Draft data from best ball doesn’t perfectly translate to managed redraft leagues. Still, looking at where players are drafted relative to others at their position in Underdog best ball drafts is useful for identifying potential fantasy football sleepers for 2026 managed redraft leagues.
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Fantasy Football Sleepers
Kyler Murray (QB – MIN)| Underdog ADP: 113.5/QB19
Kyler Murray had a forgettable final season with the Cardinals. Nevertheless, in just five games played last season, he surpassed 18 fantasy points twice. Daniel Jones was the QB12 in fantasy points per game last year, scoring 18 per game.
Additionally, Murray was a top-12 fantasy quarterback as recently as 2024. Among quarterbacks who played more than one game in 2024, Murray ranked 12th in fantasy points per game (18.1). He also showcased a higher ceiling than that, averaging a blistering 22.2 fantasy points per game in 2021, when he finished as the QB4 in fantasy points per game.
Murray will get a fresh start with the Vikings on a one-year contract. The team might call it a quarterback competition between Murray and J.J. McCarthy, but a cynic might believe Murray was offered assurances of a starting role to convince him to join the team as a free agent. Given McCarthy’s struggles in his first healthy season as a pro, Murray is the overwhelming favorite to win the job, even if there is a legitimate quarterback competition in the offseason. Of course, if Murray struggles, the Vikings could give McCarthy another shot to start games, but that’s a moot point, since gamers would cut bait on Murray in managed leagues if he were playing poorly anyway.
The situation should be favorable for Murray’s outlook. According to RotoViz’s pace app, the Vikings had a 54% situation-neutral pass rate last year. In Kevin O’Connell’s first three years as Minnesota’s head coach (2022 through 2024), the Vikings had the second-highest situation-neutral pass rate (61%). KOC could revert to a more pass-happy offense if he trusts Murray to run it more effectively than his quarterbacks did in 2025.
Furthermore, Murray can benefit from playing home games inside in Minnesota. He won’t have to deal with the elements at home, and, per Yahoo!, Murray has averaged 236 passing yards per game and 34.6 rushing yards per game with 72 passing touchdowns and 17 rushing touchdowns in 52 career games indoors. Finally, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are an outstanding pass-catching duo for Murray to chuck it to. Murray belongs in the QB8-QB12 mix.
Josh Downs (WR – IND) | Underdog ADP: 131.4/WR58
Josh Downs is a fantastic target earner. According to the Fantasy Points data suite, among 91 wide receivers with at least 250 routes last season, including the playoffs, Downs was tied for 21st in targets per route run (0.24 TPRR). He was also a respectable 46th in yards per route run (1.59 Y/RR).
Downs was only the WR49 in half-point per reception (half-PPR) points per game (6.8) from that group, though. Downs’ primary issue for scoring fantasy points was his modest 62.8% route participation rate. He was tied for the WR36 in half-PPR points per route run and tied for 31st in expected half-PPR points per route run (0.40).
Downs had an 80.6% slot rate but only an 18.9% alignment wide last year. Could Shane Steichen allow Downs to play a bit more after the team traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers in a salary-dumping move? Maybe. If Downs absorbs even a few more opportunities this year by getting some reps outside in two-wideout personnel groups, Downs could settle in as a WR3 or a reliable Flex, especially in half-PPR and PPR formats. At worst, Downs is priced fairly if he’s stuck in the same role this season.
Isaiah Likely (TE – NYG) | Underdog ADP: 154.9/TE19
John Harbaugh brought some of his fellow former Ravens to the Giants with him in free agency, including Isaiah Likely. It wasn’t a small deal, either. According to Over the Cap, Likely has the fourth-highest average annual salary ($13.3 million) among tight ends. He’s also fifth among players at the position in total guaranteed money ($27 million), meaning his contract isn’t bloated with funny money, unlikely to reach incentives or non-guaranteed money that would make him easy to release before the end of his deal.
Likely’s ceiling was capped in Baltimore by sharing the tight end room with Mark Andrews. Theo Johnson is a less-imposing hurdle for Likely to clear for a career year in route participation. Likely’s career-high route participation rate was 53.3% in 2024 and 2025.
Likely didn’t have his best season in his walk year. He broke his foot in training camp and set career lows in games played (14) and receiving yards per game (21.9). However, 2024 pointed to his potential. Among 52 tight ends with at least 150 routes in 2024, Likely was fifth in average depth of target (9.5-yard aDOT), 14th in targets per route run (0.22), seventh in yards per route run (1.99), fourth in half-PPR points per route run (0.42), and 10th in expected half-PPR points per route run (0.40).
Likely is a receiving specialist and unlikely to climb into a 75%-plus route participation rate player for the Giants. Still, if he can tick up into the 65-70% range, Likely can be a reliable top-10 fantasy option at tight end this season.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.