Fantasy Football NFC North Snapshot: 1 key nugget from each team going into 2026
NFL training camp season has arrived. Prepare for the onslaught of information, rumors and hype pieces. But fantasy football managers shouldn't be wary of the influx of info — Scott Pianowski has you covered with one key nugget to know for every team in each division. Next up is the NFC North.
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More Snapshots
Minnesota Vikings
For years I’ve said I’d follow Kevin O’Connell into a burning building. Okay, last year, the building burned down. But I’m willing to write that off as a J.J. McCarthy thing. Kyler Murray is getting a change of scenery at the right time, which makes him an interesting value pick at the middle of your draft. But more importantly, be ready to snag Justin Jefferson sometime in the late first round or the early second round. This is a very rare and exciting buying opportunity on Jefferson.
Green Bay Packers
I’m torn on tight end Tucker Kraft, who was a Yahoo Fantasy darling last summer and destroyed the league over eight games (32-489-6, 15.3 YPC). All the George Kittle comps were validated. But Kraft tore his ACL in November, and it’s prudent to expect a gradual liftoff this year. I understand the managers who will draft Kraft with an eye towards him hitting full stride later in the year, when the fantasy stakes are bigger, but I suspect it’s possible Kraft’s glittering stats from 2025 might push him into an overly-optimistic draft pocket this summer. I can’t wait to draft Kraft proactively again, but it's going to be in 2027. Keep initial expectations realistic.
Chicago Bears
Ben Johnson was a miracle worker in his first Chicago season, orchestrating a shocking improvement. The Bears ranked 28th in points and 32nd in yards the season before Johnson, then rose to ninth in points and sixth in yards last year. Chicago’s offensive players will be highly coveted this year, and even with the expected helium, I’ll be chasing them, too. But perhaps we need to cool expectations on Rome Odunze, who admits last year’s stress fracture in his foot has turned into something he has to manage moving forward. Teammates Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III were drafted after the Johnson hire, but Odunze was inherited by the current coaching staff. On a team overflowing with target players, Odunze is a reasonable fade.
Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown is no secret, with four straight Pro Bowl trips and a juicy 8.8 ADP in Yahoo. But it’s still possible that he’s slightly underrated. The Sun God’s average season the last three years is a ridiculous 117-1,393-12, and remember first-round profiles are a mixture of floor and upside. St. Brown is also tied to a stable quarterback, and he's taking aim at an indoor-heavy schedule. If you prefer to select St. Brown over mid-round picks like Christian McCaffrey or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, I won’t say you’re wrong.
