Fantasy Football Offseason Rookie Prospect Risers and Fallers (2026)

April 19, 2026

Joey's fantasy football rookie risers and fallers. Some of his rookie risers and fallers from the 2026 NFL Draft include Eli Stowers, Jordyn Tyson, and more.

The 2026 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. We are just a few days away from finding out where some of the top prospects will be selected in the NFL Draft. Fernando Mendoza is expected to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, but no one knows where other top incoming rookies like Jeremiyah Love or Makai Lemon will go in the draft. For those in fantasy football, landing spots for these prospects matter.

In this article, we will take a look at six total prospects who are currently trending up and trending down heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. There has been palpable buzz surrounding four of these incoming rookies, while a few prospects appear to be falling on many analysts' big boards.

So, here are the biggest fantasy football rookie risers and fallers ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Fantasy Football Rookie Risers

Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana

Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has seen his draft stock rise since helping the Hoosiers win a championship earlier this year. Cooper posted a strong 9.17 relative athletic score (RAS) at the NFL Combine, and that athleticism has certainly pushed him higher in the first round. The 6-foot playmaker ran a solid 4.42-second 40-yard dash, a 1.55-second 10-yard split, and a 37-inch vertical jump.

.@IndianaFootball WR Omar Cooper Jr. improves his time with a 4.43u in front of the home crowd.

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/KSxOHtmTWd

— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

That comes after Cooper put together a dominant all-around season for Indiana. He caught 69 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns across 16 contests and came up big in the national championship game against Miami (FL) by catching five passes for 71 yards. With top-end speed and elite yards after the catch skills, the 22-year-old is a rookie to watch for fantasy football.

Cooper will almost certainly be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which means he could have some fantasy value in Year 1. The former Indiana standout could go as high as 16th overall to the New York Jets in this year's draft. Jordan Reid of ESPN recently reported that the Jets are “extremely high" on the Hoosier playmaker. He's a name to watch in the middle of the first round.

Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt 

Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers is one of the biggest prospect risers ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Stowers might be a bit undersized as a tight end at 6-foot-3, 239 pounds, but his athleticism has teams excited about his potential. He scored a 9.42 relative athletic score at the NFL Combine behind a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, a 2.62-second 20-yard split, a 45.5-inch vertical jump, and an 11'3" broad jump.

Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas 

The top two running backs in this year's draft class are pretty clear. Love is the consensus No. 1 running back, while his Notre Dame teammate Jadarian Price is the No. 2 running back. After those two, there isn't a clear RB3 in the draft. However, Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. could certainly be the third running back selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

His stock has definitely risen over the past few months, especially after a strong showing at the NFL Combine in late February. He scored a 9.87 relative athletic score and posted some of the best numbers at the combine among all participating running backs. Washington ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.33), had an elite 1.51-second 10-yard split, and had a solid 39-inch vertical jump.

'I'M LIKE THAT!" 😤

Mike Washington Jr. TRUCKED the Texas defender for the TD 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5iJ7tsfdBn

— ESPN (@espn) November 22, 2025

Washington has the tools to be a fantasy contributor in his first year. He's athletic, runs well downhill, and has some potential in the receiving game. The 22-year-old ran for a personal-best 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns in his senior season and also caught 26 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown. He's a name to watch on Day 2.

Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State 

Georgia State playmaker Ted Hurst is one of the most athletic wide receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft. He scored an impressive 9.90 relative athletic score at the NFL Combine and is reportedly flying up draft boards.

Jeff Legwold of ESPN recently wrote about the former Panthers wide receiver and said, "Hurst has worked himself from a late Day 3 player to one who could hear his name on Day 2."

His NFL Combine showing has definitely played a part in his rising draft stock. He ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, had an 11'3" broad jump, and has good size at 6-foot-3. Hurst has the makings to be a good wide receiver in the NFL. The 21-year-old has the perfect combination of size and speed and is extremely athletic.

Ted Hurst is going to make an OC very happy on Day 2 in April. pic.twitter.com/jWyoNfU7o8

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) January 27, 2026

All those traits were on display in his two seasons at Georgia State. He caught 56 passes for 961 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 and totaled 71 catches for 1,004 yards and six touchdowns in his senior season. With his draft stock continuing to rise, Hurst is a wide receiver to watch in the 2026 NFL Draft. He could be a late Day 2 selection.

Fantasy Football Rookie Fallers

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

There's no doubt that Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is talented. He might just be the most talented wide receiver in this year's draft class.

The former Sun Devil caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns across 12 games in 2024 and totaled 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns across nine games in 2025. Tyson has a strong case to be the top wide receiver in the class.

However, there are some concerns about his ability to stay healthy. He tore his ACL/MCL/PCL during the 2022 season, fractured his collarbone late in the 2024 season, and dealt with a nagging hamstring issue for most of last season. That hamstring injury has prevented Tyson from participating in both the NFL Combine in late February and Arizona State's pro day in late March.

Not participating in any predraft workouts is definitely a red flag for teams. He struggled to stay healthy in his college career and continues to deal with a hamstring issue. That has him as a faller on this list. Teams in the NFL Draft could be a bit hesitant to draft the explosive playmaker early in the first round due to those injury concerns.

Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington 

Washington running back Jonah Coleman showed some encouraging things on the ground over his final two college seasons. He rushed for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns across 13 games in 2024 and rushed for another 758 yards and 15 touchdowns across 12 games in 2025. While his rushing numbers took a step back last year, he totaled career-highs in the receiving game. His 31 catches and 354 receiving yards were both personal bests.

However, Coleman has not helped his case leading up to the draft by not participating in the NFL Combine and opting out of athletic testing at his pro day. There's a reason for that, as the Washington product isn't really known as an athletic back. His athletic testing would have ranked extremely poorly, further hurting his draft stock.

Coleman isn't the fastest running back and is better known as a powerful runner. According to PFF, the 22-year-old only had 10 explosive carries in 2025. Considering the former Huskie didn't really showcase much at his pro day, he is one of the bigger fallers at the running back position. He had a chance to establish himself as the RB3 in this draft class.

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