The BEST Fantasy Football Sleepers to Target in 2026 Drafts: Mid-Round Steals, Late-Round Fliers & Super Deep Stashes (Ep. 2127)
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
1 hr 4 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 12, 2026
Published
Wed, August 12, 2026
31
Player insights
24
Players mentioned
Topics
Denzel BostonDylan SampsonGreg DulcichKenneth GainwellPat BryantTed HurstTerrance FergusonAmon-Ra St. BrownBrian Thomas Jr.Bucky IrvingCam WardCarnell TateCJ DanielsDeebo Samuel
Player analysis
Player insights
Amon-Ra St. Brown
PositiveBreakout100:32
Amon-Ra St. Brown is cited as a historical example of a player on a bad team who provided league-winning production in the back half of his rookie season, serving as a model for current late-round sleeper targets.
Insight pageBrian Thomas Jr.
NegativeValue45:28
JJ Zachariason and Erickson discuss a strategy of drafting Brian Thomas Jr. as a 'buy-low' candidate for the second half of the season, specifically targeting a trade for him around week 8 or 9, anticipating he may be on a new team by then.
Insight pageBucky Irving
NegativeValue33:52
Bucky Irving is overvalued at RB23 (54th overall ADP) compared to Kenneth Gainwell, who is drafted 60 picks later. Irving has dealt with a 'myriad of injuries' since entering the NFL, and the massive ADP gap between him and Gainwell is unjustified given the potential for a backfield split.
Insight pageCam Ward
PositiveProjection6:41
Cam Ward is expected to elevate the Giants' offense, similar to Caleb Williams' impact last year. With Brian Daboll's offensive system, Ward is projected to raise the floor of the entire unit, providing enough volume to support pass catchers like Carnell Tate.
Insight pageCarnell Tate
PositiveBreakout3:58
Carnell Tate is a high-upside WR3 with WR2 potential, comparable to Malik Nabers' rookie production. Despite pre-draft criticism regarding speed, Tate ranked 10th in yards per route run and 4th in receiving grade last year, while maintaining zero drops on a 14.6 aDOT. He is a superior target to teammates Wan'Dale Robinson and Calvin Ridley.
Insight pageCJ Daniels
NegativeSleeper98:48
The hosts jokingly dismiss the idea of having belief in CJ Daniels as a fantasy sleeper.
Insight pageDeebo Samuel
PositiveValue41:07
Erickson identifies Deebo Samuel as a screaming value at WR50, comparing his situation to Keenan Allen's return to a familiar system. While production may taper off late in the season, he is expected to be highly productive early on due to chemistry with Brock Purdy and his role in the 49ers' offense. He also gains contingent upside if Christian McCaffrey misses time.
Insight pageDenzel Boston
NegativeSleeper55:10
D-Ro recommends Denzel Boston (WR60) as a deep sleeper, suggesting he and Casey Katsepzian should both be drafted as low-risk bench stashes to see who emerges as the Browns' WR1.
Insight pagePositiveSleeper99:07
Denzel Boston is highlighted as a super young, high-priority sleeper target for late-round drafts (rounds 15+) due to his potential for league-winning upside on a bad team.
Insight pageDylan Sampson
PositiveUsage56:12
Erickson highlights Browns RB Dylan Sampson as a high-upside target for passing-down work, noting his elite rookie efficiency metrics (2nd in YPRR, 1st in target rate per route run) comparable to elite RBs like McCaffrey and Robinson.
Insight pagePositiveSleeper99:07
Dylan Sampson is highlighted as a super young, high-priority sleeper target for late-round drafts (rounds 15+) due to his potential for league-winning upside on a bad team.
Insight pageGreg Dulcich
PositiveSleeper55:41
D-Ro and Erickson both endorse Greg Dulcich (TE29) as a free-money sleeper, citing his top-12 per-route metrics from last year and his potential to lead the Miami passing attack.
Insight pagePositiveSleeper99:07
Greg Dulcich is identified as a sleeper target who, despite being 26 and having missed significant time, has a chance to shine in a Miami offense that no longer features Tyreek Hill or Jalen Waddle.
Insight pageJayden Higgins
PositiveBreakout46:16
JJ Zachariason advocates for Jaden Higgins (WR53) as a massive breakout candidate. In weeks 8-18 last year, he was 24th in target per route run and 38th in YPRR among qualifying WRs. He serves as a high-upside contingent play if Nico Collins misses time.
Insight pageJonathon Brooks
PositiveSleeper22:22
Jonathan Brooks is a high-upside target in the 6th-7th round. Despite Chuba Hubbard's presence, Brooks is the more talented back and is fully recovered from his ACL injury (21 months post-surgery). The Panthers have explicitly stated their intent to use him in passing-down roles, making him a potential top-20 back by Week 4.
Insight pageJordan Whittington
NegativeSleeper98:46
The hosts jokingly dismiss the idea of having belief in Jordan Whittington as a fantasy sleeper.
Insight pageKenneth Gainwell
PositiveSleeper33:19
Kenny Gainwell is a target in the late rounds (RB39, 111th overall) as the potential 'new Rashad White' in Tampa Bay. He demonstrated high efficiency last year, ranking 4th in yards per route run and 14th in explosive run rate. He is expected to compete with the injury-prone Bucky Irving for backfield production.
Insight pagePositiveValue33:19
Kenneth Gainwell is an 'auto-click' value at RB39 (111th overall ADP) because he is an efficient, pass-catching back who could realistically push Bucky Irving for the lead-back role. Gainwell ranked 4th in yards per route run and 1st in first downs per route run last year, and the team's offseason moves suggest they won't simply hand Irving 300 touches.
Insight pageLadd McConkey
NegativeValue49:02
Ladd McConkey is a fade at his current ADP because he lacks the target share, first-read share, and route-run efficiency to justify a WR2 price tag. He is being drafted as a high-end asset, but there is no clear path for him to outperform his current projection, whereas other players in his range offer more upside.
Insight pageLuther Burden
NegativeValue15:20
Luther Burden is currently dealing with an injury and will miss preseason, but is expected to be ready for Week 1. He and Rome Odunze are competing for value in the 5th-6th round range, with their ADPs beginning to cross as the season approaches.
Insight pagePat Bryant
PositiveSleeper56:48
Erickson identifies Pat Bryant (WR89) as an underrated sleeper who surged late last year. He is expected to push Cortland Sutton for the WR2 role in Denver, especially given concerns about the health of other receivers.
Insight pagePositiveSleeper99:07
Pat Bryant is highlighted as a super young, high-priority sleeper target for late-round drafts (rounds 15+) due to his potential for league-winning upside on a bad team.
Insight pageQuentin Johnston
PositiveBreakout45:18
Quentin Johnston is a value at WR39 (101st overall ADP) as he is the true WR1 for the Chargers. When healthy (Weeks 1-4, 9-18), he led the team in target share, yards per route run, and red-zone targets, producing 13.9 PPR points per game. The market is over-drafting Ladd McConkey while ignoring Johnston's superior underlying metrics.
Insight pageRome Odunze
PositiveBreakout9:06
Rome Odunze is a prime breakout candidate in his third season, drawing parallels to 2021 Deebo Samuel and 2019 Cooper Kupp. Despite injury-plagued efficiency last year, he showed high-value opportunity metrics (air yards, red zone targets). With DJ Moore's end-zone targets vacated, Odunze is positioned for double-digit touchdowns and top-12 WR upside in a high-scoring Bears offense.
Insight pageTed Hurst
PositiveSleeper54:25
D-Ro highlights Ted Hurst (WR83) as a deep sleeper to draft based on talent, noting that the Buccaneers consistently draft receivers to compete with Jalen McMillan, making Hurst a high-upside stash.
Insight pagePositiveSleeper99:07
Ted Hurst is highlighted as a super young, high-priority sleeper target for late-round drafts (rounds 15+) due to his potential for league-winning upside on a bad team.
Insight pageTerrance Ferguson
PositiveSleeper57:45
Erickson and D-Ro love Terrence Ferguson as a deep sleeper, noting his elite YAC ability and potential to serve as the 'next man up' in the Rams' offense if injuries occur. He receives Travis Kelce comparisons and is a strong last-round target.
Insight pagePositiveSleeper99:07
Terrence Ferguson is highlighted as a super young, high-priority sleeper target for late-round drafts (rounds 15+) due to his potential for league-winning upside on a bad team.
Insight pageTony Pollard
PositiveValue18:23
Tony Pollard is a screaming value at his RB29 ADP. Brian Daboll's history of leaning on a single workhorse back suggests Pollard will dominate touches over Tajay Spears and Nick Singleton. Pollard remained efficient last year (22nd in yards after contact per attempt) and benefits from an improved Titans offense and offensive line.
Insight pageTre Harris
PositiveSleeper48:23
Erickson identifies Trey Harris as a dark-horse WR1 candidate currently going outside the top 50. Harris profiles as the team's true X-receiver, with elite college metrics (5+ YPRR in SEC) and strong YAC ability. He is viewed as a potential alpha in the Chargers' offense.
