Should you draft De'Zhaun Stribling, Germie Bernard, or Antonio Williams in fantasy football in 2026? RotoBaller's fantasy outlooks for these rookies wide receivers.
The 2026 fantasy football rookie class leaves a lot to be desired, but there are a handful of intriguing first-year wideouts entering the NFL. Among those are De'Zhaun Stribling, Germie Bernard, and Antonio Williams, who all flashed during their college careers and became top-three-round picks in April's draft.
Stribling is set to play in Kyle Shanahan's offense, Bernard will catch passes from one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and Williams joins forces with one of the brightest young signal callers in the league.
So, which of the three wideouts should you target in redraft leagues? Read the fantasy football outlooks below.
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De'Zhaun Stribling Fantasy Football Outlooks
The San Francisco 49ers shocked the world with the first pick of the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, taking Ole Miss receiver De'Zhaun Stribling. Standing 6-foot-2, Stribling had a productive college career that spanned three different schools over five seasons. His combination of size and speed made him an intriguing NFL prospect, and he landed in a great spot to make an early impact.
49ers rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling
looks nice 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/pSHo3ripfH— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 27, 2026
He projects to be behind Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, and Christian Kirk on the depth chart as of now, but none of those three players has a clean history of staying healthy for a full season. With Ricky Pearsall (PCL) already lost for the season, opportunity could quickly open up for the second-round rookie to make an impact. Stribling has been making waves at training camp, earning praise from Evans and quarterback Brock Purdy while powering through minor hamstring tightness.
Germie Bernard Fantasy Football Outlook
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected wideout Germie Bernard with the 47th overall pick in April's draft. The former Alabama standout currently projects as the Steelers' No. 3 pass catcher and starting slot receiver. Bernard was a Swiss Army Knife for three of his four years in college, finding ways to contribute despite playing in talented receiver rooms. The blue-collar wideout was Alabama's leading receiver in his final two seasons and served as a chess piece in the run and pass game.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has heavily used 11-personnel as a play-caller, which provides Bernard with an immediate opportunity to play. Aaron Rodgers under center also favors Bernard's fantasy outlook this season. In 2025, Rodgers had the fewest completed air yards (1,203) and the second most pass yards after the catch (2,119) of quarterbacks who started at least 15 games.
Steelers Germie Bernard on jugs machine pic.twitter.com/Tm2lPVdWFf
— Bo Marchionte (@BoMarchionte) August 4, 2026
Additionally, Rodgers had one of the lowest average depths of target (6.4) and one of the fastest average times to throw (2.56 seconds) in the league according to PFF. These stats blend well with Bernard, who was an elite route runner on short, quick routes with great vision and contact balance after the catch. At this stage in Rodgers' career, Bernard might become Rodgers' favorite target and push to lead the Steelers in targets this season.
Antonio Williams Fantasy Football Outlook
The Washington Commanders selected wideout Antonio Williams in the third round of April's draft. The former Clemson product immediately projects as their No. 3 receiver behind Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. He was a four-year contributor at Clemson and exited the program with the fourth most career receptions (208) and tied for the fourth most touchdown receptions (21) in school history.
Williams broke out as a junior, hauling in 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns, which led the ACC. His production dipped last season while battling injuries, but he displayed great ball skills by improving his drop rate from 9.6 percent to 1.8 percent. Williams is seen as a smooth operator as a route runner and is praised for his ability to create separation at all three levels of the field.
Williams may struggle to be a weekly contributor behind the two veteran wideouts, but his outstanding separation skills and large catch radius could lead to some spike weeks for best ball purposes.
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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - De'Zhaun Stribling, Germie Bernard, Antonio Williams. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football drafts.
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