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Wyatt McClintock's deeper 2026 fantasy football draft sleepers who could be breakout performers. These are his later-round lotto tickets to target in drafts.
We are one step closer to real football with preseason games and training camps in full effect, which means fantasy football is right around the corner … we’ve made it, people. It's finally draft season.
With drafts starting, everyone knows which top players will fly off the board early. However, not everyone knows about the hidden gems in the final rounds that can boost you into championship contention. There’s always that one guy in the league asking “Who’s that guy?” in the late rounds, but that won't be you.
Today, we’re going over six late-round lottery tickets that offer high upside this season if things go just right. All it takes is one of these players to break out to put your team over the top.
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Malik Willis, QB - Miami Dolphins
- Sleeper ADP: 170
- Baller Move: 202
There was a good amount of excitement and optimism for Malik Willis’ fantasy outlook until he signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
Malik Willis throws his first NFL TD pass!#INDvsGB pic.twitter.com/c2ALcrhUN6
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 15, 2024
The team traded away its No. 1 receiver, Jaylen Waddle, and did not invest much draft capital to replace him. As a result, the Dolphins were ranked last in ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell’s best and worst teams regarding skill-position groups article.
“Unfortunately, this might be the worst receiving corps I've seen assembled on purpose by an NFL team in recent memory,” Barnwell wrote. “Third and fourth wideouts such as Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell are the veterans being forced into starting roles. Third-round picks Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas -- who might be fourth or fifth wideouts in other lineups -- are going to be pushed into the lineup by midseason.”
However, selfishly, this could boost Willis’ fantasy football production this year. He is one of the best running quarterbacks in the league, and this could force him to tuck and run more often.
He averaged 58 rushing yards in the three games he played over 80 percent of the snaps in Green Bay, along with three rushing touchdowns. Yes, this is a small sample size, but it projects to 986 rushing yards over a full season.
It is within Willis’ realm of outcomes to rush for over 800 yards in 2026 if he plays all 17 games, especially when factoring in the shaky skill positions around him outside of De'Von Achane.
Over the last five seasons, 76.8 percent of quarterbacks who rush for 600 yards or more have finished inside the top 10, and 57.1 percent finished inside the top six. Willis could clear that number, and if he does, he would have a better-than-50/50 chance of finishing as a top-6 quarterback.
Willis may be playing with a talent-needy receiver room, but his legs could push him into the top-6 fantasy quarterback conversation if he hits the jackpot in 2026.
Sean Tucker, RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Sleeper ADP: 250
- Baller Move: 185
As we get closer to the start of the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to decide how to distribute touches among their three capable running backs: Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and Sean Tucker.
If the team decides to split the backfield, Irving will be the early down runner, Gainwell the passing-down back, and Tucker the goal-line back. Assuming health for the three backs, this would be the best-case scenario for Tucker to be fantasy-relevant this season.
Tucker has had a nose for the end zone and led the team in rushing touchdowns (eight) last season. He offers size and burst close to the goal line and is the biggest running back on the roster.
SEAN TUCKER. 43-YARD TD.
TBvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/O0chu1HMdk
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
If Irving were to miss any time, Tucker would get more work on early downs and split carries with Gainwell. Irving was limited to 10 games last season due to shoulder and foot injuries, and there are some analysts concerned about his ability to play a full 17-game workload.
In the four games Tucker has seen double-digit carries, he has produced 326 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 57 carries while averaging 21 fantasy points per game. In the two games he saw 14 or more carries, he produced 34 fantasy points in each game.
Tucker has been a reliable fantasy option when he's given the reins, and that could happen more often than not in 2026 with Irving’s shaky injury history.
Germie Bernard, WR - Pittsburgh Steelers
- Sleeper ADP: 239
- Baller Move: 172
Where would we be drafting Makai Lemon this year if the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him, and how excited would the fantasy community be to draft him in redraft leagues?
It would be nowhere near where Germie Bernard is being drafted as the WR86 on Yahoo. Now, there is a reason Lemon was taken before Bernard in the draft, but the gap should not be that wide.
Bernard is a versatile receiver who can play all three receiver spots and can be deployed out of the backfield as a pass-catcher and running back.
GERMIE BERNARD PUTS THE TIDE ON TOP WITH A 25-YARD TOUCHDOWN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hcAgIp1rZW
— ESPN (@espn) October 25, 2025
Reception Perception’s Matt Harmon noted that Bernard’s best routes align perfectly with current-day Aaron Rodgers. In his college samples, Bernard had over an 85 percent success rate on screens (100%), flat routes (92.9%), outs (89.2%), digs (85.2%), and comebacks (100%).
