👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Dynasty Fantasy Football Sleepers: Undervalued NFL Trade Targets (2026)

Wide Receivers to AVOID In 2025 Fantasy Football

Andrew Ball's dynasty fantasy football sleepers to target in trades for 2026. His top sneaky sleeper trade targets and values for 2026 fantasy football leagues.

You get a Sleeper notification on your phone. A trade has been made in your dynasty league. As the league page loads, you wonder what it could be. Did someone pull off a blockbuster for Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Did a bottom-feeder commit to a rebuild and part ways with Christian McCaffrey?

Oh, he traded for Chris Rodriguez Jr.? That's a yawner.

It may not be exciting as a third party, but those under-the-radar players can bring upside and optimism to a bench, and that's thrilling in its own right. Here are four sneaky dynasty trade targets for the 2026 offseason.

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Emanuel Wilson - RB, Seattle Seahawks

Initially, when Kenneth Walker III took his Super Bowl MVP trophy to Kansas City, X was abuzz with posts about the fit with the Chiefs and what he could be for fantasy football. The dynasty sickos looked the other way, asking, what is Seattle going to do with its backfield?

Zach Charbonnet, who tore his ACL in mid-January, likely won't be ready for the beginning of the season. He may not even be active by the midway point, unless he pulls a Jayson Tatum-esque comeback and is the Week 1 starter.

The popular belief was that it'd sign one of the second-tier free-agent running backs, a la Tyler Allgeier or Rico Dowdle. The initial wave of contracts came and went without a notable signing in Seattle. So, eyes turned toward the upcoming NFL Draft.

Jeremiyah Love will be long gone by the time Seattle is on the clock, and no other runner profiles as a first-round pick. Who is the second-best running back prospect? It depends on who you ask.

Jadarian Price and Jonah Coleman are the most common names you hear about. Mike Washington Jr. is getting a lot of buzz following his NFL Combine performance. The Penn State guys are interesting. But are any of those guys ready to handle a primary back workload in Week 1?

Just on an early opportunity, Emanuel Wilson seems primed to be a major factor in this backfield, even though the contract salary (a hair over $2 million) doesn't scream "starter." The ex-Packer only has two career starts, both in 2025, and went undrafted after his collegiate career at Johnson C. Smith and Fort Valley State. Never heard of those schools? Me neither.

While the 26-year-old still has plenty to prove and his opportunities, or lack thereof, give us small sample sizes of his efficiency, there's a lot to like: 3.45 yards per touch and the third-best rushing success rate last season.

The move could backfire if the Seahawks invest a Day 2 pick into another running back. However, because of his brief success, he's not an integral part of any dynasty roster and won't cost much to obtain.

Current KeepTradeCut Value:

 

Keaton Mitchell, Kimani Vidal - RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Look past the big-name free-agency additions like Mike Evans, Kyler Murray, Alec Pierce, and Wan'Dale Robinson.

Now, look past the lesser-known names: Calvin Austin III, Dyami Brown, and even Keaton Mitchell himself.

There were two signings, so far under the fantasy football radar that one singular eye was batted (it was mine), that could actually signal something big. The Chargers spent a combined $31.8 million on fullback Alec Ingold and tight end Charlie Kolar. Kolar wasn't brought west to be a major factor in the passing game. PFF graded him as one of the better run-blockers at the position.

A fullback, a run-blocking tight end, and another $30 million invested in two new offensive linemen tell us that head coach Jim Harbaugh is recommitting to the run game.

Remember, that was the initial concern for Justin Herbert when Harbaugh moved from Michigan to Southern California. Even with the *ahem* dynamic duo of Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins in the backfield, he took the football out of Herbert's hands.

He attempted 26, 20, 18, and 27 passes in the first four games of the season when both backs were healthy. By the end of the year, his numbers were up, but he was still under 30 attempts per game.

Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton were intended to be massive upgrades at the position. Injuries, not just to the running backs but also the offensive line, derailed the season-long plan. Even so, we saw several games where Kimani Vidal, who, let's not forget, was waived as part of final roster cuts last August, got 23-25 carries.

Of course, Hampton is firmly entrenched as the Chargers starter and will cost a dynasty manager a Godfather offer to acquire him. The backups, though, not so much.

Vidal is the known commodity of the backfield reserves. He had games where he looked like one of the best runners in the league. He had others where he wasn't seeing the holes and posted a dismal YPC and fantasy point total.

