- Jeremiyah Love lands with the Arizona Cardinals: While there might have been better landing spots for Love, he remains the clear top option in dynasty rookie drafts, given his talent and the draft capital the Cardinals spent on him.
- Two wide receivers get selected in the top-10: Carnell Tate was selected fourth overall by the Tennessee Titans, and Jordyn Tyson was selected eighth overall by the New Orleans Saints. Both players were drafted earlier than expected.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
The first day of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books. Entering the draft, there was a clear consensus on the top nine dynasty rookies, including Jeremiyah Love, Fernando Mendoza, Kenyon Sadiq and the top six wide receivers.
The first round expanded that group. The Los Angeles Rams added Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall, while Jadarian Price — the clear RB2 in the class — landed in an ideal spot with the Seattle Seahawks. Five of the six top wide receivers were selected, with Denzel Boston the lone exception, bringing the total to 10 fantasy-relevant players in Round 1.
These dynasty rookie rankings are for superflex leagues. Updated rankings will be published after each day of the draft, along with a version for single-quarterback leagues once all seven rounds are complete.
Last updated: 11:59 p.m. Thursday, April 23
1. RB Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals (RB1, Round 1-Pick 3)
Love is a top-five player on PFF's predictive big board and was picked third overall, the highest draft position for a running back since Saquon Barkley. Running backs selected in the top 10 have generally found immediate fantasy success. When a team spends a pick that high on a running back, it typically gives him significant volume in his rookie season, regardless of efficiency.
Ashton Jeanty, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are the only running backs selected within the first 20 picks over the past five seasons, and all three finished in the top 12 as rookies. Other first-round picks include Najee Harris, who finished as RB3 in his rookie season, as well as Omarion Hampton and Travis Etienne, who dealt with injuries as rookies.
One reason Love stands out is his receiving ability. While others have compiled larger raw totals, Love ranks second among the top 20 running backs in PFF receiving grade (79.2). That skill set will benefit both his NFL team and his fantasy value.
The Cardinals weren’t an ideal landing spot, with strong options in Tyler Allgeier, James Conner and Trey Benson. Arizona also ranked among the bottom 10 teams in points scored. Its 55.3 run-blocking grade ranked fourth-lowest in the NFL last season. However, Love’s talent, combined with the draft capital spent on him, is enough to overcome the situation and keep him as the top player in dynasty rookie drafts.
2. WR Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans (WR1, Round 1-Pick 4)
Tate was expected to be a top-10 pick, but it was a surprise that the Titans selected him in the top five. The best-case scenario is that he ends up like Ja’Marr Chase or Malik Nabers, both of whom were top-six options at their position in their rookie seasons. Jaylen Waddle, Garrett Wilson and Tetairoa McMillan were other recent top-10 wide receivers who immediately worked out to be fantasy starters.
Tate joins Tennessee, where he should be the Titans’ top outside receiving option. Tennessee restructured Calvin Ridley, who will likely be the other outside receiver, while Wan’Dale Robinson was a big-name free agent addition to line up in the slot. In 2024, Robinson had Nabers as a rookie, and he generated the second-highest target rate at 29.8%. There is a chance Tate could be among the top-10 wide receivers in target share as a rookie.
Tate’s fantasy production in his rookie season will largely depend on how much better Cam Ward plays. The two will be tied together for the foreseeable future, but Ward’s 56.4 passing grade last season was the fifth-lowest among those with at least 150 dropbacks.
3. QB Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders (QB1, Round 1-Pick 1)
Typically, quarterbacks who are the first overall pick end up higher in dynasty rookie superflex rankings, but there are a few reasons Mendoza is lower than the typical first overall pick.
Mendoza will be joining the Raiders, who had the third-lowest team offensive grade last season. Ideally, the team will have left tackle Kolton Miller back at full strength and can add reinforcements to the wide receiver room and offensive line this offseason. The better the Raiders look, the more he could move up these rankings.
He also does not offer the rushing upside of most recent first-round quarterbacks. Based on PFF tracking data, he ranks among the bottom three in athleticism and top speed among first-round quarterbacks over the past three seasons, alongside Bryce Young and Cam Ward. Both averaged fewer than 16 rushing yards per game. He also recorded a 69.3 career PFF rushing grade, ranking ahead of only Young, Stroud, Michael Penix Jr. and Kenny Pickett.
He is the best option in this class as a pure passer, but he ranks ninth among 13 first-round quarterbacks in PFF passing grade over the past five years. He ranks ahead of Jayden Daniels, Kenny Pickett, Ward and Anthony Richardson.
The combination of these factors makes Mendoza riskier than a typical first-overall quarterback. Compared to the number of proven quarterbacks in the league, as well as the high-end upside at wide receiver in this class, it is reasonable to wait a few picks before selecting Mendoza.
4. WR Makai Lemon, Philadelphia Eagles (WR2, Round 1-Pick 20)
Lemon is a unique receiver in that he spent most of his college career in the slot. Several wide receivers selected in the top 20 of recent drafts also played significant snaps in the slot, including Drake London, Treylon Burks, Malik Nabers and Emeka Egbuka. All four transitioned to playing more on the outside in the NFL, but they were also bigger than Lemon.
