The fantasy football season is creeping ever so closer. Drafts are taking place starting as soon as one month from now, so getting some early prep to have the edge on league mates is a great strategy. Here are ten players with huge fantasy upside that could destroy what they are currently projected to do.
Bhayshul Tuten will take on the starting running back job with the Jacksonville Jaguars now that Travis Etienne is with the New Orleans Saints. He started taking over the lead role last year and was one of the most popular waiver-wide additions all season long. Be careful that hype doesn’t get too high for Tuten, but he’s one whose value could be much higher than some others, depending on draft positions.
Ashton Jeanty will be the steal of round two in just about every fantasy football draft. This is the year that he shows why he was such a highly touted prospect coming out of Boise State. He has an upgraded offensive line and an improved offense in general. Jeanty is someone every fantasy owner should want to draft. Legit RB1 potential.
Is the Blake Corum breakout finally here? Hopefully! The Los Angeles Rams started giving him more reps towards the end of last season, and he was extremely valuable out of the backfield. It may be best to avoid Kyren Williams at his expected ADP and pick up Corum later in the draft.
Josh Downs is one of the more reliable WR3s who should take a jump into at least WR2 conversations. He will have a healthy Daniel Jones back and less competition in the receiver room. With Michael Pittman Jr traded, Downs should see his targets drastically improve for 2026.
Luther Burden is one of the more popular “sleepers” going around the fantasy world this offseason. His opportunity will jump with the Chicago Bears following the trade of DJ Moore. Fans loved his skillset as a rookie last year; now, he’ll get the chance to show it this year.
Devonta Smith is the most obvious fantasy football breakout player of the year. There’s so little competition in the WR room with the Philadelphia Eagles now that AJ Brown has been traded. This is the year he shows he’s a top-ten NFL receiver, and he could be top-five for fantasy.
Jalen Royals is a deep-cut sleeper for the Kansas City Chiefs. This one is very dependent on how it looks with Rashee Rice prior to your fantasy draft. If things are still looking shaky when it’s time to pick, Royals would be a good late-round option.
Isaiah Likely followed HC John Harbaugh to the New York Giants in free agency, and his playing time will take a big jump. He will be the TE1 in New York, even with Theo Johnson getting some reps. The receiver room is weak and unstable, so having a reliable TE could do wonders for Jaxson Dart. Really like this combination.
Chig Okonkwo to the Washington Commanders was a fantastic fit in NFL free agency. This athletic TE is exactly what they needed in that offense. Zach Ertz was good, but he couldn’t spread the field like Okonkwo can. This move is even better if Brandon Aiyuk is healthy and on the field (assuming he lands in Washington). It wouldn’t limit his expected targets; in fact, it would raise his ceiling even more.
Gunnar Helm was a personal favorite from last year’s rookie class, and now he will get a chance to show out in the Tennessee Titans’ offense. Okonkwo departed for Washington, leaving the starting responsibilities to Helm. His opportunities should take a major leap, and he will be a perfect late-round pickup in every fantasy football draft.
These fantasy football sleepers will be some of the best players available in their respective rounds. It could be a huge mistake to draft someone over one of these ten simply because they were ranked higher. That’s how your fantasy football 2026 season could get ruined before week one even arrives.
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