Insight pageWan'Dale Robinson
PositiveUsage52:12
Wan'Dale Robinson is a target at WR49 because he has secured 130+ targets in two consecutive seasons, a feat shared only by elite players like Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown. He showed growth in 2025 by expanding his usage downfield, ranking 21st among WRs in deep targets—more than Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Call 1-800-GRANGER, click Grainger.com or stop by.
0:04Grainger, for the ones who get it done. Welcome into FantasyPros.
0:08This is the Fantasy Football Podcast. Tara Roberts here with Derek Brown and Andrew Erickson.
0:12And we are talking the best, absolute best fantasy football sleepers to target in 2026 Drafts.
0:17Before we dive in, of course, I want to ask you guys how you're doing here, especially because we have real, actual,
0:23multiple football with multiple games here that are not the Hall of Fame game.
0:28So we've got actual starters this week. So, Debro, how you doing?
0:31You pumped? I'm doing good. You know, Tara, we were talking about this pre-show, but you know when football is getting really
0:38close, I know it immediately when it's time. Like, I just sent the kids off for the first day of school.
0:44So, we're back into school. That means football is coming and hopefully cooler temperatures.
0:48I'm here for it. I too. I also sent my kids off to school today, thank God.
0:53So I'm in a happier mood, better mood, ready to talk football here.
0:57And lots of time freed up to actually work.
1:00Erickson, how about you? I did not send my kids off to school today.
1:04I put my dog in his crate and we were good to go.
1:08So, that's all you need. So I'm ready to break out the sweater, break out the pumpkin spice, and all ready for
1:15fall for football season to be here. Here we go.
1:18Pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin beers. I thought I was going to avoid this for a few more weeks, Erickson, but here we are.
1:25You know, I think that is perfectly fine. I don't know if I'm going to do the pumpkin spice latte.
1:31I might do a pumpkin spice boba down here.
1:34That is my thing in Houston. So, but I'm right there with you.
1:38And before we dive in, guys, it is important to define what a sleeper is for the context of this show, because
1:44obviously everyone has different opinions on what is an actual sleeper.
1:48And for this show, a sleeper is someone whose draft cost dictates that the public is sleeping on them compared to what
1:54our analysts think they could realistically achieve this season.
1:57So we are going to hit sleepers on a wide variety of levels.
2:01We've got mid-round sleepers for you. We've got late-round sleepers.
2:04We've got dart throw sleepers. And we've got deep sleepers, deep, deep sleeper stashes.
2:08That is my personal favorite here. So let's go ahead and dive right into the sleepers.
2:13We're going to start off here with the mid-round sleepers.
2:16These are guys being drafted in around round six to eight here.
2:19Deeper, start us off here with your number one sleeper in this range.
2:23Yeah, I think when we're talking about the sleepers, I mean, this also could just be like a shoot for upside conversation.
2:30And I think that's what we're talking about with a lot of these different players, where the upside is not being captured and where they're going in drafts.
2:38And I'm going to start this off with Carnell Tate, wide receiver 31, a real-time ADP 75th overall.
2:44He could be this year's like we could see, he could see production very akin to rookie season Malik neighbors.
2:50And I don't think that's insane. Like the only guys flanking him are Wanda Robinson and Calvin Ridley, Calvin Ridley.
2:56What does he have left at this point of his career?
2:59Wanda Robinson was awesome last year, but again, Malik neighbors wasn't there to contest with, uh, for targets.
3:04And Carnell Tate, I think the people during the pre-draft process didn't put enough respect on his name.
3:10They said he was too slow, said he was overrated, said it was really, you know, all your Carnell Tate love is Jeremiah Smith love.
3:17And I pushed back on that. Like Carnell Tate is a player that was 10th in yards per route run, fourth in receiving grade last year.
3:25You want contested catches? Carnell Tate's got that. You want body control in the air?
3:30Carnell Tate can do that. Last year, also trusty hands, zero drops, despite having a 14.6 a dot.
3:35Carnell Tate's a wide receiver three that could easily be a wide receiver two with massive upside this year.
3:41Yeah. You know, I, I do like Wanda Robinson, but this offense is going to push enough volume to me.
3:47He kind of reads as like a Ted Aro Macmillan 2.0 in terms of the production that we could expect for him in the season.
3:54I think a thousand yards is very realistic. Um, what are your expectations in terms of the production for cam war?
4:01Because he got up there in terms of in the back half of the season, pushing good volume, difficult matchups there.
4:07They were letting him push the attempts. I know we've got Brian Dable coming in here, but what are, what are the
4:13expectations there in terms of the volume push for this offense?
4:17I just think cam word. All he has to do is be last year's Caleb Williams, where it's like awesome scheme, good offensive design and stuff like that.
4:25Is he that much more accurate than his rookie season?
4:28No. Did it matter for Caleb Williams? No. So like cam word, as long as we're getting, and I think we, you're
4:35going to see that with a better coordinator and a better offensive system with Brian Dable coming in like Jackson dart outpace, uh, anybody's expectations.
4:42We do have, can go back in the way back machine of Daniel Jones and his first year with day ball.
4:49We can go even further back with Josh Allen.
4:51And I'm not saying cam words can be Josh Allen, but all we're talking about is raising the floor and cam word has actual pass catchers this year.
5:00So cam word doesn't have to be spectacular this year for carnell Tate to do the dang thing, but he can be very good.
5:07And you know, keeping on that line there, carnell Tate wide receiver, 31 75th overall transition to Erickson's pick right here.
5:13Going to keep us in that same range of some young receivers that are going a little bit after some of those
5:20veteran receivers who have high upside, but a little bit riskier in terms of injuries that they're dealing with or team situation.
5:26So Erickson, talk about yours here. We'll let the record show that Wondell Robinson still got 140 targets when Malik neighbors was a rookie.
5:34So just for the record for my Wandel stands out there, including Tara and Wandel is a good value too.
5:40We could have talked about him here. I like both of those players.
5:44One party like this player a lot as well.
5:46Roma dunes, a wide receiver, 30 65th overall off the board.
5:50I was pouring into some ADP data over the last couple of weeks, looking at some trends and basically try to pinpoint
5:56how often have we seen a scenario where you're having three players on the same offense be drafted in ranges where we
6:03see Colston Loveland go, where we see Luther Burton go, and we see Roman dunes, I go where a dunes is a inexpensive third pass catcher.
6:11And two names in terms of making the bullish case for a dunes that popped up were 2021 Debo Samuel and 2019 Cooper cup.
6:18Now that wasn't the Cooper cup in fuego season, but it was still a year where he finished wide receiver for and Debo finished wide receiver three.
6:26And the parallels are so it's crazy how much it's similar to a dunes is second year entering his third season where
6:32both of those players got hurt during their second seasons, but started out really, really well.
6:37A dunes a to start the year in 2025 weeks one through eight ninth in points per game among wide receivers at
6:4413.3 and a half PPR scored five of a six touchdowns during the early portion of the year.
6:49We all know what happened. He injured his foot.
6:52He played his efficiency marks were absolutely terrible. He was not involved clearly not a hundred percent healthy ended up re injuring that foot later in the season.
7:00So right now the reports are positive for a dunes a regarding his foot.
7:05Now that could be wrong. It could flare up.
7:07But in terms of the upside bet on this bears offense, I do think that a dunes a does have a lot
7:14of upside still because he has been a player that consistently through two years in the NFL has been seeing a ton
7:21of high value opportunities when it comes to air yards down the field, when it comes to red zone opportunities.
7:27A dunes a could be the third target in this bears passing attack and still score double digit touchdowns, which would still
7:33help him be able to pay off a wide receiver three price tag.
7:37So year three wide receivers are the most common year that we see guys become wide receiver ones for the very first time cracking that top 12.
7:45I talked about a noon's a on a show being a top five wide receiver in my bold predictions because this offense
7:52is going to be so much fun or fantasy.
7:54The defense is horrible and they were bailed out last year because of turnovers.
7:59That's not gonna be the case this year. Kobe Bryant is already not going to play like he was their big free
8:05agent signing and that secondary to replace the guy that they lost to the Patriots.
8:10He's not gonna be available and Kyler Gordon is already hurt again.
8:13So I think that this team is just going to be shootout after shooter after shootout and Roman dunes a is the
8:20cheapest guy despite the fact that I think he might have still a ton of touchdown upside.
8:25And if he can get any type of positive regression when it comes to just catching these downfield targets because his abysm
8:32his catch rate the last two seasons has been absolutely abysmal because he's seeing so many things down the field.
8:38So if Caleb Williams can just become average, just trying to complete some of these passes 20 yards downfield, Odunze is going to be a major benefactor.
8:46Again, DJ Moore, his team meeting eight receiving touchdowns, end zone targets.
8:49Those aren't part of the offense anymore. So I think Odunze is going to have a major role even if he doesn't see the most raw targets.
8:58Yeah, I think he'd hit the nail on the head there in terms of even if he were the wide receiver, the third look in this offense here.
