2026 Dynasty Rookie Rankings: The Wild Card Class That Has Scouts Guessing (Updated April 5th)

Before You Trade For That Pick … Know What You’re Getting in 2026

Before trading away (or for) draft picks, it's crucial to evaluate the potential of this rookie class.

So how does 2026 stack up?

The high-end of RB and WR make the top five rookie picks worthwhile, but the draft drops off fast.

That drop-off certainly creates more questions about the 2026 draft than in other recent years.

But as your prepare for your rookie drafts, keep in mind that draft capital will change the values. Check out our latest seven-round to NFL Mock Draft start gauging potential draft capital.

We’ll keep updating these 2026 dynasty rookie rankings as new names rise and fall throughout the process, especially with Pro Days coming up.

For now, here is a rookie preview to see how this class has shaped up...

2026 Dynasty Rookie Rankings: Top 50

1. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Love checks in at 6'0, 212 pounds with a low pad level to power through inside runs and enough speed to outrun defenders in space. His vision improved over the 2025 season, and he was utilized as the main pass-catching back for the Fighting Irish.

While he may lack the contact balance of Ashton Jeanty, Love has the tools to become an elite NFL RB.

Check out our in-depth profile to see why he's the surefire 1.01.

2. Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Lemon's highlight reel in 2025 was the best among the WRs. Playing both in the slot and out wide, Lemon not only fooled DBs every game with his route running, but also won contested catches. 

His 79-1156-11 season led Lemon to win the Biletnikoff Award for the best WR in the country.

 He has the best hands in the class and profiles as an alpha No. 1 WR in the NFL. Lemon could be an ideal PPR WR on a pass-heavy offense who could command 100+ targets a season.

Read our in-depth profile to learn more.

3. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

This WR class feels a bit top-heavy, and Tate sits in that top tier. Though he was the No. 2 WR at Ohio State behind phenom Jeremiah Smith, Tate showcased strong hands and body control throughout the season.

He went 51-875-9 in 11 games.

With great leaping and high-pointing ability, Tate can play out wide or in the slot himself, giving versatility that fits most offenses. He certainly could be the first WR taken in the draft despite his 4.53 40 time.

4. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Tyson flashed his quickness as a true freshman at Colorado in 2022, but a knee injury wiped out his 2023 season. He bounced back in 2024, leading the Sun Devils with 75 catches, 1,101 yards, and 10 TDs. Tyson consistently creates separation, even against top-tier corners, and brings the speed and YAC skills that fit today’s NFL.

In 2025, he started hot, but injuries derailed his late season.

Durability is the biggest concern. (He has never finished a full college season and has undergone multiple surgeries). But he ranks among the top WRs in the class.

Check out our in-depth profile to learn more about Tyson.

5. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Sadiq got work in 2024 despite being paired with future top-100 draft pick Terrance Ferguson.

In 2025, he became the lead TE and top pass catcher for Oregon. He ended the season going 51-560-8. 

An elite athlete who will surely be a slot mismatch, Sadiq could emerge as a top-tier fantasy TE. From his quick twitch movements to red zone receiving, he looks the part.

Sadiq's 4.39 40 time, combined with a 43.5" Vertical, and 11’ 1’’ Broad Jump, confirmed his athleticism.

Sadiq just needs to fine tune his fundamentals with numerous drops in 2025 that are concerning.

Check out our in-depth profile to get the full lowdown on Sadiq.

6. KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

Concepcion broke out as a true freshman at NC State, in 2023 going 71-839-10. He transferred to Texas A&M in 2025 and dominated once again. His final stat line was 61-919-9.

Concepcion thrives as a unique all-around weapon who will likely play from the slot in the NFL. His speed and shiftiness after the catch make him a big-play threat at any time.

Expect some rushes and screens wherever Concepcion ends up. He has Percy Harvin-like upside.

Check out our in-depth profile to investigate Concepcion's upside.

7. Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

Cooper wasn’t an instant hit at Indiana. 

But his breakout in 2025 marked him as a game-changing slot WR on a National Championship squad.

Cooper went 69-937-13, hitting 2.55 yards per route run in his final season.

