FantasyPros - 2026 Fantasy Football Breakouts: The Next Wave of League Winners! (Ep. 2072) - The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome in everybody the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast. This
is Joe Pizapia here with Tara Roberts and Andrew Erickson,
and we're talking about the big breakout performers that could
be on the precipice of huge things in fantasy football
this season. Make sure you drop your comments, make sure
you subscribed to the channel, and of course like this video,
and don't forget to ring the belt and that goes Dan.
So you never miss a single show, video, short, any

(00:25):
of the things. We do all of them here on
the Fantasy Pros YouTube channel. And today, guys, we're gonna
talk about some of these candidates here that we think
could have really, you know, big, next level kind of
seasons in twenty twenty six. And Tara, we're gonna start
with a guy that kind of teased a little of
that in Quentin Johnson. Last year, Quentin Johnson was kind
of left for dead by a lot of the fantasy

(00:46):
experts around, and all of a sudden he started catching
touchdowns and Andrew Erickson will tell you that he was
not buying in on it. Then, of course the drop
seas came back, but the Chargers had so many injuries
and so many issues. Now he finds himself in a
Mike McDaniel offense. So how did that potentially lead to
big things from QJ in twenty twenty six, maybe over
a full season.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. You you set it
up perfectly. He finds himself now in this Mike McDaniel offense.
I understand everyone's concerns, you know, I just want you
to put that view of Quentin Johnston in the past,
the rookie byas that we all had in terms of
thinking this was not going to work out and buy
into a breakout season for him.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Here he's got a consensus ranking of wide receiver forty three.
It's on the rise a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
I would like to think that is partially my help
there for him going to bat literally video after video
after video for him. But I mean, we've all acknowledged
the positives that have come with this Charger's offense, the
change in the offensive scheme that's going to push more
volume with a healthier and reinforced offensive line. They made
changes as well to that. We know the benefits for

(01:46):
lad Maconkey and Mariin Hampton, and I feel like we're
just overlooking that those benefits directly translate to Johnston as
the primary deep threat in the offense. And he's honestly
got the most secure role in the offense in terms
of what he does. And it sounds like the Chargers
are trying to get more out of him as well.
And at the beginning of last season you kind of
tease it there. We had that initial breakout where through

(02:08):
the first four games of the season he was operating
as the wide receiver one over everyone else, putting up touchdowns, volume, yardage, targets.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
It was all there that can exist.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Now it went away unfortunately because of all the injuries
in the past game just going sideways in general for
the Chargers. But everything is pointing up for the Chargers here,
and I want us to buy into Quentin Johnson and
this pointing up for him as well.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
He's giving me Michael.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Pittman twenty twenty five vibes of a guy that everyone's
just overlooking but is going to massively outperform what he
did previously.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Sticking with the Chargers on your list, Andrew Rickson, Omari
and Hampton, who I am standing on business over I'm
very comfortable with him at the end of the first round.
Some people are not I think they're wrong, But talk
to me about why O Murray and Hampton could be
in store for a huge year in his sophomore season
with the Chargers.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
Well, Terro just reade a great job of kind of
outlying the improvements that we're expecting to see from this
Chargers offense, especially with Mike McDaniel coming in as the
new offensive coordinator and the fact that there's not going
to be a broken offensive line anymore, at least fingers
crossed that we get Slater healthy, we get Joe healthy,
and that we're going to see this offense really cook
with Mike McDaniel. Because even last year or Maynhampton I

(03:16):
think did flash a little bit RB sixteen and pointser game.
Over nine games, he scored five touchdowns, but again overcoming
this really tough situation with all the injuries to not
just the offensive line, Hampton himself only played in nine
games because he was dealing with a lot of injuries.
Came back later in the season, and obviously Justin Herbert
also playing with a fractured left hand that he had
to battle through, took the most hits of any quarterback

