NFL Card Watch: Fantasy Football Draft Picks for 2026 and Their Cardboard Counterparts

For some, the Andy Williams classic “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is reserved for December merriment. For others, fantasy football draft season is the peak of the year.

With NFL Preseason Week 2 officially in the books, mock drafts have turned into group chat arguments about that one manager who always reaches to snag a top-tier quarterback a round or two too early. Whether your draft already happened or you’re still plotting out your picks, one thing is for certain: once players start taking hits, everything changes.

As depth charts continue to shuffle, we took a look at the latest slate of games to see how on-field value translates into football cards on Courtyard you should keep an eye on.

Love Is In The Air:

Colston Loveland doesn’t need preseason stats to prove himself; the second-year Chicago Bears tight end capped his rookie season with a 137-yard eruption against the rival Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round of the Playoffs, and looks to pick up where he left off in 2026. With star wide receiver DJ Moore shipped off to the Buffalo Bills, and head coach Ben Johnson known for feeding his tight ends, it came as no surprise that Loveland played eight of his nine snaps with the starters last weekend, in line with the high expectations that Bears fans and fantasy managers alike have heaped upon him.

While draft boards vary, nearly all have Loveland inside of the top-five at his position. Paired with Caleb Williams, Loveland should see a heavy workload in 2026, making his rookie cards an enticing option. Bears fans will tell you they knew Loveland would be a stud all along, but it still feels like there’s an opportunity to get in relatively early when it comes to cards.

A Chaotic Backfield:

This time last year, the Ashton Jeanty hype train was barreling across the league after Raider Nation took the prolific running back with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. His rookie season wasn’t a bust, per se, especially on a team that finished 3-14, but Las Vegas’ performance last year thrust extra weight onto Jeanty’s shoulders ahead of the 2026 season.

With this year’s number one overall pick Fernando Mendoza taking the reins at quarterback,  the team will be relying on its youngsters, including starting tight end Brock Bowers, to get back on track…but after Jeanty was recently helped off the practice field with what’s being described as a sprained ankle, the surefire RB1 might fall a few rungs down the draft ladder.
Down in New Orleans, Saints running back Alvin Kamara is dealing with a sprained MCL that could cost him the start of the season. The aging back didn’t look like his old self last year, and the arrival of Travis Etienne Jr. means the former Jacksonville Jaguars running back—who’s set to play his first season for his hometown team—has the keys to the backfield. Will the homecoming story end well for Tyler Shough and the Saints, or are we looking at another disappointing season in the Big Easy?

Wide Receiver Rooms in Flux:

After nearly finding themselves in the Super Bowl last year, Denver went shopping this offseason—and it’s starting to show up on the gridiron. The Broncos traded for Jaylen Waddle and signed Evan Engram in free agency, stacking them next to incumbent wide receiver Courtland Sutton in Sean Payton’s offense. Waddle officially made his Denver debut in Week 2 of the preseason, catching a 35-yard long-ball from Bo Nix. Keep an eye on this unit to have standout fantasy performances all season long.

Further south in Houston, the situation is a little less fun for Texans fans, who are once again without one of their star wideouts after watching Jayden Higgins tear his ACL. While this is undoubtedly a tough break for Higgins, C.J. Stroud, and the rest of the Texans’ offense, it does present an opportunity for WR1 Nico Collins to go absolutely crazy—assuming Stroud gets it together this season. And with the Texans trading with the Patriots in order to receive wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, Collins has a teammate alongside him to distract defenses.

Meanwhile in New England, A.J. Brown quietly climbed draft boards after a strong camp, knee concerns—and team culture fit—notwithstanding. Brown’s potential alongside Patriots QB Drake Maye and former Packers WR Romeo Doubts serves as a good reminder that even a few big plays on the practice field can have an impact on fantasy…and that sometimes a dramatic wide receiver is, in fact, the key to greatness.

Players—and Packs—to Watch:

• Colston Loveland: Just how early will one of Caleb Williams’ primary targets go in drafts? 
• Asthon Jeanty: Between the rookie quarterback and unfortunate ankle injury, how far will Jeanty fall down draft boards heading into September. Is there opportunity to get some serious value with the bulky back, both for your collection and your fantasy team?
• Travis Etienne Jr: The hometown kid returns, and should see the vast majority of the touches in New Orleans’ backfield.
• Jaylen Waddle: The big play wide receiver is paired with a strong-armed quarterback and an absolutely loaded offense.
• Courtland Sutton: Coming off his second straight 1,000-yard season, Sutton has teammates at virtually every offensive position to help take the load off.
• Nico Collins: Already primed and ready for another big season, Collins looks ready to explode for 100+ yards virtually every week—but defenses won’t have as many issues sticking the star WR with double teams after Higgins’ injury. Could that help new Texan Kayshon Boutte break out?
• C.J. Stroud: If you believe that Stroud can turn things around, now’s the time to get (back) on the bandwagon.
• A.J. Brown: We’ve all seen Brown make big plays in the past. How will he fare on his third team?

In addition to the big time cards on Courtyard’s marketplace, cardboard featuring NFL superstars can also be found within Courtyard’s Football Packs, which will be restocked with new inventory throughout the season.

Feeling lucky? Keep an eye out for football raffles this fall. If the Hall of Fame Game raffle was any indication, you’ll want to be like lucky winners natividadbowen, wisecard10055, azurecommunity6908, signedmovies6622, and celestialassasin9714, who just walked away with a Tetairoa McMillan Downtown, a Marvin Harrison Jr. Kaboom, a Drew Brees Downtown, a Bryce Young Downtown, and a Barry Sanders rookie. Talk about some big wins!