Is there anything better in fantasy football than hitting on a late-round pick and rubbing it in the faces of your league mates? For this article, I focused on players with an eighth-round or later average draft position (ADP). These players won’t cost you an arm and a leg, but could still provide meaningful production.
If you’re trying to stack some high-upside players to fill out your FLEX spots and build out a strong bench, here are 10 names worth going after in PPR formats.
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Late-Round Fantasy Football Targets
Kenneth Gainwell (RB – TB) | ADP: 87.5
It’s not every day you can nab a running back who caught 73 passes a season ago in the eighth round. Well, that’s exactly what you get in Kenneth Gainwell.
From Week 11 on, Gainwell racked up six RB1 weekly finishes for the Steelers and ended the season with over 1,000 total yards and eight touchdowns. He now finds himself in sunny Tampa Bay, where he’ll share the backfield with Bucky Irving, who struggled with efficiency and durability last year.
Look for Gainwell to handle most of the passing downs while also getting his fair share of work between the 20s. He was last season’s RB19 in fantasy per game, which makes him feel like a steal in round eight if he can carve out a role similar to what he left behind in Pittsburgh.
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL) | ADP: 93
You can get some great tight end production if you’re willing to wait a bit in drafts this year. Case in point, Kyle Pitts — last season’s TE2 in total fantasy points scored — has an ADP of 93.
What makes the former No. 4 overall pick especially enticing in PPR formats is the volume. Pitts reeled in a career-high 88 receptions. He set new personal bests in targets (118) and touchdowns (five) while piling up 928 yards.
Atlanta rewarded Pitts with a new three-year extension this offseason, which means he figures to remain a major part of the offense.
If Pitts builds on last season, 2026 could be his best fantasy season yet, especially now that he has Kevin Stefanski as his head coach. Stefanski has a history of getting high-end production out of his tight ends during his time in Cleveland, and Pitts has shown he can thrive if given the looks.
Josh Downs (WR – IND) | ADP: 99.5
This is it, folks — the year Josh Downs finally breaks out. At least, we hope. With Michael Pittman now in Pittsburgh, there are 111 vacated targets and an available spot in 2-WR sets. Fantasy managers are praying Downs is the one who fills that void.
If he does, Downs could rebound after a disappointing 2025. He had a solid 23.6% target rate when on the field but finished with career lows in targets (87), receptions (58) and receiving yards (566). Expect numbers closer to or exceeding his 2024 season, when he averaged 13.1 fantasy points per game and finished as the WR35 in total points.
Jakobi Meyers (WR – JAX) | ADP: 102.5
Jakobi Meyers was made for PPR leagues. He’s only topped 900 receiving once over the past five seasons, but he’s finished as a WR3 or better on a per-game basis every season during that span. That’s because he racks up receptions, averaging 77 per year since 2021.
The Jaguars liked what they saw after trading for Meyers last season and gave him a three-year, $60 million extension. On a team filled with pass-catching weapons, that contract locks him into a prominent role.
Meyers isn’t a sexy upside play, but he provides a high floor and gets the job done. You can probably pencil him in for 75 catches, 800 yards and five to seven touchdowns as long as he stays healthy.
Rachaad White (RB – WSH) | ADP: 107
In a wide-open backfield, newcomer Rachaad White has a decent shot at being the most fantasy-relevant of the bunch. He signed a small one-year deal this offseason, but he also happens to be best friends with quarterback Jayden Daniels. More importantly, White is easily the best pass-catcher in the running back room.
White has proven he can produce when given volume — he was the overall fantasy RB4 in 2023, finishing with over 1,400 total yards and nine scores. He likely won’t approach those numbers with the Commanders this season, but the passing-down role is his, and that makes White a viable FLEX option at his ninth-round fantasy football ADP.
Wan’Dale Robinson (WR – TEN) | ADP: 109
Raise your hand if you knew Wan’Dale Robinson had 140 targets and more than 90 receptions in consecutive seasons? Pretty wild, right? Even better, he just followed Brian Daboll — the guy who orchestrated those passing attacks — to Tennessee.
Now, Robinson may not see that kind of volume again, but it’s not crazy to think he could lead the Titans in targets this season. He operates in the short areas of the field and should be a nice outlet for quarterback Cam Ward. Eventually, Carnell Tate will be the No. 1 option in this passing attack, but it might take some time for the rookie to get acclimated to the pros.
In the meantime, you can click on Robinson in the ninth round and get a receiver who just topped 1,000 receiving yards and finished as the WR14 in 2025, averaging 13.6 fantasy points per game.
Khalil Shakir (WR – BUF) | ADP: 124
If it weren’t for PPR scoring, Khalil Shakir would have a much tougher time staying fantasy-relevant. That’s even with him being Josh Allen‘s favorite target the last two seasons.
Shakir doesn’t generate a lot of explosive plays and does most of his damage close to the line of scrimmage. He had the fifth-most yards after the catch with 508 last year, which he needs thanks to a 3.7 average depth of target (aDOT).
Still, Shakir has totaled 148 receptions since 2024, and that gives him value. He won’t find the end zone much — he has just 11 touchdowns in four seasons — but he’ll get you four to six catches most weeks and offers a decent floor in full PPR formats. In round 11, Shakir is a safe click who can give you usable weeks as a receiver.
Chig Okonkwo (TE – WSH) | ADP: 143
This one requires a bit of wish-casting, but Chig Okonkwo is walking into a juicy role in Washington. One that should produce for fantasy. After signing a three-year deal in free agency, he’s taking over for Zach Ertz as the team’s No. 1 TE, and he has a real shot to be the No. 2 pass-catcher.
Okonkwo has three straight seasons with over 50 catches and is coming off a season in which he set personal bests in targets (79) and receiving yards (560). If he builds chemistry with Daniels and receives a similar workload to what Ertz got, Okonkwo could have his best season yet. He’s also a sneaky bet to finish as a top-12 tight end.
Dylan Sampson (RB – CLE) | ADP: 154
I’m a bit shocked by how little Dylan Sampson is being talked about this offseason, given the brutal injury teammate Quinshon Judkins is trying to come back from. With Jerome Ford no longer in Cleveland, Sampson is the clear-cut No. 2 back.
Last season, Sampson didn’t do much on the ground, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry. On the flip side, he was excellent through the air, reeling in 33 catches for 271 yards. Among running backs with at least 200 snaps, Sampson ranked first in yards per route run (2.02) and first in yards created per touch (4.87), per PlayerProfiler.
If Judkins suffers any setbacks, Sampson would immediately become a starter in PPR formats. Even if that doesn’t happen, he still offers some FLEX appeal in deeper leagues.
Alvin Kamara (RB – NO) | ADP: 175
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Prior to 2025, Alvin Kamara had never finished lower than RB13 on a per-game basis in any season during his illustrious career. He’d been as solid as a rock for fantasy managers. Unfortunately, the bottom fell out last year, as Kamara posted his worst output ever and averaged a measly 9.2 fantasy points per game (RB34).
Mediocre metrics and injuries played a part in that decline, but Kamara is no longer the main attraction in town. The Saints signed Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency to a four-year deal, making him the unquestioned starter. Even so, Kamara appears to be back for his age-31 campaign. In drafts right now, you can get a player who has averaged 67 receptions per season in round 14.
That makes Kamara a low-risk dart throw late in drafts — one who could pay off in a big way if he looks anything like his usual self, even in a secondary role.
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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football analyst for FantasyPros. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf.