At 6’0, 204 pounds, Cooper pairs NFL size with advanced route pacing. His hands and bod control sit among the best in the class. But fit and usage will be key to unlocking his fantasy potential.

Check out our in-depth profile to learn more.

8. Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

Boston chose to stay at Washington rather than follow former HC Kalen DeBoer to Alabama -- and it paid off. He caught 63 passes for 834 yards and 9 TDs in 2024. He then followed that up with a 62-881-11 season in 2025.

At 6'4, 209 pounds, Boston brings unmatched size in this class. He projects as an "X" receiver at the next level with enough speed to earn early-round consideration. He appears locked into the first round and could develop into a team's No. 1 WR.

Get our in-depth profile on Boston.

9. Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame

It's rare to have two RBs from the same team be the top two of the class, but Price would have been a starter for nearly every other team in college football in 2025.

Despite being the No. 2 RB on the Fighting Irish, Price still put up 113-674-11 as a runner.

He actually outperformed Love in yards per carry due to explosive runs. Price looks built to be a lead back and flashed great receiving ability despite only catching 15 passes during his college career.

Read our in-depth profile to learn more.

10. Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt

Stowers, a QB turned TE, flashed NFL slot potential over the last two seasons. A pure pass catching TE, if Stowers earns a role immediately, he could put up immediate TE1 fantasy production.

A savvy route runner who can pluck balls out of the air, Stowers was QB Diego Pavia's best friend at Vanderbilt.

Stowers should be a top-50 pick. Check out our in-depth profile on Stowers for more.

The Rest of the Top 100:

11. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
12. Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
13. Emmett Johnson, RB, Nebraska
14. Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington
15. Mike Washington, RB, Arkansas
16. Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
17. Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
18. Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
19. Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
20. Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
21. Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
22. Skyler Bell, WR, Connecticut
23. Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State
24. Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
25. Ja'Kobi Lane, WR, USC
26. Malachi Fields, WR, Notre Dame
27. Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
28. Max Klare, TE, Ohio State
29. Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest
30. De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, Mississippi
31. Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State
32. Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma
33. Kevin Coleman, WR, Missouri
34. Adam Randall, RB, Clemson
35. Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
36. Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston
37. Justin Joly, TE, NC State
38. Eric McAlister, WR, TCU
39. Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
40. Michael Trigg, TE, Baylor
41. Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky
42. Jamarion Miller, RB, Alabama
43. Barion Brown, WR, LSU
44. Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor
45. Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati
46. J'Mari Taylor, RB, Virginia
47. Rob Henry Jr., RB, UTSA
48. Eli Heidenreich, RB, Navy
49. Oscar Delp, TE, Georgia
50. Harrison Wallace III, WR, Mississippi
51. Jordan Hudson, WR, SMU
52. Jack Endries, TE, Texas
53. Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech
54. Reggie Virgil, WR, Texas Tech
55. John Michael Gyllenborg, TE, Wyoming
56. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
57. Le'Veon Moss, RB, Texas A&M
58. Roman Hemby, RB, Indiana
59. Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
60. Aaron Anderson, WR, LSU
61. Rahsul Faison, RB, South Carolina
62. Noah Whittington, RB, Oregon
63. Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
64. Desmond Reid, RB, Pittsburgh
65. Jaydn Ott, RB, Oklahoma
66. Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
67. Eric Rivers, WR, Georgia Tech
68. J. Michael Sturdivant, WR, Florida
69. Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas
70. Malik Benson, WR, Oregon
71. Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah
72. Jamal Haynes, RB, Georgia Tech
73. CJ Daniels, WR, Miami
74. RJ Maryland, TE, SMU
75. Kendrick Law, WR, Kentucky
76. Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati
77. Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa
78. CJ Donaldson, RB, Ohio State
79. Vinny Anthony II, WR, Wisconsin
80. Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
81. Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M
82. Chip Trayanum, RB, Toledo
83. Riley Nowakowski, TE, Indiana
84. Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU
85. Chris Hilton, WR, LSU
86. Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State
87. Carson Beck, QB, Miami (FL)
88. Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana
89. Caullin Lacy, WR, Louisville
90. Eli Raridon, TE, Notre Dame
91. Jalen Walthall, WR, Incarnate Word (TX)
92. Lake McRee, TE, USC
93. Michael Wortham, WR, Montana
94. Colbie Young, WR, Georgia
95. Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College
96. Josh Cuevas, TE, Alabama
97. Chase Roberts, WR, BYU
98. Donoven McCulley, WR, Michigan
99. Emmanuel Henderson, WR, Kansas
100. Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma

The Lackluster 2026 QB Class 

The 2026 QB class took a hit when rushing QBs such as Arch Manning and LaNorris Sellers stayed in school. But a new elite QB prospect emerged.

