When preparing for your fantasy football drafts, knowing which players to target and which to avoid is important. The amount of information available can be overwhelming, so a great way to condense the data and determine players to draft and others to leave for your leaguemates is to use our expert consensus fantasy football rankings compared to fantasy football average draft position (ADP). In this way, you can identify players the experts are willing to reach for at ADP and others they are not drafting until much later than average. Let’s dive into a few notable third-year players along with their 2026 fantasy football outlook.
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2026 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Third-Year Players
Here are a few of the most fantasy football-relevant third-year players and their fantasy outlook for 2026.
Quarterbacks
In only his second NFL season, Drake Maye finished QB2 in fantasy scoring, averaging 21.1 fantasy points per game. Maye was sublime as a passer last year, leading the NFL in completion percentage (72.0%), yards per pass attempt (8.9) and passer rating (113.5). Maye finished a close second in the MVP balloting behind the Rams’ Matthew Stafford. Aided by the tailwinds of a favorable regular-season schedule, Maye produced 4,394 passing yards and 31 TD passes. He also chipped in as a runner with 450 rushing yards and four TD runs – and his bountiful college rushing stats suggest there’s still more meat on that bone. Maye got a rude wakeup call in the playoffs, completing 58.3% of his throws and averaging 207 passing yards per game and 6.9 yards per attempt in a four-game run against the Chargers, Texans, Broncos and Seahawks – all among the best pass defenses in the league. Despite the sour ending, Maye’s second NFL season was a triumph. He’s a top-five fantasy quarterback moving forward.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
After a sublime 2024 rookie season in which he threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, ran for 891 yards and six touchdowns, and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, Daniels played only seven games in 2025 due to elbow, knee and ankle injuries. When he was healthy, Daniels was a far less efficient passer than he had been in 2024, averaging only 6.7 yards per pass attempt and completing 60.6% of his throws in 2025 (down from 7.4 YPA and a 69.0% completion rate as a rookie). Daniels still ran aggressively, averaging 8.3 rushing attempts per game after averaging 8.7 as a rookie. But his effectiveness as a runner waned, going from 6.0 to 4.8 yards per carry. Daniels’ running ability and his potential as a passer still make him a high-upside fantasy quarterback, but he’s obviously a less appealing investment than he was a year ago, and the torn triceps sustained in training camp by Daniels’ blind-side protector, starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil, is cause for concern.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
After an uneven rookie season in which he finished QB16 in fantasy scoring, Caleb Williams took a big step forward in 2025 under new Bears head coach and playcaller Ben Johnson, finishing QB6 in fantasy scoring. Williams threw for a franchise-record 3,942 yards. He boosted his yardage per pass attempt from 6.3 as a rookie to 6.9. He bumped his TD rate from 3.6% to 4.9%, while slashing his sack rate from 10.8% to 4.1%. There’s still room for improvement. Williams completed only 58.1% of his throws last season, and he’s a notoriously slow starter who sometimes slumbers through the first half of games. But Williams is a remarkable athlete capable of extraordinary throws. He adds some fantasy value as a runner (388 rushing yards and three TD runs last year), though he prefers to use his mobility to buy additional time to throw. Williams has a bright future, and with Johnson as his mentor and a pass-catching corps that includes TE Colston Loveland and WRs Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, a high-end QB1 fantasy season is within reach.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Bo Nix is something of a fantasy football Rorschach test. The good: Nix has finished QB7 in fantasy scoring in each of his first two NFL seasons; he provides value as a runner, with 786 rushing yards and nine TD runs in 34 regular-season starts; Broncos head coach Sean Payton is regarded as one of the NFL’s better playcallers; and an offseason trade for Jaylen Waddle gives Nix a very good group of pass catchers. The bad: Nix hasn’t fared quite as well in fantasy points per game, ranking QB9 in 2024 and QB11 in 2025; he led the league in pass attempts last season yet still fell short of 4,000 passing yards; and he averaged an unimpressive 6.4 yards per pass attempt last season. Nix offers a relatively safe floor but might have a limited ceiling. Consider him a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Running Backs
Jonathon Brooks is a wonderful wild card pick for 2026 with big-time upside. Brooks has had enough time to recuperate from his second torn ACL that he should enter camp this season and Week 1 fully healthy. Chuba Hubbard lost his starting job to Rico Dowdle last season, and Carolina let him walk in the offseason. Outside of Brooks and Hubbard, Carolina has only Trevor Etienne and A.J. Dillon on the roster, so Carolina is heavily betting on Brooks to return to his collegiate form. Brooks could pull an Uncle Rico from last year and steal Hubbard’s starting job in 2026. Just to remind everyone about the talent that Brooks has, in 2024 (his final collegiate season), he ranked 21st in yards after contact per attempt, ninth in elusive rating, and 21st in yards per route run (per PFF). I’ll be drafting Brooks a ton this season.
Derek Brown
Blake Corum is one of the best handcuffs in fantasy. He looked back to his pre-injury form (finally) last year. After all of the injuries he sustained at Michigan, I didn’t know if we’d ever see the early collegiate version of Corum again, but he was excellent last year on a per-touch basis. After Week 1, he was a viable touchdown or bust flex as the RB46 in fantasy points per game with four top 24 finishes in weekly scoring among backs. He doesn’t offer much in the passing game with only 14 targets and 4.5 yards per reception last year, but he’s a damn good rusher on early downs. Among 49 qualifying backs, Corum ranked sixth in explosive run rate and 11th in missed tackle rate (per Fantasy Points Data). He’s a fine high-end handcuff stash or later round flier that could be an emergency flex during the season.
Derek Brown
My guy MarShawn Lloyd is making some noise in training camp. He has looked explosive so far and is everything that the Packers thought they were drafting. Yes, the big worry is whether he holds up as the practices and reps pile up. We still have to collectively hold our breath, but Lloyd should be inching closer and closer to the clear handcuff tier of backs for fantasy season if he can continue this charge throughout the preseason. Just to remind everyone about Lloyd’s talent. During his final two collegiate seasons, he was 20th and 16th in yards after contact per attempt, third and 18th in breakaway rate, and fourth and 15th in elusive rating (per PFF, minimum 100 carries). Take a flier on Lloyd late in drafts.
Derek Brown
Wide Receivers
Malik Nabers remains an elite talent, but his 2026 outlook is heavily tied to recovery from a complicated ACL injury that wiped out nearly all of his sophomore season. Before going down, Nabers was producing like a fantasy WR1 in the Giants’ offense. The concern isn’t ability – it’s availability, especially after requiring a second procedure during rehab. Nabers still offers league-winning upside once fully healthy, but fantasy managers should build in the expectation of missed time and a slower early-season ramp-up. However Nabers seems more than likely to be available for Week 1 after avoiding the PUP list while participating at the start of the Giants’ training camp.
– Andrew Erickson
Don’t hold the OL injuries against the Chargers’ skill players. Ladd McConkey specifically. The Chargers’ WR failed to live up to his expectations from his rookie season, as Keenan Allen‘s presence capped his target/production ceiling. The 33-year-old WR LED the Chargers in targets under OC Greg Roman (hyper-targeted on third downs). But with Roman replaced by Mike McDaniel, we should expect McConkey to finish closer to his rookie season, when he averaged 2.6 YPRR. McDaniel knows how to deploy his WRs to achieve peak efficiency both for real-life and fantasy purposes.
– Andrew Erickson
Marvin Harrison Jr. had a troubled 2025 season as he dealt with a concussion, an appendectomy, and a heel injury that cost him five games. In the eight games he played last year before dealing with appendicitis and a heel injury, he garnered a 21.9% target share, producing 61.6 receiving yards per game with 1.68 yards per route run, a 27.1% first-read share, and 0.082 first downs per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). During that stretch, he averaged 13.4 PPR points per game. It’s a BIG if, but if he had kept up that type of production, he would have been the WR17 in fantasy points per game. Last year, if you put up that sample for Harrison Jr. against all wide receivers with at least 200 routes, he would have ranked 19th in target share, 16th in receiving yards per game, 44th in yards per route run, 23rd in first-read share, and 46th in first downs per route run. The passing volume for the Cards was propping up some shoddy per-route efficiency, but there are some slivers of hope to take away from this too. If he can overcome the quarterback play and a talented running mate in Michael Wilson, Harrison Jr. can be a volume-based WR3/flex for 2026.