(03:38):
last year Justin Herbert absolute warrior. That being said, when
Ormanhampton had opportunities, he played four games at least a
seventy nine percent plus snap share average seventeen point five
points per game during that usage, so that would be
seventeen point three touches per game. That was tied for
top twelve at the position. He played four games at
least five or more catches, seventh in receptions per game

(03:58):
at three point six. Heff still ranked him eighth best
grade rusher, finishing eleventh and yards after contact per attempt.
And what excites me about him in a three down
role is target share two running backs in McDaniel's offense
over the last four years as a Dolphins head coach third, seventh,
third and third. I'm not overly concerned about Keaton Mitchell.
I think he's going to be more of a three
to five touch type of player. He's explosive. He is

(04:19):
the lightning to Omaron Hampton's thunder. But honestly, I watched
Hampton at the combine. I think he can bring a
lot of lightning too. So in the schedule, this is
the last thing I want to hit on with Omaron Hampton.
I don't see a scenario where he doesn't come out
of the gates red hot and you are just loving
that you picked him. Cardinals, Raiders, Bills, Could you ask
for a better slate of matchups for a starting running

(04:41):
back to face again? Things can change, but right now,
looking at these defenses on paper, I'm excited to get
O'maron Hampton. I think you're going to be excited for
the first three weeks of what he can do.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
Oh, I know I am, because I'm drafted him at
the tail end of it. Like, I'll take him ten,
I'll take him even eight. You dare me, I'll do it,
don't dare me. From one sophomore running back to another,
cam scouted a guy that unfortunately had his rookie season
derailed by a broken ankle fibula kinds of broken things
now he looks good though in some of the early
training camp footage seems like everything is progressing very well. Terror.

(05:12):
I think the one thing that people underestimate about camp'scataboo
if you didn't watch him in college, is the fact
that he does catch the football out of the backfield
very well, and that, my friends, could be a huge
fantasy boom for him this season.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
There it is. That's what I'm talking about three down back. Now.
He doesn't have the offensive upgrade.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
That Marion Hampton is getting, but I love the potential
for him. I've talked about my skepticism around Jackson Dart,
but that does not mean that I don't like the
other aspects of the offense, right, particularly when it comes
to running back. Knowing that they don't want to overload
Jackson Dart in terms of aggressive volume and hav him
chucking the ball downfield, and we're going to see an increase, right,
but they are still going to want to be very balanced.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
And lean on the ground game.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
I was skeptical a little bit that you know, Kataboo
was going to be ready to start the season healthy
after that nasty injury. But it seems like he's on
track for a week one and our sample size is small,
but I mean, you hit on it right there with
the receptions what he showed us last year in terms
of the ability to operate as a three down back, right,
we got a nice little chunk here in terms of
weeks two through seven before the injury, where he had

(06:15):
a minimum of eleven carries. He very quickly ascended and
forced himself into dominance in terms of being the lead
back of that offense, and he got a very healthy
amount of targets, right, and that's what helped him not
finish outside over that stretch.

Speaker 3 (06:30):
Outside of the top twenty four.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
That's pretty significant because you see a lot of variants
in terms of running backs, and you know they'll have
a top ten game here and then RB thirty five here. No,
he was very consistently putting out volume, giving us RB
one performances and never really falling out of that RB
two territory there. And the Giants weren't a particularly good
team last season. Their best pass that, unfortunately due to
the Malik Neighbors injury, was Wandel Robinson and it was

(06:54):
during a very bad stretch of defenses that Skataboo was
putting up those numbers as well in terms of very
differenticult defenses that they were facing. The key there for
me again is the usage in the pass game. He
handled them well and there were yards after the catch.

Speaker 3 (07:07):
That's the key.

Speaker 2 (07:08):
He was not just catching the ball and falling down,
he was running after as well. And considering that Tyrone
Tracy Juniors specialty is receiving the fact that he asserted
himself that early tells us that for sure, this is
a three down back that is going to be able
to potentially jump here to top twelve production.

