It’s mid-August, which means two things: preseason football is underway, and fantasy football drafts are being scheduled as players anxiously await the start of the NFL season. Every year, drafters look for standout players from preseason, players who boomed last season, or players who they think will breakout this year. With that in mind, here are five players who may not be superstars, but will help fantasy football drafters win their league.
Omarion Hampton is in a unique position as a first-round draft pick for the Los Angeles Chargers. His backfield running mate, Najee Harris, is still recovering from a July 4th eye injury. That means that for the first few games of the season, Hampton will be running back number one for the Chargers. Coach Jim Harbaugh is known for being a run-heavy coach, so even with Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey, and the return of Keenan Allen, Hampton is expected to thrive in the offense.
The only question mark is Hampton’s ability to be a receiving back to give fantasy owners those extra points for receptions, but for now, his running game alone should be worthy enough to draft the former Tar Heel. Hampton is currently ranked as the 38th best player in fantasy football and projected to be RB 14.
Rashee Rice had a spectacular start to the season last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Chargers in Week 4. The former Southern Methodist University receiver quickly became Patrick Mahomes’ favorite receiver other than Travis Kelce, who appears to be on the decline as far as fantasy production is concerned. Rice mustered three games of over 17 points before going down with his injury.
Now entering his third year, the only concern is Rice’s off-the-field antics, when he was involved in a car accident in 2024. He may be looking at a four to six-game suspension, but his disciplinary hearing has been pushed back to September 30th, meaning he should be available for the Kansas City Chiefs’ first four games. Rice is currently ranked as the 69th best player in fantasy football and projected to be WR 31. He may be a risky pick for some, but his upside is certainly better than WR 31 in a Mahomes-led offense.
Baker Mayfield saw a huge resurgence last season when he threw 41 touchdowns, ran for almost 400 yards, and finished as the fourth-best quarterback in fantasy football. Fantasy team owners likely claimed him off the waiver wire last year, but this year, if he can get anywhere near the level of production from the prior season, he will be a top ten fantasy quarterback.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers run a pass-heavy offense under Todd Bowles, and with the emergence of Bucky Irving and a loaded receiver core that includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, and Sterling Shepard, Mayfield has plenty of targets to help him rack up fantasy points. He is currently ranked as the 68th best player in fantasy football and is projected to be QB 7. He is a stellar pick for fantasy owners who missed out on good quarterbacks early in the draft but still want a balanced team.
Evan Engram has been a top 10 tight end every season except for last year, when he only played in nine games for the Jacksonville Jaguars because of a torn labrum and hamstring injury. Now he is fully healthy on a new look Denver Broncos team led by Bo Nix. Engram’s only real competition for targets is veteran receiver Courtland Sutton, so Nix should rely on his 6’3″ tight end down the stretch of games.
There aren’t many tight ends this year in fantasy that will produce a large amount of points every week, other than the obvious names. If drafters are focused on filling out other core spots first, Engram can be a solid option in the late rounds and still have top ten potential for his position. Engram is currently ranked as the 102nd best player in fantasy football and is projected to be TE 10.
TreVeyon Henderson is quickly rising in many draft experts’ rankings after a hot start to the preseason. The second-round pick for the New England Patriots is in a somewhat similar situation to Hampton with the Chargers, but his backfield running mate, Rhamondre Stevenson, is not injured. Stevenson had trouble losing the ball last season, recording seven fumbles, the highest for any non-quarterback player in the NFL.
The two will likely split time in the backfield, but if Stevenson’s fumble issues continue, Henderson has a clear shot to become RB1 for the Patriots. New England added Stefon Diggs, and quarterback Drake Maye has a full year running the offense under his belt. Despite that, Henderson has a real chance to take over the offense, leading to high fantasy volume and production. Henderson is currently ranked as the 52nd best player in fantasy football and is projected to be RB 20. All signs in the preseason have indicated that the former Ohio State Buckeye has the potential to finish the season as an even higher-rated running back.
Most, if not all, of these players will be available in the fourth round or later in fantasy drafts. Finding high-value players in the later rounds can be hard, but they all have the potential to become those players who stand out every week. When Jamar Chase has a bad game or Christian McCaffrey goes down with another injury, these five players will be the ones to step up and help win a fantasy football championship.
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