Drafting NFL rookies for fantasy football based on Dane Brugler’s 7-round mock draft

Jeremiyah Love has RB1 potential in his rookie year, making him a must-draft first-year player in 2026. Justin Casterline / Getty Images Share full articleThe Athletic’s draft prognosticator Dane Brugler (also the author of “The Beast”) published a seven-round mock draft of the 2026 NFL draft. In response, I’ve completed a two-round rookie draft (skill-position players only and based on a 12-team Superflex league) to discuss the fantasy implications of each rookie’s projected landing spot. While Jeremiyah Love could succeed anywhere, landing in Washington gives him the clearest of paths to an RB1 finish, while Cleveland’s quarterback room may hurt KC Concepcion. Fit matters. 1.01 Fernando Mendoza, QB, LV: If you are set at quarterback with at least three long-term options, you pass on Mendoza. If fewer than three, he’s worth the gamble given his ceiling is a career-long QB1. The downside, and why I have no issue with not wanting to risk it, is that Mendoza isn’t the Raiders’ quarterback come 2029. 1.02 Jeremiyah Love, RB, WAS: A slightly bigger version of Jahmyr Gibbs should have you salivating, which is why Love is worth taking 1.01, even in Superflex leagues. The Commanders’ offense should be one of the best if everyone stays healthy, and Love would average 15+ touches with Rachaad White, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jerome Ford as his backups. Love would carry rookie expectations similar to Gibbs, who finished as a backend RB1 in his inaugural NFL campaign. 1.03 Mike Washington, RB, SEA: Kenneth Walker is gone, Zach Charbonnet might miss a majority of 2026, and Emanuel Wilson is a nice backup. Washington is a potential beast. It’s fun because one player he reminds me of is Chris Carson, which means Washington could be in the high-end RB2 conversation with a ceiling for more. 1.04 Carnell Tate, WR, NO: Imagine George Pickens on the Saints. Tyler Shough’s success was a surprise to most, but what wasn’t a surprise was how much more he pushed the ball downfield than Spencer Rattler. Tate bringing his No. 1 wideout ability to the Saints would put him in play to challenge Chris Olave as their top option. Olave won’t take the No. 2 role without a fight, but Tate has Top 25 upside as a rookie and a higher career-long ceiling. 1.05 Elijah Sarratt, WR, LV: Is there a Waffle House in Las Vegas? There is now, as Sarratt not only will be open 24/7, he’ll be back with his quarterback from Indiana, and we’ve seen how teammate rapport carries into the NFL. As a rookie, Sarratt could lead the Raiders in targets, or be only behind Brock Bowers. 1.06 Denzel Boston, WR, WAS: A Courtland Sutton-type alongside Terry McLaurin? Sign me up. Wait, Washington is projected to select another WR in the second round. If it were only Boston going to the Commanders, perhaps he’d be ahead of Tate, especially with Jayden Daniels’ career still in the early stages. The Commanders have a virtual void behind McLaurin, and Boston would rectify that, but so would the other pick, which dings Boston a bit, given the competition for targets. 1.07 Chris Bell, WR, MIA: The Dolphins have … well … not much. I’d say more, but I’m trying to avoid being mean. Bell has some Brandon Marshall and Robert Meachem to his game, and that’s better than anything Malik Willis currently has to work with. Bell, like Boston, is dinged a bit by Miami’s later mock pick, but he would be the Dolphins’ top receiver from Day 1, especially if they feel good enough about his post-injury ability to take him 43rd overall. 1.08 Makai Lemon, WR, NYJ: Lemon would rank higher on his ability (should be 90% Amon-Ra St. Brown), but the quarterback situation isn’t pretty in New York, adding risk to his rookie season and uncertainty for 2027 and beyond. Nevertheless, the upside of Lemon and Garrett Wilson together is enticing. 1.09 KC Concepcion, WR, CLE: If the quarterback situation were cleaner and better, Concepcion would have been in the conversation for the best rookie wideout. The Browns’ top option is Jerry Jeudy, with Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond after that. Harold Fannin is a beast in the making, and Concepcion will be the quarterback’s best friend, but who is the Browns’ QB this year? And who will it be in 2027 and beyond? Those unanswered questions add risk for Concepcion in Cleveland. 1.10 Jordyn Tyson, WR, LAR: If Davante Adams weren’t around, and Matthew Stafford was 10 years younger, heck, even five years younger, Tyson would be the first non-QB/non-Love pick. Unfortunately, Tyson would have to wait a year before replacing Adams, and his quarterback in 2027 would be unknown. The 2027 class looks good on paper, but you know what they say about counting chickens; 2026 was once also supposed to be pretty good. Great talent. Great team. Unfortunately, not the greatest for us in fantasy with so many unknowns. 1.11 Ty Simpson, QB, ARI: It’s Superflex, so while I have major concerns with Simpson, his pre-injury play showed promise, and going to the Cardinals would open the door to rookie-year starts. The ceiling is that Simpson likely caps out as a fringe QB1 in fantasy if he hits, so this is a lottery pick, even this early. 1.12 Malachi Fields, WR, PHI: We assume A.J. Brown will be traded. If that happens before the draft and the Eagles take Fields, you could argue for him being ahead of Tyson. As of today, he’s behind Brown and DeVonta Smith, at least for 2026. Fields would fill the role of Brown, especially in the red zone, which would make Fields a decent WR3/4 flier in 2026 and a potential Top 25 option for his career. 