The long days without football are behind us, and full expectations are building for this 2026 season. Fantasy football draft season is in full swing, and every edge you can find against your respective league-mates makes a difference.
This is especially the case in the middle rounds, where drafts can largely be won or lost. An injury to a top first round pick can derail your season in the same way a late-round flyer turning into a fantasy football superstar can give you an edge. However, these middle rounds are where so much of the legwork for a successful season is done, and what separates the novices from the fantasy football sickos.
With this in mind, here are four top names to have your eye on that should be in line to comfortable outperform their ADP and give you a leg up in producing more team success given the value of drafting them.
Top Mid-Round Fantasy Football Sleepers in 2026:
Dak Prescott – QB – Dak Prescott
Duel-threat quarterbacks have dominated the top of fantasy football rankings at the quarterback position and for good reason. But you can still consistently get impressive fantasy football production from the top pocket passers, and few have higher ceilings and floors than Dak Prescott. The four-time Pro Bowler completed 67.3% of his pass attempts last year, throwing for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He finished with 343.8 total fantasy points based on DraftKings scoring, or 20.2 per game. Prescott ranked fifth in total fantasy points and seventh in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks.
Dallas was bogged down significantly by a historically bad defense last season. While the organization took strides at improving, there should still be limited expectations for the defense this year, and the Cowboys will lean more on their offensive identity for success. Prescott is joined by a dynamic trio of pass catchers in CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and tight end Jake Ferguson. Last year was Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as head coach, and only the Chicago Bears ran more plays per game than the Cowboys. Prescott is a high-volume passer, but does an excellent job racking up production in these opportunities. Prior to last season, the last time the Mississippi product finished a season completely healthy was 2023, when he was QB3 from a fantasy perspective.
Despite the strong sample size of success, Prescott is currently being drafted with an average draft position of roughly 81.5, with some variance based on league format and scoring. DraftKings Network ranks the Cowboys’ starting quarterback as the 89th overall selection or QB10. This includes trailing players like Caleb Williams, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Jalen Hurts, and Jayden Daniels, who each should have bigger question marks about their outlook. The first look at Prescott in the Schottenheimer offense was impressive, and he cannot hold much of the blame for the team’s underperformance. Expect Dallas to continue asking him to throw the ball at an extreme rate and for there to be a clear path to him being a top-five fantasy football quarterback again this season.
Chris Godwin – WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans has been borderline synonymous with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers across his career. The future Hall of Famer has been the headline weapon in the passing game for over a decade, and has recorded 1,000+ receiving yards in each of his first 11 years with the team. But Evans will be suiting up for the San Francisco 49ers this season, leaving some major shoes to fill in the passing game. Plenty of attention has been centered around last year’s 19th overall Emeka Egbuka. While there is certainly fair reason for optimism for Egbuka, don’t let Chris Godwin get completely lost in the shuffle. This is especially the case considering Egbuka’s status is not entirely certain for Week 1, as he is battling a turf toe injury, while Godwin is as healthy as he has been in quite some time.
The former Pro Bowler has battled injuries each of the past two seasons, but recorded 1,000+ yards of his own in three consecutive seasons before this and four of the previous five. Godwin was limited to 9.6 fantasy points per game last year, which ranked 51st among wide receivers based on DraftKings scoring, across his limited action. But he tallied 20.5 fantasy points per game in his seven games played the year prior, and posted fantasy averages of 12.7, 15.4, 18.5, 16.2, and 21.0 per game dating back to 2019. Godwin ranked second among wide receivers in points per game in 2024 as well as second in 2019.
Looking at his draft projections, the Buccaneers’ pass-catcher is currently being selected with an overall ADP of 89.7 and is ranked at 69th overall based on DraftKings Network rankings. Baker Mayfield has proven capable of leading one of the most dynamic offenses in football, and this is a contract year for the former number one overall pick. There is more continuity between Mayfield and Godwin than any other member of the Buccaneers’ pass catchers, and expect the most motivated version of the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback to be taking the field this year. Count on Godwin to be a major beneficiary of this and for him to play his way back into the top fantasy football wide receiver conversation.