Rodgers has become more risk-averse in the latter stages of his career with the fewest completed air yards (1,203) and the second-most pass yards after the catch (2,119) of quarterbacks who started at least 15 games. Additionally, he had one of the lowest average depths of target (6.4) and one of the fastest average times to throw (2.56 seconds) in the league, according to PFF.
Furthermore, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has heavily used 11 personnel as a play-caller, which provides Bernard with an immediate opportunity to play. Bernard’s blue-collar mindset and versatile skill set are perfect for McCarthy’s scheme.
Camp reports have Roman Wilson ahead of Bernard in the WR3 battle. Although Bernard has the higher draft pedigree, the current coaching regime drafted him, and the more talented player always finds a way on the field.
It might take some time, but Bernard has the pro-like mindset and skill set to become Rodgers' favorite target on quick passes. This makes the 22-year-old rookie a dark horse to lead the Steelers in targets this season.
Kaelon Black, RB - San Francisco 49ers
- Sleeper ADP: 268
- Baller Move: 182
The San Francisco 49ers stunned the NFL Draft community in April when they selected Indiana running back Kaelon Black in the third round with the 90th overall pick.
Touchdown Kaelon Black! 💥 Indiana RB punches it in, Hoosiers now lead Oregon 21-7 in the Peach Bowl with 8:17 left in the 1st half. Big Ten dominance on display! 🏈
— The Voice of College Football Network (@TheVOCFB) January 10, 2026
The national champion was widely considered a reach and was outside the top 200 on The Ringer’s Todd McShay’s big board.
However, none of the predraft notes matter anymore when camp starts, and Black landed in the perfect situation. He is playing in Kyle Shanahan’s offense that can make any running back look good, and he has the opportunity to be Christian McCaffrey’s backup.
Being McCaffrey’s backup might sound like a lot, but he is coming off a 400-plus-touch season. In the two seasons following a 330-plus-touch season, he has played a combined seven games (three games in 2020 and four games in 2024). Black could have a chance at being the lead back for the 49ers and be the bell cow for Shanahan.
In 2024, the lead running back for the 49ers who saw at least a 60 percent snap share averaged 16.5 PPR points per game. In those 10 games, Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo combined for four games over 19 points. If McCaffrey continues his trend, Black could be a free league winner at almost no cost.
Ted Hurst III, WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Sleeper ADP: 242
- Baller Move: 216
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have struck gold again by selecting Ted Hurst III in the third round with the 84th overall pick in this past draft.
The 22-year-old is viewed as an athletic freak with his 6’4" size and 4.42-second 40-yard dash speed, and has a chance to become the team’s X receiver and legitimate deep threat for Baker Mayfield.
Ted Hurst is going to make an OC very happy on Day 2 in April. pic.twitter.com/jWyoNfU7o8
— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 27, 2026
Sports Illustrated’s Caleb Skinner reported Hurst has stepped in for some first-team reps while fellow wideouts have been in and out of practice due to various injuries and has shown why the Bucs selected him in the third round.
While teammates are missing valuable reps in camp, Hurst has the opportunity to establish a connection with Mayfield and carve out a role in the passing game.
In addition, which receiver on the Bucs projects as an X receiver? Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan are all slot and Z receivers by nature. Hurst has the build to be an X receiver and can become the top target in the red zone due to his athleticism and wide catch radius.
The path is laid out for Hurst to be fantasy viable as a rookie. If he plays his cards right, Hurst can become the next great X receiver in Tampa Bay, following in the footsteps of future Hall of Famer Mike Evans.
Terrance Ferguson, TE - Los Angeles Rams
- Sleeper ADP: 209
- Baller Move: 224
We have saved the best and the biggest lottery ticket on our list for last. If Terrance Ferguson hit his ceiling, he would win leagues for managers and break fantasy football in 2026.
Terrance Ferguson's 2⃣nd career TD reception gives @RamsNFL the lead 👏
LARvsSEA on Prime Video
Also streaming on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/SUjh2TOK2c— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 19, 2025
The Los Angeles Rams started the tight end renaissance by using 13 personnel at a 30.5 percent rate last season, which was more than double the next-closest team and the most in the Next Gen Stats era by nearly 13 percent, according to Rams.com.
The team currently lists four tight ends on its depth chart, and Ferguson still carries immense upside despite being in a crowded room.
His athleticism and versatility allow HC Sean McVay to use him as a weapon in the passing game. McVay has already shown the willingness to do so when he dialed up an end-zone shot for him with their season on the line in the NFC Championship Game.
The Super Bowl favorites faced heavy criticism in April for passing on Lemon at pick 13 and not giving Matthew Stafford another weapon. However, it could signal the Rams' plan to use Ferguson in the "WR3" role and have faith he can be a real difference-maker.
Even more so, when we consider Puka Nacua and Davante Adams' injury history, if they miss time, Ferguson would then be forced to take the WR2 role in the offense if either of them misses time.
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