With the regular season nearly upon us, it’s time to take another look at the updated Fantasy Index Open player pool. Rank the top 20 at each position and see if you've got what it takes to best hundreds of other fantasy managers and pros!
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The preseason delivered a few noteworthy changes to the Open player pool but, since no relevant players have incurred season ending injuries, there are no deletions. Most of the important notes involve place kickers and as teams will continue to bring in kickers, I’m letting those remain in the pool. Consider this fair warning about the current state of the position:
- Jake Moody rode his name recognition to a solid 77 Open entries but was cut but the Commanders and has landed on the Ravens’ practice squad. Rookie Drew Stevens will start for the Commanders and has been added to the Open player pool.
- The Saints have waived Tanner Brown and moved Charlie Smyth to the practice squad. Veteran Daniel Carlson will be starting and has been added to the player pool.
- Like Smyth, Kansei Matsuzawa's, place in the NFL's International Pathway program has allowed the Raiders to stash him on the practice squad. Veteran Matt Gay will be the starter.
- Zane Gonzalez has been placed on IR and journeyman Riley Patterson will be kicking for the Dolphins to start the season.
- Cade York has been cut and Jason Sanders moved to the practice squad by the Jets; leaving last minute addition Blake Grupe as the starter.
- Ben Sauls has lost the camp battle and Dominic Zvada will be kicking for the Giants in 2026.
Outside of kickers there are a handful of other camp outcomes that deserve some warning as we head into the final days before Open entries lock:
- Rookie Kenyon Sadiq suffered a setback in his recovery from hernia surgery and has tumbled down the Jets depth chart. Mason Taylor is listed as the Jets TE1 and has been added to the player pool.
- Saints rookie Jordyn Tyson has a hamstring injury that could keep him out until Week 6. I don’t think this necessitates a change in the player pool, but it’s certainly something Open managers should keep in mind.
- Tight end Oronde Gadsden presumed role atop the Chargers depth chart is not as secure as we may have assumed. Charlie Kolar is listed as the TE1 and while he and David Njoku probably aren’t cracking anyone’s top 20, take another look at that situation if you’re ranking Gadsden.
I’ve also added some players who have moved up due to injury, legal troubles or camp performance. Here is a complete list of the additions to the pool:
| 2026 FI OPEN LATE ADDITIONS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Pos | Team |
| Denzel Boston | WR | CLE |
| Mike Washington | RB | LV |
| MarShawn Lloyd | RB | GB |
| Braelon Allen | RB | NYJ |
| Mason Taylor | TE | NYJ |
| Drew Sample | TE | CIN |
| Drew Stevens | PK | WAS |
| Daniel Carlson | PK | NO |
| Caleb Douglas | WR | MIA |
Open entries lock at kickoff of the first game which occurs on Wednesday, September 9th this season. Thanks again for playing, and don’t say I didn’t warn you!