Isaiah Likely – TE – New York Giants:
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, largely playing second fiddle to Mark Andrews at the tight end spot, Isaiah Likely signed a three-year deal with the New York Giants this offseason. To this point, he has never played more than 60% of the offensive snaps across a season. Even so, he has finished with average fantasy football outputs of 5.9, 5.9, 8.0, and 4.5 points based on DraftKings scoring across his career. But Likley is expected to see a bump in opportunity in this new location. The Giants paid him to be a more impactful part of their offense, and it is now Likley’s turn to deliver on this promise.
There is plenty of buzz surrounding New York this season, as John Harbaugh takes over as head coach. Jaxson Dart showed flashes of being a franchise quarterback-caliber talent last year, and will be looking to build off this in the new system. One of the easiest ways to make life easier on a young quarterback is leaning on the tight end as a safety blanket in the flow of attack. Likely moves like a wide receiver, with a monstrous 6-foot-4.5 frame and catch radius beyond what most of his defensive matchups will be able to offer. He established himself as a reliable red zone threat, with 15 receiving scores across his four seasons in the NFL, and will fill these shoes in New York as well.
Likely has always flashed to have more talent and ability than he was able to show in Baltimore. Now will be his chance to put this on display, and he should trail only Malik Nabers in the offensive pecking order for the Giants’ pass catchers. Getting consistent production from the tight end position is crucial to maximize your team’s scoring ceiling, and adding Likley as a value selection is a great way of accomplishing this. The new member of the Giants is currently being drafted with an ADP of 111.1 and is considered TE16 at the 145th overall slot based on DraftKings Network rankings. But it does not feel like a far leap to expect Likely to have a chance to put up top-five tight end numbers, and his workload should be much more prominent on this Giants team than has been the case in the past.
Rhamondre Stevenson – RB – New England Patriots:
The New England Patriots took a massive leap last season to earn a Super Bowl appearance last season and prove they are ahead of their expected timeline. But it is even more difficult getting back to this major stage, and they will start from the ground up this year. While Drake Maye has deservingly taken plenty of the spotlight, the Patriots’ rushing attack deserves an equal bit of the credit for last season’s strong results. New England finished the season ranked sixth in rushing yards per game and fourth in rushing scores. Rhamondre Stevenson was a key part of this effort, finishing last year with 603 rushing yards, 345 receiving yards, and nine total touchdowns across his 14 games played last season. The 28-year-old finished the year with averages of 13.2 fantasy points per game on DraftKings scoring, which ranked 22nd among all running backs.
There seems to be a rush to hand the running back job to TreVeyon Henderson from the general fan base. New England selected the Ohio State product with the 38th overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, and he finished with 911 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards, and 10 total touchdowns of his own last year. Henderson averaged 12.5 fantasy points per game based on DraftKings scoring, which ranked 24th among running backs. The optimism for Henderson is fair, but there is a place for both running backs in this New England attack. Each running back had some issues adjusting to the new-look Josh McDaniels’ offensive attack. Stevenson missed some time in November due to injury, but produced a monstrous 17.1 fantasy points per game and 96.3 scrimmage yards per game over his final eight games, including the playoffs.
Even with Henderson’s looming presence, there is enough room for offensive production for him to outperform his fantasy football draft slot and play a crucial role on winning fantasy teams. Stevenson is being selected with an ADP of 70.6 and is ranked 59th on DraftKings Network rankings. Expect him to still see 200+ touches, 1,000+ yards, and be in play for double-digit touchdowns. He is also the more physically commanding running back, which should continue to give him the edge in the red zone. Have Stevenson circled as far more than a handcuff and expect him to outperform his draft slot well beyond the way it is being talked about.
