The Fantasy Football Roundtable runs each week during preseason, with RotoWire football writers answering the most important questions facing fantasy managers this draft season. Their advice and insights will help you win your leagues.
This time last year, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was roughly WR15 in fantasy drafts, a third-round pick, maybe even early fourth. It didn't take him long to blow past preseason expectations, as he went on to finish WR2 in fantasy and win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. This season, JSN is an easy top-6 pick in PPR as one of the first three wide receivers off the board. Suffice to say, those who drafted Smith-Njigba in his breakout season likely won their fantasy leagues. And those who find this year's breakout player likely will do the same. Which brings us to the question at hand ...
This week's question: Who is your favorite breakout player for 2026?
Colston Loveland, TE, Bears
Average ADP: 42.96 - Mid-4th Round
Colston Loveland's rookie campaign might have started slowly, but man, oh man, did the Michigan product get going down the stretch:
- Week 17: 6 receptions, 94 yards, TD (10 targets)
- Week 18: 10-91-1 (13)
- Wild Card: 8-137-0 (15)
- Divisional Round: 4-56-0 (10)
Overall, Loveland's 48 targets during this stretch were 21 more than Williams' next-most targeted receiver (Luther Burden). Rome Odunze was indeed sidelined for two of these games, but still: That's a pretty crazy stat right there!
There's potential for the second-year TE to work as the No. 1 pass-game option inside this offense. That's a scary thought considering the company Loveland finds himself in when looking at his per-route efficiency.
Loveland looks capable of perhaps challenging for overall TE1 honors as early as this season. He's a priority target for me at the Round 3-4 turn in drafts of most shapes and sizes.
-- Ian Hartitz
Ian's 2026 Fantasy Football Rankings
Streamline your draft-day decisions using our printable cheat sheet and stay ahead of the competition with our up-to-date rankings for all formats.
Jayden Higgins, WR, Hou
Average ADP: 133.0 - Early 12th Round
Jayden Higgins emerged as Houston's No. 2 receiver during the second half of last season, and his playing time should now stabilize after he finished his rookie year with season highs for targets (10) and snap share (88 percent) in the playoff loss to New England (a game Nico Collins missed). The Texans then invested in TE depth rather than WR depth this offseason, setting up Higgins for plenty of snaps in both three-wide and two-wide formations.
Collins and David Montgomery will be the volume hogs in Houston's offense, but that also means the 6-foot-4 Higgins will get plenty of one-on-one chances downfield and near the end zone. He could get six or seven targets per game even if Collins stays healthy, with upside for more if Collins remains hampered by injuries.
Higgins has a much better track record for durability, with no recorded injury absences in high school, college or the NFL. He put up 1,151 receiving yards in two seasons at Eastern Kentucky and 2,166 yards in two years at Iowa State, convincing the Texans to take the plunge at No. 34 overall in last year's draft. It's now time to take off the water wings and throw Higgins into the deep end with a full starter's workload each week.
-- Jerry Donabedian
Jerry's 2026 Fantasy Football Rankings
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Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals
Average ADP: 78.13 - Mid-6th Round
As the fourth pick in last year's draft after standout college production and a Hall of Fame pedigree from father Marvin Sr., Marvin Harrison Jr. was a top-15 pick in fantasy drafts last season. For most rookie receivers, 885 yards and eight touchdowns would have been a fine debut. For Harrison, it was disappointing. Last year, he missed five games, posted 608 yards and five touchdowns while dealing with dropped passes, injuries and a bad offense. Harrison is now going outside the top-70 fantasy picks. It is very hard to argue with that draft cost.
So why am I betting on Harrison to break out in 2026? The simple answer is coaching. For two years with the Cardinals, Harrison was used on intermediate and downfield passes far too often. Those are the lowest percentage catches, and Arizona also had a problematic offensive line. Harrison was never set up for success. Now comes head coach Mike LaFleur, who coached under Sean McVay with the Rams. LaFleur was hired in part to get the most out of the Cardinals' investment in Harrison. LaFleur likely will use Harrison on shorter passes that scheme him into space for easy yards after the catch. The passes will be far less difficult, so drops should be minimized. Draft Harrison so you can see the player everyone expected to be a superstar a few short years ago.
-- Jim Coventry
Jim's 2026 Fantasy Football Rankings
Check out our fantasy football ADP report for a comprehensive tool with live-updated ADP data for multiple league formats and sites.
Colston Loveland, TE, Bears
Average ADP: 42.96 - Mid-4th Round
Multiple players are primed to break out in 2026, but one stands above the rest: Bears TE Colston Loveland. We already saw the breakout begin late last season, and now we get to see what it looks like over a full year. Loveland dominated usage down the stretch, finishing with at least 10 targets and 20 PPR points in three consecutive games. He carried that momentum into the playoffs with an 8-137-0 performance in Chicago's win over Green Bay. He also finished the year with nine catches of 20-plus yards while ranking fourth among tight ends in air yards and third in deep targets.
Loveland is only 22 and has already shown signs of becoming an alpha at the position. He led Michigan in every major receiving category in 2024 before the Bears selected him 10th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He has since been fast-tracked into a major role in Chicago. Loveland benefits from playing for one of the league's elite playcallers in Ben Johnson and has already displayed terrific chemistry with Caleb Williams. The talent, usage and offensive environment are all there. Colston Loveland is my breakout player for 2026, and I expect to see him among the elite tight ends in fantasy football this season — and for many years to come.
-- Theo Gremminger
Theo's 2026 Fantasy Football Rankings
