Dontayvion Wicks, Kaelon Black, and 3 Other Elite Late-Round Fantasy Draft Picks

In the last couple of rounds of fantasy football drafts, all notable names are gone. That leads a lot of fantasy managers to not put much thought into those draft picks. With that, here is a breakdown of five players to take in the last couple of rounds who have the potential to be must-starts in fantasy by the end of the 2026 NFL season.

Devaughn Vele

With the injury to rookie WR2 for the New Orleans Saints, Jordyn Tyson, that will keep him sidelined for at least a month, WR3 Devaughn Vele will have an increased role. He had good production in 2025 towards the end of the season. In his last four games, he averaged 6.5 targets, 4.8 receptions, and 59.8 receiving yards per game.

In the increased role Vele has there is a foreseeable path of him being fantasy relevant early in the season if QB Tyler Shough continues trending up. ESPN for PPR formats currently has him as WR70.

Jalen Nailor

Listed WR2 for the Las Vegas Raiders, Jalen Nailor, has been constantly mentioned in training camp all offseason. With the lack of depth and overall talent in the Raiders’ WR room, he has a real chance to be the WR1 in Las Vegas in 2026. His only competition stopping him from earning that role is WR Tre Tucker, who is coming off a poor close to his 2025 season.

Tucker, in the nine games he played as the Raiders' WR1 in 2025 after Jakobi Meyers got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, only recorded one TD and did not have one outing where he had over 50 receiving yards.

For PPR fantasy formats, ESPN has Nailor ranked as WR66.

Kaelon Black

With the injury history of star RB for the San Francisco 49ers, Christian McCaffrey, it is never a bad idea to draft his backup. In his nine-year career, he has missed a total of 37 regular-season games.

Going into 2026, the RB2 for the 49ers is rookie third-round pick Kaelon Black. He is coming off a standout year with the University of Indiana, rushing for a career-high 1,040 yards in his senior season. In the preseason with the 49ers, Black played well. In two games, he had 12 carries for 61 yards.

ESPN for PPR formats has Black ranked as RB60.

Dontayvion Wicks

With A.J. Brown now on the New England Patriots, there is room for someone else to step up in the Philadelphia Eagles WR room. Naturally, many might think it will be rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon. While that is certainly possible, do not write off the former Green Bay Packers’ WR Dontayvion Wicks.

Wicks has received high praise in training camp and is seen as a real possible suitor for the Eagles' WR2. He is coming off a 2025 season where he had some promising fantasy outings. This includes Week 13 against the Detroit Lions, where he had six receptions for 94 yards and two TDs.

In PPR formats, ESPN has Wicks ranked as WR69.

Braelon Allen

New York Jets RB2 Braelon Allen saw his 2025 season cut short due to an MCL sprain. Now back and ready to go in the 2026 season, he is one of the better RB handcuffs to have in fantasy. In the Jets’ first preseason game, Allen looked to have fully recovered from his knee injury. He had four carries for 44 yards, including a 31-yard TD run.

In PPR formats, ESPN has Allen ranked as RB53.

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