Jonathon Brooks is already making serious noise in fantasy drafts, vaulting up 8.6 spots in ADP to 105.6 overall as we dive headfirst into late August and the heart of draft season. This isn’t just a small bump for the Panthers back; we are talking about a guy drafted early in the second round two years ago, someone the team clearly envisioned as their lead back. He just hasn’t seen the field thanks to brutal injury misfortune, but that might be about to change, and fantasy drafters are noticing.
The Running Back Revolution Is On
The biggest reason for Brooks’ surge? The real story bubbling up from Carolina is Chuba Hubbard’s lingering hamstring issue, keeping him week-to-week. That’s why Brooks is seeing this inverse rise, with drafters finally realizing he may well be the lead back this season. The dude has the talent to be a fantasy star, no doubt. You can still grab him around the 8-9 turn, which could make him a killer RB4 or RB5. That’s super low risk for a potentially sky-high reward.
But wait, there’s even more chaos in Green Bay! MarShawn Lloyd is another Day 2 draft pick from 2024, taken 88th overall, but he’s barely seen the field in his first two NFL seasons. He literally has six career carries, all of them coming in Week 2 of 2024. Yet, his ADP shot up a whopping 9.5 spots to 132.1. Why? Because Josh Jacobs has been sidelined with a groin injury, missing practice time and forcing Lloyd to take all the first-team reps in the preseason opener against Pittsburgh. Lloyd racked up five touches on the first eight plays from scrimmage. Add in the serious question marks surrounding Jacobs’ alleged domestic abuse incident in May, and Lloyd is suddenly the undisputed next-man-up with a clear path to significant volume. Jacobs shouldered 607 touches the past two seasons in Green Bay; that kind of workload makes Lloyd extremely fantasy relevant and a promising late-round stash.
Sleeper Wideouts and a Shocking Signing
It’s not all about the running backs though. There are some intriguing wide receiver risers worth a serious look. Malik Nabers, for example, is still undervalued even after climbing to 32nd overall, especially with him trending towards playing in Week 1. Then there’s Michael Wilson, who reminded everyone of his absurd second half from last season with a flash in Week 1 of the preseason. He jumped nearly eight spots but is still an absolute steal past Pick 100. And you gotta keep a sharp eye on Josh Downs, one of my personal favorite ‘sleepers’ in 2026 drafts, now up to 105th overall as people finally understand his role in the Indy offense, especially with Alec Pierce banged up.
And what about Stefon Diggs? This veteran keeps climbing! After his big move to Washington, he was already trending up last week, jumping over a full round in ADP. Now he’s up another 12.1 spots to 119.8 overall. Talk about making an immediate impact for his new team, even before the regular season officially kicks off.
As we push deeper into August, these ADP movements are telling us a whole lot about who’s poised to break out and who’s getting a raw deal. Keep your eyes peeled as the preseason continues to unfold; there are still plenty of diamonds and duds yet to be revealed before your draft day.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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