Identifying bounce-back or breakout players for the following season is a long-standing strategy to maximize roster value in the offseason. Here are my favorite bets for an uptick in 2026:
Wide Receivers
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina
Why: The No.8 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft is hardly a bold call to break out in Year 2. However, McMillan has still slipped under the radar during his rookie season. Emeka Egbuka and Travis Hunter gobbled up much of the August hype, while Egbuka's start to the season blocked out the sun for the rest of the draft class. McMillan has hit important historical markers for continued success. His combination of 32 routes per game, 1.89 yards per route run, and 22% targets per route run is all just a shade off from the top-24 fantasy wide receiver threshold.
Considering Bryce Young has been tepid as a fantasy facilitator, and Carolina's wide receiver depth chart averaged 1.36 yards per route run this year. McMillan's emergence beyond his situation has been pronounced. This, with a promising Jalen Coker and Round 1 pedigree Xavier Legette on the depth chart. McMillan's dynasty market valuation of WR12 is tepid considering how the market typically vaults a rookie with elite pedigree and a quality Year 1 season. McMillan at WR8 would be more appropriate than WR12. Roughly 80% of the time, a Round 1 rookie with similar production to McMillan hits as a top 12 wide receiver in Year 2.
Luther Burden III, Chicago
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