5 Fantasy Football Sleepers on New Teams: Redraft Values

May 16, 2026

John breaks down his top-5 fantasy football sleepers on new teams for 2026. John's top players who could be values in redraft leagues and who you should target in your drafts.

We don't need to see players thriving in new situations after their ADP fell due to some poor seasons anymore to know what we now know -- NFL players can get big bumps in production thanks to moving to a new offense. We saw it in 2024 with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, for example.

Last season, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens was perhaps the best example of this. He finally saw his upside unlocked and put up monster games as the de facto WR1 for his new team. His ADP has jumped massively as a result from last year to this year.

It's probably better if I'm upfront in saying that you might be hard-pressed to find someone as good as Pickens in the later rounds of fantasy drafts this season. But there are five players you should probably have your eyes on as draft sleepers who are on new teams this year. Let's dive in and break them down below!

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers offense isn't one I'm typically interested in investing in. But we'll finally get an offense that isn't so obsessed with running the ball as much as possible. The Steelers let go of former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and hired a new head coach, Mike McCarthy, for the 2026 season.

McCarthy is well-known for utilizing three-WR sets heavily. Pittman struggled a bit last season after a hot streak, but he was playing through a broken back, so it's not hard to imagine why. The Steelers will probably re-sign veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is still capable of supporting somewhat-relevant fantasy wideouts.

New Steelers WR Michael Pittman Jr.

Running a wrap-in vs. Tampa-2, you can see him tempo the route to avoid running himself into trouble over the middle of the field.

Triangle technique at the catch point, doesn't leave his feet, quick to tuck it into his body.

Teach tape. pic.twitter.com/7cDg04us8z

— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) March 11, 2026

Pittman is a very fundamentally sound receiver. He has a high football IQ, is dependable, has good hands, runs routes well, and makes excellent decisions on how to run his routes, what to do at the catch point, and what to do after the catch. He also has a good size.

Pittman could take over the WR1 role for the Steelers from DK Metcalf, who struggled last season. Metcalf isn't a great route runner and is pretty miserable at the catch point. Rodgers showed visible frustration with him multiple times last season. And Pittman's injury and the Steelers' recent offenses are reasons Pittman's ADP is low.

He's a nice value to pick up in the later rounds as a bye-week fill-in or a flex starter. He's perhaps the least-hyped potential WR1 for a team in the NFL, and those are guys you should lean into. McCarthy's offenses have produced massive seasons for their WR1, so there's reason to believe Pittman has good upside.

Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

As of now, RB Bhayshul Tuten is expected to be the favorite to take over the starting job for the Jaguars. But he had a rough time last season and struggled to produce with limited volume. He did deal with shoulder injuries, but his advanced efficiency metrics weren't incredible.

Rodriguez has a far lower ADP than Tuten, and while Tuten will likely be the lead back, the best value might be with Rodriguez. He'll be extremely cheap in redraft leagues. Tuten is not a great pass protector -- it's fellow second-year RB LeQuint Allen Jr. who will be on the field for a lot of passing downs to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

LeQuint Allen chips in pass pro are not for the faint of heart pic.twitter.com/bn2CnZkC2W

— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) December 15, 2025

Rodriguez's best trait in 2025 was picking up rushing yards over expectation. RB Travis Etienne Jr., the team's lead back last year, also did a fine job with just that. Tuten's lack of vision has made it difficult for him to maximize his gains with what the defense gives him, though.

Tuten might not be consistent enough to get a clear workhorse RB1 role with the team, and that makes it difficult to use a pick inside the first four rounds on him. It also might not be wise to pass up on RBs in the earlier rounds as part of your draft strategy. Tuten has a lot of upside, but there are too many questions swirling right now.

And if Tuten were to get hurt, Rodriguez could have a massive role as the team's RB1. They lack much rushing talent behind him on the depth chart. He's worth a dart throw in the late rounds.

Keaton Mitchell, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

All signs point to Los Angeles Chargers lead running back Omarion Hampton having a massive season in 2026, featuring plenty of volume and a ton of production in both the running and passing games. But the Chargers hired new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to be the architect of their offense.

McDaniel showed us in 2023 that he was capable of pushing two running backs into the fantasy RB1 conversation with Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, and he could very well do the same, perhaps to a lesser degree, with Hampton and RB Keaton Mitchell.

.@_KeatonMitchell picking up where he left off❗❗❗

Tune in on FOX pic.twitter.com/8QaaVoimv3

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 12, 2023

Mitchell has elite speed. While that alone doesn't make him a fantasy value, we've seen McDaniel use his players' speed to exploit defenses, helping them put up massive numbers in fantasy football. 2023 saw Mostert, Achane, and wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle all have huge seasons thanks to their former head coach's schemes.

McDaniel is highly creative, and he's bound to find a way to make Mitchell a great value in best ball, at least. As a handcuff to Hampton, he's still quite good, and it's possible he could have plenty of standalone value, especially in deeper leagues.

This is why you keep Keaton Mitchell active and in a Baltimore Ravens uniform, he provides a different more explosive option to the rushing attack! pic.twitter.com/RFPL0IF8uf

— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) December 11, 2025

Mitchell having the same success as someone like Achane seems pretty difficult, but he'll be another year removed from his ACL tear, which will help him regain some of the elite burst he showed in his rookie season. He's a match made in heaven for McDaniel.

Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Evans will probably be the WR1 for San Francisco in 2026. And he's stepping into a situation in which he could get a high number of targets early in the season. Evans' health is a legitimate concern -- he seems to be bothered by something nearly every season.

It wouldn't have been a huge surprise if he had retired after the 2025 season. He suffered a hamstring injury as well as a knockout blow that gave him a concussion and broke his collarbone while laying out for a deep pass. But the 49ers will be without WR Jauan Jennings next season, and elite TE George Kittle (Achilles) tore his Achilles tendon near the end of last season.

Touchdown Bucs! Mike Evans!

Temos um djoko? 👀

📺: #NFLnaESPN | DAZN
🔗🎟: NFL IN BRASA. https://t.co/1tC7A6xS88 pic.twitter.com/lS26Pllhqx

— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) January 21, 2024

Evans was still an excellent weapon downfield and in the red zone, and could end up with 10 or more touchdown catches in the elite offensive system of 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Evans might not play all 17 games, but he's a great best-ball pick and should be a starting wideout all season in redraft.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Denver Broncos

Waddle is probably the Broncos' WR1 in 2026. Denver hasn't had a major speed threat at WR in a while now, and not under the tutelage of head coach Sean Payton. And Waddle hasn't been his team's WR1 for a full season yet since his rookie year, thanks to Tyreek Hill, as aforementioned.

But Waddle seems to have untapped potential. His per-route efficiency has been elite for some time now. He struggles with staying healthy, but in Hill's absence last season, he was quite good. And that was with a quarterback who's now not even starting for the 2026 season -- at least that's not the plan for now.

WADDLE WADDLE 🐧

📺: #GBvsMIA on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/AwrcEGB7Ry pic.twitter.com/da57tQp9GM

— NFL (@NFL) December 25, 2022

Denver could benefit from a great after-the-catch weapon, and that's what Waddle can be when healthy and given the opportunity.

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