Travis Hunter And 4 More Breakout Player of the Year Candidates in Fantasy Football

The shortcut to winning in fantasy football is hitting on that magical core of players who have breakout seasons. Each year, the player pool changes, creating different draft flows and opportunities in drafts. Ultimately, finding an edge at a value sets up winning decisions earlier in fantasy drafts at other positions.

I tend to view the position rankings in PPR leagues in 60-point groupings. If a player can beat expectations by two levels or more (120+ fantasy points), I would consider him a breakout player. Here’s a quick view of my thought outline:

Average QB1 – About 375 fantasy points (4-Point Passing TDs)

Average RB1 – About 270 fantasy points (PPR)

Average RB2 – About 210 fantasy points (PPR)

Average RB3 – About 160 fantasy points (PPR)

Average RB4 – About 110 fantasy points (PPR)

Average WR1 – About 290 fantasy points (PPR)

Average WR2 – About 225 fantasy points (PPR)

Average WR3 – About 190 fantasy points (PPR)

Average WR4 – About 160 fantasy points (PPR)

WR3 And WR4 Fantasy Points — Shawn Child

Average TE1 – About 190 fantasy points (PPR)

Average TE2 – About 120 fantasy points (PPR)

At each of these positions, the average player score is well below that of the top players at each position tier.

Over the past two seasons, CeeDee Lamb (405.20) and Ja’Marr Chase (403.00) scored over 400.00 fantasy points in PPR formats, creating a 120.00-point edge over the median of the top 12 wide receivers. This information shows that a top-ranking player can still have a higher breakout, leading to impact value when compared to the players drafted around them.

Here are the top contenders for Breakout Player of the Year:

RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England

Since the lights have come on for the preseason games for the Patriots, Henderson has been flying up draft boards. He was a sixth-round draft pick (RB20) in one high-stakes event over the first three weeks of July. Over the past three days, fantasy drafters have fought for him in the third round, with a minimum pick of 25 and a maximum of 47 over 19 drafts. His ADP (35) ranks Henderson as the 14th running back drafted over this span.

With each move up in drafts, he is compared with different players who have higher floors and potentially longer resumes of success. In essence, Henderson needs a 2024 Bucky Irving season to play off for his new price point. Last year, Irving was drafted well after the 10th round in fantasy drafts, allowing him to maintain his breakout tag.

In some home leagues, Henderson may fly under the radar, creating a breakout buy situation. Let’s go with a breakout-type player for him, but his draft cost lowers his potential edge unless New England gives him way more touches than expected.

WR Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Despite coming off a great offensive season, Tampa Bay wanted to maintain a high-scoring floor, leading to them snatching up Egbuka with the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. His opportunity looked cloudy heading into the summer, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan blocking him from difference-maker targets.

In early July, Egbuka was the 45th-ranked wide receiver with an eighth-round ADP, which screamed great value. Over the last month, fantasy information and his training camp news have led to him climbing steadily up draft boards. Godwin is trailing in his recovery time from an ankle injury, and the Bucs lost McMillan for at least four games with a neck injury.

As a result, Egbuka has moved to WR33 (minimum pick of 50) over the last few days (ADP – 60), which still leaves room for him to beat his price point by a wide margin with WR2 snaps and targets this year for Tampa.

WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

The trade of Deebo Samuel last March was the green light for Pearsall to get a significant bump in playing time this year. When adding a lingering calf issue for Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk expected to miss multiple weeks to open the season with his recovery from knee surgery, the 49ers’ second-year wideout looks poised to be a fantasy factor this year.

Pearsall is the first San Francisco wide receiver drafted this year, with a mid-tier WR3 price tag in PPR formats. Over the past six weeks, he’s moved up about five slots at wideout while ranking just ahead of Emeka Egbuka in recent drafts. He brings some injury risk, along with two tease showings (8/141/1 and 6/69/1) in 2024.

WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears

In July, Odunze came off the board in the early sixth round, with an ADP range from 50 to 69. He’s lost draft momentum in recent drafts, pushing him behind Ricky Pearsall, Emeka Egbuka, and Travis Hunter in many leagues. His ADP (66) is more favorable (59 to 76), creating more value if he slides into the seventh round.

Odunze brings a year of NFL experience (54/734/3), along with playing with the same quarterback. Based on the Bears' last preseason game with Caleb Williams behind center, Chicago’s new offensive game plan after a coaching change in the offseason showed a much better rhythm. This offense has many receiving weapons that could steal some of Odunze's potential breakout ability and ceiling. When he hits the prime of his career, his potential suggests a 100/1,500/10 player.

WR Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars

With a Heisman Trophy season (96/1,258/15) on his resume and immense talent, highlighted by his ability to play on both sides of the ball, Hunter brings the star power fantasy drafters should be looking for in drafts. His initial wide receiver ranking (33) is almost the same as the back half of August (34), meaning that there haven’t been enough reasons to fight for him in drafts.

In the Jaguars' first preseason game, Hunter caught two passes for nine yards. A minor upper-body injury pushed him to the sidelines over the past week, leading to no snaps in Jacksonville’s second preseason game.

Hunter is the clear-cut number two option in the Jaguars’ offense. Their new coaching staff comes from Tampa Bay, where the offensive coordinator (Jacksonville’s head coach) helped the Buccaneers have a special offensive season.

Quick Breakout Tote Board

TreVeyon Henderson – a talented player who is no longer a value in drafts based on his rising ADP. If I consider him, where is Omarion Henderson on my list?
Emeka Egbuka – sexy ADP mover whose targets seem to rise each week in the eyes of drafters. I’m not sure of his scoring ceiling, and Chris Godwin could be more of a factor than most want to believe.
Ricky Pearsall – opportunity is staring in the face, but will he stay on the field for a full season? Does his starting fantasy value take a hit over the back half of the year?
Romo Odunze – He’s the guy I want to anoint as my player of the year, but do the Bears’ depth of receiving options for him to post mid-tier WR2 stats at a minimum?

The Verdict: Travis Hunter

In the end, based on all factors, Travis Hunter is my breakout player of the year. He brings high upside in all key wide receiver categories – catches, yards, and scoring, and potentially the best opportunity of the players I’ve listed.

Hunter started his college career at Jackson State University under the guidance of Deion Sanders. He had a minimal opportunity at wide receiver (18/188/4) while also playing cornerback (15 tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a touchdown).

After following his coaching staff to Colorado, Hunter increased his wide receiver production (57/721/5) despite missing three contests due to a liver injury. He continued to play defense, leading to 22 tackles and three interceptions. His dual role contributed to winning the Heisman Trophy in 2024. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,263 yards and 16 touchdowns. He finished with 25 tackles over 13 games with four interceptions and 11 defended passes.

Hunter opened up last season with five stellar games (7/132/3, 10/110, 13/100/2, 7/130, and 9/89/1). Kansas State and Arizona held him to a pair of short outings (3/26 and 2/17). After an excellent showing (9/153/2), his Heisman push came over his final three starts (8/125/2, 10/116/2, and 4/106/1).

Throughout his college career, Hunter was highly regarded on both sides of the ball, earning multiple national awards for his outstanding play on offense and defense. His vision, anticipation, and quickness create wins all over the field. Hunter must improve his release against physical defenders at the line of scrimmage in the NFL. At the same time, his value in run support will be in question if asked to play that role with the Jaguars.

Overall, his route running hasn’t reached its ceiling due to having an edge against most of his competitors at this point in his career, thanks to his natural talents. Hunter has a nose for the football and many wins to his name catching the ball in tight quarters. His sense for spacing and timing is exceptional, pointing to a higher volume receiving career in the realm of an Antonio Brown. His usage on defense is unknown, but his overall game would be the most impactful as a passing-down player on both sides of the ball.