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Dan Fornek's fantasy football breakout candidates for third-year players. His 2026 sleepers to target in drafts include Xavier Worthy, MarShawn Lloyd, Ryan Flournoy, and more.
For many years, the expectation among fantasy managers and football fans was that players would have a significant jump in production in their third season. However, there have been so many rookies who have had fantasy-relevant seasons in recent years that our expectations have shifted.
That shift in perspective has forced younger players up in the draft while letting “older” third-year veterans slip. Fantasy managers who can find those values often get a big contributor from a player who is considered underwhelming to start their career.
For this article, we will define a “sleeper” as a player going outside the top-100 picks on Underdog Fantasy since they have a substantial dataset at this point in the offseason. Let’s dive in.
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Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Many football fans were frustrated when Xavier Worthy was drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Worthy had broken the NFL Combine 40-yard dash record (4.21 seconds) and landed on a team in desperate need of high speed to pair with Patrick Mahomes.
Worthy got plenty of opportunities and had a solid rookie season, catching 59 of 98 targets for 638 yards and six touchdowns. The team also made the most of his speed, giving Worthy 20 carries for 104 yards and three touchdowns. His fantasy production was inconsistent (11.0 PPR points per game, WR40), but there was good reason to believe he’d take a step in 2025.
Unfortunately, Worthy collided with tight end Travis Kelce three snaps into the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers and suffered a significant shoulder injury. He ultimately was able to return in Week 4, but was in a restrictive harness. Worthy saw his production dip across the board (73 targets, 42 receptions, 532 receiving yards, and a touchdown), disappointing fantasy managers who bought into his growth.
Dial it up to Xavier Worthy on 4th down
DETvsKC on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/Qkj5U8Th5l— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2025
Head coach Andy Reid suggested that the injury changed how Kansas City wanted to utilize Worthy throughout the season. However, the former first-round pick is now healthy and ready to take that next step. Mahomes is seemingly on track to play in Week 1 (that can change), and it is hard to trust Rashee Rice after he had to rehab from knee surgery in jail this offseason.
It won’t be shocking if Worthy emerges as the best option among the pass-catchers in Kansas City in 2026.
MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers
It is understandably difficult to trust MarShawn Lloyd in fantasy, considering he has three times more games missed over his first two seasons (35) than he does snaps played (10). He missed the entire 2025 season thanks to a hamstring injury in the preseason, followed up by a calf strain late in the year.
Lloyd is once again healthy in 2026 and has a golden opportunity to make an impact in both real life and fantasy. Josh Jacobs is currently under investigation for a domestic incident and could face a suspension if any charges are filed. The Packers also need a complement in the backfield to help keep Jacobs fresh after an uneven 2025 season.
Among 49 running backs with at least 101 carries, Jacobs ranked 45th in yards before contact (1.3), 30th in explosive run rate (9.8%), and 20th in stuffed run rate (17.9%). The Packers also remained committed to controlling his workload, dropping his snap share to 59% after he played 63% of his snaps in his first year with the team.
According to early beat reports, Lloyd has looked explosive as a rusher and a pass-catcher throughout OTAs. If he can stay on the field so the coaching staff can continue to put trust in him, he has everything the Packers are looking for in a complement for Jacobs.
His injury history will also keep his ADP suppressed throughout the summer (unless Jacobs is suspended), making him an excellent upside swing late in drafts.
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Like MarShawn Lloyd, Carolina Panthers 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks has failed to generate much value thanks to injuries. Brooks missed the first 10 games of his rookie season recovering from an ACL injury that he suffered during his final season at Texas.
He made his debut in Week 12 of the 2024 season, but played just 23 snaps in his first three games before reinjuring his ACL. The Panthers sat him for the entire 2025 season to ensure his knee had more than enough time to heal.
That turns 2026 into a prove-it year for the third-year running back. The Panthers are fresh off a surprising playoff berth in 2025 and looking to take the next step as a team in 2026.
