Touchdowns are among the most fickle scoring plays in fantasy football. Remember in 2015 when Mike Evans had more than 1,200 receiving yards but scored only three touchdowns? That was one fewer than Andre Holmes had for the then-Oakland Raiders, despite Holmes barely cracking 200 receiving yards on the season.
The point is, touchdowns are volatile. They can prop up a player’s fantasy production or be the reason an otherwise great season falls short of becoming an all-timer. So, which players would we feel differently about early in 2026 if they hadn’t found the end zone?
TE Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers
Waller has shown flashes of his old self after coming out of retirement to play for the Miami Dolphins and now the Panthers. He is currently the TE10 with 23.1 PPR points, but without his two touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, his fantasy production would look far less impressive.
Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan lead the high-scoring Panthers with 18 and 17 targets, respectively. Waller has just an 8.1% target share, seeing five targets through two games, and he’ll likely need touchdowns to support consistent week-to-week fantasy production.
To be clear, Waller has been excellent as a real-life tight end. The former Las Vegas Raider has earned an 82.5 overall PFF grade, the fourth-best mark among qualifying tight ends. The concern for fantasy purposes is his limited volume: His 42 passing-game snaps rank just 21st at the position.
RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
Things aren’t going well for the Chargers so far, and they have a brutal stretch of the schedule ahead. Hampton is currently the RB17 in PPR formats and has scored in both of his games so far, but his RB6 finish in Week 2 has provided a significant boost to his early-season ranking.
Hampton rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for 21 yards, giving the former first-round pick 19.5 PPR points. But he and the Chargers have generally struggled on offense.
The North Carolina product has earned a 62.0 PFF rushing grade, ranking 19th among qualifying running backs. Although his 11 forced missed tackles rank third at the position, he has yet to produce a true breakaway run, with a season-long rush of just 17 yards.
The Chargers did make an effort to increase Hampton’s volume from 12 carries in Week 1 to 23 in Week 2. He could remain a focal point of the offense given the defenses Los Angeles will face over the next month, but he may also struggle to produce consistently, leaving his fantasy output dependent on touchdowns rather than having them supplement an already dominant day on the ground.
WR Stefon Diggs, Washington Commanders
Diggs is currently the WR9 with 37.2 PPR points, 18 of which have come from his three touchdowns.
Without those scores, Diggs has nine catches for 102 yards across two games. That’s perfectly respectable production, but the touchdowns are the difference between Diggs producing like a fantasy WR1 and a WR3 or WR4. With Jayden Daniels now sidelined, that touchdown production could be difficult to sustain.
There is also a balance to be struck between Diggs and Terry McLaurin in the offense. McLaurin has 13 targets so far this season but just four catches for 64 yards and no touchdowns. Given how entrenched McLaurin has been in the Commanders’ passing attack, it stands to reason that the coaching staff will want to get him more involved.