It is that time of year again where fantasy draft boards are filling up, cheat sheets are being made, predictions are flying across all forms of social media and football players are gearing up for their seasons.
Man I love fantasy sports and I love all the hype that comes with it. I love to do some deep diving every year and pick out some potential breakout candidates at the major offensive positions. These are typical deeper picks that may not be on the radar for the casual fan and it can help separate you from the rest of your respective league members in fantasy football.
It would obviously never be like “Hey I think Ashton Jeanty is going to be solid this year” because he is obviously a consensus top 10 pick across the board and will come with unreal levels of hype. It’s more so for the mid-round and late-round gems you could steal from your opponents and gloat about when the season is nearing its end.
Please note that I was all over Bucky Irving, Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. last year, so hopefully that boosts my credibility here.
With that being said, I will jump into it and lead it off with the most important position in the sport…Quarterback.
Caleb Williams
I do not think its crazy to put a former #1 overall draft pick in this category at all considering he is barely cracking the top 15 of QB rankings ahead of this season. He was the number one draft pick for a reason and now he has a year of experience under his belt and he showed some serious promise throughout his rookie campaign.
This year, he has a new head coach in Ben Johnson. Johnson was the Offensive Coordinator in Detroit last year so he certainly knows how to make an aggressive gameplan for his offense. He led a unit last year that saw multiple receivers in St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Laporta thrive and he has some very solid weapons waiting for him on this young Bears team. Odunze is poised for a big season (spoiler alert for later in the blog – whoops!), DJ Mooore has been a great receiver for Chicago, and Colston Loveland has potential to take the entire offense to the next level.
I think an improved approach, a new coach, a developing WR, a potential stud Tight End and solid offensive line can be the formula for a breakout season. Williams has the talent, but now he has the supporting cast, or at least the makings of a great one in the near future.
Bryce Young
Young started off his career terribly in 2023 and initially in 2024. So badly that he was swiftly benched for Andy Dalton midway through last season and it seemed like his brief experiment as the Panthers QB was nearing a potential and shocking end. However, when Dalton got injured and Young stepped back in later in the season, he looked like a new man.
He was protecting the ball, making wiser choices, launching the ball across the field and showing the world he was getting comfortable in the pocket. You have to imagine the late season emergence got him excited for this year and is looking to build on it and prove to the league that he is no joke.
Plus, he is working with a fully broken out running back in Chuba Hubbard who proved to be the real deal last season, a hopeful star rookie receiver in Tetairoa McMillan and second year player, Xavier Legette. I would say that the Panthers are not close to a playoff run, but they are starting to see a core emerge and if McMillan is as good as advertised, no one would feel it more than Bryce Young.
Dave Canales has a track record of fixing QB’s and it seems he may have already fixed Bryce, but only time will tell. His increased comfort in the pocket is the best sign you could see in a young QB and it might just be the beginning of something beautiful in Carolina.
Trevor Lawrence
Wow. Another first-overall QB. Real creative, Matty Wheelz.
I mean, it’s true though! All three of these guys have faced their fair share of criticism, but I do not think anyone has gotten it worse than Trevor Lawrence. He came into the league as a mega prospect. His college years were legendary and there was always that countdown to his draft night for fans around the league.
However, he has not yet been elite in the NFL. There have certainly been glimpses as he has thrown for 4,000+ yards in two of his four seasons. He has solid rushing numbers for a QB of his size, but he fumbles often and can’t seem to take that next step into the upper tiers of the position. The turnovers are always problems for young quarterbacks, but he is going into year 5 and it’s time to fully break out.
This is likely his best chance to do so as he welcomes in a new head coach in Liam Coen, who was a very aggressive offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay with a quarterback friendly gameplan that allowed Baker Mayfield to become a fierce threat again. Could he restore another former NCAA great to his highest potential on the biggest stage? I think he can.
He has dealt with an endless supply of bad receivers who drop passes at historic proportions, but now he seems to have a great supporting cast around him, along with the hope of a stabilized crew of coaches. Brian Thomas Jr is a superstar and he will continue to be that with Trevor at the helm. They have insane chemistry and Thomas’ ability to snag catches in traffic and take the top off of any defender in his way will continue to be fruitful for Lawrence. Travis Hunter joining him on that offensive (in a capacity we do not yet know) will only help as well.
