10 Dynasty Fantasy Football Risers: Second-Year Breakout Candidates

February 21, 2026

Andrew's second-year fantasy football breakouts, sleepers, risers for 2026 dynasty leagues. He recommends to target these players in trades and startup drafts.

For the dynasty fantasy football managers who picked Colston Loveland over Tyler Warren, the first two months of the season felt like a repeated kick in the shin. Now? Well, now it's not so cut and dry.

Overreactions are swift in fantasy football. It's more amplified in dynasty when the rookie you didn't pick becomes a multi-time All-Pro. But hope is not lost just because a rookie didn't immediately make an impact.

Below, we break down 10 rookies whose stock increased during their debut season. We'll avoid some of the more obvious names, the rookies who showed from their first snaps that they had a place in this league, like Jaxson Dart, Omarion Hampton, Tetairoa McMillan, etc.

QB Fantasy Football Breakouts and Risers

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

If Tyler Shough had started a few more games this season, he might have walked away with the Rookie of the Year trophy.

The 26-year-old averaged 250.6 passing yards, 19.3 rushing yards, and 1.4 touchdowns per game in his nine starts. With the surprise rushing production, he posted six straight games of at least 17 fantasy points to end the season. He was a dream come true for every fantasy football manager streaming the quarterback position.

Dot.#Saints | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/l1fmKwmNH6

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 4, 2026

Shough essentially saved his job with his late-season efforts. Because he led the Saints to four straight wins in Weeks 14 through 17, he moved New Orleans out of position to win the first overall pick and the chance to draft Fernando Mendoza. That guarantees at least another season of Shough starting, if not more.

RB Fantasy Football Breakouts and Risers

Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars

The new regime drafted Bhayshul Tuten (and LeQuint Allen Jr.). The new regime has no allegiance to Travis Etienne Jr.

That's the crux of the argument to buy Tuten, as the veteran Etienne enters free agency. Etienne is already 27 years old, so the Jacksonville front office may be hesitant to offer him a big contract.

While the fourth-round pick's overall production was modest, he flashed the capability of being a starting running back when called upon. He posted 0.91 fantasy points per opportunity as a rookie.

Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears

The thunder to D'Andre Swift's lightning, Kyle Monangai quickly carved out a role in the Chicago offense, despite being a seventh-round pick.

As the 1B, especially in the back half of the season, Monangai finished his rookie campaign with 783 rushing yards (on 4.6 yards per carry) and five touchdowns.

With head coach Ben Johnson at the helm, the run-heavy offensive attack may be here to stay. The Bears averaged the fifth-most run plays per game in 2025.

Monangai's role in that backfield is arguably more secure than Swift's. The latter has been subject to trade and/or replacement rumors since Johnson arrived. There may be a new 1A, but Monangai isn't going anywhere as the change-of-pace back.

WR Fantasy Football Breakouts and Risers

Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears

It would be somewhat of a surprise to see DJ Moore on Chicago's roster when the 2026 season kicks off. He's not a cut candidate due to dead money, but there's a trade market for the veteran wide receiver, so the Bears can make room for the young crop of pass-catchers.

Alongside Loveland (more on him later), Luther Burden III is a blossoming star for the Chicago offense. It was a slow start for the second-round pick. He had negative receiving yards in three of his first seven games, being utilized as an extension of the run game.

With a more varied route tree later in the season, Burden finished the year with 2.83 yards per route run. That figure only trailed Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. It's never bad to have your name mentioned alongside those fantasy MVPs.

Luther Burden III so shifty

CHIvsSF on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/UgTbVoXGZB

— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2025

If Moore is indeed dealt this offseason, Burden's target numbers will take a massive leap. He already had a 25% target rate on his routes.

Pat Bryant, Denver Broncos

A pair of ill-timed injuries prevented Pat Bryant from making a name for himself on the national stage. The third-round pick played a total of 12 snaps (and still caught four passes) across two Denver playoff games, just as he was entrenching himself as the Broncos' WR2. 21 of Bryant's 31 catches during the regular season came in his final five games.

There are obvious downsides to Bryant: Bo Nix isn't a downfield passer, the Broncos have a great defense, and Sean Payton is dedicated to a wide receiver rotation. Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr. took turns as the second option behind Courtland Sutton.

