4 Potential Fantasy Steals to Follow Heading into 2026 NFL Training Camp

With NFL teams set to report to training camp in a couple weeks, we are about to reach the point of the offseason where fantasy managers can start getting a major advantage over the competition.

By keeping tabs on potential sleepers and watching their progress throughout the summer, managers can be well-positioned to make informed decisions during their fantasy league's fall draft.

Not every sleeper will pan out, but it becomes easier to sort out who will shine and who will fall short by seeing the role they are taking on and how they are faring in practices and scrimmages.

With that in mind, read on for one potential fantasy steal (defined as having an average draft position of 100 or worse) at each position worth monitoring during the training camp portion of the 2026 NFL offseason.

Fantasy stats, rankings and other metrics based on PPR scoring format. Average draft position (ADP) data courtesy of FantasyPros.

QB Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Matthew Hinton

The New Orleans Saints may have found their franchise quarterback faster than expected with Tyler Shough.

The 26-year-old didn't make his first start until the midpoint of the 2025 NFL season, but the second-round rookie made a quick impact. After a brutal 1-7 start to the year, the team went nearly .500 across his nine starts, including making a 4-1 run to close out the campaign.

Not only did the Saints show signs of life under Shough, but fantasy managers in deep and/or superflex leagues also had another unexpectedly viable option at the QB position.

The young signal-caller was both accurate (completing 67.6 percent of his throws) and prolific, finishing Year 1 with 2,384 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air and another 186 yards and three scores on the ground.

Extrapolating Shough's impressive starting numbers across a full season results in noteworthy marks of 4,261 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 329 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. After factoring in his projected nine interceptions and four lost fumbles, he could have put up nearly 300 fantasy points—putting him in the QB8-12 range.

Despite the clear potential for the Louisville product to not only finish his upcoming first full season as a starter as a low-end QB1 but also rise to the upper echelon of the position, it's a bit puzzling to see him still only being taken as the QB20 with an ADP of 122.

Considering the Saints are all-in on their young passer—using free agency and the 2026 draft to augment Shough's weapons—smart managers can capitalize by taking him as high-upside backup or even a starter in the latter rounds.

RB Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Chris Szagola

After missing the bulk of his first two seasons with injuries, Jonathon Brooks is finally trending towards a long-awaited breakout season.

The Carolina Panthers running back has been held back by a litany of knee injuries, but he's been medically cleared to return this offseason and appears ready to play a key role for Carolina's offense in 2026.

In late-April, Brooks vented about the frustrations he experienced during a disappointing rookie season (one in which he garnered just 45 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches in three games) and ACL tear that kept him out all of 2025. The back said he "had so much to show and to fix and to kind of—I don't have to prove to anyone—just prove to myself because I know my worth."

The 22-year-old will have ample opportunity to prove his worth in a Panthers backfield that parted ways with leading rusher Rico Dowdle this offseason. He'll work in a platoon with Chuba Hubbard—a 1,195-yard rusher in 2024 who regressed to 511 yards last year—and projects to assume a large portion of the 275 touches Dowdle vacated.

Carolina made Brooks the first RB off the board during the 2024 draft—and the only back taken in the first two rounds that year—due to the immense amount of athleticism and talent he displayed during his time at Texas. At his best, he is a game-changing playmaker who can contribute in all facets of the offense.

While it remains to be seen if he's lost a step or is hindered by the injury woes in other ways, it's worth betting on Brooks staying healthy and putting together the type of season he's capable of.

Fantasy managers won't have to invest much to get a potential RB1 in Brooks. He's being drafted as the RB35, making this a low-risk, high-reward move that could win leagues.

Be sure to pounce on Brooks as soon as possible, as a strong training camp showing will see his ADP increase drastically from its current 102 number.

WR Wan'Dale Robinson, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/George Walker IV

The Tennessee Titans made a series of sweeping changes this offseason, including hiring head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as part of a regime change.

They also drafted a potential superstar in wideout Carnell Tate at No. 4 overall, but one of their less-publicized moves is one fantasy managers should be most interested in.

Lost in the shuffle was the free-agent signing of Wan'Dale Robinson. This under-the-radar maneuver could provide a huge boost to Tennessee's passing attack, one seeking to make a major leap in Year 2 of the Cam Ward era.

Robinson is coming off an impressive two-year stretch with the New York Giants. He tallied a hefty 280 targets in that span, converting those looks into 1,713 yards and seven touchdowns.

While the 25-year-old doesn't rack up a ton of yardage or scores as a diminutive possession receiver, he cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in 2025 and put up 217.9 fantasy points.

The Titans will likely use Robinson almost the same way that the Giants did due to the presence of Daboll, who drafted and developed the Kentucky product during his time as Big Blue's head coach.

While Robinson will have to contend with Tate and incumbent No. 1 wideout Calvin Ridley for targets, his likely role as the primary slot receiver in this system will result in a ridiculous amount of volume that unquestionably moves the fantasy needle, especially in PPR formats.

While Robinson finished as 2025's WR14 and is a strong bet to improve this coming season, most fantasy managers are sleeping on the pass-catcher. He's being taken as the WR48 with an ADP of 107, far too late for the type of contributions he will be making as Ward's top chain-mover and safety valve.

TE Isaiah Likely, New York Giants

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

After getting hired by the New York Giants this offseason, new head coach John Harbaugh brought a number of former Baltimore Ravens players along with him to the Big Apple.

One of the more noteworthy talents Harbaugh secured on the open market was Isaiah Likely, a skilled but underutilized tight end who should play a far larger role for Big Blue.

At his best, Likely has the potential to be an elite playmaking TE1 for a top-tier offense. He flashed that potential sporadically during his tenure in Charm City, most notably in the 2024 opener when he exploded for 111 yards and a touchdown on nine catches.

Fantasy managers who rushed to the waiver to claim him that year only found fool's gold, however, as inconsistent usage and a timeshare with Mark Andrews held Likely back from stardom.

While Likely only finished as the TE45 with a career-low 61.7 fantasy points in 2025, he has a far higher ceiling with Big Blue. The Giants lacked a pass-catcher of his caliber in recent seasons, with incumbent Theo Johnson (coming off a modest TE18 campaign) being the main competition for looks.

Some managers are recognizing Likely's immense upside in a Jaxson Dart-led offense with teammates such as Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo set to draw defensive attention away, but he's still being drafted as the TE12 with a modest ADP of 125.

If Likely—entering his fifth NFL season—can take a leap and serves as New York's primary pass-catching TE this season, he could easily finish inside the top eight at his position.