlanta. James Conner stays as the pass-protection back. Touchdowns tilt fantasy, and Love is going to have to hit them from a long way out. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (6:42)
- Evan Silva: Zachariah Branch could get serious early playing time behind Drake London. Falcons took him at 79 overall over Ja’Kobi Lane, Chris Brazzell II, Ted Hurst, and others, so they like him. He ran 4.35 at 177 pounds and was effective when he was not stuck in the screen game. The depth chart behind London is wide open. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (8:51)
- Adam Levitan: Jonathon Brooks at 144 in our ranks moves up if the health reports clear. Panthers passing on a running back despite losing Rico Dowdle is a quiet vote of confidence in Brooks. Chuba Hubbard does not bring the explosive element, and we already saw Hubbard lose his job briefly to Dowdle last year. J.K. Dobbins came back from multiple knee injuries, so it is not a hopeless path for Brooks. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (12:13)
- Adam Levitan: Isaac TeSlaa walks into the Lions’ WR3 role. Lions gave up a third-round pick to acquire him last year, so the investment is real. We have him at 183 in the ranks. If you like the prospect more than the math, taking him above that is fine. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (24:54)
- Adam Levitan: The Packers’ WR room finally condenses to four real targets. After letting Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks walk and not drafting a receiver, the targets concentrate on Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden. Jordan Love has been one of the best EPA passers in the NFL over the last two years. Josh Jacobs is 28 with tread on his tires, so a pass-rate spike is realistic. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (26:34)
- Adam Levitan: We are going to be higher than market on Davante Adams in the gutted Rams room. Behind Puka Nacua, the depth chart is Adams, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith, and Jordan Whittington. Even with Adams looking out of gas late last year, the volume math is too clean. Touchdown-heavy formats lean into him hardest. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (30:51)
- Adam Levitan: I am hammering the Saints across the board in futures markets. Saints +340 to win the NFC South, +240 to make the playoffs, over 6.5 wins at -145, and a long-shot Saints to win the NFC at 70-1. Add David Edwards, get Erik McCoy back healthy, add Jordyn Tyson, bring in Travis Etienne. Kellen Moore wants to run the most plays in the NFL, and they get 10 dome games. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (36:14)
- Adam Levitan: Don’t rule out Skyler Bell carving a Bills role despite the fourth-round capital. Bills passed on Denzel Boston at 35 to take TJ Parker, then came back for Bell in Round 4. Khalil Shakir is too limited to be the locked-in WR2, and Keon Coleman is the same name they have been talking up for two years. Bell ran 4.4 with 1,278 yards and 13 TDs at UConn last year. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (1:04:22)
- Adam Levitan: RJ Harvey is in real trouble with Jonah Coleman taking goal-line and pass-pro work. Sean Payton has openly criticized Harvey, and they signed J.K. Dobbins to a real deal. Harvey’s only NFL skill is as a pass catcher, and they do not trust him on passing downs. Coleman fits the chain-mover plus goal-line role they want. Three-way split is the floor. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (1:10:51)
- Adam Levitan: David Montgomery walks into a workhorse runway in Houston. Texans did not draft a back. Woody Marks was unimpressive as a rookie. We have Montgomery at 57 overall on DraftKings, which feels right. The efficiency concern is real because that run scheme has not produced for a long time, but the volume floor is locked in. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (1:13:13)
- Adam Levitan: Malik Willis legitimately might run for 1,000 yards behind that massive Dolphins line. Patrick Paul is 6-foot-8, 331; Kadyn Proctor is 6-foot-7, 352; and the offense is built to run RPO on every play. Willis does not have the bench risk Justin Fields had last year. Late-round Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas are the WR1 darts in his stack at Rounds 18-20. Source: ETR Podcast — Draft Grades (1:30:33)
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Episode: Actionable Fantasy Takes: ETR Episode 975 — NFL Draft Round 1 Reaction (April 24, 2026)