9:06DJ Moore exit, even a lot of days, the case we've got this target funnel down here to where do we have
9:13to really squabble over Colston Loveland versus Luther Burden versus Roma Dunze?
9:16It's the big three here. We're taking the one at the lowest discount here.
9:20We do have Luther Burden dealing with the injury.
9:23They're not going to play in preseason should be cross our fingers.
9:27Ready for week one. We have looking at real time ADP.
9:30We have him at wide receiver 29 right now up just a tiny little bit.
9:34So slight rise. That's a good thing. We're not seeing a big jump here that we're seeing from some of these other receivers.
9:41So hopefully this ADP stays relatively safe for us to be investing in that value.
9:46Erickson, how high would you how high would you take him here?
9:49I think right in the back end of the wide receiver to range, because it depends on how you feel about Luther Burden.
9:56I mean, this is the opportunity for our Dunze to get more reps with Caleb Williams and to try to really improve
10:03around their catch rate that has just been atrocious the last two seasons.
10:07But again, a Dunze felt like a much tougher click before this Burden injury, just because you still weren't sure.
10:13We get burden was highly efficient at the end of last season, but the price was much higher.
10:18So we're starting to see them actually kind of cross in a couple of recent mocks I've done.
10:24We've seen sometimes a Dunze go one spot before Burden.
10:27Sometimes he goes right after Burden. They're going to be in that fifth, sixth round, I think, conversation probably the rest of the way.
10:34And I mean, you don't need to build a major case for why this Bears offense is going to be really, really
10:41fun for fantasy where you could see a lot of guys hitting.
10:44100% agree. We're going to stay here in the mid-round sleeper still in round six through eight.
10:49We talked wide receivers. We got a couple of running backs here, and this is going to be a very interesting conversation around these two running backs here.
10:58We'll start off with Debra up here and your running back that you're going to talk about.
11:03Yes. Apparently, I'm a Titans fan at heart. I don't know what I'm doing here, but the guy that I'm going to
11:09talk about, I easily could have picked the guy that Erickson's talking about, too, like because we're handholding on him.
11:15Fantastic conversation coming for that guy. But Tony Pollard is just a screaming value for me.
11:20He's RB 29 in real-time ADP, 78th overall. I don't get it.
11:24What are we doing here? Why is he in RB 3?
11:27Because he's going to get all the volume. Dayball has historically leaned on one running back.
11:32You can go through all of his history and see this.
11:35So I'm not worried about Tajay Spears. Tajay Spears has neither been more efficient nor healthy for most of his career.
11:41So Tony Pollard, and I'm not worried about Nick Singleton coming off of a fractured foot and being really an overvalued prospect
11:48in his own right because you saw him drop like a stone in the NFL draft.
11:53Pollard, I don't think people realize he was 22nd in yards to contact per attempt last year.
11:58So it's not like he's dust. He's inefficient. He's going to be their workhorse back.
12:03He should be valued as an RB 2 in drafts, but you get him in on RB 3 price tag.
12:09And again, we talk about like better pass catchers.
12:11The floor and the ceiling is raising for the Tennessee Titans offense overall based off of how good can Cam Ward be.
12:18But this offensive line also gets disrespected too. People talk about this offensive line like it's a bottom five unit.
12:24Although last year, this offense was 13th best in yards before contact per attempt.
12:28You're telling me that metric can't equal that this year?
12:31Maybe improve if we have a competent passing attack to where teams can't just load the box and stack the line and create hell for Tony Pollard?
12:39I think he's going to have plenty of running room this year.
12:43And I'm all in on Tony Pollard being like one of the best values that you can draft, especially if you're trying
12:49to play catch up at the running back position.
12:52I love that you highlighted this one because he kind of goes in like no man's land where he's wedged right between
12:59the guys who we're not 100% sure are going to be the starter or will have committee work or something like that.
13:05And then after once you start getting pushed towards those one B kind of running back.
13:10So it's a very interesting range where if you are looking for someone reliable, that could be the way that you go.
13:17And we could see, you know, as we talked about Carnell Tate, we talked about the addition of Wanda Robinson.
13:23If we like these guys to increase the pass volume of the offense, move the ball better, more goal line opportunities there.
13:29So we could see that uptick as well for Tony Pollard.
13:33Moving on here, Erickson, talk to us about your running back here.
13:36The one that Debro also likes. So Debro, we'll circle back to you on this one as well.
13:42Jonathan Brooks, real time ADP is RB 33, 90 second overall.
13:45And before everybody comes at me with pitchforks, Jonathan Brooks isn't a sleeper.
13:49He's a sleeper in redraft home leagues. Still, when you look at some of these softer ADPs, whether it's Yahoo, ESPN, sleeper,
13:55he's still going to be down in the ranks.
13:58He's not going to be going in the sixth round where he's going to be going in some of these best ball and expert industry leagues.
14:06Look, we did a couple of mocks. Like I talked about the one that we did with Nick Ercolano.
14:12No, Jonathan Brooks was a ninth round pick. But in the super flex draft or the regular draft, I did best ball with Tom Strachan.
14:19He went round six, right? So there is a wide range for Jonathan Brooks.
14:23But I don't want to just not talk about him because I think that he's still very much a very fun sleeper.
14:30For me, round seven is kind of that sweet spot for Jonathan Brooks where you are being a little bit aggressive against ADP to get him.
14:38But you're not going over your skis to try to draft him because there is still a hurdle that he has to get over.
14:45That is Truba Hubbard. But I think eventually he is going to take the starting job here in Carolina.
14:51Truba Hubbard last year had zero explosive rushes, zero rushing attempts that went over 15 yards.
14:55This backfield needs juice. A healthy Jonathan Brooks, by all accounts, that is the guy that we have playing this season out of Texas.
15:03He's going to be offering a lot of explosiveness out of the backfield, especially as a pass catcher.
15:08Again, in the limited sit that we saw Jonathan Brooks actually play in the NFL level, he was taking Truba Hubbard off
15:15the field to be used on passing downs and receiving downs.
15:18So if he's fully healthy, I'm expecting him to be a very fun fantasy asset to own.
15:23I think the only thing holding him back is probably just the Panthers offensive ecosystem.
15:28Again, I talked about this with Tom Strachan. There is a worst case doomsday scenario where you get the Titans backfield from last year between Spears and Pollard.
15:36And that's what the Panthers backfield is in 2026 between Chuba Hubbard and Jonathan Brooks, which is really annoying.
15:42Both guys become useless. But I want to bet on the talent.
15:45Second round draft pick pedigree, fully healthy, super young.
15:48So give me Jonathan Brooks here round seven. But I think that's really the sweet spot to try to grab him.
15:54Yeah, I mean, this one is another one that I also love as well.
15:59It's interesting because, you know, we don't have the body of work for him.
16:03But when you look at the Panthers backfield, they have been they've been trying to lean aggressively on the run.
16:09They try to be a run heavy team. The opportunity is there.
16:12They just need to be more efficient. We look at the offensive line and while we do have an injury that we
16:19are concerned about on the offensive line, you know, all things equal.
16:23They should perform theoretically as a top 10 unit if they can withstand that injury that they're dealing with here.
16:29So the opportunity to push forward could really exist here.
16:32Debra, when you're looking at Jonathan Brooks, I mean, he is a sleeper to us in terms of where he is going
16:38in your typical ESPN, you know, home leagues and whatnot.
16:41But how high would you be willing to invest in him?
16:44I've had him at RB 29 for the entirety of the offseason because ADP and the consensus has not forced me to push him higher.
16:52I think the conversation for Brooks starts at like RB 25.
16:55Like, what's the big difference between Jonathan Brooks and Travion Henderson, Jadarian Price, Jalen Warren, Ramondre Stevenson?
17:00Any of those guys that are in split backfields and people are like, who's the real lead back?
17:06Except for the fact that Jonathan Brooks is way more talented than the Chuba Hubbard.
17:10We've already seen Chuba Hubbard lose his job. Oh, last season to Rico Dowdle.
17:15So Erickson talks about the doomsday scenario. We already saw that play out last year.
17:19Rico Dowdle was just fine in a split backfield and on a team that was fifth in neutral rushing rate last year.
17:26Brooks is one of the flag plant players for me in 2026.
17:29And I'm willing to take him as high as round six, like in any different format, because he can pay off of that price.
17:36Like, it's not hard to squint and see Jonathan Brooks being a top 20 back when we're at what week four?
17:43Like, that's not difficult to see at all. Considering Chuba Hubbard's talent, what we've seen from him previously, the constitution of this
17:49offense, and the talent that Brooks is. And I just want people to understand this.
17:54Like, Brooks is getting talked about. Like, he's this guy coming off.
17:57Like, I feel like the conversation, and y'all can correct me if I'm wrong, is the conversation around Brooks coming off the
18:04two ACLs is almost framed in a way where he's like 10 months, 12 months post ACL reconstruction.
18:09When week one gets here, he's going to be 21 months past ACL surgery.
18:14He's 100% healthy right now. Carolina is being careful with him.
18:17So what are we talking about? Like, kid gloves and all this other kind of stuff.
