During the summer, my two favorite pastimes are reading books and identifying college fantasy football sleepers. Recently, I had the pleasure of combining both interests: I picked up The Men of Troy: The Epic Afternoons, Wild Nights, and Enduring Legacy of Pete Carroll’s USC Trojans by Monte Burke. I highly recommend this book; it brought back so many wonderful memories of watching college football.
There’s no such thing as too much football! 2026 is the perfect time to add the college game to your fantasy football repertoire. Whether you want to create your own league or join an existing league, the Fantrax College Football Commissioner is the place to go!
I didn’t start playing college fantasy football until after the Trojans’ remarkable 34-game winning streak and back-to-back National Championships in 2003 and 2004. Nonetheless, I vividly remember watching those great teams. USC’s offense was loaded with legendary players, including Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett, and Steve Smith—each of whom would have been stars on any CFF roster. It was such an amazing era to witness All-Americans and Heisman winners dominate Saturdays.
While USC remains an explosive offense in 2026, none of the current Trojans made my CFF All-American Sleepers column this season. For the first time in 12 years, I have featured four sleepers from both the Power 4 and Group of 6 conferences to help readers during the 2026 season. Additionally, I’ve identified honorable-mention candidates and selected preseason CFF All-American Teams from the P4 and G6. Enjoy, my fellow CFF enthusiasts, and good luck with your CFF drafts this month!
2026 College Fantasy Football Sleepers
Power 4 CFF Sleepers
QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California
Team Offense (Rank): 358 ypg. (87)
Passing Yards: 276 ypg. (17)
Points Scored: 25.3 ppg. (84)
2025 FPPG: 27.2
Fantrax Overall ADP: 152
I grew up in an era of star lefty passers: Ken Stabler, Boomer Esiason, and Steve Young. California has star-studded alumni who wore the uniform: Steve Bartkowski, Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff, and Fernando Mendoza. In 2026, left-hander Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele dons the Berkeley Blue and California Gold and helps astute college fantasy footballers who draft the California passer.
As a true freshman last year, Sagapolutele caught my attention after leading the Golden Bears to three consecutive victories to open the season, scoring over 30 Fantasy Points (FPs) twice. His most impressive performance came against SMU (California upset the Mustangs 38-35) in late November when he completed 31 passes for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns, producing 40.5 FPs. Starting all 13 games last year, he passed for 3,460 yards and 18 aerial strikes against only 9 interceptions. He recorded the second-highest totals for completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns by a Cal freshman signal-caller, trailing only Goff’s 2013 campaign. The freshman was the only Power 4 passer and second FBS player to start his collegiate career with 13 consecutive games of 200-plus passing yards.
In the offseason, California provided Sagapolutele with significant offensive weapons, acquiring receivers Ian Strong (Rutgers), Chase Hendricks (Ohio), running back Adam Mohammed (Washington) and tight end Dorian Thomas (New Mexico). In December, California hired former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ assistant quarterbacks coach Jordan Somerville as the new offensive coordinator. On the offensive line, the unit returns four starters and brought in five linemen to compete for jobs and backup roles. Head coach Justin Wilcox has surrounded his sophomore passer with key additions to be more productive and surpass last year’s numbers. I have selected Sagapolutele in 11 of 16 leagues this year: His ADP is a no-brainer selection in my analysis.
Notebook: In mid-July, ACC analyst Max Browne said, “(Sagapolutele) is the best quarterback returning in the country, which is just not me saying that because I’m sitting on your platform. I’ve been saying that all offseason – national, local, ACC, whoever. I think if JKS had a Texas Longhorn on the side of his helmet, the entire conversation around him would be a lot different. I think JKS is the best true freshman quarterback I’ve seen since Caleb Williams.” (si.com)
Cal True Freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele first two drives:
6/6
125 Yards
2 TDs
pic.twitter.com/hzSk3PmnJh— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) August 31, 2025
RB DeJuan Williams, Maryland
Team Offense (Rank): 360 ypg. (85)
Rushing Yards: 104 ypg. (122)
Points Scored: 23.5 ppg. (93)
2025 FPPG: 15.5
Fantrax Overall ADP: 122
So far, I have selected DeJuan Williams on 50% of my CFF teams in 2026. He has slowly crept up in ADP as the summer progressed. In the CFF King’s Classic draft in late July, the Maryland runner was in my queue when my friend Eliot Mays selected him at pick 7-3, two picks before my seventh-round selection. I was so bummed.
