The 2026 NFL season is right around the corner, which means fantasy football drafts are in full swing.
The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in the NFL's season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the game nationally televised on NBC and available to stream on FuboTV.
Leading up to that rematch of last season's Super Bowl, we will be unveiling our fantasy football sleepers at tight end, quarterback, wide receiver and running back. Today, we're taking a quick look at five sleeper receivers.
For our purposes, a "sleeper" is a player we believe has a chance to significantly outperform their average draft position (ADP), making them a potential steal.
With that kind of definition, some "sleepers" could be well-known players — they're
just being drafted lower than they should be and could end up being steals at their ADP. With that context in mind, here's a look at our five sleeper wide receivers for the 2026 NFL season, with ADP data provided courtesy of FantasyPros.com.
5 sleeper wide receivers in fantasy football
1. Parker Washington (ADP 69, WR30): Travis Hunter is expected to have a key role at cornerback for the Jaguars this fall, and after Washington finished as WR21 in 2025, landing him at WR30 could be a steal. Washington posted career highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (847) and touchdowns (five) last fall, and his stock is trending up.
2. Michael Wilson (ADP 75, WR35): After hauling in 78 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025, Wilson was rewarded with a three-year, $75 million contract extension. That marks the fifth-largest contract in Cardinals history, so it's clear Arizona has big plans for Wilson, who finished as WR10 in 2025.
3. Pat Bryant (ADP 216, WR71): Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton are the big-name receivers in the Broncos' offense, but Bryant has impressed this summer after finishing strong in the second half of his rookie season. He appears poised to serve as Denver's No. 3 receiver this fall.
4. Tank Dell (ADP258, WR83): You can draft Dell late and stash him on injured reserve to begin the season. Once he returns, Dell could emerge as the Texans' third- or even second-choice receiver.
5. Devaughn Vele (ADP 256, WR92): Vele drew 26 targets in his final four appearances with the Saints last fall before suffering a shoulder injury. He will now likely serve as the No. 2 receiver behind Chris Olave, and New Orleans should have a pass-heavy offense in 2026 as they are expected to trail in most games.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Fantasy Football: 5 sleeper wide receivers for 2026 NFL season
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