18:22I look at Brooks as the way that people are saying he's an unknown, like Erickson, like you mentioned.
18:27Okay, that's no different than any other rookie that people have hype or hope for walking into this season.
18:33You know, and I would also argue that he's not even an unknown in the fact that we have had, we don't
18:40have to speculate in terms of how they want to use him early on the season.
18:45They've made it very clear. The Panthers have said they want to get him on the field.
18:50They have told us this verbally. They want to get on the field.
18:54They want to use him in third downs. They want to get him catching passes.
18:58So there's no mystery in terms of trying to figure out how they're going to use them.
19:03They've made it clear. It's just a matter of can he stay healthy?
19:07And can he take over and push Shuba Hubbard out of the way?
19:11Now, before we move on to our late round sleepers, we talked about Robo Doonsay, but as a reminder, Colston Loveland there.
19:18If you want a chance to win a Colston Loveland side Bears jersey, this is your shot right here.
19:23And all you have to do is subscribe to Fantasy Pro's YouTube channel right now.
19:28Drop a comment on any of our videos. This one right here.
19:31Tell us who your favorite sleeper is. And that is it.
19:35We'll be announcing the winner right here on the channel.
19:38So make sure that you turn on those notifications so you can know when the new video is up.
19:43And to claim your prize. All right. Let's dive into the late round sleepers here, guys.
19:48These are like around rounds nine through nine through 11 there.
19:52We're going to start off here with a couple of running backs.
19:55We're staying on the running back train here. D-Bro, kick us off here.
19:59I want to draft the new Rashad White for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers everywhere that I possibly can.
20:04And that's Kenny Gainwell. RB 39 and real-time ADP, 111th overall.
20:08He was fantastic last year. He was fourth in yards per route run, first and first downs per route run, 14th best
20:14in explosive run rate and missed tackle rate. So we're talking about we've seen this Tampa Bay backfield support two really good running backs for fantasy purposes.
20:23If Kenny Gainwell can just be better Rashad White this year in this backfield next to Bucky Irving.
20:28I'm not telling you that Bucky Irving just goes away and he's dust.
20:32Like Bucky Irving could still be a productive player in this offense, but Bucky Irving has dealt with a myriad of injuries since coming to the NFL.
20:40Gainwell, there's a run out where he's the lead back and Bucky Irving gets pushed back if Gainwell is better than him.
20:47You don't sign a guy like Gainwell in the offseason and let White walk to just hand Bucky Irving 300 touches this year.
20:53So we know that the past game utility is there.
20:56He was awesome on early downs. I don't care about the size because in this year, this version of the NFL, all
21:03of these near 200 pound running backs or sub 200 pound running backs are getting crap tons of volume.
21:09So Kenneth Gainwell just feels like an auto click.
21:11Like every time I'm in this range of the draft and I'm trying to play catch up at the running back position.
21:18Yeah, it's funny when we talk about Gainwell, you know, often people say, you know, well, last year was a blip.
21:24It's going to be more like how he was in Philadelphia.
21:28And you have to remember that in Philadelphia, you know, different offenses, different theoretic, they tried to lean aggressively on one running back.
21:35So we didn't have the chance to break through.
21:37And while I would not expect the receptions to be as egregious as they were with check down Aaron Rodgers last year, Baker loves to check down too.
21:46That's not a problem. We know that receptions are going to these running backs and we have seen Gainwell used extensively on
21:52the field in a, as a receiver, this preseason here in training camp.
21:56When it comes to Kenneth Gainwell, you know, how much does it make you nervous about Bucky?
22:01Are you still in on Bucky Irving? Is it a matter of like, everyone is viable in this backfield or is it
22:08just a, I'm going to pass over Bucky Irving and really zero in on Kenneth Gainwell?
22:13I'm going to zero in on Gainwell because then the discrepancy and where they're going in drafts, like Bucky's RV 23 and he's 54th overall versus Gainwell.
22:21I mean, we're talking about like 60 picks after him like that.
22:24I don't think that that that Canyon between their ADPs should exist.
22:28I think they should be much closer in draft.
22:31So just for a value proposition, who might be the guy that actually can stay healthy and he was the more efficient player last year.
22:38I'm going Gainwell over Bucky. Kenneth Gainwell, RB 39, RB 37 in real time ADP there.
22:43I'm going around, around nine or 10. Now we talked about Debro that we're going to have Erickson defend himself a little
22:50bit here on his pick because you call Kenneth Gainwell the upgraded version of Rashad White and like, spoiler alert, I do agree on that one.
22:57Sorry, but now we get to hear about Rashad White from Andrew Erickson here.
23:02Wait, what year did Kenneth Gainwell finish as an RB 7 overall in fantasy football?
23:06Was it that that's that's loading for 2026? OK, OK, that's fine.
23:10That's fine. That's a good rebuttal, Debro. I appreciate that.
23:13But when you just look at the resumes, I mean, Rashad White has been a one of the best fantasy football producers since he entered the NFL.
23:21And that's because he's one of the more reliable receiving running backs.
23:24He's caught 40 or more passes for straight seasons.
23:27And when I look at this commander's backfield, that helps separate him from the young bucks that they have between Corey Krosky, Merritt and Catron Allen.
23:35And I think that White, given the fact that he is former college teammates with Jane Daniels, he signed with the with
23:42the commanders because he wanted to play with Jane Daniels.
23:45He's on record of saying Jane Daniels is the best quarterback I've ever played with.
23:49And he played with Tom Brady. So, again, he is really trying to, you know, get that oil the grease here or
23:56oil the weir here to get the attention from his quarterback.
23:59Get those check downs because, yeah, I think that Jane Daniels might not have as much time to throw the football without
24:06Laramie Tunsil part of this offensive line anymore out with a torn triceps injury.
24:10So I think that it just means more running back targets because Daniels has to get the ball out quick and the rapport is already there.
24:18We don't have to project, oh, well, how is White and Jane Daniels going to connect?
24:22We don't know how he's going to connect with Stephon Diggs.
24:26We don't know how these younger running backs are going to do in pass protection.
24:30I have no issues or concerns about that whatsoever when it comes to Rashad White.
24:35So I understand the want for the commanders to get Bill more involved, take the step in year two.
24:40But when push comes to shove and the bullets are flying, they're facing the Philadelphia Eagles in week one.
24:46That blitz is coming. Dude, Rashad White's going to be out there like he's going to be out there protecting Jaden Daniels.
24:53So, again, RB7 overall finish 2023. RB24 and points per game seven games weeks five through 12 last year.
24:58He has not finished worse in his career than RB38.
25:01I understand that the concerns are, yes, he's also lost work to day three running backs and back to back seasons.
25:08Totally get that. But that's more than baked into his ADP, which is RB40.
25:12He has never finished his worst in his entire career.
25:15And again, this is not the most intense backfield competition that he has faced.
25:19So and to give him some credit, he was much better in terms of rushing last year, not from an explosive standpoint
25:26because that's not his game, but in terms of converting short yardage, second and rushing success rate overall and EPA per rush
25:32because he was really good at those third and one third and two situations and converting in the red zone.
25:38So when the commanders went to Chris Rodriguez at the goal line last year, I think that could be Rashad White operating
25:45at the goal line while also operating on pass down.
25:48So even if Bill is the guy that they're using in between the 20s, their explosive rudder to hit the outside and get chunk gains.
25:56Sure, that's great. Move the football. But when it comes to actually getting things and touches for fantasy points, that's Rashad White for me.
26:03And he's my favorite late round running back for all the reasons I just laid out.
26:08You made a very good point. You made a lot of good points, but you made a very good point particular about the injury on the offensive line.
26:16They were looking to upgrade, be better than last year.
26:19And if things start to get a little bit shaky and they're having to compensate for the issues that they've got going on with the offensive line.
26:27Yes, we have seen the increase, supposedly the increase in abilities in terms of pass protection and receiving work from Torrey Krosky Merritt.
26:34But at the end of the day, Rashad White is definitely going to be the better guy there.
26:39So you make a good point. If they're trying to compensate, they're going to turn to the reliable.
26:45It could be a Ramondre Stevenson, Travion Henderson type of playoff situation where they turn to the one that was more reliable in pass blocking.
26:52Good point there. All right. We're going to move on to the second set of late round guys around rounds nine and 11 here.
27:00We're going to go to wide receivers now. We've got a couple of really good wide receivers.
27:05We kind of already talked about one here, but let's start off with the one that we haven't really talked about here.
27:11Deeper kick us off with the wide receiver. I think that in, I mean, this late in the drafts at 101st overall
27:18in real time ADP, you could be getting the real Chargers wide receiver one and that's Quentin Johnston.
27:23He's going as wide receiver 39. And this isn't just like me speculating or narrative street or what have you.
27:29QJ was the wide receiver one for the bolts last year.
27:33If you look at the healthy games replayed weeks one through four, he was healthy.
27:37Week five, he had a hamstring issue. He missed week set week six, week seven and eight.
27:42He was a ghost and he wasn't healthy because like literally the guy had a 9.1% target share and zero targets in week eight.
