Everyone wants to find the next breakout star and stack their team with endless upside, but no fantasy squad can rely on potential alone. Rosters must also contain a certain degree of reliability.
Finding those safe contributors becomes a tougher task as the draft progresses beyond the obvious candidates, but they can be had -- and they can help guide you to a fantasy championship.
Below are seven players currently going sometime after Round 3 whom managers should be able to count on through the grind of a fantasy season. Each player's average draft position (ADP) is based on for 12-team PPR leagues. Any mention of past scoring finishes is based on PPR leagues, as well.
ADP: Round 3/4 turn (WR15)
It was difficult to trust Carolina's offense on a week-to-week basis in 2025, but McMillanÌýwon Offensive Rookie of the Year despite learning the ropes on a team that ranked 27th in both points and yards. In doing so, he set the bar at WR16 as a rookie, and there's little reason to believe he can't at least match that again.ÌýBryce Young's arrow is pointing up, while Carolina's wide receiver room is decently composed to help McMillan's chances of a Year 2 jump.ÌýJalen Coker,ÌýXavier Legette and free-agent signeeÌýJohn Metchie III provide the Panthers with varied pass-catching talents to distract defenses and open things up for the 6-foot-4 McMillan. What's equally important, though, is that none of those guys threaten McMillan's standing as Young's go-to target.
Many WRs available shortly after McMillan's ADP have a more obvious blemish, whether it's being in an even iffier passing offense (Garrett Wilson, WR16), having an injury history (Tee Higgins, WR17), suffering from consistency issues (Zay Flowers, WR19;ÌýLadd McConkey, WR20) or still needing to prove it (Luther Burden III, WR21). Don't overthink this. Go with the high-floor player who possesses breakout potential.
ADP: Round 5 (TE4)
When targeting an early tight end, balancing the cost and benefit is crucial. Warren exists right in that sweet spot, providing fantasy owners a few rounds to construct a core before committing to a difference-maker at one of the fickler positions. The recency bias of Warren fading down the stretch in 2025 shouldn't blind anyone to how '26 sets up for him. Daniel Jones, whose Week 14 Achilles injury contributed to Warren's downturn, has hit every milestone in his recovery and is full-go in camp.
Indianapolis' receptions leader last year, Michael Pittman Jr., wasÌýtradedÌýto the Steelers, vacating 111 targets. Many of those looks could go to Warren; he and Pittman operated in a lot of the same short and intermediate spaces, and the Colts didn't add any receivers who will nudge in on that domain to the degree Pittman did. Warren now has a year under his belt, will benefit from Jones' return and should see minimal target competition. His ceiling is TE1 and his floor is as sturdy as can be.
ADP: Round 5 (RB23)
The LionsÌýtradedÌýMontgomery because they felt he deserved a situation with more opportunities, not because he wasn't performing. Even while disappearing behindÌýJahmyr Gibbs at times in 2025, Montgomery delivered the second-best yards-per-carry mark (4.5) of his career and doubled his previous high in rushing yards over expected, from +62 in 2023 to +124. He's now in position to become Houston's lead running back, trusted with the bulk of red-zone carries and a ton of early-down work.
Montgomery joining the Texans feels reminiscent ofÌýJoe Mixon's arrival there in 2024, when the former Bengal went on to average 17.2 points per game, tied for eighth among running backs that season. There are some offensive line questions, but Montgomery has long been able to pave his own path. He also has a leg up onÌýWoody MarksÌýtalent-wise. Just keep in mind Montgomery will be a safe pick, rather than an exciting one. He's the fantasy equivalent of a hand-me-down Buick LeSabre when you dreamed your first vehicle would be a sports car, but shirking reliability for flashiness backfires far more often than the other way around.
