Fantasy football is back!
Week 1 is still a ways off, but fantasy football draft season is right around the corner. To help you get ready, we're bringing you a series of articles previewing the upcoming campaign. Let's kick things off with 10 potential breakout candidates who could help you win your league's title.
Let's get to it!
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The list of potential breakouts at quarterback is fairly small. We know what we're getting with the vets at the position, and the three signal-callers from the 2024 class - Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, and Drake Maye - have already broken out.
If Shough can continue his play from late last year, it'll be his turn to emerge as a fantasy-relevant quarterback who will deliver significant value at his average draft position (ADP).
Shough is going as the 20th quarterback off the board, according to FantasyPros' ADP. The fact that he's basically undrafted in most leagues is a huge reason his breakout potential is so high. His cost is minimal with a late-round pick, yet finishing as a top-10 quarterback is within his range of outcomes.
The Saints' signal-caller became the starter in Week 8 last year and took a few games to get his feet wet. However, after the Saints' Week 11 bye, Shough recorded a top-12 outing in four of his last seven starts and scored 17 or more fantasy points in six straight weeks to close the campaign.
New Orleans boosted its receiving corps this offseason by adding a dynamic wide receiver in Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick, and Chris Olave is healthy (for now). Shough should also be much more familiar with head coach Kellen Moore's high-tempo offense (New Orleans led the NFL in seconds per play last year), which will give the young QB more opportunities to score points. Additionally, the Saints' defense doesn't project to be very good, meaning the team could be in plenty of shootouts while playing over half its games in scoring-friendly domes.
2026 projection: 3,700 passing yards, 22 TDs, 10 INTs
325 rushing yards, 4 TDs
Honorable mention - Cam Ward
The former first overall pick deserves a shoutout, though Ward's usefulness this season might only come in extremely deep or super-flex leagues.
The Titans made a point to surround Ward with talent in the offseason, drafting Carnell Tate fourth overall and signing Wan'Dale Robinson. Tennessee also brought in Brian Daboll as its offensive coordinator, a coach known for helping develop Josh Allen and leading Daniel Jones to a career year in 2022.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The hype around the Chargers is extremely high after they added offensive mastermind Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator. His unit in Miami was always explosive in the stints when Tua Tagovailoa was healthy, and now he gets to design plays with Justin Herbert as his quarterback.
Hampton should be a huge benefactor of McDaniel's scheme. His rookie year was initially promising before a Week 5 ankle injury derailed things. But Hampton still showed why he was a first-round selection in his limited action, scoring five touchdowns in his final seven games and catching five-plus passes in four of those outings.
One concern about Hampton's ceiling is that McDaniel didn't draft him, which means the second-year tailback has to prove himself to the coaching staff. The Chargers also brought in speedster Keaton Mitchell, who will likely take touches away from him. However, if Los Angeles' offense is as advertised, Hampton could still lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns. He's one of a few rushers with RB1 upside despite being selected as the eighth running back early in the second round.
2026 projection: 260 carries, 1,100 rushing yards, 14 TDs
55 receptions, 350 receiving yards, 3 TDs
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everyone witnessed Henderson's potential in the second half of last season when he scored over 27 fantasy points in three of the fantasy season's final seven weeks. He likely propelled many fantasy teams to a late-season run and maybe even a championship.
Rhamondre Stevenson is still on the Patriots roster, which prevents Henderson from having a clear workhorse role. However, if Henderson improved his pass protection during the offseason, head coach Mike Vrabel will be forced to keep him on the field over the far less explosive Stevenson.
Henderson is being drafted as the 22nd running back, but he has a much higher ceiling than players being picked ahead of him, like D'Andre Swift and David Montgomery. Although Henderson is far from a sure thing, he'll be a home-run pick in the fourth round if he takes playing time from Stevenson.
2026 projection: 205 carries, 950 rushing yards, 8 TDs
40 receptions, 325 receiving yards, 2 TDs
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
Travis Etienne is no longer with the Jaguars, opening the door for Tuten to take over as the lead back in Jacksonville. While the Jaguars signed Chris Rodriguez as a free agent to provide competition for Tuten, he's a short-yardage back who doesn't offer the same upside.
Selected by the Jags in the fourth round last year, Tuten should be handed the keys to the backfield early on this season. He'll easily outscore his RB25 draft position if Jacksonville's offense is as effective as it was last year, especially after the unit helped Etienne finish as the RB10.
