2026 Fantasy Football Rookie Draft Busts: 5 Players to Avoid

April 29, 2026

Frank Ammirante's early-round busts in 2026 dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts. His players to avoid in the first and second rounds, including Jadarian Price and more.

With the 2026 NFL Draft behind us, we now have landing spots for first-year players. That makes it easy to identify early-round busts in 2026 rookie dynasty fantasy football drafts.

When looking for rookie busts, the focus is on players who are overvalued due to their situations. It's also about finding underwhelming prospects who have been bumped up due to surprisingly high draft capital.

With that in mind, find out why Jadarian Price, Kenyon Sadiq, Ty Simpson, De'Zhaun Stribling, and Carson Beck are players to avoid in dynasty rookie drafts.

Jadarian Price (RB - SEA)

Seahawks take RB Jadarian Price at 32, a little suprising they actually did it.

Here is 10 minutes of his highlights to enjoy your night. pic.twitter.com/2JMtN4BbtY

— Sami ON Tap (@SamiOnTap) April 24, 2026

Price rushed 113 times for 674 yards with 11 touchdowns for Notre Dame last year, averaging 6.0 yards per carry as he split work with Jeremiyah Love. At 5-foot-10, 203 pounds, Price is a bit undersized, so there's a good chance that he'll be involved in a committee for most of his career. The positives from his profile lie in his elusiveness as a one-cut runner, which makes him a good fit for the Seahawks.

Dynasty players all love when a running back gets first-round draft capital because it provides job security. However, here's the thing: Price is not a first-round caliber running back. This is a weak RB class, so in previous years, there's a chance that he could have fallen as far as the third round. Most considered the Seahawks' selection here as a reach to address the need.

With Kenneth Walker now with the Chiefs and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL, Seattle desperately needed a running back. However, just because Charbonnet may not be ready for the start of the year doesn't mean he won't be back at some point. From there, expect to see a committee with Price and Charbonnet. I don't trust that Price will be the long-term answer in the backfield for Seattle. In fact, I think that Charbonnet is the better back. That makes me want to look elsewhere in dynasty rookie drafts.

Kenyon Sadiq (TE - NYJ)

Sadiq put up 51 catches for 560 yards and eight touchdowns for Oregon this past season, which isn't exactly dominant production. This is what gives me pause with Sadiq, despite the fact that he's an athletic specimen. Sadiq has an impressive 4.39 speed and can win in the slot, but I can't help but be concerned with the underwhelming numbers in college.

While you have to like the first-round draft capital, the Jets also have Mason Taylor at tight end. Let's not forget Garrett Wilson as the alpha WR1 and fellow first-round wideout Omar Cooper Jr. It's not out of the realm of possibility to see Sadiq as the third or even fourth target in this offense, behind Breece Hall.

Geno Smith gives the Jets some stability at quarterback, but he's a stopgap. Your hope in taking Sadiq is that the Jets will get a young stud signal-caller in next year's draft. But even then, I'm not too excited about using this pick on him. I know it's hard to flip 2026 1sts for 2027 1sts, but perhaps you can go even further to 2028. Another option is to use this pick in a trade for a veteran.

Ty Simpson (QB - LAR)

The Rams are *so* close to a Super Bowl.

Could have added a player who can help them get there.

Instead, they reach on a QB that will sit for a year at 13?

Ty Simpson is the worst pick of the 1st round.

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) April 24, 2026

The Rams shocked the football world when they selected Simpson at 13th overall. The former Alabama quarterback only has 15 career starts under his belt, making him a risky pick for the Rams. Last season, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions, but the inexperience concerns me.

Then you have to consider that Simpson is going to sit on the bench for at least one year. Matthew Stafford hasn't shown any signs of decline, winning the NFL MVP last season. There was a recent report that came out that said that Stafford could play beyond 2026. That means if you're taking Simpson, you may need to wait until 2028 before he plays.

Now I know it's appealing to have a young quarterback mentored by Stafford and coached by Sean McVay, but the fact is that this was widely considered an underwhelming prospect. There's also the outside chance that McVay isn't even coaching the Rams by the time Simpson is ready. While that's unlikely, we can't rule out that scenario. With that in mind, I have no interest in taking Simpson. Do your best to try to trade this pick.

De'Zhaun Stribling (WR - SF)

De'Zhaun Stribling #ReceptionPerception Prospect Profile 🔥

Some highlights:
- 68.4% success rate vs. man coverage
- 67.9% success rate vs. press
- Strong results at the catch point and as a tackle-breaker

Stribling is a tough player to deal with in traffic and with the ball… pic.twitter.com/NiTpQL2YjE

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 21, 2026

Stribling was another shocking pick, as the 49ers reached on him at 33rd overall. This is a senior who put up 55 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns at Ole Miss last season. He'll be entering his age-24 season as a rookie, already behind Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall in the pecking order.

If Stribling exceeds expectations, he can move up the depth chart, but this was a pick that was widely criticized by draft pundits. Most believed that 49ers general manager John Lynch reached hard for Stribling. I'm inclined to agree.

Too many NFL general managers try to look like the smartest person in the room. Not enough attention is paid to consensus thoughts on prospects, which are composed of opinions from respected draft minds. I'm riding with the consensus here. I don't think that Stribling will be a meaningful contributor in fantasy football, making him one to avoid in rookie drafts.

Carson Beck (QB - ARI)

Carson Beck can be a decent backup with a possibility of being a serviceable starter

🟢 Size (6'4'' 233lbs)
🟢 Willing to take a hit, stands tall in pocket
🟢 Won a lot of games in college (37)
🟢 Enough mobility/speed to escape pressure/carry out read option

⚫️ Average arm… pic.twitter.com/xzXYOqSekT

— Andy Kwong 🏈 (@akwong31) April 25, 2026

Beck is a riser in rookie draft ADP because the Cardinals selected him in the third round. With veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett as merely a stopgap, there's a path to immediate playing time for Beck.

But I'm not too excited about that because he's considered an underwhelming prospect. While experience is a good thing for quarterback prospects and Beck has a ton of that, he feels more like a competent backup than a future starter.

With that in mind, as others on this list (and most in rookie drafts, as this is a very weak class), it's not worth it to take them. Try your best to flip this pick for a future one, or go with an underrated veteran. Overpay if you have to.

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