4 Under-the-Radar Players to Target in 2026 Fantasy Football Drafts

Under-the-Radar Players at a Glance

• Isaiah Likely, Giants
• Josh Downs, Colts
• Jordan Mason, Vikings
• Tank Bigsby, Eagles

Finding value in the middle and late rounds can be just as important as hitting on your first few draft picks.

The best late-round targets aren't necessarily players guaranteed to start for your fantasy team immediately. Instead, I'm looking for players whose talent, opportunity, and/or potential role gives them a realistic chance to become much more valuable than their current average draft position (ADP) suggests.

All ADP references come from FantasyPros' half-PPR ADP, and ADP may change after this article is published.

Fantasy Football Under the Radar Players 2026

Jordan Mason, Vikings

ADP: 101st overall (RB37)

Jordan Mason isn't a traditional sleeper because he's already proven he can produce when given carries, but he's still being drafted outside the top 30 running backs.

He rushed 158 times for 758 yards and scored six total touchdowns last season for the Minnesota Vikings despite making only five starts, averaging a strong 4.8 yards per carry. Among qualifying running backs, Mason ranked seventh in rushing success rate, ninth in missed-tackle rate and 15th in yards after contact per attempt.

Aaron Jones remains the better receiving option, which limits Mason's PPR ceiling when both backs are healthy, but Mason has standalone touchdown and early-down value. If Jones misses time, Mason has the workload profile to immediately become — at worst — an every-week RB2.

Isaiah Likely, Giants

ADP: 103rd overall (TE12)

A change of scenery could finally give Isaiah Likely the consistent opportunity fantasy managers have been waiting for.

The New York Giants signed him to a three-year deal this offseason, and he should have a much clearer path to routes and targets than he did while sharing time in Baltimore.

I’m willing to write off Likely’s injury-plagued 2025 season, especially considering that in 2024 he ranked 10th among qualifying tight ends in yards per route run and eighth in both first downs per route run and fantasy points per route run.

Malik Nabers — if he’s fully healthy — will dominate targets, but there isn't an overwhelming collection of established pass-catchers behind him, leaving Likely with a realistic opportunity to become one of Jaxson Dart‘s primary options.

With an ADP around pick 100, Likely is one of the main reasons I’m comfortable waiting at TE.

Josh Downs, Colts

ADP: 108th overall (WR42)

Josh Downs has fallen into an interesting range of drafts, with his ADP sitting just outside the top 40 WRs despite Downs already showing that he can command targets at the NFL level.

His playing time was inconsistent last season, but he still ranked 29th among qualifying receivers in targets per route run and 26th in first downs per route run. Downs has also averaged 12.6 PPR points per game across his career in games where he’s played at least 70% of the offensive snaps.

The departure of Michael Pittman Jr. creates additional opportunity, although the recent addition of Keenan Allen adds some competition.

At Downs current ADP, I'm willing to bet on the 25-year-old earning enough volume to become a useful weekly flex/WR3 type.

Tank Bigsby, Eagles

ADP: 163rd overall (RB52)

Tank Bigsby is exactly the type of late-round running back I want on my bench because his value could change dramatically with one injury.

He enters the year firmly behind Saquon Barkley on the Philadelphia Eagles‘ depth chart, but Bigsby's efficiency has been impressive when he's gotten opportunities.

Among 65 qualifying running backs last season, he ranked fourth in explosive-run rate, second in missed-tackle rate and first in yards after contact per attempt.

In Week 18, when Philadelphia gave him 17 touches, Bigsby produced 106 total yards and finished as the RB9 in PPR scoring for the week.

With a PPR ADP around pick 170, Bigsby is low-cost exposure to one of the league's most favorable environments for running backs, and I think he could jump right into the RB1 ranks if Barkley were to miss time.

Check out our fantasy football best values as well as our fantasy football cheat sheet.

Fantasy Football FAQ

• What's the difference between PPR and non-PPR scoring? PPR (Points Per Reception) gives players points for each catch, which typically elevates receiver value and makes your league’s overall scoring less reliant on touchdowns. There’s also half-PPR scoring, which awards 0.5 points per catch. Standard scoring doesn’t give any points for receptions, counting only touchdowns and yards.
• How many teams are in a fantasy football league? Leagues usually feature 10 to 12 teams.
• What's the waiver wire actually about? The waiver wire consists of all the free agents in your league. These players can see their value impacted by injuries to other players as well as role changes and can sometimes become coveted assets.
• What's the difference between season-long and DFS strategy? Season-long rewards consistency and floor; DFS rewards ceiling and volatility. High-variance boom/bust guys are usually better DFS plays than season-long anchors.

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