With the 2026 NFL Draft in the books, it\u2019s time for the winners and losers from a fantasy football perspective. Mind you, this isn\u2019t a complete \u201cevery single winner or loser\u201d list. It\u2019s the biggest in each category and more about each player\u2019s boost (or drop-off) from pre-draft hopes. So, Jeremiyah Love actually isn\u2019t an NFL Draft \u201cwinner.\u201d We knew he\u2019d be a top pick, and you can argue there was a better landing spot. He\u2019s still a Top 10 RB for fantasy, but again, not a winner of the draft.<\/p>\n
Feel free to jump in the comments and share yours, or even ask \u201cway too early\u201d draft questions, so the excitement for the new season doesn\u2019t fizzle out just yet.<\/p>\n
NFL Draft Winners<\/p>\n
Jadarian Price, RB, SEA \u2014 A Raheem Mostert type, Price brings his speed and offensive fit to the Seahawks, with Zach Charbonnet a question to play at all. Emanuel Wilson is a fine backup option, and now is also a fantasy loser, as the Seahawks closed out Round 1 by selecting Price. There are questions about Price\u2019s passing game upside, but even if he\u2019s limited to 20-30 receptions, he\u2019ll still see 250+ touches leading the Seahawks, making him a locked-in RB2 as a rookie.<\/p>\n
Makai Lemon, WR, PHI \u2014 Lemon slipped compared to the other two Tier 1 wideouts (Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson), but he fell into an amazing opportunity. I\u2019ll argue for Lemon as the top rookie wideout in redraft and dynasty, as A.J. Brown has his bag packed, waiting for June 1. Lemon steps into a 1A\/1B role with DeVonta Smith and can be the 1A. Over the past two seasons with Saquon Barkley on the team, Brown averaged 7.8 targets per game and Smith 6.7. That\u2019s a floor of 114 targets and upwards of 132 coming from Jalen Hurts instead of Cam Ward or Tyler Shough. Give me Lemon as the 1.03 in dynasty and a Top 25 WR in redraft with upside for more. Smith is a slight loser here; if the Eagles had waited until Day 2, he would have been a near guarantee for a career year as the clear top wideout.<\/p>\n
Jordyn Tyson, WR, NO \u2014 Not only is Tyson in the conversation as the best wideout in the draft, but he\u2019s now in the conversation to be the best wideout for the Saints. Chris Olave is coming off a career year, and I wouldn\u2019t bet on Tyson surpassing him as a rookie. But it\u2019s not out of the question. Tyson has Garrett Wilson-like qualities, with a splash of Stefon Diggs. At worst, Tyson will be a WR3 with Shough and his aggressive approach. Lemon and Tyson are listed, unlike Love, because both could have landed on teams as the No. 3, making us wait at least one year, if not more.<\/p>\n
Chris Bell, WR, MIA \u2014 As when the Ravens took Mark Andrews later than Hayden Hurst and the Packers took Tucker Kraft after Luke Musgrave, the Dolphins took the better receiver later in the draft (in fact, later in the same round). While many questioned taking Caleb Douglas so early, Miami found nice value in Bell, who could be the No. 1 for the Dolphins if he\u2019s 100% healthy. At his best, Bell could be Brandon Marshall, and the downside is a Robert Meachem situation. However, Malik Willis needs a top weapon, and Bell should be the best for this team.<\/p>\n
Antonio Williams, WR, WSH \u2014 Let\u2019s check the depth chart behind Terry McLaurin. Hmm. Grabbing that bottle of Pepto. Williams is spoken of as a nice slot receiver in the realm of Sterling Shepard, but I think that undercuts his potential after the catch. Williams will need YAC ability to offset the shallower target depth, but 90-100 targets would have him in the WR4\/5 territory. On most any other team, Williams would have been capped at the slot-only\/No. 3 role.<\/p>\n
5 Other Potential Winners<\/p>\n
Zachariah Branch, WR, ATL \u2014 There is a void after Drake London, and Branch can take a short-to-intermediate reception and turn it into a big gain thanks to his YAC ability. Being a WR4 as a rookie is a bit lofty, but it wouldn\u2019t be a surprise, especially with Tua Tagovailoa\u2019s comfort level with short-to-intermediate routes.<\/p>\n
Emmett Johnson, RB, KC \u2014 He has some Kenneth Gainwell to his game, and if Gainwell were in Kansas City, we\u2019d love him as one of the more appealing backup options. Kenneth Walker has his fair share of injuries, and if Johnson wins the No. 2 role, he\u2019d be a mid-to-late-high-end backup pick.<\/p>\n
Chris Brazzell, WR, CAR \u2014 The fantasy community loves some Jalen Coker, but Brazzell brings his Christian Watson-like game to Carolina to compete for the No. 2 role. If Brazzell impresses as a rookie, he could be a WR5.<\/p>\n
Omar Cooper, WR, NYJ \u2014 I wrestled with Bell versus Cooper, as I prefer Cooper\u2019s talent, but I prefer Bell\u2019s landing spot. We hope Geno Smith can bounce back from his awful 2025, but regardless, Cooper\u2019s the No. 2 option \u2026 for the Jets. In redraft, I would take the chance on Bell over Cooper, and I might even lean that way in dynasty, as we can only hope the Jets have a much better quarterback in 2027.<\/p>\n
Nicholas Singleton, RB, TEN \u2014 Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears are both free agents next year. Pollard is above average but not terrific, and Spears has struggled to stay healthy and meet his potential. Singleton taking the lead at some point in 2026 wouldn\u2019t be a surprise.<\/p>\n
NFL Draft Veteran Winners<\/p>\n
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, JAX \u2014 Yes, the Jaguars added Chris Rodriguez in free agency, but there were a few rumors that they could draft a running back. Well, Tuten is safe and ready for his breakout sophomore season.<\/p>\n