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman and National Championship, drawing comps to Matt Ryan, Eli Manning, and Kirk Cousins. His ball placement and toughness should allow him to start immediately. His scrambling ability could also help his fantasy stats. 

The rest of the class is thin, but Alabama QB Ty Simpson and Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss could also be first-round picks.

While the specific top QBs drafted in 2026 remain uncertain, the odds favor significant rushing upside from this class. Get a more in-depth breakdown in our 2026 Rookie Superflex Rankings.

Is Jeremiyah Love the Next Elite Fantasy RB Prospect?

Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love should be the next top-tier NFL RB prospect. He may not quite be on the level of prospect as Bijan Robinson or Ashton Jeanty, but Love sits within that conversation.

Love has the size, power, and speed in a run-first offense to emerge as a coveted weapon. His 27 catches this past season showed developing receiving ability.

That makes him the easy 1.01 choice in any rookie draft.

With the NFL again finding value at the RB position, Love could be next in line for teams wanting to establish a power rushing identity.

No Clear RB2 -- But Plenty of Intriguing Paths to Get There

After Love, the position is wide open with no sure top-50 pick.

Jadarian Price, Love’s teammate, has the size and breakaway ability to be a significant fantasy contributor. His receiving ability (despite a lack of college catches) makes him very attractive for PPR leagues.

Washington RB Jonah Coleman has top-50 potential after carrying the load for the Big Ten squad.

Nebraska's Emmett Johnson also remains in contention to be the second-best RB in the class. He ended the season with five straight 100-yard rushing games, and even had a 100-yard receiving game in one of those. He is a three-down player despite only being 200 pounds. 

A sleeper to watch is Arkansas RB Mike Washington. A transfer from New Mexico State, he rumbled for 167-1070-8 at 228 pounds. A WR in high school, Washington also brings great ball skills at his size.

His 4.33 40 time wowed NFL teams at the Combine. If there is a potential surprise Day 2 RB, Washington would be my favorite.

WR Gold At the Top of the Draft

The WR class has even more questions than RB. USC’s Makai Lemon, Ohio State's Carnell Tate and Arizona State's Jordan Tyson lead the way, but there are many question marks after those two.

Washington's Denzel Boston has played well but may lack the athleticism to feel safe picking him in the top half of the first round in rookie drafts.

Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion is intriguing as an all-around weapon who could take some rushes, catch passes, and even return kicks.

Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. emerged as a legit first round pick with his athleticism out of the slot. Still a work in progress, he has a shot to go in the top-20.

There could be others who emerge based on athleticism and production such as Notre Dame's Malachi Fields, Louisville’s Chris Bell, Georgia's Zachariah Branch, and Tennessee's Chris Brazzell II.

Athletic Upside Headlines a Wide-Open TE Group

This TE class won't match 2025's high-end talent, but there's plenty of intrigue and athleticism.

Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq is an tremendous athlete who shines when on the field. His ability to get open should make him a first-round pick.

Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers should be getting more love. A former QB converted to TE, Stowers essentially plays slot WR while being TE in name. He could play an Oronde Gadsden role, but be a top-100 pick.

Ohio State's Max Klare, Baylor’s Michael Trigg, Stanford's Sam Roush, and Houston's Tanner Koziol round out an intriguing group of top TEs.

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Shane Hallam, Writer

Shane has over 20 years of experience creating content and playing every fantasy football format, including redraft, dynasty, devy, C2C, IDP, CFF, and more. He is a multi-year winner of $500 dynasty leagues on the FFPC and a King's Classic Champion. Shane utilizes deep film and scheme study to enhance his fantasy performance. He led the industry in 2024 preseason Kicker Rankings and ranked second in preseason QB Rankings. He also ranked eighth in preseason IDP rankings.