Fantasy football managers are smarter than ever, so finding a player who’s actually being slept on can be difficult.
With that in mind, let’s shine the spotlight on some players available in the late rounds or even off the waiver wire who could surprise in 2026.
Over the next week, I’ll revisit my favorite sleeper candidates at every key fantasy position — starting with quarterbacks.
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C.J. Stroud, Texans
Stroud hasn’t been able to fully replicate his year-long rookie season production, when he was the QB11 averaging 18.5 fppg. However, full season stats can be deceiving.
The first-round passer wasn’t far off early in his sophomore campaign, posting QB14 fantasy results through the first six weeks before injuries struck his receiving corps. After that, he was the QB38 from Week 7 on in 2024.
While he only managed QB23 fantasy numbers last year, an injury derailed his season and caused him to miss three games. If you remove the outing where he got hurt and only played part of the contest, as well as the first game back where he struggled, Stroud averaged 16.8 fppg in his other 11 contests. That would have tied him as the QB15 with Baker Mayfield, Jacoby Brissett, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels.
We can also quite easily paint a brighter picture for him in 2026 with a stronger supporting cast that features a true breakout candidate in wideout Jayden Higgins and another promising young receiver in Jaylin Noel emerging alongside Nico Collins. Even Tank Dell is back on the practice field and hoping to contribute after the gruesome injury that nearly ended his career.
The Texans’ offense will benefit from the addition of veteran back David Montgomery, who should help bring balance to their attack after their run game suffered without Joe Mixon. The front office even made an effort to address the offensive line, though that might still be a work in progress.
Regardless, unlike some of the quarterbacks going in his ADP range, Stroud is locked in as his team’s starter for the full season and he’ll face the ninth-friendliest fantasy QB schedule. In a make-or-break year for the 24-year-old, a return to his rookie year stardom could be on the horizon.
Cam Ward, Titans
Following an extremely disappointing rookie campaign, Ward has gone from hearing his name called first in the 2025 NFL Draft to becoming a fantasy afterthought this summer.
Fortunately, entering his second year the environment in Tennessee has improved dramatically — creating renewed hope for the 24-year-old.
That starts with a new coaching staff, which features offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Regardless of how you feel about Daboll’s time as the Giants head coach, you can’t deny that he’s a quality playcaller who helped Josh Allen and Jaxson Dart emerge as fantasy starters in his last two stops. He’ll provide a noticeable upgrade to the Titans’ offense while giving Ward a better chance to excel in Year 2.
Getting comfortable in a new offense takes time, so don’t sweat Ward’s preseason struggles so far. Especially since he’s getting used to a new receiving corps that actually features legitimate playmakers.
Last year, Ward was forced to throw to oft-injured veteran Calvin Ridley and a pair of Day 3 rookies in Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. Now, the reliance on Ridley is gone thanks to the arrival of first-round wideout Carnell Tate and high-priced free agent signing Wan’Dale Robinson, who knows Daboll well from their time together in New York.
When you add in a deep backfield trio of Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and Nick Singleton, as well as promising tight end Gunnar Helm — Tennessee finally has a real collection of skill position talent surrounding Ward.
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Though the offensive line remains a question mark, there is a path to that group improving with the addition of center Austin Schlottmann and the potential development of former first-rounders Peter Skoronski and JC Latham under the new regime.
From a fantasy perspective, Ward should have the wind at his back with the third-easiest QB schedule in 2026. And while he lacks an elite ceiling due to his limited rushing production, the enhanced weaponry alone should create a significant jump in his passing numbers — turning him into an ascending fantasy QB2 with an opportunity to flirt with low-end QB1 stats if everything goes his way.
Geno Smith, Jets
This one is a true sleeper, since expectations are as low as can be after Smith’s awful one-year stop in Las Vegas, which featured a midseason coordinator change and several injuries to key players including star tight end Brock Bowers.
However, let’s not forget what he’s done in the past, including a breakout campaign with the Seahawks in 2022, where he finished with the sixth-most points at his position and was a top-eight QB in fantasy points per game (18.7). He was also eighth in passing yards, fourth in passing touchdowns and first in completion percentage.
The 2023 season was more of a struggle, but injuries to Seattle’s offensive line — including both starting tackles going down in the opener — increased the degree of difficulty. He stumbled to a QB24 result (15.4 fppg).
In 2024, Smith’s numbers bounced back and he ended the year among the top-five in passing yards and completion percentage. Fantasy-wise, that made him the QB17 on a per game basis (15.9 fppg). But he posted eight top-12 weekly performances, including six in the first half of the season.
Now, coming off that dismal campaign with the Raiders, he gets a fresh start in New York.
The Jets have quietly put together a very solid offense with a ton of depth at every position and an offensive line that has the makings of a solid unit with several highly-drafted blockers.
Smith is barely on the radar for fantasy at the moment, but recapturing at least some of his past fantasy success is well within his range of outcomes in this offense.
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