Walt· Aug 3, 2026
Walt lists his favorite 2026 fantasy football sleepers — players with ADPs of 100 overall or later whom he expects to outperform their draft cost — including Zachariah Branch, De'Zhaun Stribling, Ja'Kobi Lane, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Kaelon Black, Tre Tucker, Tyler Shough, Dallas Goedert, Tank Dell, Isaac TeSlaa and Chig Okonkwo. He also stakes out several depth-chart roles, such as Branch starting in the slot in Atlanta, Doubs as New England's slot receiver, and TeSlaa as Detroit's clear No. 3 receiver.
“This is a list of my favorite 2026 fantasy football sleepers - underrated players who are going way later than they should”
published in writing · Walter Football · read the original →
5 checkable claims — 5 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 5 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Where this call stands in the room
Romeo Doubs · 2026 season9 calls from 7 pundits between 1 and 2. Walt said 1. the room's median is 2. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the room
Their call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
5 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Depth Chart CallsTre TuckerLas Vegas RaidersAug 3, 2026
Tre Tucker to be 1st on the depth chart
“Tre Tucker is the No. 1 receiver in Las Vegas, and yet, he's being drafted in the middle of the 15th round.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Romeo Doubs to be 1st on the depth chart
“Romeo Doubs, who was just signed this offseason, will be New England's new slot receiver.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
De'Zhaun Stribling to be 1st on the depth chart
“It's possible that he could emerge as the No. 1 in San Francisco at some point this year.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Zachariah Branch to be 1st on the depth chart
“There's a good chance he'll start in the slot and be productive in his first season.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsIsaac TeSlaaDetroit LionsAug 3, 2026
Isaac TeSlaa to be 3rd on the depth chart
“Kalif Raymond is gone, so Isaac TeSlaa is the clear No. 3 option at receiver.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Ethan HurwitzRoster Spot Calls · Jeremiah Pharms Jr.Miss · 0Hurwitz writes that the elevations of Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Mike Brown likely mean Leonard Taylor III stays a healthy scratch and Joshua Farmer could be one too for the Week 3 game at Jacksonville, and that both elevated players will revert to the practice squad after Sunday.
- Brian PeacockRoster Spot Calls · Sebastian ValdezMiss · 0Peacock lays out his projected 53-man roster for the 49ers, position by position: three specialists, three quarterbacks (including Curtis Rourke), five running backs, six receivers (cutting Christian Kirk), three tight ends (cutting Braden Willis), nine offensive linemen, ten defensive linemen (with Mykel Williams on PUP), five linebackers, six cornerbacks and four safeties. He also predicts a new player will take center snaps in preseason week three.
- Tom JensenRoster Spot Calls · Sebastian ValdezMiss · 0Jensen projects the 49ers' final 53-man roster ahead of the August 30 cutdown, naming a long list of players he expects to be released outright, another group he expects to be cut and return on the practice squad ("boomerang cuts"), and three borderline players (Jordan James, Jacob Cowing, James Thompson Jr.) he believes San Francisco will keep.
- Fox SportsDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Hit · 100Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay.
- Ethan HurwitzRoster Spot Calls · Christian GonzalezHit · 100Hurwitz says several Patriots starting jobs and roster spots are already settled — Drake Maye at QB with Jared Wilson at center, A.J. Brown and Hunter Henry as pass-catchers, and Christian Gonzalez, Milton Williams and Kevin Byard locked into roster spots. Among camp standouts, he pegs undrafted rookie Cameron Dorner as roughly the eighth receiver on a roster likely keeping seven, and says Channing Canada is a strong practice squad candidate if he doesn't make the 53.
- Parker HurleyRoster Spot Calls · Jaden DuggerHit · 100Reviewing 49ers rookies after the first preseason game, Hurley says linebacker Jaden Dugger has secured a spot on the roster after starting at MIKE.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Aaron JonesHit · 100In previewing the 10 most intriguing fantasy performers of Week 2, Fitzmaurice expects Atlanta's quarterback problems to persist with Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to play and Michael Penix Jr. not ready to return, flags Falcons slot corner Billy Bowman Jr. as a possible Week 2 returnee, and describes Aaron Jones as Minnesota's lead back and Kaelon Black as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco.
- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2.
- Rafael ZamoranoDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins.
- Bradley LockerDepth Chart Calls · Carson WentzHit · 100PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Rashod BatemanMiss · 0In his Week 2 waiver wire column, Fitzmaurice recommends a slate of pickups he expects to outperform their current rostership (Kaelon Black, Deebo Samuel, Tyler Shough, Geno Smith and others), lays out several depth-chart expectations (Black as the 49ers' No. 2 back, Shedeur Sanders eventually taking over in Cleveland, Penix returning for Atlanta), and flags Fool's Gold/drop candidates such as Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Bourne and Rashid Shaheed.
- Bill HuberDepth Chart Calls · Chris McClellanMiss · 0Huber's first Packers rookie progress report projects second-round cornerback Brandon Cisse to hold onto his spot with the No. 1 defense, third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan to start in Week 1, and fifth-round lineman Jager Burton to be the team's top interior backup rather than a starter.