10 Fantasy Football Questions That Will Define 2026: Sleepers, Breakouts & Draft Values (Ep. 2173)

September 5, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

"Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles were 29th in motion rate, 29th in pass play action, 31st in YAC per reception," Derek Brown rattled off, making the case that the offense was so unimaginative it was almost impressive. "Any easy button throws or anything that can help out the quarterback, the Philadelphia Eagles said, 'We're good. We don't need any of that.'" That damning stat line opened a broader conversation about which new offensive coordinators will reshape their teams' fantasy fortunes in 2026, and it set the tone for ten key questions the FantasyPros crew tackled on the eve of the regular season.

Which New Play Caller Boosts His Offense Most?

The panel agreed that Sean Manion, taking over the Eagles' offense, is the most likely candidate to supercharge his players' value. Pat Fitzmaurice pointed to the "drab and ineffective" 2025 unit under Kevin Patullo and argued that Manion will bring motion, play action, and a willingness to let Jalen Hurts throw over the middle — a skill the numbers actually support. Derek Brown noted that over the last two years, Hurts ranked first in completion rate and sixth in yards per attempt on throws to the short middle of the field, despite the narrative otherwise. The result, they argued, could be a renaissance for Devonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and even Saquon Barkley, who all feel like values at their current ADPs.

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What you'll learn

1 (01:17) **Episode Introduction & Framework** - Ryan Warmly, Pat FitzMorris, and Derek Brown introduce the 10-question format that will define the 2026 fantasy season.
2 (03:19) **Question 1: Which New Play-Caller Boosts Fantasy Value Most?** - The panel debates Declan Doyle (Ravens), Sean Manion (Eagles), and David Blau (Commanders).
3 (10:12) **Question 2: One Player You Haven't Talked About Enough** - Each host highlights a player they've under-discussed during draft season.
4 (17:58) **Question 3: The 2026 "Circus Team" for Fantasy** - Identifying this year's version of a great offense paired with a terrible defense.
5 (24:22) **Question 4: Most Disappointing NFL Team for Fantasy (Non-Injury)** - A team that will underperform expectations for reasons other than injuries.
6 (34:56) **Question 5: Tight End Who Will Become Tier One Next Year** - A tight end outside the current top tier (Bowers, McBride, Loveland, Warren) who will break in by 2027.
7 (39:58) **Question 6: Single Best Value in Drafts** - The one player offering the most upside relative to ADP.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Derek Brown Pat Fitzmaurice Ryan Wormeli

Show Notes

The 2026 fantasy football season is here, and Ryan Wormeli, Pat Fitzmaurice, and Derek Brown tackle 10 of the biggest questions that could shape the year. Which new play-caller will unlock his offense? Which overlooked players could become massive draft values? And which NFL team has the perfect combination of a high-powered offense and bad defense to produce fantasy fireworks?

The guys make the case for Dontayvion Wicks and Jordan Mason as overlooked sleepers, debate Parker Washington and Christian Watson as potential league-winning values, identify their favorite late-round quarterbacks, and break down rookies Makai Lemon, Jonah Coleman, Casey Concepcion, and Carnell Tate. They also discuss breakout candidates including Zay Flowers, Dalton Kincaid, Harold Fannin Jr., and Isaiah Likely, plus which offenses could disappoint fantasy managers in 2026.

Finally, is the Justin Herbert-Mike McDaniel hype getting out of control with the Los Angeles Chargers? And which players could define the entire fantasy football season? From Puka Nacua's historic upside to Brock Bowers' TE1 ceiling, get the final big-picture fantasy football predictions, sleepers, breakouts, draft values, and strategy you need before Week 1.

Timestamps: (May be off due to ads)

Intro - 0:00:00

Question 1 - 0:02:17

Question 2 - 0:09:10

Question 3 - 0:16:55

Kyren Williams Signed Mini-Helmet Giveaway - 0:22:55

Question 4 - 0:23:22

Question 5 - 0:31:59

Question 6 - 0:36:58

FantasyPros Draft Assistant - 0:43:36

Question 7 - 0:43:57

Question 8 - 0:50:18

Question 9 - 0:55:31

Question 10 - 1:00:15

Outro - 1:04:21

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