Understandably, Day 1 and Day 2 picks receive the most attention from fantasy football players.
In fact, we covered all of those picks in our fantasy football draft kit, so make sure you check those articles out.
Every year, though, fantasy contributors emerge in the later rounds of the NFL Draft.
Let's look at some of the best fantasy football sleepers for each position from Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Check out Rich Hribar's updated fantasy football rankings following the 2026 NFL Draft
Don't Miss Out on The Best Fantasy Football Coverage in the Business
Like the NFL, fantasy football never sleeps.
From rankings to the best draft strategies, Sharp Football has everything you need to get ready for the fantasy season in our Fantasy Football Draft Kit, powered by premier fantasy football analyst Rich Hribar.
Save more by bundling the Draft Kit with our in-season fantasy package that features Rich's comprehensive “Worksheet” preview of every game, every week of the NFL season.
Click here for more information about our fantasy coverage!
2026 NFL Draft Sleepers by Position
Quarterback Sleepers
Taylen Green
Will Green have a long career as an NFL starter?
The smart money is no given his struggles as a passer in college.
His final season yards per pass attempt average (8.3) was 56th percentile, but his 1.7 touchdown-to-interception rate was 14th percentile, while his 60.7% completion rate was 27th percentile.
Green had the highest turnover-worthy throw rate (5.3%) in this class.
Could he start some games in 2026, though?
Absolutely.
As things stand, the Browns have Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and the ghost of Deshaun Watson ahead of Green on the depth chart.
If he does find action, Green has the classic “Konami Code” skill set we look for in fantasy quarterbacks.
He ran a staggering 4.37 40 at the Combine with a 43.5-inch vertical at 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds.
He used that athleticism well in college, rushing for 45.4 yards per game.
Green should be fantasy relevant if he ever starts in the NFL, though he will need to develop into a better passer to be a long-term fantasy option, as we have seen with several other quarterbacks.
Running Back Sleepers
Jonah Coleman
Coleman is not the most exciting back in this class, but he was highly productive in college and has a three-down skill set, something that was difficult to find this year.
He would not be the first somewhat nodescript running back to fall into fantasy value by simply doing everything well in a good situation, and he might have found that situation on Saturday.
The Broncos re-signed J.K. Dobbins this offseason, but he has never played a full season in the NFL, including only lasting 10 games last year.
Once Dobbins went down, 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey struggled in the lead role, producing just 3.4 yards per carry on 96 attempts.
If Dobbins goes down again, the Broncos could look to someone else for those early-down carries while Harvey continues in his more passing-centric role.
Coleman would be a good bet for those looks, making him an interesting name to know both in Dynasty rookie drafts and redraft formats.
Nicholas Singleton
Singleton is coming off the worst season of his college career, and he did not get to test in the pre-draft process because of an injury he suffered at the Senior Bowl.
Both of those factors helped him slip to Day 3, which is probably lower than he should have gone due to his potential.
It is all potential because he showed a frustrating lack of vision in college, but he also showcased legitimate home-run ability as a runner, receiver, and returner.
He is joining a Titans team that does have options ahead of him on the depth chart, but how long will that remain the case?
Tony Pollard was mentioned in trade rumors and as a potential cap casualty this offseason, and he is headed into the final year of his deal.
Tyjae Spears is also entering the final year of his contract and has struggled to stay healthy thus far in the NFL.
Singleton should get the chance to prove himself as a rookie, and he could be the lead back in Tennessee as soon as next year.
Kaytron Allen
I promise this is not blatant Penn State bias.
While not as explosive as Singleton in college, Allen was clearly the better runner last season, eventually taking on the lead job by late in the year.
Despite facing the highest rate of heavy boxes among running backs in this class, Allen consistently produced positive gains and forced a missed tackle on 25% of his attempts.
From a fantasy perspective, Allen could end up limited because he simply was not used very often as a pass catcher in college.
He should at worst be a good early-down option, though, and he is headed to a Commanders backfield that is unsettled at the top of the depth chart.
Allen is certainly not the favorite for carries, but it would not be a shock if he earned a meaningful role as a rookie.
Wide Receiver Sleepers
Skyler Bell
The biggest concern for Bell is that he was drafted to a depth chart that already has Khalil Shakir.
As a prospect, he was arguably closer to Makai Lemon and KC Concepcion than his draft position would suggest.
Bell was the passing game at UConn, leading the class with a target on 34.5% of his routes and 2.82 yards per team pass attempt.
He also tested well at the Combine, posting a 9.83 relative athletic score with a 4.4 40 and 41-inch vertical.
That athleticism showed up after the catch in college, and he should be able to create even against NFL defenders.
All of those traits keep the lights on, but the Bills have Shakir, just traded for D.J. Moore, and have leaned into using a rotation.
That will likely make it difficult for Bell to earn a meaningful role, but he is at least a seemingly talented player going to an offense quarterbacked by Josh Allen.
Elijah Sarratt
It was not surprising to see Sarratt slip to Day 3 of the draft, and he might not be the strongest prospect despite a quality history of production in college.
Sarratt struggled to create separation even in college.
34.5% of Sarratt’s targets were contested catches, the second-highest rate in the class.
Against man coverage, 50% of his targets were contested, also the second-highest rate.
Sarratt did tend to convert on those contested targets, though, and he has the size to be a factor as a touchdown scorer.
That makes his landing spot interesting since Zay Flowers has not really been used that way in his career.
That could certainly change under the new coaching staff, and there are other options on the depth chart to take on red-zone targets even if they do not go to Flowers.
All of that said, there is a potential path to very valuable targets in Baltimore, and Sarratt turned 55.7% (10 of 18) of his red-zone targets into touchdowns last season.
Bryce Lance
The Saints added Jordyn Tyson in the first round, and he will likely join Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele as the top three receivers in New Orleans this season.
New Orleans also added two more receivers in the draft, though.
Lance was one of them in the fourth round, and they drafted Barion Brown in the sixth.
Those additions are not surprising after New Orleans' receiving corps fell apart last year, but it is noteworthy with Olave playing on his fifth-year option.
There were also trade rumors about Olave this offseason.
Lance did not break out until later in his college career, and that production came at North Dakota State — where his brother Trey also played.
He tested extremely well, though, running a 4.34 with a 41.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-1 broad jump at 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds.
Given the relative lack of depth in this rookie class, taking a shot on those measurables in an unsettled situation makes sense in rookie drafts.
Tight End Sleepers
Justin Joly
Among the Day 3 tight ends, Joly stands out as the clear best chance to develop into a fantasy contributor.
Despite being relatively young compared to the rest of the class, Joly had three seasons with 40-plus receptions in college.
That includes when he played with KC Concepcion at NC State in 2024.
He actually led that team in receiving yards, going for 200 more than Concepcion despite 10 fewer catches.
Joly is joining a Broncos roster that has questions at tight end.
Devner struggled to find a role for Evan Engram last year, and he is out of contract after this season.
Joly might not get the chance to contribute immediately, but there is certainly a path for him to be the main tight end target in Denver in 2027.
