2026 NFL fantasy football: 15 rookies worth a late-round draft pick

Stribling’s ADP is surging as of this writing, going from outside the top 200 to inside the top 170 in the last week, but he still qualifies for this post for now. He was earning high praise in training camp and then led the 49ers with seven catches on eight targets for 63 yards, including a majestic 32-yard grab on the sideline, in the team’s first preseason game.

Injuries to Ricky Pearsall -- who is expected to miss the season -- and Christian Kirk cleared the lane for Stribling’s rise early in camp and he hasn’t really looked back, aside from a few missed practices due to hamstring tightness. 49ers future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams heaped praise on the rookie, who was selected with the first pick of Round 2 in April, during the broadcast of San Francisco's preseason opener.

“I don’t know how he missed the first round,” Williams said. “A guy that big that can run that hard and as tough as he is, as willing as he is as a blocker, as smart as he is, I don’t understand how we’d miss out on him.”

Now, Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and, when healthy, George Kittle are going to get their share of targets in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but they’re also going to set up some very favorable matchups for Stribling. It’s hard not to be excited about his trajectory.

I’ve been cool to the idea of hopping aboard the Boston bandwagon because of the Browns’ quarterback situation. The state of the offense, as a whole, is a concern. Their first-time NFL head coach could be starting a QB who hasn’t played in a regular season game in nearly two years. Blocking for whoever ends up under center will be an offensive line that is going to take some time to jell. And they might be leaning on two newcomers at receiver in KC Concepcion and Boston.

There are opportunities in that muck, though, including a chance for Boston to become the team’s WR1. The door is wide open for the second-rounder to claim the title, and he’s already been promoted to the first-team offense. Given his combination of size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) and ball skills, no one should be surprised if he emerges as the top target in Todd Monken’s offense. That could pay off quickly for fantasy managers if Cleveland is consistently playing from behind -- as expected -- and trying to get the ball down the field to Boston as it plays catch-up. Or, better yet, the Browns surprise us all and are more dynamic on offense than anyone is projecting.

Fields’ lack of elite speed cost him in April’s draft, but he’s proving he can go up and get the football against NFL competition. He built on his strong training camp performance with a leaping touchdown grab in the Giants’ first preseason game and is firmly in the running to be the team’s WR2.

There’s a crowd of players looking to complement Malik Nabers -- including Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney -- but Fields could be a go-to guy for Jaxson Dart in the red zone. For a QB who likes to take his chances down the field, the G-Men might have found themselves a perfect fit. Consider me intrigued.

The third-round pick was already generating buzz in Baltimore’s camp, but ESPN’s Jamison Hensley sent the chatter into overdrive on Aug. 8 when he said he’d never seen a Ravens rookie have a camp quite like Lane in 27 years on the beat.

Heady stuff, and the hype carried over to the game field, with Lane scoring the first touchdown -- a 16-yard catch over the middle -- in a preseason-opening win over the Eagles.

I’m concerned it’s going to be extremely difficult for Lane to meet expectations now that they’ve climbed so high. Even some of the more casual managers in your league might be familiar with his rise now. Zay Flowers is clearly the team’s WR1, and Lane still has to contend for targets against TE Mark Andrews and WR Rashod Bateman, among others.

There’s a need for a steady complement to Flowers at wide receiver, though, given Bateman’s ups and downs. Two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson might find Lane’s length especially appealing in the red zone. That’s enough smoke to warrant spending a late-round pick on the USC product.

It’s not often a third-round pick has a legitimate shot of establishing himself as his team’s WR1 from Day 1, but that’s the opportunity presenting itself to Douglas. With the Dolphins in rebuilding mode, gone are Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Douglas joins holdover Malik Washington, free-agent addition Jalen Tolbert (playing for the veteran minimum) and fellow rookie Chris Bell, who was drafted 19 selections after Douglas and made his practice debut on Monday as he works his way back from an ACL tear suffered in his final season at Louisville.

Each has a chance to carve out a leading role in a wide-open race, but Douglas seems to be the clear leader in the clubhouse based on the rave reviews he’s received in training camp. Tight end Greg Dulcich is already referring to him as “a stud.” Folks won’t be lining up to argue with that take after watching Douglas’ one-handed catch in the team’s preseason opener.

