2026 Fantasy Football Sleepers 1.0 from Jamey Eisenberg: Post-NFL Draft bargains to target in all leagues

Murray is expected to start for the Vikings this season, and he is worth a late-round pick in all one-quarterback leagues and a mid-round selection in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. His FantasyPros ADP is No. 190 overall as QB16, and I expect him to be a borderline top 12 quarterback this season -- if not higher. He averaged at least 20.3 Fantasy points in each of his first four seasons in Arizona before suffering a torn ACL in 2022. He returned in 2023 and still averaged 20.8 Fantasy points, but his production started to slip in 2024 to 19.9 points. Then came last season when Murray was limited to five games due to a foot injury, and he only averaged 17.9 Fantasy points. The Cardinals decided to go in a different direction, and here we are. But Murray will hopefully benefit from Kevin O'Connell's tutelage, and it will be great if Murray continues to use his legs. He averages 36.7 rushing yards per game in his career, with 32 rushing touchdowns. Murray should also benefit from throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, which is the best receiving corps of his career. The ceiling for Murray is high, and the risk is minimal given his cost. I plan to draft Murray in a lot of leagues in 2026.

Nix has been a solid Fantasy quarterback so far in the first two seasons of his career, but he's poised for potentially his best year yet in 2026 with the addition of receiver Jaylen Waddle. Nix now has Waddle and Courtland Sutton as the top two receivers in Denver, which is fantastic. And the secondary weapons are also solid in Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims and Evan Engram. Nix averaged 22.1 Fantasy points as a rookie in 2024 and 22.6 Fantasy points last year. He gives you decent production with his rushing with at least 356 yards and four rushing touchdowns in each season. And Waddle should help Nix's passing stats, which average 3,853 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11.5 interceptions in his first two years. Nix is worth a late-round pick in all one-quarterback leagues and a mid-round selection in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. His FantasyPros ADP is No. 186 overall as QB15, and I expect him to challenge for a top-12 spot this year if things go right. He's one of my favorite quarterbacks to wait for on Draft Day this year.

Pollard had a down season in 2025 when he only averaged 10.9 PPR points per game, which was his lowest total since 2021. But he closed the campaign on a high note, and hopefully that momentum will carry over to this year. The Titans offense is also in much better shape in 2026, and Pollard should remain the lead back if he stays healthy. His FantasyPros ADP is No. 86 overall as RB31, but I would draft Pollard as a No. 2 running back in all leagues as early as Round 5. The addition of fifth-round rookie Nicholas Singleton could pose a problem, along with the presence of Tyjae Spears, but I still expect new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll to lean on Pollard. In his final five games last season, Pollard averaged 15.5 PPR points per game, including four outings with at least 95 total yards and three outings with over 100 rushing yards. Cam Ward showed improved play over that stretch, and Tennessee brought in upgraded weapons this offseason with No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate and free agent Wan'Dale Robinson, along with Daboll. This could be a surprise offense, and Pollard still has upside as a Fantasy running back, even at 29. He's a steal if you can draft him at his current ADP in Round 8.

I'll probably pass on TreVeyon Henderson at his FantasyPros ADP of No. 60 overall as RB21 and just wait for Stevenson at No. 87 overall as RB32. While I'm hopeful for Henderson to improve in his sophomore campaign in 2026, we all saw what happened with him and Stevenson in 2025. And the same thing could unfold this year, which is why Stevenson is a great value pick at this price. The two played 18 games together in 2025, including the playoffs, and Stevenson played more snaps than Henderson in 15 of those outings. And from Week 13 through Super Bowl LX, Stevenson turned into a quality Fantasy running back, averaging 17.1 PPR points in nine games. He also had 12 games in 2025 with at least 10 total touches, and he averaged 13.3 PPR points over that span. This backfield could easily flip in favor of Henderson, but I still love the current value for Stevenson, who is worth drafting as early as Round 6 in all leagues.

