2026 Fantasy Football Rookie Wide Receiver Rankings (Pre-NFL Draft)

January 29, 2026

Updated 2026 fantasy football rookie wide receiver rankings. RotoBaller's top rookies and dynasty draft targets, including Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Chris Brazzell II, and more.

The incoming rookie wide receiver group is, without a doubt, the strongest position in the 2026 class among fantasy positions. This year's class has a great mix of early-round studs and late-round sleepers, so nailing your rookie draft picks at WR could set your team up for years of success. Let us help with our 2026 NFL rookie wide receiver rankings. Below, you'll see where key WR prospects like Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Denzel Boston, Makai Lemon, and Chris Brazzell II stand, among the other top 50 pass-catchers.

We will update these 2026 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 never too early to start your research and homework on rising NFL players, so let's get to it! These initial 2026 rookie rankings are put together by Jackson Sparks, Matt Donnelly, and Phil Clark.

In addition to these rookie rankings, in our 2026 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.

2026 NFL Rookie Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football

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

Fantasy Football NFL Rookie Wide Receiver News and Outlooks

Makai Lemon, USC

USC wide receiver Makai Lemon had a breakout season as a true junior, collecting 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. He has already declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, and many draft analysts project the 21-year-old to be a top-20 pick in April. The Trojans ranked fifth in passing yards per game (296.0) in 2025, and Lemon led the program in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's most outstanding wide receiver, and was named a Unanimous All-American. If Lemon fetches the high-end draft capital he's expected to, he'll be a sure-fire first-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts. His landing spot and quarterback situation will help shape his rookie season outlook in 2026.

Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is leaving school early and declaring for the 2026 NFL draft, per ESPN's Pete Thamel. Tate is expected to be one of the top wide receivers off the draft board and could be an early first-round selection in April. Across 11 games for the Buckeyes in 2025, Tate recorded 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.

He established himself as one of the premier downfield threats in college football, averaging over 17 yards per reception in 2025 and 15.5 yards per reception across 39 career college games. Speculatively speaking, Tate could be a good fit for a wide receiver-needy team with a top ten pick like the Cleveland Browns or the New Orleans Saints. Regardless of where he ends up, Tate is a name for fantasy managers in all league formats to monitor heading into 2026.

KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion was dynamic and productive in his lone season in College Station, catching 61 passes for 919 yards and nine touchdowns. He added 75 rushing yards, 456 kick return yards, one rushing score, and two return touchdowns. Concepcion has flashed as an explosive playmaker since his freshman season at NC State, when he tallied 1,159 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns. The 21-year-old's production and athletic profile checks all the boxes of a potential difference-maker at the NFL level.

Hopefully, he lands with an innovative offense coach who can put him in the best situations to succeed. Concepcion currently projects to be a late-first-round pick, which puts him firmly in the first-round discussion in dynasty rookie drafts.

Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. He is one of five players from the College Football Playoff National Championship Game to submit written notice to the NFL informing them of his intention to forgo his collegiate eligibility. Cooper spent four seasons with the Hoosiers, collecting 115 receptions for 1,798 yards and 22 touchdowns in 42 career games.

He had a breakout final season in Bloomington while catching passes from Fernando Mendoza, tallying 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns. He added three carries for 73 yards and a touchdown as a runner. The Indianapolis native is currently projected as a third-round pick in April, making him an intriguing later-round option in dynasty rookie drafts.

Germie Bernard, Alabama

Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard is NFL-bound following two productive seasons in the SEC with the Crimson Tide. The 22-year-old began his career at Michigan State before transferring to Washington in 2023. Despite sharing a field with Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja'Lynn Polk, Bernard caught 34 passes for 419 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore.

He followed head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama ahead of the 2024 season, and he led the Tide in receptions in his junior and senior seasons with two different starting quarterbacks. Overall, Bernard snagged 114 receptions for 1,656 yards and nine touchdowns in 27 games over the last two years. He's slated to be a second-round pick in April's 2026 NFL Draft, which will likely be where he goes off the board in dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts.

Denzel Boston, Washington

Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston is one of the top prospects at the position in the 2026 NFL Draft class, and at this point in the offseason, he's a projected first-round pick. The 22-year-old was buried behind Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja'Lynn Polk during his first two collegiate seasons. However, he's been the Huskies' top wideout in each of the last two seasons. In 25 games since the start of the 2024 campaign, he's hauled in 125 receptions for 1,715 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Listed at 6'4", Boston has excellent body control and quickness, traits coveted by the NFL among big-bodied wide receivers. Assuming Boston performs well in the pre-draft process, it would be no surprise to hear his name called on Day 1 of April's draft. His landing spot will determine his rookie upside, but either way, he should be a valuable dynasty rookie draft asset in Round 1.

Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch has officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Branch began his career at USC before spending his third and final collegiate season in Athens. Overall, the dynamic playmaker tallied 159 receptions for 1,634 yards and nine receiving touchdowns in 37 career games.

He also rushed 15 times for 94 yards and a touchdown and tallied over 1,300 yards and two touchdowns as a kick and punt returner. Branch didn't have the most productive career as a pure receiver, but he has elite speed and athleticism that NFL decision-makers should get excited about. His fantasy football ceiling could be limited if he's relegated to a gadget role in an offense, but in the right setting, he could produce boom weeks right away in his 2026 rookie campaign.

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