Lesson from Last Year:
1: Round 1 WRs who land in great situations produce for fantasy.
What happened last year:
Tetairoa McMillan landed exactly where he needed to. The Carolina Panthers selected the wide receiver with the 8th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he immediately became their WR1. McMillan finished as the overall WR16 in PPR formats, averaged 12.4 PPR fantasy points per game, and scored in double figures in six of his final eight games.
Landing in Carolina helped the former Arizona star emerge as a solid fantasy option in Year 1. He finished as the overall WR16 in PPR formats and averaged 12.4 PPR fantasy points per game. McMillan also scored in double figures in six of his final eight games.
What it means for this draft:
There could be as many as six wide receivers selected in the first round. Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Denzel Boston, Omar Cooper Jr., and KC Concepcion are all in play to be instant fantasy producers.
Whichever WR lands with the Cleveland Browns or Miami Dolphins immediately becomes a fantasy target worth rostering. Both teams are desperate for a true WR1, and one of these rookie WRs could instantly be the top playmaker on these respective offenses.
(👀 Both the Browns and the Dolphins also have two first-round picks in this year’s draft.)
2: RBs selected in the top 10 are not always fantasy superstars right away.
What happened last year:
Ashton Jeanty carried enormous expectations into his rookie season. The Las Vegas Raiders took the running back with the 6th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and his projected workhorse role made him a late first-round pick in most fantasy drafts.
The results were underwhelming - Jeanty finished as the RB13 in half-PPR formats and scored under 10 fantasy points in four of his last five games.
What it means for this draft:
Jeremiyah Love will be one of the most targeted players in fantasy drafts this summer. He could go as high as 3rd overall to the Arizona Cardinals and has the tools to produce right away. But high draft capital does not guarantee elite Year 1 numbers. All four teams linked to Love - the Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and Washington Commanders - share two red flags:
Solid running backs already on the roster who could limit his role
Extremely low offensive floors, similar to Las Vegas last season
There is plenty of upside here, but proceed with caution before going all-in on Love early in your fantasy drafts.
3: Round 1 TEs are worth the swing.
What happened last year:
There has been a wave of first round TEs producing in fantasy in recent years. Brock Bowers finished as the overall TE1 in 2024, and both Tyler Warren (TE4) and Colston Loveland (TE12) were top 12 options at the position in 2025.
Both Warren and Loveland were top 15 picks in last year’s draft. Warren went No. 14 overall to the Colts, and Loveland went No. 10 overall to the Bears. That high draft capital, combined with their solid landing spots on up-and-coming offenses, made them strong fantasy options right away.
What it means for this draft:
There is a strong chance that two tight ends could be selected in the first round of next week’s draft. Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq could be a mid-first-round pick, while Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers could creep into the backend of the first round.
If both of these tight ends land in solid situations, they could be fantasy relevant in 2026. Teams like the Dolphins, Chargers, Jets, and Panthers would all be fantastic landing spots for both Sadiq and Stowers, and could lead to them being fantasy relevant very soon.
Be sure to check out our updated rookie write-ups in the Rookie Guide!
