Fantasy Relevant Players From The 2026 NFL Draft

**Fernando Mendoza | QB | Las Vegas Raiders**

*Round 1, Pick 1 | 6'5", 236 lbs*

Mendoza checked in at 6'5" and 236 pounds at the combine, with a hand size of 9.5 inches and a wingspan of 76.75 inches, drawing immediate physical comparisons to Josh Allen. During the 2025 season, Mendoza completed 72 percent of his passes for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns, going 8:0 in the playoffs in the touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Mendoza doesn't walk into the best receiver room in the league, and that's the honest truth. The Raiders receiver corps is bottom five in the NFL, but there are real building blocks around him. Young stars like running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers are already in place. That combination of an elite tight end and a legitimate bell-cow back is genuinely underrated context for a young quarterback. Jeanty takes pressure off the passing game, and Bowers is the kind of security blanket that helps a rookie find his footing.

Mendoza owns the ability to scramble for first downs and touchdowns with his legs, though that's not the forefront of his game. His strength is getting an offense into the right play, finding the open target quickly, and snapping accurate throws. Coming from a heavy RPO system, he'll need to make adjustments under Kubiak, who ran a 52.6 percent under-center rate in Seattle. There is a real question of when he starts, as the Raiders head coach has publicly said he doesn't want a rookie QB to start Week 1 in the right scenario. That muddies redraft value near-term. For dynasty, Mendoza is the asset. He will attract better weapons, and a coach who schemes efficiently around his quarterback's strengths is exactly the right environment for a player of this profile. Long-term dynasty buy, patient redraft hold.

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**Kenyon Sadiq | TE | New York Jets**

*Round 1, Pick 16 | 6'3", 241 lbs*

Sadiq posted a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 43.5-inch vertical, and an 11-foot-1 broad jump at the combine. Those are not tight end numbers. That is first-round receiver athleticism stuffed into a 241-pound frame. Over three years at Oregon he compiled 80 catches for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. He arrived at 220 pounds and built himself up, power cleaning 365 pounds and benching 435. The blocking concerns are real and his technique has ground to gain, but what makes Sadiq so interesting for fantasy is the thing you can't coach: his ability to find soft spots in zone coverage. He settles into the open window and presents an easy target rather than drifting aimlessly between defenders. That is a skill that produces PPR volume even in weeks where the offense stalls out.

He joins a tight end room that also includes Mason Taylor and Jeremy Ruckert. The logjam is real and will limit his snaps early, but the talent gap between Sadiq and those two is significant. Geno Smith tends to lean on tight ends when the passing game is under duress, and Sadiq's combination of speed and zone awareness means he will not need to win in contested situations to produce. Dynasty ceiling is very high. Redraft patience required in 2026, but he could emerge as a top-12 tight end before his rookie contract ends.

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**Omar Cooper Jr. | WR | New York Jets**

*Round 1, Pick 30 | 6'0", 204 lbs*

The Jets traded back into the first round to select Cooper, one of the top targets of No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza during Indiana's 16-0 national title season. Cooper finished that season with 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns, the leading receiver on Indiana's first-ever national championship team.

The legitimate question hanging over Cooper is whether he was a product of Mendoza, and the honest answer is: probably a little bit. But that cuts both ways. His skills translate beyond system production. Cooper emerged as one of the most physical and toughest receivers to bring down after the catch in this class. He is a fearless competitor who is not afraid of contact or making collision catches.

Geno Smith, for all his limitations as a franchise QB, has a documented history of elevating slot receivers. Cooper is not a Garrett Wilson clone. He is the complementary piece, a YAC-based slot receiver who lives in shallow crossers and manufactured touches. The fact that he will line up opposite Wilson means he will rarely see an opponent's CB1. With the Jets running heavy two-tight end sets after also drafting Kenyon Sadiq, it will be crucial for Cooper to prove he is the team's clear second option at receiver. There is genuine upside here if he can establish that role. Dynasty pick with Year 2 breakout potential. Redraft target in the back half of rounds.

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**Jadarian Price | RB | Seattle Seahawks**

*Round 1, Pick 32 | 5'11", 203 lbs*

Price missed his entire freshman year due to a ruptured achilles injury. During the 2025 season, Price scored 15 total touchdowns across 12 games despite serving as the team's backup behind Jeremiyah Love. That is staggering efficiency for a backup, and it is exactly the kind of usage that convinces NFL teams a player is ready for a feature role.

Kenneth Walker III left in free agency, Zach Charbonnet is recovering from a season-ending ACL injury, and the only free-agent addition before the draft was a Packers backup in Emanuel Wilson. Price is the unambiguous lead back in waiting. He is a natural, instinctive and patient runner with elite-level vision to find daylight, and projects as a potential RB1 with the movement skills to grow as a pass-catcher on third downs. Add in his return game value, and Price is a high-floor asset. The smoke about Charbonnet taking early reps is real, but if Price gets meaningful touches before Zach is healthy, the door can close quickly on that backfield. Dynasty buy. Redraft value climbs significantly if he seizes the role in camp or during the early weeks of the season.

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**Jeremiyah Love | RB | Arizona Cardinals**

*Round 1, Pick 3 | 6'0", 214 lbs*

Love is an elite-level, three-down back with mismatch capabilities as a receiver out of the backfield. He rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2025, averaging 6.9 yards per attempt, and owns Notre Dame's record for consecutive games with a rushing touchdown.

The elephant in the room is the quarterback situation. Jacoby Brissett is not a world-beater, but he is functional, and the Cardinals coaching staff is building an offense around Love, not around him. James Conner has dealt with injury and mileage, and Tyler Alleghier signed with Arizona expecting to earn a starting role, only to find himself behind one of the best running back prospects in years.

Scouts traveling through South Bend compared Love's creativity, elusiveness, and breakaway speed to Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson. The comp is aggressive, but the traits are real. He is a more complete receiver out of the backfield than either Conner or Alleghier, and in a league that leans on backs in the passing game, that matters in PPR. His redraft value is murky until we see usage percentages out of camp, but the talent demands a feature workload. Dynasty pick number one in most formats. The situation is not ideal but Love will rise above it.

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**KC Concepcion | WR | Cleveland Browns**

*Round 1, Pick 24 | 5'11", 196 lbs*

Concepcion is arguably the best creator of separation in this class, with one of the best acceleration boosts off the line of scrimmage in the entire draft. He is especially difficult to cover in the slot and becomes a massive mismatch against linebackers inside the red zone.

The Todd Monken connection is the fantasy hook here. Monken's system in Baltimore was built on getting quick receivers the ball in space and letting their after-the-catch ability do the damage. Zay Flowers was the clearest beneficiary of that philosophy, and Concepcion's skill set maps almost directly onto Flowers' profile. The Cleveland QB situation is a genuine risk factor, but the coaching fit and the immediate opportunity are legitimate.

Concepcion joins a receiving corps that features Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. Neither creates the kind of defensive problem that forces coordinated coverage, meaning Concepcion will get single-high looks and soft zones with regularity. Drop rate is a documented concern from his college tape and worth monitoring in camp. If he cleans that up, the floor rises considerably. Late first-round dynasty value. Intriguing late-round redraft dart throw with WR2 upside in PPR.

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**Carnell Tate | WR | Tennessee Titans**

*Round 1, Pick 4 | 6'3", 195 lbs*

The 6'3", 195-pound Tate averaged 17.2 yards per catch and scored nine touchdowns in 2025, exhibiting big-play potential as a vertical threat and chain-mover capabilities as an underneath receiver in the mold of Davante Adams.

Tate is the cleanest prospect in this receiver class on tape. He runs every branch of the route tree, wins at the catch point, and has the size to handle press coverage as he develops. The risk is entirely situational. Cam Ward enters Year 2 and there are real questions about whether he is a franchise quarterback. Tate has the talent to make any competent quarterback look better, but struggling offenses in quarterback transition years can suppress raw talent in ways that distort early dynasty returns.

The Titans receiver room is not deep. Wan'Dale Robinson is a slot piece, Calvin Ridley is aging, and the younger options are developmental. Tate should be the WR1 in Tennessee by midseason at the latest. The Titans GM described Tate as the best receiver in this draft, and that conviction from the front office matters. Dynasty hold with patience required. In redraft, he earns a slot as a high-upside WR3 in the middle rounds.

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**Jordyn Tyson | WR | New Orleans Saints**

*Round 1, Pick 8 | 6'2", 203 lbs*

Head coach Kellen Moore described Tyson as a guy who can play a ton of positions, praising his versatility, the way he attacks the football, and his ability to separate at the line of scrimmage. The Saints are banking on his talent as Tyler Shough's newest weapon for a rebuilding franchise.

The injury history cannot be ignored. Tyson missed time in every single college season with injuries to his knee, collarbone, and hamstring over four years. That is a real flag, not a dismissible concern. But when healthy, he is the most physically complete receiver in this class. His 6'2" frame, twitchy separation ability, and contested-catch toughness give him a true WR1 ceiling that most of his peers cannot claim with the same conviction.

