Fantasy Football, for many of us, is what we live and die for during the NFL season. Just a couple of days ago, I secured my first-ever first-place finish and $290 in our league, which marks one of my highlights of 2025. The thrill, the sneaky waiver pickups, and the wins are what I love about fantasy football, and I have already started my research for 2026. This year, there were three players who exceeded expectations and potentially won your league. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was one of those guys, a player who was taken early third round or late second in most of your leagues, but finished as the #1 receiver. Christian McCaffrey, a year after being injured for most of the season, finished the overall #1 in fantasy, and he was drafted in the mid- first round in most of your leagues. Trey McBride, a tight end who had a resurgent season with Jacoby Brissett in Arizona, had one of the greatest tight end seasons ever and was a mid to late second-round pick as well. Drafting in fantasy is all about hitting those breakout players so you can finish the season with a first-place trophy. In 2026, who will those players be?
The first player who I believe will be a league winner in 2026 is New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave. Olave played every game this season (out for Week 18 with a blood clot) and over his last three games, he has four touchdowns, an average of 12 targets a game, and is averaging 117.3 yards a game. This is a Saints team that, I believe, will be competitive in 2026 in a mediocre NFC South, and furthermore, Olave’s production does not have to have a relationship with how the team is doing. The Cardinals have had an awful record this year, but have had valuable fantasy players like McBride, Michael Wilson, and Jacoby Brissett. After a year where the Saints had the third-fewest rushing yards a game, Tyler Shough will lead this team in a pass-first offense. Olave will be peppered with targets, and he is the centerpiece of an offense that can go under the radar next season. When you think of league winners for 2026, a Saints player does not exactly come to mind, but Olave is a talented receiver who will have some great chemistry with quarterback Tyler Shough. Shough has clearly shown visible improvement in recent weeks, and he has ended his rookie year very strongly. Olave will likely be a fourth to fifth-round pick in your draft next year, and he is a sleeper pick that you want to keep an eye on.
The second player who will be a potential league winner in next year’s fantasy draft in Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton. It was a rollercoaster of a season for Hampton, who first split carries with Najee Harris, then took on the lead role, then missed two months with an ankle injury, only to come back now with the Chargers in a playoff push. Hampton is a six-foot, 220 lb physical runner who is a dual threat in both the passing and running game. Los Angeles suffered two massive injuries to Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, their two best offensive linemen, and the running game has found it difficult to gain any traction in an injury-ravaged o-line. Next year, Hampton will have healthy tackles in front of him, and he is a points-per-reception (PPR) merchant who can gain free points with checkdown catches. Hampton has double-digit carries in all but one of his starts, showing just how much emphasis LA has on running the football. He is a late second to third-round pick next year, and I believe he can easily finish as one of the top backs in 2026.
Finally, the third player who I believe will have a monstrous year for your fantasy purposes is Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The rookie has had a solid yea,r and heading into the final game of the season, he is 71 yards short of hitting 1k. This Panthers offense does not have a ton of weapons, and McMillan is a clear #1 guy. He is just wrapping up his rookie year and heading into his second year, he will get even better with Bryce Young. Tet has not had huge volume this year, but he was the eighth overall pick for a reason in the recent draft, and I am expecting him to have a fantastic sophomore year. He had the 15th-best target share in the league, and in Year 2, Carolina will push the ball to him more. He will be a fourth to fifth-round pick, and in this range, he is a great pick who will shatter expectations. McMillan is a big, talented receiver, and he is someone who will give you great value out of his mid-draft projection.
It really, really hurts when one of your draft picks busts, like Lamar Jackson and Justin Jefferson this year. Our jobs as fantasy managers are finding those breakout stars and hopefully not drafting those busts. These players, though, I believe had a decent 2025 season, but there is tons more in store for them in 2026. Are you willing to take a risk and draft one of these guys to reap a high reward? What fantasy players will shine and glisten for fantasy managers in 2026?