– Derek Brown
Rome Odunze‘s second season was a tale of two halves, as injuries and poor catchable targets derailed what started as a breakout campaign. Before Week 9, he ranked top-10 in WR fantasy points per game while dominating high-value usage, leading the Bears in targets, red-zone looks, and air yards share. The concerns are real with Colston Loveland and Luther Burden taking larger roles in Year 2 but Chicago also lost significant WR volume and touchdown production entering 2026 with the departure of DJ Moore. Odunze remains a strong positive regression candidate tied to Caleb Williams, especially if the Bears’ passing game takes another step forward under HC Ben Johnson.
– Andrew Erickson
Brian Thomas Jr. was one of the biggest busts of the 2025 season. He dealt with a high ankle sprain and a shoulder issue and never looked like the player we all loved during his rookie season. Once Thomas Jr. was “healthy” and Jakobi Meyers was on the roster, Thomas was relegated to a field-stretching role. In Weeks 13-18, he had only two top-24 outings in weekly scoring (WR15, WR23) with a 14.9% target share (18.1 aDOT), 47.8 receiving yards per game, 1.65 yards per route run, three red zone targets, and a 20.6% first-read share (per Fantasy Points Data). Could Thomas bounce back in 2026? Sure, it’s possible, but with how this passing attack and receiver depth chart are composed, I don’t see him returning to alpha-level usage this season. He’ll likely fill the downfield role for Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence. This means he’ll have massive week-to-week volatility. I’m mostly interested in Thomas Jr. in best ball formats where I don’t have to stress about when to start him. I’ll just enjoy the overall point total that he accumulates by the end of the season. Thomas is a WR3/4 who could easily be a WR2 by the end of the year if the big plays and touchdowns come.
– Derek Brown
I had zero interest in drafting Xavier Worthy for fantasy purposes last year, and I don’t have any in 2026. Last year, he finished as the WR54 in fantasy points per game with only one week as a top-24 wide receiver in weekly scoring. Last year, after returning from a shoulder injury (Weeks 4-17), he only had a 15.8% target share, 1.40 yards per route run, 40.9 receiving yards per game, a 19.5% first-read share, 0.058 first downs per route run, and 8.5 PPR points per game (per Fantasy Points Data). I’ll happily avoid Worthy in drafts again this year. If it burns me, it burns me (I don’t think it will).
– Derek Brown
Last year, after joining the Jets, Adonai Mitchell saw a 23.6% target share and a 30% first-read share, but he did very little with it, producing only 37.6 receiving yards per game and 1.37 yards per route run (per Fantasy Points Data). Yes, the quarterback play for the Jets last year can be a large part of this discussion, but we also have to acknowledge that Mitchell saw that volume without Garrett Wilson in the lineup. Mitchell likely fills a field-stretching role for the Jets in 2026, which I don’t expect to be a high-volume one. Mitchell is a deep league or best-ball option only.
– Derek Brown
Tight Ends
There are great expectations for Brock Bowers in his third NFL season following an injury-plagued Year 2. Bowers had five catches for 103 yards in the Raiders’ 2025 season opener against the Patriots, but he sustained a PCL injury and bone bruise to his left knee in that game, was clearly hampered over his next three games (with under 50 receiving yards in each) and was shut down for three games. Upon his return, Bowers scored seven touchdowns in eight games before the Raiders, looking to protect their star TE and also secure the No. 1 pick in the draft, placed Bowers on injured reserve, keeping him out of their last two contests. Widely considered one of the best TE prospects to ever enter the league, Bowers had 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns on 153 targets as a rookie. With better health in 2026, he has a chance to match or exceed his rookie numbers. The Raiders are talent-starved at wide receiver, so Bowers is poised to be their alpha pass catcher. New head coach Klint Kubiak has been entrusted to repair the Las Vegas offense. No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza offers hope at the QB position, and the Raiders also have TE-friendly QB Kirk Cousins, who was quarterbacking the Falcons last year in Week 15, when TE Kyle Pitts had 11 catches for 166 yards and three TDs. Bowers is worth a look in the back half of the second round or early in the third round of 12-team fantasy drafts.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
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