It is a time-honored tradition that Fantasy Football managers get extremely excited about whatever is new, particularly rookies. It hasn't happened to quite the same extent this year, because we came in skeptical of the 2026 NFL Draft class, but I would anticipate it will intensify as training camp highlights and beat writer reports begin to accumulate. Still, it's just as much of a tradition that some rookie we didn't pump up in redraft explodes onto the scene. The most memorable one from last year may have been Harold Fannin's seven catches for 63 yards in Week 1. The same thing is likely to happen this year, though it may not be in Week 1. With that in mind, I set out to find my favorite rookie sleepers based on early ADP. A funny thing happened, because my favorite rookie sleeper doesn't even have an ADP yet.
Mike Washington Jr. is a Round 12 pick in my rankings and currently has no ADP in recent CBS drafts. That probably says something about how excited everyone is about Ashton Jeanty. I am too! But the reality is that the double-digit rounds are full of running backs we don't think will be Fantasy viable. We draft them for their potential upside if something happens to the starter. And I am not so sure we should be confident that many of those backups will be better than Washington if he gets a chance.
Last year at Arkansas, Washington averaged 6.4 yards per carry and totaled nearly 1,300 yards on a two-win Arkansas team. Then he went to the combine and blew everyone away with a 4.33 40-yard dash and a broad jump of 10 feet and eight inches. His athletic performance at the combine was as good as anyone's. He also has at least some pass-catching chops. Maybe more importantly, he has very little competition on the roster for the RB2 role behind Jeanty. The other running backs on the roster at the start of camp are Dylan Laube, Chris Collier, and Roman Hembry. Washington could legitimately see 20 touches per game if Jeanty goes down. That is definitely someone we should be drafting, maybe before Round 12 where I have him ranked.
I think some people may forget about Washington because of how bad this situation was last year. Everything is different. Klint Kubiak is there and he will run a functional (at worst) offense. Kubiak may prefer to give his RB2 more work than the Raiders did last year, and Washington's big-play ability could make him a viable flex if he sees 10 touches per game. Tyler Linderbaum is there and he will anchor an offensive line that will be much improved, perhaps approaching average as a run-blocking unit. This is why people are arguing for Jeanty in Round 1 and why you shouldn't be completely ignoring his obvious handcuff.
Here are four more rookie sleepers who are falling too far in early ADP:
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My favorite of the group is KC Concepcion, who the Browns took in Round 1. He has insane upside if he can be a full-time player, not get stuck in the slot, and solve his drops issues. If he struggles with drops, Denzel Boston absolutely has the upside to be the Browns' WR1. He's also the type of receiver who could produce WR3 or flex numbers on a lower target volume because of his big-play ability and red-zone profile. Of course, the question for both is whether Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders can be a good enough passer to support a viable Fantasy wide receiver, and whether the team is ready to give up on Jerry Jeudy.
Antonio Williams doesn't have quarterback concerns, and other than Terry McLaurin, he doesn't have much target competition at wide receiver either. For now. We spent much of the offseason expecting Brandon Aiyuk to join the Commanders and now Stefon Diggs is a possibility. If Washington does add a wide receiver, then Williams' ADP makes more sense, but that hasn't happened as of the start of camp.
Chris Bell's sleeper status is almost entirely dependent on your league depth and IR availability. As of late July, we aren't expecting him to have much of an impact early in the season as he recovers from a torn ACL. But once he's healthy, I believe he is the most physically gifted receiver in Miami and could be the WR1 in the second half. Bell averaged 87 receiving yards per game in his first 10 games of 2025 at Louisville and may have been a first-round pick in the NFL Draft if he hadn't gotten hurt. Like Washington, he does not have an ADP right now.
All of these rookies are available after pick 100 as of the end of July and all but Concepcion are available after Round 12. If any of them have good training camps, that will change. Don't be afraid to buy as the cost gets higher, particularly on Washington.