2026 projection: 195 carries, 875 rushing yards, 8 TDs
30 receptions, 250 receiving yards, 2 TDs
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
You could argue that Corum was one of the league's most efficient rushers last season after he led all running backs with 100 or more carries in expected points added per play (EPA/play), according to SumerSports. He also finished first in success rate (rate of getting positive EPA on rush play), second behind Jonathan Taylor in total EPA, and second in explosive rate, trailing only De'Von Achane.
Though head coach Sean McVay has relied heavily on Kyren Williams in the past, Corum was eating into Williams' snap share as last year progressed. Corum played a season-high 45.8% of the snaps in Week 14 against the Lions, and he surpassed over 30% in eight of the Rams' final 11 games. From Week 10 on, Williams and Corum nearly split carries from inside the 10-yard line at 13 to 10.
Corum will remain usable even if Williams stays healthy all season. However, if Williams gets hurt or Corum takes another step and starts earning most of the touches, the 25-year-old could be a steal as the 33rd running back drafted.
2026 projection: 190 carries, 910 rushing yards, 7 TDs
16 receptions, 100 receiving yards, 1 TD
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Including Burden as a potential breakout player is a bit of a lay-up. His name will be mentioned constantly throughout August as someone you need to draft, which will likely push his ADP even higher than it is now as WR21.
The hype is well deserved. Burden came on extremely strong at the end of last season, a typical form of progression for any rookie. By the end of the campaign, he ranked third among all wideouts in yards per route run (YPRR), according to SumerSports, behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
DJ Moore is no longer in Chicago, so his 15.98% target share from last year will have to go somewhere. Meanwhile, Burden proved he should get more looks than the 12.79% target share he received. Head coach Ben Johnson turned Amon-Ra St. Brown into a fantasy star, and it wouldn't be shocking to see Burden drafted as a top-10 receiver next season.
2026 projection: 80 receptions, 1,050 yards, 8 TDs
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Can a receiver with multiple 1,000-plus yard seasons entering his sixth year be considered a breakout? In Smith's case, yes.
A.J. Brown is no longer with the Eagles, meaning Smith is the new WR1 in town. In a small sample size of three games without Brown since 2024, Smith earned a 32.9% target share while producing 2.65 YPRR. That number would've been good for fourth last season, behind Burden's 2.68.
We saw a similar situation to Philly's unfold in Seattle last year when DK Metcalf left, opening the door for Smith-Njigba to win Offensive Player of the Year. The Eagles will still be a run-first team, but the path for Smith to finish as a top-five wide receiver couldn't be clearer.
2026 projection: 90 receptions, 1,150 yards, 9 TDs
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
It's a bit cheap to take a rookie as a breakout player since they haven't even played yet, but we're doing it anyway with Tyson.
The 21-year-old was the second wide receiver selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, and many believed he would've been the first had he not suffered hamstring strains that prevented him from participating in the combine. Tyson also has a history of knee injuries, but if the Saints were comfortable taking him with the eighth pick, you should have no issues drafting him ahead of his ADP as WR32.
Tyson slots in perfectly alongside Olave in what could be an exciting Saints offense. We also like Shough's chances of breaking out, and the duo's output goes hand in hand. Furthermore, Olave could miss time, as he's dealt with a handful of concussions. If he's sidelined, Tyson would immediately take over as Shough's No. 1 option.
2026 projection: 65 receptions, 875 yards, 6 TDs
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
The Packers are having an interesting offseason. Running back Josh Jacobs' future with the team is in doubt after domestic abuse charges, and Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks left in free agency.
With Green Bay potentially lacking a reliable running back option and Doubs and Wicks' 30% combined target share up for grabs, Golden is positioned for a much larger role.
Jayden Reed is also exclusively a slot receiver, meaning Golden should play in most of the Packers' two-receiver sets. And considering Christian Watson doesn't have the best track record of staying healthy, Golden's role could expand even further. He's going as WR49 in fantasy drafts, but that's far too low for a player with his upside.
2026 projection: 55 receptions, 750 yards, 6 TDs
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
Zach Ertz earned 18.06% and 20.22% of the targets for the Commanders the last two seasons, both good for a top-13 rank in the league. He also scored 12 touchdowns in 33 games, including the playoffs. That's important because Okonkwo signed with Washington to take over for Ertz, and he provides Daniels with a far more dynamic playmaker and has little target competition outside of Terry McLaurin.
Okonkwo recorded three straight 50-reception campaigns with the Titans, but he wasn't utilized in the red zone nor heavily targeted. His role should expand drastically in Washington, and he could emerge as an elite tight end in a rather weak position group with a healthy Daniels as his quarterback. Even if the Commanders add another receiving option, Okonkwo should convincingly outscore his ADP as the 16th tight end drafted.
2026 projection: 65 receptions, 650 yards, 5 TDs
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