He is too good to stay mediocre and at the ripe age of 25, he should be ready to destroy the league with a new offensive scheme that plays heavily into his strongest traits.
Next up, we have a list of running backs who can emerge on to the scene with full force this year.
Omarion Hampton.
Ranked just inside the top 15 this year, we are looking at someone who could truly put up top-5 numbers this year, and no one seems to be talking about him. It’s all Jeanty this and Jeanty that, but Hampton could be a fantasy god in a very short time.
In Los Angeles, Hampton will be joining a system led by Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman, who lean heavily on running backs and unleash an offensive scheme that perfectly accommodates him. He has a perfect blend of speed and strength and a track record of thriving in run-heavy schemes as he led the ACC in rush yards two years in a row before being drafted. He is also a solid receiving back who could open the field tremendously for Justin Herbert. The offensive line is a serious threat to be elite, despite the season ending injury to Rashawn Slater and they could provide enough protection to make the Chargers run-heavy offense a serious force to be reckoned with.
I see nothing but green flags. Get Omarion Hampton on your team.
Kaleb Johnson
Another rookie RB that is currently outside of the top 25 rushers in fantasy rankings right now. The Steelers always manage to find great running backs and that is especially true in the Tomlin era. They have Arthur Smith as an offensive coordinator and he historically has an offensive scheme that is run-heavy. His offenses in the past have always seemed to be top 5 in rushing attempts and top 10 in yards.
This is a perfect fit for Johnson who ran for over 1500 yards and scored 21 touchdowns last year in college and possesses a desirable skillset in which he boasts above average speed and power. Like Hampton, he is a great downhill runner who can also be a great receiving option for the newly acquired Aaron Rodgers who will probably need to rely on screens and checkdowns more in the late stages of his career.
His talent fits the scheme and the scheme is so tasty for fantasy owners. The only concern is the offensive line, or lack thereof. There is a lack of talent on that line and that could limit upside but we have certainly seen great runners thrive on bad teams with bad lines in the past.
Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Lastly, we have Tyrone Tracy Jr. who showed Giants fans he could be the guy last year. No one can fill that Saquon-sized void in that backfield, but he showed promise and that’s all the Giants need at this time. Once he seized the starting gig last year, he really thrived and showed the league that he could be great.
He initially was a wide receiver, so we know he can be a dual threat in the backfield which fits the Giants offensive scheme beautifully. He has an offensive line that is getting stronger and stronger with each passing day and finally a competent quarterback room calling the shots for the offense. With a horrible situation around him last year, he tallied 839 rush yards and 284 receiving yards in just 12 games started.
The addition of Cam Skattebo could make one think that there is expected regression, but I think not. I think Skattebo is the perfect complementary rusher for Tyrone Tracy. The Giants historically have success with two-RB schemes that feature a power back and a quick, shifty rusher. Think Ahmad Bradshaw-Brandon Jacobs who helped win two Super Bowls for them many years ago. Both can open up the field for each other greatly and if Tracy keeps avoiding tackles like he did last year, the Giants could be onto something special here.
The coaching will need to be on the money for this one to happen though and the Giants still have much to prove to their fans before we can effectively predict monster seasons for their players (aside from Malik Nabers). I, personally, am excited to see a potential Bradshaw/Jacobs- like attack in the backfield and we can also agree that Russell Wilson is a much better option than Daniel Jones, who tanked this offense for far too long. Tracy is currently the RB28 and should be readily available in the late rounds.
On to another crucial position on the offense…wide receiver. Here are some pass-catchers that I think could explode onto the scene as stars this year.
Keon Coleman
Coleman is the clear WR1 in Buffalo and is somehow the WR46 on the rankings?! HOW?! He has the best QB in the world throwing him passes in an offensive scheme that is among the most aggressive in the league. He is expected to be the leader of a group that is on the receiving end of a hall of fame caliber aerial assault and he can’t even crack the top 45.
That, in and of itself, should be enough to stop reading and draft him NOW, but his metrics are so solid and he is ready to burst for Josh Allen and the Bills. His fellow team members speak so highly of him and have put the fans on watch that he is going to be special this year. He is a physical monster who has great hands and can potentially be a nightmare for defenders as he continues to get more comfortable in the league. I love this pick and I think he is going to be a problem this year at such a crazy low cost.
Rome Odunze
I teased this selection earlier and the justifications for Caleb Williams to break out apply here as well. Ben Johnson coached Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to elite production last year and there should be nothing stopping him from doing the same with Odunze and Moore.