There might be significant growing pains for the Miami offense under new head coach Jeff Hafley, but fantasy production counts the same whether a team wins or loses. If Douglas continues to hit it off with QB Malik Willis in the preseason, fantasy managers looking for receiver depth should pounce in the late rounds while acknowledging the risk of the offense face-planting once the season begins.

We’ve crossed into the second half of August and Mendoza hasn’t overtaken Kirk Cousins for the QB1 job, but the rookie is at least earning more looks with the first-team offense. How long Cousins lasts in the starting role is anyone’s guess. I’m not expecting Mendoza to produce like an every-week fantasy starter, even if he does step into the starting job sooner rather than later, but he has the tools to be a low-end fantasy QB2 by midseason. I wouldn’t bother in leagues with only one lineup spot for a QB.

There is plenty to like about Cooper’s game long-term, but the main hindrance to his fantasy stock right now is he appears to be behind Isaiah Williams in the battle to be the Jets’ starting slot receiver, per The Athletic. It’s a matter of time before the job is Cooper’s, right? The YAC beast was a first-round pick for a reason.

Speaking of YAC, let’s not leave Bernard out of the conversation. He shook off tackle attempts by two defenders on his way to a 25-yard gain on his first catch of the night in the Steelers’ preseason opener. He then took reps with the first-team offense in Saturday’s practice. If he earns and maintains Aaron Rodgers’ trust -- no small feat -- Bernard could at least have Flex appeal in deeper leagues. First, he has to move ahead of Roman Wilson on the depth chart.

Williams’ Year 1 stock took a hit when the Commanders signed Stefon Diggs on Aug. 7, but the former Clemson star is still making his presence felt. It might take an injury to clear a lane for him to see starter’s snaps early in 2026. His upside and versatility should eventually earn him a major role, though.

The fifth-rounder continues to build a strong case for immediate playing time. Allen’s probably not going to start out of the gate, but he followed up an impressive camp with a highlight-worthy 13-yard grab in the Chiefs’ first preseason game. He might only be a Rashee Rice injury or off-field issue away from being one of Patrick Mahomes’ top targets.

He was already generating buzz in camp. Then he was targeted six times on 21 snaps against the Jets in Week 1 of the preseason and showed an ability to win off the line of scrimmage in the red zone (though a bad pass fell incomplete). Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan might be ahead of him in the pecking order, but each of those players have dealt with injuries during their careers. Patience could pay off for fantasy managers rostering the 84th overall pick of this year’s draft.

Injury-prone J.K. Dobbins has already missed time this month with a soft-tissue ailment, although he did return to practice on Monday. Still, it’s not hard to envision a scenario where Dobbins is sidelined and Coleman becomes the 1A to RJ Harvey’s 1B in the Broncos’ committee. The rookie is a three-down back who stacked three consecutive 1,100-scrimmage-yard seasons to finish his college career.

If you’re looking for a handcuff after drafting Kenneth Walker III, I’d target Johnson, even though Emari Demercado is ahead of him on the team’s unofficial depth chart. Johnson is in line for a rotational role after leading the Chiefs with 12 carries for 59 yards against the Rams in Week 1 of the preseason, but an injury to Walker could make him the team’s RB1.

If you’re interested in rostering the Ashton Jeanty handcuff, Washington is your guy. He flashed against the Cardinals in the Raiders’ preseason opener, shaking off two defenders on a run up the middle and breaking free for 53 yards. It won’t be a surprise if we see more chunk gains from the fastest running back at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine (4.33-second 40-yard dash).

I acknowledge I'm stretching here. Black wasn’t even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and he’s currently dealing with an adductor injury, but I can’t forget that Kyle Shanahan said back in May that the team rated him the No. 2 RB in this year’s draft, behind only Jeremiyah Love. Christian McCaffrey and Jordan James are sidelined by injuries as of this writing, too, so San Francisco’s RB situation bears monitoring. If you want a handcuff for McCaffrey, the hard-charging 1,000-yard rusher from the Hoosiers must be on your radar.