The 2026 class is not the deepest in terms of fantasy talent, and a lot of the top players didn’t land in the greatest spots for them to succeed or be No. 1 options right away.

Options start thinning out as early as the end of the first round, which makes this one of the harder rookie drafts to predict, given there’s not much between the second and third rounders. But I’m going to give it a try anyway.

Note: I’m basing this mock on a 10-team, full point PPR, one QB league. 

1.01: RB Jeremiyah Love

There was never any question that Jeremiyah Love was going to be the first overall pick in rookie drafts this season, but he ended up in possibly the worst situation he could’ve, given the teams that were targeting him. He’ll be the RB1 in Arizona’s offense, but their offensive line still has major holes, and they’re just not going to be a great team this year. I think Love’s rookie season will be better than Ashton Jeanty’s last year, but probably not by a whole lot.

1.02: WR Carnell Tate

Carnell Tate was my WR3 in this draft, but there’s no denying he ended up in the best fantasy spot of any of the big three receivers in this draft class. The Tennessee Titans signed Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, but outside of him, they really don’t have anyone else to challenge Tate for targets. Tate will quickly become Cam Ward’s best friend, so I expect him to produce in fantasy right away.

1.03: WR Jordyn Tyson

Jordyn Tyson was my WR1 in this draft class, but he’s going to have to fight for his targets much more than Tate. The New Orleans Saints have a great young quarterback in Tyler Shough, but Tyson’s going to line up next to Chris Olave, who is coming off a Second-Team All-Pro season. They’re very different receivers, so I’d expect them to both be pretty productive. Plus, Tyson is a huge red zone threat. I could see him being better than Tate, but Tate doesn’t have any competition.

1.04: WR Makai Lemon

I’m a big Makai Lemon fan, and I believe he’ll be a really solid fantasy receiver right away, but I don’t think he ended up in the best situation for fantasy. A.J. Brown should be gone, so he’ll be the WR2 alongside DeVonta Smith, but Jalen Hurts isn’t the greatest quarterback, and this offense struggled throwing the football last year. Sean Mannion should help that a bit, but I think they’re going to be a run-first offense with Saquon Barkley, so Lemon’s opportunities may be limited in his first few seasons.

1.05: QB Fernando Mendoza

In a Super Flex league, Fernando Mendoza would probably go first overall due to the lack of quarterback talent in this draft, but in a standard league, I have him falling to No. 5. I think he’s going to be a solid quarterback, but he doesn’t provide a whole lot with his legs, which will limit his fantasy production. He feels like a guy who’ll finish as the QB 9 through QB 15 most years.

1.06: RB Jadarian Price

I wasn’t a fan of the Seattle Seahawks taking Jadarian Price at No. 32, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be a pretty good fantasy running back. The thing that scares me is that we saw how Seattle misused Kenneth Walker for multiple years, so are they going to do the same with Price? They seem hellbent on keeping Zach Charbonnet happy, even though I don’t think he’s that good, so he’s going to vulture yards and touchdowns from Price. Plus, who knows how good this offense will be without Klint Kubiak? It’s a risk, but so is anyone after this point.

1.07: WR KC Concepcion

I really like KC Concepcion, but there are two things you have to consider here. One, he’s on the Cleveland Browns. Two, he’s going to have Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders throwing him the football this year. That’s not ideal for a rookie receiver, but this is a dynasty draft, so you’re not just betting on one-year production. If Cleveland can find their quarterback soon, Concepcion could end up being a top-four fantasy player from this class in a few years time.

1.08: TE Kenyon Sadiq

Kenyon Sadiq is the best tight end in this draft class, but I didn’t love his landing spot. Geno Smith is no good, and the New York Jets are historically awful at developing quarterback talent. If they can get it right, Sadiq could be a top-10 fantasy tight end in the league by the 2027 season, but it could be a slow start, and you just never know with the Jets.

1.09: WR Omar Cooper Jr.

The same goes for Omar Cooper Jr. You’re counting on the Jets getting it right at quarterback within the next three years, and if history has told us anything, they won’t get it right. However, Omar Cooper Jr. is a little bit more QB-proof than Sadiq. He’s a great route runner, but he’s also a YAC machine, so if he has to work close to or at the line of scrimmage, he can, and he’ll still be productive. I just like Sadiq’s upside a bit more, which is why he’s above Cooper.

