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Dave's top seven late-round fliers and lottery tickets for 2026 fantasy football leagues. His cheap value picks with upside, including Malik Willis and more.
Each year, many fantasy gamers make the mistake of largely ignoring the later rounds of their drafts. They wrongfully assume these picks are meaningless and don't put much effort into making them. What these managers fail to realize is that there are still a plethora of players in the latter stages of drafts who could help their fantasy teams.
Sure, the odds of them hitting are lower. But every year we see no-name players emerge off waivers and morph into valuable fantasy assets. So, why not use your last few picks to get ahead of the crowd and try to nab that diamond in the rough yourself? That's what we're aiming to do today as we’ll be analyzing ESPN ADP (average draft position) data to identify several players who carry more upside than some gamers realize. All of the players listed below are currently being selected outside of the top 150 picks in ESPN fantasy football drafts.
Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and download the RotoBaller app for all your fantasy football needs. Here are seven late-round fliers to select in your 2026 fantasy football draft.
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Jordan Mason - RB, Minnesota Vikings
ESPN ADP: 156.5 Overall
Mason was a popular sleeper last year. Even though fellow running back Aaron Jones Sr. missed five games and proved relatively ineffective, Mason could only muster 758 rushing yards on 159 carries. Some of that can be blamed on the surprisingly poor performance of Minnesota's offense, which was largely due to J.J. McCarthy's completely underwhelming play.
However, despite less subpar circumstances, Mason still averaged 4.8 yards per carry and fared well in several advanced metrics. Among backs with 90+ rush attempts, Mason ranked:
- Sixth in rush yards over expected per attempt per Next Gen Stats
- Ninth in PFF rushing grade
- 11th in total rush yards over expected per Next Gen Stats
- 15th in PFF elusive rating
Head coach Kevin O'Connell has stated that he'd like to get the team's ground game back on track this year. With Jones now 31 years old and coming off an injury-plagued, poor season (Jones posted a career-worst 4.2 yards per carry and finished worse than Mason in all of the above metrics), we could see Mason earn more work this year.
That makes him a pretty appealing pick at this ADP. If Kyler Murray's presence can elevate this offense back to its previous heights under O'Connell, then Mason could be a very sneaky league winner.
Jordan Love - QB, Green Bay Packers
ESPN ADP: 159.3 Overall
Love did not have the monster season that some analysts (pointing the finger squarely at myself here) thought he would in 2025. He threw for a career-worst 3,381 passing yards and only threw 23 passing touchdowns.
Lost in all the raw stats, though, was that Love still played very well. Among 45 quarterbacks with 100+ dropbacks last year, Love ranked:
- First in EPA per attempt in a clean pocket per Sharp Football
- Second in EPA per attempt when blitzed per Sharp Football
- 13th in adjusted completion percentage per Fantasy Points Data Suite
- 16th in catchable throw percentage per Fantasy Points Data Suite
- 38th in turnover-worthy throw rate (lower is better) per Fantasy Points Data Suite
Unfortunately, all of this did not translate to much fantasy production. Injuries to Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson, and Jayden Reed didn't help matters either. However, the above data does show that Love is one of the better passers in the league, and he might just be the NFL's most underrated signal-caller.
Another positive is that Love did post a third straight season with an above-average touchdown rate (5.2%) in 2025. This continues to show that he is capable of delivering a monster outlier touchdown season.
It just hasn’t materialized yet because head coach and play caller Matt LaFleur insists on running the offense through the ground game instead of through its star quarterback.
Things might finally change this year, though. The Packers reportedly are hoping to pick up their pace of play in 2026. That would be a welcome change for a team that ranked 22nd in offensive plays per game last year.
Green Bay’s defense could also take a step back after stellar defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley left the team to become head coach of the Miami Dolphins. That would force the Packers to play from behind more often and would lead to an increase in passing production for Love.
If you’re a late-round quarterback advocate, or if you’re in a superflex league and are looking for a cheap QB2, Love is a great target. He has a higher ceiling than many people think. If he hits, he'll give your team a nice edge at the quarterback position for a significantly lower cost.
Stefon Diggs - WR, Washington Commanders
ESPN ADP: 162.5 Overall
Diggs recently signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Washington Commanders. He should immediately slide into the team's WR2 role behind Terry McLaurin.
Diggs is now 32 years old and turns 33 in November. This is an age where we have seen many wide receivers fall off a cliff. However, despite coming off a significant knee injury, Diggs was highly effective for the New England Patriots last year. He posted an 85-1013-4 line on a team-high 102 targets and led New England in both receptions and receiving yards.
This angle of the Diggs TD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GWBskOLMO2
— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026
Washington was in desperate need of additional pass-catchers before they signed Diggs. Pairing him with another young, talented quarterback in Jayden Daniels is also good news for his fantasy prospects.
Diggs should be in line for a large role in Washington's offense and should be a very useful weapon in the short/intermediate passing game. As long as his game doesn't fall off a cliff, Diggs should be a viable flex play in PPR leagues with weekly top-24 upside.