The team also let veteran running back Rico Dowdle leave in free agency after he played a crucial role in the backfield (236 carries for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns with 50 targets, 39 receptions, 297 receiving yards, and a touchdown) at points in 2025.
Their willingness to let Dowdle walk, combined with virtually no moves to replace him in the running back room (no offense, AJ Dillon), signals that the team believes Brooks is ready to be a part of its ascending offense.
That leaves just Chuba Hubbard (134 carries for 511 yards and one touchdown with 39 targets, 30 receptions, 223 receiving yards, and three touchdowns in 15 games) as the lone competition for touches.
Brooks has already drawn rave reviews for his explosiveness throughout OTAs. He’s also been a fast riser in early drafts thanks to fantasy managers believing in his hype despite suffering two significant knee injuries that have limited him to just nine carries and three targets in 2024.
Hubbard has never been a strong pass-catching back, so a healthy Brooks could fill an important (and fantasy-friendly) void in the Panthers offense next season. If he impresses there, he could siphon more work on the ground, making him a good boom-or-bust risk in the double-digit fantasy rounds.
Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins 2024 sixth-round pick Malik Washington has had opportunities to play in his first two seasons despite being behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the depth chart.
Washington logged a 45% snap share as a rookie with minimal production (36 targets, 26 receptions, and 223 receiving yards with five carries for 25 yards and a touchdown), but stepped into a bigger role in his second season thanks to injuries.
In 2025, he increased his snap share to 57% while also taking on a bigger role in Miami’s offense, catching 46 of 65 targets for 317 yards and three touchdowns while adding 17 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown.
Quinn Ewers throws it to a wide open Malik Washington to get the @MiamiDolphins on the board
MIAvsNE on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/rKgZFqk3du
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2026
Both Hill (free agent) and Waddle (trade) are gone now, allowing Washington to step into a role as the team’s leading receiver in 2026.
The Dolphins made minor moves in free agency (Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell) to replace Hill and Waddle’s production. They also made modest investments in the 2026 draft, adding Louisville’s Chris Bell and Texas Tech’s Caleb Douglas in the third round, along with Missouri wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. in the fifth round.
Washington has earned positive reviews throughout minicamp and OTAs and should be considered the favorite to lead Miami’s pass-catchers in 2026. If Miami’s offense can find its footing quickly with Malik Willis under center, that could help him be a fantasy contributor next season.
Ryan Flournoy, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Like Malik Washington, Ryan Flournoy was a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Flournoy did not see the same level of opportunity with the Dallas Cowboys in his rookie season (14 targets, 10 receptions, and 102 yards in 11 games), but still saw the field.
However, Flournoy was given more opportunities in his second season and made the most of them, setting him up for a chance to see his role grow in 2026.
An early season injury to CeeDee Lamb helped Flournoy see an expanded role as a complement to George Pickens early in the season. He logged his first game with a 50% or higher snap share against the Jets in Week 5 and flashed his playmaking ability, catching six of nine targets for 114 yards.
Flournoy struggled to see consistent work after that, but once again earned a strong role toward the end of the season, starting in Week 14. His best game of the season happened in Week 14 (13 targets, nine receptions, 115 yards, and a touchdown), but he saw a consistent snap share over the final four games (he missed Week 17 with an injury).
By the end of the season, he had taken control of the WR3 spot in the Cowboys offense from veteran Jalen Tolbert.
Dak finds a WIDE OPEN Ryan Flournoy for the 42-yard TD!
DALvsDET on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TI7rwgPKAy— NFL (@NFL) December 5, 2025
Tolbert is no longer a Cowboy, so the runway is clear for Flournoy to be the full-time third receiver behind Lamb and Pickens. Pickens did not show up throughout the voluntary part of the offseason program (he reported for mandatory minicamp), giving Flournoy a chance to impress coaches and establish rapport with quarterback Dak Prescott.
Flournoy may struggle to earn consistent work while competing with Lamb and Pickens, but he could also benefit from defenses focusing on them. That could lead to ideal matchups in coverage and a career-best season in 2026.
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