ADP: Round 5 (RB24)
Swift has been an underappreciated fantasy asset for years, and he likely will be again in 2026. Lingering reluctance toward the 27-year-old likely stems from Swift failing to break through to RB1 territory in any of his previous six seasons. Expecting him to finally enter that territory now would be folly, but his remarkable consistency makes him valuable where he's currently going in drafts. Despite suiting up for three different teams in various backfield situations, Swift hasÌýnever finished outside the RB15-21 range. Even in 2022, his final year with the Lions, Swift managed an RB21 finish while handling a mere 99 carries.
While fellow Bears RBÌýKyle Monangai could presumably take on more work in his sophomore campaign, he and Swift complement each other well. They shouldn't infringe on each other's roles. Plus, Swift is the more dynamic of the two. Managers chasing higher upside will rightfully target some nearby ballcarriers -- Quinshon JudkinsÌý(RB21),ÌýTreVeyon HendersonÌý(RB 22) andÌýBhayshul TutenÌý(RB25) -- but Swift has less variance. He should once again serve as a reliable starting option in lineups.
ADP: Rounds 6 (QB6)
Here are Hurts' finishes the past five seasons, perÌý, starting with his first year as the full-time starter in 2021: QB9, QB3, QB2, QB8, QB7. His price point as the sixth quarterback off the board might prove too high for some, but the track record is hard to argue with. Year in and year out, while many others fluctuate, Hurts delivers top-10 fantasy quarterback play. He takes off running less than he used to, but he makes up for it through his role as Philly's finisher. Hurts has led all signal-callers in both goal-line carries and red-zone carries in four of the past five seasons, totaling 197 and 104 attempts, respectively. He's plunged into the end zone 60 times during that span.
There are questions about the Eagles' offense after the A.J. BrownÌýtrade, but that relationship was plagued by bad vibes and ran its course. Hurts still has plenty of weapons betweenÌýSaquon Barkley,ÌýDeVonta Smith,ÌýDallas Goedert,ÌýMakai LemonÌýandÌýDontayvion Wicks. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion alsoÌýreceivedÌýpositive reviews all spring. Hurts is more likely than not to keep things rolling.
ADP: Round 8/9 turn (WR43)
Pittman profiles as the perfect wide receiver to take advantage of the 2026 version ofÌýAaron Rodgers. Rodgers no longer has the legs to buy massive amounts of time in the pocket or escape oncoming rushers, so he instead opts for quick-hitting routes at shallow depth. The approach led to a league-low 6.0 average air yards per attempt for Rodgers, with running back Kenneth Gainwell leading the Steelers in receptions last year. Gainwell is gone, and Pittman, a chain-moving possession receiver who averaged 9.8 yards per reception with the Colts in 2025, is primed to take on a ton of the heavy lifting when it comes to short-area targets.
There is understandably some concern regarding how efficient Pittsburgh's offense will be, and whether it can sustain a wide receiver who is consistent on a weekly basis, but Pittman seems the likeliest on the roster to make it happen. That includesÌýDK Metcalf, who lost fantasy managers a few too many games last season despite his big-play ability producing a number of explosive weeks. Something worth highlighting: Pittman can be had roughly 20 picks later than Metcalf at the moment.
ADP: Round 9 (QB13)
If you're waiting until every other squad has taken a quarterback, you can do a whole lot worse than Purdy. The 49ers QB missed a large portion of last season due to a toe injury, but he averaged the sixth-most points at the position. Purdy almost certainly won people some fantasy championships, as he accounted for 13 touchdowns in Weeks 15-17 while throwing for at least 295 yards in each fantasy playoff contest.
Those trophy-toting managers would be happy to land him late again, but everyone should keep an eye on Purdy as the draft starts inching toward the double-digit rounds. He has too much talent -- and talent around him -- to ignore. WithÌýChristian McCaffrey andÌýGeorge KittleÌýjoined byÌýMike Evans,ÌýChristian Kirk, a recently signed Deebo Samuel and second-round rookieÌýDe'Zhaun Stribling, Purdy has no shortage of playmakers at his disposal. He can hold things down at QB, although he's also an ideal candidate to pair with another late-round signal-caller in order to play matchups.
