Is Travis Hunter a Fantasy Football Risk Given News of a 2026 Defense-First Role?
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Travis Hunter is taking his offseason one step at a time, quietly and effectively. Reports have emerged speculating about Hunter's role in 2026. Will the two-way player compete more on defense versus offense? That is certainly what GM James Gladstone has said. In the realm of fantasy football, this projection affects us massively. If Hunter plays less and less on offense, we will lack any value from Hunter. So, what is to be expected?
Travis Hunter To Play More Defense
The team has not quite said that Hunter will play less offense. They have said that Hunter will play a "defense-first role." The sophomore has continuously noted that he can play full snaps on both sides of the ball, but we all know that it is unrealistic.
In 2025, Hunter played 7 games in total. On offense, Hunter averaged 41.1 snaps played per game. That compares to 70.8 plays per game for the Jaguars across their 17 regular-season games. That comes to 58% of snaps played by Hunter.
On a points-per-game basis, Hunter ranked as the WR52 pre-injury. That made him a Flex/backup wide receiver. If his snap load reduces even further in 2026, Hunter will still be draftable, but not very startable unless either proven or facing a very favorable matchup.
A "defense-first role" does not necessarily mean that Hunter will play less offense. It just means that he will play near-full snaps on defense. Will Hunter retain over 50% of offensive snaps played? Sure, he could. Likely, he would not, but he can. This is a matter with no definitive answer at the moment, and we will only know for sure when training camp and the regular season come.
The hope is that when Hunter does play offense, they will be more involved. Liam Coen's offense failed to get Hunter involved to his maximum ability in 2025. Hunter is purely athletic and raw, but undeniably good in space. If he plays less, he could actually be more efficient per route run. As Hunter's experience increases and chemistry builds, he should logically only improve. To what extent, we still won't know until the fall nears.
As for now, the valuation on Hunter will place him outside the top-50 wide receivers. If you own Hunter in dynasty fantasy football, of course, do not sell him. You must pay close attention to further news that may come out of Jacksonville. You must also be on top of his injury updates, which point to a 2026 return with no concerns. Right now, the situation is fluid.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.