Speaker 3 (07:23):
So yeah, I'm buying into it.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
And also the Giants upgraded their offensive line, this is
a great setup for him.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah, I think Harbo's gonna want to pound the rock
with Cam's cataboo and take some pressure off the second
year quarterback staying in the sophomore class. Though, Let's continue
to talk about a wide receiver of mechag Buka, who
was a top ten guy for the first few weeks
of the season before the wheels came off for the
Buccaneers and the ship sank. So how can a mechag
Buka get back to being that guy Andrew for an

(07:49):
entire season and break the fantasy wheel.

Speaker 4 (07:53):
Th week eleven, Agbuka top ten Fantasy wide receiver, so
more than halfway through the season. But then the Buccaneers
on led at the scenes. The offensive line had a
ton of injuries, Baker Mayfield was playing three injuries, and
Aguka himself he had a hamstring injury. He didn't miss
any time, but it was pretty clear to anyone was
watching the Buccaneers offense that everyone was banged up to
some extent, and I think that really hurt his production.

(08:15):
That's why in the second half of the season, after
Week eleven, it was outside the top sixty wide receivers
in points per game. But I'm going to try to
forget about that because I think that to start the
year for the Buccaneers, we're going to see them obviously
much healthier, and I want to chase that upside with
Mecca Abuka, who coming out of Ohio State, this guy
was viewed as locked and load. He's gonna catch one
hundred balls ever single year. Maybe the ceiling's not there

(08:36):
for him, maybe he's not going to be an elite
wide receiver, but he's going to be really solid.

Speaker 2 (08:41):
Well.

Speaker 4 (08:41):
Last year it wasn't anything like that. It was boom
or bust within Mecca Abuka. So if his prospect profile
drives his floor and he's able to recapture a healthy
version of himself that we saw to start last year
where he was a top ten guy. No Mike Evans
in this offense anymore. They're expecting someone to step up
and be the target hog. Last year, despite the term
like that, struggles in the second half, still one hundred

(09:03):
and twenty six total targets that was top ten overall
as a rookie wide receiver. That is fantastic and I
love Egbuka's poised for a second year breakout getting the
vacated targets with Mike Evans especial when it comes to touchdowns.
So the coaching staff has been pretty positive. Zach Robinson,
the new OC comparing him into his role to a
Cooper Cup playing. He's going to operate from that Z

(09:24):
spot in the passing attack. So for me, what we
saw in the beginning of the year is not a mirage,
and I think that's worth chasing for Egbuka, who's poised
for a year two breakout.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
One more sophomore boy, this sophomore class is really loaded
with some breakouts. Here Tyler Shuck, quarterback of the New
Orleans Saints, and he showed, I think for me, Tara,
every single week improvement and I think that's what you're
looking for. And maybe it wasn't, you know, monumental, but
on a weekly basis, you saw Tyler Shuck just improve
and they come back to the next week and improve
a little bit more and that steady progression might not

(09:56):
be the sexiest thing in the world, but it's certainly
the most productive. And now he gets Jordan Tyson into
this mix as well, he gets Travis h N into
this mix. So all of a sudden, the weapons around
have been upgraded, and I think that it's a really
good situation for him in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah, and we've talked a lot about, you know, the
fact that we have so much value at quarterback later here,
so you don't have to push early. You can wait
a little bit. And Tyler Schuck is one of those guys.
Obviously he's a fantastic superflex you know target. But do
not be shocked if Tyler Schuck ends up being your
preferred weekly starter, because the situation is just fantastic.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
I mean, you laid it right out.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
The Saints have done very very well by him this
off season, upgrading him to Travis Etn from a sorry,
you know, unfortunately aging and downgrading unfortunately Alvin Kamara there,
and they added Jordan Tyson in the draft, and honestly,
they even have you know, potential with wide receiver three
with drafting Bryce Lane.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
Perhaps Devon Veley steps out as well.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
There is a lot of promise in this offense and
everything is moving forward here. So we love Kellen Moore,
We love his system. We love the fact that he
pushes aggressive volume here and again when we're looking at
what Tyler Schuck did last year, while Chris Olavey was fantastic,
it was literally just him and Juwan Johnson that was it.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
So this is a fully upgraded cast here.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
He couldn't even rely on an excellent running back to
check down cue. In a perfect world, if everything works
out with Tyson, Tyler Chuck will have one of the
most formidable wide receiver duos in the league. He has
the benefit of going through the same system again, a
good volume system, no changes, Everything is just pointing up
in the right direction for him. He showed extreme promise

