2026 NFL fantasy football: Six late-round sleepers to target

NFL Network fantasy analyst Adam Rank fantasy football facts to help fans prepare for their upcoming drafts.

As we hit mid-August, the most notable fantasy football names have been endlessly discussed and debated.

Now, it’s time to start digging for the true treasures buried late in drafts -- the sleepers of the 2026 season.

Some of these players are known but potentially overlooked. Others might be completely unfamiliar, but all of them are lower-risk fliers, mostly from the double-digit rounds.

I’ve narrowed this list down to six players, but I have discussed other candidates elsewhere, including some breakouts and value picks such as running backs Jordan Mason and Jonathon Brooks, wide receiver Josh Downs and tight ends Isaiah Likely and Chigoziem Okonkwo. Now it's time to read on and take your shots. May you strike gold!

NOTES:

• Average draft position (ADP) data comes via ESPN
• All analysis defaults to a point per reception (PPR) scoring format.

DRAFT HIM IN: Rounds 9-10

Diggs’ ADP is a bit of a moving target right now, as he only signed with the Commanders on Aug. 7. Currently, Diggs is coming off the board at the back of the 12th round, but I'd expect his ADP to climb another round or two by the end of the month. Diggs -- who snagged 85 catches for 1,013 yards and finished as the fantasy WR17 in New England last year -- can still be a worthy sleeper target in the 10th round after he signed with his hometown team.

Diggs led the league with a 15.4% catch rate over expected in 2025 (minimum 50 targets), catching an absurd 83.3% of his targets, per NFL Pro. He also hit 2.4 yards per route run, fifth among players with at least 300 routes, behind only Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zay Flowers and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The 32-year-old clearly has something left to offer, and a healthy Jayden Daniels shouldn't be a major downgrade from Drake Maye. Diggs should be a 1B to Terry McLaurin’s 1A, which could make him the cheapest fantasy WR2 in 2026 drafts.

DRAFT HIM IN: Round 10

With the departure of Travis Etienne from Jacksonville, it seems the fantasy community crowned Bhayshul Tuten as the successor and moved on. Tuten, a fourth-round pick in 2025, averaged 3.7 yards per carry as a rookie. Rodriguez, a sixth-round pick in 2023, has been more efficient (4.6 yards per carry) and signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Jaguars this offseason.

Last year in Washington, Rodriguez hit positive rush yards over expected on 45.5% of his carries, logged a 45.5% rush success rate and forced a missed tackle on 27.7% of his totes, while rushing for six touchdowns. The other RBs to hit all those marks in a season during the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016) are Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, Christian McCaffrey and De’Von Achane. Rodriguez has reportedly received similar reps to Tuten in camp and I expect Rodriguez to be favored in the red zone. I’m OK missing out on a potential Tuten breakout to take the guy who should lead the team in rushing touchdowns several rounds later.

DRAFT HIM IN: Round 11 or later

It feels like Kincaid has been right on the verge of fantasy stardom for a few years now, but he has never managed to clear the final hurdle. As a rookie in 2023, he had 91 targets, 73 catches and 673 yards -- which are still career highs -- but he scored just two touchdowns. Then he missed four games in 2024 and five in 2025, dealing with a hamstring issue down the stretch last year that derailed a strong start to the season. From Weeks 1-9 -- before injuring the hamstring in Week 10 -- he was the fantasy TE6 in points per game (with 13.2).

Entering his fourth year, Kincaid appears to be healthy and has built an analytical profile worth examining. Among tight ends with 400-plus routes run since 2023, Kincaid’s 1.8 yards per route ranks fourth. The names ahead of him? George Kittle, Trey McBride and Brock Bowers. That’s it. I like the impact DJ Moore could have on the offense -- Kincaid’s best year came in Stefon Diggs' last with the Bills. Kincaid has TE1 upside if he stays healthy.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen speaks with NFL Network's Kyle Brandt on "Good Morning Football" along the sideline of the Bills' practice field.

DRAFT HIM IN: Round 12 or later

The rookie wide receiver has drawn rave reviews so far in camp. Head coach Todd Monken has moved him up to the first-team offense. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder out of Washington was the 39th overall pick in this year's draft, going 15 spots after teammate KC Concepcion. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein tagged Boston with a Rounds 1-2 projection and comped him to Puka Nacua. Boston has that jump-ball winning, contested-catch skill set, and while he likely won’t put up Nacua-like numbers in Cleveland’s rebuilding offense, he does have a shot to be the Browns' No. 1 receiver. Concepcion should be the best short-area target, but Boston could dominate the perimeter and red zone. Both could see triple-digit targets. Given how positive the camp reports have been for Boston, I’m starting to lean his way as the higher-upside sleeper. Either way, taking the completely free shot at the end of drafts feels like a no-brainer.

DRAFT HIM IN: Final round

There’s a wide swath of last-round dart throws you can make, and the most intriguing option can change from week to week. But as of early August, I’m liking Baltimore's rookie wide receiver out of USC. The Ravens took Lane 80th overall in April and he has been an immediate hit. Beat reporter Jamison Hensley raved about Lane’s training camp. While a few big grabs in practice don’t guarantee fantasy success, the situation is certainly promising.

The Ravens have been searching for a No. 2 alongside Zay Flowers as Rashod Bateman’s intermittent flashes have not been enough for most of his five seasons. And Lane offers a skill set Flowers does not, with his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame and 40-inch vertical. Becoming Lamar Jackson's top red zone threat is a lucrative gig (just ask prime Mark Andrews). Lane could absolutely cement himself as a top option in a new passing attack -- now under offensive coordinator Declan Doyle -- and offer a breakout rookie season from the dregs of fantasy drafts.

DRAFT HIM IN: Final round

It's been a long road back since Dell suffered a catastrophic knee injury in December 2024. Dell returned to a full-pads practice for the first time on Aug. 5. He could be back at the forefront of the Houston offense in 2026, alongside Nico Collins and the Iowa State duo of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. But what can he offer after a full season away from the game?

Over his last four healthy games as a rookie in 2023, Dell tallied 25 catches on 43 targets for 369 yards and five touchdowns -- good for 23 fantasy points per game over that span. And while he was extremely inconsistent during C.J. Stroud’s sophomore struggles in 2024, he did flash at times. When healthy, he’s a big-play threat with superb yards-after-catch skills and somewhat surprising touchdown acumen given his size. He could bring a much-needed spark back to the Texans offense. In shallower leagues, Dell is such a deep sleeper you can just flag him for a waiver pickup. But don’t be surprised if he’s a must-add by mid-September.