Top-10 Sleepers
Counting down my top-10 sleepers in two parts… today we start with #10 through #6.
#10. Antonio Williams (WR - WAS)
A third-round rookie who already has a clear runway to targets in Washington's passing game.
Drafted in the third round (No. 71 overall), Williams is projected to step into the Commanders' starting slot role "sooner rather than later" as a reliable underneath target for Jayden Daniels.
His route running is his calling card: tempo changes, head fakes, and suddenness that create separation windows against man coverage.
Insiders view "50-or-so catches" as a realistic rookie-year baseline, which would make him the offense's clear third option behind Terry McLaurin and Chig Okonkwo.
Injuries cost him time in both 2023 and 2025, so durability is a real question, but if he stays on the field, the volume path is there for a PPR flex weapon.
#9. Tyler Shough (QB - NO)
Shough enters 2026 with the starting job locked up and a real late-season track record behind him.
From Week 15 on last year, he threw for 272, 308, and 333 yards in three straight games… that’s exactly the version of Shough the Saints are betting on.
New Orleans added real juice around him this offseason: they drafted WR Jordyn Tyson 8th overall to pair with Chris Olave, and signed Travis Etienne Jr. (4 years, $52M) to form a real two-back system with Alvin Kamara.
Per Reception Perception charting, Shough posts an elite 80.7% success rate against zone coverage and a 78.9% success rate on intermediate throws.
A full offseason as the guy in Kellen Moore's system, plus real weapons for the first time in his career, makes him a legit streaming QB2 with QB1-week upside.
#8. Makai Lemon (WR - PHI)
Philadelphia traded up to get him, and the runway for targets could open fast.
The Eagles traded up with Dallas to select Lemon with the No. 20 overall pick, viewing him as a "plug-and-play" talent… he won the Biletnikoff Award in 2025 after posting 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns at USC, with only four career drops.
His arrival comes after the A.J. Brown trade, which opens up immediate high-volume targets in Philly's passing attack.
Scouts compare his polish and ball skills to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and he's expected to be a primary beneficiary of Jalen Hurts' accuracy on short throws where Hurts led the NFL in 2024.
Add in the league's easiest projected schedule for Eagles receivers in 2026, and Lemon has one of the clearest slot-role paths of any rookie in this class.
#7. Greg Dulcich (TE - MIA)
A prove-it deal in an offense that's practically begging someone to win the tight end job.
Dulcich finished last season ranked 2nd among all NFL tight ends in yards per route run (2.64) and yards after the catch per reception (7.69).
He's emerging as one of the "primary targets" for new quarterback Malik Willis during spring practices and OTAs, in a Dolphins offense that features the league's cheapest wide receiver and tight end rooms.
Down the stretch last season, he proved his health and utility with 26 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown over his final 10 games.
He's on a one-year, $3.25M "prove-it" deal, but the target vacuum plus a scheme that plays nearly half his snaps from the slot gives him a real path to TE1 upside.
#6. Keaton Mitchell (RB - LAC)
The most valuable handcuff in the league just landed in the exact scheme built for his skill set.
The Chargers hired Mike McDaniel as OC (the same system that turned De'Von Achane into the NFL's most explosive back) and Mitchell's 4.37 speed profile is nearly identical to Achane's.
Even in a suppressed 18.5% opportunity share behind Derrick Henry last season, Mitchell posted 59 carries for 341 yards and a 5.2 True Yards Per Carry (3rd-best in the league).
Starter Omarion Hampton is a real injury risk, having missed 9 games with ankle issues in 2025… so every absence makes Mitchell an immediate RB2 with RB1 ceiling.
Per Establish the Run, his 6.3 yards-per-carry efficiency makes him a mandatory weekly rotation piece even in a complementary role, and if Hampton misses time, this pick can return 5-10x its cost.
That's #10 through #6. Part 2 drops tomorrow with the top five sleepers on the board… including a torn-ACL buy-low candidate with legitimate RB1 upside.
-Joe