Hines Ward mentored Tyson as his WR coach at Arizona State, which shows up in the physicality and route discipline on his tape. Moore's dual-receiver systems have produced fantasy-relevant players consistently throughout his coaching career. Chris Olave gives Tyson the ideal complementary piece, drawing safety attention while freeing up single coverage opportunities on the outside. If Tyson stays healthy, he is a top-12 dynasty WR prospect. Redraft buy in the middle rounds with legitimate WR1 upside by Year 2.

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**Germie Bernard | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers**

*Round 2, Pick 47 | 6'1", 206 lbs*

Bernard led Alabama with 64 receptions for 862 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. The Steelers traded up to get him after the Eagles cut them off from Makai Lemon one pick earlier. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted that Aaron Rodgers loves a big slot, and the Steelers got one in the 6'1", 206-pound Bernard. That framing matters for fantasy. Bernard is not going to dislodge DK Metcalf or Michael Pittman Jr. as a starter anytime soon, but Rodgers has historically been exceptional at featuring a slot receiver as his high-volume third option. Think Cole Beasley, Randall Cobb, and early-career Davante Adams before the volume arrived. Bernard has that same profile. He runs precise routes, catches everything in traffic, and is willing to block, which keeps him on the field in all three downs. Dynasty hold with quiet upside if the QB situation stabilizes. Redraft consideration only in very deep leagues.

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**Makai Lemon | WR | Philadelphia Eagles**

*Round 1, Pick 20 | 5'11", 192 lbs*

Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award last season at USC with 1,156 receiving yards and 13 scrimmage touchdowns, earning unanimous All-American honors. With AJ Brown seemingly on his way out of Philadelphia, Lemon could step into the WR2 role behind DeVonta Smith. That is a significant landing spot for a rookie. Smith commands CB1 attention on every snap, leaving Lemon working against second-tier coverage in an offense with Jalen Hurts under center. The Eagles move the ball efficiently, score touchdowns, and have a coaching staff that knows how to create slot targets.

The size concern is real. At 5'11" and 192 pounds, he will face physical press coverage at the NFL level that he did not see consistently in college. But he made 71.4 percent of his contested catches in 2025 per PFF and dropped just two passes all season, which suggests his hands and body control compensate for the lack of prototypical size. Dynasty value is high given the immediate situation. Redraft target in rounds four through six depending on AJ Brown's resolution.

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**Kaelon Black | RB | San Francisco 49ers**

*Round 3, Pick 90 | 5'9", 208 lbs*

The 49ers had Black rated as their second-best running back in the entire draft. Kyle Shanahan said that if someone else had him as their second running back, you're gambling that they're not going to go up and take him right away. That conviction from Shanahan is not small noise. He has correctly evaluated running back talent in this system more than any coach in the game over the last decade.

Black averaged 3.4 yards after contact per attempt and proved his worth out of the backfield in pass protection at the Senior Bowl. He can squat 500 pounds and bench 415, which speaks to his physicality despite his modest frame. He is a thump-first runner who falls forward and is never easy to bring down. The one legitimate concern is the receiving limitation, as he had just eight catches in two seasons at Indiana. The 49ers have flagged pass protection as his real bridge to the field.

CMC's injury history opens real opportunities, and any back in Shanahan's system who earns trust gets touches at all three levels. Black is a genuine RB2 dynasty hold with RB1 spike weeks if McCaffrey misses time. Redraft: grab him late as an injury handcuff with upside.

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**Elijah Sarratt | WR | Baltimore Ravens**

*Round 4, Pick 115 | 6'2", 210 lbs*

Sarratt earned All-Conference honors in each of his four college seasons and led the FBS with 15 receiving touchdowns in 2025 despite missing two games due to injury. His nickname is "Waffle House" because he is always open, and that nickname is earned. He specializes in locating soft spots in zone coverage, settling at the exact depth needed to move the chains, and converting 43 of 53 catches into first downs or touchdowns during the 2024 season. Those are the instincts that make possession receivers valuable at the NFL level regardless of athleticism.

The Ravens situation is the fantasy challenge. Zay Flowers is their WR1, and Rashod Bateman holds a contract that makes him difficult to cut before 2028. Sarratt is competing for a role in a pass-heavy offense behind Lamar Jackson, which is the best possible floor, but he needs opportunity. If Bateman regresses further, Sarratt could hollow out a legitimate WR3 role with red zone touch upside. Deep dynasty stash in larger leagues.

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**Adam Randall | RB | Baltimore Ravens**

*Round 5, Pick 174 | 6'3", 231 lbs*

Randall is a converted wide receiver who made the full-time switch to running back at Clemson, finishing 2025 with 814 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 168 carries. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti personally made the pick, which is an unusual detail that carries real weight. Bisciotti is not randomly inserting himself in draft decisions.