(11:33):
in terms of volume last season. We actually know that
he will average over thirty attempts per game. Showed rushing
upside again, excellent pass catchers, guaranteed volume, rushing upside, very
suspect division does not hurt. That is a great combination
for a breakout season for him.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
Well, we've talked about quarterbacks, We've talked about running backs,
wide receivers, but Andrew Erickson has a tight end who
went from Baltimore along with his head coach to New
York Isaiah Likely. So let's talk about why this is
finally the year Isaiah Likely breaks out. Because I've heard
this story before Andrew from some different author. Is what
makes yours the bestseller?

Speaker 4 (12:09):
Dare I say the most likely season for Isaia Whish
break out it because there is no more Mark Andrews,
there is no more veteran in his way. Isaiah Likely
I'm expecting to be the number one receiver for the
New York Giants until my Laku Nighbors proves that he
is healthy, and right now he is currently not healthy
and still rehabbing his season ending knee injury. John Harbaugh

(12:31):
went out and acquired Isaiah Likely after coming over from
the Ravens for a reason. He believes that he has
one of the highest ceilings at tight end. Last year,
before his injury, which really kind of derailed his twenty
twenty five season, he was talking about Isaiah Likely as
an all pro type of talent. He's one of the
biggest likely stands and that's going to mean opportunities for
him in the passing game. That's really half the battle

(12:53):
with these tight ends is are you just running enough routes?
Are you seeing opportunity? Are you seeing volume, rereceeing targets?
And I likely he's going to do that and every time,
and Mark Anders had missed time in the past when
Likely got those opportunities, he was putting up top five
fantasy tight end numbers eleven points per game. That would
be equivalent to the tight end five in points per
game last year. So I think this one is simple.
Isaiah likely is the late run tight end you need

(13:14):
because he's going to break out in twenty twenty six.

Speaker 1 (13:17):
Simple stuff. Everybody see that these just draft all these players.
That's a very easy thing for you to do. And
of course when you're doing it, use the tools, don't
be a tool. Draft Assistant is the perfect way to
utilize the tools of Fantasy Pros. You sink your league
for free with Fantasy Pros. Go to fantasypros dot com
slash Assistant to use the Draft decism or just download
the app. And what you could do with the Draft

(13:38):
Assistant is basically it'll sink up to your league for free.
It'll help you make the recommendations of which players to
take it'll tell you what's going on around you as well.
The teams. You know you're picking tenth and the team eleven,
it twelve where you have a tight end, So don't
take Isaiah likely here wait another round because they're probably
not gonna take a second tight end. It's stuff like
that that separates you from the mid level to the

(14:00):
playoffs in all of your fantasy league. So again, check
out Draft Assistant, one of the many amazing tools sink
your leagues for free and Fantasy Pros download the app,
do it, subscribe to the YouTube channel like this video
you know what to do. Great stuff as always from
Tera and Andrew. That'll do it for us, but the
story of the game goes on for both of them.
I'm Joey P. We'll see you next time, GIDZ, Happy drafting.

Speaker 4 (14:20):
Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football podcast.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
If you love the show, the best freeway to support
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Speaker 2 (14:33):
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FantasyPros - 2026 Fantasy Football Breakouts: The Next Wave of League Winners! (Ep. 2072)

Episode Transcript

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Colin Cowherd

Jason McIntyre

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