Lemon lands with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he should be their primary slot receiver. The Eagles are very likely to trade A.J. Brown. While DeVonta Smith has played well in the slot earlier in his career, Smith received an 89.9 receiving grade when lined up out wide last season, compared to 62.9 in the slot. We can expect Smith outside, Lemon in the slot, and some combination of Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown as the other outside receiver.
Considering the Eagles are a run-heavy team, and Lemon will be their second receiving option, his fantasy value could be limited unless he excels immediately. Brown and Smith both finished among the top-20 fantasy wide receivers in two of the last three seasons, so he may accomplish this again.
5. WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints (WR3, Round 1-Pick 8)
Tyson was the second wide receiver selected, and, in general, top-10 wide receivers have significant potential, even in their rookie season. Our draft guide gave Tyson excellent marks in every category outside of his blocking. The biggest concern was his various injuries, but recent reports suggested NFL teams weren’t as worried about them, and that showed in how early he was selected.
He joins the Saints, where he will be the second option across from Chris Olave. Tyson projects as an outside receiver, and that becomes more likely in New Orleans, where Olave plays well in the slot, and third receiver Devaughn Vele is primarily a slot receiver.
While Tyson is very talented and was highly sought after, this was not the best landing spot compared to other teams he could have joined. Most other teams that could have considered a first-round wide receiver had a better offense, had a better quarterback, had a high chance of adding a great quarterback in the 2027 draft, or had minimal competition for targets. Most teams were better than the Saints in two or three of these categories. In Kellen Moore‘s offenses, most wide receivers who find fantasy success are slot receivers. However, those situations could be temporary, and if Tyson plays well enough, he will overcome those challenges.
6. RB Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks (RB2, Round 1-Pick 32)
Price has emerged as the second-best running back of the class, despite being a backup last season. He has the least collegiate experience among the top-10 running backs of the class, but his 6.0 yards per carry were second-best among the top-20 running backs behind Love. He is tied for the most yards after contact per carry at 4.3.
Where he really stands out is his rate of making big plays. He has both the best rate of runs with a 1.5 grade or better, as well as the highest rate of runs with a 1.0 grade.
His inexperience is a red flag, particularly as a receiver. He has 15 receptions over the last three seasons. His 9% targets per route are by far the lowest among the 20 running backs. However, our draft guide notes his strength and willingness as a pass protector could still make him a three-down back.
Most big boards had Price as a second-round player, but he went higher than expected to the Seahawks. Seattle was the team most in need of a running back after losing Kenneth Walker III in free agency and Zach Charbonnet due to an ACL injury. Price has an opportunity to be an immediate starter for both the Seahawks and fantasy teams. There is a concern Price could get stuck in the Walker role once Charbonnet is healthy, but he might not be fully healthy at any point this season.
7. QB Ty Simpson, Los Angeles Rams (QB2, Round 1-Pick 13)
Simpson was a surprise pick for Los Angeles, as many expected him to be selected late in the first round or early in the second. He started only 15 games in college, beginning his short career strongly but struggling as the season progressed. Our draft breakdown of Simpson called him a solid starter, and that he ideally would have had another year to improve his decision-making and get a better feel in the pocket.
Luckily, Simpson will have another year, but will need to improve during practice rather than during games. Matthew Stafford was the NFL’s MVP last season and will be the Rams' starter for as long as he is healthy. This means Simpson will need to sit for at least one season. Stafford is 38 years old and may not be in Los Angeles much longer after 2026, especially if Simpson develops.
Luckily, whenever Simpson is the starter, he will be in an excellent situation. Sean McVay is arguably the best coach in the NFL, and the Rams had by far the highest offensive grade among teams last season at 92.0, even when excluding quarterbacks from every team. Simpson would be a borderline fantasy starter in single quarterback leagues once he’s in the starting lineup, and certainly a starter in superflex leagues.
8. WR KC Concepcion, Cleveland Browns (WR4, Round 1-Pick 24)
Concepcion started his career as a slot receiver for NC State but was more well-rounded in his alignment at Texas A&M. According to our draft guide, he wins with quickness, allowing him to gain separation. He had a problem with drops throughout college, but that hasn’t been a predictive number heading into the NFL. His player comp was Luther Burden III, as he is someone who can play multiple positions on offense.
He joins Cleveland, which had the biggest need among all teams for a wide receiver. Last season, 10 teams had a team PFF wide receiver receiving grade below 70.0. Seven teams have made one or more moves in free agency to improve their team, and two teams dealt with significant injuries at the position. The one wide receiver room that looks similar to last season is the Browns, and they had the lowest team PFF receiving grade of the group.
Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Isaiah Bond, Malachi Corley, Gage Larvadain and Jamari Thrash were the six wide receivers for Cleveland last season, and they remain the top six on the depth chart at the moment. Corley was the only one with a PFF receiving grade above 60.0, at 65.1, but he only caught 11 passes for 789 yards. Jeudy was the only wide receiver with more than 25 receptions, and he caught 50 for 602 yards.
