The 2026 NFL season is approaching quickly, and with that comes fantasy football drafts. Anyone can select All-Pro talent in the first couple of rounds; drafts are normally won once the superstars are off the board. Finding value in the middle and late rounds is where fantasy teams can separate themselves.
Whether it is a player stepping into a bigger role, entering a better coaching situation, or being overlooked, sleepers can turn into weekly starters without taking up an early-round pick. As the season approaches, training camp and preseason will provide a clearer picture of which players could outperform their draft positions.
Here are five fantasy football sleepers worth targeting in 2026.
Parker Washington
Parker Washington may not be considered a sleeper for much longer. The Jacksonville Jaguars receiver put together a career year with 58 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns. One of Washington’s strengths was his ability to stay healthy, only missing one game last season. His most productive stretch of games came late in the year when he emerged as one of Trevor Lawrence’s most reliable targets.
Over his final four games, including the playoffs, Washington tallied 454 receiving yards, averaging 22.2 fantasy points per game. With more production like this, he won’t be considered a sleeper much longer.
Washington’s late-season breakout has carried into training camp this year. He has routinely been one of Lawrence’s favorite targets in practice and was held out of Jacksonville’s first preseason game alongside other key starters. This doesn’t guarantee a breakout, but it’s another indication of how the coaching staff views the wide receiver depth chart.
The Jaguars receiver room is an interesting group. Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers will demand targets, while Travis Hunter takes up some of the snap share when he’s not playing cornerback. There’s no lack of competition for Washington when it comes to sharing time, but that’s where the value is. Due to the deep receiver room and uncertainty in Jacksonville, he is a projected seventh-round pick in fantasy this year.
Washington’s late-season production was too impressive to ignore. If he can string together more weeks like that this year, there could definitely be a bigger role to step into, potentially turning him into a weekly starter.
Kyler Murray
A fantasy sleeper doesn’t have to be an unheard-of player; sometimes a change of scenery is all it takes to spark fantasy value. For Kyler Murray, that is exactly the case.
Over the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings acquired the former Arizona Cardinal. Murray has shown he can be one of the best when it comes to fantasy, finishing as a top-10 quarterback multiple times in his career. What’s exciting about his potential isn’t necessarily what he’s done in the past, but where he is now.
The new opportunity in Minnesota is the best situation Murray has been in. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has proven to be a genius in the league. With below-average quarterbacks the last few seasons, the Vikings have been able to find ways to win games. Now, with Murray being named the starter, there’s more potential at the quarterback position than there has been.
Minnesota’s offensive weapons include Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and T.J. Hockenson; a much better roster on paper than what Murray had in Arizona. Rankings currently have Murray as a fringe QB1, but his rushing upside gives him an edge over other quarterbacks in the area.
If O’Connell can get on the same page with Murray, the sky is the limit. With Jefferson and the other weapons in Minnesota, the veteran quarterback has a realistic chance to revive his career this season, giving fantasy managers more reason to trust in him.
Matthew Golden
Matthew Golden was a popular rookie sleeper entering his rookie season; it didn’t pan out the way people expected. One year later, he has an opportunity to become one of the main offensive weapons in Green Bay. His disappointing rookie season may be exactly what makes him a sleeper, having less value and hype going into the year.
Golden struggled to establish himself in the Packers’ 2025 wide receiver room. Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks were all fighting for targets alongside Golden, making him less appealing to fantasy owners. Entering this year, the Packers have moved on from Doubs and Wicks, leading fantasy managers to believe Golden should see some more production.
Although his 2025 season wasn’t spectacular, his best performances came at the end of the year. In the Packers’ playoff loss to the Chicago Bears, Golden caught four passes for 84 yards and his first NFL touchdown, something he had been searching for all season.
Quarterback Jordan Love has spoken about his connection with Golden and how it’s improved over the offseason. After losing key pieces of the receiving core, the Love-Golden connection is one to keep an eye on. Watson and Reed return to Green Bay and will be competing for targets.
Head coach Matt LaFleur is known for spreading the ball around to a lot of different players, but if Golden can perform the way he did late last season, he could become a first option in Green Bay. The former first-round pick has lower expectations than he did last season, so maybe fantasy managers were just a year early.
Jonah Coleman
A player who doesn’t necessarily need to be a starter to provide fantasy value is Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman. The fourth-round pick out of Washington enters one of the league’s deepest running back rooms. J.K. Dobbins and second-year back RJ Harvey are currently ahead of him on the depth chart, making Coleman’s path to consistent touches less obvious.
His skill set, however, could earn him a special role in Denver’s offense. Coleman rushed for 758 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final season of college. He’s a physical runner who isn’t afraid to deliver the blow, making him a prime candidate for goal-line touches this season.
Fantasy owners don’t need 15 carries a game from Coleman to be productive. If Sean Payton trusts the rookie on the goal line, a small workload could still produce touchdowns and make him a useful late-round selection.
Coleman’s upside extends beyond his anticipated short-yardage role. Dobbins has dealt with significant injuries throughout his career, while Harvey has established himself in a receiving back role.
Denver’s backfield could become a committee where each player has their own specific responsibility. If that’s the case, Coleman will get some important touches. He may not be a week one fantasy starter, but he’s definitely worth the risk with a late-round pick.
Dalton Kincaid
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid’s 2025 fantasy numbers don’t jump off the page as an immediate sleeper. His issue wasn’t what he did when he got the ball in his hands; it was a matter of getting enough targets throughout the season.
Kincaid’s efficiency remains encouraging, and that creates upside in an offense led by Josh Allen. The question entering 2026 is whether Buffalo finally gives him enough targets to turn that efficiency into fantasy production.
Injuries have also been an issue for the Bills’ tight end in the past. Not being able to finish an entire season has prevented him from establishing the TE1 role fantasy managers expected after Buffalo selected him in the first round of the 2023 draft. That history has understandably plummeted his fantasy value.
Kincaid’s value stems from where he’s being selected in fantasy drafts right now. Tight end is a position that managers can wait until late rounds to fill up, unless they get one of the top dogs like Trey McBride or Brock Bowers. Rather than risking it with any of the mid-round tight ends, waiting for a player like Kincaid, who has an elite quarterback, might be worth it.
The downside is clear: Dawson Knox is still a part of the Bills offense. This doesn’t mean that neither of them can succeed, though. Buffalo is known for running a lot of two tight end sets, providing lots of opportunity for both players.
If Kincaid receives an increase in target share and the number of routes run, he could dramatically outperform his draft position.
No Actual Science For Picking Fantasy Football Sleepers
There is no perfect formula for determining which players will be fantasy football sleepers. Washington has already shown signs of breaking out. Murray is an established veteran getting a fresh start. Golden is a second-year player with his hype dying down. Coleman offers cheap rookie upside, and Kincaid presents an opportunity to bet on increased targets due to his high efficiency.
Each player comes with risks. The goal isn’t to find a WR1 or RB1; it’s finding a player in the later rounds (rounds 8-12) who eventually performs like a starter. Finding even one of those diamonds in the rough can elevate a team and potentially win the league. As the 2026 season approaches, Washington, Murray, Golden, Coleman, and Kincaid each have an opportunity to be that diamond.
