Breakouts
Some of these guys already flashed elite per-game production, they just need the runway to keep it up. Here are five names positioned to take a real leap this year, in two minutes or less.
#5: Jaxson Dart (QB - NYG)
Dart proved as a rookie that he didn't need a full-strength supporting cast to be a fantasy factor, and now he's getting one.
Finished 2nd among all QBs with 9 rushing touchdowns and 5th in carries per game (6.14) as a rookie
Was an every-week fantasy starter despite losing Malik Nabers for much of the year
Ranked 3rd in fantasy points per dropback (0.66) and 3rd in carry share (21%) despite lower passing volume
With a healthier, more stable supporting cast around him in Year 2, Dart's rushing floor alone makes him a breakout name to know.
#4: Josh Downs (WR - IND)
Everyone's buzzing about Alec Pierce's deep-ball chemistry, but the target competition around Downs just cleared out.
Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to the Steelers, and Downs is now positioned as the Colts' primary target-earner
Ranks 6th in the NFL in total slot snaps (421) with an efficient 2.21 yards per route run
Already bested Pierce in target rate (22.2%) last season, per Reception Perception
With Pierce out of the picture for now and the WR1 role open, Downs is one of the better values on the board.
Coming up at #1: the receiver who quietly out-produced his own draft slot by a mile a year ago.
#3: Omarion Hampton (RB - LAC)
Hampton was on a workhorse pace before injuries slowed him down, and the new play-caller has a track record of unlocking backs just like him.
Was on pace for 300 touches and 60 receptions before his injury, and still posted 15.1 fantasy points per game (12th overall)
Commanded a 69.7% opportunity share once he became the lead back
Logged 28 red zone touches in just 9 games, establishing himself as the team's goal-line hammer
New OC Mike McDaniel (the coach who unlocked De'Von Achane in Miami) now runs this offense, giving Hampton legitimate top-3 RB upside.
#2: Isaiah Likely (TE - NYG)
We've already seen the flashes in limited chances; now the opportunity is finally lining up for him.
Signed a 3-year, $40M deal to reunite with former Ravens HC John Harbaugh in New York
Projected as the direct replacement for Wan'Dale Robinson's vacated target share, with his scramble-drill instincts viewed as an elite fit for Jaxson Dart
Ranked 6th in target separation (2.27 yards) in 2025 despite playing behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore
The talent flashed in Baltimore, and now the touches are finally aligned in New York.
#1: Christian Watson (WR - GB)
The top breakout on this list already looked like a difference-maker in limited action… now the offense is funneling right through him.
Ranked 15th in the NFL in fantasy points per game (13.2) despite finishing as just the overall WR46 last season
Ranked 4th in the league in yards per route run (2.65), yards per target (11.1), and yards per catch (17.5)
Set to see a larger target share in 2026 after Green Bay lost both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks
Watson was already producing at a top-15 rate on limited volume, so give him the largest role of his career and he's a legitimate breakout WR2.
That's the list. Five players whose opportunity is finally catching up to their talent. Watson tops it off, but don't sleep on Downs and Hampton stepping into vacated volume of their own.
-Joe