8 Players Whose Fantasy Stock Skyrocketed After 2026 NFL OTAs

We're well into the summer. The weather is getting hot. Pools and amusement parks are packed. And many folks are going camping.

Including NFL players.

Now, their camping doesn't involve hot dogs, sleeping bags and ghost stories. It's short and shells. Voluntary OTAs. Mandatory minicamps.

Summer means something different for fantasy football fanatics. With each passing day, we get closer and closer to fantasy draft season starting in earnest. Some lunatics are already drafting.

Like this one.

This is the time of year when managers who want to have success in the season to come should be doing research. Analyzing player values. Checking developments from OTAs regarding players whose value has potentially been boosted by a strong start to summer workouts.

Or, you know, you could just read this.

Just an idea.

QB Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Abbie Parr

The Minnesota Vikings are embroiled in a full-blown quarterback battle between incumbent J.J. McCarthy and newcomer Kyler Murray.

While speaking to reporters, head coach Kevin O' Connell said that both quarterbacks had their moments in OTAs—but there's no rush to name a starter.

"We have a plan in place to make sure that the decision we make is going to be about what's best for the Minnesota Vikings," O'Connell said. "The timeline of that does involve making sure we get our starter ready to go. To give an actual date would be not necessarily accurate from a portrayal of how we see it. But there is a timeline to make sure that we can allow the competition to continue and advance, and really lay out a training camp that will allow us to do that, but also make a timely decision."

To be clear, Murray isn't running away with the competition—while he has displayed the superior arm talent, lack of familiarity with the offense showed in seven-on-seven drills.

But Murray is going to get better in Kevin O' Connell's offense. McCarthy isn't going to become a better arm talent. The reps are being split evenly in OTAs, but as Murray becomes more acclimated to his new team, that pendulum is going to swing in his direction.

The simple, inescapable fact is that Murray is the better NFL quarterback. And given his mobility and an offense loaded with passing-game talent, when (not if—when) Murray wins the job there may not be a quarterback in the league with higher upside relative to his average draft position.

QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback had an excellent season in 2025, throwing a career-high 29 touchdown passes and leading the Jaguars to 13 wins and an AFC South title. Now, Lawrence is entering his second season in Liam Coen's offense, and while addressing the media, Coen lauded both Lawrence's accuracy willingness to push the ball vertically down the field.

"Yeah, I think that, I mean, I don't know how many picks he actually threw, but I've got to believe it was under five throughout all of OTAs and minicamp," Coen said. So, I think while trying to challenge himself and our receivers more with down the field passing, challenging him try new things of concepts and fit some throws into maybe windows you would otherwise take a check down in. While balancing that, I thought he did a really nice job taking care of the football, running the whole operation, managing the protections and some of the concepts on the field. Yeah, I'm pleased with Trevor's spring. Absolutely."

Lawrence has already shown that he can be a productive fantasy asset—he was top-five in fantasy points last year at his position. There's no shortage of wideout talent in Jacksonville in the likes of Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington. And Lawrence appears poised to take a step forward as a player.

Not bad for a player barely being drafted inside the top-12 at his position.

RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo quickly became a fan favorite in the Big Apple after entering the starting lineup as a rookie—a hard-charging runner who relished contact. But after a promising start, the party came to a crashing halt—Skattebo suffered a serious ankle injury in Week 8 and was lost for the season.

Skattebo hasn't been a full-go in OTAs, but as head coach John Harbugh told reporters, Skattebo is back on the practice field—and chomping at the bit to start running over would-be tacklers.

"He was telling me that he was going to get some plays in group and team (drills)," he said. He's worked super hard, super hard. I did mention maybe no back flips out here today. We agreed. I thought he was just what you saw, a downhill runner, a tone-setter type runner. He's a tough tackle. That's what you look for. How many guys can make yards when they're not supposed to make yards on their own? It seems to me he was that kind of guy at Arizona State and the exact same guy that I saw on tape last year. He's a top-tier back, and he's planning on playing that way this year."

There has been nothing to indicate that Skattebo won't be a full-go for training camp and 100 percent for the start of the regular season. And over a month-long stretch from Week 4 to Week 7 last year, Skattebo was eighth among running backs in PPR points.

RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

Jonathon Brooks' NFL career has been a bumpy ride to say the least—a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2024, Brooks has all of nine carries for 22 yards in two seasons—he didn't play until Week 12 of his rookie season while rehabbing a torn ACL and then missed the entire 2025 season after he tore that same ACL in his third game in the pros.

Now, the 6'0" 207-pounder is trying to revive his professional career while participating in his first OTAs. Head coach Dave Canales told reporters that the Panthers are managing Brooks' reps, but the team has been impressed by what Brooks has shown in workouts so far.

"JB's looked great, in the run game certainly, but also in the pass game. Half of his highlights when he was coming out are screen passes, wides, things down the field," Canales said. "He has a great ability to catch the ball, track it, and transition once he catches it. And so, just finding different packages and ways to get him involved in the offense, and he's looked great so far. We have him on a good rhythm of loading him up, getting some good work, and then just making sure we back off and continue to increase his load."

