Fantasy Football 2026 Players Who Should Be Getting Drafted Earlier

Fantasy football draft boards are filling up.

Their order doesn't always make sense.

Just like NFL front offices uncover draft values year after year, fantasy managers have an opportunity to do the same. They can help those odds by targeting the following three players, who are all being drafted later than they should.

Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Average draft position: 142nd overall, 18th among quarterbacks

Mayfield was mostly awesome through last season's first 11 weeks, averaging a rock-solid 18.3 fantasy points (QB11). Then, he hurt his shoulder in Week 12 and wasn't quite the same the rest of the way (QB15).

Even still, Mayfield was more productive than his fantasy draft price would suggest. At this rate, managers are paying a bargain rate for his floor and not getting taxed a cent on his ceiling.

That ceiling could be enormous, by the way. His average season output across three years in Tampa features 4,079 yards and 31.7 touchdowns. And while he won't have Mike Evans around anymore—he didn't have him a lot last season—he will have new playmakers (running back Kenny Gainwell, tight end Cade Otton), not to mention a breakout candidate (sophomore receiver Emeka Egbuka) and hopefully better injury luck on the offensive line.

Still not convinced about Mayfield's bargain potential? There's also this: He is effectively playing for his next contract after extension talks fell apart.

*Average draft position data used courtesy of FantasyPros.com.

Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

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Average draft position: 11th overall, 9th among running backs

Hampton's rookie run with the Chargers was, in a word, disjointed. The injury bug proved a constant nuissance to him and his team at large, decimating the offensive line and even impacting starting quarterback Justin Herbert.

All things considered, Hampton still pretty much lived up to the hype. He had at least 15 touches in eight of his nine outings, tallying 712 scrimmage yards and five scores in those contests.

The stage now seems set for a true take-off during his sophomore season. The Chargers strengthened their interior offensive line, returned star tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater from injury and saw running-game whiz Mike McDaniel take over playcalling duties.

Hampton is getting rave reviews for his work at training camp, offering yet another reason to believe he just might make the jump into the elite ranks at running back.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts

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Average draft position: 131st overall, 46th among receivers

Downs has been drawing targets for a while now: 293 over his first three seasons, in fact. And he has done everything he can to maximize those chances, turning the targets into 198 receptions for 2,140 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Colts haven't always given him a ton of downfield work, though. The receiving room has run crowded at times. And the quarterback play hasn't been the most consistent.

Well, Downs' downfield chances and overall usage should increase following the offseason departure of Michael Pittman Jr. (which also cleared some of that congestion at wideout). And given the promising reports about Daniel Jones' recovery from a torn Achilles, the quarterback position could be in pretty great shape.

Just about everything is looking up for Downs, other than his draft cost. Pounce on this clearance-priced opportunity while you still can.