- John Daigle: Jeremiyah Love still has a Bijan-style passing-game role baked into the Cardinals’ offense. At Notre Dame, he averaged 27-28 receptions per year despite running a heavy ground game with Riley Leonard. Better situation than the Jeanty/Raiders comp because the Cardinals added Isaac Seumalo and Elijah Wilkinson, have better receivers around him, and Trey McBride is the Brock Bowers stand-in. Wait for any ADP discount. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (5:38)
- Evan Silva: Tyler Allgeier is going to steal real goal-line work from Love. Cardinals are essentially in a tank year, so loading up Love is not the plan. Allgeier is a 230-pound No. 2 back they are paying real money for. Give him the hard-yardage and short-yardage carries and let Love catch passes from Jacoby Brissett. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (7:04)
- John Daigle: Cam Ward is the biggest fantasy beneficiary of the Tate pick, not Tate himself. Ward finished outside the top 30 in basically every passing category as a rookie. Brian Daboll developed Josh Allen and dragged Daniel Jones to the playoffs by maximizing strengths. The room went from Calvin Ridley plus dust to Ridley plus Wan’Dale Robinson plus Carnell Tate, which makes Ward a hold-your-nose breakout QB2. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (12:32)
- Evan Silva: The Saints are the buy-low offense in fantasy. Final five games of last season, they ran 5.7 yards per play. Add David Edwards, a healthy Erik McCoy, Jordyn Tyson, Noah Fant, and Tyler Shough‘s first full year as a starter. Kellen Moore wants to run the most plays in the NFL, so the play-volume bonanza is real. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (16:01)
- Evan Silva: Take Jordyn Tyson over Carnell Tate straight up in redraft. Chris Olave is locked in as the Saints’ WR1, but Tyson can have big games right away in a dome with the Bucs, Falcons, and Panthers on the schedule. The Saints’ offensive line is set, the run game is set, and Shough showed enough down the stretch last year. Tate is the WR2 on a rebuilding team. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (15:21)
- Evan Silva: The Rams blew it taking Ty Simpson at 13 instead of Makai Lemon. Davante Adams looked out of gas down the stretch last year and Puka’s off-field history is real. Lemon would have been a perfect fit for this offense in a tight Super Bowl window. Sean McVay‘s body language at the draft told you everything about how he felt. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (21:39)
- Evan Silva: Kenyon Sadiq at 16 to the Jets is a real fantasy path despite the crowded room. He ran 4.39 at 241 pounds with first-round production. On tape, he moves like a wide receiver. 16th overall draft capital, plus that profile, means snaps will come. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (28:34)
- John Daigle: Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. are the same player profile, which is a target-share concern. Both had 70% of their college catches from the slot, and both are YAC machines. Cooper led the entire class with a forced missed tackle on 39% of his catches. Hard to see both posting clean fantasy lines with Geno Smith potentially missing games on a bad team. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (30:00)
- Evan Silva: Makai Lemon’s Year 1 fantasy outlook in Philly is a fade. Jalen Hurts has the lowest middle-of-the-field target rate of any QB since entering the league. DeVonta Smith remains the alpha, and the Eagles paid Dontayvion Wicks real money. Lemon is closer to a 55% snap player as a rookie than the 80% target you want from a draftable WR. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (33:13)
- Adam Levitan: DeVonta Smith is the unquestioned Eagles WR1 with A.J. Brown out. Adam Schefter has the trade going down post-June 1 to New England. A.J. and DeVonta posted big seasons together with Hurts already, so Smith carrying the alpha workload is not a stretch. He moves up a tier in redraft rankings. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (37:38)
- Adam Levitan: Fernando Mendoza at +400 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year is the bet of the market. DraftKings has the best price; FanDuel is +350 and some books are at +425. Even if Kirk Cousins starts the first three to four weeks, Mendoza balling out by Week 9 erases that. Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and an improved offensive line under Klint Kubiak is the cleanest setup of any rookie QB in the class. Source: ETR Podcast — Round 1 Reaction (47:33)
