Players Flying Up 2026 Fantasy Football Boards This Preseason

Success in fantasy football is all about finding value—getting players at a position where they outperform their asking price. That can be easier said than done, though, because those values change throughout the summer.

Fantasy-player values are constantly in flux. For established stars, ADP usually shifts only modestly unless injuries intervene. For less-established players, however, values can rise or fall sharply as the regular season approaches.

For some, it's the opportunity created by an injury; for others, it stems from consistently standing out—or disappointing—on the practice field or from a late change of scenery.

This draft season is no different. As August progresses, players ranging from rookies to established veterans are climbing draft boards.

And per the ADP data at Footballguys , here are some of the biggest risers of late.

WR De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers

Even before De'Zhaun Stribling started smoking defenses in preseason games, the hype was growing around the second-round rookie after Ricky Pearsall was lost for the season to a knee injury.

But that hype has grown to the point that Stribling has gone from a late-round dart-throw to being drafted as a weekly starter in fantasy leagues. And every time a teammate like 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy raves about Stribling's summer, that asking price on draft day goes up.

"Obviously really excited about him," Purdy told The Pat McAfee Show . "He's a smart kid. He's come in and learned our offense. He's got strong hands. Great route runner. We're going to have his back this year. It's a long year as a rookie. We get it. But he's shown flashes, and we're all really excited about him."

Stribling has been productive in both preseason games, catching 11 of 13 targets for 109 yards. He is already being penciled in for a meaningful role in the 49ers' offense. With veteran receivers Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel Sr. ahead of him on the depth chart, Stribling could have an opportunity for a larger role if injuries create openings during the season.

Some analysts believe Stribling is worth a fifth-round pick on draft day. That's the high end of where he's being selected, but at this point he's not getting past Round 8 and high-end WR4 territory.

RB Mike Washington Jr., Las Vegas Raiders

When Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty went down in practice last week, fantasy managers who have already drafted had palpitations.

It appears those managers avoided a worst-case scenario, as Jeanty has been diagnosed with a sprained ankle .

But there's no word on how severe that sprain is or how long Jeanty may sit—and that has caused Mike Washington Jr.'s draft stock to rise sharply.

As Will Brady wrote for Rotoballer , Washington brings an impressive resume and plus-athleticism to the table, and he has been showing off the latter in the preseason:

"A fourth-round pick out of Arkansas, Washington Jr. recorded 1,296 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns on 195 touches across 12 games for the Razorbacks last season. The 23-year-old has been impressive in preseason action so far, recording 119 rushing yards on 15 carries across two games. Las Vegas also has little in the way of proven competition for Washington Jr. in the backfield, although the team could look to bring in a veteran or two if Jeanty is indeed facing an extended absence."

Washington's draft range has widened amid uncertainty about Jeanty's status. He has been selected as early as Round 6 but has also lasted until Round 10.

He has become the ultimate lottery ticket this year. He could be all but worthless if Jeanty returns soon, or he could be a league-winner if Jeanty's injury lingers well into the season.

One thing is for sure: If you roll the dice on a banged-up Jeanty, adding Washington as insurance is an absolute must.

Most of the players experiencing a massive spike in ADP are either youngsters or rookies.

At 34, Allen's best football is arguably behind him: His last 1,000-yard season came in 2023, and he averaged a career-low 9.6 yards per reception in 2025. Still, he drew more than 120 targets with the Chargers last season.

Allen told reporters that he thinks he can still help Daniel Jones and the Colts offense:

"I'm making plays and moving the chains. Being a veteran, somebody can ask questions and look forward to. Daniel's a guy who is getting better every year. I think last year he was on a big roll, and (I'm) trying to come in and be part of that and help him, and be that little safety blanket."

With Alec Pierce's early-season availability seemingly in question, there could be an early path to targets in Indianapolis. The problem is that Allen's skill set (at this point in his career) is similar to both Josh Downs and Tyler Warren: All three pass-catchers thrive in the intermediate game.

Without Pierce to stretch opposing defenses, things could get awfully crowded underneath. And if the trio cannibalizes one another's targets, Allen signing with the Colts could be more of a bane to Warren and especially Downs than a viable fantasy asset in his own right.

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Last year at Indiana, Kaelon Black averaged 5.6 yards per carry, topped 1,000 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Despite that success, though, some were still a bit taken aback when the San Francisco 49ers took him in the third round of April's draft.

