
Sam Wallace examined the value of four young wide receivers in the latest update to the 2026 Dynasty Fantasy Football rankings.

The NFL Combine has officially come and gone and the new league year is right around the corner. With that in mind, let's take another look at my dynasty rankings and highlight four wideouts all heading into their second season. Are there any Year 2 breakouts in store?
Let's kick things off with Tre Harris. Selected by the Chargers last spring in the second round, he massively disappointed relative to expectations. He barely topped 300 receiving yards and only scored once despite appearing in all 17 games.
He did start to come on a bit down the stretch. Following a Week 12 bye, Harris did average almost 4 targets per game over his final six outings. It's not much, but it represented a noticeable shift in his involvement.
Looking ahead, there's plenty of opportunity for him to improve in Year 2 (and beyond).
When it comes to identifying these types of breakout players, I generally look for a few things:
Harris checks all of those boxes with ease.
First, behind Ladd McConkey, the pecking order is wide open. Keenan Allen isn't getting any younger (and is technically a free agent) and I'm still not totally convinced in Quentin Johnston continuing his turnaround after a brutal first season.
However, with the arrival of new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, coupled with the immensely talented Justin Herbert, there should be more than enough opportunities for Harris to take a massive leap in his second season. He's basically free in dynasty formats and, as mentioned, has everything required to become a viable asset for your roster as soon as this season.
The Patriots made the most of a relatively soft schedule en route to a Super Bowl appearance before ultimately being outclassed by a superior Seahawks squad.
While all eyes will be on Drake Maye as we wonder if he'll ever get another shot at winning it all, dynasty managers should be keeping their eyes on Kyle Williams.
Along with the other wideouts mentioned in this column, Williams had a brutal rookie season. He appeared in all 17 games but managed just 10 receptions (which he did turn into 3 TDs) and just 209 receiving yards.
Stefon Diggs (32 years old) operated as the No. 1 wideout, but is both aging and dealing with off-the-field issues. I'm not putting much faith in Mack Hollins (also 32) or Kayshon Boutte, although the latter did show nice progression in Year 3.
Yes, the Patriots could (and likely should) address the wideout position either through free agency or the draft (or both), but Williams has the tools and abilities to take a massive step in his second season. Like many others, his price is quite low while his path to meaningful production is very real.
I recently wrote about how Jaylin Noel was a 2025 NFL Combine hero. Here's how he stacked up against his fellow wideouts:
He ultimately disappointed in Year 1 by not even topping 300 receiving yards and scoring just a pair of TDs. That said, there were a few legitimate reasons for his struggles.
Noel fell out of 3-WR sets behind Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins and Christian Kirk. While Collins is the clear-cut No. 1 option and Higgins has established himself as a solid No. 2 option, Kirk is a free agent heading into this offseason. The Texans have little incentive to keep him, considering they have both Noel and Tank Dell (returning after missing all of 2025 with a multi-ligament ACL repair) waiting in the wings.
The Texans also just traded for David Montgomery and should once again be in the mix in a loaded AFC. So long as C.J. Stroud can improve upon a disappointing third season and a brutal exit from the 2025 NFL Playoffs, this offense is poised to put up points at a better rate than last season.
Noel has the tools and traits to be an effective asset for your dynasty roster and his price won't get any cheaper the deeper we get into the offseason.
Pat Bryant was drafted in Round 3, but he's still a Day 2 rookie with ample room to grow alongside arguably one of the best coach/QB combinations in the league.
I'm disappointed we didn't get to see Bo Nix have a chance to play in the AFC Championship Game this past season. That Denver defense could have made things interesting against the Seahawks.
While Courtland Sutton is the undisputed No. 1 option, there's plenty of opportunity for someone to step into the No. 2 role. Between Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims and Bryant, all of whom will still be on their rookie contracts next season, whoever steps up will find himself in a much more fantasy-friendly role.
Nine months ago, I said this about Bryant:
Bryant profiles as someone who takes a significant step over the second half of his rookie season and carries that momentum into an exceptional Year 2.
While the second-half surge I was anticipating never truly materialized, I'm still convinced Bryant has all the tools and the right environment to pay off in a big way for dynasty managers who move to acquire him this offseason.