As a high school recruit, Williams earned four stars and was the No. 14 prospect in Maryland. He signed with the Terps and redshirted in 2024. Last year, he took over the backfield duties and led the team in carries (128) and yards (501). Illustrating his diverse skill set with 45 receptions for 426 yards, he produced 927 all-purpose yards and scored 4 times. He earned the program’s Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honors at the team’s annual banquet. At 5-11 and 215 pounds, the reshirt sophomore will be the cornerstone of the Terrapins’ offense and establish career highs across the board.
Notebook: Writer Michael Cavallo noted that “What makes Williams rise even more compelling is how naturally his skill set fits Maryland’s evolving offense. With the Terps leaning into a more balanced, space‑driven attack, Williams’ ability to threaten defenses as both a runner and receiver gives the staff a true matchup weapon. He’s explosive enough to rip off chunk gains on the ground, patient enough to thrive in zone concepts, and polished enough as a pass catcher to line up anywhere in the formation.” (si.com)
CFF Diehards on Fire!
Based on recent CFF ADP, identify the quarterback you want to select in drafts:
- Gunner Stockton, Georgia: 15%
- CJ Carr, Notre Dame: 16%
- Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California: 30%
- Bear Bachmeier, BYU: 39%
“I am a ND homer, but I am going CJ Carr. Something makes me think a rise in short touchdown runs and some 5-TD game highlights on his way to being a Heisman finalist.” @aceholesrule
“Think JKS will be the winner here.” @TheDevyPrime
“Like all four players, but at cost, Gunner Stockton is the easy button of the group and my selection. But don’t be surprised to see ND not let off the gas this year, Cal and JKS becoming lethal playing from behind, and Bear shouldering even more of the offensive load than last year.” @eliotmays
“JKS All Day! @micahcedergren
“CJ Carr might be another Volume Rabbit. He does a lot of damage with minimal attempts.” @CFF_Jacko
“11 rushing touchdowns for Bear Bachmeier last year, expecting more of the same this year.” @CffDfs
Scholar’s Preseason P4 CFF All-American Team
- QB Arch Manning, Texas
- QB Devon Dampier, Utah
- RB Kewan Lacy, Mississippi
- RB LJ Martin, BYU
- WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
- WR Malachi Toney, Miami
- WR Cam Coleman, Texas
- TE Trey’Dez Green, LSU
- Flex Jaydan Baugh, Florida
WR Trent Walker, Houston
Team Offense (Rank): 395 ypg. (60)
Passing Yards: 216 ypg. (81)
Points Scored: 29.1 ppg. (55)
2025 FPPG: 10.4
Fantrax Overall ADP: 300
While the Trent Walker narrative is enticing, it is not the reason why I am drafting the former Beavers’ pass catcher so often this year. The newest member of the Cougars was a walk-on at Oregon State in 2021 and did not play either of his first two seasons on campus for the Beavers—he redshirted in 2021 and was injured the next season. Finally, in 2023, Walker got a chance to show his skills in Corvallis, OR. Over the past three campaigns, Walker corralled 154 passes for 1,790 yards and 4 touchdowns for a very poor Beavers’ aerial assault.
In the offseason, he applied for a waiver to play for one more campaign (it was granted), and he entered the transfer portal. At 6-2 and 195 pounds, Walker is a precision route runner with great hands. He excels in the short and intermediate zones of the field and is a nearly perfect complement to WR Amare Thomas, who wins deep down the field. Walker gets a significant upgrade at quarterback with Connor Weigman behind center and plays in a much more productive offensive scheme under coach Willie Fritz. Walker earned over 100 targets in each of the last two seasons, and I expect another 100 this year. Walker is an afterthought looking at ADP, and he is rostered on 11 of my CFF teams already.
Notebook: “Coming from Oregon State, I was there for four and a half years, five years, so being the new guy again is new and different. But different is good sometimes. The biggest thing for me is trying to immerse myself in the culture here and meet new people and go out of my comfort zone,” Walker stated in the spring (si.com).
TE Willie Rodriguez, Kentucky
Team Offense (Rank): 341 ypg. (103)
Passing Yards: 203 ypg. (94)
Points Scored: 23 ppg. (99)
2025 FPPG: 7.9
Fantrax Overall ADP: 244
One of the important events in the college football timetable is the annual summer media days, when conferences gather with coaches and players to promote the upcoming season. Every summer I look forward to seeing the players that coaches bring to the occasion. In 2026, Kentucky has a new coach in Will Stein, and he brought tight end Willie Rodriguez to SEC Media Days. Coaches take players whom they want fans and the media to see as the face of the program to media days, and Rodriguez is gaining a lot of buzz from the coaching staff this offseason.
