Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden III Among 2026 Fantasy Football Breakout Wide Receivers

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The wide receiver position was chock-full of breakout players this past season. Whether it was Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, George Pickens or Chris Olave (all of whom finished in the top six based on PPR points), the position rewarded fantasy managers who drafted them.

This isn’t a new trend, either, as wideouts have surpassed running backs in many respects in terms of fantasy positional importance and meeting expectations. Even in 2024, we saw Brian Thomas Jr., Drake London and Malik Nabers (among others) bust out in the stat sheets and emerge into legitimate superstars. As a result, the ability to project these players each season can be quite fruitful for a manager’s chances at winning a league championship.

Looking ahead to 2026, some of my top fantasy wide receiver breakouts include names you’re familiar with in most cases. Also, many of them are either rookies or heading into their second NFL seasons. Among those who aren’t first-year players, none reached the level of a reliable starter for most of the year. But based on coaching and offensive coordinator changes, projected offseason moves, and more, I think that could change as we head into a new season.

With that said, here are 10 wide receivers who are either true breakout candidates or could turn into draft bargains and push for a top-12 finish (even if that player has reached that level in the past). Regardless, all of these players project to be positive additions in drafts.

All Positions: QBs | RBs | TEs

WIDE RECEIVER BREAKOUTS

Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers

Egbuka looked like he was going to break out as a rookie, scoring 20-plus fantasy points in three of his first five games. The wheels fell off after that, though, as he scored double digits just twice the rest of the season. That was partially due to the returns of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, not to mention a midseason hamstring ailment. With Evans signing in San Francisco, I love Egbuka to become the top option in Tampa Bay’s passing attack.

Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers

McMillan had a nice rookie season, posting 1,014 yards with seven touchdowns and 211.4 fantasy points. He did lack consistency, though, scoring fewer than 12 points in all but six of his 17 contests. Still, I expect the big alpha wideout to take the next step to fantasy stardom now that he has one season of NFL experience under his belt. McMillan, who finished 16th in points among wide receivers, could make a push into the top 10 in his second NFL campaign.

DeVonta Smith, Eagles

Smith projects to be the Eagles' No. 1 wide receiver in the projected absence of A.J. Brown, which means he could be on the cusp of his next NFL campaign. He’s never averaged more than 15.3 points per game in a single season, and his 11.9 points-per-game average a year ago is his lowest output since 2021. While the Eagles did add Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown, that average is almost guaranteed to improve. In fact, Smith is a good bet to re-emerge into a week in and week out fantasy starter as the Eagles’ alpha this season.

Rashee Rice, Chiefs

I’ll put a huge asterisk next to Rice’s name. He’s spent part of his offseason in jail and needed surgery to clean up some stiffness in his knee, so he comes with obvious concerns. However, there is plenty of time for Rice to get back to 100% in time for training camp and the start of the regular season. He also has yet to truly break out, as he’s missed a combined 22 games over the past two years due to injuries and a suspension. Again, there’s a lot of risk, but being the top option in the Chiefs' passing attack for Patrick Mahomes makes him hard to overlook.

Ladd McConkey, Chargers

McConkey was a fine sleeper during his rookie season, but the 2025 addition of Keenan Allen caused his fantasy point total to drop 60 fantasy points as an NFL sophomore. The good news for McConkey is that Allen is no longer on the roster, so he should once again become the top target for Justin Herbert. With new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel now calling the shots, McConkey should rebound and become a reliable fantasy starter again.

Luther Burden III, Bears

Burden will be one of the most popular breakout players in fantasy football this season. He opened eyes late in his rookie year, scoring 11-plus points in three of his final four games, including a 27.8-point performance against the 49ers in Week 17. The Bears moved on from DJ Moore after trading him to Buffalo, so there will be plenty of targets for Burden to absorb. Also, coach Ben Johnson called Burden “electric” and told the media he was “buying Burden stock” during OTAs. He has huge upside in his second season and is clearly a player to target.

Carnell Tate, Titans

The third pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Tate could be the next in line of Ohio State wide receivers who make a quick fantasy impact. He’ll be the clear-cut No. 1 option in the passing game for Cam Ward, who should develop into a far more productive quarterback under new coordinator Brian Daboll in his second season. While it might take a year for Tate to fully bust out in the stat sheets, he certainly has WR2 upside based on his projected target share.

Christian Watson, Packers

Will this finally be the season Watson breaks out? He certainly put up some nice stat lines down the stretch in 2025, posting 18-plus fantasy points four times in his final seven games. The Packers let Romeo Doubs walk as a free agent and traded Dontayvion Wicks, so the wideout room is far less crowded. If Watson can avoid injuries, which has been a problem in the past, there’s no reason he couldn’t become a solid No. 2 fantasy wide receiver this season.

Rome Odunze, Bears

My breakout prediction for Odunze last season looked great after four weeks, as he posted the third-most points among wideouts. The wheels fell off after that, as a foot injury limited his time on the field and kept him out of fantasy lineups. I’m still in on Odunze for next season, though, especially with Moore no longer in the mix. In that sort of scenario, I can easily see Odunze regain his rising fantasy value from early last season and make good on expectations. Both Odunze and Burden should be considered popular breakouts in the Chicago passing game.

Alec Pierce, Colts

Not only did the Colts trade Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers, but they also signed Pierce to a massive four-year, $114 million contract. If money truly talks, then he should easily see a career high in targets (his current best is 84). Pierce, who finished as the WR28 a season ago, is now in a position to be far more productive in a Colts offense that will lean on him as its alpha. It’s also notable that in Pierce’s final four games with quarterback Daniel Jones playing the majority of the snaps, he scored 17-plus fantasy points three times (14.3 PPG overall). Pierce could push for weekly fantasy starter value based on that increased volume in targets.

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