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Matt's 2026 dynasty fantasy football rookie draft mid-round sleepers and gems. His fantasy football outlooks for five rookie wide receivers (WR) to pick up in rookie drafts.
With only seven wide receivers being selected within the first two rounds of April's NFL Draft, the door is wide open for a dark-horse candidate or two to emerge as greater sleeper values later in your fantasy football rookie drafts.
So, which rookie wide receivers should dynasty managers target now and for the future in their rookie drafts? Scroll on down for that answer and more as we take a closer look at five wide receiver prospects that could have the biggest return on investment in this year's rookie drafts.
For a deeper dive into dynasty strategy, rankings, and trade tactics, check out our complete Dynasty Fantasy Football Guide.
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Brenen Thompson, Los Angeles Chargers
Make no mistake, the selection of Brenan Thompson to the Chargers was for the new offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, who was more than willing to take his shirt off if it meant Thompson would be a Charger. In Thompson, McDaniel has a chess piece he can move around the formation and create advantageous looks for Justin Herbert.
"if you're not fired up, you're dead" - mike mcdaniel pic.twitter.com/8oUsYZlJ5a
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) April 25, 2026
While Thompson is only 5-foot-9, that 4.26 40-time at the NFL Combine was on full display. He isn’t your typical burner either, as Thompson works in and out of his breaks efficiently without losing that speed, which should clear out underneath to allow Ladd McConkey to be a top-rated fantasy contributor and, in return, eventually opening things up for Thompson to be a major presence this season as a best ball ceiling play.
In 2025, Thompson caught 57 passes for 1,054 yards, which is nearly 18.5 yards per reception, while averaging 2.77 yards per route run. Expect Thompson to be used similarly to how Tyreek Hill and DeSean Jackson were used early in their careers. Thompson's speed and size make the comparison easy to make, and if Thompson can produce at that level, it would make him a steal as the 17th receiver of the draft board.
Skyler Bell, Buffalo Bills
All Skyler Bell did was finish second in the nation with 1,278 receiving yards and fourth in receptions with 101, all the while being named as a First-Team Associated Press All-American, earning 34.5% of his team's targets. You would think his body of work would exclude him from this list; however, having 19 other wide receivers selected ahead of hearing your name called in the fourth round puts you in that sleeper territory.
Bell has some work to do before becoming a fantasy standout, as Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, DJ Moore, and Keon Coleman are all projected ahead of him in the Bills' passing pecking order. That said, Shakir led the Bills' last season with 719 receiving yards, followed by Dalton Kincaid (571) and Dawson Knox (417). Even with the addition of Moore, it’s not unreasonable to hypothesize that the rookie could have an early path to production early on.
HOW ABOUT SKYLER BELL⁉️😤 pic.twitter.com/UyXxYkcgu5
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) November 1, 2025
Bell will also be a welcome addition for Josh Allen, thanks to his 66% success rate against man coverage and 77% success rate versus zone coverage, where he averaged 3.46 and 3.09 yards per route run, respectively.
Despite his lack of size (5-foot-11), only Carnell Tate had a better contested catch rate among receivers selected in this year's draft. Expect the Bills to utilize Bell’s skill set and move him around the formation as both an outside receiver and kicking into the slot when needed.
Ted Hurst, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One of the best ways to find yourself on any sleeper list is to play for a school that most people pay little attention to. Those who know, know that Ted Hurst is a baller. However, few really knew about the Georgia State product before the NFL Draft, and many remain uncertain about what the rookie has in store for the NFL after averaging 982.5 receiving yards, 63.5 receptions, and 15.5 yards per reception over the last two seasons.
If not for a deep Buccaneers depth chart, more people may be talking about Hurst. Still, with Chris Godwin Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jalen McMillan already in town, Hurst is more about playing the long game and remaining patient in fantasy. At 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, Hurst has the physique that can find success at the NFL level. It also doesn’t hurt when you are that size and run a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Hurst is one of the more athletic receivers in this draft class, and if injuries add up in the same fashion for the Bucs as they did a season ago, Hurst could find himself in a favourable position. Baker Mayfield has long been known for taking looks down the field, and Hurst, with his speed, size, and ball-tracking ability, could help ease the loss of Mike Evans in certain situations moving forward.
Deion Burks, Indianapolis Colts
All a sleeper needs is a chance, and after being selected with the 38th pick of the seventh round (fourth from last), Deion Burks finds himself in as good a spot as he could have asked for in going to Indianapolis.
Currently, the Colts have a newly minted receiver in Alec Pierce to go along with Josh Downs and Tyler Warren as the team’s top passing options, but after that, it is a little bleak. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Ashton Dulin, and Anthony Gould would be the next men up for the Colts should injuries arise.
At the end of the day, Indianapolis has to find a way to replace the production left behind after trading Michael Pittman Jr., who finished the 2025 season with 80 receptions for 784 receiving yards on 111 targets. Some of that will be divided up between Warren, Pierce, and Downs, but not all of it. Burks is an excellent route runner who can create separation with double moves and has produced at the college level, accumulating more than 150 career receptions and 1,669 receiving yards.
Many Men...
📺 @espn pic.twitter.com/ZmRcjUnCnl
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) December 20, 2025
Against Alabama, Burks flashed, recording seven receptions for 107 receiving yards and a touchdown. Bottom line, Burks is an elite athlete who had a success rate of 69.6% against man and 81.6% against zone while finishing last season with a contested catch rate of 56%.
It’s also important to note that his drop rate has gone down in each of the last four seasons, from 16.7% to 4.9% last season, which has coincided with a catchable throw rate that grew from 60% in 2022 to 74.4% in 2025.
Jeff Caldwell, Kansas City Chefs
Let’s go even deeper. How about an undrafted free agent out of the University of Cincinnati who only had 32 receptions, 478 receiving yards, and six touchdowns a season ago? On the surface. Those numbers aren’t exactly screaming “must-draft sleeper”, so we are going to need to dig a little deeper to justify this selection.
Going undrafted is definitely not ideal, but signing with the Chiefs isn’t exactly bad either. While the likes of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Royals, and fellow rookie Cyrus Allen are all ahead on early depth charts, Caldwell's physical tools could separate him from the pack come fall.
At 6-foot-5, 216 pounds, Caldwell is a physically imposing specimen with freakish traits, including a 42-inch vertical, a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, and a perfect 10 Relative Athletic Score, all on display at the NFL Combine. Those aren’t just numbers; they translate on the field, where he averaged 14.9 yards per reception last season.
Before transferring to Cincinnati, Caldwell posted 1,032 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns at Lindenwood. The potential is there, but remains untapped, something Patrick Mahomes and company will look to do over the next few seasons. The last thing the NFL needs is for Mahomes to have a Calvin Johnson-type weapon at his disposal.
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