So, it'll be an interesting competition between him and the new Charger Mitchell, who showed flashes of his own in Baltimore. He was more impressive during his rookie season before his ACL tear, but bounced back with consecutive games of 75+ rushing yards last December.

If there's one thing we know for certain about a Mike McDaniel offense, it's that he loves speed at the running back position, and that's Mitchell's best attribute. If Hampton misses time again, one of these running backs should be successful in this system. Mitchell may cost managers a bit more to acquire, but neither will break the bank.

Current KeepTradeCut Value: (Mitchell)

Current KeepTradeCut Value: (Vidal)

 

Pat Bryant - WR, Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos just traded for their new No. 1 receiver, Jaylen Waddle, to go all in for a Super Bowl. Bo Nix is playing on his rookie contract, they field one of the best defenses in football, and were likely one injury away from competing in San Francisco in February. The trade makes perfect sense.

While that takes some of the luster off Pat Bryant's potential Year 2 breakout, it also creates an opportunity to buy even lower. Believe in the talent and not the situation. The situation will work itself out, like, say, 30-year-old Courtland Sutton is a cap casualty next offseason (when his dead cap drops from $39 to $15 million) if Bryant is a player in this league.

21 of Bryant's 31 regular-season catches came in his final five games. From his best game in Week 11 (five catches for 82 yards) through the end of the season, the third-round pick was targeted on 22 percent of his routes and was the first read on nearly 20 percent. He led the team in yards per route run for receivers lined up out wide.

In that time frame, 44 percent of Bryant's routes were horizontally breaking, some of the most valuable for fantasy football. For reference, Chris Godwin Jr. led qualified receivers at 53.2%. Ladd McConkey (50.7%), Puka Nacua (48.1%), and Keenan Allen (47.6%) were the only receivers to top Bryant in that metric.

Remember, shortly after Bryant became a member of the Broncos, head coach Sean Payton compared him to a wide receiver who set records operating over the middle of the field, Michael Thomas. It was high praise at the time, and, well, it still is. Bryant is nowhere near Thomas' caliber yet, but we can see Payton use him similarly.

Overshadowed by Nix's playoff injury, Bryant's early game departures may have prevented him from making a name for himself on the national stage. Bryant played a total of 12 snaps across two Denver playoff games. He caught passes on four of them.

Current KeepTradeCut Value:

 

Jalen McMillan - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There weren't many receivers with better fantasy football efficiency than Jalen McMillan in 2024. The then-rookie scored 2.33 fantasy points per target. That number dropped to 1.99 in 2025 -- which is still a solid number, especially with the rare and dangerous circumstances that befell him.

McMillan fractured three vertebrae during the preseason, an injury that he says doctors feared would cause paralysis. Upon his return in Week 15, the former Washington Huskies star wasn't operating as the team's No. 2 receiver, as he was when he scored seven touchdowns in five games to end his rookie season.

Godwin was back in the fold, and the Buccaneers drafted Emeka Egbuka in the first round. Still, he picked up a 7-144 stat line in one of his four chances.

Now, Mike Evans is a 49er, and Godwin is on the wrong side of 30 and has a pair of devastating injuries. Egbuka and McMillan are the succession plan. Egbuka has the draft capital and made a bigger splash, but McMillan outproduced him on 20 fewer snaps.

McMillan is the forgotten name because of Egbuka's initial boom and the fact that he wasn't ranked as a starting-caliber fantasy receiver at all in 2025. The target share is going to balance out now that some of the crowd has left the Tampa Bay wide receiver room.

Current KeepTradeCut Value:

More Dynasty Fantasy Football Analysis



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jake Allen

has Excellent Performance in Defeat
Logan Thompson

Nearly Perfect In Victory
Pascal Siakam

Uncertain for Saturday Against Spurs
Stephon Castle

Questionable for Saturday Versus Pacers
Donovan Mitchell

Questionable as Cavaliers Visit New Orleans
Kevin Porter Jr.

Listed as Questionable Against Phoenix
Isaiah Collier

to Miss Second Straight Game
Joel Embiid

Out Saturday Against Utah
Tanner Bibee

to Take the Ball on Opening Day
Logan Webb

to Start on Opening Day for Giants
Christian Wilkins

"Fully Intends" to Play in 2026
Jake Bobo

Jaguars Sign Receiver Jake Bobo to an Offer Sheet
Trent Williams

49ers Decline to Pick Up Trent Williams' $10 Million Option Bonus
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Seahawks Exercise Jaxon Smith-Njigba's Fifth-Year Option
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez to Start on Opening Day for Phillies
Chris Sale

Braves Name Chris Sale as Their Opening Day Starter
Kyle Stowers

Leaves Friday's Game With Hamstring Tightness
DJ Chark

Hangs Up his Cleats
Naz Reid

Ruled Out Friday Against Portland
Jasson Domínguez

Jasson Dominguez Optioned to Triple-A
GG Jackson II

Out Friday Against Boston
Austin Reaves

Added to Injury Report Saturday
Kawhi Leonard

Questionable Against Dallas
Trae Young

Still Sidelined Saturday
Terance Mann

is Unavailable on Friday
Tyler Toffoli

Won't Play Saturday
Andrew Wiggins

Remains Out Saturday
Marcus Sasser

to Sit Out on Friday
Cedric Coward

a Late Scratch Friday
Joel Armia

Ready to Return From Back Injury
Quinten Post

is Ruled Out for Friday's Game
Joel Eriksson Ek

Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek to Remain Out Saturday
Karl-Anthony Towns

Set to Suit Up Against Brooklyn
Ziaire Williams

to Play on Friday
Ross Colton

Still Out Friday
Ben Saraf

is Available on Friday
Yan Kuznetsov

Remains Sidelined Friday
Ivica Zubac

to Miss Rest of the Season
Shayne Gostisbehere

Misses Seventh Straight Contest
Jacob Misiorowski

Named Opening Day Starter
Morgan Rielly

Cleared to Play Friday
Mike Trout

X-Rays Come Back Negative on Mike Trout's Hand
Ja'Tavion Sanders

Panthers Expect Ja'Tavion Sanders to be Ready for Offseason Program
Dylan Crews

Optioned to Triple-A Rochester
Quinshon Judkins

Does Quinshon Judkins Have RB1 Upside in Dynasty Formats?
Jayden Reed

Is Jayden Reed a Buy-Low Candidate After Injury-Marred 2025 Campaign?
Lerone Murphy

Set For UFC London Main Event
Chris Olave

Rehabs his Dynasty Value With Resurgent 2025 Performance
Movsar Evloev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Facing Uphill Battle for Playing Time in New York
Michael Aswell

Jr. An Underdog At UFC London
Luke Riley

Set For UFC London Co-Main Event
Chimere Dike

Could See a Diminished Role in 2026
Joe Ryan

Named Opening Day Starter for Twins
Chase Brown

Profiles as a High-End Dynasty Running Back Heading into 2026
Sam Patterson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Michael Page

Set For Welterweight Bout
Austen Lane

In Dire Need Of Victory
Iwo Baraniewski

A Favorite At UFC London
C.J. Stroud

Will C.J. Stroud Ever Rediscover his Rookie-Season Magic?
Bijan Robinson

Finally Has the Falcons' Backfield All to Himself
Najee Harris

Remains on the Open Market
George Kittle

Injury Complicates Price Tag
Jameson Williams

Flashes WR1 Upside Ahead of 2026
Parker Washington

a Solidified Fantasy Option Despite Crowded Offense?
Nico Collins

Has Yet to Reach His Full Potential
Collin Murray-Boyles

Unlikely to Play Friday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Oilers with 21 Saves
Trent Frederic

Exits Early Against Panthers
Mason Appleton

Hurt Thursday Night
Tyler Toffoli

Suffers Lower-Body Injury in Thursday's Loss
Victor Hedman

Makes Early Exit Due to Illness
Juuse Saros

Dealing with Upper-Body Injury
Rome Odunze

Steps Into a Larger Role for 2026
Baker Mayfield

Loses Top Receiver After Subpar Season
Spencer Knight

Shuts Down the Wild on Thursday
Adam Fantilli

Scores Two Goals in Victory
Francisco Alvarez

Pulled Early Thursday With Back Tightness
Auston Matthews

Ruled Out for 12 Weeks
Yaroslav Askarov

Still Out Thursday
Luis Severino

to Start for A's on Opening Day
Kirill Kaprizov

Won't Play Against Blackhawks
Alex Tuch

Expected to Return Thursday
Logan Gilbert

Named Mariners Opening Day Starter
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez Back in Cactus League Lineup on Thursday
Hayden Birdsong