Terrance Ferguson TE, Los Angeles Rams
ESPN ADP: 167th Overall
Ferguson didn’t produce much in the way of fantasy results during his rookie year. However, he flashed plenty of big-play upside when he did contribute.
Terrance gets his first career TD!
📺 @NFLNetwork | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/bTvMRBcJ9p
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 19, 2025
Rams head coach Sean McVay has done nothing but praise Ferguson since the 2025 season ended. It has been reported this summer that Ferguson is expected to make a significant leap in Year 2, and that he could have a more prominent role in the Rams' offense.
Terrance Ferguson Drawing High Praise After Strong Offseason https://t.co/8MzXa25Pfr
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 1, 2026
While McVay’s offenses have not traditionally utilized tight ends at a high rate, the Rams did significantly increase the amount of two- and three-tight-end sets they ran last year. That means it’s very possible Ferguson can emerge as a more consistent fantasy producer.
When you throw in the fact that Davante Adams is now 33 years old and struggled with a soft tissue injury last year, there is a world where Ferguson emerges as the Rams’ de facto WR2.
That’s enough to make Ferguson a good dart throw for managers who punt on tight end in their fantasy draft.
Malik Willis - QB, Miami Dolphins
ESPN ADP: 167.1 Overall
Willis takes over as the Dolphins' new QB1 this year. He’s shown flashes of upside over the last two seasons while making a few spot starts for Love.
MALIK WILLIS TO CHRISTIAN WATSON TIES IT UP
BALvsGB on @peacock
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/HovaSsIRM6— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025
One passing TD
One rushing TDA strong first half for Malik Willis 😤
BALvsGB on @peacock
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3VFkKj7pwO— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2025
Willis offers gamers a safe floor thanks to his rushing ability. That will be a real asset to gamers, especially those who play in four-point passing touchdown leagues. The real issue with Willis will be his passing output.
Willis struggled as a passer during his days with the Tennessee Titans. While he looked like an improved player with the Green Bay Packers, it was in an extremely small sample size. It remains to be seen if those gains were real or just a flash in the pan.
The Dolphins also have by far the worst group of pass-catchers in the NFL. That also dings Willis’ outlook. However, rushing quarterbacks have long been fantasy cheat codes.
Willis’ legs should be useful enough to keep him in the backend QB1 conversation each week. If his supposed improvements as a passer prove legitimate, then he could wind up being the best value at the position.
Selecting Willis is not without risk, as there’s a real chance the Dolphins lose a ton of games. If that happens and Willis proves ineffective leading the offense, then the coaching staff could bench him in favor of other options to spark the offense.
Luckily, the risk of Willis losing his starting job is baked into his ADP. Just make sure you pair him with a safer option like Matthew Stafford or Jared Goff to offset the risk in case he gets benched or doesn’t pan out.
De’Zhaun Stribling - WR, San Francisco 49ers
ESPN ADP: 169th Overall
Stribling was selected by San Francisco with the 33rd pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. His selection was a bit of a head-scratcher, as most analysts/pundits were perplexed why San Francisco selected him so highly.
This has resulted in Stribling being largely overlooked in dynasty rookie drafts and completely ignored in traditional redraft leagues. However, that could be a mistake, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that several teams had Stribling ranked very high on their draft boards.
Initially, it looked like Stribling would have a tough path to relevancy as a rookie. He would be stuck competing for targets with Ricky Pearsall, Mike Evans, George Kittle, and Christian Kirk. However, Pearsall recently had surgery for a lingering knee injury while Evans, Kittle, and Kirk are aging players who’ve had their own injury struggles and could miss time once the 2026 season begins.
With Pearsall being out for the year, it now opens up a realistic path for Stribling to play a significant role on offense sooner than expected. We’ll likely see an increase in Stribling’s ADP as we inch closer to the season. However, it likely still won’t put him on the map in most home/casual leagues.
It’s also important to remember that the 49ers took Stribling at the top of Round 2 in the NFL Draft. They have conviction in the player, clearly have a specific role/plan ready for him, and will be motivated to show that he was indeed a good pick.
Stribling has also drawn rave reviews so far in camp, so it’s possible the fantasy community could be primed to take a massive L on him.
De'Zhaun Stribling Continues to Impress as Starting Role is in Reach https://t.co/RoBAvzJ2h2
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) July 31, 2026
Jameis Winston - QB, New York Giants
ESPN ADP: 169.9 Overall
This one pertains exclusively to managers in superflex and two-quarterback leagues. Winston is currently backing up Jaxson Dart. That’s significant because Dart was in and out of the lineup last year due to concussion concerns. Dart is talented, but his play style is reckless and could lead to injuries that force him to miss time.
That would put Winston in line for QB1 duties. While he has his flaws, we all know Winston carries a ton of fantasy football upside whenever he’s on the field.
JAMEIS WINSTON RECEIVING TD FROM Gunner Olszewski.
NYGvsDET on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/A5D17S03R3
— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025
Given Dart’s style of play, Winston is one of the better bench stashes in super flex and two-quarterback formats.
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