As the 2025–26 NFL season begins, a large number of big-name talents have been hit hard by injuries, while some sleeper players have made a name for themselves, blowing past expectations. One player in particular has been Emeka Egbuka of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Standing 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Egbuka has been tearing up defenders since his time at Ohio State but is now doing it on the biggest stage possible. He entered the league with mild expectations but has surprised everyone by leading all rookies in receiving yards and touchdowns. He also has a passer rating of 128.0 when targeted, ranking him second in the league. Before the season, he was considered a flex option, but now he’s putting up No. 1 receiver-level stats.
“As a Bucs fan, Egbuka has been electric to watch, but I don’t look forward to watching him destroy my fantasy team,” Dashel Valdes ’27 said.
Another breakout player has been DK Metcalf, who was recently picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite already establishing himself as a force in this league, Metcalf, with a new team, once again demonstrates his talent. As of Week 4, he has stacked up 22 targets and 199 yards after the catch, which led the league at that time. With a new quarterback and new coaches, Metcalf has still managed to be ranked as a top-17 fantasy receiver.
Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams has been lighting it up, to say the least. After an impressive rookie season, he was projected to go through a sophomore slump but has completely ignored those rumors and racked up 52 receptions for 588 yards, which currently leads the league. This isn’t even the best part – if he keeps this up, Nacua is on pace for 178 receptions and 2,138 yards, obliterating NFL records.
“I mean, if Puka keeps playing like he is, the Rams are going to go all the way,” cheered Jayce Dawson ’27.
Despite all these breakout players so far, the injury wave has been brutal. Malik Nabers, who came into this season as a top-three fantasy wide receiver, ended his season early with an ACL tear he suffered in Week 4. Before his injury, he was struggling to produce numbers close to those from his breakout rookie campaign. Losing Nabers has left a gigantic hole in the Giants’ offense, forcing them to rely on other rookie stars such as Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo.
“It’s unlucky that Nabers got hurt because it looked like he was going to have another breakout season with Dart at quarterback,” George Fogarty ’27 said.
Another injury that has ruined fantasy owners’ rosters is Omarion Hampton. Hampton established himself as one of the toughest runners in college football, and, despite being a rookie, was a top-30 pick in this year’s fantasy drafts. However, problems came in Week 5 when he suffered a high ankle sprain that’s expected to keep him out for multiple weeks. It’s nearly impossible to replace such a valuable player as Hampton this late in the fantasy season.
At quarterback, injuries have also been a trend. With the recent injury of Joe Burrow, a top-five fantasy quarterback this year, the Bengals have been forced to play backups Joe Flacco and Jake Browning. This has drastically changed many fantasy owners’ trajectories for the season. Another noteworthy injury is to two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, who suffered a hamstring injury. Since his injury, the Ravens are 1-4, and his absence isn’t helping fantasy teams either.
Before the season began, analysts said Ricky Pearsall and Jayden Reed were destined for breakout years. But since then, Reed has been placed on IR, and we’ve seen minimal production from Pearsall in the 49ers offense.
When drafting players, it’s a complete gamble. Nothing is guaranteed, and everything is up to chance. What you can control is what you do now – so be on the lookout for those breakout stars and undervalued role players, or you just might miss them.
