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Biggest Sleepers at Every Position for Week 1 Fantasy Football 2026
Like most fantasy football managers, you've probably tweaked your roster after drafts to find waiver-wire and free-agent gems.
So, we're back with another year of the biggest weekly sleepers to target—players available in more than 50 percent of leagues, according to FantasyPros.
The 2026 season is underway, with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers set to play Thursday night. Let's focus on Sunday's opening slate.
The list below includes two sleeper stacks and a veteran tight end who will be in a favorable matchup on his 34th birthday.
We'll highlight two players at each position and break down their matchups.
QB Tyler Shough at Detroit Lions (23 Percent Rostered)
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Here's a reminder that Tyler Shough finished as QB9 or higher in fantasy scoring for three of the last five weeks of the 2025 season.
In one of those matchups, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he didn't even throw a touchdown pass, but he ran for 55 yards and two scores. In the other two, the Saints signal-caller threw for 259-plus yards.
Add Shough now for the season. He should continue to improve as he gains experience in head coach Kellen Moore's offense.
In Week 1, the Saints will travel to face the Detroit Lions, who won't have All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph or Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch.
Even though Shough won't have explosive rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson, he can do enough damage to the Lions' undermanned secondary with Chris Olave, tight end Juwan Johnson and a sleeper wide receiver to be named below.
QB Malik Willis at Las Vegas Raiders (17 Percent Rostered)
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In Malik Willis' only start last season, against the Baltimore Ravens, he threw for 288 yards, a touchdown and ran for 60 yards and two scores.
Although that's a small sample size, it's a glimpse at his upside.
After taking first-team reps as QB1 throughout the offseason, Willis could have a solid showing against a Las Vegas Raiders defense set to start rookie safety Treydan Stukes and second-year pro Darien Porter, who switched from wide receiver to cornerback at Iowa State two years ago.
Because of his rushing ability, Willis doesn't need to light up the Raiders defense for 300-plus yards to be a top-10 fantasy quarterback. He just needs about 200 yards and a splash of rushing production.
With five-time Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby coming off the edge, Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik will likely have a few designed quarterback runs in this weekend's game plan. Willis could rack up 300 yards passing and rushing combined, with a touchdown through the air and/or on the ground.
RB Keaton Mitchell vs. Arizona Cardinals (17 Percent Rostered)
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Omarion Hampton is the Los Angeles Chargers' lead running back, but there's room for a flex-worthy pass-catcher out of the same backfield.
New Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel values speed at the skill positions, so it's no surprise that the team signed Keaton Mitchell, who ran a 4.37 40-yard time coming out of East Carolina.
Mitchell tore his ACL at the end of his 2023 rookie campaign and didn't return to form until last season, when he played a backup role behind workhorse running back Derrick Henry.
Entering his second season, Hampton isn't nearly as established as Henry. Though he's slated to handle early-down carries, the 6'0", 220-pound tailback could cede touches to Mitchell on passing downs. If so, McDaniel can use the speedy running back for big gains in the short passing game.
With Mitchell returning to practice with limitations on Wednesday, make sure to monitor the Chargers' injury report to ensure he's ready to go for Sunday's favorable matchup.
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RB Kaleb Johnson at Minnesota Vikings (5 Percent Rostered)
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With Josh Jacobs out indefinitely on the commissioner's exempt list, the Green Bay Packers have listed MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks as their top two running backs, but the role projection matters more than the pecking order on the depth chart.
Lloyd will likely handle the majority of touches, but that's not a guarantee because of his injury history. He's appeared in just one game, logging six carries for 15 yards since the Packers selected him in the third round of the 2024 draft.
According to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman, Brooks is a pass-blocking running back with reliable hands.
"We pretty much know what Brooks is at this point: a great pass protector who's efficient with the ball in his hands in small doses," Schneidman wrote in a recent mailbag response.
If the Packers choose to be cautious with Lloyd's workload, Kaleb Johnson could take on a complementary early-down role. He's a 6'1", 224-pound downhill ball-carrier who accumulated 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, earning All-American honors in his final collegiate season at Iowa.
