2026 Fantasy Football Breakouts: Five Late-Round Players to Target
Welcome to our 2026 Fantasy Football Breakouts: Five Late-Round Players to Target!
Every fantasy football season produces a new wave of stars, but identifying those players set to outproduce their fantasy football average draft position (ADP) is what separates the contenders from the pretenders in your league. From sophomore surges to veterans handling bigger workloads, these breakout players are set to carry your fantasy team straight to the top. We asked five of our writers here at Fantasy In Frames to highlight the one player they believe is set to be the biggest fantasy football breakout star in 2026.
Colby Conway: Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
Last year’s RB10 in PPR is firmly in the bust territory for me in 2026, despite barely being drafted inside the top 20. I’m incredibly bullish on McConkey, and I believe he’ll best every single one of his numbers from 2024 (82 receptions, 1,149 yards, 7 TDs). I wrote about McConkey in my Blueprint of a WR1 article, and in both of McConkey’s first two seasons, he’s been substantially better when motion is utilized, compared to when it isn’t.
This is important because McDaniel’s offense thrives on pre-snap motion, and McConkey’s quickness and shiftiness are essential in the quick game. The stars seem to be aligning for McConkey, and the third-year breakout narrative is alive and well for the former Georgia Bulldog.
Reminder that Ladd McConkey put up 197 yards in the playoffs against one of the leagues best defenses pic.twitter.com/UrqMGrPmXh
— Chris O'Brien (@17gamepace) July 29, 2026
Mark my words: McConkey is set for the best fantasy finish of his career, and 1,250+ yards and 10 TDs is what I’m envisioning.
Kyle Zeigler: Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Let’s call it a mini breakout last season, when Egbuka started red-hot as the WR8 in PPR through the first seven weeks. With Mike Evans taking his talents to the Bay Area, Egbuka now has the opportunity to lead the team in targets. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has said Egbuka will play full-time as the Z receiver. Playing off the line of scrimmage should help him avoid press coverage, create separation, and generate free releases through motion. With everyone searching for the next Jaxon Smith-Njigba, I can’t think of a better candidate than Emeka Egbuka.
Buccaneers WR1 Emeka Egbuka pic.twitter.com/JVbBWzEHhc
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) July 19, 2026
Drew Scott: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
Christian Watson has been an exciting player that’s always been hampered by a combination of bad injury luck and a frustrating rotation at the wide receiver position in Green Bay. The injuries are impossible to predict, but one thing we do know is that he’s healthy going into this season. The constant revolving door of wide receivers in Green Bay should be a thing of the past as well, with both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks no longer on the Packers roster.
CHRISTIAN WATSON ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 16, 2025
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/neLjeU1zvJ
Another thing we know is that when Watson is healthy, he’s a damn good wide receiver. Watson didn’t make his season debut until Week 8 last year, but from that point through the end of the season, he was:
- 8th in yards per route run
- 3rd in yards per reception
- 11th in first downs per route run
- and was the WR22 in fantasy points per game
This is all while being 34th in first read percentage and 39th in target share among those same wide receivers. So if his target volume increases as expected, with less competition for snaps and targets, his ceiling is something that I don’t think is being baked into his current average draft position. There’s over 130 vacated targets up for grabs in this Packers offense, and Watson should be a top-two target in this offense.
He’s currently being drafted as the WR28, but I’ve got him up at WR24. While I might have him ranked as a WR2, I believe Watson has top 12 upside if he can stay healthy and if the Packers take a more pass-heavy approach this season.
Aidan Weingartner: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
I’ve had my own issues with Mike McDaniel as a head coach in the past, but as a playcaller/OC…I think he’s phenomenal. For fantasy purposes, I want any major piece of that Los Angeles Chargers high-flying offense that I can get. Instead of trying to figure out how the targets are going to shake out between all the pass catchers, why not just lean 100% into the running game with Omarion Hampton? That’s what I’ll be doing at least.
Chargers RB Omarion Hampton on OC Mike McDaniel: “You know he loves to run the ball, we couldn’t be more excited.” pic.twitter.com/aIahoIDhm7
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) August 5, 2026
There is just SO MUCH to like here. Hampton is a former 1st-round pick just a year ago; he’s in a very run-heavy offense, and his offensive line will finally be healthy once again this season. On top of all of this, while I like Keaton Mitchell a lot as a late-round dart throw this year as an upside play, we could see an uptick in Hampton’s receiving usage under McDaniel. Second-year RBs tend to pay dividends for fantasy managers, and Omarion Hampton is going to have an extremely dominant season in 2026.
Jorge Edwards: Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Quentin Johnston is one of my favorite WR values, in what I believe will be his breakout season with former Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel at the helm of this Chargers offense.
Quentin Johnston was a YAC monster in college. I love the fact that McDaniel plans to have him play fast instead of just asking him to be a traditional contested-catch guy.
— Dynasty Angle (@DynastyAngleFF) August 10, 2026
He’s also tied to Justin Herbert and just finished WR27 in 14 games last year. He averaged 13.2 fantasy…
In 2025, per Fantasy Points Data, Johnston excelled in Win Rate and Average Separation Score when running post routes AND crossing routes. I mention crossing routes because, of all the route breaks he had, he had the highest Yards per Routes Run and Average Separation Score of any other receiver on the team, and it wasn’t even close. I also mention this because being an elite separator in college when running crossing routes is what let him showcase his Yards After Catch ability and efficiency, something Mike McDaniel wants to exploit this season.
Combine that with the fact that Mike McDaniel’s is notorious for having a lot of Pre-Snap motion, Johnston not only finds himself in a position to get a free release off the line but also to find himself hitting his stride as Justin Herbert hits him in the gaps in coverage over the middle of the field, further elevating Johnston’s explosive playmaking potential.