{"id":629231,"date":"2026-04-25T03:53:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T03:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/629231\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T03:53:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T03:53:27","slug":"2026-nfl-draft-fantasy-football-grades-for-all-relevant-prospects-on-day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/629231\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Draft: Fantasy football grades for all relevant prospects on Day 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft came and went on Thursday. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/fantasy\/article\/2026-nfl-draft-grading-the-fantasy-football-fit-of-every-relevant-first-round-pick-004250843.html\" data-i13n=\"cpos:1;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:If you\u2019re looking for grades for first-round prospects, look no further.;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;If you\u2019re looking for grades for first-round prospects, look no further.&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" target=\"_blank\">If you\u2019re looking for grades for first-round prospects, look no further.<\/a> But we\u2019re focussed on Day 2 here and plenty of notable prospects for redraft and dynasty fantasy football were taken. Yahoo analyst Joel Smyth grades the fantasy football fit for every relevant prospect drafted on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Round 2WR De\u2019Zhaun Stribling, Ole Miss<\/p>\n<p>Team: San Francisco 49ers<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>If you include the draft capital leap, it\u2019s an A+ landing spot for Stribling. After Jauan Jennings and the 49ers failed to reach a long term agreement, San Francisco takes a WR who is a YAC monster who gets to enjoy the Shanahan system.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/fantasy\/article\/2026-nfl-draft-fantasy-football-rankings-projections-takeaways-for-first-round-prospects-003935551.html\" data-i13n=\"slk:Rankings, projections and takeaways for 1st round fantasy prospects;cpos:2;pos:1\" data-ylk=\"slk:Rankings, projections and takeaways for 1st round fantasy prospects;slk:Rankings, projections and takeaways for 1st round fantasy prospects;cpos:2;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkPosition&quot;:&quot;2&quot;,&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yPosition&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Rankings, projections and takeaways for 1st round fantasy prospects&quot;,&quot;yHasCommerce&quot;:false}\" target=\"_blank\">Rankings, projections and takeaways for 1st round fantasy prospects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>WR Denzel Boston, Washington<\/p>\n<p>Boston to Cleveland means he becomes more of a dynasty rebuild option only. An outside WR that\u2019s a red-zone threat rather than a YAC creator requires stability at quarterback and a good scoring offense,\u00a0 which Cleveland does not have. KC Concepcion being drafted in front of him does not help either.<\/p>\n<p>WR Germie Bernard, Alabama<\/p>\n<p>Team: Pittsburgh Steelers<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Bernard is more of a long-term dynasty pick with DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr. and Aaron Rodgers at the core. He does fit what Rodgers wants, a smart player who can be relied on, especially in the quick passing game. He\u2019s not the flashiest receiver, but he doesn\u2019t make many mistakes either.<\/p>\n<p>TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt<\/p>\n<p>Team: Philadelphia Eagles<\/p>\n<p>With Dallas Goedert on a one-year deal, Eli Stowers looks to be the long-term replacement as another superb athlete at TE. Outside of his own rookie season with Zach Ertz, Goedert has been a fantasy TE1 in every year with the Eagles. Maybe new play-caller Sean Mannion can bring some of the Tucker Kraft upside to Philly.<\/p>\n<p>TE Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&amp;M<\/p>\n<p>Team: Jacksonville Jaguars<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Even with second-round draft capital, Boerkircher isn\u2019t expected to make a big dent in fantasy. He\u2019ll be an in-line blocking TE in a heavy 3WR offense with Brenton Strange as a receiving TE.<\/p>\n<p>TE Marlin Klein, Michigan<\/p>\n<p>Houston isn\u2019t selecting Klein to be their next receiving TE, but to have a blocking role. Klein scored 1 TD in his four years at Michigan.