Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Post-2026 NFL Draft - Jadarian Price, Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Kenyon Sadiq, Makai Lemon, Eli Stowers

May 7, 2026

RotoBaller's updated top 100 fantasy football rookie rankings for 2026 NFL rookies. These updated staff rankings are from after the NFL Draft and include RB, WR, TE, QB.

Dynasty rookie drafts are in full swing, and we're here to help you crush them with our updated fantasy football rookie rankings for 2026. These rankings are for after the NFL draft and have been tweaked based on landing spot and draft capital.

These updated 2026 rookie rankings are put together by Matt Donnelly, Phil Clark, Jackson Sparks, and Andrew Lalama. These rankings will be updated throughout the offseason, up until the start of the 2026 NFL regular season, based on training camp intel, preseason performances, and more. Below, check out where Jadarian Price, Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate, Kenyon Sadiq, Makai Lemon, Eli Stowers, and more stand, among all others.

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.

NFL Rookie Rankings for Fantasy Football (Post-Draft)

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

2026 Fantasy Football Rookie Outlooks

Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, primarily took snaps under center during the media viewing period of rookie minicamp over the weekend, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. It's what Mendoza is expected to do in new head coach Klint Kubiak's offensive scheme whenever he gets the nod to start under center. Mendoza said he "still has a long way to go" to learn to play under center after he operated mostly in shotgun formation at California and Indiana in college.

The young signal-caller took a total of five snaps under center in three collegiate seasons. The Heisman Trophy winner is putting his best foot forward with his offensive linemen and is trying to take in as much information as possible as he heads into his first year in the NFL in 2026.

In rookie-only dynasty drafts, Mendoza will most likely be the No. 2 player off the board, behind Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love. In Year 1, Mendoza is expected to sit behind veteran Kirk Cousins to begin the year, and the Raiders wouldn't be opposed to the young QB working as the backup for his entire rookie season. It means fantasy managers should avoid Mendoza in single-year setups.

Carson Beck, Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals took former University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck with the first pick in the third round of this year's draft because of his big-game experience, arm strength, size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), accuracy, toughness, and intangibles. Beck enters a QB room in Arizona that already includes veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew. New head coach Mike LaFleur said that "it won't be the worst thing" for Beck if he "ends up sitting for part or all of his rookie season."

That won't be anything new for the 24-year-old, who was a backup at Georgia for his first three seasons, including sitting behind current Los Angeles Rams backup QB Stetson Bennett in 2022. "It benefits anyone in any position to be able to sit back," LaFleur said. "Sometimes, guys don't have the choice because you have to put your best 22 out on the field there."

The Cardinals have some maneuvering to do with Brissett's contract this year, but that should be taken care of, and he's fully expected to start under center in 2026 after a career season in 2025 in Arizona. Beck has plenty of long-term upside as a dynasty target in fantasy, but he won't be on the redraft radar at all.

De'Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers give a handful of draft prospects "gold helmet" designations for their exemplary standing in several areas, including leadership and football intelligence. Former Ole Miss wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling, who the team selected at 33rd overall at the top of the second round, is considered one of the "gold helmet" prospects, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. "The passion the guy has, the work ethic, the toughness, the durability. He checks all those boxes at a high level," vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad said.

The 23-year-old Stribling also scored the highest ever in a personality test called the Judgment Index, which seeks to shed light on a player's decision-making skills and value. Stribling was a surprise pick at that spot early in the second round, as he never had over 882 receiving yards or six touchdowns in his five collegiate seasons at Washington State, Oklahoma State, and Ole Miss.

At best, Stribling will be an option as San Fran's WR3 in his rookie season in 2026 behind Mike Evans and Ricky Pearsall. He won't be on the fantasy radar in single-year leagues in 2026, but his size (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) and speed (4.36-second 40-yard dash) give him upside in the long term if his intangibles set him apart.

Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs were "super high" on former Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson before selecting him in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL draft, and vice president of player personnel Ryne Nutt said the team was surprised he was still available in the fifth round when they traded up to take him. Johnson was the only player in college football to average more than 150 scrimmage yards per game last year, and he led the Big 10 with 1,451 rushing yards and finished second among all RBs in catches (46) while also scoring 15 touchdowns.

He was graded as high as a third-round pick by some analysts. "He's a juke button, he has very good feet, vision, feel, and he's very good out of the backfield," Nutt described. The Chiefs lost Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt in free agency, but they signed former Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III. Johnson is projected to be the immediate backup to Walker in the lead-back role, and Arrowhead Pride's Ron Kopp Jr. doesn't think we should be surprised if he earns his way onto the field on passing downs. At the very least, Johnson will be a handcuff option as a late-round flier in fantasy football redraft leagues in 2026.

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