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CBS 2026 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Travis Kelce Among the Best Values to Draft

Finding league-winning value in the middle and late rounds is the key to mastering fantasy football drafts. As 2026 CBS Sports Fantasy ADP data takes shape, several compelling targets are flying under the radar.
Daniel Outerbridge|
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) is one of a few players who are sleepers for CBS Fantasy Football in 2026. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) is one of a few players who are sleepers for CBS Fantasy Football in 2026. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Kansas City Chiefs

CBS fantasy football managers don't need to spend early-round capital to find players capable of making a major impact in 2026, as several intriguing sleepers are carrying surprisingly modest draft-day prices. From young receivers poised for larger roles to established veterans who have slipped down draft boards, these late-round targets offer the upside to become valuable pieces of a fantasy roster.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts

CBS Draft Profile: Late Round Target/ Depth Price Tag

Downs has emerged as one of the most compelling WR sleepers in CBS Sports fantasy rankings. With Michael Pittman Jr. now in Pittsburgh, over 100 targets from last season have opened up in the Colts' passing attack, and Downs is the prime candidate to absorb that volume. A high-volume, short-area target machine, Down enters the final year of his rookie contract with a reliable weekly PPR floor of 5 to 6 receptions.

Should his route participation expand as anticipated, his upside increases substantially. Combining strong underlying metrics with a clear path to a featured target share, Downs is currently drafted as a bench filler on CBS despite possessing the workload potential of a regular fantasy starter.

Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

CBS Draft Profile: Round 8/ Round 9 Target (WR3/WR4 Range)

Washington is rapidly ascending as an intriguing late-round flyer in 2026 CBS drafts. Opportunity is the primary catalyst here with Travis Hunter shifting a significant portion of his workload to the defensive side of the ball, additional targets are up for grabs on slot and intermediate routes.

While Washington will share volume alongside Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Myers, his rapport with Trevor Lawrence provides a solid baseline floor. CBS Sports views Washington as a volatile WR3/WR4 with single-week WR1 upside. His wide range of outcomes keeps his ADP suppressed into the 8th and 9th round, making him an ideal swing-for-the-fences pick for managers seeking explosive bench depth.

Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers

CBS Draft Profile: ADP #143 Overall (WR56)

Coker offers legitimate WR2 potential at a bargain-basement draft price. Coker quickly proved to be one of Bryce Young's most reliable safety valves, demonstarting soft hands in traffic and efficiency in the red zone. With Carolina's wideout currently thinned by camp injuries, Coker's projected target volume continues to trend upward.

While Dave Canales' heavy-run scheme naturally limits the team's total passing ceiling, Coker's established role gives him weekly PPR FLEX utility. For managers willing to take a late-round upside swing, Coker is a premier deep sleeper who could very well comfortably outperform his WR56 valuation.

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers

CBS Draft Profile: ADP #125 Overall (RB38-RB40)

Brooks represents a textbook post-hype sleeper whose current draft cost is significantly lower than his raw talent level. In Canales' offensive system, which heavily emphasizes the run game and features backs as active receivers, the lead back carries substantial fantasy value.

At a CBS ADP around RB38-RB40, Brooks presents minimal draft risk as a late-round stash. If fully healthy and capable of reclaiming his explosive pre-injury form, Brooks possesses a clear path to securing Carolina's lead job and delivering RB2 production over the second half of the fantasy season.

Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

CBS Draft Profile: Round 9-10 Target (TE10-TE12 Range)

Once considered a non-negotiable first-or second-round staple in fantasy drafts, Kelce has quietly transitioned into one of the ultimate late-round value plays for 2026. Heading into his 14th season, Kelce's draft cost has fallen into the 9th/10th-round on major fantasy platforms, where he is currently being selected near the TE10 threshold.

While his days of delivering wide-receiver-one production from the tight end slot are behind him, Kelce remains one of Patrick Mahomes' most trusted target options in high-levarage situations. Despite a shifting Chiefs offense, Kelce caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season, finishing as a top-10 tight end on a points-per-game basis. For fantasy managers who decide to pass on early-tier tight ends, Kelce offers an exceptionally high weekly floor and proven red-zone usage at a fraction of his historical draft price.

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Daniel Outerbridge
DANIEL OUTERBRIDGE

Daniel Outerbridge covers the NBA, NFL, WNBA, and MLB with an emphasis on the numbers behind the game. His work breaks down player performance, team strategy, and emerging statistical trends to provide actionable insights for fans and fantasy players. Outerbridge has written for a myriad of other outlets including Anubis Sports and FanSided.

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