My Favorite 2026 Deep, Deep, Deep Sleepers

As we reach the end of Draft prep season, and I’ve previewed everything to death, it’s time to wrap with some helpful lists. The second of them is one of my favorite things to search out, which are super duper deep sleepers. These are players going largely undrafted in redraft leagues, even the very deep ones, but players whose talent I believe in. These players are buried on depth charts sure, but guys come out of nowhere annually. Given some daylight, these players can be the 2026 shockers.

Terrance Ferguson, TE, Rams (ADP: 182, TE23)

Nothing on Ferguson’s stat sheet will point to a breakout, so this is more of a hunch than anything else. The Rams’ passing game was elite last season, and funneled almost entirely through Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. But the Rams evolve every year, and they’re clearly leaning heavily into the heavy sets with multiple TEs. So why would I pick a TE with no production in a TE room that’s packed like a can of sardines to highlight?

Well, that’s because Ferguson is clearly the receiving TE of this group, and the least likely to be used as a blocker. Ferguson is an Evan Engram-ish type of TE, and we have seen Engram have some high-usage seasons. Ferguson’s speed for the position is blazing, and it’s worth noting that while the Rams’ WR duo is elite, it’s not without risk. Nacua is currently nursing a groin injury, was frequently nicked up all of last season, and has off-field issues hovering as well as a potential suspension. Adams is at an advanced age for WRs, and while his play remains stellar, he also had some hamstring issues in 2025. The WR group behind them isn’t impressive, and could open up a lot of work for Ferguson if the injury bug starts biting. With opportunity, Ferguson is the type of talent who could make a quantum leap.

Cam Ward, QB, Titans (ADP: 191, QB26)

The Titans won’t be a team that many people peg for a big leap. The offenses most love tend to be teams like the Jaguars, Bears and Chargers, teams with elite or promising QBs, loaded-up skill position rooms, and high win total projections. That makes sense, but we also always see teams rise up from nowhere. Who had the Colts pegged as a Top 5 offense before they were the best team in the NFL by midseason last year? It sounds crazy now, and may look crazy this time next year, but what if the Titans actually have a much better QB than it seems? Cam Ward is one of the least-hyped No. 1 overall picks I can remember, and it’s created a perception that there’s very little value in Tennessee. We might be really wrong.

Ward only finished the season with 15 touchdown passes against seven interceptions, and 3,169 passing yards. It was hardly a prolific season for him, and without much to add as a rusher we’d need to see a big jump from him to be fantasy relevant. Hey, that’s why he’s a deep, deep, deep sleeper! Part of the paltry production was arguably the worst WR group in the league. Calvin Ridley, who is beyond his prime years, was expected to be the WR1 and he was injured for almost the entire season. Behind him was a slew of flawed rookie WRs like Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor amid other also-rans. It was hardly a group designed to elevate a young passer, and the Titans took pains to correct that. Ridley is now projected as the WR3, and they invested big money in Wan’Dale Robinson, a slot weapon who has caught 100 passes in his career. They also spent the fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft on Carnell Tate, a classic X receiver that not only offers Ward a legitimate deep threat but also allows Ridley the freedom to line up all over the field.

In addition to fixing the WR room, we need to know whether or not Ward is actually any good. According to his profile, it seems yes. Ward is comfortable throwing over the middle and deep, which bodes well with new toys that take advantage of that comfort. He is able to extend plays, which will be useful with a true X receiver who can uncover and make himself available. And, he has a new offensive coordinator in Brian Daboll who will design a much better offense than what Ward played in as a rookie. I’m not going to predict that he’s a Top 12 fantasy QB in Year 2, but I do believe he’ll be someone we get excited about streaming, and who could make a big impact in two-QB/SuperFlex leagues based on this ADP.

Malik Washington, WR, Dolphins (ADP: 217, WR71)

A common concept bandied about when the Dolphins come up is that “they’re an NFL offense and will throw passes, and someone’s got to catch them.” Rookie Caleb Douglas seems to be the name that most are excited about currently, and fellow rookie Chris Bell certainly has pedigree, even if he’s not going to be ready to start the season. But why isn’t Washington the first man up? Washington was on the field a decent amount last year, and even had an eight-target game in 2025. The Dolphins were a nightmare offense down the stretch, but as a rookie in 2024 he also ended the season on a promising note by drawing five or more targets in three of his last four games. Obviously, none of this is exciting, but he’s got institutional knowledge in an offense that’s permeated by rookies, and has a brand new QB (Malik Willis) who has never entered an NFL season as a starter. Washington brings experience and speed to the table, and could easily be a player who benefits a lot from half and full-PPR formats. Hey, if he’s buried in the first week or flat out stinks you’ll be able to cut him without hesitation. If he is peppered with targets though because there’s barely even other professional pass catchers on this team, it’s a nice little depth option.

Nicholas Singleton, RB, Titans (ADP: 235, RB64)

Singleton is another Titan on this list, and a player who lost playing time at Penn State last year but has all the ability in the world to make noise regardless. Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior for the Nittany Lions, and fell back to 549 yards last year as Kaytron Allen led the team in workload. Any write up of Singleton will note that he struggled with the art form of running the football, and needs to improve his ability to read blocks and stick to the plan of the play vs. trying to bust everything to the sideline. That caused his stats to recede and his draft stock to fall. But we can’t teach his 6’2, 227 lb. frame, his 4.35 40 time, or his very real receiving chops. This is a player who caught 41 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, and that ability makes him a three-down back candidate if the opportunity arises.

Yes, Tony Pollard is a quality back in front of him who will lead the backfield. However, if the Titans aren’t good – and they likely won’t be – we could see him naturally play more just because the team wants a glimpse at a possible future. A Pollard injury also offers a direct path to the better half of a time share, as Tyjae Spears is pretty clearly locked into a limited role. At 5.6 yards per carry for his college career, Singleton can also produce efficiently. Big volume would be a bonus. I’m extremely excited about Singleton’s talent, and I believe this is an offense that’ll be much better than most predict.

Jack Bech, WR, Raiders (ADP: 325, WR102)

Last but not least, we have Bech, a second-year receiver who did precious little as a rookie while being grossly misused as an X receiver. Bech broke out as a senior at TCU in 2024, racking up 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns on 62 catches and projecting as a safety blanket option who had incredible route running chops and the ability to get open in the short and intermediate game while also being a beast after the catch. Pete Carroll and co. thought differently, it turned out, and Bech spent 76% of his snaps on the line of scrimmage outside. Despite that, he actually did okay (68.7% success rate vs. man, 51st percentile), but it was a terrible way to use a player who very clearly lacks the speed necessary to thrive out there.

Bech’s two most-run routes were slants and digs, which he was at 80% on for both of them. His third-most run route was the nine, which he posted a 36.4% success rate on. Those should be eliminated from the diet, especially with Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker in the fold, with Bech operating as a slot or flanker and capitalizing on the freedom TE Brock Bowers allows him. The Raiders have new coaches, who are hopefully much more willing to adapt to what their good players are actually good at. If so, Bech might catch so many passes he can’t be ignored. Bowers is the alpha of this passing game, but there’s no reason Bech, if used properly, can’t be the No. 1 receiver on the team.