2026 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings (Early Edition): Jeremiyah Love, Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, Chris Brazzell II, KC Concepcion, Justice Haynes

January 5, 2026

2026 fantasy football rookie RB, WR, TE, QB rankings, early edition. RotoBaller's top rookies and draft targets, including Jeremiyah Love, Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, and more.

The 2025 fantasy football season is over, which can only mean it's time for the first look at 2026 rookies for fantasy football! Rookie and dynasty drafts with 2026 prospects will be here before you know it, so check out these way-too-early 2026 fantasy football rookie rankings for all positions. Find out where key NFL Draft prospects like Jeremiyah Love, Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, Chris Brazzell II, KC Concepcion, and Justice Haynes stand in our early cut of rankings among all rookie RBs, WRs, TEs, QBs, and more.

These initial 2026 rookie rankings are put together by Jackson Sparks. We will update these rookie rankings all offseason long, and there will be major shake-ups based on all of the NFL prospect offseason activities, including the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and NFL Draft. It's worth noting that not all of these collegiate players have declared for the NFL Draft yet, and players will be removed and added as those announcements come out. It's never too early to start your research and homework on rising NFL players, so let's get to it!

In addition to these rookie rankings, in our 2025 fantasy football rankings dashboard, you will also find our team's Dynasty League rankings. Bookmark that page, and use it to prepare for all of your 2026 fantasy football dynasty league drafts.

NFL Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Early Edition)

Check out our PPR fantasy football rankings and standard (non-PPR) fantasy football rankings as well:

Recent NFL Draft Prospect News

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Notre Dame running back Love announced his decision to enter the 2026 NFL Draft on Tuesday night. The 2025 Doak Walker Award winner had an electric career with the Irish, rushing 433 times for 2,882 yards (6.7 YPC) and 36 touchdowns in 41 games.

He also hauled in 63 passes for 594 yards and six touchdowns. Love tallied 1,652 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns in 2025 despite sharing a backfield with Jadarian Price, and he finished in third place in this year's Heisman voting. Love is likely to be a first-round pick in next April's draft, and his do-it-all skill set will give him the ability to be an every-down back at the next level.

Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee

Tennessee wide receiver Brazzell is officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Brazzell began his collegiate career at Tulane, securing 44 receptions for 711 yards and five touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2023. He transferred to Tennessee in 2024 and caught 29 passes for 33 yards and two scores. The 6'5" Texas native took a big step forward in 2025, hauling in 62 passes for 1,017 yards (13th nationally) and nine touchdowns (15th nationally).

Brazzell was named a First-Team All-SEC performer following the regular season output, and he'll be an attractive NFL prospect as a big-play contested catch specimen at the next level. ESPN lists Brazzell as the No. 34 overall player in the 2026 NFL Draft class.

Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper (lower body) suffered an injury during the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State in early December, but he is expected to be at full speed against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. This is great news for the Hoosiers, as Cooper led the team in receptions (58) and receiving yards (804) in the team's first 13 games.

He finished second on the team with 11 touchdown grabs. Alabama has the No. 1 passing defense in the SEC (168.4 YPG), so having all his weapons available and healthy for the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal matchup is key for quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

2026 Fantasy Football Rookie Analysis

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

The Heisman Trophy winner appears to be on a 2025 Cameron Ward trajectory here. After being mired in discussions throughout his final college season about whether or not he'll be the top quarterback drafted, Mendoza is set to emerge as the very clear No. 1 quarterback by the time the NFL Draft arrives. Mendoza is an accurate passer with the arm strength to push the ball down the field. He's not the world's greatest athlete, but he has enough athleticism to extend plays when pressured, even if he isn't going to add much fantasy value on the ground.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

This is a very good wide receiver draft, but Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson sticks out slightly above the rest of the receivers, making the 1.03 pick one of the most valuable ones in 2026 dynasty rookie drafts.

Have a night @tyson_jordyn 👏

📺 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/QMHZdx4HHT

— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) August 31, 2025

What really sets Tyson apart is his versatility and route running. An NFL team can stick him anywhere on the field and expect good results. He'll thrive in the short-passing game, and while he's not going to consistently hit on big plays down the field, he should be a PPR monster.

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

There's one smart thing that NFL teams can do every year if they need a wide receiver: draft the best available one from Ohio State. This year, that's Tate. He's not quite the athlete that Tyson is, but he's just as good -- if not better -- as a route runner, and Tate's also a skilled blocker, which should help him see the field immediately.

Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame

The gap between Love and the rest of the running backs is wide, but you could argue that the second-best back in this class is actually his Notre Dame teammate Price. Price hasn't had a chance to really show what he can consistently do since he's playing behind Love, but he's really popped when he's been on the field. He's got a great set of wheels on him and can turn a routine play into a long touchdown.

Jadarian Price WOULD NOT GO DOWN on the way to the end zone. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vvrKQmfrXd

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 4, 2025

KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

Concepcion has been a huge part of Texas A&M's success this season, giving quarterback Marcel Reed a major weapon. He proved this season that he was more than just a role player, showcasing an ability to consistently make big plays for the Aggies.

Concepcion's explosiveness gives him big-play upside any time he touches the ball, but he has plenty he needs to clean up. Drops have been an issue at times, and his frame is a little slight at the moment, so he might struggle against press coverage.

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