He was a bit of an iron man for Chicago last year as he was near the top of the league in total routes run and snaps played. In this time on the field, he established himself as a top target for Williams. His stats were underwhelming, especially when you see what Malik Nabers did in New York with far less talent surrounding him, but not everyone dominates as a rookie. He also had a rookie QB last year and they continue to develop together. They could both take the next step this season into relevancy and possibly beyond.
Ricky Pearsall
My final Wide Receiver to highlight is Ricky Pearsall in San Francisco. He turned it on at the end of last season and showed that he could produce if given a proper chance and scheme. With Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk injured at the start of the season, all eyes are on Pearsall to take over that role and absolutely DOMINATE the target share on this offense. Him and George Kittle could help each other out if both continue to produce at a high level.
I really like the position he has stumbled his way into and I think he is a freak athlete who is a very smart player and runs great routes. He can take the top of defenses and even catch short passes while using his insane agility to avoid tacklers and rack up yards after the catch. He has also seemingly spent most of the offseason with Brock Purdy, boosting their chemistry and strengthening their timing together in play calling and route running. His talent and current state on the offense could propel him to fantasy relevance right off the bat this year. Currently the WR32, he is worth a mid-round reach.
Last but not least, we have Tight Ends. And no, Kyle Pitts is not on this list. Let’s take this blog home:
Tyler Warren
As someone who nailed the Brock Bowers breakout last year, I see Tyler Warren generating the same buzz this year in the league. He caught over 100 passes last year at Penn State and established himself as one of the best players in the history of that storied program. He is a great blocker, route runner and pass catcher which is an elite package to have for a young tight end.
He finds himself on a team that so badly needed a solid pass catcher to complement Michael Pittman. I think Adonai Mitchell is another monster waiting in the shadows, but I had no room for him on my WR list. Tyler Warren, however, feels like a serious threat to lead the team in targets and propel himself into the elite tier of tight ends early in his career. Whether his QB is Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson, it’s a favorable position for him. He either is the go-to workhorse for a young QB desperately trying to make a name for himself or the go-to workhorse for a QB who has an extensive track record of exploiting checkdowns and using tight ends in crucial situations. Warren is likely the best TE that Jones has seen yet, and it could be a great fit for both of them.
Notice how in both of those scenarios he is the “go-to workhorse”? Yea. Exactly.
Draft him.
Brenton Strange
Brenton Strange is now the number 1 tight end for the Jaguars as Evan Engram has since departed and moved to Denver. As I mentioned earlier while discussing Trevor Lawrence, I fully expect the Jags to launch an aggressive offensive scheme in which a pass-heavy approach is implemented. While Brian Thomas Jr is the absolute clear number 1 on this offense, the sporadic snap count of Travis Hunter may open the door for Brenton Strange to put up big numbers.
He will certainly get his fair shot at becoming a highly targeted tight end this season and the system he finds himself in will allow him to capitalize on that and potentially develop into a 1000 yard receiver and/or a solid red zone target. Coen has historically liked to use tight ends in his strategy, but no matter what he should have a solid chance to rack up targets and catches this season.
He showed that he could be a top option last year when Engram was hurt and now he can fully build on that in a full season. He has the talent and now he has the chance. I would not mind taking a shot on him in drafts this year.
Tucker Kraft
I am not as high on him as I am the previous two guys, but Tight End is a relatively shallow position and he is a solid option this season. He continues to build his chemistry with Jordan Love and establish himself as a favorite for Love in the red zone.
He makes big plays and has proven to be a solid pass catcher for the Packers but his only downside was his target share as he lacked a desirable workload for fantasy purposes. The Packers, however, have gotten significantly better across the board this offseason and have bulked up on all sides of the ball. They will be highly competitive and could run the table in the NFC if things click properly. They have also stated that Kraft will be way more involved in the target sharing this season and that is music to my ears.
His ability to make big plays, score touchdowns and the potential for a heavier workload make him a nice option at a weak position. I would not mind having him on my squad if my plans for the position go south, as it usually does.
That is all for my list of breakouts this year. I could be right and help you win leagues or I could be wrong and we try it all again next year. Either way, fantasy football is back and I can not wait to see how these young players perform. It will be super exciting to see these guys take that next step into stardom and fantasy relevancy.
Happy Drafting!