I did not expect the junior tight end to travel with the Wildcats’ contingent, so I needed to take a deep dive into his profile. A three-star prospect in high school, he immediately saw action as a true freshman, making three starts in 2024. At 6-4 and 249 pounds, Rodriguez netted 23 catches for 310 yards and a score last year as a sophomore. From a pass-game analysis, the Wildcats do not have an apparent target-commanding wide receiver on the roster, and the junior tight end could lead the team in catches in 2026. I moved Rodriguez up my rankings recently, and he will likely rise throughout the summer.
Notebook: “Willie is one of the best tight ends in the country and is going to be a staple in our offense. He was one of the players from last year’s roster that we had to retain. No-brainer. He’s as good as anyone that I’ve been around over the last three or four years, and that includes a second-round pick, a first-round pick, and probably another first-round pick at Oregon,” Coach Stein stated at SEC Media Days (ukathletics.com).
P4 CFF Sleepers Honorable Mention
QB Malik Washington, Maryland
Team Offense (Rank): 360 ypg. (85)
Passing Yards: 256 ypg. (33)
Points Scored: 23.5 ppg. (93)
2025 FPPG: 25.4
Current Fantrax ADP: 204
RB Marcellous Hawkins, Virginia Tech
Team Offense (Rank): 349 ypg. (95)
Rushing Yards: 182.4 ypg. (34)
Points Scored: 21.4 ppg. (111)
2025 FPPG: 9.7
Fantrax Overall ADP: 250
WR Jordan Faison, Notre Dame
Team Offense (Rank): 459 ypg. (13)
Passing Yards: 255 ypg. (35)
Points Scored: 41.8 ppg. (3)
2025 FPPG: 11.5
Fantrax Overall ADP: 193
Group of 6 CFF Sleepers
QB Roman Gagliano, Middle Tennessee
Team Offense (Rank): 372 ypg. (79)
Passing Yards: 266 ypg. (23)
Points Scored: 22.4 ppg. (105)
2025 FPPG: 24.3
Fantrax Overall ADP: 206
There have been so many memorable G6 QB-WR duos over the past two decades. Among the numerous combos, Middle Tennessee’s tandem of Brent Stockstill and Richie James ranks among the best. In 2015 and 2016, the Blue Raiders tandem combined for over 200 catches for more than 2,900 yards and 20 touchdowns. It has been a while since I featured an MTSU player; yet, Roman Gagliano deserves to be highlighted and drafted on CFF rosters this summer.
The redshirt sophomore did not inherit the starting position for the Blue Raiders until much later in the season last year. Once behind center, Gagliano decimated opponents, scoring 111.7 FPs in the final three contests of the year while averaging 37.2 FPPG. In those games, he passed for 911 yards and 6 touchdowns and dashed for 182 yards and two scores. At 6-3 and 219 pounds, Gagliano is an under-the-radar dual-threat signal-caller who can be an impactful fantasy producer in 2026.
Notebook: MTSU Coach Derek Mason discussed the changes in the offense: “In this conference, you’ve got to score 30-plus a game. If that’s truly the case, it’s about giving our running backs and quarterback the opportunity to get started. We’re going to give Roman Gagliano the chance to get started. I looked at where we were, and some changes needed to be made. It had to do with philosophy and really just development.” (dnj.com)
CFF Diehards on Fire!
Based on recent CFF ADP, identify the G6 running back that you want to select in drafts.
- Telly Johnson, Northern Illinois: 21%
- CJ Miller, Toledo: 33%
- Jamauri McClure, Tulane: 15%
- DJ Scott, North Dakota: 31%
“Empirically, I have the most shares in DJ Scott. Bison gonna run all over a new level of football in 2026.” @CFF_Jacko
RB Ashton Gray, East Carolina
Team Offense (Rank): 449 ypg. (19)
Rushing Yards: 176 ypg. (45)
Points Scored: 32.7 ppg. (24)
2025 FPPG: 14.8
Fantrax Overall ADP: 161
I like to give credit to people who open my eyes to a possible CFF sleeper—Jared Palmgren, the host of Chasing the Natty, first mentioned Ashton Gray, and I took a deep dive into the former North Texas runner. He moved east in January to play for East Carolina after earning his first varsity letter last year for the Mean Green. Playing second fiddle to Caleb Hawkins, Gray garnered 58 carries for 383 yards and five scores. In the Isleta New Mexico Bowl, he logged his first career 100-yard rushing game against San Diego State with 152 yards. The redshirt junior stands atop the depth chart for the Pirates and has been named a preseason All-American Conference honoree. I expect Gray to continue to climb upwards in CFF drafts this summer.
