Late-Round Best Ball Stashes For 2026: Target Zach Charbonnet & More
Adam Kaufman profiles a trio of late-round stashes with game-breaking upside to target in your best ball drafts for 2026.
If you’re drafting for stash plays in best ball, you’re embracing the unknown. And, boy, we’ve got that covered today.
Injury concerns. Murky depth charts. Potential trades. Suspensions. Delayed returns. It’s all on the table once you reach the later rounds and begin searching for players capable of dramatically outperforming their ADP. Because while your final picks won’t define your draft on their own, they absolutely can help win leagues.
You’re not looking for consistency at this stage.
You’re chasing contingent upside, second-half spike weeks and players whose value could look wildly different a couple of months from now.
Let’s see if we can find a few.
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Late-Round Stashes For 2026 Best Ball
Zach Charbonnet | RB | SEA
- ADP: RB45 (166.3)
Charbonnet was a painful omission from this week’s late-round running back sleepers article.
So here we are.
Sure, first-round pick Jadarian Price projects as Seattle’s future workhorse after arriving to replace Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, but let’s not suddenly pretend Charbonnet wasn’t highly productive before suffering a torn ACL during the Seahawks’ divisional-round win over the 49ers.
Last season, Charbonnet suited up in 16 games and established career-highs with:
- 184 carries
- 208 touches
- 730 rushing yards
- 12 touchdowns
His role has grown steadily in each of his three seasons.
Now, the obvious issue is that we may not see Charbonnet play meaningful snaps until midseason.
That’s what makes him a stash.
But that’s also what creates the discount.
Even if Price immediately seizes the lead role, head coach Mike Macdonald has consistently leaned toward split backfields and physical running attacks. Seattle’s remaining depth options, George Holani and Emanuel Wilson, shouldn’t prevent Charbonnet from reclaiming a meaningful role once healthy.
And while much of his fantasy value is touchdown-dependent, scoring opportunities haven’t exactly been rare. Charbonnet found the end zone in 10 regular-season games last year.
If you can survive carrying a possibly inactive roster spot for a while, the second-half benefit here is very real. And in time for the playoffs.
Emmett Johnson | RB | KC
- ADP: RB54 (184.5)
For the first time since 2021, Kansas City’s backfield doesn’t include Kareem Hunt or Isiah Pacheco.
That alone makes things interesting.
With the NFL’s first half-billion-dollar man, Patrick Mahomes, working his way back from last season’s torn ACL, the Chiefs added the title-winning Walker to stabilize the offense around the quarterback. Walker has topped 1,100 scrimmage yards in three of his four NFL seasons, but durability has been an issue almost annually.
That creates an opportunity behind him.
Enter Emmett Johnson.
The fifth-round pick out of Nebraska may not be an elite athlete, but the production speaks for itself. Johnson erupted for more than 1,800 total yards and 15 touchdowns during his final college season while also showcasing legitimate receiving ability with roughly 40 catches in consecutive years.
That pass-catching profile matters in best ball.
More importantly, Johnson landed in a potentially ideal depth-chart situation. His primary competition for the No. 2 role is Emari Demercado and Brashard Smith.
That’s manageable.
Kansas City’s offense may not operate at peak Mahomes levels immediately, but any running back capable of carving out passing-game usage in an Andy Reid offense deserves attention late in drafts.
And if Walker misses time again, Johnson’s value could skyrocket.
Brandon Aiyuk | WR | SF(ish)
- ADP: RB62 (189.1)
I hemmed and hawed about this one, I really did.
On one hand, Aiyuk may not play football in 2026.
On the other hand, this could wind up being one of the best values on the board, hiding in plain sight.
Sounds like a stash candidate to me.
Aiyuk’s relationship with the 49ers is completely fractured at this point. The disgruntled receiver publicly criticized the organization on Instagram twice in recent days, and the standoff has been brewing ever since portions of his contract guarantees were voided during his rehab process following knee surgery.
The divorce is inevitable.
Aiyuk still has multiple years remaining on his deal, and San Francisco appears determined to find a trade partner rather than simply cutting ties.
Washington continues to surface as the most logical destination because of Aiyuk’s close friendship with quarterback Jayden Daniels dating back to Arizona State.
If that happens, things get very interesting very quickly.
Aiyuk is still only 28. He’s a former first-round pick and already owns multiple 1,000-yard, 75-catch seasons. We haven’t seen him play since October 2024, and the uncertainty surrounding both his health and situation has cratered the ADP.
That’s exactly why he’s worth considering this late.
If Aiyuk lands in the right environment and is available to play, his draft cost is going to look absurd in hindsight.
That’s the kind of upside swing I want to take near the end of best ball drafts.
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