Updated 2026 Fantasy Football Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft: 1st Round Picks

January 26, 2026

John's updated fantasy football dynasty rookie mock draft for 2026 dynasty rookie drafts. He ranks the top 10 fantasy football rookies for 2026 dynasty drafts.

Dynasty fantasy football managers are much more likely to follow the game year-round, and honestly, the most intriguing part of the season for many is the scouting process during the offseason. Given that the NFL regular season is over, it's time for many dynasty managers to start looking toward 2026.

This year's NFL rookie class has some exciting names, and while it doesn't seem to be as deep as in previous classes, everyone wants to find the next gem. The first round, of course, has the best talent, and depending on where you pick, you might be able to get a blue-chip player for many years to come.

That's the goal, of course. With that in mind, let's dive into an updated first-round dynasty rookie mock draft for the 2026 fantasy football season.

1. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

Love is a fantastic RB that could have had even more production if he didn't play with another excellent running back. The two split time in 2025, but Love still rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. He has everything teams covet in a workhorse back.

JEREMIYAH LOVE DOING JEREMIYAH LOVE THINGS 🫶#GoIrish☘️ | @JeremiyahLove pic.twitter.com/GcKpSbIZHD

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) October 18, 2025

Love had quite a bit of help from Notre Dame's great run-blocking and offensive scheme, but that's not to discredit him as a player -- rather, it puts things into perspective. Players can be awesome prospects without being a perennial top-3 fantasy RB. Love should still go No. 1 overall, though.

2. Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State

Tyson didn't play on a great offense, but he displayed elite route-running nuance, ball-tracking, and a host of other important skills that will likely make him

jordyn tyson is so talented. man/zone. it doesn’t matter. throw it to #0 pic.twitter.com/sh85cqGKRq

— Ray G (@RayGQue) September 14, 2025

He has an extremely fluid and refined game and excels at making contested catches, jump balls, maneuvering after the catch, and playing with toughness.

3. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

The best quarterback in the country is undeniably Mendoza. That said, it's all but guaranteed that the Las Vegas Raiders will pick him No. 1 overall. They still need to put together a good offensive coaching staff if they want Mendoza not to fall victim to the black hole for quarterback talent they have there.

FERNANDO MENDOZA TAKES IT BY HIMSELF AND DIVES INTO THE END ZONE TO EXTEND INDIANA'S LEAD! 💪 #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/ocjkMN7TJt

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 20, 2026

The Raiders' ownership doesn't have a way of hiring good coaching talent, unfortunately. Still, Mendoza proved he's the best QB in this year's class.

4. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Tate isn't the refined prospect Tyson is, but he's still immensely talented. It seems that the New York Giants are heavily eyeing selecting him in the first round, in which case he'd be the WR2 behind Malik Nabers (knee), which isn't so bad for him.

Carnell Tate isn’t getting nearly enough consideration as a true blue-chip prospect.

I haven’t done a full report on him yet, but his ability to win vertically and turn contested balls into catches is unparalleled. pic.twitter.com/8ffvHnbxIj

— Alex NFL (@ajjnfl) November 29, 2025

Nabers is elite after the catch and on horizontally-breaking routes. Perhaps Tate would complement him well as a downfield threat, though he doesn't have the ideal size for jump balls. Wherever he lands, he's sure to be a great receiver in the NFL for many years to come, though a slow start to his career wouldn't surprise me while he refines his game.

5. Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Lemon is a strong, versatile receiver who excels most at the catch point. He's good enough that he could quickly become his quarterback's best friend and a reliable safety valve on all downs and distances at any point on the field. He has extremely strong hands and is a great target for tight-window throws.

Makai Lemon continues to be USC's bright spot pic.twitter.com/p1N0EEKMdk

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) November 30, 2025

It's not easy to throw him off his routes with physicality, which makes him a formidable foe on the outside and should allow him to play all over the field in all formations. He'll also be on the field as a blocker quite a bit thanks to his strength and toughness. Depending on where he lands, picking him above Tate isn't crazy.

6. Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

Many dynasty leagues are tight end-premium leagues, where tight ends typically get an extra 0.5 PPR fantasy points per reception on top of the bonuses that are already there. Sadiq is the best tight end in this year's draft class and should be very valuable in TEP leagues.

He's a freak athlete and has the talent to become one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He just needs to land in a good offense or one that targets him heavily for multiple seasons.

7. Denzel Boston, WR, Washington

Boston is a big-bodied, tall receiver who is very fluid for his size and has great contested catch ability. He could be absolute money on jump balls as he develops, and already looks to be a high-level red zone weapon. His game is reminiscent of former Arizona Wildcats receiver Tetairoa McMillan.

Denzel Boston is WR 2 for me, Great hands but even better he has really good feet and ability to get in and out of breaks at 6’4! When’s the last time you seen a 6’4 receiver run a whip route in the red zone 🤔 pic.twitter.com/RQr4LBGbUf

— DraftNerd (@TALKINGBALL1) January 17, 2026

McMillan is certainly better after the catch, but both have unnatural shiftiness for their size. Landing spot will matter, as it doesn't make sense to immediately put Boston at the "X" position. Moving him around the formation will be key early in his career. He's unlikely to immediately be a key WR1.

That said, he's improved greatly in his college career and should continue to develop. We should see impressive seasons from him starting in Year 2 or Year 3 of his career, if he lands in a good offense.

8. Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee

Unfortunately for us as dynasty fantasy football managers and just people who like watching good football, the NFL is rife with nepotism and awful coaching hires that stunt the development of more raw prospects. Brazzell's start-stop ability at 6-foot-5 is seriously impressive, and his long strides make him deceptively fast.

At his smaller stature, though, he struggles against press coverage. A good offensive coaching staff will get him in situations where that's much less relevant. His route-running skills are highly impressive; he might just need to be consistently given more space on his releases off the line of scrimmage.

Chris Brazzell II routes at 6’5 pic.twitter.com/qXEvNWdXBa

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) October 8, 2025

Scheming WRs open consistently is a rare talent for coaches these days, as defenses have clamped down and shut down passing games with ease. Brazzell's range of outcomes is quite wide, as he's good at the catch point. He's had a concerning injury history, too, as he missed nearly all of 2022 with a shoulder ailment.

9. Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

How Singleton fares in the NFL depends a lot on where he lands. I would like it massively if the Bears moved on from RB D'Andre Swift and drafted Singleton. He'd be right at home there. He played in a split backfield at Penn State, and while there are flaws in his game, he has an impressive ceiling as a prospect.

One of the most physical reps you could imagine from Penn St RB Nicholas Singleton pic.twitter.com/00t0lWhbLE

— Joey Richards (@LTB_Joey) December 14, 2024

Singleton's vision could be his undoing, though. He has great size, speed, strength, and athleticism, but a bad habit of running into his own blockers. Unfortunately, this is looking like a pretty weak draft class, and at a premium position like RB, his value could get pushed up.

10. KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

A film evaluation might lead one to conclude that Concepcion looks a lot like Indianapolis Colts WR Josh Downs on the football field. That wouldn't be entirely inaccurate, though Concepcion is listed at a much higher weight of 190 pounds. Still, the archetype makes sense -- Concepcion is a shifty, small slot receiver.

Cut-up of my personal favorite WR in the draft
#7 KC Concepcion pic.twitter.com/irwRG4zXgE

— Mark Kinley (@ONLYSPORTSMK) January 14, 2026

Size is largely preventing him from being higher on this list, as he'll probably not be an X receiver at the next level. Unfortunately, we might see him go the Downs route of largely playing only in 3WR sets due to blocking issues.

Dropped Out

• Justice Haynes, RB, Michigan

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