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A fantasy draft is all about obtaining the most value with each selection. Value is available throughout a draft, and grabbing it is one of the most important keys to a successful fantasy team. To highlight this value, we asked our staff to go beyond the highly rated players and identify those who have a good chance of outperforming their current ADP.
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Here are the players who received votes.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Jeff Haseley: When you think of Bryce Young, 250+ yard passing games don't immediately come to mind; however, he did have two 300-yard games last year, with two 260+ yard outings in his last two games, including the wildcard game against the Rams. He has shown the ability to be an accurate downfield passer when given the chance, but playcalling has been conservative in Carolina. Perhaps Brad Idzik on the headset will change that outlook this season.
A second year of Tetairoa McMillan and the addition of rookie field-stretcher Chris Brazzell II, along with a budding Jalen Coker, could open up the passing game. Furthermore, an improved offensive line should afford him the time in the pocket to let these deeper routes develop downfield.
When looking for diamonds in the rough at quarterback, rushing tendencies should not be overlooked. Young can get occasional rushing yards, but more importantly, he has 8 rushing touchdowns in the last two years. His touchdown passes increased from 15 in 2024 to 23 in 2025. If that trend continues and the Panthers' passing game becomes more aggressive, he has a chance to crack the top 15 after two consecutive years in the top 20.
Ryan Weisse: After a rocky start to his career, Bryce Young took a meaningful step forward in 2025. In his second season under Dave Canales, Young posted career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, and passer rating. It may not have been the breakout fantasy managers hoped for, but it was undeniably the best football of Young's career. More importantly, there are legitimate reasons to believe another jump is coming in 2026.
Young will enter the season with a full year of chemistry already established with Tetairoa McMillan. The rookie quickly emerged as Carolina's top receiving option last year and looked every bit like a future star. The Panthers also added rookie Chris Brazzell II, whose speed and field-stretching ability should complement McMillan well and give Young another reliable weapon in the passing game. Inconsistency persisted for Young last season, as he threw multiple touchdowns in seven games but none in four others. That volatility is exactly why he remains a sleeper instead of a proven starter. As Young continues to grow in Canales' offense, both his weekly floor and overall fantasy ceiling should continue to rise entering 2026.
Jeff Bell: The lows have been low for Bryce Young. He is well short of earning his 1.01 status in the 2023 draft. Early news for 2026 has not been favorable, with the Panthers announcing no long-term extension before the season. That said, Young fits a favorite sleeper profile: first and second half splits. Young's first-half QB27 scoring was rough while integrating a new top receiver, rookie Tetairoa McMillan, and operating without Jalen Coker.
From Week 11 on? Young was the fantasy QB11. His completion percentage jumped from 61.7% to 66%, his yards per game from 168.2 to 213.9, and his 17-game touchdown rate up to 29.1 from 20.8. He also doubled his rushing, from 9 yards per game to 18. That improvement carried to the playoffs, where Young went toe to toe with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford in a 34-31 loss. Young is being valued as if the second half never happened. In one-quarterback leagues, we will need to see much more of the second-half performance for Young to get close to fantasy rosters. But Young is being drafted as a backup in Superflex. He should outperform that view.
Andy Hicks: The start to Bryce Young's NFL career has been tumultuous, and Dave Canales has been given a third year by an owner notorious for chopping and changing. That stability and steady development of the Panthers' offensive players should produce results in 2026. Smartly, the team has exercised Young's fifth-year option without succumbing to the temptation of giving him an expensive extension. Young will need to take that final step in his development. Everything is in place, and his fantasy ADP is easily surpassable. He has finished as a high-end QB2 in each of the last two seasons, largely driven by a handful of breakout performances. In 2025, he threw for fewer than 200 yards in 11 games, but improvement in that area feels likely with an upgraded receiving corps.
The upside is evident in his ceiling games, including his 300-yard performances highlighted by a 448-yard, three-touchdown outing against the Falcons. With backup Andy Dalton no longer on the roster, the Panthers are fully committed to Young. Questions about his week-to-week consistency will remain until he proves capable of delivering reliable fantasy production, but 2026 feels like the season where that growth could finally materialize.