Building The Ultimate 2026 Fantasy Football All-Breakouts Lineup

Ranks: QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 200 | Mock draft

In case you haven't noticed it yet, fantasy football can be difficult to predict.

In fact, I always say that the only thing that’s predictable about it is its seasonal unpredictability. Here's what I mean ... What if I told you that last season, it was more than possible to build out this ridiculously awesome starting fantasy football lineup based on 2025 ADP data?

QB: Drake Maye, Patriots
RB: Travis Etienne Jr., Jaguars
RB: Javonte Williams, Cowboys
WR: George Pickens, Cowboys
WR: Michael Wilson, Cardinals
WR: Chris Olave, Saints
TE: Kyle Pitts Sr., Falcons
FLEX: Zay Flowers, WR, Ravens
SUPERFLEX: Caleb Williams, QB, Bears

That’s pretty good, right? So, which players for this upcoming season could be part of a similar lineup, made up of players projected to break out in the stat sheets?

Here are some of my favorites, and why I think they’ll be fantasy breakouts and draft bargains.

Ultimate Fantasy Football Breakout Lineup

QB - Jaxson Dart, Giants

Dart is my favorite breakout quarterback for this season. He finished 13th in points as a rookie, but he averaged more than 17 fantasy points in his 14 games (12 starts). A dual-threat quarterback, he rushed for 487 yards and nine touchdowns. Dart also found success as a passer, and he did it without his top option, Malik Nabers. With Nabers and Cam Skattebo back in action, Dart will have plenty of weapons and a terrific shot at being this year’s Drake Maye.

RB - Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

Jeanty finished the season as the RB11, but he was anything but a reliable fantasy asset. In fact, 45 percent of his points came in just four games, and Jeanty failed to score in double digits in seven of his 17 games (41 percent). The good news is that Las Vegas hired offensive-minded Klint Kubiak as its new head coach, and he has had success with running backs in his time as an NFL coordinator. That’s why I like Jeanty to make good on his 2025 hype this season.

RB - Omarion Hampton, Chargers

Much like Jeanty, Hampton was unreliable in his first NFL campaign. He was limited to just nine games due to injuries, and he failed to score more than 8.1 PPR points three times. But Hampton did show flashes of the skills that made him a first-rounder in the 2025 NFL draft, scoring 20 or more points three times. And with Mike McDaniel now calling the offensive shots for the Chargers and Najee Harris gone, I expect Hampton to develop into a fantasy superstar.

WR - 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, however, as he scored in 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, however, I love Egbuka to become the top option in Tampa Bay’s pass attack.

Five Wide Receivers I Can’t Stop Drafting In My Fantasy Football Leagues!@SInow pic.twitter.com/GMHl4zkpMM
— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) July 30, 2026

WR - 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, scoring fewer than 12 points in all but six of his 17 contests, but I expect the big alpha wideout to take the next step to fantasy stardom now that he has a 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.

WR - Luther Burden III, Bears

Burden III 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 receiver DJ Moore, 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.

TE - Colston Loveland, Bears

Loveland is going to be the most popular breakout tight end pick in fantasy football. While his rookie campaign started slowly, he scored a combined 46.5 fantasy points over his final two games. That doesn’t include his postseason totals (16.7 PPG in two games), either. Loveland’s stock is so high, in fact, that he’s coming in behind only Trey McBride and Brock Bowers based on early ADP data. Loveland could go as high as the fourth round in 2026 redrafts.

FLEX - Jeremiyah Love, RB, Cardinals

Love didn’t land in the best spot from a fantasy football perspective, as the Cardinals signed Tyler Allgeier and have James Conner and Trey Benson on their roster. Still, you don’t draft a running back third overall in this day and age and fail to use him in a prominent role. Love was considered the best NFL prospect in the 2026 class by countless scouts and analysts, and his skills as a runner and receiver could make him a top-12 fantasy runner in his rookie year.

SUPERFLEX - Tyler Shough, QB, Saints

Shough was great down the stretch of his rookie year, putting up 17-plus fantasy points in all but one of his final eight games. Based on total points, he was the eighth-best quarterback over the final five weeks of the fantasy season. The Saints did right by him in the offseason too, adding Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie Jordyn Tyson. While he can be defined as either a breakout or sleeper candidate, Shough is certainly in the conversation as a potential fantasy draft bargain.

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