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If you're the kind of person reading a fantasy football article in early August, you know there's no greater feeling than nailing a late-round pick and finding a diamond in the rough. Anyone can take Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round, but it takes a little bit more gumption to find sleepers.
To set some parameters: When we mean sleepers, we mean that these guys are dart throws. You're taking them in the 13th round and would feel fine about cutting them for a September superstar if they don't show potential. If your home league is pretty casual, there's a chance you might hear a "huh? Who's that?" or two.
Here are 12 sleepers to target in the late rounds of your 2026 fantasy football drafts:
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Fantasy football quarterback sleepers
- Jacoby Brissett (Cardinals): The career journeyman gets to run it back with one of the top tight ends in football, Trey McBride, a fun receiver group in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson, and adds the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, Jeremiyah Love, at running back. Brissett threw for 3,300 yards and 23 touchdowns in 12 starts last year - what can he do with a full off-season as the starter?
- Malik Willis (Dolphins): Miami might have the worst pass-catching group in the league, but there's also a non-zero chance Willis sets the record for most QB rush attempts in a season (176, Lamar Jackson in 2019).
- Tyler Shough (Saints): The second-year QB out of Louisville might creep up draft boards throughout August, and for good reason - if rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson stays healthy, New Orleans has explosive speed all over the field.
Fantasy football running back sleepers
- Tank Bigsby (Eagles): Every backup running back in a good offense is technically a sleeper and by the end of 2026, running backs like Brian Robinson (Falcons), Isiah Pacheco (Lions) or Kyle Monangai (Bears) could end up being league winners. Injuries are impossible to predict, though, so drafting Bigsby is more of a bet on the Eagles scaling down 28-year-old Saquon Barkley's workload to prepare for a deep playoff run.
- Keaton Mitchell (Chargers): Life is complicated. Pairing one of the fastest backs in football with Mike McDaniel might not be. If Los Angeles' new offensive coordinator prioritizes getting Mitchell the ball in space, there's week-winning upside here.
- Zach Charbonnet: (Seahawks) A guy who ran for 12 touchdowns last year is probably not a sleeper, but Charbonnet tore his ACL during the playoffs in January and might not be ready to play until the second half of the season. If your league has deep benches or an IR slot, Charbonnet could be getting meaningful touches to close out the year.
Fantasy football wide receiver sleepers
- Jalen Nailor (Raiders): Look, somebody has to catch passes in Las Vegas besides Brock Bowers. The 27-year-old Nailor has never topped 450 yards in a season, but also signed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Raiders as a free agent and has very little competition for targets.
- De'Zhaun Stribling (49ers): As usual, it's a war of attrition in San Francisco. If the speedy rookie from Ole Miss can overcome a training camp hamstring injury, he could eat up a lot of easy yards in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
- Tyquan Thornton (Chiefs): Rashee Rice is still rehabbing a knee injury. Xavier Worthy keeps hurting his shoulder. Rookie Cyrus Allen generated a ton of training camp buzz but already got banged up before padded practices. Maybe it's Thornton, a former second-round pick, who plays his way into fantasy relevance for Patrick Mahomes.
Fantasy football tight end sleepers
- Terrance Ferguson (Rams): Training camp reports on the 2025 second-round pick have been glowing and it's always smart to bet on good offenses.
- Gunnar Helm (Titans): The 2025 fourth-round pick showed a lot of chemistry with draft classmate and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward last year. If the young Titans take a step forward on offense, Helm could score a lot of touchdowns.
- Chig Okonkwo (Commanders): The first-year Commander is likely very affordable now that Washington signed Stefon Diggs, but while the veteran WR will take away some targets, he will also elevate the offense as a whole. If the Commanders score a bunch of points, Okonkwo could be a solid starter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 12 fantasy football late-round sleepers to target in 2026 drafts
