2026 NFL Rookie Mock Draft: Fantasy Football Dynasty Leagues and Rookie Drafts

November 17, 2025

2026 NFL rookie mock draft for fantasy football dynasty leagues and rookie drafts. Top NFL prospects to target like Jeremiyah Love, Fernando Mendoza, and more.

Is November too soon to start thinking about fantasy football dynasty rookie drafts? Ideally, your team is cruising along in its quest for a title, so your answer to that question is "yeah, it's too early." However, some of us have some leagues where things aren't going so great, so we're already brainstorming what we can do with our dynasty draft picks next summer.

Next year's rookie class is lacking the star power of this one, especially at running back and tight end, but it's a deeper quarterback class and has some good talent at the top for the other positions. It's not the best year to rebuild, but a talented fantasy manager is capable of doing it.

One thing to keep in mind here: I'm basing this off Superflex leagues, so quarterbacks kind of dominate the board. That's what most people are playing these days, though, so apologies if you're in a single-QB dynasty league. With that in mind, here's a rough guess at what a 12-team, first-round rookie draft will look like in 2026.

1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

I have maintained all season that Fernando Mendoza is the best quarterback prospect in this class. His move to Indiana has really unlocked his game, as he's completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 2,124 yards and 25 touchdowns. He's also pushing the ball down the field more than he was at Cal, with his adjusted yards per attempt jumping from 7.91 last year to 10.91 this season.

How does the strength of opposing passing defenses faced affect QB Ratings?

Here’s a look at the top 5% of quarterbacks by QBR (labeled), charted against the median strength of the pass defenses they’ve faced through week 9.

Players like Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza… pic.twitter.com/C7dyId53VW

— Arkansas Quant (@ArkansasQuant) October 29, 2025

Mendoza isn't going to wow people as an athlete, but he's capable of making plays with his feet when needed. He can make whatever throw he's asked to make. His real strength, though, is his ability to read the defense and make quick decisions. Mendoza thrives under pressure and understands where the ball needs to go and how to get it there.

There are other good quarterbacks in this class, but none as pro-ready as Mendoza, who can step in and be a capable starter from Day 1 in the NFL.

2. Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

Coming into this season, I was relatively low on Ty Simpson, mostly because I figured we'd seen this before. Guy sits on the bench at Alabama for a few years behind more dynamic QBs until he finally gets his shot? That's just Mac Jones 2.0, right?

Eight games into Simpson's tenure as Alabama's starter, I no longer think that way. This kid is the real deal.

Simpson might not be the most mobile quarterback, but he has a lively arm and is capable of making any throw, and he does a great job avoiding turnovers. What makes Simpson so appealing, though, is just how well he understands the game. His timing is almost perfect, and he's able to place the ball wherever he needs to place it to give his guy a chance while not giving the defense a chance.

I'm not sure Simpson has the physical build to be a consistent top-5 NFL quarterback, but he can be a reliable high-end QB2 in fantasy in the right spot.

3. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Sure, you could go quarterback with the No. 3 pick if you're really desperate at quarterback, but I view there being a decent-sized drop between the first two quarterbacks and the others in this class. That is why I have the safest pick in the draft here: Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love.

Love is a three-down back who is currently averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He's added 23 receptions and has 14 total touchdowns through eight games. He's been the engine driving Notre Dame's turnaround after a 0-2 start.

There's really no hole in Love's game. He can use his strength to power through in short yardage, but can also hit another gear and break off a long run. He can break tackles and evade tacklers like it's nothing, and he doesn't fumble. Love is the RB1 in this class by a mile, and you could make an argument for him going at 1.01 even in Superflex. He's a no-brainer 1.01 in single-QB dynasty leagues.

4. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Don't let the drop in Jordyn Tyson's yards per reception trick you into thinking he's not still the top wide receiver prospect in 2026. Arizona State's offense has regressed this season without Cam Skattebo to lead the run game and with quarterback Sam Leavitt now hurt, but Tyson is still an elite player.

Jordyn Tyson with a sick acrobatic one-handed contested catch between two defenders. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/ttph9F4QBC

— WBG84 (@WBG84) October 25, 2025

The 6-foot-2 wideout is a skilled route runner with enough speed to create separation. No, he's not going to consistently burn defenses, but he's got strong hands and knows how to find his spots. He can be a top-10 wide receiver in the NFL.

5. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Dante Moore is an intriguing pick. He was a complete mystery to start the season and immediately looked like a stud in the Oregon offense, but some recent struggles have led to questions about his long-term outlook.