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Episode: 2026 ETR Mock Draft w/ Silva, Smith, Standig, & Renner (April 21, 2026)
- Scott Smith: Carnell Tate to Washington at 7 is the cleanest WR fit in Round 1. Washington cannot run it back with Treylon Burks as the WR2 and expect Jayden Daniels to carry another full season. Adam Peters has the highest average RAS score of any drafter since taking the GM job, and Tate’s power-five pedigree fits that archetype. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (7:56)
- Adam Levitan: Tyson vs. Tate for first WR off the board is a coin flip. Tyson was +700 to be WR1 off the board a few weeks ago. He is +150 now against Tate after that workout. Any lingering Tate-only sides in prop pools are a fade. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (11:04)
- Mike Renner: Ty Simpson at 21 is the only swing that justifies the McCarthy hire in Pittsburgh. He is clearly a better prospect than Kenny Pickett. McCarthy’s entire track record is young-QB development, which is the only rational reason to hire him now. The Steelers will not pick high enough to land a top QB in future classes, so take the shot at 21. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (25:47)
- Adam Levitan: Treat A.J. Brown as a Patriot going forward. Schefter posted what reads as confirmation of a post-June 1 trade to New England. Drake Maye gets a legitimate alpha, DeVonta Smith becomes the Eagles’ unquestioned WR1, and Patriots ancillary pieces all take a hit. Update your rankings now rather than waiting for the announcement. Source: ETR Podcast — 2026 Mock Draft (28:32)
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Episode: 2026 NFL Draft QB & TE Tier List w/ Mike Renner (April 13, 2026)
- Mike Renner: Mendoza is the best QB under pressure since Joe Burrow. S-tier prospect. Would have been QB3 in the 2024 class behind Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Two years of elite tape operating in tight pockets between Cal and Indiana. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (0:55)
- Adam Levitan: Mendoza to Vegas at 1 overall is the best possible fantasy landing spot. Klint Kubiak‘s offense with Brock Bowers already there. Don’t expect rushing upside though. Renner says he’s heavy-footed. Pure passer. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (4:15)
- Mike Renner: Ty Simpson is an A-tier QB who’s going in the first round. Plus arm, just as good as Mendoza’s. More fleet of foot. Had 394 true NFL dropback passing reps in Kalen DeBoer‘s offense, almost double what some other QBs in this class had. Renner would bet a lot of money that he goes Round 1. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (5:09)
- Mike Renner: Nussmeier has Brock Purdy-tier arm strength. That’s a problem. C tier. Great football IQ, son of an NFL coach, creative pocket mover. But 6-foot-2, 203 pounds with the weakest arm on this list. Got benched last year. Best case is a Mac Jones type in the right system. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (11:43)
- Mike Renner: Drew Allar has the best tools in the class, but can’t throw a spiral. D tier. If he came out last year, he’d have been between B and C. The tools are crazy. 70+ yard throws with ease, quick feet, doesn’t take sacks. But through four years of college, the accuracy never got fixed. That’s the one thing that’s hardest to fix at the next level. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (13:49)
- Mike Renner: Carson Beck is a pure backup at the NFL level. D tier, below Drew Allar. 6-foot-5, 233 pounds, has the size. But the UCL tear robbed him of arm strength, and in big games, he just didn’t show up. That game-losing interception in the Natty was the theme of his career. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (16:50)
- Mike Renner: Cole Payton is QB3 on his board and a legit fantasy sleeper. C tier. 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, 40-inch vertical, 10-foot-10 broad jump. Almost 900 rushing yards at NDSU. Best thrower on the move in this class. 35 of 161 completions went 20+ yards. Todd McShay has him in the 60s overall. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (19:13)
- Adam Levitan: Cole Payton is a preseason DFS dream. Give him three quarters in the preseason, and let’s see if he runs for 100 yards. The rushing upside makes him worth tracking in fantasy even if he’s a developmental guy in Year 1. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (22:42)
