Fantasy football is back!
Week 1 is closing in, meaning fantasy football draft season is right around the corner. To help you get ready, we're bringing you a series of articles previewing the upcoming campaign. Let's kick things off with 10 potential breakout candidates who could help you win your league's title.
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Let's get to it!
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The list of potential breakouts at quarterback is fairly small. We know what we're getting with the vets at the position, and the four signal-callers from the 2024 class - Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix - have already broken out to varying degrees.
If Shough can continue his play from late last year, it'll be his turn to emerge as a fantasy-relevant quarterback who will deliver significant value at his average draft position (ADP).
Shough is going as the 22nd quarterback off the board, according to FantasyPros' ADP. The fact that he's basically undrafted in most leagues is a huge reason his breakout potential is so high. His cost is minimal with a late-round pick, yet finishing as a top-10 quarterback is within his range of outcomes.
The Saints' signal-caller became the starter in Week 8 last year and took a few games to get his feet wet. However, after New Orleans' Week 11 bye, Shough recorded a top-12 outing in four of his last seven starts and scored 17 or more fantasy points in six straight weeks to close the campaign.
Jordyn Tyson's hamstring injury definitely hurts Shough's outlook to start the season, but the eighth overall pick should return at some point in October. Chris Olave is also as good a receiver as you'll find in the NFL, and Shough now has Travis Etienne Jr. as a safety net out of the backfield. Although Kellen Moore will have to get creative at WR2 with Tyson out, the Saints' offense functioned well in a similar situation last year.
Shough should also be much more familiar with head coach Kellen Moore's high-tempo offense (New Orleans led the NFL in seconds per play in 2025), which will give the young QB more opportunities to score points. Additionally, the Saints' defense doesn't project to be very good, meaning the team could be in plenty of shootouts while playing over half its games in scoring-friendly domes.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The hype around the Chargers is extremely high after they added offensive mastermind Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator. His unit in Miami was always explosive in the stints when Tua Tagovailoa was healthy, and now he gets to design plays with Justin Herbert as his quarterback.
Hampton should be a huge beneficiary of McDaniel's scheme. His rookie year was initially promising before a Week 5 ankle injury derailed things. Still, Hampton showed why he was a first-round selection in limited action, scoring five touchdowns in his final seven games and catching five-plus passes in four of those outings.
One concern about Hampton's ceiling is that McDaniel didn't draft him, which means the second-year tailback has to prove himself to the coaching staff. The Chargers also brought in speedster Keaton Mitchell, who will likely take touches away from him. But if Los Angeles' offense is as advertised, Hampton could still lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns. He's one of a few rushers with RB1 upside despite being selected as the 10th running back early in the second round.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everyone witnessed Henderson's potential in the second half of last season when he scored over 27 fantasy points in three of the fantasy season's final seven weeks. He likely propelled many fantasy teams to a late run and maybe even a championship.
Rhamondre Stevenson is still on the Patriots' roster, which prevents Henderson from having a clear workhorse role. However, if Henderson can improve his pass protection, head coach Mike Vrabel will be forced to keep him on the field over the far less explosive Stevenson.
Henderson is being drafted as the 24th running back, but he has a much higher ceiling than players being picked ahead of him, such as Quinshon Judkins and Bucky Irving. While Henderson is far from a sure thing, he'll be a home-run pick in the fourth round if he takes playing time from Stevenson.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
Travis Etienne is no longer with the Jaguars, opening the door for Tuten to take over as the lead back. Although Jacksonville signed Chris Rodriguez as a free agent to provide competition for Tuten, he's a short-yardage back who doesn't offer the same upside.
Selected by the Jags in the fourth round last year, Tuten should be handed the keys to the backfield early in the season. He'll easily outscore his RB25 draft position if Jacksonville's offense is as effective as it was last year, especially after the unit helped Etienne finish as the RB10.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
Corum was one of the league's most efficient rushers in 2025 after he led all running backs with 100 or more carries in expected points added per play (EPA/play), according to SumerSports. He also ranked first in success rate (percentage of rushes resulting in positive EPA), second behind only Jonathan Taylor in total EPA, and second in explosive rate, trailing only De'Von Achane.