<\/p>\n<p>TE Max Klare, Ohio State<\/p>\n<p>We love Rams\u2019 fantasy players, but their supply of TEs has gone too far. After drafting Terrance Ferguson 46th overall last season to pair with Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson, the Rams take another TE with promise. Ferguson looked great in his limited action, which severely suppresses Klare\u2019s fantasy upside longterm, even with great draft capital. Doesn\u2019t look like L.A.\u2019s 13-personnel is going away anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>Round 3QB Carson Beck, Miami<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>A big win for Beck as he lands at one of the only teams in which he can compete for the starting job. It\u2019s not perfect, but the Cardinals have plenty of weapons, especially after taking RB Jeremiyah Love in the first round, and an opportunity to get on the field early. With Jacoby Brissett looking for a new contract, Beck could get valuable early reps before the season begins.<\/p>\n<p>TE Sam Roush, Stanford<\/p>\n<p>The rise of his draft stock ended up being his demise. Although he is a third-round pick, he has virtually no fantasy potential with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet in front of him. He can do a lot for Chicago, it\u2019s just unlikely it will lead to fantasy points.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>WR Antonio Williams, Clemson<\/p>\n<p>Team: Washington Commanders<\/p>\n<p>Williams has been producing since his freshman year at Clemson. He may be more limited as a prospect with his size and alignment, but fills an open and needed role in Washington. There isn\u2019t a lot of receiving competition outside of Terry McLaurin, meaning a bounce-back season for Jayden Daniels could lead to early production for their third-round pick.<\/p>\n<p>TE Oscar Delp, Georgia<\/p>\n<p>Delp is a project when it comes to receiving. With Chris Olave, Jordyn Tyson and Juwan Johnson all in the building, I wouldn\u2019t expect much contribution on a fantasy level early.<\/p>\n<p>WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>With rumors of the Giants drafting their WR2 in the top-10, Malachi Fields becomes the alternative. The true WR1 upside wasn\u2019t as realistic as some other prospects, so landing in a spot where he can have a clear role as an X WR opposite Malik Nabers is perfect. He could find himself on the field early in a fun offense.<\/p>\n<p>WR Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech<\/p>\n<p>As a projected Day 3 selection, landing in the emptiest WR room in the NFL in Round 3 is a dream. His size and speed rival Green Bay WR Christian Watson, who Malik Willis paired with beautifully in his short stretch as a starter last season.<\/p>\n<p>QB Drew Allar, Penn State<\/p>\n<p>Team: Pittsburgh Steelers<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Allar has tools, but was not expected to be set up for a potential starting role in the near future. He stays in Pennsylvania to learn behind Rodgers (assuming he returns) as he\u2019ll try to become the Steelers\u2019 future QB. The mix of coaching and talent bode well for his fantasy upside if his traits were to pan out.<\/p>\n<p>WR Zachariah Branch, Georgia<\/p>\n<p>The Kevin Stefanski offense hasn\u2019t necessarily been screen heavy, ranking 32nd since becoming the Browns head coach. With 54% of Branch\u2019s receptions being screens in 2025, the play-calling would need a massive shift considering the Falcons already have three-top receiving options.<\/p>\n<p>WR Ja\u2019Kobi Lane, USC<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>The Ravens aren\u2019t seen as a positive receiver landing spot, but I actually love it for Lane specifically. The USC WR had a TD on nearly 20% of his college receptions, a ridiculous rate as a red-zone monster who joins a QB who\u2019s TD efficiency is the best in the NFL. Lamar Jackson isn\u2019t going to lead the NFL in passing volume, but he does lead in touchdowns per attempt since entering the NFL in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>WR Chris Brazzell, Tennessee<\/p>\n<p>Brazzell is a pure deep threat WR that joins Tetairoa McMillan in Carolina. Bryce Young didn\u2019t throw deep too often and his average depth of throw was one of the shortest in the league. It\u2019ll be an uphill battle for Brazzell to secure enough targets to be fantasy relevant.