Time To Build Your Dynasty

Rookie rankings, startup strategy and more

Author

Ian Hartitz
April 27, 2026

The NFL Draft has come and gone. As always, the event did not disappoint: From emotional draft calls to electric hometown walk-outs, watching young men achieve their professional dreams never gets old.

Of course, when the NFL Draft ends, fantasy rookie drafts begin. We've had months to analyze the pros and cons of every prospect, but now it's time to put that dynasty league money where our … fingers are? … and make some draft picks, baby!

Fantasy Life's rookie rankings are updated and ready to help all fellow sickos about to draft—code EARLY25 for 25% any FantasyLife+ subscription!—but below are three more broad takeaways for dynasty nerds ahead of these drafts. As always: It's a great day to be great!

THE, rookie 1.01, y'all: Cardinals RB Jeremiyah Love

It would've been a lot cooler if the Golden Domer landed in an offense that wasn't expected to, you know, suck balls, but that doesn't change the fact that Love is one of the better prospects in the storied history of Fantasy Life Rookie Super Model.

The electric playmaker is understandably expected to immediately lead the way in Arizona. Just look at Fantasy Life's initial Projections (yes, they're already all updated—shoutout Dwain "The Rock" McFarland!):

  • 218 carries (tied for 21st among RBs)

  • 58 targets (8th)

  • 209.4 PPR points (RB17)

Still just 20 years young, Love is deserving of No. 1 overall pick treatment in rookie drafts of all shapes and sizes, even if it might take a year or two for truly elite fantasy numbers to come to fruition.

Hopefully you have a top-4 rookie pick in superflex drafts…

Because there certainly seems to be a bit of a dropoff after Love, Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza, Saints WR Jordyn Tyson and Titans WR Carnell Tate. As discussed on The Fantasy Life Show, this isn't to suggest the rest of the rookies won't be any good eventually, but the next crop of expected picks all have at least one fairly red flag to worry about at the moment.

Quarterback: Rams QB Ty Simpson is suddenly worthy of Round 1 treatment in rookie drafts as Sean McVay's QB of the future … but man, did you see the way McVay reacted to the pick?! Ian Rapoport recently reported the Rams and Stafford have made significant progress on a new extension, meaning Simpson drafters might have to wait more than just one year to reap any potential rewards in fantasy land.

Running back: Surprising first-round Seahawks RB Jadarian Price joins his Notre Dame teammate as the only rookies tentatively expected to lead their backfields from Day 1; the problem for Price is that his lead role is contingent on Zach Charbonnet (knee) remaining sidelined. We literally just saw Charb consistently eat into Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker's workload—we could see Price's potentially hefty early-season workload cut in half by November. Do these Year 1 projections look appealing to you?

Wide receiver: There are plenty of talented pass catchers in this draft; the problem is that virtually all of the highly drafted ones are dealing with high-end target competition in offenses not exactly expected to light up the scoreboard. Browns WR KC Concepcion and Eagles WR Makai Lemon profile as the best long-term bets, but it's tough to be overly enthused about Year 1 expectations. Similar issues apply to fellow Browns WR Denzel Boston and Jets WR Omar Cooper.

Tight end: Jets TE Kenyon Sadiq is projected for the third-most targets in an offense led by soon-to-be 36-year-old QB Geno Smith and could face legit inline competition from rising second-year option Mason Taylor. The position's next-best option is Eagles TE Eli Stowers, who could eventually emerge as a walking, talking mismatch, but at a minimum, there's no way we can realistically expect the Vanderbilt product to overtake longtime starter Dallas Goedert in Year 1.

Honey, get the handcuffs

Lack of firepower in the mid-and-late parts of Round 1 aside, there are a handful of mid-round sleepers who boast an enticing path to fantasy relevance—particularly in the way of backup running backs.

While nobody other than the aforementioned pair of Notre Dame teammates is expected to start from Day 1, the following backs do profile as potential fantasy-friendly handcuffs who are one injury away from being on the cover of every waiver wire article in the industry. In order of when they were drafted …

  • 49ers RB Kaelon Black (3.90, potential handcuff to CMC)

  • Broncos RB Jonah Coleman (4.108, Dobbins)

  • Raiders RB Mike Washington (4.122, Jeanty)

  • Chiefs RB Emmett Johnson (5.161, K9)

  • Titans RB Nicholas Singleton (5.165, Pollard)

  • Ravens RB Adam Randall (5.174, The Big Dog)

It's also worth shouting out Penn State product Kaytron Allen (6.187) inside a Commanders backfield that, well, sucks. Glass-half-full outcome: Allen's physical rushing style might make him best suited to fill Chris Rodriguez's role as the offense's primary early-down and short-yardage back. Glass-half-empty: Well, Allen was a sixth-round pick for a reason.

I'm also contractually obligated to remind you all that new Steelers RB Eli Heidenreich (7.230) had 1,000 RECEIVING yards at NAVY. The history of Round 7 running backs doing much of anything in fantasy land is virtually non-existent, but there are indeed plenty of available pass-game targets in Pittsburgh left over from Kenneth Gainwell in an offense expected to be led by an immobile, geriatric QB. It's very likely Heindenreich doesn't boom at the professional level—but you could imagine what it'd be like if he did!