Though head coach Sean McVay has relied heavily on Kyren Williams in the past, Corum was eating into Williams' snap share as last year progressed. Corum played a season-high 45.8% of the snaps in Week 14 against the Lions, and he surpassed 30% in eight of the Rams' final 11 games. From Week 10 on, Williams and Corum nearly split carries from inside the 10-yard line, at 13 to 10.
Corum will remain usable even if Williams stays healthy all season. But if Williams gets hurt or Corum takes another step and starts earning most of the touches, the 25-year-old could be a steal as the 36th running back drafted.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Can a receiver with multiple 1,000-plus-yard seasons entering his sixth year be considered a breakout? In Smith's case, yes.
A.J. Brown is no longer with the Eagles, meaning Smith is the new WR1 in town. In a small sample size of three games without Brown since 2024, Smith earned a 32.9% target share while producing 2.65 YPRR. That number would've been good for fourth last season, behind Burden's 2.68.
We saw a similar situation to Philly's unfold in Seattle last year when DK Metcalf left, opening the door for Jaxon Smith-Njigba to win Offensive Player of the Year. The Eagles will still be a run-first team, but the path for Smith to finish as a top-five wide receiver couldn't be clearer.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Washington finished the 2025 season asserting himself as the Jaguars' top receiving option. In his final 10 games, including the playoffs, he averaged 4.8 receptions on 7.2 targets for 74.7 yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game. Those numbers would've ranked him as the WR11 on a per-game basis.
Despite the solid stats, the 24-year-old is being selected as the WR32 in drafts, behind teammate Brian Thomas Jr. Notably, Thomas recently received some uninspiring remarks from his coaching staff, and he's primarily viewed as the team's deep threat, a role that could produce nice fantasy scores but is unreliable week-to-week. He's also expected to leave the field whenever the Jaguars want to mix in Travis Hunter.
All of that is good news for Washington, who should rarely leave the field for Jacksonville this season. Although the Jaguars are expected to have a solid offense, their players aren't being drafted very high. Washington is a steal in Round 7 in 12-team leagues.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
Downs should see a substantial increase in his role with the Colts this year. Michael Pittman Jr. is now a Steeler, and Alec Pierce has yet to practice as he works his way back from offseason ankle surgery. Indianapolis signed veteran Keenan Allen, but he shouldn't steal opportunities from Downs, especially if Pierce is slow to return.
A hamstring injury hampered the start of Downs' 2025 campaign, but he's only one year removed from a 72-catch, 803-yard season with Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco at quarterback. Daniel Jones has returned after rupturing his Achilles, and he may be less inclined to scramble. The Colts might also rely on quick-hitting passes, which should play right into Downs' hands.
The 25-year-old has 90-catch upside, and if he can maintain his yards-per-reception rate of 10.8, he'll undoubtedly outperform his draft slot of WR42.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐
The Packers are having an interesting offseason. Running back Josh Jacobs' future with the team is in doubt after domestic abuse charges, and Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks left in free agency.
With Green Bay potentially lacking a reliable running back option and Doubs and Wicks' 30% combined target share up for grabs, Golden is positioned for a much larger role.
Jayden Reed is also exclusively a slot receiver, meaning Golden should play in most of the Packers' two-receiver sets. And considering Christian Watson doesn't have the best track record of staying healthy, Golden's role could expand even further. He's going as WR49 in fantasy drafts, but that's far too low for a player with his upside.
Breakout potential: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pieces of the Lions' offense are expensive, though LaPorta is the cheapest and has the greatest chance to outperform his draft value relative to his position. The fourth-year tight end played only nine games last season before undergoing back surgery, but he's at training camp and appears fully healthy.
LaPorta finished as the TE1 in his rookie year, then TE6 as a sophomore. You could argue LaPorta has already broken out, but he's currently going in the sixth round as TE7, a rank he's bested in both of his healthy seasons.
The Lions' defense is projected to be one of the worst in the league, while their offense should be in the running for most points. Detroit plays 12 of its first 15 contests in a dome before a concerning road game in Chicago in Week 17. This Jared Goff-led offense is going to produce a ton of fantasy points, so getting LaPorta, a player with TE1 upside, relatively cheap will look like a steal come season's end.
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