Moore struggled against both Indiana and Wisconsin, tossing two picks against the Hoosiers and throwing for just 86 yards against the Badgers. Inconsistency appears to be a major issue, which has knocked him down to the QB3 spot, though he has the talent to be a long-term NFL starter.

6. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

There are currently nine Ohio State wide receivers in the NFL. Sure, a few of them aren't great, like Parris Campbell and Noah Brown. When other names on that list include Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka, Terry McLaurin, and Garrett Wilson, then I think we can conclude that Buckeyes receivers have a high hit rate.

We won't get OSU superstar Jeremiah Smith until the 2027 NFL Draft, but his teammate Carnell Tate looks like the second-best receiver in this year's class. He probably can't be an alpha in the NFL because he's not some freak physical specimen, but Tate is a smart receiver and sharp route runner who could be the ideal No. 2 receiver in a pass-heavy offense.

7. LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina

I entered this season being very high on LaNorris Sellers, to the point where I viewed him for a long time as the No. 2 quarterback prospect in this class. Sellers has some elite physical traits: an arm that can get the ball literally anywhere on the field and legs that can break off huge runs.

The problem with Sellers is that his accuracy is a concern. His completion percentage has dropped from 65.6 percent last year to 61.7 percent this year, and he's thrown five interceptions to just seven touchdowns. Sellers will be a project in the NFL, and a lot of these projects have failed in recent seasons.

It's hard to believe that at least ONE NFL team won't fall in love with LaNorris Sellers pic.twitter.com/tvCaDoBDlN

— TWSN (@TWSN___) October 30, 2025

Still, Sellers has the stuff to be a great quarterback. He's a risky pick -- IRL and also in fantasy -- because of the low likelihood that he puts his traits together and turns into a viable NFL starter. In the middle of the first round in a rookie draft, his upside makes him worth the risk.

8. Makai Lemon, WR, USC

This has been a breakout campaign for USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, who is averaging 97.0 receiving yards per game and has already doubled his touchdown total from 2024.

Lemon is probably going to be exclusively pigeonholed into the slot in the NFL, but I don't think that should scare anyone off him. Sure, he's undersized and won't win a lot of jump balls, but he's a crisp route runner who can find seams in the defense. Landing spot matters a lot here, but if he ends up in an offense that knows how to use its slot receiver, Lemon will eat.

9. Justice Haynes, RB, Michigan

I really hate this draft when it comes to running back talent. Love is elite, but after that, there's a big drop-off to the next player, which is ... Michigan's Justice Haynes, I guess? The former Alabama back has 857 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through seven games.

Haynes is an athletic runner who can power through defenders, but he hasn't been a huge factor on passing downs. He'll need to land somewhere with a clear runway to early down work for him to hit, but that's definitely not out of the question.

10. Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

Here's the most controversial pick of this entire article: Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton, who was a clear first-round rookie pick if he'd come out of school a year ago but who is having a disaster of a senior season.

Part of that is that the Penn State coaching staff seems to prefer Kaytron Allen, but that doesn't explain everything, like how Singleton averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season but has dropped down to 3.6 this year. That's especially concerning because, as a freshman, he averaged 6.8 yards per carry before a sophomore slump where he dropped to 4.4.

If he can play his best football consistently, he can be a star in the NFL, but he's just been way, way too uneven to really trust at this point. He'll be a risky late first/early second in rookie drafts.

11. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

The 2025 tight-end class might go down as one of the best. The 2026 class probably won't, as Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq stands out as the only player who seems like a sure thing.

Kenyon Sadiq has turned Oregon’s tight end room into a laboratory for mismatches. Three seasons into his Ducks career, the Idaho native has become the definition of a modern offensive weapon .
2026 NFL Draft - Tight Endpic.twitter.com/07AS1AE8AR

— David (@DavidNeiszPHL) October 3, 2025

Sadiq is a versatile weapon who will be a mismatch no matter where he lines up. He's also a skilled blocker, which will help him see the field quickly. There's room for Sadiq to grow as far as consistency and route running, but he's worth a late first in rookie drafts because he might be your only shot at a playable fantasy tight end in this class.

12. Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama

Germie Bernard is a versatile receiver who can line up anywhere on the field, kind of in the Deebo Samuel Sr. vein. There are obvious reasons to be excited about a player who can impact the game in multiple phases, but Bernard's lack of breakaway speed makes him a bit risky. Still, if he lands on a team with a creative offensive coordinator, Bernard can be a really interesting fantasy WR2.

Bernard's upside makes him a more interesting option than a few "safer" later options at wide receiver. Indiana's Elijah Sarratt and Washington's Denzel Boston feel safer, but the versatility that Bernard brings gives him the highest ceiling of the three.

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