NFL Fantasy Football 2026 Late Draft Value Picks: Wide Receivers

Last week we broke down the best wide receivers in the first four rounds and mid rounds of fantasy football drafts, kicking off our Betting News Fantasy Football series. Today we will wrap up our spotlight on the wide receivers by digging up value in the late rounds of NFL fantasy draft. rounds 5-7. While I typically prefer having all my wide receivers selected before this late in the draft, sometimes the draft will work in ways where you are finding your 3rd or 4th receiver late. So today we will highlight three late round receivers who could really max their value and upside.

I know, I know. I'm the hockey guy at Betting News. I go by Gretzky Betzky, I host PUCK IT and I eat, breathe, and sleep puck. But I'm also an AVID fantasy football nerd who is in two dynasty leagues, partaking in 5+ leagues annually and been addicted to being a fake GM for over 15 years now.

In fact, I won the Betting News staff fantasy league twos seasons ago and came in second place last season. From draft day on, I will watch players' ADP like they are stock tickers, hunting down value. And while the NHL is snoozing, I'll be contributing my NFL expertise in the fantasy football realm.

This will become an ongoing series where I highlight players who REEK of value in fantasy drafts. We aren't talking about grabbing Ja'Marr Chase with the first overall pick, but instead we are going to be finding gems and value. Each article will feature a position within a range of draft rounds (we will always skip the first round). We will assume that these picks are for 12-team leagues with .5 PPR and will not be discussing in terms of Superflex. On top of that, I'll highlight a futures bet that corresponds with each player, all of whose odds can be found on BetOnline.

Today we're going rounds 8, 9, and the deep-cut flyer territory, and we've got one of the most exciting rookie situations of the entire draft class, a bounce-back candidate with genuinely elite upside at a price that borders on insulting, and a dart throw on a 24-year-old entering his fourth year in an offense that is finally being built around him.

1. Wide Receiver Fantasy Value Round 8: Jordan Tyson

Opportunity can really make a player shine. The New Orleans Saints selected Jordyn Tyson with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, immediately handing him the WR2 job on a team that overachieved significantly last season and is quietly building something special under head coach Kellen Moore.

Now, let's talk about why this situation is electric. Tyson lands opposite Chris Olave in an ascending Saints offense that was fifth in neutral passing rate and 11th in pass rate over expectation in Weeks 12–18 of last season, with a second-year quarterback in Tyler Shough who surprised everyone by keeping New Orleans competitive all season. Tyson instantly gives them another playmaker to pair with Olave, and with little additional competition for the WR2 role, he has a path to a substantial target share in an offense that is trending upward.

The production record backs up the hype. Tyson posted 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024, followed that up with 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in just nine games in 2025 before injuries cut his season short, finishing with a 158-2,282-22 receiving line in only 33 college games. Over his final two collegiate seasons, he ranked 11th in yards per route run and 12th in receiving grade per PFF — elite production metrics from a player who was the consensus WR1 in this draft class by the time the final boards were set.

The icing on the cake is the coaching situation Tyson will be working with. Kellen Moore has produced 10 WRs who finished top-30 per game in PPR across seven seasons as an offensive coordinator or head coach. He runs offenses that manufacture wide receiver production, and he just used a top-10 pick to bring in the most physically gifted wideout in this draft class. The ceiling here if Tyson stays healthy and the Shough-led Saints offense takes another step? A mid-range WR3 with WR2 upside — a player that could be an NFL target hog.

At round eight pricing, you're buying potential WR2 production at a WR4 cost. That's what late-round upside picks are made of.

Jordyn Tyson NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year +1200 on BetOnline:

At 12-to-1, you're getting plus money on a top-10 draft pick who slots immediately into a featured role in a pass-happy offense under a coach with a documented history of developing receivers. If Tyson stays healthy and the Saints' offense takes another jump in year two under Moore, this ticket prints. It's a small-unit flyer that perfectly hedges your fantasy investment.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

2. Wide Receiver Fantasy Value Round 9: Brian Thomas Jr.

I will say it once again. BUY THE DIP.

Brian Thomas Jr. went from one of the most exciting rookie seasons in recent memory — 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in his debut 2024 campaign — to one of the biggest fantasy busts of 2025. But before you close the tab, let me paint you a picture of why this dip happened and why it's very correctable.

Thomas Jr. played through early-season wrist and shoulder injuries before missing time later in the year due to a high-ankle sprain. Ten drops — double his rookie total — that correlated directly with a compromised wrist. The Jacksonville offense took time to put it all together before finding its identity in the back half of the season when Thomas was already buried in a limited role behind Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington in the target pecking order.