However, after missing some practice time, Black has steadily impressed on the practice field, drawing praise from Niners offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak after his preseason debut:

"I loved how he ran. He really brought kind of a spark to our offense. He's a guy who you don't have to block it perfect every time. He's going to muscle his way through for five, six yards, but he's got good speed to burst and get some explosive runs. I thought he did a really good job. His first time in NFL action, the moment wasn't too big for him. He didn't blink. He was ready to go. Love his development. Love where he's at, but he needs to keep getting better, too, and stacking days. I think we're going to have a good player on our hands down the road, but he's got to keep pushing himself every day."

With Jordan James sidelined by a rib injury, Black has a legitimate chance to open the season as Christian McCaffrey's primary backup in San Francisco.

McCaffrey's extensive workload and injury history make Black a potentially valuable contingency option.

First things first. You see that ADP change? Ignore it.

Because Kayshon Boutte's days as a draft-day afterthought are done—as evidenced by the 23.5-spot jump Texans wideout Jaylin Noel experienced in the days since it was announced that Jayden Higgins would miss the entire 2026 season with an ACL tear.

That injury spurred the Texans to swing a trade with the New England Patriots for Boutte, who caught 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns a year ago.

The trade is going to send Boutte shooting multiple rounds up draft boards, as he is now ostensibly the No. 2 wideout for Houston.

But Adam Pfeifer of a Fantasy Life cautions that Boutte's new home may not provide a similar boost to his fantasy value unless his role changes:

"We'll see if his deployment changes on a new team, but coming aboard this close to the start of the season makes it difficult and unlikely. Boutte ran go routes a whopping 38.2% of the time with the Patriots last season, easily the highest rate in the NFL. As a result, his 16.7 yards per reception ranked towards the top of the league. If Boutte doesn't see more intermediate and layup looks with the Texans, he's unlikely to surpass boom/bust FLEX status, despite the fact that he has less competition for targets."

Boutte is a reasonable late-round target, particularly in best-ball formats, where managers do not have to predict his highest-scoring weeks.

But he's still a high-variance WR4/5. So don't get too carried away.

When a player's ADP spikes in a big way in August, it's usually due to one of two things. Either that player has become a preseason hype darling, or the guy ahead of him on the depth chart got hurt.

The latter is the case with New York Jets running back Braelon Allen. Breece Hall is nursing a groin injury, and while there is optimism he'll be fit for the season-opener, he's not entering the season with a lot of positive momentum.

Allen, on the other hand, has impressed in camp, and he told reporters that he's eager to go after missing 13 games with a knee injury a week ago:

"This is huge. Obviously with last year being cut short for me, right when I felt like I was getting into a groove and getting my feet under me, it definitely sucked. This year I don't want to think too much about personal goals or anything like that, but just trying to establish myself and earn respect from my teammates and around the league. Prove myself as a workhorse back."

Allen is not as essential a handcuff to Hall as Washington is to Jeanty. The Jets offense may offer less upside than Las Vegas', and Isaiah Davis would likely share backfield work if Hall misses time.

In a recent draft, I selected Hall in Round 2 and later added Allen as insurance.

Were it not for De'Zhaun Stribling, Ja'Kobi Lane of the Baltimore Ravens might well be the biggest preseason hype darling at wide receiver.

The drumbeat has been steady since camp that the third-round pick out of Indiana has been a consistent standout on the practice field—so much so that when Houston went shopping for wide receivers, Rashod Bateman was mentioned as a player who could be dealt.

That deal never came to pass, but that hasn't stopped the hoopla around Lane. Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic , new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle compared the 6'4" 200-pounder to former Saints standout Michael Thomas.

"Mike Thomas had these strong hands where he could pull it down in a way, and you threw it in the vicinity, and you felt like he was going to go get it," Doyle said. "There is a lot of that feeling (with Lane). He's a very friendly guy to throw to."

That's notable praise for a rookie, and Lane appears to have a bright future. But his value lies mostly in dynasty formats—at least in 2026.

Even if you believe Lane will usurp Bateman as Baltimore's No. 2 receiver at some point during his rookie season, he would still be the No. 3 option in the passing attack for a team that was dead-last in the league with 422 pass attempts last season.

Expectations need to be tempered this year unless there's an injury ahead of Lane.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather .