Rookies can make or break your season in fantasy football. Most of them usually go pretty late in drafts, meaning there are a lot of chances to get a major steal if they break out right away. But you can also end up passing on other established veterans for a player that doesn’t translate to the league right away.

Every year, we see rookies climb up draft boards with strong preseason performances, and this year should be no different. By the time the preseason is over, these five rookies should be going much higher than their current ADP.

Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans

ADP: 62.9

Carnell Tate was the first receiver off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. Typically when that happens, that player is selected in the first two to three rounds, and sometimes even the end of round one. But in Tate’s case, he’s going in round five to six, depending on the size of your league.

Get The Huddle Newsletter. The day's biggest NFL stories — rivalries, matchups, expert analysis, power rankings, and insider draft news.

I personally had Tate as the third-best receiver in the class, but he’s in the best position to succeed right away. While I think Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon are better receivers, Tate is the only one of the three that’s set up to be the WR1 right away.

Tate probably won’t see a whole lot of playing time this preseason, but I expect he and Cam Ward to show off their newly built connection, and it should cause him to start going a bit earlier in fantasy drafts.

KC Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns

ADP: 143.2

KC Concepcion was one of the Cleveland Browns’ first-round picks this year, and much like Tate, he enters an offense that doesn’t have a whole lot at receiver, putting him in a great spot to succeed right away.

Jerry Jeudy is the veteran on the team, but his career has been pretty disappointing, and reports say that Concepcion is outplaying him. I think Concepcion’s true competition will be fellow rookie Denzel Boston, who Cleveland selected in round two.

Obviously, the Browns don’t have a great quarterback situation, but if Concepcion proves he can be this team’s WR1 in the preseason, he should go much higher than the 143rd pick.

Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks

ADP: 80.3

Jadarian Price is a name that continues to gain traction in fantasy football circles, and I expect that to continue throughout the preseason.

With Kenneth Walker gone, the Seattle Seahawks still had Zach Charbonnet on the roster. But they were so worried about adding another running back to the team that they spent their first-round pick on one instead of filling their other holes on the roster. So that should tell you a lot about how they feel about Charbonnet, and how they view Price.

Price didn’t get the chance to fully use his skill set in college because he played behind Jeremiyah Love, but I fully expect him to take over as the RB1 in Seattle by midseason and be the main guy in that offense. He’s fast, agile, and explosive, and once he plays in the preseason, people will start to see that, and his ADP will rise.

Eli Stowers, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

ADP: 173.9

Eli Stowers is currently right on the edge of being drafted in most 12-man leagues, but by the time the preseason is over, I would expect that to change.

Stowers is behind Dallas Goedert on the depth chart, but he is clearly the better receiving threat of the two. At the NFL Combine, Stowers ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash with a 45.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump. Those are absolutely insane numbers for a tight end.

Stowers is an athletic freak, and he’s going to get to show how explosive he is in the preseason. He may end up splitting time with Goedert this year, but he’ll be their go-to threat at tight end.

Chris Bell, WR, Miami Dolphins

ADP: 231.4

Right now, the Miami Dolphins are projected to start Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell at receiver. Yeah, that’s not going to stick.

There’s a reason the Dolphins drafted Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell in the first three rounds in the NFL Draft. They know they need receiver help, and Bell is a guy that could’ve gone in the late first/early second had he not torn his ACL late in the college football season.

There is a question about whether or not Bell will play in the preseason. But Miami Head Coach Jeff Hafley said it’s not out of the question. And if he does play, I expect him to impress many people and put himself on a lot of fantasy players’ radar.