Before the start of every season, several NFL players are massively hyped up by the fantasy football community. In many cases, some fall short of that hype, but others meet or even exceed the preseason hype.
Below are five players you should get hyped about and potentially add to your fantasy squads. Let’s dive in.
Fantasy Football Players Worth the Hype
Jonathon Brooks (RB – CAR)
Jonathon Brooks was the No. 46 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Texas, but two ACL tears have completely derailed his career. As a result, since being drafted, he’s taken just nine snaps in NFL games, recording 22 total yards.
Why buy the hype? Well, so far in camp, Brooks has been practicing without limitations and even took some first-team snaps.
Last season, fellow running back Chuba Hubbard handled 164 carries for 734 yards and four touchdowns. He did miss a couple of games, but he averaged fewer than four yards per carry and only recorded 34.3% of the running back carries. The rest went to Rico Dowdle, who’s now in Pittsburgh.
This means there’s a prime opening for Brooks. Coming out of college, he was likened to former Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles. Brooks is listed at 6-foot-0 and about 200 pounds. In his final season at Texas, he ran 187 times for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 286 yards and a score.
This is mostly projection, but Brooks could earn the starting job.
Kyler Murray (QB – MIN)
If you’re someone who enjoys taking quarterbacks late, Kyler Murray should be your go-to target, and I believe he could potentially be a league-winner.
Murray signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, J.J. McCarthy is still on the team, but this is Murray’s job. In Murray, the Vikings are getting a dual-threat quarterback who has played well in the past.
The former Cardinals star signal-caller had a middling start to his 2025 season before missing 12 games. In 2024, he was the fantasy QB10 with 3,851 passing yards, a 68.8% completion rate, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 572 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
On a Vikings squad surrounded by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, T.J. Hockenson and more, top-five quarterback play isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Makai Lemon (WR – PHI)
The Eagles had a passing play rate of just 52.5% last season, which ranked 27th in the NFL. With new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, they could change things up. Of course, they’re going to utilize quarterback Jalen Hurts‘ legs and running back Saquon Barkley. However, Makai Lemon is currently going as the WR45 in PPR drafts, and there’s value to be had here.
Last season, A.J. Brown had a 26.1% target share, while DeVonta Smith was at 24.4%. Smith should see the majority of the targets for this team, but with Brown leaving, so too did 121 targets with him.
Lemon isn’t exactly a speedster, but he catches everything and will be a reliable option for Hurts. If he finishes as a low-end WR2 or better, that wouldn’t surprise me. Lemon was my favorite wide receiver from this past year’s draft.
Alec Pierce (WR – IND)
Any time a wide receiver signs a $114-million deal, it’s impossible not to buy into the hype a little. But Alec Pierce has an average draft position (ADP) of WR32.
When quarterback Daniel Jones was on the field last season, Pierce drew a 19.9% target share. Yes, this did trail Michael Pittman Jr. (22.5%) and Tyler Warren (21.2%). Pittman is gone, and Pierce is viewed as the go-to No. 1 WR. His big-play ability is something that could single-handedly win weeks.
Chig Okonkwo (TE – WSH)
Chig Okonkwo’s move to Washington is flying somewhat under the radar. Over quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ career, he’s attempted 668 passes. Of those passes, 177 (20.5%) have gone to tight ends, and he’s completed nearly 71% of those passes.
Daniels loved utilizing Zach Ertz, but with him no longer on the team, it’s up to Okonkwo. He’ll turn 27 just as the season begins, but was a productive member of the Titans’ passing attack, catching 52+ passes in three straight seasons. Okonkwo is a fringe TE1 who can be had at a TE22 price tag.
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