After Rico Dowdle left for Pittsburgh in free agency, Chuba Hubbard is the team's No. 1 back. But the 27-year-old averaged just 3.8 yards per carry last year and lost the starting job to Dowdle.

So, while Brooks may be little more than a late-round dart-throw at this point, he could become much more as we move deeper into the summer.

WR Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/John Raoux

While Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars were having success last year, second-year wideout Brian Thomas Jr. was suffering through a miserable sophomore campaign—after catching 82 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 scores on the way to a WR5 finish in PPR points, Thomas' numbers free-fell a year ago. He managed just 48 catches, barely topped 700 yards and found the end zone just twice.

While speaking to the media, head coach Liam Coen said that Thomas has showed up to OTAs with the look of a man on a mission.

"Having a great attitude, after every play communication with either myself or Trevor or EB or Grant (Udinski), and then making the plays—that is something you cannot simulate in routes on air. The confidence of the connection and chemistry that they're building, that's real," Coen said.

 Per Justin Carlucci of a Fantasy Life, there are more reasons to believe a bounceback could be in store in 2026.

"Some of the under-the-hood metrics still look like something we want to bet on. Thomas led the Jaguars with 1,254 air yards last season, confirming the team continued to treat him as a vertical focal point even during a "down" year," he said. "He posted a positive separation score against man coverage, and he also drew 23 deep targets, which could still play beautifully in best ball formats."

This isn't to say that Thomas will be a top-five fantasy receiver again in 2026. But with an ADP outside the top 30 at the position, he doesn't have to be to return value for fantasy managers this season.

WR Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/George Walker IV

There's no shortage of pressure on Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate as he enters the NFL—after all, the former Ohio State star was the first player at his position selected in 2026.

But Tate is living up to the hype and then some in the early-going. Seemingly not a day has gone by when Tate hasn't made a highlight-reel catch, and Justin Melo of Titan Sized singled out Tate as one of Tennessee's biggest winners of OTAs.

"No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate made a huge impression during the first practice open to the media," he said. "The former Ohio State standout caught three scrimmage touchdowns and routinely made an impact at every open session. Tate picked up a minor injury late in OTAs, but the expectation is he'll return to practice for minicamp. He's already looking like Cam Ward's go-to target."

Tate is in something of uncharted territory—talented though he is, he was never "the guy" in Columbus, playing behind the likes of Jeremiah Smith and Marvin Harrison Jr. in Columbus. But just because he hasn't been an alpha wideout doesn't mean he can't be—the 6'2" 192-pounder has routinely destroyed press coverage and won contested-catch situations in workouts.

If that translates to game action, Tate's asking price of WR30 in the middle of Round 6 is going to be a bargain—especially with Tate and quarterback Cam Ward clicking early.

TE Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

It might seem a bit odd to include a player here who isn't even practicing. A guy who will probably open camp on the PUP list.

But sometimes all it takes is some positive injury news to send a player's fantasy value in a positive direction—and that's what we recently received with Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers.

Kraft is rehabbing the torn ACL that ended his 2025 season, but he told reporters he expects to be a full-go for the season-opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

"With how I feel, I would say I'm going to get all the conditioning I need in camp to start Week 1 on no pitch count," Kraft said. "The hardest part for me is I've always been a leader with the way I do things physically, not necessarily with how I talk and present myself to the team in other settings," Kraft said. "So, losing that ability to show the boys, this is how we do it, this is the physical standard, this is the precedent, I'd say that was the hardest part for me, just not being in the game. But we're past that now, and blink and camp will be here soon."

When Kraft got hurt, he was on pace for a 1,000-yard season. He had six touchdowns in eight games. Kraft's 15.3 yards per reception ranked inside the top-10 not just among tight ends but all pass-catchers. And Kraft was tied for second in PPR points per game among tight ends.

Kraft has the upside to challenge Brock Bowers and Trey McBride as fantasy's No. 1 tight end—if he's healthy.

TE Isaiah Likely, New York Giants

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

The New York Giants were hit hard by injuries on offense last year. But while quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo are expected to be ready for the opener, whether wide receiver Malik Nabers will be out there against the Dallas Cowboys is less certain.

But while Nabers has been sidelined, tight end Isaiah Likely has shined in practices, with ESPN's Jordan Ranaan writing that Likely has been catching "a lot of balls" and "could be the Giants leading receiver this year." Likely told reporters that he and Dart are quickly building a rapport.

"You guys see it every day. He's swaggy. He always has a smile, and he's always being competitive," Likely said. "I mean, whether he makes a play or misses a play, he's going to give the next play everything he's got and try to score every time he has the ball. Whether he's running the ball or throwing the ball or really telling everybody where to go, he's really what you look for in a starting quarterback."

The contract the Giants have Likely is a deal you give to a player who is expected to be a major contributor on offense. He showed flashes of being an after-the-catch force while with new Giants head coach John Harbaugh in Baltimore.

With Likely and Dart building a budding bromance and Nabers iffy for Week 1, Likely could be peppered with targets this season.

And with low-end fantasy TE1s, pepper can be tasty.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.