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The 2026 Rookies Enter The Dynasty Rankings

As Ian mentioned, dynasty rookie draft szn is officially upon us. That said, it’s also prime time for dynasty startup drafts to start the pick timer.

With a new group of rookies entering the startup rankings, Sam Wallace highlighted where every Round 1 rookie ended up in his updated dynasty fantasy football rankings …

Jeremiyah Love | RB | ARI

Let's get something out of the way; I firmly disagree with this pick from a pure football perspective. On a team with significant needs on both sides of the ball (and at more important positions), this was a luxury pick the Cardinals absolutely did not need to make.

However, this is fantasy football … Love is going to smash for fantasy managers this season.

Now firmly entrenched as the 1.01 in 1-QB (and likely SF) formats, Love now slots in as my RB3 in dynasty formats.

Ty Simpson | QB | LAR

Along with the aforementioned Love pick, the Rams spending their first-round pick on a QB, especially one with as many question marks as Ty Simpson, definitely left many feeling a bit confused.

Just ask Sean McVay.

From a team-building perspective, this pick just doesn't make sense. Sure, the Rams need to give some serious consideration to life after Matthew Stafford, but not with this pick. If they wanted Simpson so badly, they could have either traded back or just spent a later pick and still landed him.

From a dynasty perspective, it's at least mildly intriguing. Stafford certainly isn't getting any younger, and McVay is one of the best offensive minds in the league. For this reason, Simpson slots in as my QB32 in dynasty formats.

Makai Lemon | WR | PHI

Barring something unexpected, I think it's safe to assume that A.J. Brown will no longer be a Philadelphia Eagle post-June 1. That has been the perception for a few weeks now, especially given the financial implications. That opens the door for rookie Makai Lemon to make a sizable impact not only in dynasty leagues but also in Year 1.

While our fantasy projections still account for Brown, I would presume DeVonta Smith and Lemon will wind up in a 1A/1B type situation come this fall. Lemon is my dynasty WR21.

You Have The Rankings, Now Onto Draft Strategy …

So you have Sam Wallace’s updated dynasty rankings. You have Ian’s guide to navigating rookie drafts. But what about where you should draft these rookies in your startups? How do you evaluate them when the trusty vets mix in, and what rounds should you draft them in?

That’s why we have Jake on the case …

Worth a Primo Pick

  • Jordyn Tyson | WR | Saints

  • Carnell Tate | WR | Titans

  • KC Concepcion | WR | Browns

Wide receivers whose names are called on the first night of the NFL Draft have a pretty solid hit rate for fantasy. There’s a reason draft capital is the primary input in Dwain McFarland’s excellent Rookie Super Model. I already liked this trio heading into the draft, and thankfully, each one of these first-rounders is walking into situations where they can flourish. 

It would’ve been nice to see Tyson land somewhere as the de facto WR1, like Miami, but I’m certainly not mad about the Saints drafting him. At worst, Tyson becomes the immediate WR2 in New Orleans behind Chris Olave and far ahead of everyone else on the team. His injury history makes me a little queasy for redraft, but it’s not enough to bump him any further down the dynasty draft board.

Although Tennessee has a cluster of respectable receivers, none of them should keep Tate from becoming the top producer on the team as early as this season. He remains one of the safest players to draft from this class, though I’m skeptical about how much upside he brings to the table. He’s the mashed potatoes at this rookie buffet. Nourishing, hard for the chef to f*ck up and unlikely to make your guts scream at you the next day. 

I was a little nervous about Concepcion. Unlike the other receivers I’ve mentioned, he was most landing-spot dependent and the most likely to fall out of the first round. But it worked out. Cleveland’s offense is absolutely bereft of electricity outside of Harold Fannin, and Concepcion’s versatility should be exalted by the coaching staff and QBs alike.

Startup Value: Early 4th through Mid 5th Rounds

Fantasy

Around the Watercooler

The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from our merry band of football nerds …

🚨 Last chance for 25% off FantasyLife+. Use code EARLY25.

👀 It’s also time to start thinking about 2027 with a way-too-early mock draft. Dante Moore or Arch Manning 1.01?

4️⃣ What are you doing at 1.04 in dynasty rookie drafts? Tier break comes after.

🛬 Landing spot is so key in the NFL Draft. Here are the biggest ones for fantasy.

🔥 Jeremiyah Love arriving in the desert with an offensive-minded coach. Sign us up.

🥺 Makai Lemon’s message from his parents … pure emotion.

⚡️ Mike McDaniel, please don’t ever change. Thank you for keeping your shirt on.

ICYMI: NFL Draft Reactions From Day 1

We all were ready for Fernando Mendoza to get drafted by the Raiders, but were you prepared for Jeremiyah Love to go to the Cardinals at No. 3? Kendall, Freedman, Dwain and Ian got together after the first round to break down the fantasy-relevant players. 👀

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