Notebook: “Ashton just shows up every day. He’s very consistent. Obviously he has the size and the speed. But the thing people don’t really talk about because they don’t see it is his intelligence. He’s extremely smart. He understands the system. He knows how to hold real conversations and give you real information,” ECU running backs coach Julian Griffin said. (247Sports.com)
Scholar’s Preseason G6 CFF All-Americans
- QB Brad Jackson, Texas State
- QB Liam Szarka, Air Force
- RB Lucky Sutton, San Diego State
- RB Dylan Riley, Boise State
- WR Easton Messer, Florida Atlantic
- WR Beau Sparks, Texas State
- WR David Amador, UTSA
- TE Peter Clarke, Temple
- Flex Jai’den Thomas, UNLV
WR Deondre Johnson, Jacksonville State
Team Offense (Rank): 409 ypg. (41)
Passing Yards: 162 ypg. (120)
Points Scored: 28.1 ppg. (61)
2025 FPPG: 13.6
Fantrax Overall ADP: 238
In a perfect universe, players would earn volume and be very efficient with each touch. If a player is efficient with lots of volume, he becomes an early-round fantasy pick. The reality, however, is that alternative-reality zealots must find a balance between the two metrics. In 2026, Deondre Johnson is a bet on efficiency with a possible uptick in volume for Jacksonville State.
Last year, the Gamecocks’ home run hitter averaged a whopping 24.1 ypc on 30 catches, totaling 724 yards and scoring 6 touchdowns. He exceeded 100 yards receiving in four games, and in the final 7 contests, produced over 14 FPs six times. Johnson earned All-C-USA honorable mention, and he is a massive figure on the field at 6-8 and 228 pounds. He originally enrolled at Rutgers coming out of high school and played for the Scarlet Knights for two seasons. The Senior was named preseason All-C-USA Second Team by Phil Steele and is one of the more fascinating CFF receivers to target in drafts this summer.
Notebook: “I think a lot of times, including myself, we see a young man with his size and his athletic ability, and we think, ‘Boy, it all just ought to happen right now.’ But guess what? He’s a young man too. So, there’s a process that he has to go through to develop and mature. And we talked about that, and he’s taken that challenge on,” coach Charles Kelly stated last fall (annistonstar.com).
Jacksonville State’s Deondre Johnson has a chance to be one of the biggest mismatches in the G6. He’s a power forward playing receiver at 6-foot-8 with impressive fluidity.
Johnson broke out down the stretch for the Gamecocks with 651 yards and 6 TDs in his final 7 games in 2025 pic.twitter.com/IJXaWDmUn7
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) August 3, 2026
TE Grant Hollier, Georgia State
Team Offense (Rank): 378 ypg. (75)
Passing Yards: 241 ypg. (37)
Points Scored: 19.8 ppg. (117)
2025 FPPG: 6.2
Fantrax Overall ADP: 247
With WR Ted Hurst moving on to the NFL, there are 131 available targets in the Panthers’ passing game. Analyzing the receiver corps at Georgia State, there does not appear to be a clear-cut favorite to lead the offense in targets. Hence, Grant Hollier could very well be the alpha in the passing game. Last year as a true freshman, he garnered 33 targets, hauling in 21 passes for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns. At 6-3 and 223 pounds, the sophomore profiles as a pass-catching tight end who can be moved all over the formation to uncover enticing matchups. Finding a tight end who can lead his team in targets and catches is like finding a 12 oz. gold nugget in Alaska in 1896—draft Hollier with assurance in 2026.
G6 CFF Sleepers Honorable Mention
QB Broc Lowry, Western Michigan
Team Offense (Rank): 343 ypg. (101)
Passing Yards:139 ypg. (129)
Points Scored: 24.9 ppg. (86)
2025 FPPG: 23.2
Fantrax Overall ADP: 200
RB Roderick Robinson, UAB
Team Offense (Rank): 404 ypg. (48)
Rushing Yards: 139 ypg. (87)
Points Scored: 26.4 ppg. (76)
2025 FPPG: 1.4
Fantrax Overall ADP: 163
WR Jmariyae Robinson, Missouri State
Team Offense (Rank): 392 ypg.
Passing Yards: 280 ypg.
Points Scored: 25.6 ppg.
2025 FPPG: 12.6
Fantrax Overall ADP: 179
CFF Diehards on Fire!
Based on current Fantrax ADP, identify the best value at wide receiver in CFF drafts:
- Nyck Harbor, South Carolina: 21%
- Deuce Alexander, Mississippi: 43%
- Ryan Wingo, Texas: 18%
- Tre Spivey, Arizona: 18%
“I think you want the Lane Kiffin WR #1 the most of this group.” @CFF_Jacko
“Speed, hands, agility, gets on top of the DB quickly, and he will have that instant connection with QB Trinidad Chambliss right out the gate! Deuce Alexander could easily double his production from 2025, especially with Cook on the outside now.” @_NinoBrown_
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