27:49So scratch those off of the ledger here. But so if you look at weeks one through four, nine through 18 for
27:56Quentin Johnston, he led the entire freaking team in target share yards per route run, red zone targets, deep targets, missed tackle
28:03rate, first read share at 24.8%, as well as he produced as the wide receiver 16 on a points per game basis with 13.9 PPR points per game.
28:11So if he would have kept up that type of work for the entirety of the season, there wouldn't be this.
28:17Oh, Ladd McConkie is a top 20 wide receiver.
28:20He's this year's JSN all blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
28:24Because the numbers and the usage last year say, no, that really should be QJ that everybody is drafting this year.
28:30But you don't have to pay the price tag.
28:33The numbers and the substance from the stats are all there from last year.
28:37So just enjoy the value. That is music to my ears, D bro.
28:41I too go to bat for Quentin Johnston because I think it's just a perception issue.
28:46And he has, you know, the same kind of issues that we have from a lot of guys in terms of he's,
28:52you know, honestly not one of guys that drops the ball the most.
28:56We ignore it for other receivers. We pick it out and point it out with Quentin Johnston.
29:01But when it comes to Quentin Johnston in the context of this offense, you know, as you showed, was outperforming Ladd McConkie last season.
29:09I'm going to ask you, do you find yourself because I am not anti-Lad McConkie.
29:13I'm fine with drafting him. I don't have an issue.
29:16I think he's fine at his ADP, although I do prefer the value that we get on Quentin Johnston.
29:22But the problem with me in picking Ladd McConkie is that I like so many players before him.
29:27So I think, well, I can pick, I can pick a Zay Flowers.
29:31I can pick this. I can pick that. And then I can just come around and I can still tap into the
29:38Chargers offense later at a bigger discount. So how do you navigate that?
29:42I mean, that's the problem. I have a hard time clicking the button on Ladd McConkie for everything I just stated about Quentin Johnston.
29:49But look at all the other players that he's going around him.
29:52Like there's Zay Flowers that goes about eight picks before him.
29:56After him, there's Terry McLaurin. You can get Christian Watson.
29:59You want to bet on Mike Evans, DJ Moore, Parker Washington, all these other guys where you can get, where I can envision the upside.
30:06Ladd McConkie, if you just look at like from a target share, market share earning perspective over the last two years, and
30:13you look at just like wide receiver ones from last year, he doesn't come close to sniffing anything that resembles a wide
30:20receiver one workload in target share, first read share, targets per route run, any of that.
30:24So it's like if we're drafting guys at a wide receiver two price tag, I have to be able to squint and
30:31see or build the case of how can you be a wide receiver one?
30:35If everything works out right in fantasy football this year, I can make that case for a number of guys before and
30:42after him where I look at Ladd McConkie and I'm like, I feel like I'm just drafting you dude just to sit
30:48here and produce as a wide receiver two. Like, please pay off your ADP because surpassing it, I just don't see the case where that happens this year.
30:57Yeah, it's a tough one there. You know, and moving on to the next player, another guy that we talked about earlier here.
31:04I guess it's our Titans show. We've talked, this will be the third Titan that we've talked about.
31:09Okay, let's, let's make sure that we hashtag Titan show on this one.
31:13But this was, I love that, you know, Erickson, you already mentioned it in the defense of him.
31:18The 140 targets that came last year also came the year before with Malik neighbors and 170 targets in his rookie season.
31:25And Brian Daple, we trust to just push pass volume here.
31:28Talk to us about Wondell Robinson. Wondell Robinson is Brian Daple's guy.
31:32Like he sees a ton of volume in these offenses.
31:35And the reason I made that point about Malik neighbors is unless even if Cardinal Tate comes in year one and is
31:41the same as Malik neighbors, which is really, really, really high expectations.
31:45Even if, even if Cardinal Tate has an extraordinary rookie year, it still may not be as good as Malik neighbors rookie year.
31:52We saw 165 targets first year out of the, in the NFL, but Wondell still had 140 targets.
31:57So that's why I just want to make sure that people understand that Wondell Robinson having success can also be accompanied by Cardinal Tate having success as well.
32:06Wondell Robinson was wide receiver 41 in 2024 when he drew 140 targets, had basically no downfield usage whatsoever, and had basically scored zero touchdowns.
32:13But 2025, he showed growth. They actually used him down the field.
32:17And I know it was really fun to make fun of Wondell Robinson about how many targets he saw and how many
32:24yards he didn't create out of all those targets.
32:26Well, he went over a thousand yards last year and he got paid.
32:30This happens so often where these slot underrated wide receivers, they get paid in free agency.
32:35Think about Christian Kirk a couple of years ago, Jacoby Myers.
32:38And we're all pulling our hair out being like, why did this team like overpay?
32:43And then you look up, oh, top 12 wide receiver that year because they got volume in those offices and were just severely underappreciated by the market.
32:51He's wide receiver 49. This is worse than he would have finished in 2023 when he wasn't as good.
32:57I think that he's improved dramatically. He still has Brian Daybell.
33:00We have an up and coming quarterback that we're excited about.
33:03Again, getting this many targets is a skill. This is not dumb luck.
33:07130 plus targets, two consecutive seasons. Jamar Chase, Amon Ross St.
33:10Brown, Jackson Pitha Jigba, Justin Jefferson, and Wondell Robinson.
33:13He's doing something right. And given that it's the same exact play caller, he's going to get featured here.
33:19And I think that the room for upside is even higher if Cardinal Tate doesn't have a Malik neighbors type impact, especially
33:25if it takes him a little bit while to get accustomed to the NFL.
33:30And maybe it takes him to the second half of the season where we really see him break out.
33:35That's why I love drafting both of these Titans receivers, to be honest, because I think that was a really good point
33:42that you made, Tara Valley renaming this the Titan show.
33:45So this offense is a sleeper offense, because if Cam Ward takes that next step forward into his second season, you're following
33:52the same scripts that we saw last year with two teams led by second year quarterbacks, the Patriots, the Bears, that end
33:58up winning their divisions going from worst to first.
34:01And I think the Titans fall into that category now that Cam Ward actually has weapons to throw to and a competent play caller.
34:08God, there it is. I like it. Go ahead, Tara.
34:11Sorry. No, go ahead. I mean, it's just perfect.
34:14I like this theme here is we're talking about these receivers.
34:17You don't have to do like a one or the other, or if you want to preference, you know, talk about and
34:24grab the one with the lesser ADP, the higher value there, the more bang for your buck.
34:29But sometimes it doesn't have to be an either or we don't have to hate one just to draft another.
34:35I just want to highlight one amazing point that Erickson made there through his entire diatribe about Wanda Robinson.
34:40Wanda Robinson and his deep targets last year. Okay.
34:43First of all, 21st amongst wide receivers and deep targets.
34:46Here's the list of wide receivers that I don't think anybody understands that Wanda Robinson had equal to or more deep targets
34:53than Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Christian Watson, Adnay Mitchell, Puka Nakua, Jamison Williams, and Zay Flowers.
34:58Would anybody know that off the top of their head without looking at it that Wanda Robinson had more deep targets than
35:04all of those wide receivers and he was tied with Jefferson?
35:07No. No, you wouldn't. I guess because, you know, as, you know, Eric mentioned the increase in yardage there, we got so
35:14accustomed to seeing is Wanda Robinson catching the ball a half yard behind the line, beyond the line of scrimmage there.
35:20But it's amazing what you do when you actually let a guy go deep and like, you know, don't pin pigeonhole him there into the slot.
35:28So, yes, 100% agree with both of you. Before we move on to our next group of guys, support for today's show
35:35comes from Square, the system powering so many of the places we go.
35:39If you have ever tapped to pay and thought, well, that was fast, it was probably Square.
35:44And for business owners, no matter what you're doing, Square helps you run your business without running yourself into the ground.
35:50And right now, listeners can get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com slash go slash fantasy pros.
35:57That's square, S-Q-U-A-R-E dot com slash go slash fantasy pros.
36:00Visit Square to get started because the right tools make all the difference.
36:04I know for me personally, whenever I go out to get my local caffeine fix, whether that is coffee or boba tea,
36:11Square always helps me get in and out. Quick checkout, easy receipts, and sometimes you can even get loyalty points.
36:17It's a very seamless process. Square is the platform behind the scenes of so many businesses you already love.
36:22Whether someone is selling smoothies, cutting hair, fixing bikes, or running a boutique, Square gives them one connected system to take payments,
36:29manage inventory, run payroll, send invoices, and track it all from one place.
36:33This is not just a point of sale system.
36:35Square includes hardware that works in person and on the go, software for managing staff, marketing, customer insights, and banking tools like Square checking to get instantly paid.
36:44Businesses love Square because it makes running a business feel a little less like putting out fires.
36:49If you are starting a business or running one that deserves better tools, Square helps you sell, manage, and grow without slowing down.
36:56Right now, you can get up to $200 off Square hardware at square.com slash go slash fantasy pros.
37:01That is square, S-Q-U-A-R-E dot com slash go slash fantasy pros.