1.10: WR Denzel Boston

I like Denzel Boston a lot, but like with Concepcion, it might not go well right away. Cleveland’s QB problem is nowhere even close to being solved, so it’s going to be a rough 2026 season. I think Boston and Concepcion’s ceilings are very similar, but Boston’s floor is a bit lower, in my opinion. He’s a contested catch specialist (even though he’s also more than that), and we’ve seen his archetype fail in the league more often than someone like Concepcion. That’s why I have him lower.

2.01: TE Eli Stowers

Eli Stowers has a ton of upside. He’s arguably the most athletic player in this draft class and had a ton of receiving production in college, but he’s heading to a stagnant passing offense in Philadelphia. I hope Sean Mannion can flip the script from last year and turn Hurts into a competent passer, but it might take some time. His upside is higher than Sadiq’s, in my opinion, but his floor is much lower.

2.02: RB Nick Singleton

Nick Singleton was one of the highest-rated running backs in this draft class heading into the 2025 season, but he didn’t play too well and slid a bit on draft night. Now, he’s in Tennessee, where he can be the true RB1 if he gets back to playing how he did in 2024. Tennessee’s offense just needs young, exciting weapons, and Singleton is certainly one of those.

2.03: WR Elijah Sarratt

I’m a big Omar Cooper Jr. fan, but I didn’t think the gap from him to Elijah Sarratt was as big as it ended up being in the draft. The 6-foot-2 wideout also landed in a great spot with the Baltimore Ravens, where he should be able to fight for a starting spot as a rookie. His ceiling isn’t as high as the other wideouts’, but I think his floor may be higher than some, especially in year one.

2.04: WR Chris Bell

Chris Bell was one of my favorite receivers in this draft class, and he somehow slipped to the third round and landed with the Miami Dolphins. He’s rehabbing an ACL injury and could miss time this offseason, which could cause him to have a bit of a delayed start during the season while he picks up the offense, but once he’s 100 percent and has this offense down, he should be the uncontested WR1; he’s that talented. I’d take a swing at him in the early part of round two.

2.05: WR Germie Bernard

A lot of people are hyping up Germie Bernard’s landing spot, but I don’t think it’s all that great. We don’t even know who will be throwing him the football, and he has to fight with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. for targets. That’s not ideal for a rookie receiver, but I can see the upside in a few years if they get a good quarterback and one of those two leaves.

2.06: RB Jonah Coleman

Jonah Coleman is a short but very powerful running back at 220 pounds. I don’t love the situation he steps into right away, with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey in firm control of that running back room, but Dobbins won’t be with Denver very long, and Coleman could end up beating Harvey out come next season. He could be Denver’s RB1 in a year or two, or he’ll be a career second option. That’s the risk you have to take on guys at this point in the draft.

2.07: RB Mike Washington Jr.

The Raiders selected Ashton Jeanty last year, but I still think Mike Washington Jr. could carve out a decent role. Klint Kubiak loves to run the football, and we saw how successful he was with two running backs last season. Washington is also a home run hitter, so he’s capable of ripping off a 40-yard touchdown when he has the ball, which makes his fantasy upside even higher. Plus, if Jeanty gets hurt, he’ll be the uncontested RB1.

2.08: WR Malachi Fields

Malachi Fields isn’t the most well-rounded receiver, but he’s big and fast and can make plays downfield. That already makes him an attractive fantasy option, but when you also consider that Malik Nabers probably won’t be 100 percent to start the year and he’s pretty clearly their WR2, you can see him being a fairly productive player right away.

2.09: WR Skyler Bell

Skyler Bell is one of the most talented and productive receivers in this draft class, and I love that he ended up with Josh Allen in Buffalo, but the Bills already have the Skyler Bell archetype in Khalil Shakir. It will be interesting to see how they both fit into this offense. I don’t think Bell will be the most productive receiver right away, but in a couple of years, I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s a really good player.

2.10: RB Kaytron Allen

When Nick Singleton fell off in 2025, Kaytron Allen took the reins and rushed for 1,300+ yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s a very productive running back, and now he lands in Washington, which really needed to get another running back to complement Jacory Croskey-Merritt. He has RB1 upside, but I don’t know if he’s much better than JCM.