DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST: 029-26

David's Daily Digest

September 8th 2026

Tuesday Late Night Edition

TUESDAY TALK

My Best Draft

So my drafts are done! So how did I do? Honestly I think I am all over the map. I did target a number of players, so you'll see them sprinkled throughout my 19 fantasy leagues (4 Best Ball, 13 redraft, 1 Auction, and 1 Dynasty).

In a nutshell, I am not too high or too low on any of my drafts. Each team is balanced but lets take a walk through some and look at some of the highlights.

When I could I followed typical form at the top of the 1st round and took Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan in a couple of my drafts. I even paid up for both in my Auction; that league should be interesting to follow. With Gibbs and Robinson as my anchors, I surrounded them with quarterback Justin Herbert, wide receivers DJ Moore, Christian Watson, and tight end Tucker Kraft.

Players like wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Christian Watson, tight ends Trey McBride, Tucker Kraft, running back Derrick Henry, and quarterback Jordan Love highlight the majority of my teams. These are players I am excited about and confident will perform well this season.

My best draft included Keeping Omarion Hampton in the 3rd round, pairing him with running back Derrick Henry, to go along with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (1st round pick), tight end Trey McBride (4th round pick), wide receiver Courtland Sutton (7th round pick) and anchored with quarterback Joe Burrow (8th round pick). I have a lot of confidence with this team.

It's going to be a fun season, better get my popcorn ready!

That's My Take

~David G. Ortega

DAVID'D DAILY DIGEST: 028-26

David's Daily Digest

September 6th 2026

Sunday Late Night Edition

Sunday Night Notes

Who you Got?

It's late Sunday night and I'm just prepping for three drafts tomorrow (should be a great day), two 12-team leagues and one 14-team. I've landed in the five spot which should afford me one common pick with all three. As I think about tomorrow, I am just sharing how I think the drafts will start and what my thoughts are.

After having completed dozens of mock drafts, I am leaning heavily on going running back first round. The wide receiver position is deeper, so I can come back and pound the position, conversely, I can do the same in reverse, targeting a wide receiver out the shoot.

What will likely be the deciding factor, how the first four picks go. There are three running backs and three receivers in the top tier spot; Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey, Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Ja'Marr Chase. I am also likely to include Jonathan Taylor making it a Magnificent 7.

Like most of the fantasy analysts, I am worried about Puka's off-field troubles and CMC's recent workload, but it would be very difficult to pass on either, but in the five spot, I really don't have to take either.

If Chase or JSN fall to five, that's where I will lean. Same with CMC, Bijan, or Gibbs (although I can't see BR or JG falling). If Taylor is sitting there with CMC and Puke, that may prove to be my dilemma; but at this top spot with these pedigrees I want certainty.

Who do I got, hard to say, but feeling like JSN, JT, or CMC in the five spot.

I'm only hours away, so I guess we'll know soon enough.

That's My Take

~David G. Ortega

DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST: 027-26

David's Daily Digest

September 5th 2026

Saturday Afternoon Edition

Saturday Sports Page

Don't Sleep On These Dudes

I'll admit, I play Madden. I haven't played as much recently as I wish, but love the game. I don't know if the Madden curse is real, but Saquon Barkly ( ADP 13, RB7) comes off a phenominal season in 2024 (fantasy RB1), then is on the Madden cover and I'm sure like most fantasy owners he'd prefer to forget about the 2025 season, where he finished as the fantasy RB15 (fantasy points per game). Barkley is healthy to open the season and with the departure of wide receiver AJ Brown, it feels like there is less turmoil in Philly. 

Barkley and company are certainly capable of producing at a high level and with one of the top three rated offensive lines in the game (per PFF & ESPN), you have to believe there's a good chance this offense returns to form. Barkley is not coming off any type of major injury, played 16 games in 2025, and totaled 280 carries last season. There is every reason to believe he bounces back and returns to the first tier level at the position. He should be going off the board in the first round, but he's consistently slipping into the mid-second round.

Another running back that may offer more value than his current ADP is the Bears running back D'Andre Swift (ADP 47, RB20). A forgotten name and one that many expect to concede a large share of the backfield duties to his teammate, running back Kyle Monangai. Monangai (currently injured) will eventually get his share when he makes it back to the field, but while he is out swift should be able to take advantage. Over the past three seasons as the lead back, Swift has consistently finished in the Top 25, peaking last season at the fantasy RB15 (minimum 10 games played). With Monangai banged up and running behind a Top-5 rated offensive line, Swift could be a huge fantasy riser out of the gate possibly pushing toward a Top-12 position (at least until Monangai's return).

