The Tadpole Bowl is back! Big thanks to Eric Froton for getting this set up and helping make sure that last year’s event was not a one-year wonder. You can go to sign up for this year’s event here!
Before you dive into this year’s drafts, make sure to check the rules, as this one is a little unique compared to other leagues you’ll play in. The biggest differentiator is that players get .05 fantasy points per return yard. This may seem small, but the yards can really add up. As we see with our first player, who is impacted by this scoring, his returning production would have jumped him from WR20 to WR11 in 2025! Let’s dig into a few players to keep in mind when looking at your 2026 Tadpole Bowl drafts…
Isaiah Sategna, Oklahoma, WR
One of the biggest fantasy question marks for 2026 fantasy drafts is who is the P4 WR3? There is a long list of interesting candidates, with Isaiah Sategna among them. He’s coming off a very good year, generating 948 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns on 65 receptions, so it isn’t surprising to hear his name in the running, even if he’s not the most popular choice. Add into the mix that John Mateer has to look better this season, the offensive line should be better, and the running game feels lackluster yet again, and you have a recipe for a very productive season from the Oklahoma WR1.
On the other side of the coin, though, is a player who isn’t a typical target hog, who isn’t a stud athlete in a receiver room that is better in 2026. Trell Harris comes in after a great 2025 season at Virginia, and Parker Livingstone joins the team from Texas. This is easily a better group than Sategna/Deion Burks/Keontez Lewis from 2025.
What might push Sategna over some of the other top receiver options is his return-game potential. He had 321 punt return yards in 13 games last season, which gives him an extra 1.23 fantasy points per game. This return production would have moved him to WR11 last season, scoring as many FPPG as Elijah Sarratt and .01 more than KJ Duff.
There are plenty of reasons to not be over the moon for Sategna in most formats, but if he continues to get run in the return game, then he has a leg up on guys like Duce Robinson, KJ Duff, Wyatt Young, Amare Thomas, and Cam Coleman, who had no return production in 2025.
Kenny Johnson, Texas Tech, WR
Maybe this Texas Tech receiver room would have been more interesting to discuss before the Brendan Sorsby news came out, but I do believe there are a ton of points to be scored in this offense, and that means we should still care about the receivers here. Kenny Johnson transfers in from Pitt, where he had a productive season both through the air and on returns. He had 162 KR yards to go along with 194 PR yards in 13 games. This would have given him an additional 1.37 FPPG, one of the largest gains for returning players this draft season.
Many suspect Johnson to be the top guy, but there are reports that this receiver room is 4-5 players deep, with guys like Jalen Jones and Micah Hudson really popping in spring. With Sorsby likely out for the season, there will certainly be an impact on the passing game at the very least. Maybe the offense will continue to score, but it isn’t likely to match what we expected with Sorsby under center.
Will Hammond feels like a very good option, but he isn’t likely to be ready for the first few games of the season. If there are any setbacks or Hammond doesn’t live up to the hype, then Johnson and others are in trouble. It is also worth noting that running back J’Koby Williams was great in the kick return game last season (249 yards in 10 games) and returns for another year, so Johnson’s role in the return game is very TBD.
Carlos Hernandez, Wake Forest, WR
Carlos Hernandez was the third-most productive player in Underdog best ball draft playoff weeks last season, so I’m very intrigued by him and his outlook for 2026. In those two games, he caught 17 passes for 390 yards and 3 touchdowns. He then had a solid game against Mississippi State in their bowl game, catching 6 passes for 73 yards. What is flying under the radar here is that he had 279 return yards last season, with 260 coming in the punt game. This production would have given him another 1.16 FPPG in 2025.
With Gio Lopez in at quarterback, you have to think whoever the Wake Forest WR1 is will be productive, and it would be against consensus to think that that guy won’t be Hernandez right now. When looking at him at current ADP (around round 9-12 in P4 drafts), don’t forget about the upside he provides in the return game.
Tre Richardson, WR, Louisville
Richardson might be the most appealing of all the players we talk about here today. He was great at Vandy, was the second-best receiver in “playoff” weeks last season, and now goes to Louisville, where the WR1 churns out great production. Now, add in the fact he had 432 kick return yards in 13 games (1.66FPPG) and the juices really start flowing. Richardson is a guy being taken right after the Carlos Hernandez range in drafts (rounds 12-15) as he has other quality names to battle it out against. This feels like a very reasonable price tag and one that should be considered a great value if you can land him there.
One final positive note here is that the return role last year was held by Caullin Lacy, who generated an additional 2.72 FPPG in this league’s scoring thanks to 706 total return yards. You’d have to think there’d be no issue with Richardson being a top two receiver target in this offense and returning punts and kicks if he’s good enough, which he is.
Andrew Marsh, Michigan, WR
It’s weird to think a Michigan wide receiver could be a great fantasy asset, but here we are. Marsh is a 7-9th round pick right now, thanks to a very productive true freshman season, and his role in 2026 is being solidified as the WR1 in a John Beck offense. Bryce Underwood may be just average this year, but this role should give Marsh plenty of value as the top target. This role last year was held by Ryan Davis, who caught 62 passes for 724 yards and 4 touchdowns, so while Beck’s offense scores a ton of points, it’s not necessarily a print factory at receiver.
Marsh may not have that monster season with the passing game alone, but mix in return-game production, and his impact jumps. Last season, he had 378 kick return yards in 13 games, good enough for a 1.45 FPPG boost. Davis ended last season as the WR58, but if you add in Marsh’s return-game production, the number jumps to WR37.
