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Merriam-Webster defines breakout as “a success or accomplishment especially in comparison to previous efforts.”

Last season, several second-year players altered the trajectory of the NFL and fantasy football. Caleb Williams was eighth in fantasy points per game among QBs, while Drake Maye was third and Bo Nix was ninth. Ladd McConkey and Malik Nabers both had electrifying moments in 2025 (I’m still sad about Nabers’ injury). Oh, and Brock Bowers' résumé speaks for itself. Remember when he scored over 40 fantasy points in Week 9?

For the following four players, there are substantive signs of breakout potential. These are all players with the skill set, situation, and/or potential to exceed their ADPs and bolster our fantasy lineups throughout the 2026 season.

Current ADP: QB10 (74.2 overall)

As a rookie, Jaxson Dart averaged 20.5 fantasy points per full game played, including a game where he scored only 1 point against the Vikings. This came with lackluster weapons, a tumultuous play-calling situation, and various injuries to key players on offense. He heads into his second season with modestly improved weapons, a more structured coaching staff, and healthier teammates.

Dart’s rushing ability is already among the elite in the NFL, and the Giants would be foolish to prevent him from using his talented feet. Here’s a few stats from his rookie season:

Additionally, he had eight top-10 fantasy finishes in 2025, which makes his current ADP of QB10 more than reasonable.

Current ADP: RB19 (53.6 overall)

I’m aware that choosing two Giants to breakout may be risky. But the two we’ve selected are going to be the engines of New York’s ENTIRE offense.

Prior to his season-ending injury, Cam Skattebo finished inside the top-24 RBs in every game except his first, including three top-12 finishes. Throughout the offseason, John Harbaugh has said he wants his Giants offense to be imposing in the run game. Contrary to various offseason prediction, the Giants did nothing to address their RB room this offseason - the best-case scenario for Skattebo.

He is a great pass-catcher, finishing 12th in receptions per game among RBs, and has an excellent nose for the end zone, scoring seven total touchdowns in games as the "starter."

The former Sun Devil is an intriguing breakout candidate given his lack of competition, pass-catching prowess, and red zone opportunities. Finishing ahead of the RB19 is not far-fetched, especially if he is fully healthy in Week 1, as he has said he would be.

Current ADP: WR9 (21 overall)

Even though Tetairoa McMillan already won Offensive Rookie of the Year, he exemplifies what an elite fantasy breakout candidate should be. He averaged a solid 12.6 PPR points per game (24th among WRs) but had five games with 16 or more PPR points, including a 33-point performance against the Falcons in Week 11. If he continues to improve and finishes with more ceiling outings, we will look back on him after this season as a second-year breakout.

He was 14th in target share (25.7%) and 19th in TD rate (10.6%). It is reasonable to project improvement in each category. Walter projects McMillan as our WR9 right now.

Honorable mention to Luther Burden III as another WR breakout candidate. I covered his breakout case here:

Current ADP: RB11 (28.3 overall, BTW what are the odds that the Patriots’ RB’s ADP is 28.3???)

TreVeyon Henderson showcased major flashes of excellence as a rookie. He had five top-15 finishes, including three outings where he scored 28 or more PPR points. All of those top-15 or betting finishes came in Week 10 or later. A slow start transitioning into an electric back half is one of the best recipes for identifying breakouts.

Assuming he garners more trust from Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels, his rookie-year rush share (36.3%) should improve. The more opportunities Henderson gets, the more likely he is to hit a home run for the Patriots offense and, more importantly, our fantasy lineups.

The WalterPicks Projections Team is bullish on Henderson, projecting him as our RB12 right now. Depending on who you take with your first few picks, Henderson is an excellent boom/bust breakout draft pick.