Fantasy Football 2026 Sleepers Generating Buzz After Preseason Week 2

Fantasy football stocks move throughout draft season.

They might be most fluid, however, coming out of the 2026 preseason's Week 2.

With teams fielding the closest proximity to their actual lineup that we'll see in the regular season, there was valuable intel to be gleaned from noticing who took advantage of their opportunity and who did not.

With everyone chasing value propositions right now, let's find out which booming stocks are generating the right kind of noise.

Matthew Golden, WR, Green Bay Packers

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The Packers are big fans of Matthew Golden. That was obvious as soon as they broke from their norm and spent a first-round pick on a wide receiver, taking Golden 23rd overall in last year's draft. It was evident again when Green Bay cleared out some of the obstacles around this summer, trading Dontayvion Wicks and letting Romeo Doubbs walk in free agency.

Golden appears to be rewarding that faith. While his rookie season was quiet, he ended it on a high note, tallying four receptions (on five targets) for 84 yards and a score in the Wild Card Round. And his lone target of the preseason could not have gone any better, as he snared a 19-yard pass from Jordan Love on a 4th-and-1 while beating lockdown corner Patrick Surtain II in the process.

"I think he has elite hands," coach Matt LaFleur told reporters. "That catch he made in Denver on the crossing route that kind of showed to it. It was a good savviness by him, he felt an underneath defender and he bled up the field. I think it was a good ball especially because he changed the angle on Jordan. But to make that catch and not lose stride, a low hands catch, I think that speaks to just how good his hands really are."

The Packers are clearly counting on a sophomore leap from Golden, and they'll give him every opportunity to help make that happen.

Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos

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After suffering an ankle fracture back in January, Bo Nix carried a lot of question marks into his preseason debut. Would he be limited by the ailment? Would rust be obvious?

Well, so far, so really good. Nix, who might be a real bargain at his average draft cost of QB15 (per FantasyPros), was 6-of-9 passing for 76 yards and a touchdown. He connected on a 35-yard catch-and-run with notable newcomer Jaylen Waddle and a 21-yard touchdown pass to RJ Harvey.

""I felt like it (was) exactly where I left off," Nix told reporters. "I felt better. ... I felt pretty good, as good as I've felt in a long time."

Through two NFL seasons, Nix has racked up 7,706 passing yards with 54 touchdowns against 23 interceptions, plus another 786 yards and nine scores on the ground. If he is feeling good, this aerial attack could really hum, especially with that Waddle addition.

De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers

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It's obviously still early, but De'Zhaun Stribling keeps sending signals that he'll be the rare rookie receiver to handle a heavy-usage role for Kyle Shanahan.

Stribling's name has been buzzing throughout camp, and Week 2 only cranked up the volume. He hauled in four of his five targets (three from Brock Purdy) for 64 yards and ran routes all over the field.

"Obviously, really excited about him" Purdy said on The Pat McAfee Show recently. "He's a smart kid. He's come in, learned our offense. He's got strong hands, great route runner, all the things—the reasons why we drafted him. He's showing it and proving it."

With Ricky Pearsall lost for the season, George Kittle working his way back from a torn Achilles and the bulk of San Francisco's playmakers being on the wrong side of 30, Stribling has a real shot to be a featured part of this passing attack. His stock is rising, but it still isn't high enough (ADP: WR50 in PPR leagues).