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Ryan Kirksey's fantasy football sleepers, busts, risers and fallers for 2026. Which players' training camp performances have affected their ADP and fantasy values?
NFL training camps are one of the best opportunities fantasy football managers have to dissect information and news that can help lead to a better understanding of a player's outlook before the season begins. Preseason game statistics can sometimes be misleading, so information from camp, like usage, personnel patterns, and what unit they are practicing with, can reveal important details ahead of fantasy football drafts.
A player earning first-team reps, running routes ahead of other players, or consistently getting praise from coaches can be a signal that average draft position (ADP) is going to move soon. In the same way, players losing reps, falling behind teammates, or missing practice can see their fantasy football values sharply decline. Paying attention to this news is vitally important.
This piece will look at four fantasy football risers and four fallers based on news out of training camp over the last few weeks. As we get closer and closer to the season and draft season moves into high gear, it is more important than ever to follow camp news and usage patterns to get a sense of a player's appropriate ADP.
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Fantasy Football Training Camp Risers
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
Jonathon Brooks' ADP is going to skyrocket after his performance on Friday night in the Panthers' second preseason game. In that contest, he rushed for 24 yards on six carries, caught a pass for seven yards, and rushed for a touchdown as well. It was much better than his three-carry, five-yard totals from the first game, and it looks more and more like Brooks is rounding into shape after missing a year with an ACL injury.
Jonathan Brooks takes it in with ease
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/5G93XLLifV
— NFL (@NFL) August 21, 2026
In the early summer, Carolina's backfield was projected to be dominated by Chuba Hubbard, but Brooks now appears poised to have a huge role and could eventually take over the RB1 job, even before the first month of the season is over. His ADP was already climbing, and it appears that won't stop unless some unexpected news or injury comes.
His usage with the first-team offense in the Friday game and in camp should be a clear sign Brooks has a major role ahead of him.
Pat Bryant, WR, Denver Broncos
While many fantasy managers' eyes have been focusing on the running back battle at the Denver Broncos' training camp, the real winner so far this summer from a fantasy perspective has been Pat Bryant. He is clearly the frontrunner for the Broncos' WR3 role behind Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton, but there are indications he could be used as much, if not more, than Sutton this season.
Bryant caught 31 of his 49 targets for 378 yards last season, good for a 12.2 yards per reception number. He was a big-play receiver, which reminded the Broncos of why they picked him with a top-75 selection out of Illinois.
Bryant is currently going after pick 200 in average ADP, so he is basically a free agent in drafts right now that you can throw on the end of your bench and watch to see if he overtakes the veteran Sutton, who will be 31 years old in less than two months.
K.C. Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns
K.C. Concepcion already had the reputation as a big-play, reliable receiver coming out of Texas A&M, but now his glowing camp reports and preseason performance have pushed him to the top of the pecking order in the Cleveland wide receiver room. He and fellow rookie Denzel Boston are outshining everyone else in camp through the first month.
After 919 yards and nine touchdowns last season, Cleveland selected Concepcion 24th overall in the draft, so he has the draft capital and performance that backs up what we are seeing in camp. Concepcion also appears to be involved in multiple personnel groupings, and his touchdown in the first preseason week was on an incredible designed rushing play.
All of this news should help him see his ADP rise from around pick 125 right now.
Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Even with Keenan Allen's recent signing, the Indianapolis Colts appear to be preparing to expand Josh Downs' role beyond just an inside receiver. The Colts have said publicly they want to move Downs all around the formation rather than have him stick in one traditional role. The fact that Alec Pierce's recovery from an ankle injury has gone very slowly only increases the chances that Downs' usage and target share are up over last season.
His 2024 season could be more relevant if we assume an expanding role. In that season, Downs caught 72 of 107 targets for 803 yards and five touchdowns. That was in just 14 games, so 120 targets and 1,000 yards is certainly within reach, especially if Pierce is slow to come back. A lot also depends on Daniel Jones recovering and playing well after his Achilles injury, but all signs point to him being ready to start the season as the QB1 again.
Fantasy Football Training Camp Fallers
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is the other side of the coin of Concepcion having such a good camp and looking like the new WR1 for the Cleveland Browns. Concepcion and Boston have moved ahead of him, and Jerry Jeudy does not look like a favored receiver in two-wide receiver sets and will battle with Isaiah Bond and Cedric Tillman for the WR3 role.
This doesn't even take into account the fact that the Browns want Harold Fannin Jr. to be a featured receiver at tight end, and they want to establish the run game with Quinshon Judkins. There's also the variable that this might not be a highly functioning offense with either Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders at quarterback.
Jeudy might have been thought of as a WR2-WR3 candidate in the spring, but that perception has certainly fallen this summer.
Jaydon Blue, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Coming into the beginning of the Cowboys' training camp, Jaydon Blue was thought to be the primary backup for running back Javonte Williams. However, the eye-popping talent of Malik Davis has seen Blue's stock drop over the last few weeks. Davis rushed for 39 yards on seven carries in their first preseason game, while Blue managed only 2.4 yards per carry.
Davis is also a more physical, between-the-tackles type of running back who can play a more one-for-one backup to Williams. Blue might still be preferred on third downs and in some two-minute drills, but the chances that he gets 12-14 touches per game are diminishing every time Davis does something to impress the coaches.
With all of the controversy surrounding Blue in his rookie season in 2025, the Cowboys aren't just going to hand Blue the backup job, and right now it looks like Davis is winning it.
Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants
Cam Skattebo is coming off a significant ankle injury in 2025, but that's not the only reason his stock has dropped in New York Giants training camp. He has actually looked fully healthy and explosive in camp, but the external environment around him is giving fantasy managers some reason for concern as we get closer and closer to the season.
Skattebo's role as a no-doubt RB1 may not be as secure as we might have initially hoped.
Cam Skattebo is not fully healthy, though Harbaugh cited his quickness, feel and explosiveness in game action.
“John Harbaugh: I got to see him for the first time in a game and I don't think he's 100%. He would say he's not, but I got to see what about him already. I saw the… pic.twitter.com/LP348Y7ozL
— MicNuggets (@micnuggetsnfl) August 17, 2026
The Giants already have Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary behind him, and have now signed Najee Harris to the squad as well. It remains to be seen if Harris will make the team or if he is just another warm camp body, but he was brought in after Tracy missed on pass protection and got Jaxson Dart lit up in a preseason game.
The more experienced, proven NFL running backs the Giants employ, the higher the chance that they use those backs to keep Skattebo fresh and healthy during the season. I would not, at this point, project Skattebo to have a full-time, three-down role as the season begins.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints
Rookie Jordyn Tyson was having a "great camp" according to beat reporters, and was looking like an amazing complementary piece to Chris Olave when another hamstring injury forced him to the sidelines. We now have confirmation that Tyson will miss two months with what has been his fourth different hamstring problem over the last two years.
Now, he will miss valuable reps with Tyler Shough and the high-octane Kellen Moore offense.
The hope is that Tyson will return in October and be able to play most of the season, but the risk for re-injury is high. Tyson's talent remains elite, but even with the best trainers and coaches on the planet, he can't seem to cure these hamstring problems, so fantasy managers need to adjust. And they need to not just adjust for the missed time, but for the possibility that something could happen again after Tyson returns.
He needs to fall out of the top 10 rounds in drafts for the time being.
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Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Draft tool for 2026 drafts for Josh Downs, Pat Bryant, KC Concepcion, Jonathon Brooks, Jerry Jeudy, Jaydon Blue, Jordyn Tyson, Cam Skattebo:
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