Getting a player in the year he takes off can make your whole fantasy season. Here are five breakout candidates worth targeting in 2026 drafts, plus one longshot to keep an eye on.
Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins
Washington took a step forward last year, going from 26 catches as a rookie to 46 in his second season. Now he sits near the top of a thin Miami receiving group made up of rookies and veterans who have not lived up to their billing.
Someone has to catch passes in that offense, and Washington looks like the safest bet. He has handled a heavy workload before, too. He led all of college football with 110 catches at Virginia in 2023.
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville let running back Travis Etienne Jr. leave in free agency and did not bring in a pass-catching back to replace him. That points to a bigger role for Tuten, a fourth-round pick from last year who had a quiet rookie season.
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His draft price, around the sixth round, might be a touch high, but he has real RB1 upside in what should be a solid Jaguars offense. If the touches come, the points should follow.
Luther Burden, WR, Chicago Bears
Bears coach Ben Johnson has set the bar high for Burden, comparing him to two receivers he coached before, Jarvis Landry and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
That is a lot to live up to, but Burden did catch 47 passes for 652 yards as a rookie and got better as the season went on. With DJ Moore now in Buffalo, there are about 85 targets up for grabs, and Burden is in line for a good share of them.
There is one catch. Burden hurt his groin in practice on August 9, and the latest reports say he is expected to miss around a month and likely all of the preseason.
If the injury lingers, his breakout could be pushed back, which makes his fifth-round draft price a bit risky. Check his status before you draft him.
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
Fannin is usually one of the first eight tight ends off the board, so you will not get a big discount. Even so, the value could be there.
The 240-pound target turned 107 looks into 72 catches, 731 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. A jump past 100 catches or 1,000 yards is well within reach.
Only one tight end hit those marks last season, so getting there would push Fannin into the top tier at the position.
Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos
Betting on a rookie running back usually means betting on an injury ahead of him, and Coleman does sit behind J.K. Dobbins and likely RJ Harvey in Denver. But he has drawn a lot of buzz in camp and could earn a role even if no one gets hurt.
At 220 pounds, he runs downhill, and he found the end zone often in college, scoring 25 rushing touchdowns over his last two years at Washington. That nose for the goal line could make him useful right away.
Bonus longshot: Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, Baltimore Ravens
When a third-round rookie draws comparisons to Michael Thomas and DeAndre Hopkins in training camp, the smart move is usually to slow down. But every so often those comparisons hit, and you end up with a league-winner taken in the late rounds.
Lane is a big target with reliable hands who could make an early impact. He is worth a cheap flier at the end of your draft.
