Football
One way to get an edge in fantasy football? By keeping a close eye on offseason chatter. Which players are impressing reporters in OTAs? Which roster battles could go a different way than the average fan expects? Which rookie is going to end up rocketing up draft boards by August?
These five players are fairly deep sleepers at the moment, but by reading some of the tea leaves, you can see why they might have more value this season than it seems they will at the moment.
RB Woody Marks, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans added David Montgomery this offseason, so the running back situation should be pretty clear, right? Montgomery would play a role similar to that of Joe Mixon back in 2024, meaning he would see the bulk of the backfield touches.
Not so fast. For one, you can argue that 2024 Mixon is a better player than 2026 Montgomery, giving the Texans more reason to rotate at the position. And for two, the Texans have another very promising back this season in Woody Marks.
As a rookie in 2025, Marks rushed for 703 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 208 receiving yard and three scores through the air. He’s got the skill set to be a three-down back in this league and is a perfect backup for Montgomery. He’s also a major threat to Montgomery.
KPRC’s Aaron WIlson has reported that Marks is expected to see a lot of work as the primary third-down back for the Texans in passing situations, something that gives him a lot of upside in full PPR leagues.
RB Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs added Kenneth Walker this offseason, so you’d think that their running back situation is pretty clear, right? Walker’s the defending Super Bowl MVP and a three-down back who can do everything he needs to do at a high level. There’s no room for other backs, right?
Well…maybe right. Andy Reid hasn’t really used a bellcow running back approach in a while at this point, and while you could attribute that to the lack of a top running back in Kansas City since the first Kareem Hunt stint, I think we at least need to consider that Walker won’t dwarf the rest of the running back room to such an extent that it rules out fantasy usefulness from another back, even if that back ends up only really being useful in 14-team leagues.
So, who could that guy be? Emari Demercado was brought in this offseason, and Brashard Smith is back, but fifth-round rookie Emmett Johnson is far more exciting as a lottery ticket for fantasy managers. He has three-down potential based on his college tape, and the guys ahead of him on the depth chart have serious flaws that will make it easy for Johnson to jump them by the time Week 1 rolls around.
WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall has had a so-so start to his NFL career, missing time in both of his seasons and sitting at under 1,000 career yards after his first two campaigns.
But 2026 looks like it could be a breakout campaign for Pearsall, who will be in line to see a huge number of snaps beside Mike Evans in this new-look passing attack. Despite this, a lot of fantasy managers seem to be really low on Pearsall right now. Over on Twitter, I’ve seen him described as a potential bust candidate by a number of analysts.
I get it, but there really aren’t a ton of viable receiving threats in San Francisco. Christian Kirk is good for a few good plays per season at this stuff, rookie De’Zhaun Stribling is widely viewed as someone who will take time to get up to speed, and then you have guys like Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing, who aren’t threats. Pearsall has to prove he can take advantage of the playing time still, but the upside is there.
WR Zachariah Branch, Atlanta Falcons
There was a time, when he was the Dolphins quarterback, that Tua Tagovailoa could sustain multiple fantasy-relevant wide receivers. If he wins this job, could he do it again?
If he does, one of those receivers is obviously Drake London, but what about the other? Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus joined the team in free agency, but both are ideally depth options at this point. Neither is going to break out in 2026. But third-round rookie Zachariah Branch? He might be positioned to do so.
Branch was reportedly a standout during OTAs, with defenders struggling to keep up with him. He’s an incredible athlete who can excel out of the slot thanks to his ability to get yards after the catch. With a thin group of receivers ahead of him, Branch has a fairly open path to targets if he can simply show he’s ready for the NFL.
TE Foster Moreau, Houston Texans
Call this selection a “Justin makes a longshot call.” The Texans have a lot of tight ends on their roster, from starter Dalton Schultz to guys who have disappointed but still have theoretical upside like Cade Stover and Brevin Jordan to this year’s second-round pick Marlin Klein. And yet, they still added Foster Moreau this offseason? Hmm.
The thing is, Houston has Super Bowl aspirations, and they also have just one reliable tight end on the roster. Adding Moreau, who isn’t far removed from a five-touchdown season in 2024, gives the team a fallback option if those other guys aren’t able to contribute.
Moreau has a really good chance to be the primary No. 2 tight end in Houston and a key red-zone weapon for this team. I’m not, like, rushing out to draft him in most leagues, but considering we haven’t really heard much this offseason about the progression of Houston’s other tight ends, Moreau has appeal in 16-team leagues and tight-end premium leagues, and he’s a Schultz injury away from being a viable streaming play in 12-team leagues.
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