37:05Run your business smarter with Square. Get started today.
37:07The Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast is brought to you by Grainger.
37:11If you're a utility lineman, you're constantly working to keep the power flowing no matter what comes your way.
37:17Aging infrastructure, extreme weather, and high-risk environments mean you always have to be ready to tackle whatever the grid throws at you.
37:23That's why Grainger can be a trusted teammate. With about one and a half million products from voltage detectors, hot sticks, and
37:30switches to protective gear like arc flash suits and insulated gloves, Grainger can help you handle whatever challenge comes your way.
37:36So when the pressure's on, Grainger helps you get the win.
37:39Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click Grainger.com, or stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.
37:44You bought a sofa you didn't have to assemble.
37:47A suit someone measured just for you. And now, you're taking a guy's trip that actually matters.
37:52You've upgraded a few things in life. So why are you still running with rough nicotine pouches?
37:57On Plus Nicotine Pouches with Niko Silk Mesh. No corners, no rough edges, just the softest pouch on the planet.
38:03You've evolved, and this is what's next. On Plus Nicotine Pouches.
38:06Not all varieties available in all geographies. Warning, this product contains nicotine.
38:10Nicotine is an addictive chemical. With the Discover Cash Back Card, it's payback time when you earn cash back on everyday purchases.
38:16Activate and earn 5% cash back at different categories each quarter on up to $1,500 in purchases.
38:21That's 5% cash back at different places each quarter, like grocery stores, on gas, and at restaurants.
38:27It pays to Discover. Terms apply. See discover.com slash 5 for details.
38:30All right, guys. We have gone from the mid-round guys to the late guys, and now to the dart throw flyers.
38:36We're starting to get into my happy section of taking chances here.
38:40We are in rounds 12 through 14, where fantasy drafts can actually be made here.
38:45So let's go ahead and get started here. We've got receivers that we want to talk about, because honestly, this is the
38:51range where you want to take those dart throws on receivers.
38:55So that makes 100% sense here. Debro, start us off.
38:58Guy that's blowing up camp right now. And if this isn't the Titans episode, it's going to be the Cleveland Browns episode.
39:04Casey Katsepzian, free money at wide receiver 51 in real-time ADP, 138th overall.
39:08Everybody is so down on this. Like, it's so funny how people pick and choose what players they're like, oh, I'm going
39:15to knock him down because of quarterback play. But I'm going to sit here and still invest in Quinshon Judkins or Harold
39:21Fannin as top 20, top 12 options at their respective positions.
39:25But then it's like, but we don't believe in Casey Katsepzian.
39:28He's outside the top 48 wide receivers. Can't believe in that guy.
39:31Because apparently, although he's catching everything in training camp, I was told he was tragically born without hands, drops everything, can't catch anything.
39:38He's terrible, horrible. Was overrated in the process. And I love Casey Katsepzian.
39:42He could be the wide receiver one, the clear wide receiver one for the Cleveland Browns.
39:47Final season in college, he was freaking awesome. 26th in yak per reception, 44th in yards per route run.
39:53Dude's a baller. If we could just get league average target value from this passing attack, like Shador, Watson, Dillington, I don't care.
40:00I don't care if you trade for Joe freaking Flacco and get him back here.
40:04It doesn't matter to me. Casey Katsepzian can be that guy.
40:07Just get him targets. Yeah, here's the thing. Like with the Browns, we understand that they went through difficult times last year, obviously.
40:14But the difficult times weren't just exclusive to the quarterback situation.
40:18They highly involve the wide receivers being unreliable. How many times we have to see Jerry Judy galloping and fumbling the ball randomly, right?
40:25So getting these new receivers, these young receivers in here to complete this receiving core with an upgraded offensive line here and
40:32a head coach that actually knows how to coach and develop quarterbacks there.
40:35And Todd Munkin, is he going to win? Don't know.
40:38But I know that he spent extensive time in college, specifically coaching quarterbacks there.
40:43So this is his bread and butter here. So nowhere to go but up.
40:47And we're talking about rounds 12 through 14. This is a late round target here.
40:51Not a massive investment. If it doesn't work out, it's not going to kill your roster.
40:56If it works out, yay. Now on from a young guy onto someone on the opposite end.
41:01Not super old there, but on the opposite end here.
41:04But I can get behind this one as well.
41:07Erickson. It's a good call. Talk to us about Debo Samuel here.
41:11I mean, he might as well be 45 years old at this point.
41:14But I'm stealing this from Debro because he coined it first.
41:18This year's Keenan Allen is Debo Samuel. Going back to a team quarterback system that he is very familiar with after a one-year stint with another franchise.
41:26Look, he did show some signs of decline last year.
41:29Career low yards after the catch per reception. Still 6.5 though.
41:32So in Debo standards, it's low because he's just been so great after the catch.
41:37Elite after the catch. By wide receiver standards, it's still pretty good.
41:40He also played a career high in the slot last year.
41:44Top 20 wide receiver from weeks 1 through 11.
41:46You have to understand when you draft Debo Samuel, you are drafting him for front-loaded production.
41:51And that things are going to fall off as the season progresses just like it did last year.
41:56So last season, if you read any of my content on the betting side, the fantasy side, it was pound the under on Debo Samuel.
42:04He's never going to get over 40 receiving yards.
42:07He went through several weeks where he was not producing, but that was at the end of the season when he already played through a couple injuries.
42:15Right now, with the 49ers offense set up the way it is, he already has all this building chemistry with Brock Purdy.
42:21Mike Evans is still learning how his quarterback and him are going to operate.
42:26So although Mike Evans, I think, has a lot of that touchdown appeal, Debo Samuel, it would not surprise me at all
42:32if he's the most productive receiver in this offense for the first month of the season, whether it's just receptions, yards, targets.
42:39He had a ton of catches last year because he was used very close to the line of scrimmage.
42:45So I think he's going to get a bunch of layup targets.
42:48Kyle Shanahan knows how to use him. And you just have to make sure that you have a exit planned for Debo
42:55Samuel as we start to get to the halfway point, a sell high candidate potentially as we get a month into the season.
43:02I think that Debo Samuel just makes a lot of sense for certain roster builds.
43:06If you need another receiver, you're starting four or five receivers, two flex spots.
43:10Debo Samuel is going to be someone that we're going to talk about in the week one rankings as this guy's like a top 30 option.
43:18This guy's a flex option. You're getting him as a wide receiver 50 because we know what to expect from him out
43:25of the gates in a system that he's so familiar with.
43:28So all I heard Erickson was draft Debo Samuel and then draft second half Debo Samuel and Dejan Stribbling in the same draft.
43:35So you're basically getting full season of Debo Samuel.
43:38But like, dude, like I just think it's insane to me that like all your points are absolutely spot on.
43:44Wide receiver 29 and fantasy points per game, but he's wide receiver 50 in real time ADP.
43:49It's not going to catch up to him this year for a player that like you talked about the act per reception.
43:55Let's put some more of like respect on the man's name.
43:59Ninth best in yak per reception amongst wide receivers last year.
44:02Like he's not cooked and old and decrepit. He's a, he's a screaming value this year, man.
44:07He also too has the contingent upside because all of the running backs behind Chris McAfee are hurt.
44:13Debo Samuel is also part-time running for this off.
44:15So as annoying as it makes it to try to figure out the CMC handcuff, because they're just still might not be one.
44:22Debo Samuel also gets a bump if McAfee are to miss time, because that's how this offense works, right?
44:28They just churn and burn, right? Once Kyle Shannon gets a guy going, he just can't stop giving him touches.
44:34So Debo Samuel, yes, it's probably not going to last all year long, but to start the season, he's definitely going to be outproducing wide receiver 50.
44:42Yeah. You know, and I, and I question if we really even need the exit plan, honestly, I mean, you can sell
44:49high at some point, but at the end of the day, yeah, he's played through injuries.
44:53But if you're looking around the offense in terms of guys most likely to make it through the actual season, it kind
45:00of is Debo outside of stripling there. So technically speaking, he could just push through.
45:04And as we can, you know, unfortunately the injury bugs just continue to bite, you know, will Mike Evans hamstrings hold up for an entire season?
45:12Debo could be wide receiver one at some point.
45:15So who knows? The value is absolutely screaming. Erickson, I'm just playing out this scenario.
45:19You're talking about like first half Debo. And what if you, would the perfect combination be draft Debo for the beginning season schedule and draft Brian Thomas Jr.
45:28Because his beginning of the season schedule is God awful.
45:31So it's like, you get the, you get the sell high and the buy low already on your roster.
45:37You're just like, I play this guy and then I play this guy.
45:41And then I trade that guy away. Yeah. We're going to speak that that's, that's going to, I'm going to write a sticky note right now.
45:48By the time week nine comes around, be like trade for Brian Thomas Jr.
45:53Who at that point we're hoping will not be on the Jaguars anymore and will be on a different team.
45:59Because I think he will be the buy low poster boy for every article that is written around week eight or nine.
46:05Yeah. Yeah. He's got to get out of Jacksonville.