2.01 Omar Cooper, WR, PIT: Mike McCarthy loves some three-wide sets, but the Steelers already have DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman. While Cooper makes this a great trio, we also don’t know if the quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard, or … more on the third option later. I see some Tyler Lockett to Cooper’s game, which makes the Metcalf pairing fun, but Cooper likely starts as the No. 3 option with QB uncertainty to boot. 2.02 Jonah Coleman, RB, BAL: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Rasheen Ali. That’s the Ravens’ RB depth chart. Coleman and his similarities to Frank Gore would be the favorite to back up Henry and step in as a Top 20 option if Henry gets hurt. He would also have future potential for when Henry is done (possibly after 2027). 2.03 Jadarian Price, RB, HOU: David Montgomery is the clear top option in Houston, but Woody Marks was woefully inefficient. Price is a Raheem Mostert-type who could step in behind Montgomery with Top 20 upside if Monty were to get hurt. Price also would have that same upside as early as next season with Montgomery on a two-year deal and only a $2 million dead cap hit in 2027. 2.04 De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, NE: This one made me chuckle, not because Dane is high on Stribling, but because it would make sense, as the Patriots have a type: downfield threats. My comp was Romeo Doubs meets Jalen Tolbert, and they already have Doubs, but Stribling could leapfrog the rest to be the No. 2. That would make him a volatile WR4 in fantasy. 2.05 Bryce Lance, WR, ATL: Lance, with his Rashid Shaheed-like ability, would step in as the No. 2 and fill the void left by Darnell Mooney. The hope would be that Lance could be a 100% healthy version of Mooney and a WR4 for fantasy. 2.06 Ted Hurst, WR, WAS: So, Hurst is one of the most hyped “overlooked” (from Georgia State) rookies, and for good reason. He reminds me of an Alec Pierce or Michael Wilson, but like them, Hurst will take time to hit in fantasy, especially with the aforementioned Boston pick. 2.08 Kaytron Allen, RB, NYG: Cam Skattebo isn’t a guarantee returning from a major injury, Tyrone Tracy is a nice timeshare piece, the coaching staff has zero ties to either, and Allen has some Tyler Allgeier appeal. Yes, that means he could be buried behind both if Skattebo is healthy, but Allen could also lead a timeshare if he looks the best … or anything like his peak days at Penn State. 2.09 Kenyon Sadiq, TE, BAL: The Ravens extended Mark Andrews through 2028, but the final year has an out, and that extension surprised many, given his declining play. Sadiq would be a pure upside chase given his ceiling to be a Vernon Davis. The risk is time-sharing for years, as Isaiah Likely did. 2.10 Chris Brazzell, WR, IND: Speaking of Metcalf, Brazzell brings that style/ability to the Colts. That’s intriguing if Brazzell can pass Josh Downs on the depth chart. The quarterback situation isn’t the best if Daniel Jones isn’t ready or gets hurt again, but Brazzell has an easier path than some others. 2.11 Germie Bernard, WR, SF: Mike Evans might only last one season before ceding way to other options or even hanging up the cleats, but as a rookie, Bernard is behind Evans, Ricky Pearsall and, if healthy, George Kittle. Oh, also, Christian McCaffrey will see WR-level targets again, which makes this Golden Tate-like receiver interesting only if Pearsall gets hurt again and/or Kittle doesn’t return until late, and even then, Bernard is more of a 2028 and beyond value. 2.12 Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, MIA: At best, Lane could be a lesser Tee Higgins. At worst, he could be forgotten in a few years, like Donovan Peoples-Jones. The Dolphins give him a decent opportunity for the former, with an opportunity to be a top-three, possibly even top-two option with Bell, as a rookie. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, PIT: I have plenty more concerns with Nussmeier than with Simpson, but we’re doing this before knowing Rodgers’ plans. Nussmeier has Sam Darnold’s risk and potential, with way more lean toward the risk. As mentioned, though, with no Rodgers, he’d only have to get past Howard and Mason Rudolph, and in Superflex, even a mid-low QB2 has value. Zachariah Branch, WR, ARI: The risk with Branch is that he gets pigeonholed into a gadget role, and for the immediate future, that’s actually the best he can hope for behind Marvin Harrison, Michael Wilson and Trey McBride. Antonio Williams, WR, LAC: He’ll likely get buried, but he’s worth a flier given Mike McDaniel’s offensive style. Quentin Johnston isn’t the best fit on paper, and if Tre Harris and Johnston don’t impress McDaniel, Williams could sneak his way into a top-three role with his Sterling Shepard-like play. That would immediately carry WR5 value with future WR3 potential. Deion Burks, WR, NYG: If Malik Nabers is ready, Burks is buried behind him, Darnell Mooney and Isaiah Likely. After all, there aren’t many examples of second wideouts having much fantasy consistency under John Harbaugh. Still, Burks could surprise and become a Hollywood Brown for Jaxson Dart, and Mooney is on a one-year contract. Eli Stowers, TE, CAR: Ja’Tavion Sanders hasn’t hit yet, and Tommy Tremble is more of a depth tight end than a real-deal starter. Stowers can be the Panthers’ version of Evan Engram, which gives tight-end-needy teams a target in rookie drafts. Sam Roush, TE, MIA: Greg Dulcich is the top option in Miami as of today, but Roush is coming from an NFL-style offense with some Jack Doyle to his game. The Dolphins are essentially clean slating it, so Roush could be in the mid-high TE2 conversation as early as late-2026. Spot the pattern. 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