Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings (2026): Jonah Coleman, Carnell Tate, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson, Dante Moore, Kenyon Sadiq, Makai Lemon, Fernando Mendoza, Jadarian Price

January 12, 2026

Early 2026 fantasy football rookie RB, WR, TE, QB rankings. RotoBaller's top rookies and draft targets, including Jonah Coleman, Carnell Tate, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson, and more.

It's January, which means it's almost time to start your rookie draft prep for dynasty leagues! To kick things off, check out these early 2026 fantasy football rookie rankings for all positions. Find out where key NFL Draft prospects like Jonah Coleman, Carnell Tate, Jeremiyah Love, Ty Simpson, Dante Moore, Kenyon Sadiq, Makai Lemon, Fernando Mendoza, Jadarian Price stand in our early cut of rankings among all rookie RBs, WRs, TEs, QBs, and more.

These initial 2026 rookie rankings are put together by Jackson Sparks and Phil Clark. We will update these rookie rankings all offseason long, and there will be major shake-ups based on all of the NFL prospect offseason activities, including the Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and NFL Draft. It's worth noting that not all of these collegiate players have declared for the NFL Draft yet, and players will be removed and added as those announcements come out. It's never too early to start your research and homework on rising NFL players, so let's get to it!

In addition to these rookie rankings, in our 2025 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 (Early Edition)

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

Fantasy Football NFL Rookie News and Outlooks

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has the Hoosiers still alive in the College Football Playoff and has not officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, he's the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in April if he forgoes his final year of collegiate eligibility, and the expectation is that he will do so when Indiana's season comes to an end. The QB-needy Las Vegas Raiders officially have the No. 1 pick, so it's easy to connect the dots in the offseason. Mendoza, the 2025 Heisman Trophy Winner, has thrown for 3,172 yards, 36 touchdowns, and six interceptions through his first 14 games this year.

TOUCHDOWN INDIANA

WHAT A THROW BY FERNANDO MENDOZA 🔥@IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/7TsAQvWRbv

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2025

He's added 256 yards and six scores as a runner. The Miami native isn't a high-end dual-threat quarterback, but he's a tactical scrambler with a touch of rushing upside. Mendoza isn't the most impressive athlete, but he's viewed as an NFL-ready prospect with a great command of the position.

If he ends up in Las Vegas, his rookie-season ceiling likely won't excite fantasy managers, but he'd become a valuable piece for a rebuilding superflex dynasty manager. He's projected to be a better "real life" quarterback than fantasy quarterback, but a signal-caller with No. 1 overall pick draft capital has job security baked into his value through a dynasty lens.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson declared for the 2026 NFL Draft in December, and the two-time All-Big-12 performer is projected to be a top 15 pick in April. Tyson is among the shortlist of wide receivers in contention to be the first player at the position off the board. Naturally, this will make him a top pick in upcoming dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts. Tyson enjoyed a breakout year in 2024, snagging 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He was limited to nine games in 2025, but he still produced 61 receptions for 711 yards and eight scores. The 21-year-old is an excellent route runner for his size (6'2", 200), and he has strong body control and leaping ability for contested catches. WR-needy teams with young quarterbacks like the Titans and Saints are potential landing spots for the top-end wide receiver prospect.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is the consensus top fantasy football rookie in 2026, and the 20-year-old is expected to be a first-round pick in April's NFL Draft. The Missouri native had a fantastic career in South Bend, particularly in his sophomore and junior seasons. In his last 28 collegiate games, Love rushed 362 times for 2,497 yards (6.9 YPC) and 35 touchdowns. He added 55 receptions for 517 yards and five scores through the air. He was named a Heisman Trophy finalist, the Doak Walker Award Winner, and a Unanimous All-American after his final season with the Irish.

JEREMIYAH LOVE GOES 98 YARDS FOR THE TOUCHDOWN 😱 pic.twitter.com/SSAjPnrRtt

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 21, 2024

Love has game-breaking speed, high-end elusiveness, receiving chops, elite vision, and impressive athleticism at 215 pounds. He checks all the boxes of a future NFL workhorse, and if he fetches early-first-round draft capital as expected, he will likely carry an RB1 outlook immediately in his rookie campaign. He's the clear No. 1 pick in single-QB dynasty rookie drafts, and he'll be in play for the top pick in superflex drafts.

Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame

Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price shared a backfield with Heisman runner-up Jeremiyah Love for his entire collegiate career, but the 22-year-old flashed enough for many to consider him the second-best RB prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft class. While playing second-fiddle to Love over the last two seasons, Price rushed 233 times for 1,420 yards (6.1 YPC) and 18 touchdowns in 28 games. He also secured three touchdown receptions.

Price is a dangerous kick returner, tallying 12 returns for 450 yards and two touchdowns in his final collegiate campaign. Love is expected to be the lone first-round NFL Draft pick among running backs, but Price could earn his way into Round 2 with a strong predraft process. Given the lack of high-end talent at the RB position in this rookie class, Price could end up as a consensus first-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.

Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington

Washington running back Jonah Coleman has been one of the most productive running backs in college football since joining the Huskies in 2024, rushing 349 times for 1,811 yards and 25 touchdowns over his last 25 games. He's also been a productive receiver, snagging 54 receptions for 531 yards and two scores in his Washington career. With Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love locked into the top running back prospect slot, Coleman is among the contenders to be the second running back off the 2026 NFL Draft board.

With a do-it-all skill set at 220 pounds, Coleman's testing numbers at the 2026 NFL Combine could carry significant weight in his draft stock. Either way, he's a clear top-five rookie running back in the upcoming NFL Draft at this point in the offseason, making him an intriguing dynasty fantasy football pick. With the right landing spot, he could be a contributor right away.

Dante Moore, QB, Oregon

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is projected by many to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, only behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The two square off in the College Football Playoff Semifinals on Friday, so neither has officially declared for April's draft just yet.

🦆 19/27 CMP
🦆 313 YDS
🦆 4 TD@oregonfootball's Dante Moore ties OSU's CJ Stroud for second-most TD passes in a #CFBPlayoff game by a @bigten QB 👏 pic.twitter.com/HtAAigzC2w

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 21, 2025

Moore has been excellent in his first season as the Ducks' starter, completing 72.9% of his passes for 3,280 yards, 28 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The UCLA transfer can make all the throws needed from an NFL quarterback, but he has just 19 collegiate starts under his belt. Either way, if he's picked inside the top five, he's a clear early-first-round pick in Superflex dynasty rookie drafts. Based on the current draft order, his most likely landing spot appears to be the New York Jets.

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