Concepcion has an opportunity to lead the Browns in targets as a rookie, giving Concepcion possibly higher upside in 2026 than some of the wide receivers drafted ahead of him, but less long-term upside, as the Browns will likely invest more at wide receiver in the coming seasons.
9. TE Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets (TE1, Round 1-Pick 16)
There is no equivalent to Brock Bowers, Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland in this tight end class, but Sadiq is the one tight end expected to be drafted in the first round, while no tight end is expected to go in the second round.
Sadiq is one of seven tight ends who have been expected to go in the first round of the last six drafts. Sadiq is more like Bowers, Loveland, Kyle Pitts and Dalton Kincaid in that they are lighter tight ends known mostly for their receiving ability, rather than Michael Mayer and Warren, who are more well-rounded tight ends.
Sadiq is on the shorter side for tight ends, like Kincaid, but his speed is elite, like the other receiving tight ends. While Sadiq is similar to these tight ends in terms of athleticism, he doesn’t have the same production as the other receivers. He has a 73.7 PFF receiving grade in his career, while the other four comparable receivers were at 88.0 or better. He played behind Terrance Ferguson in 2023 and 2024, which didn’t help him. While he led Oregon in receiving production last season, the leading wide receivers, and even his backup, Jamari Johnson, had higher target rates.
Sadiq was expected to be a mid-first round pick, which happened, but to a surprising landing spot. He goes to the New York Jets, who drafted Mason Taylor in the second round last season. Sadiq has a realistic chance to finish second on the team in targets, but the Jets offense will need to make significant improvements for Sadiq to score a lot of touchdowns.
10. WR Omar Cooper Jr., New York Jets (WR5, Round 1-Pick 30)
Cooper is a well-balanced receiver with significant experience out of the slot, but should be able to play the Z receiver role for an NFL team. Cooper was the second receiver taken by the Jets on the first day of the draft after taking Kenyon Sadiq 14 picks earlier.
Cooper will likely help the Jets more than he helps fantasy managers, at least early in his rookie season. Both he and Garrett Wilson fill more of a Z/slot role, while Adonai Mitchell is a clear X receiver. New offensive coordinator Frank Reich is used to having a tall X receiver like D.J. Chark, Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr.; however, T.Y. Hilton at 5’10” also filled that role at times in the Colts offense. This makes it questionable if Cooper will play in two-receiver sets. The Jets also appear to be a team that will use a lot of 12 personnel after drafting two tight ends early in the last two seasons.
However, Cooper was the 24th overall player on our big board, and fourth among wide receivers. There have been plenty of situations where a wide receiver appears slated for a lower-than-ideal snap rate, but ends up playing much more than expected. Cooper is still a better bet than any wide receiver selected later than him.
Dynasty rookie top 60: 11-60
| Rank | Position | Name |
| 11 | WR | Denzel Boston |
| 12 | RB | Mike Washington Jr. |
| 13 | TE | Eli Stowers |
| 14 | RB | Jonah Coleman |
| 15 | RB | Emmett Johnson |
| 16 | WR | Chris Bell |
| 17 | RB | Nicholas Singleton |
| 18 | WR | Germie Bernard |
| 19 | WR | Chris Brazzell II |
| 20 | WR | Elijah Sarratt |
| 21 | WR | Zachariah Branch |
| 22 | WR | Antonio Williams |
| 23 | WR | Ted Hurst |
| 24 | RB | Kaytron Allen |
| 25 | WR | Skyler Bell |
| 26 | WR | Bryce Lance |
| 27 | WR | Malachi Fields |
| 28 | TE | Max Klare |
| 29 | RB | Demond Claiborne |
| 30 | QB | Garrett Nussmeier |
| 31 | WR | Deion Burks |
| 32 | WR | Ja'Kobi Lane |
| 33 | WR | De'Zhaun Stribling |
| 34 | TE | Sam Roush |
| 35 | TE | Justin Joly |
| 36 | RB | Kaelon Black |
| 37 | RB | Seth McGowan |
| 38 | RB | Le'Veon Moss |
| 39 | RB | Jaydn Ott |
| 40 | WR | Brenen Thompson |
| 41 | RB | J'Mari Taylor |
| 42 | WR | Josh Cameron |
| 43 | QB | Drew Allar |
| 44 | WR | Cyrus Allen |
| 45 | WR | Reggie Virgil |
| 46 | TE | Michael Trigg |
| 47 | QB | Carson Beck |
| 48 | WR | Jeff Caldwell |
| 49 | WR | Kevin Coleman Jr. |
| 50 | TE | Oscar Delp |
| 51 | TE | Eli Raridon |
| 52 | TE | Jack Endries |
| 53 | RB | Adam Randall |
| 54 | WR | C.J. Daniels |
| 55 | QB | Cade Klubnik |
| 56 | QB | Cole Payton |
| 57 | QB | Taylen Green |
| 58 | WR | Caleb Douglas |
| 59 | TE | Marlin Klein |
| 60 | WR | Kendrick Law |
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