Remember, the Packers traded a sixth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Johnson before the NFL announced it placed Jacobs on the commissioner's exempt list. Green Bay may have a plan for Lloyd and Johnson to split carries. Even if Johnson doesn't see much playing time right away, he could plunge into the end zone on short-yardage opportunities.
WR Tre Tucker vs. Miami Dolphins (15 Percent Rostered)
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According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers will miss "a game or two" after undergoing a meniscus trim.
Without Bowers, one of the Raiders' receivers can emerge as the lead pass-catcher in first-year head coach Klint Kubiak's offense. Based on what transpired over the summer, Tre Tucker is the team's No. 1 wideout.
During organized team activities (OTAs) in June, Kubiak told reporters Tucker had taken on a leadership role in a young receiver room. Jalen Nailor is 27, but it's his first year in Las Vegas.
Tucker didn't see much action in the preseason, which is an indicator that he holds a secure spot atop the depth chart. In limited exhibition action, the fourth-year pro hauled in all five of his targets for 46 yards.
Going up against the Miami Dolphins' young, inexperienced secondary, Tucker should have a strong start to his 2026 campaign. He's seen a steady increase in catches and receiving yards every year in the league.
WR Devaughn Vele at Detroit Lions (4 Percent Rostered)
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Devaughn Vele completes the New Orleans Saints sleeper stack. Quarterback Tyler Shough built a strong rapport with him at the end of last season, and they could pick up where they left off.
Between Weeks 13 and 15 of the 2025 campaign, Vele hauled in 16 of his 19 targets for 202 yards and a touchdown. The Saints placed the wideout on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, which sidelined him for the final three games of the season.
With rookie first-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, Vele should be the No. 2 receiver behind Chris Olave in the Saints' passing game. Keep in mind that New Orleans traded a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Denver Broncos for him in head coach Kellen Moore's first year with the team.
As the Saints' offensive play-caller, Moore may try to get some return on the team's investment in Vele while Tyson recovers from injury.
TE Chig Okonkwo at Philadelphia Eagles (11 Percent Rostered)
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Even though the Washington Commanders signed wideout Stefon Diggs, who will command a fair number of targets as the No. 2 receiver, the team inked Chig Okonkwo to a sizeable three-year, $40 million deal early in free agency.
As the immediate replacement for Zach Ertz, who was second on the team in targets for back-to-back years with Jayden Daniels under center, Okonkwo could be picking up a big role despite Diggs' late offseason arrival in Washington.
In a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Commanders could attack the middle of the field rather than target All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and free-agent acquisition Riq Woolen on the boundaries.
Washington could favor a one-on-one matchup featuring Okonkwo, an athletic pass-catching tight end, against second-year linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who was a part-time starter last season.
TE Darren Waller vs. Chicago Bears (2 Percent Rostered)
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For those of you who remember the tail end of tight end Jimmy Graham's career, Darren Waller is at that stage—a top-tier, touchdown-dependent fantasy option.
For context, Graham scored 15 touchdowns over his last three seasons in the NFL and didn't reach 500 receiving yards in any of those campaigns.
Last year, Waller came out of retirement, and the New York Giants traded him to the Miami Dolphins. He caught 24 passes for 283 yards and six touchdowns, scoring four times in his first three games back on the field.
Waller turns 34 on the first Sunday of the NFL season. While age is a consideration, he enters Week 1 as the Carolina Panthers' lead tight end in an offense that needs a consistent playmaker at the position.
Waller's return bumped Tommy Tremble and Ja'Tavion Sanders down on the depth chart. Quarterback Bryce Young could find success targeting Waller, as he has developed a rapport with big-bodied wideout Tetairoa McMillan, who is listed at 6'4", 220 pounds on the team's official website.
Fantasy managers in need of an early-season starter at tight end should consider Waller for the first few weeks before age and workload become concerns. He's capable of scoring twice against the Bears, who are without starting safety Coby Bryant and slot cornerback Kyler Gordon.
NFL preseason statistics are provided by CBS Sports.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