Cam Skattebo, RB, NYG \u2014 Not only did the Giants not take Love, but they didn\u2019t take a running back at all. They might still add a veteran for depth, given Skattebo is coming off an injury, but this is extremely promising for the second-year back\u2019s potential RB2 value.<\/p>\n
Jordan Mason, RB, MIN \u2014 Aaron Jones is back \u2014 somewhat surprisingly \u2014 and the Vikings didn\u2019t take a running back until 6.17 (Demond Claiborne). Yes, they traded up to get him, but Claiborne is a Nyheim Hines type, and he\u2019s more of a threat to Jones as the passing-game complement to Mason \u2014 who is a fine RB3 value.<\/p>\n
Jayden Reed, WR, GB \u2014 It\u2019s not just the new contract. The Packers didn\u2019t draft any threats to Christian Watson, Reed or Matthew Golden, who is also a potential winner and could grab the No. 3 role after a disappointing rookie year.<\/p>\n
Josh Downs, WR, IND \u2014 Alec Pierce got paid, but Michael Pittman? Yeah, he got traded. Downs is locked in as the No. 2 with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as the likely No. 3 wideout, as the Colts passed on drafting any threat to Downs\u2019 role. There is an opportunity for Downs to be a reliable WR4 this season.<\/p>\n
Konata Mumpfield, WR, LAR \u2014 The Rams didn\u2019t take a wideout in Round 1 \u2026 or 2 or 3. They didn\u2019t select one until CJ Daniels at 6.16. While he somewhat fits the Rams mold as a big slot type, Daniels is a developmental flier, letting Mumpfield start 2026 as the No. 3 option. Then there\u2019s the health risk with Davante Adams, who is also an arguable winner with no top-end talent to push him closer to retirement.<\/p>\n
NFL Draft Veteran Losers<\/p>\n
Tyler Allgeier, RB, ARI \u2014 The excitement for Allgeier potentially leading the Cardinals\u2019 backfield was short-lived. Now, Allgeier\u2019s best case is repeating his production level of the past three seasons, which is an RB3\/4. And that\u2019s if James Conner and\/or Trey Benson stay relatively uninvolved.<\/p>\n
Calvin Ridley, WR, TEN \u2014 Brian Daboll is calling the shots for the Titans offense, and Ridley could have shown there was still something left in the tank. The pick of Carnell Tate \u2014 at 1.03, mind you \u2014 suggests otherwise. Ridley now looks to be the No. 3 option with Tate and Wan\u2019Dale Robinson, who followed Daboll to Tennessee. The Titans are ready for a new No. 1, and even if Ridley had anything left to offer, he\u2019s guaranteed gone next year with a $29.75 million hit but only $7.5 million dead, if cut.<\/p>\n
Tre Harris, WR, LAC \u2014 There is a bit of hope still left for Harris, as it\u2019s only been one year, and Harris was selected with Pick 2.23. And it\u2019s not as if 4.05 is a huge warning sign for anyone. However, Mike McDaniel is calling the plays, and Brenen Thompson has Tank Dell upside. Yes, he also has Isaiah McKenzie downside, but Thompson fits McDaniel\u2019s offense \u2014 getting the ball in the short-to-intermediate area while running free \u2014 so the receiver can put up major YAC. Harris is more of an Alec Pierce type, and if Quentin Johnston sticks, Harris is now buried.<\/p>\n
RJ Harvey, RB, DEN \u2014 Reminder: Sean Payton hates your fantasy team \u2026 and loves a committee. No, Jonah Coleman (pick 4.08) isn\u2019t a huge threat to the lead, but he\u2019s another option for Payton, who already brought back the entire backfield. Whether it\u2019s J.K. Dobbins, Coleman or someone else, Harvey won\u2019t be a guaranteed Top 10 RB without multiple injuries in the backfield.<\/p>\n
Losers Who Could Have Been Winners<\/p>\n
KC Concepcion, WR, CLE \u2014 I was slightly disappointed at first, given it\u2019s the Browns, and Concepcion has a WR2 ceiling on the right team. Just being on the Browns turned him into more of a WR3 (at least until the QB situation improves). But then, Cleveland took Denzel Boston at 2.07. Even if we account for no Jerry Jeudy after this season ($7.15 million dead cap), Harold Fannin is a significant weapon, and this is a Todd Monken offense \u2014 aka, run-heavy. Yes, Concepcion and Boston can be the top-two options in 2027 and beyond, but either rookie WR would have been much more appealing on their own with a lesser secondary option. Plus, we\u2019re still praying the QB room levels up.<\/p>\n
Ja\u2019Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, WR, BAL \u2014 No matter the names, the Ravens just don\u2019t have a consistent No. 2 WR for fantasy. There was a small glimmer of hope with Lane, as he\u2019s a big-play threat and could have developed into a nice WR4 by his second season \u2026 if not for Baltimore also drafting Sarratt. While completely different, Sarratt gets open with ease and could have been a nice volume option on some teams. Even with OC Declan Doyle potentially bumping the passing volume, it\u2019s hard to see either produce reliable numbers while competing with Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews for targets behind Zay Flowers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the 2026 NFL Draft in the books, it\u2019s time for the winners and losers from a fantasy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":630917,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[64,63,622,596,85],"class_list":["post-630916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fantasy-football","tag-football","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630916","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=630916"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630916\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}