At 6'3" and 231 pounds, Randall brings rare size for a converted receiver, and his background shows in the passing game with 36 catches for 254 yards in his first full season at the position. The ceiling conversation here is genuinely intriguing. When Derrick Henry's run eventually ends in Baltimore, the Ravens will want a back who can handle volume and contribute as a receiver. Randall checks both boxes with polish still to be developed. Pass protection needs work and his vision was inconsistent in space at the college level, but the physical profile is rare. Dynasty stash in deeper formats for the Henry succession timeline.

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**Malik Benson | WR | Las Vegas Raiders**

*Round 6, Pick 195 | 6'1", 195 lbs*

Benson is a legitimate sleeper in this entire piece. He averaged nearly 18 yards per punt return at Oregon with an 85-yard return touchdown against USC, and at the combine he clocked a 4.37 40-yard dash, ranking in the top ten among receivers who participated. The path to fantasy relevance here is unusual but real. Benson lands with Fernando Mendoza, the number one overall pick, who will need outlets he can trust. He was the top JUCO recruit in the country before stints at Alabama, Florida State, and finally Oregon, where he combined electric speed with above-average ball skills to create a real deep threat on every snap. His route tree is thin and he is not a finished product, but deep threat speed in a young quarterback's offense is a formula that has produced surprising fantasy contributors before. Grab him in the later rounds of dynasty rookie drafts and hold. The Mendoza pairing is the entire story here.

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**Antonio Williams | WR | Washington Commanders**

*Round 3, Pick 71 | 6'0", 195 lbs*

This is one of the cleaner landing spot stories in this draft. Williams had 2,320 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns on 207 career catches at Clemson. NFL.com described him as a bona fide ball player with good size and an ability to make mischief with the ball in his hands, with the speed and quickness to play all three receiver spots.

The hook is Jayden Daniels. Washington's offense under new coordinator Ben Johnson is going to feature more motion, more under-center formations, and more creative usage of the receiving corps than what Daniels operated in Year 1. Williams is an elusive run-after-catch threat who projects to be a productive slot receiver with good football IQ and an understanding of how to attack different coverages. He slots in behind Terry McLaurin in a receiver room that is not deep beyond that. Williams is not a WR1 in waiting, but in an offense with a quarterback of Daniels' caliber and a coaching staff that gets creative, a third-round slot receiver has a real path to 60-plus targets. Dynasty sleeper with immediate depth chart opportunity. Redraft dart throw in deeper formats.

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**Caleb Douglas | WR | Miami Dolphins**

*Round 3, Pick 75 | 6'4", 205 lbs*

Douglas is just under 6'4" and ran a 4.39 at the combine. In 40 games between Florida and Texas Tech, he caught 135 passes for 2,031 yards and 16 touchdowns. The combination of that height and that speed in the same package is legitimately rare, sitting in the 93rd and 95th percentile at his position simultaneously according to Miami's own scouting director.

After trading away Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle this offseason, the Dolphins' receiver depth chart entering the draft was Jalen Tolbert, Malik Washington, and Tutu Atwell as their top three. Read that again. That is a receiver room in freefall. Douglas is not walking into a deep chart. He is walking into a starting role for a team desperate for any kind of perimeter threat. The quarterback situation with Malik Willis is a legitimate concern, but a 6'4" target running sub-4.4 speed is going to draw targets regardless of who is throwing. Douglas uses his speed to attack verticals, excelling on posts, corners, and fades, and has good feel for zones and spacing at the first and second level. Dynasty buy at his draft capital. Redraft sleeper with genuine WR2 upside in PPR if the Miami offense finds any footing at all.

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**Mike Washington Jr. | RB | Las Vegas Raiders**

*Round 4, Pick 122 | 6'1", 223 lbs*

Washington delivered a breakout 2025 season, rushing for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns at Arkansas, and he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine despite weighing 223 pounds. That combination does not grow on trees. Power back speed in a 6'1" frame who just went over 1,000 yards against SEC competition is a profile that gets people drafted much higher than the fourth round.

He lands behind Ashton Jeanty, who is the clear RB1 in Las Vegas, but Kubiak specifically constructed his Seattle offense around a two-back system where Walker and Charbonnet each had defined roles. Jeanty himself has already embraced the pairing, calling it a thunder and lightning combination and expressing excitement about what they can build together. Washington's fumble history is the one red flag worth monitoring, as he had ten across five college seasons, and Kubiak will be watching that closely in camp before handing him meaningful work. But if he demonstrates ball security, the upside here as a handcuff who could turn into something more in the Mendoza era is real. Dynasty dart in the later rounds. Redraft value as a premium Jeanty handcuff with standalone upside.