His involvement at the end of the season points to a rookie learning how to play at the pro level. The hope is that it's a sign of things to come in Year 2, and not just his turn as second on the depth chart.

Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks

Don't forget about the name Tory Horton.

An obvious red-zone threat from the start, Horton scored five touchdowns (and a sixth on a punt return) on just 13 catches in his rookie season. An injury in Week 9 ended his season, the Seahawks traded for Rashid Shaheed, and the buzz on the fifth-round pick quickly dissipated.

Shaheed is a free agent. Cooper Kupp is about to turn 33. Kupp will be back in 2026, but there's still an opportunity for fantasy relevance behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

TE Fantasy Football Breakouts and Risers

Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

The highest-drafted rookie on this list, Colston Loveland, has expectations that are, in a word, greatness. Unlike his counterparts, Warren and Harold Fannin Jr., Loveland took some time to flash all-world potential, let alone become a startable fantasy asset.

The Cincinnati game notwithstanding (because which tight end didn't explode against the Bengals?), Loveland's breakout coincided with Rome Odunze's injury-induced absence.

The Michigan product averaged 15.2 PPR fantasy points from Week 14 through Chicago's elimination in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, including double-digit targets in the final four games, two of which Odunze played and started.

But the most impressive statistic of Loveland's rookie season points toward his emergence, independent of Odunze. When Loveland, Odunze, and Burden were on the field together, the tight end commanded a 33% target rate.

Oronde Gadsden II, Los Angeles Chargers

We got the briefest glimpse of potential from Oronde Gadsden II before the Los Angeles offensive line went from bad to worse.

From Weeks 6 through 9, Gadsden was the TE1 (TE2 by average, thanks to Trey McBride's bye week). He snagged 24 receptions for 377 yards and two scores in that stretch. The fantasy community was abuzz about the rookie who would become a waiver-wire league winner.

Gadsden's return to Earth was far more situational than anything he did. Tackle Joe Alt, the anchor of the offensive line, was lost to injury. While he's listed as a tight end, Gadsden profiles more as a big-bodied wide receiver. In fact, he was a wide receiver for two years in college before making the switch.

So, with Alt out of the lineup, Gadsden's snap counts declined, as HC Jim Harbaugh opted for blocking assistance, whether that was Will Dissly, Scott Matlock, or Tucker Fisk.

With Alt and Rashawn Slater returning in 2026 (and the Chargers, presumably, making transactions to bolster the line), Gadsden can play more down the field. And with Mike McDaniel running the offense, his ceiling will be extremely high.

Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams

Ferguson's basic production (11-231-3) doesn't match the hype that head coach Sean McVay is giving him this offseason.

“He's everything and that much more than I hoped he would be, and I had tremendously high hopes for him, and I think that he's gonna be a huge part of what we're gonna do for years to come,” McVay said, via Rams Wire.

An injury in training camp contributed to a slow start for the second-round draft pick, and truth be told, he never had a true breakout game. But the Rams shifted personnel packages, in part due to Ferguson's 6'5" frame and ability to threaten downfield. He led tight ends in deep targets, despite finishing 54th in overall targets.

Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington lost snaps to 13 personnel. That could continue even without veteran Tyler Higbee next season, who is a free agent. It's clear, too, that Ferguson has far more potential than Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen. A Tucker Kraft-esque breakout for Ferguson seems plausible, especially since he plays for one of the best offenses in football.

Gunnar Helm, Tennessee Titans

Gunnar Helm did just enough to quietly make a name for himself, but Tennessee's offseason transactions could open the door for more opportunities. The fourth-round pick caught 44 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns across 16 appearances, with his name mentioned several times as a late-season speculative add.

However, Chig Okonkwo stood in the way. He wasn't necessarily a fantasy asset, either, catching 56 balls for 560 yards. But Okonkwo is a free agent, and if the Titans believe in Helm's potential, they should let him walk. That would open up another 75+ targets. Helm would go from a part-time player to a full-time starting tight end.

We're still in a see-it-to-believe-it state for both Helm and the Tennessee offense as a whole, but the 23-year-old is a cheap addition with upside.

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