- Mike Renner: Kenyon Sadiq is the best TE athlete since Vernon Davis. But he can’t play in line. A-tier TE. 4.39, 43.5-inch vertical, 11-foot-1 broad jump. More fluid than even Davis. But 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, can’t match power in line, and the ball skills worry him. Drops in contested catches, limited catch radius. His role is going to be Harold Fannin Jr./slot hybrid. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (24:26)
- Mike Renner: Eli Stowers has the highest fantasy ceiling of any TE not named Sadiq. C tier. Was a QB at Texas A&M three years ago at 215. Now 6-foot-4, 239 pounds with a 45.5-inch vertical. Still developing as a route runner, but the physical trajectory is wild. Mike Gesicki is the comp. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (28:45)
- Adam Levitan: Stowers is the ceiling play, Klare is the floor play at TE2. Stowers is going way higher in rookie drafts for good reason. But guys like this don’t play enough snaps early to raise their floor. Think Dalton Kincaid at 50% snap share, or Mike Gesicki. Max Klare is the Dalton Schultz/Pat Freiermuth type who just catches everything underneath. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (31:51)
- Mike Renner: Nate Boerkircher is the TE sleeper nobody’s data model will find. C tier. 19 catches, 198 yards last year. Zero production to speak of. But he was the best TE at the Senior Bowl in 1-on-1s, gets in and out of breaks better than anyone in this class, had only two career drops, and caught a game-winner against Notre Dame. Jake Ferguson comp. Source: ETR Podcast — QB & TE Tier Show (38:23)
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Episode: 2026 NFL Draft RB Tier List w/ Mike Renner (April 9, 2026)
- Jeremiyah Love is going to cost a 1/2 turn pick in fantasy drafts. He’s likely a top-seven pick in the NFL Draft (Titans at 4, Giants at 5, Commanders at 7). A running back going that high means workload. — Levitan
- Renner has Love as his third-highest-graded prospect in the entire draft, any position. S tier. Jahmyr Gibbs comp but 14 pounds heavier. Prefers Love over Gibbs as a prospect “pretty comfortably” due to the sub-200-pound concern with Gibbs. — Renner
- Jadarian Price to Seattle at 32 is the fantasy scenario to watch. If the Seahawks take Price, his ADP is going through the roof. — Renner
- Price is a better pure receiver than most backs in this class. Zero career drops. Pass pro is technique, not effort — that gets fixed at the NFL level. He’s a B-tier back who can start right away for someone. — Renner
- Bhayhsul Tuten would only be RB3 in this draft class. That’s how weak this class is. Renner didn’t even have Tuten that high last year — he’d just be third here by default. — Renner
- Levitan thinks Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be the lead back over Tuten in Jacksonville. Got destroyed on Twitter for it, but stands by it. Tuten is a fourth-round pick who had 386 yards as a rookie. — Levitan
- Emmett Johnson has a real fantasy/real life split. Catches the ball at an outrageous rate, which is obviously valuable in fantasy. But Renner has him in the F tier — slow, small, timid between the tackles, pedestrian testing. Ceiling is a third-down back. — Renner/Levitan
- Jonah Coleman could go on Day 2 and get on the field early because he can pass protect. Renner has an F-tier grade, but at the RB position, opportunity is everything. If he gets drafted higher than expected, the pass protection gives him a path to early snaps. — Levitan
- Nick Singleton is likely just a kickoff return guy right away. Broke his foot at the Senior Bowl, couldn’t test, hasn’t improved since his freshman year, and got outplayed by Kaytron Allen. Renner has him in the F tier. But he’s still only 21 — there’s a development case if you want to buy it. — Renner
- Levitan is higher on Singleton than the market. Doesn’t want to hold the bad 2024 season against him because the entire Penn State team was atrocious. 102 career catches. Used on kickoff returns. The broken foot killed his ability to test and boost his draft stock. — Levitan
- Incumbents are going to be safer this year. With only two backs in Renner’s top four tiers, the usual pattern of rookies taking over after the bye is way less likely in 2026. Factor that into early drafts. — Levitan
- Kaytron Allen is Renner’s RB3 but likely won’t excite anyone. D tier. Opted out of all testing — probably because he’d run a 4.71. But he averaged 6.2 YPC, amassed 1,300 yards last season, and scored 15 TDs. Runs the way you need to run in the NFL. Kyle Juszczyk/Samaje Perine-type value if he lands right. — Renner/Levitan
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