2025 Fantasy Football Creeper Preview

by Michael Nazarek (UPDATED - 8/16/2026)

Editor's Note: Below you will find a portion of our Fantasy Football Creepers for 2026. If you'd like to read about all 18 creepers, please click HERE to order our 2026 Pre-Season Draft Guide.

Were you one of those fantasy owners who drafted QB Lamar Jackson, RB Alvin Kamara, WR Brian Thomas Jr., or TE Mark Andrews last year? Unfortunately, these players were some of the many disappointments due to injuries or other unfortunate circumstances. Just because they didn't perform last year, doesn't mean they will fail again in 2026, but I want to make sure to point out some of the warning signs which may cause certain players to produce poor fantasy numbers this year. I remind everyone that the players on the forthcoming list may produce good fantasy numbers this coming season, but I recommend you think twice before drafting them for your team this year. Let the buyer beware!

 

Note: The UPDATED ADP mentioned below for all players applies to 12-team PPR leagues.

 

RED - Positive Update

PINK - Neutral Update

BLUE - Negative Update

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

 

Jordyn Tyson ® (New Orleans) - DEBUTS 8/16: Well, here we are... another injury has the immediate future of injury-riddled, but very talented, rookie Tyson on the verge of missing the start of the season. Bottom Line: He is in line to be the new WR2 for the Saints, and before he went down, he was showing what he could do. But if he doesn't play due to injury, he has no real value for fantasy. I hope I'm wrong, but Tyson has been sent to see several specialists to try to determine how to fix these hamstring injuries. Maybe he needs to talk to retired great WR Isaac Bruce! Whatever he and the team do, the hope is that Tyson can overcome his hamstring issues fast enough to make a real impact in 2026. Unfortunately, that is very much in doubt right now. ADP: Round 8-9.

 

Michael Wilson (Arizona) - OVERRATED. Wilson obviously showed he has the talent to be a WR1 for the Cardinals, but that is not the issue here. WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is the WR1 and when he plays, Wilson's target share drops like a rock, and that is unlikely to change in 2026. In the second half of 2025, the one game where Harrison fully played in week #13, Harrison produced a 6-69 stat line on 7 targets, while Wilson produced a 3-36 stat line on 7 targets. In every other game once Harrison was hurt after week #10, Wilson scored 34, 22, 37, 16, 13, 20, and 21 PPR points to finish out the season. In the first 9 games, Wilson's best game was 9 PPR points. Bottom Line: Harrison's presence makes Wilson a weak WR3 for fantasy. And that makes Wilson an overrated creeper in 2026. ADP: Round 8-9. Update 8/16: Wilson has looked solid in camp, but the same issues are there... MHJ is healthy and will likely get the WR1 treatment from the team. In other words, Wilson will get his targets and likely have some good games, but is too risky to take in the 8^th or 9^th round of your draft, since he is likely to have multiple stinker games too.

 

Jerry Jeudy (Cleveland) - DEBUTS 8/16: The issues surrounding Jeudy are well documented. He is a selfish and often lazy WR who has the talent to produce big games now and again. That said, the Browns drafted two quality WRs (Concepcion & Boston) in April and both are likely to make significant impacts in the passing game in 2026. Bottom Line: Jeudy thinks the world of himself, but he can't throw passes to himself. QB Deshaun Watson is the likely starter and he's been inconsistent at best, so the hopes are far from high for Jeudy to have a quality season in 2026. The only good thing here is the fact that Jeudy is going fairly late in drafts, but any way you slice it, I will not be drafting him this year! ADP: Round 14-15.

 

Calvin Ridley (Tennessee) - I hate to write this considering I picked up Ridley on the cheap in a dynasty league in the middle of last year, but it appears his role as the WR1 for the Titans is long gone and it's not coming back. The Titans signed WR Wan'Dale Robinson and drafted WR Carnell Tate in April to boost a corps already with young talent in WR Elic Ayomanor and WR Chimere Dike. Word has it that the Titans plan to make Ridley the perimeter WR, meaning less targets overall and longer throws, something that QB Cam Ward has not excelled at in the NFL. Bottom Line: Ridley will hit now and again if he maintains his health, but more often than not, he will be nothing more than an inconsistent and disappointing WR4/WR5 at best for fantasy in 2026. At least you won't have to pay a high price this summer to draft him! ADP: Round 16-18. Update 8/16: Ridley is healthy and has looked good in camp, but the issue the remains the same. He will be the speedy outside WR, so his targets will drop and he will produce inconsistently. That said, I have drafted him in a few leagues very late, so there is some hope that he may produce so well that the team increases his role. However, he should not be drafted as anything more than a WR6 very late in your draft!

 

The Deep-Creeper

 

Kayshon Boutte (New England) - This is an interesting choice, and the name could change soon or maybe later this summer. With the arrival of WR A.J. Brown in New England, Boutte is on the trading block. Now, he is talented and not too expensive, so there is the chance that the Patriots choose to keep him as a WR5/WR6 on their roster if they can't find a suitable trade partner. In that case, he would remain firmly on this list. If he is traded or released, then it depends where he lands as to whether he stays or is pulled from this list later this summer. As it stands right now, drafting Boutte is a WASTED PICK for fantasy in 2026! ADP: Round 20-21+. Update 8/16: Boutte is healthy and has looked good in camp, but the issue the remains the same. What WR position and how much playing time will he see if he remains a Patriot? Since he's still a Patriot, he remains on this list at this time.

 

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