But here's what the bears are missing: the underlying talent never went anywhere. Across 14 games in 2025, Thomas led all Jaguars with 1,315 air yards despite playing hurt — ranking 19th league-wide. He drew 6.5 targets per game, tied with Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. He was generating volume even while hurt. And when the offense found its stride in the second half? Over his final six games, with the entire offense hitting its stride post-bye, Thomas improved to 9.3 yards per target and 15.9 yards per catch — ninth-best in the league over that stretch.

Now the good news coming out of Jacksonville is hard to ignore. Head coach Liam Coen specifically called out Thomas's confidence, communication, and connection with Trevor Lawrence in the spring: "I've just sensed a different dude. I am confident in him right now, and I know Trevor is, too." Coen also described his route running as "unreal" and anticipates a major downfield role.

The beauty of his current price tag is that we don't need a return to 2024 production to be satisfied. At WR32 ADP, you're paying for a floor that is almost certainly higher than the market is pricing in for a player who was the WR8 before last season and has the talent and the quarterback to return to that tier if healthy. In round nine, you're essentially getting a free shot at a 1,000-yard, 8-touchdown receiver for the cost of a late-round dart.

Brian Thomas Jr. over 850.5 receiving yards for -110 on BetOnline:

He hit 1,282 yards as a rookie and was tracking toward similar production in 2025 before injuries derailed everything. The Jaguars' offense was the sixth-highest scoring unit in 2025 and Thomas remains the team's highest-upside receiver. A healthy Thomas in his third year under Coen, with a more defined role and improved chemistry with Lawrence, absolutely gets to 850 yards. At near-even money, this is easy money if health cooperates.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

3. Wide Receiver Fantasy Value Round 13: Quinten Johnston

If you've made it to round 13 with WR needs still on the board, you're not hunting for guarantees — you're hunting for lottery tickets. And Quentin Johnston is the most interesting lottery ticket on the entire 2026 wide receiver board, available at a price that has barely budged despite three straight years of evidence that this player is slowly but steadily becoming exactly what the Chargers drafted him to be.

Johnston seemingly just keeps improving over the years. He averaged just 5.5 PPR points per game as a rookie in 2023. He jumped to 11.7 PPG in year two in 2024. He hit 12.2 PPG in 2025 — an upward trajectory across three consecutive seasons that has gone largely unnoticed because the explosion people were expecting never arrived in a single dominant stretch. But look closer at 2025: in the first four weeks of the season with Joe Alt healthy at offensive tackle, Johnston averaged 19.9 PPR points per game. That's not a WR4 number — that's a borderline WR2 number. That's what this player looks like when Justin Herbert has time to throw.

The 2026 setup is the most favorable of Johnston's career. Keenan Allen remains unsigned and is unlikely to return, vacating 122 targets that need to go somewhere. Johnston and Ladd McConkey figure to lead the Chargers in targets, with both Rashawn Slater (knee) and Joe Alt (ankle) expected healthy for Week 1 — the most complete offensive line Johnston has had protecting Herbert in his entire NFL career. New offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is also a factor that cannot be overstated. This is a coach that brought the boom (yes I went there) in Miami by feeding Waddle and Tyson Hill more targets than any dietition would recommend.

Johnston has scored eight touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. He finished with 51 catches for 735 yards and 8 touchdowns in 14 games last year despite playing through one of the worst offensive line situations Herbert has had in years. Put a healthy line in front of Herbert and give Johnston a system that unlocks his YAC ability? The upside is legitimately WR2 territory. At round 13, you're paying lottery ticket prices for a player who is one healthy season away from cashing out.

Quentin Johnston any time touchdown scorer in Week 1 at +140 on BetOnline:

He scored touchdowns in eight games last season and averaged 19.9 PPR points in the season's first four weeks when the offensive line was healthy. With Alt and Slater both expected to play Week 1, Herbert will have time to find Johnston downfield. The red zone usage is real, the matchup-dependent upside is real, and at plus money, this is the perfect way to hedge your late-round fantasy investment with a same-week payday.

Get 50% up to $750 Deposit on BetOnline for this pick

Interested in More Content?

More NFL Content on Betting News:

• NFL Expert Betting Guide
• 2026 Top Draft Wide Receiver – NFL Fantasy
• 2026 Mid Draft Wide Receiver – NFL Fantasy

Follow me on X @gretzkybetzkys for daily plays and find me every Tuesday on the Puck It show 5:30 pm Eastern from the Betting News Twitch.

Make sure you are following Betting News on X and Twitch to keep up with everything we have going on! Notifications ON to stay on top of all the action.

Also tune in to one of our many streams during the week! Comes for the vibes, stay for the winners!

In need of a sportsbook? Check out one of our best online sportsbooks below and sign-up for a bonus!