46:08Draft strategy here. You get sleepers and draft strategy.
46:11Perfect combination. Moving on to the next receiver here.
46:13We're going to go a little bit further back here.
46:16Debo, talk to us about Jaden, Jaden Higgins. Oh, my dude.
46:20Wide receiver 53, 142nd overall. But I know that everybody's so worried about CJ Stroud.
46:24If CJ Stroud sucks, you're getting Davis Mills. So at least like there, there's at least some handicap there of like, if Stroud sucks yet again.
46:32And I'm not telling you Davis Mills is going to be awesome, but Jaden Higgins is awesome.
46:37Weeks eight through 18 last year for a guy you're drafting as a wide receiver five weeks, eight through 18 as a
46:44part-time player in the Houston Texans offense. In seven of those 11 games, he was a wide receiver three or better in weekly scoring.
46:51Amongst that sample of 119 qualifying wide receivers in weeks eight through 18, Jaden Higgins was 24th in target per route run rate.
46:58As an outside perimeter wide receiver, he was 38th in yards per route run with 1.93 and 25th in route win rate.
47:04So, I mean, we want to talk about investing in talented rookies.
47:08You also want to invest in talented second year wide receivers.
47:11This is where we see the massive breakouts come.
47:14And Erickson was talking about contingent upside. Nico Collins isn't exactly the bastion of health people.
47:19So if he misses any time, Jaden Higgins will be the clear wide receiver one for the Houston Texans.
47:24Yeah, this one feels like the most egregious gap in ADP because we're talking about a top 10 being drafted, top 10 receiver in Nico Collins.
47:32And then you jump all the way to wide receiver 53 for Jaden Higgins.
47:36Even if you don't believe in CJ Stroud, it doesn't make a lot of logical sense for the gap to be that
47:43significant, especially when we don't have a highly relevant tight end as well.
47:47This would theoretically be the second pass catcher in the offense.
47:50I do got to ask, though, any fears around Tank Dell?
47:54No, because I think if Tank Dell is truly a thing this year and he comes back, that is really the coffin now for Jalen Knoll.
48:01I don't think it's Jaden Higgins because I think you're looking at two wide receiver sets.
48:06I don't think they're taking Nico Collins and Jaden Higgins off the field in two wide receiver sets.
48:12There we go. And then moving on to another one here.
48:15We talked about Quentin Johnston here. And we talked about Ladd McConkie in conjunction.
48:19So why not round it out here with Trey Harris by Erickson?
48:23We got to get our chargers when we can.
48:25So for me, I look at a dark horse player that could be a wide receiver one that goes outside the top 50 receivers in ADP.
48:33That's happened in each of the last three seasons where a top 12 receiver comes out of the top 50.
48:39So it seems ludicrous and crazy, but this happens.
48:42Like these guys have these special runs because they're just not talked about, undervalued in terms of their role.
48:48Trey Harris has a starting role in this offense.
48:50Anytime the coaches have talked about Trey Harris, it's in the same breath as Quinton Johnson and Ladd McConkie.
48:56So inviting the ambiguity behind this receiver room, we're excited about this offense, but we don't exactly know how things are going to shake out.
49:04I'm not entirely sure that the coaches know exactly how things are.
49:07I think it's like whoever is the best, whoever plays the best, that's who's going to get the most volume.
49:13And I think that Trey Harris, at least what he showed in a small sample this past year as a rookie, 25th
49:20in yards out to the catch per reception. He's a player that can also make a lot of big plays.
49:26I think that going back and rewatching all of his catches from this past season, he was also much better over the
49:32middle than I remember in sort of like a Keenan Allen type of mold.
49:37So when I look at the other receivers in this offense, there's only one guy to me that screams out like an actual X receiver.
49:44And that is Trey Harris. Quinton Johnson is not an X.
49:47He's much more suited for life as a Z and Ladd McConkie in the slot.
49:52And I'm not saying this is a guarantee to happen, but we have seen this Kyle Shanahan offense use an X receiver
49:58and be very, very profitable for fantasy football purposes.
50:01Now, that hasn't been the case in recent years, but look at who Shanahan drafted this year.
50:06Stripling, a guy that profiles as an X receiver.
50:09Who did he bring in from free agency? Mike Evans, an X receiver.
50:13I think it's really interesting to looking back at Trey Harris and his prospect profile.
50:17And Debro, if you want to shed some light on your scouting, because I know you love Trey Harris coming out of Ole Miss.
50:25And there was a lot of hype for him coming out as a player that was probably going to lead the nation
50:31in receiving yards before he got hurt. He averaged over five yards per route run, which is absolutely ridiculous and ludicrous to do in the SEC.
50:39And I think it's really interesting when you look at all the teams he visited on his draft visits before he was selected.
50:46He visited the Texans, the Rams, 49ers, Commanders, all Kyle Shanahan-esque offenses.
50:50And that's where Mike McDaniel stems from. And I know that looking at Miami's offense, they didn't really use that typical X receiver.
50:56Well, their two best receivers were Tyreek Hill and Jay Lawal.
51:00Like not X receivers whatsoever. So I think that there's a, again, taking a very long, dark shot at this, but that
51:06we could see a type of Andre Johnson, Julio Jones type of role for Trey Harris in this offense.
51:12So the fact that you can at least bet on that 5% chance of that happening here in what, where you're getting in wide receiver 63.
51:20And I'm all about it. So, and Debra, do you remember what Trey Harris said after he was drafted?
51:26Or maybe it was one of his interviews where, what did he want to do to opposing defensive backs?
51:31What did he want to do? Oh, he wanted to destroy him, dude.
51:35Dude, like that's what I mean when we're talking about- Got the dog in it, baby.
51:40Yeah, when we're talking about like, who is the alpha in this receiver room?
51:44I mean, Debra's already talked about how Lad doesn't profile as an alpha to him.
51:49QJ, he has his ups, he has his downs, but is he an alpha?
51:53Alpha? Like, I don't know. I mean, Trey Harris might just be the alpha in the room here.
51:58And alphas get fed. Dogs get fed. So, give me Trey Harris outside of the top 60.
52:03Erickson, to your point about Trey Harris and his abilities as an ex-receiver and stuff, his final two years of college, yards
52:10per route run against man coverage, first and 18th.
52:13You want to talk about the ability after the catch?
52:162024, 19th best in Yakpa reception. It gets lost in the conversation, my man.
52:20I love Trey Harris. He was my wide receiver too of that class.
52:24So, you want to talk me into, like, I'm fanning myself.
52:27Like, I'm hot mothered, man. Like, you were talking to me about a Trey Bay breakout in 2026.
52:33I'm here for it, dude. I'm so here for it.
52:36Oh, my gosh. Man. I love it. You know, it's funny.
52:39You mentioned, Erickson, you mentioned the Miami offense and how it has operated over the past several seasons there.
52:45I think sometimes we get a little bit too beholden in trying to pinpoint exactly how that was.
52:50And remember, these are different players, a different quarterback with different capabilities.
52:54And, you know, I kind of feel like the odd man getting left out here could be a Rondae Gadsden.
53:00We didn't really see a strong wide receiver three ever step up.
53:03And we had the years where they were trying to kind of run things through the tight end.
53:09We had the Johnnie Smith year. I don't expect that to repeat because that was a very highly ineffective offense as a whole there.
53:16So, yeah, while we kind of look and say, hey, why not this offense operating with three wide receivers deep there being
53:22successful from a fantasy perspective, especially if they're pushing aggressive volume, the run game is thriving.
53:27We're expecting this massive turnaround with a healthier offensive line.
53:30So, again, this is multiple bodies here that can thrive in one same offense.
53:34So I love this conversation around Trey Harris. To your point, though, Tara, too, it's like if everybody's noticing the theme of
53:41this episode, we have talked a lot about we're going to talk more about it.
53:46Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans, the Chargers. This is all investing at cost in really cheap parts that can either outperform their ADPs
53:52or you're getting cheap access to like offenses we think are going to be really damn good.
53:57Yep. Sleepers. That is the key there. The value that we are getting cheap access to guys with high upside.
54:03Now we've we've done the dart throws, but we're going even deeper here.
54:07We're going to deeper sleeper stashes. Again, my personal favorite here.
54:10We're going to rapid fire through these guys. And this is a great list here.
54:15D bro. Kick us off here with your deeper sleepers.
54:18First guy I got to talk about here and we're seeing the Emeka Ibuka injury news and we'll see how that plays out.
54:25Limp off the field and stuff. The first guy I got to talk about here is a guy that we get to
54:31be talking about very similar to what Emeka Ibuka was stepping into last year.
54:36A crowded wide receiver room and we're betting on talent.
54:39You need to be drafting freaking Ted Hurst. He's wide receiver 83 in real time ADP 270th.
54:44He's going to go undrafted in so many different leagues.
54:47I'm not worried about Jalen McMillan. He's had his chances to earn his stripes in this offense.
54:52And yet, what do they continually do every single freaking year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
54:57They draft wide receivers to either try to take replace him or take his chain.
55:01So Ted Hurst needs to be on everybody's draft boards.