I trust my eyes more than I trust what the fantasy rumor mills are churning out lately. I watched a bit of Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (ADP 123, WR46) and tight end Oronde Gadsden (ADP N/A). Last season Johnston (fantasy WR24 in 2025) was the team's top fantasy receiver leading the way with 8 touchdowns. I just don't believe he goes away and Keenan Allen's (122 targets in 2025) departure opens up a lot of room for more opportunity for Johnston, as well as Gadsden.

Last season Gadsden experienced the early-season surge, which put him on the fantasy map, but clearly playing in a Harbaugh heavy-run offense did him zero favors. The team brought in tight end David Njoku, who may appear to be a better fit for the run-first offense philosophy the team followed last season, but that was last season. This season begins the Mike McDaniel era and really like Gadsden as a late round flyer or stash. I love him in DFS for his boom/bust potential, and with McDaniel calling plays, there may be more boom.

That's My Take

~David G. Ortega

*ADP stats provided by Draft Sharks

DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST: 026-26

David's Daily Digest

September 4th 2026

Friday Late-Night Edition

Friday Fantasy Fixx

My Fantasy Four

I have three more home league drafts coming up on Labor Day, so between now and then over this weekend I will be spending quite a bit of time participating in several Best Ball and a standard PPR league drafts. I want to build a sense of how players are being valued and which players others are reaching up to grab.

When I am building my fantasy team, I am always thinking about my Fantastic Four. These are the core four players, one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver, and one tight end. My targets are not necessarily players in the top tier of each position, but those players I believe will significantly out perform ADP and finish in or near their top tiers.

Out of the shoot, at quarterback I am all-in on the Jordan Love train (ADP 153, QB20). Even before considering any of the Josh Jacobs fall-out, I just have a feeling head coach Matt LaFleur is going to let Jordan cook. We've seen what he's capable of and with Jacobs likely to miss some time, the stars may be aligning.

In the backfield, my ride-or-die dude is Omarion Hampton (ADP 16, RB10) of the Chargers. I think the Mike McDaniel influence will pay dividends for Hampton in both the ground and passing game. Last season Hampton averaged 4.4 yards per carry on 124 totes with 32 receptions for 192 receiving yards, and five scores. He fits the role of an 18-20 touch back and could easily find a path to 1,500+ scrimmage yards with 45-55 catches and 10+ scores in the McDaniel offense. That's what I am banking on.

I am planting my flag on the Broncos receiver, Courtland Sutton (ADP 71, WR30). I know they now have Jaylen Waddle, but I believe his arrival will only elevate Sutton. Waddle will take away some targets for sure, but I see his influence opening up greater opportunities for Sutton in the red zone, where he is already very effective. Courtland should still see plenty of work and could find his way to 10-12 touchdowns this season.

I like guys like Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews at tight end, but with Likely, a new team, new quarterback, I need a sample size before I am in. Andrews needs to show me he's still got something left, before I roll with him again. With that said, although he's coming off injury, I still like the Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (ADP 83, TE9). At 25, the kid still has a lot of juice left and I am excited at what we might see from the packers passing offense this season. Tucker's a keeper for me.

That's My Take

~David G. Ortega

DAVID'S DAILY DIGEST: 025-26

David's Daily Digest

September 3rd 2026

Thursday Night Edition

Thursday's Take

Diamonds in the Rough

My first dart throw for this fantasy season is without a doubt the Broncos running back Jonah Coleman (ADP 175, RB50). Although he joins what would appear to be a crowded backfield in Denver with incumbent JK Dobbins and 2nd year back RJ Harvey, I like Coleman's chances to come out on top or at least be a consistent contributor by mid-season.

Coleman is a talented running back with strong physical traits. His last three seasons of college experience, the final two coming at the University of Washington, showcased his high productivity totaling more than 1,000 scrimmage yards in each. With notable solid pass-blocking skills and the ability to be an effective pass-catcher, Coleman clearly has a pathway to the field.

In his brief appearances in this preseason, Coleman displayed some of that low center of gravity and tremendous balance, paired with his excellent ability to break tackles that he showcased in college. Just going by the eye test, he definitely caught my eye and showed some flash that has been missing from the Broncos ground attack.

I believe Coleman possesses the talent and skill that will be hard to keep him off the field. Once on the field, his performance will keep him there. I like the pieces the team currently has in place, but Coleman feels like a difference maker and turns out the great Matthew Berry agrees with me, that Coleman will take over lead duties in the second half of the season. There should be room enough for all three to be fantasy relevant, but Coleman will be the lead horse by mid-season.

He's a must have in dynasty drafts and absolutely worth the risk in redrafts around the .

That's My Take

~David G. Ortega