to Have Tommy John Surgery, Miss Entire 2026 Season
Zack Wheeler

to Pitch in Minor-League Game on Monday
Paul Skenes

Pirates Officially Name Paul Skenes Their Opening Day Starter
Jurickson Profar

Officially Suspended for Entire 2026 Season
Carson Williams

"Likely" to Be Rays Opening Day Starting Shortstop
Trey Yesavage

Will Open 2026 on the Injured List Due to Shoulder Impingement
Max Fried

to Start on Opening Day for Yankees
Akshay Bhatia

Withdraws From Valspar Championship
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Drawing Positive Reviews at Georgia Tech
CFB

Anthony Colandrea Impressing in Nebraska's Spring Practices
J.J. Spaun

Offers Upside Despite Poor Course History at Innisbrook
Aaron Rai

Looks to Bounce Back at Valspar Championship
Johnny Keefer

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Valspar Championship
Billy Horschel

a Volatile Play at Valspar Championship
Ben Griffin

Looks to Rebound at the Valspar Championship
Corey Conners

Brings Elite Ball-Striking to Valspar Championship
Xander Schauffele

Trending In The Right Direction For Valspar Championship
Sahith Theegala

Has Shot to Challenge at Valspar Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Looking to Bounce Back at Valspar Championship
Nicolai Hojgaard

Finding Rhythm For Valspar Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Hot Start to 2026 Heading to Valspar Championship
Pierceson Coody

Heads to Valspar Championship Following Two Missed Cuts
Wyndham Clark

Searching for Momentum at Valspar Championship
Justin Thomas

Is Justin Thomas Back Ahead of This Week's Valspar Championship?
Jordan Spieth

to Bounce Back at Favored Valspar Championship?
Brooks Koepka

is Starting to Find His Groove Again Ahead of Valspar Championship
Viktor Hovland

is One of The Best DFS Plays at Innesbrook
Rasmus Hojgaard

to Get Back on Track at Valspar Championship
Tony Finau

is Again a Scary Option at Valspar Championship
Blades Brown

Continues PGA Tour Run at Valspar Championship
Josh Emmett

Suffers First-Round TKO Loss
Kevin Vallejos

Scores First-Round TKO
Amanda Lemos

Drops Back-To-Back Fights
Gillian Robertson

Extends Her Win Streak
Andre Fili

Drops Decision on Saturday
Denny Hamlin

Dominates and Gets His Third Career Las Vegas Win
Chase Elliott

Earns Runner-Up Finish at Las Vegas
William Byron

Wins A Stage and Finishes Third at Las Vegas
Christopher Bell

Finishes Fourth at Las Vegas After Strong Run
Kyle Larson

Fades to Seventh Despite Leading Laps Early at Las Vegas
Andre Fili

Jose Delgado Edges Andre Fili in Split-Decision Win
Oumar Sy

Suffers First-Round Submission Loss
Ion Cutelaba

Returns To The Win Column
CFB

CJ Carr Enters Sophomore Season as Heisman Favorite
CFB

Aaron Philo Not a Lock to be Florida's Starting QB?
CFB

George MacIntyre the Favorite to Win Tennessee Quarterback Battle?
CFB

Keelon Russell, Austin Mack Battling for Alabama QB1 Duties
Christopher Bell

Looking for Redemption, Wins Pole at Las Vegas
Denny Hamlin

Should Contend for Another Vegas Win
Chase Briscoe

Qualifies 18th Despite Toyota Dominating at Las Vegas
Chase Elliott

May Fly Under the Radar at Las Vegas
NASCAR

Ross Chastian Has Been As Solid As They Come at Las Vegas
Ty Gibbs

Could Ty Gibbs Finally Break Through With a Win at Las Vegas?
Brad Keselowski

a Solid DFS Pick at Las Vegas
Kyle Larson

Should Kyle Larson be Considered A Favorite for Las Vegas?
William Byron

Could Compete for a Top-Five Finish at Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney

Is Ryan Blaney Worth Rostering in Tournament DFS Lineups for Las Vegas?
Tyler Reddick

Could Continue his Top-10 Streak at Las Vegas
Joey Logano

Should DFS Managers Underestimate Joey Logano for Las Vegas?
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Las Vegas DFS Lineups?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF