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18 second-year players: Fantasy football outlook (2026)

FantasyPros · Jul 22, 2026 11:06 · 15 min read

Risers and Fallers Post-NFL Draft (2026 Fantasy Football) — 18 Second-Year Players: Fantasy Football Outlook (2026)

The 2025 rookie class produced one of the more electric groups of instant fantasy football contributors in recent memory, and now every one of these players enters 2026 with a full season of NFL tape, an offseason to build on their role, and, in most cases, a clearer runway to more usage. Below is the 2026 fantasy football outlook for 18 second-year players across all four offensive positions.

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2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Second-Year Players

Let’s take a look at the most fantasy football-relevant second-year players in fantasy football drafts. Check out their current rankings and fantasy football outlook for 2026.

Quarterbacks

Three rookie quarterbacks earned starting jobs at some point last season, and how each of their situations has evolved heading into Year 2 varies widely.

Jaxson Dart (NYG) — QB11, Overall RK88, Bye: 8

After selecting edge rusher Abdul Carter No. 3 overall in last year’s NFL Draft, the Giants traded back into the first round to grab Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss at No. 25. That move looks shrewd so far, as Dart acquitted himself extremely well in 12 starts last year despite having a skeleton crew of pass catchers following a season-ending injury to WR Malik Nabers. Dart completed 63.7% of his throws and averaged a respectable 6.7 yards per pass attempt, with 15 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Dart was dynamic as a runner, racking up 487 rushing yards and nine TD runs. But Dart was also a reckless runner at times. He took some hard hits, including one against the Bears in Week 10 that resulted in a concussion. But it’s appealing to fantasy managers that Dart is such a willing and able runner. Two reasons for concern: (1) Nabers has reportedly been slow to recover from his knee injury; and (2) new Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy isn’t considered one of the NFL’s top offensive designers.

Tyler Shough (NO) — QB20, Overall RK124, Bye: 8

Second-round draft pick Tyler Shough was a pleasant surprise for New Orleans as a rookie. He now enters the 2026 season as the Saints’ undisputed starter, with an opportunity to prove that he can be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback. Spencer Rattler started the Saints’ first eight games in 2025, but Shough took over as the starter in Week 9 and guided the team to a 5-4 record down the stretch. Shough was QB12 in fantasy points per game from Week 9 through the end of the regular season, and he produced at least 17.1 fantasy points in each of his last six starts. The 26-year-old Shough completed 67.6% of his throws, averaged 7.3 yards per pass attempt, and had 10 TD passes and six interceptions. He also averaged 16.9 rushing yards per game and had three TD runs. It should be noted that only one of the teams Shough faced in his nine starts last season, the Rams, ranked inside the top 10 in DVOA against the pass. Still, it was an impressive half-season for Shough, and the Saints should have an easy schedule again in 2026. The Saints feathered Shough’s nest in this year’s NFL Draft by drafting WR Jordyn Tyson No. 8 overall. With Tyson and veteran Chris Olave, Shough has more than adequate pass-catching weaponry.

Cam Ward (TEN) — QB24, Overall RK152, Bye: 9

Cam Ward struggled mightily for most of his rookie year but showed improvement late in the season, creating optimism for 2026. The No. 1 pick in last year’s NFL Draft averaged just 10.2 fantasy points per game over his first 12 starts. He averaged a paltry 5.7 yards per pass attempt over that span, with seven TD passes and six interceptions. Ward didn’t have more than one TD pass in a game until Week 14, but then he had three consecutive games with two TD passes. Over Ward’s last four starts of 2026 (not including a brief cameo appearance in Week 18), he averaged 15.5 fantasy points per game. A shortage of pass-catching weaponry was a major problem for Ward as a rookie. The Titans addressed that issue by signing WR Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency and drafting Ohio State WR Carnell Tate No. 4 overall. Hopefully Ward will get better protection from his offensive line in 2026 after taking a league-high 55 sacks last year. Ward is probably only a consideration in superflex leagues or extremely deep redraft leagues for 2026, but the talented youngster could come on quickly.

Running Backs

This is the deepest and most talented group in the class. Five of these six backs were drafted within the first two rounds, and the rookie running back class as a whole delivered immediate fantasy impact in 2025.

Ashton Jeanty (LV) — RB6, Overall RK12, Bye: 13

Ashton Jeanty will be seen as a disappointment for fantasy managers exiting his rookie season. It wasn’t a failure, but you can make the argument that, because of his talent and the hype, it didn’t live up to lofty expectations. Jeanty was the RB15 in fantasy points per game, finishing with 321 touches and 1,321 total yards. He ranked fifth in snap share, first in opportunity share, seventh in weighted opportunities, and 15th in red zone touches. Among 49 qualifying backs, Jeanty ranked 16th in missed tackle rate and 17th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). The ecosystem surrounding Jeanty stunk. The Raiders were 31st in red zone scoring attempts per game and 30th in yards per play. Among those 49 qualifying backs previously, Jeanty had the second-fewest yards before contact per attempt (1.28), and 65% of his rushing yards came after first contact. With Klint Kubiak in town, Fernando Mendoza or Kirk Cousins at the helm, a healthy Brock Bowers, and improved blocking up front, Jeanty could be poised to post a strong RB1 season in his second season.

Omarion Hampton (LAC) — RB10, Overall RK20, Bye: 7

Last year, Omarion Hampton‘s rookie season was derailed by an ankle injury in Week 5. When he came back, he wasn’t close to 100% healthy and had only one game with over a 55% snap rate. Any games after Week 4 last year, I’m just tossing in the trash because that wasn’t the “real” Hampton. In 2025, in Weeks 1-4, Hampton averaged 17 touches and 95 total yards as the RB13 in fantasy points per game. In that small sample of games, he posted a 7.4% explosive run rate, a 19% missed tackle rate, and 2.54 yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). If he had kept up that pace the entire year in those three categories, he would have ranked fourth, tenth, and eighth in those categories (minimum 100 carries). Those are impressive numbers and speak to his talent and upside in 2026 as Mike McDaniel’s possible bellcow. Hampton also contributed through the air in his first four NFL games with a 10.1% target share, 27.5 receiving yards per game, and 1.12 yards per route run. McDaniel is sure to get Hampton involved through the air after designing offenses of the last three seasons that have ranked third, third, and seventh in target share to the running back position. Yes, I know that Hampton isn’t De’Von Achane, but this is still a feather in Hampton’s cap. Hampton should be a rock-solid RB1 with massive upside in 2026.

Quinshon Judkins (CLE) — RB20, Overall RK52, Bye: 11

Quinshon Judkins had off-the-field and contract issues last year, entering his rookie season, which caused him to miss training camp and not start the season until Week 2. Once he was on the field, he was Cleveland’s workhorse back until suffering an ankle and fibula fracture in Week 16. In Weeks 2-15, he was the RB26 in fantasy points per game (RB22 in expected fantasy points per game), averaging 18.7 touches and 72.8 total yards. I wasn’t high on Judkins as a prospect, as his per-touch efficiency in college wasn’t amazing. He didn’t debunk that trend in his rookie season, either. Among 49 qualifying backs, he ranked 40th in explosive run rate, 33rd in missed tackle rate, and 26th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). In his defense, Judkins’ offensive line didn’t do him any favors last season. Among those 49 backs, Judkins had the fifth-highest mark of yards after first contact, with 62.2% of his rushing yards coming after first contact, and he had the fourth-fewest yards before contact per attempt, with only Cam Skattebo, Ashton Jeanty, and Zach Charbonnet seeing less runway with the ball in their hands. With a rebuilt offensive line to run behind in 2026, hopefully better quarterback play in front of him (fingers crossed), and more scoring opportunities, Judkins could return RB2 production this season.

TreVeyon Henderson (NE) — RB23, Overall RK58, Bye: 11

TreVeyon Henderson finished his rookie season as the RB24 in fantasy points per game, but it wasn’t nearly that productive for fantasy managers when you look at the full breakdown of how it unfolded. In Weeks 10-11, Rhamondre Stevenson wasn’t active, and Henderson feasted with 60.3 combined PPR points, which accounted for 29.2% of his overall fantasy production for the season. If you take those two monster games out of the equation, Henderson would have averaged 9.8 PPR points per game, which would have made him the RB33 in fantasy points per game. Without Stevenson in the lineup in Weeks 9-11, Henderson averaged 19 touches and 110 total yards. With Stevenson active, Henderson had 11.2 touches and 57.2 total yards per game. This isn’t to shade Henderson, but I’m trying to give context to his rookie season that will be overlooked at first glance. I don’t know how Henderson overtakes Stevenson in 2026 if both of these players continue to post per-touch efficiency metrics like they did last season. Last year, Henderson was bested by Stevenson in every metric that I care about, namely explosive run rate, missed tackle rate, yards after contact per attempt, yards per route run, and pass protection stats. Among 49 qualifying backs, Henderson ranked 12th in explosive run rate, but he was also 32nd in missed tackle rate and 42nd in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). Henderson could eat into Stevenson’s workload more in 2026 if he can take another step and payoff as an RB2, but he ‘s best viewed as an upside RB3.

Bhayshul Tuten (JAC) — RB25, Overall RK64, Bye: 7

With Travis Etienne gone, Bhayshul Tuten will compete with Chris Rodriguez to be the lead back for the Jaguars in 2026. I want to bet on Tuten this year and his talent. Last year, Tuten was unfortunately robbed of the stretch run of his rookie season as he was sidelined by a finger injury. Before the injury, he was starting to make some noise. This could be the big breakout season for Tuten, who, on a per-touch basis, flashed the immense talent that I really liked when he was in college. Last season, among 55 qualifying backs, he ranked fifth in rushing success rate, 11th in missed tackle rate, and 17th in yards after contact per attempt. Rodriguez will remain a worry for Tuten at the goal line and to his overall touch count until we see his role fleshed out this season, but if he can be the clear lead guy, he has the talent to match Etienne’s RB13 finish last year in fantasy points per game.

RJ Harvey (DEN) — RB32, Overall RK89, Bye: 10

R.J. Harvey’s rookie season was a tale of two seasons centered around J.K. Dobbins being in the lineup and out of it. In Weeks 1-10, Harvey was the RB29 in fantasy points per game, averaging 29.1% of the snaps played with 7.5 touches and 38.9 total yards per game. In Weeks 11-18, with Dobbins out, he was the RB13 in fantasy points per game with 16.8 touches and 72.5 total yards per game while averaging 60.7% of the snaps played. With Dobbins back and Denver drafting Jonah Coleman, Harvey’s role is up in the air. He could easily fall back into last year’s early-season role as passing down partner with Dobbins, or this backfield could get messy with all three backs playing and the production getting divided up. Harvey was awesome overall last season as a receiving option, but he struggled on early downs. As a pass catcher, he ranked sixth in target per route run rate and first downs per route run and tenth in yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). As a rusher, among 49 qualifying backs, he was 21st in missed tackle rate but 42nd in explosive run rate and 44th in yards after contact per attempt. Harvey is a decent selection in fantasy drafts this season, but in 2026, I won’t go out of my way to get him on all my teams like last year.

Wide Receivers

A mixed bag of Year 2 outlooks, from clear breakout candidates to receivers still fighting for target share.

Tetairoa McMillan (CAR) — WR15, Overall RK30, Bye: 5

Tetairoa McMillan wasted no time establishing himself as Carolina’s clear-cut WR1, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year after nearly topping 1,100 receiving yards on 126 targets. The rookie standout commanded elite volume immediately, finishing with a 23% target share and massive 41% air yards share despite operating in a run-heavy offense. McMillan consistently delivered as Bryce Young‘s go-to option and flashed massive upside whenever the Panthers leaned into the passing game. After such a polished rookie campaign, T-Mac looks poised to make the jump into the fantasy WR1 conversation entering Year 2.

Emeka Egbuka (TB) — WR19, Overall RK40, Bye: 10

Emeka Egbuka could crush his mid WR2 draft cost this season. Egbuka faded after Week 5 last year after he sustained a hamstring injury, and Baker Mayfield‘s injury severely impacted his ability to feed catchable targets to the receiving options in Tampa Bay. In Weeks 1-5, Egbuka was the WR3 in fantasy points per game, commanding a 22.1% target share with 89 receiving yards per game, 2.71 yards per route run, a 26.1% first-read share, and 0.104 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Had Egbuka kept up that pace all season, he would have ranked 19th in target share, third in receiving yards per game, fourth in yards per route run, 26th in first-read share, and 20th in first downs per route run. Sadly, he didn’t keep up that pace. In Weeks 6-18, despite still drawing a 23.1% target share with a 28.9% first-read share, Egbuka had only 41.1 receiving yards per game, 1.50 yards per route run, and 0.052 first downs per route run as the WR55 in fantasy points per game. If Egbuka had closed the season with the flurry of production instead of the other way around, fantasy gamers would be foaming at the mouth to draft him this season. Consider me a rabid drafter hellbent upon drafting as much Egbuka as possible this season. Entering his second season with Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan as his primary competition for targets, Egbuka can establish himself as the team’s clear WR1 and return WR1/2 production.

Luther Burden III (CHI) — WR23, Overall RK48, Bye: 10

Luther Burden steps into a much larger workload in 2026. Last year (including the playoffs), Burden had only five games in which he played at least 53% of the snaps. In those games, he had a 15.5% target share and 61.2 receiving yards per game, which is concerning, but his per-route metrics were outstanding, with 2.30 yards per route run, a 23.6% first-read share, and 0.120 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). There’s a lot of projection for Burden’s 2026 season. Last year, he was stellar overall per-route with a 26% target per route run rate (11th), 2.83 yards per route run (third), 0.117 first downs per route run (12th), and 0.56 fantasy points per route run (eighth, among all wideouts with at least 200 routes). The hope and hype centered around Burden is that he can turn that small-sample hyper-efficiency into a marvelous season with a full-time workload. That could happen this year, and it sends him screaming up the weekly rankings for wide receivers, but Burden also has Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland to contend with for the top spot in the Chicago pecking order. Burden is best viewed as a WR2 with upside.

Tre’ Harris (LAC) — WR64, Overall RK167, Bye: 7

Tre Harris has to be one of the best WR sleepers to take in 2026. The second-year WR is being grouped into the “elite” Chargers WR conversation alongside Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston by HC John Harbaugh. And even though his rookie year didn’t feature a ton of highlight-reel plays or counting stats, his playing time increased because of his contributions as a run-blocker. That suggests he could see much more playing time (and targets) than his bottom-dwelling ADP would indicate in 2026. Harris can create big plays and is versatile enough to line up all over the formation. He also averaged 5.5 targets in the last two games that QJ missed in the second half of the season. If the Chargers lean into the run game more with their new OC, Mike McDaniel, Harris could be a major benefactor in terms of snaps/routes based on how well he does the dirty work.

Travis Hunter (JAC) — WR65, Overall RK169, Bye: 7

Travis Hunter remains one of fantasy football’s most fascinating wild cards as Jacksonville continues to balance his two-way responsibilities. Early indications suggest the Jaguars want him playing more cornerback in 2026, although that may not necessarily come at the expense of his WR role. Before his injury last season, Hunter was heavily involved as a schemed-touch weapon, leading the Jaguars in catches while flashing explosive upside from the slot. His fantasy value ultimately hinges on offensive snap volume, making him more of a high-upside stash unless injuries or dedicated role expansion push him into a full-time receiving role.

Jaylin Noel (HOU) — WR71, Overall RK183, Bye: 8

Jaylin Noel barely made an impact statistically as a rookie, but Houston always viewed him as more of a long-term option behind its veteran receivers. With Christian Kirk now gone, Noel has a realistic path to a much larger offensive role after flashing whenever he received extended playing time in 2025. He was Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) seventh-highest graded returner on 72 combined kick/punt returns in 2025. He flashed on multiple occasions as a receiver in Year 1. In the games where Noel ran at least 17 routes, he averaged almost four receptions per game.Tank Dell‘s eventual return could create some overlap, but Noel is firmly on the radar as a Year 2 breakout candidate in Houston’s offense.

Tight Ends

All three of these tight ends flashed real receiving upside as rookies, and tight end is a position where the Year 2 leap is one of the most reliable breakout patterns in fantasy.

Colston Loveland (CHI) — TE3, Overall RK41, Bye: 10

The 10th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, Colston Loveland put together an impressive rookie season that got better and better as it wore on. Loveland finished TE12 in half-point PPR scoring as a rookie with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns. From Week 9 on, Loveland was TE2 in fantasy scoring behind only Trey McBride. Over Chicago’s last four games – two in the regular season, two in the playoffs – Bears head coach Ben Johnson fully unleashed Loveland. The rookie tight end had 10 or more targets in each of those games, averaging 12.0 targets, 7.0 catches and 94.5 receiving yards over that stretch, with a pair of TDs. In the Bears’ playoff win over the Packers, Loveland was targeted 15 times and had eight catches for 137 yards. The 6-6, 241-pound Loveland is a matchup nightmare with his size and speed. Loveland is the consensus TE3 for 2026 fantasy drafts behind only Brock Bowers and Trey McBride.

Tyler Warren (IND) — TE4, Overall RK56, Bye: 13

Tyler Warren‘s rookie season got off to a fast start, but his production slowed down markedly late in the season, leaving us with a challenging evaluation for 2026. Over his first 10 games of 2025, Warren averaged 5.0 catches, 61.7 receiving yards and 11.1 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, with four touchdowns. Over his last seven games, Warren averaged 3.7 catches, 28.6 receiving yards and 5.6 half-point PPR fantasy points per game, with one touchdown. The net result: 76 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns (plus one TD run) and a TE5 fantasy finish. Daniel Jones‘ late-season injuries might partly account for Warren’s late-season slowdown, and Jones’ health status might still be an issue early in the 2026 season. But the Colts traded away WR Michael Pittman in the offseason and didn’t make any significant pass-catching acquisitions in free agency or the draft, bolstering Warren’s 2026 target outlook. Warren might not be one of the elite fantasy TEs in 2026, but he should still be one of the first five tight ends off the board in this year’s drafts.

Harold Fannin Jr. (CLE) — TE6, Overall RK80, Bye: 11

A third-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft, Harold Fannin was surprisingly impactful as a rookie, racking up 72 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns to finish TE6 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring. Perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised by Fannin’s first-year success. He had 117 catches for 1,555 yards in his final college season at Bowling Green, leading all FBS pass catchers in both categories. The Browns have an unappealing QB situation, and the arrival of rookie WRs KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston could cut into Fannin’s target share. But the Browns’ new head coach, Todd Monken, has historically been a very TE-friendly playcaller. Fannin should be regarded as a midrange TE1 in 2026 fantasy drafts.

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