Following the NFL Draft, Sports Illustrated listed a depth chart for the Jaguars, which had Rodriguez as the starter. The article said that Rodriguez "leads the Jaguars in carries" this season, although there won't be "enough of a difference between his workload and Bhayshul Tuten's worth talking about. LeQuint Allen will once again be the top passing down running back." This could be messy in Jacksonville with Travis Etienne gone as a free agent to New Orleans, and I like Tuten's upside the most. But Rodriguez has a FantasyPros ADP of No. 127 overall as RB45, compared to No. 71 overall for Tuten as RB26, which could be a mistake if this report is accurate. Rodriguez signed a two-year contract this offseason for $10 million to join the Jaguars, and he has a history with coach Liam Coen when the two were in Kentucky. Last season in Washington, Rodriguez had four games with at least 12 carries, and he scored at least 12.5 PPR points in three of them. He offers little as a receiver with six catches for 54 yards on seven targets in three seasons, but Etienne leaves behind 260 carries for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns. Those carries should be split between Rodriguez and Tuten, and if Rodriguez gets the majority then he's a steal at his current ADP.

Brooks said in late April that he feels "close to 100 percent" in his comeback after tearing his right ACL for the second time in Week 14 of the 2024 campaign. He missed all of 2025, but the Panthers must have high expectations for Brooks given how this offseason has gone. Carolina let Rico Dowdle leave as a free agent for Pittsburgh, and the only addition of note was A.J. Dillon. Chuba Hubbard should lead the Panthers backfield, and I'm excited to draft him in Round 5 (his FantasyPros ADP is No. 63 overall as RB24). But I also love the value for Brooks at No. 128 overall as RB46. Remember, Carolina selected Brooks in Round 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he was a star at Texas in 2023 with 187 carries for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns and 25 catches for 286 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. He has a lot to prove after two ACL tears, but the upside is hard to ignore. And the Panthers should have a solid offensive line this season, which is a boost for Hubbard and Brooks. We'll get to see Brooks in offseason workouts, and hopefully there are no setbacks in his recovery. When healthy, Brooks could emerge as the best running back in Carolina, and he's someone I plan to target as early as Round 8 in the majority of leagues.

I generally try to avoid using rookies for Sleepers 1.0 since we don't know what the market will be in August compared to their early value. But if Lemon's current FantasyPros ADP is an indication (No. 96 overall at WR45) then he fits this criteria. And I'll be buying a lot of Lemon this season. Now, maybe things will change once A.J. Brown is traded, which we expect to happen in June. And I'm excited to see what Lemon can do in this Eagles offense as the likely starter opposite DeVonta Smith. Lemon is the fourth receiver Philadelphia has acquired this offseason along with Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore and Dontayvion Wicks. But the Eagles didn't trade up to No. 20 overall in the NFL Draft to make Lemon a backup singer. At USC, Lemon was a star in 2025 with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he won the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college football. He is a great route runner, who is dangerous after the catch, and it's easy to compare him to another USC great in Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown. You'll hear negatives about Jalen Hurts not wanting to throw to Lemon in the middle of the field, and that he might be a bad fit in this offense. I'm not worried, and I would draft Lemon as early as Round 7. There are 121 vacated targets with A.J. Brown gone, and Lemon could be in that range of opportunities this year. He has the potential to be a No. 2 Fantasy receiver by the end of this season.

It will be fun to debate which of the top three receivers in Jacksonville should be drafted first in Fantasy leagues among Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Washington (we'll leave Travis Hunter out of this for now). The current FantasyPros ADP has Meyers first (No. 72 overall at WR35), Thomas second (No. 77 overall at WR38) and then Washington (No. 90 overall at WR43), and it wouldn't surprise me if Washington is the best. He closed last season on an absolute tear with at least 18.1 PPR points in five of his final seven games, including four in a row into the postseason. In those final four outings, Washington averaged 6.5 catches, 113.5 yards and 10.3 targets per game, with three touchdowns. He won't keep up that level of production, but he proved to be a reliable weapon for Trevor Lawrence and Liam Coen, which is worth buying into this season, especially at this cost. I like Washington as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues to begin the season, and I would draft him as early as Round 8.

The Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. to Pittsburgh this offseason and replaced him with, as of now, only free agent Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and seventh-round rookie Deion Burks. That's fantastic news for Alec Pierce, Tyler Warren and Downs, and all three should get a boost in Fantasy value this year, especially since Pittman leaves behind 111 vacated targets. Downs struggled in 2025 with 58 catches for 566 yards and four touchdowns on 88 targets, and he averaged just 8.5 PPR points per game. But in 2024, Downs averaged 13.1 PPR points per game with 72 catches for 803 yards and five touchdowns on 107 targets in 14 games. He averaged 7.6 targets per game in 2024, and hopefully he can be at seven targets per game this season. In 20 career games with at least seven targets, Downs is averaging 13.5 PPR points, and he's capable of doing that this season. We'll see if the Colts stand pat with their receiving corps, and hopefully Daniels Jones (Achilles) is 100 percent for Week 1. There's a lot to love about Downs this season, and he's a steal at his current FantasyPros ADP (No. 89 overall at WR42).

How bad were things for Addison last season with J.J. McCarthy? In eight games with McCarthy in 2025, Addison averaged 6.3 PPR points per game. He had two outings with 1.8 PPR points or less, and he caught one touchdown over that span. By comparison, in four games with Carson Wentz last year, Addison averaged 15.9 PPR points and scored two touchdowns. He averaged at least 13.0 PPR points per game in each of the first two seasons of his career prior to 2025, and Addison can still be a standout Fantasy receiver with competent quarterback play. Enter Kyler Murray, who we hope will be the starter all season, and Addison should be able to outperform his current FantasyPros ADP (No. 98 overall at WR46). Now, we don't have a long track record of Murray supporting two quality Fantasy receivers during his time in Arizona. But here's where you should rely on Kevin O'Connell to make sure Addison and Justin Jefferson can once again coexist, and Murray should be able to put Addison in the No. 3 Fantasy receiver range -- if not higher. I'm excited to see Addison bounce back in 2026 as long as McCarthy stays on the bench in Minnesota.

I never expected to see Kelce in the range where we could call him a sleeper, but here we are. His current FantasyPros ADP (No. 119 overall at TE12) makes him almost an afterthought for Fantasy managers, and this is the first time he might not get drafted as a top-five tight end since 2014. I understand why you would pass on Kelce this season, but he's still a top-10 Fantasy tight end in my rankings, even though he'll turn 37 in October. As long as Patrick Mahomes (knee) is ready to play in Week 1, that connection should still be strong, and Kelce was actually excellent in 2025 in 14 games with Mahomes. During that span, Kelce averaged 12.8 PPR points, and the only tight ends who finished better than that were Trey McBride, George Kittle, Brock Bowers and Tucker Kraft. Now, things fell apart for Kelce in the final three games last season -- he averaged just 4.8 PPR points over that stretch -- so keep that in mind with Mahomes' rehab. And we have to hope Kelce can coexist for a full season with Rashee Rice, as well as an improved run game with the addition of Kenneth Walker III. But given the cost, Kelce is worth the risk, and he didn't postpone retirement to not be a key player in another potential Kansas City Super Bowl run. I'll gladly wait for Kelce with a late-round pick on Draft Day this season.

The Ravens let Isaiah Likely leave as a free agent this offseason for the Giants after signing Andrews to a three-year contract extension in December. There's bounce-back potential here for Andrews after he had a miserable season in 2025 at 7.7 PPR points per game, which was his lowest total since his rookie campaign in 2018. Baltimore did revamp its receiving corps with rookie receivers Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, and Lane could be a red-zone threat to impact Andrews' touchdown potential. But I'm expecting new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle to involve Andrews heavily in the game plan. Doyle was the offensive coordinator for Ben Johnson in Chicago in 2025 and the tight ends coach in Denver in 2023-24. He's also Mike Ditka's nephew. Tight end is in his DNA, and Doyle should make sure Lamar Jackson and Andrews re-establish the connection that helped Andrews average at least 11.1 PPR points per game from 2019-24. Andrews is free on Draft Day given his current FantasyPros ADP (No. 167 overall at TE18), but I like him as a borderline starter in all leagues this year.