55:04The guy that I'll bring up here next and I kind of I've teased him a few different times.
55:10Denzel Boston wide receiver 60 169th in real time ADP.
55:13The discrepancy in ADP between Casey Concepcion and Denzel Boston should not exist.
55:17Both of these players have been crushing it in camp.
55:20Denzel Boston could be the wide receiver one for the Cleveland Browns this year.
55:24So I've been telling everybody draft Casey and Denzel Boston.
55:27You put both of them at their cost on your bench and by week five, you know who the guy is.
55:33So cut one of them that there is no risk in drafting them where they go in the last guy of the three pack here, Greg Dalsich.
55:41Erickson, I know you're riding with me on this one.
55:44Tight end 29. It's free money. Top 12 in every single per route metric you can pull up last year.
55:50Who's the wide receiver one in Miami this year?
55:53The answer really is Greg Dalsich. I love it.
55:56I love it there. I'm very much so pro Denzel Boston, pro Ted Hurst, pro Greg Dalsich as well.
56:02This is a nice little list here. I like Erickson's as well.
56:05So talk to us about your picks there. Erickson's got some good ones.
56:09All right. Dylan Sampson, another Cleveland Browns second year running back.
56:12Look, Todd Munkin took Derek Henry off the field for Justice Hill in Baltimore.
56:17So I think that there's a very clear path where Quincyon Jenkins is not a three down back and Dylan Sampson is
56:23operating on passing downs, which he was very effective in last year as a very young rookie.
56:28Seconding yards per route run among running backs. First in target rate per route run.
56:33The other running backs that were in that vicinity, Christian McCaffrey, B.
56:36John Robinson and Jameer Gibbs. So pretty good company to be a part of for a very young running back in Dylan Sampson.
56:43My next guy here is Pat Bryant. Shout out to Greg with the coach speak index.
56:48Patty Ice, who is being now called by the Denver coaches.
56:51Look, he was on a surge in the second half of last year when he finally got healthy.
56:57He had at least three catches in six straight games before he got hurt in the playoffs.
57:02And during the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills, he caught all three of his targets for 32 yards on the opening
57:09drive before he got hurt with an injury. So I think that Pat Bryant is going to be pushing Cortland Sutton as
57:15the number two receiver in this offense behind Jalen Waddle, who again, at this point, we still have some concerns about, well,
57:22is he going to be healthy for all 17 games?
57:25Because he's constantly nicked up. So if Pat Bryant can eat more into Sutton's workload, which is what we saw from Troy Franklin last year.
57:32And Troy Franklin was abysmal with his opportunities. I think Pat Bryant is being very, very underrated here at wide receiver 89.
57:39And then last but not least, a tight end because D-Ro took Greg Dulcich, who's always my go to sleeper tight end.
57:45Terrence Ferguson, very limited sample size last year for the Rams.
57:49But me and D-Ro love Terrence Ferguson. We were there at the NFL scouting combine when he absolutely blew up and then
57:55went in, I believe it was in the third round of the NFL draft.
58:00He flashed big time upside last year, nearly 21 yards per reception for a tight end is actually insane.
58:05An extremely high average after the target at 17.6.
58:08But Sean McVay has talked about how they still view his yards after the catch ability in very high regard.
58:14And I think that Ferguson, if you just look at this depth chart for the Rams, I get people get concerned about, well, there's so many tight ends.
58:22Well, you know what? There's not that many of wide receivers.
58:26So if something happens where Puka misses time because of injury or he's suspended, Devante Adams is old.
58:31He hurts his hamstring again. I think Terrence Ferguson is actually kind of like that next man up just from a weapon pass catcher standpoint.
58:39And he's got insane upside as a second year player.
58:42Just look at tight ends that rank highly in yards per reception and average depth of the past several seasons, very young into their careers.
58:49George Kittle, Kyle Pitts and Juwan Johnson, all guys that have had a lot of success or at least come into success for fantasy football purposes.
58:57So, I mean, Sean McVay and shout out to Coach Speak Index.
59:01He's getting Travis Kelsey comps already. So elite after the catch, elite downfield, a dynamic combination.
59:05So Terrence Ferguson, for me, he's definitely worth a last round pick.
59:09Yeah, it's funny. You know, when we look at the injuries that could happen in that receiving core, you're right.
59:15We don't see a big shift towards another receiver stepping up.
59:18They just lean further into the tight end. So that's a really good point there.
59:23Guys, you notice this list here. Tara, no belief in Keontae Monfield?
59:26No, no, no, no belief in Jordan Whittington? No belief in CJ Daniels?
59:30I'm absolutely kidding, by the way. No, no, none whatsoever.
59:33I mean, at that point, we'll just tilt towards another of the one variety, like what?
59:38The four deep, four or five deep they are tied in there.
59:42Oh, God. This was this deep sleeper list. I guys, I want to point out one thing about it.
59:47We talked about Denzel Boston, Ted Hurst, Greg Dulcich, Dylan Sampson, Pat Bryant, Terrence Ferguson.
59:52What is the thing that all of those guys except Greg Dulcich have in common?
59:56Super, super young. And Dulcich is 26. He's still pretty young there, too.
60:00The point is here. He's missed so much time.
60:03It's like he's young, though. That's true, right? Young and hard.
60:06It's been a bad Miami offense. So this is his chance to just push Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle.
60:12They're gone now. Now it's his chance to shine here.
60:15But you notice they're young players. So as you're doing your late round drafts here, you're looking at guys rounds 15 or deeper.
60:22Don't go for the standard old veteran and say, oh, he might be able to get me a little bit of something.
60:29No, take your chances with these guys. I like to akin it to, you know, I don't think Amon Ra was this
60:35deep in his rookie season, but Amon Ra St.
60:38Brown, just because it's a bad team. Detroit was an objectively bad team that year.
60:42And what happened halfway through the season? Amon Ra pushed through, had league winning production in the back half of the season here.
60:49So, yes, we're bringing up guys that are on bad teams, but we're getting that decrease ADP as Debro mentioned there.
60:56They're value picks that have the potential to provide that league winning upside.
60:59The high priority sleepers here that could pay off for us.
61:03But that wraps things up, guys. We appreciate you tuning in.
61:06Before we head out, make sure that you like this video and make sure that you're subscribed to Fantasy Pro's YouTube channel
61:13and podcast so that you do not miss out on any of the amazing fantasy football content and that you are checking
61:19out all of the Fantasy Pro's tools to put your fantasy teams in the best position to win for 2026.
61:25For Andrew Erickson, for Derek Brown, I'm Tara Roberts.
61:28Thank you for tuning in. We will see you next time.
61:31Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pro's Fantasy Football Podcast.
61:34If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on Apple Podcasts at fantasypros.com slash review or on Spotify.
61:43Follow us on X, Instagram, and TikTok at Fantasy Pros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com slash fantasypros.
61:49This episode brought to you by Verizon Business. The World Cup from FIFA isn't just the biggest ever.
61:54It's also the most technologically complex. 104 matches, 16 stadiums, three countries.
61:58But for Verizon Business, that's another day. With private 5G networks in every stadium, more than 80,000 miles of fiber, end-to-end security,
62:04Verizon Business is powering FIFA's World Cup. If Verizon Business can do that, imagine what they can do for your business.
62:11Visit verizon.com slash powering FIFA World Cup now to learn more.
62:14When you're teeing off and your clients are watching, it's on.
62:17When the game goes to overtime and your squad is right there with you, it's on.
62:22When you swap out that other nicotine pouch for something softer and feel the difference right away, it's on.
62:28On Plus nicotine pouches with Nico Silk Mesh. No corners, no rough edges, just the softest pouch on the planet.
62:34When there's nothing between you and what's next, it's on.
62:37With On Plus nicotine pouches. Not all varieties available in all geographies.
62:40Warning, this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
62:43Honestly, honestly, honestly. No one wants to think about HIV, but there are things that everyone can do to help prevent it.
62:50Things like PrEP. PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, and it means routinely taking prescription medicine before you're exposed to HIV to help reduce your chances of getting it.
62:58PrEP can be about 99% effective when taken as prescribed.
63:01It doesn't protect against other STIs, though, so be sure to use condoms and other healthy sex practices.
63:07Ask a healthcare provider about all your prevention options, and visit findoutaboutprep.com to learn more.
63:11Sponsored by Gilead. Foodies, unite! This is Angie Martinez from IRL Podcast, here to tell you about something new and delicious from McDonald's.
63:18So they just released an all-new Caesar sauce that is a creamy blend of rich Parmesan, zesty lemon, and bold garlic flavors.
63:25The sauce on a chicken Caesar snack wrap, ooh, or the McCrispy Strips, delicious.
63:29Which, by the way, the crispy strips are even crispier now.
63:32And that combination is perfect for McDonald's. And for a drink, I'll probably have a nice cold Sprite to go along with
63:39that perfectly, and I will be a happy girl.
63:42Don't take my word for it. Try it out for yourself.
63:45For a limited time, while supplies last at participating McDonald's.
63:48This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.