<\/p>\n<p>WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State<\/p>\n<p>Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Hurst is a natural Mike Evans replacement at 6&#8217;4&#8243;. His 99th percentile athletic score makes him an attractive upside pick as a small school WR. Although both Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka will be there for multiple years, Tampa\u2019s sixth-highest mark in receiving fantasy points since Baker Mayfield took over makes it an overall win.<\/p>\n<p>TE Will Kacmarek, Ohio State<\/p>\n<p>The lack of competition doesn\u2019t matter as much for Kacmarek as a blocking TE. He was the second TE at Ohio State last year behind Klare and won\u2019t be much of a receiving threat.<\/p>\n<p>WR Zavion Thomas, LSU<\/p>\n<p>There isn\u2019t much path to targets in Chicago right now. The speed of Thomas is electric, but he will likely slide into a take the top off WR rather than a target hog. He was a projected seventh-rounder that did get a great draft capital bump.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>RB Kaelon Black, Indiana<\/p>\n<p>Team: San Francisco 49ers<\/p>\n<p>Black was not projected to go until late Day 3, but San Francisco has been known to reach for their guys and draft plenty of running backs. It\u2019s a rare time where the 49ers don\u2019t have much competition behind CMC, and could set Black up for a more legit role in the future.<\/p>\n<p>WR Chris Bell, Louisville<\/p>\n<p>The Dolphins add a second receiver in the third round to the emptiest WR room in the league. Bell is one of many X receivers in this class, providing a great combination of size and speed with a projected 4.4 40-time at 222 pounds. The Louisville star did tear his ACL at the end of the 2025 season, so we\u2019ll have to keep an eye on his progress to know if he\u2019ll be ready come September.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>TE Eli Raridon, Notre Dame<\/p>\n<p>Team:\u00a0New England Patriots<\/p>\n<p>Raridon has the frame to make an impact in the run game as a blocker at 6-foot-7, 252 pounds, but he can also stretch the field as a receiver. Health has been a question in the past, but if he can stay on the field, he&#8217;ll play a key role for Drake Maye and the offense, which puts him on the dynasty radar and watchlist for redraft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft came and went on Thursday. If you\u2019re looking for grades&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":628993,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[626,1258,1276,64,63,6576,631,5351,1257,1248,20799,9841,1238,94987,19990,5365,19983,625,5374,20801,1255,1237,55564,17597,2363,99754,628,1263,59152,1233,5352,21176,1231,1249,1242,593,1260,1241,1262,85,1247,1251,5383,1272],"class_list":{"0":"post-629231","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-aaron-rodgers","9":"tag-arizona-cardinals","10":"tag-atlanta-falcons","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-baker-mayfield","14":"tag-baltimore-ravens","15":"tag-bryce-young","16":"tag-carolina-panthers","17":"tag-chicago-bears","18":"tag-chris-olave","19":"tag-christian-watson","20":"tag-cleveland-browns","21":"tag-colby-parkinson","22":"tag-cole-kmet","23":"tag-colston-loveland","24":"tag-dallas-goedert","25":"tag-dk-metcalf","26":"tag-drake-maye","27":"tag-emeka-egbuka","28":"tag-houston-texans","29":"tag-jacksonville-jaguars","30":"tag-jacoby-brissett","31":"tag-jauan-jennings","32":"tag-jayden-daniels","33":"tag-juwan-johnson","34":"tag-lamar-jackson","35":"tag-los-angeles-rams","36":"tag-malik-willis","37":"tag-miami-dolphins","38":"tag-michael-pittman-jr","39":"tag-mike-evans","40":"tag-new-england-patriots","41":"tag-new-orleans-saints","42":"tag-new-york-giants","43":"tag-nfl","44":"tag-philadelphia-eagles","45":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","46":"tag-san-francisco-49ers","47":"tag-sports","48":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","49":"tag-terry-mclaurin","50":"tag-tetairoa-mcmillan","51":"tag-washington-commanders"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=629231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/629231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=629231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=629231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=629231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}