Top Breakouts
Yesterday we covered #10 through #6. Today we close it out with the top 5 breakout candidates of the summer.
#5. Isaiah Likely (TE - NYG)
Likely spent his whole time in Baltimore stuck behind Mark Andrews… now he's the clear top receiving tight end in a wide-open Giants pass-catching corps.
He signed a 3-year, $40 million deal ($13.3M/year) with the Giants, reuniting with former Ravens HC John Harbaugh.
He ranked 6th in the NFL in target separation (2.27 yards) and 13th in yards per target (8.3) even in a limited 2025 role, and flashed real ceiling with a 5-catch, 95-yard game in Week 13.
He's the primary receiving threat at tight end, and he's viewed as an elite scramble-drill fit for QB Jaxson Dart, plus a projected slot replacement for Wan'Dale Robinson.
The path to targets is as clear as it gets, and the tight end schedule swings from 6th-hardest to 2nd-easiest in 2026… the setup lines up on every level.
#4. Blake Corum (RB - LAR)
Corum isn't just a handcuff anymore… he forced his way into a real committee as a second-year back on a top-scoring offense.
He nearly doubled his rookie workload, finishing with 145 carries for 746 yards and 6 touchdowns while playing over 30% of snaps by season's end.
He ranked 2nd in the NFL in Explosive Rating (122.9) and 6th in True Yards Per Carry (4.9); legitimate big-play juice, not just a change-of-pace arrangement.
He's a real factor near the goal line, too, logging 27 red zone touches, and he plays in an offense that led the league in total yards (6,709) and points (518) in 2025.
He's already a weekly threat for 10-15 touches on the league's most explosive offense, and a true workhorse breakout if Kyren Williams ever misses time.
#3. Jaxson Dart (QB - NYG)
Dart was a QB1-caliber weekly performer as a rookie without his top receiver… now he gets a full offseason, a healthier receiving room, and a coaching staff built to feature his legs.
He finished 2nd among all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (9) and 5th in carries per game (6.14), a rushing floor most passers can't match.
He ranked 3rd in the league in fantasy points per dropback (0.66) and 3rd in carry share (21%), proving highly productive even on lower passing volume.
New OC Matt Nagy is expected to build the offense around his mobility, and the Giants added protection and weapons around him… OT Francis Mauigoa at No. 10 overall and TE Isaiah Likely.
The countdown closes with a former first-round bust-turned-contract-extension who might have the highest ceiling on this entire list.
#2. Omarion Hampton (RB - LAC)
Hampton was producing like a top-12 back before injuries cut his rookie season short, and now he gets a new play-caller built to maximize exactly what he does well.
He posted 15.1 fantasy points per game (12th among all RBs) during his healthy stretches, and was on pace for roughly 300 opportunities and 60 receptions before the injury.
He commanded a 69.7% opportunity share (11th) once he took over as the lead back, and caught 32-of-34 targets (94%) in only 9 games.
New OC Mike McDaniel replaces Greg Roman, bringing a more efficient, explosive rushing scheme, and the Chargers upgraded the offensive line with new center Tyler Biadasz plus healthy returns from tackles Slater and Alt.
He was already flashing top-10 upside on a limited sample… a full, healthy season in McDaniel's scheme is the widely projected outcome here.
#1. Christian Watson (WR - GB)
Watson just signed a $110 million extension and is about to inherit the largest target share of his career.
Despite playing only 10 games, he still finished 15th among all receivers in fantasy points per game (13.2), with 611 yards and 6 touchdowns.
He ranked 4th in the NFL in yards per route run (2.65), yards per target (11.1), and yards per catch (17.5). That’s elite efficiency on a per-opportunity basis.
With Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks both gone, he's set up for a much larger target share as Green Bay's clear primary deep threat (3rd in the NFL in average depth of target at 17.8).
Green Bay just paid him like a true WR1, the target competition is gone, and he was already elite on a per-target basis, so all the ingredients for a true 2026 breakout are in place.
That's the full top 10. Two backs, two tight ends, a rookie QB, and a receiver who just got paid… all set up for a real jump in 2026.
-Joe