The Ultimate "Choose Your Fighter" In 2026 Fantasy Football Drafts

We’ve mostly been doom and gloom about this 2026 NFL Draft class, but it’s impossible not to be excited about the two rookie WRs who went in the top 10—Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson.

We know both of them are stellar prospects (Tate is Top 5 all-time in the Rookie Super Model and Tyson is Top 15), but you are going to be forced to choose your fighter in drafts this year if current ADP holds.

They are currently back-to-back on Underdog (Tate WR30 and Tyson WR31), are both routinely available in the sixth round of drafts and their odds to lead all rookie WRs in receiving yards are nearly identical.

You can easily make a case for both of these guys going first in 2026 fantasy drafts, which is exactly what Justin Carlucci did in a recent piece for us.

Pro Tate arguments:

Better draft capital and Super Model score
Clear path to No. 1 target share in Titans offense
Younger and healthier

Pro Tyson arguments:

Slightly better producer in college
Tyler Shough > Cam Ward
Saints threw at the fourth-highest neutral rate last year

Ultimately, it comes down to whether you want to prioritize target volume (Tate) or offensive environment (Tyson).

If you aren’t concerned about any systemic risk with Ward not taking a Year 2 leap, Tate is the easy click.

If you aren’t worried about Tyson being able to earn a high target share alongside Chris Olave, then he likely has a cleaner path to fantasy explosions.

Ultimately, I’m too scared to make a huge stand in one direction or the other if they are priced the same. If one gets more pricey—like Tate in high stakes—I’ll happily take the cheaper one.

For now, this is a true “choose your own adventure” spot. Good luck …

WHO HOLDS THE EDGE IN OUR DYNASTY ROOKIE RANKINGS?

Time to Buy Jeremiyah Love Making The NFL Leap

Few things are as breathtaking and fun to watch as Jeremiyah Love hurdling over defenders during his Notre Dame days. Many of those jumps set him loose on long runs on the way to amassing 3,016 scrimmage yards and 40 TDs for this multi-talented weapon who is taking his talents to Arizona. He’s not yet 21, and appears to have as bright an NFL future as any of the players just drafted. Now it’s time for forward-thinking fantasy managers to act when Love’s available in fantasy drafts in the months ahead.

UNest works the same way. You don't wait until your kid is 16 to start building their financial future. You start now, when time is your single greatest advantage. A tax-advantaged investment account that grows with your child, set up in under 10 minutes. The long game is always the smartest play, on the field and off it.

LEARN MORE

Risers In Kendall’s Latest Rankings Update

The draft is in our rearview mirror and OTAs on the horizon, it's time to dive into the latest updates across each position in my 2026 fantasy football rankings.

📈 Luther Burden | WR | CHI

This offense is on the rise and going to be expensive in fantasy drafts this season. DJ Moore is no longer in the picture, which helps Luther Burden, Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze. Burden is the one who's been a consistent riser in my rankings. Do I believe he's going to be Ben Johnson's new Amon-Ra St. Brown? I can't go that far, but I do believe we've only just scratched the surface of his potential.

His 2025 stats won't blow anyone away; during the regular season, he managed 47 receptions, 652 yards and two touchdowns. But damn, he was efficient!

Shoutout to Ian Hartitz for this stat: Just five rookie wide receivers have averaged north of 2.5 yards per route run over the last decade (min. 50 targets):

Luther Burden (2.71)
A.J. Brown (2.68)
Justin Jefferson (2.66)
Puka Nacua (2.6)
Ja'Marr Chase (2.51)

Caleb Williams is on the rise and will hopefully continue to elevate this offense into 2026.

📈 Mark Andrews | TE | BAL

Highlighting an older tight end? Yeah, why not! Mark Andrews was fourth among tight ends in end zone targets last season, and I'm betting on more touchdowns for the 30-year-old tight end. Andrews scored five touchdowns last season and finished as the TE23 in fantasy points per game. It's been two down seasons for Andrews, but a new coaching staff and Isaiah Likely leaving are pivotal for an Andrews turnaround.

Likely and Charlie Kolar are now out of the picture. Likely has missed four games in two seasons, and when he was out, Andrews saw 80% route participation and averaged 12.2 fantasy points per game.

He's going to score more touchdowns in an offense that's hungry to prove that a Super Bowl is within reach.

A SECOND-YEAR RB IS STEAMING UP THE RANKINGS

Our Inaugural 2026 Fantasy Football Mock Draft

The 2026 Fantasy Life magazine will hit shelves before we know it, and, as always, it includes a 12-person fantasy football mock draft entirely made up of our staff. This year's had no shortage of drama, and Chris is going to break it down ...

“[Josh] doesn’t know it yet, but his last pick just sent us into a lifelong feud. Some real Scorpion vs Sub Zero type stuff…” – Jake

“Fwiw, I hate my team. Glad we aren't playing this out. The pause thing screwed me for two picks.” – Matthew

“Good.” – Cooterdoodle

No doubt you’ve been a part of similar banter in mock drafts before. And the vibes are no different for us here at Fantasy Life. On the one end, we get trash talk to our friends as they have “connection issues” leading them to auto a player they didn’t want or some other excuse. But on the flip side, we can learn how to navigate building a roster and how drafts are unfolding for the upcoming season.

The First Round

There were no shockers in the first 12 picks. The crew stayed within ADP to cap off the first round. However, sitting at the 1.09, I’ve got to say, the available options had more questions to them than I remember.

1.09 (Me) – Justin Jefferson
1.10 (Matthew) – Jonathan Taylor
1.11 (Joe) – Drake London
1.12 (Ian) – Rashee Rice

(Editor's Note: Do you understand how bullshit it is to have to draft between Matthew Berry and Ian Hartitz? Fantasy football is fun, they say ...) - Joe

First off, three of the four players are newcomers to the Top 12. Well, it’s been a couple of years since Jonathan Taylor was a first-rounder, but you know what I mean. But look past the names. Their situations don’t scream first-round locks.

Justin Jefferson and Drake London will be catching passes from new QBs. Rashee Rice has yet to play a full season, and Patrick Mahomes’ Week 1 availability isn’t for certain. And the chances of Taylor and the Colts recapturing their two-month stretch of multi-touchdown games feel slim. To be clear, I can’t fault the guys for who they selected, but if you wind up with a late slot, plan to build around a lackluster open.

THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE DRAFT …

Around the Watercooler

Our merry band of football nerds is back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …

🐻 There may not be more hype around another team. Could a TE lead the team in targets?!

👺 Even the Cardinals mascot gets trolled. Tough scene.

👀 A potential late-round sleeper? The WR room is abysmal…

🤲 Please stop panicking about Travis Hunter. He’s still going to play WR.

🔍️ An insider perspective on the Alvin Kamara situation. Honey Badger has sources.

🤦 Russell Wilson is our generation’s Aaron Rodgers. Sigh.

Did You Notice That Jersey Swap? 👀

It’s almost a foregone conclusion that we’ll see A.J. Brown in a New England Patriots jersey this fall, so we might as well get used to it now, right?!

With a looming trade to New England on the horizon, where would A.J. Brown fall in the 2026 WR rankings? How high would DeVonta Smith and Makai Lemon move up boards? What would this do for Drake Maye vs. Jalen Hurts in the rankings?

All of those answers and more are available on the latest episode of the Fantasy Life Show on its BRAND NEW CHANNEL. ⬇️

WR RANKINGS, TIERS AND MORE!