Three Rookie Stocks Pointing Up Ahead of 2026 Fantasy Football
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Xfinity ...
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Xfinity:
The NFL postseason is heading to the Championship Round, and that really means one thing—it’s time to start evaluating the rookie class. This week, I will begin diving into the 2026 draft class to get the Rookie Super Model ready. But before we do, now is a good time to check in on some of the performances from our 2025 rookie WRs and TEs.
Colston Loveland | TE | Bears
Loveland wasn't unleashed in a full-time role until Week 16, but he boomed after becoming the starter. He delivered a whopping 99 Utilization Score with 16.8 points per game (PPG) over a five-game span ending in the Divisional Round. Over that span, he led all Bears pass catchers with an electric 29% target share.
The Bears first-rounder's 1.98 yards per route run (YPRR) was the third-best mark for a rookie TE since 2011, trailing only Brock Bowers and Kyle Pitts. The first-round pick lived up to his Super Model rating of 88, the fourth-best mark since the model's inception in 2018. He offers the rare blend of target-earning ability and field-stretching prowess (10.0 average depth of target) that can lead to massive touchdown production.
On a team with a great offensive coordinator in Ben Johnson and a young ascending QB in Caleb Williams, Loveland is positioned for fantasy greatness in 2026. He is a top-three TE.
Tetairoa McMillan | WR | Panthers
McMillan delivered 12.5 PPG in his rookie campaign, making him the WR24 in fantasy football. That was a nice finish for the seventh-best WR in the Rookie Super Model (92) WR, considering his challenging offensive environment with below-average QB play.
He led the Panthers with a 26% target share—the eighth-best mark for a rookie WR since 2011.
Despite QB issues, McMillan finished with a 1.86 YPRR, which ranks 31st out of 163 rookie WRs with at least 250 routes since 2011, and a 78.7 PFF Receiving Grade.
Claypool is the only bust from this list. Diggs turned into a fantasy star. Godwin, Higgins and Smith have each been solid WR2s for most of their careers with WR1 spike-season upside.
McMillan profiles as a strong WR2 heading into 2026, but could blossom into a WR1 if he continues to make strides and/or Bryce Young improves.
Luther Burden III | WR | Bears
Get excited, Bears fans—you have two names on this list! Burden never earned a full-time role, but took over the No. 3 role for Chicago starting in Week 11. Over that span, he averaged 10.6 points with an 18% target share. While that didn't win fantasy leagues, Burden's underlying data points toward a player with a high ceiling.
His 2.36 YPRR ranks 10th out of 163 rookie WRs with at least 250 routes since 2011. Below is the list of part-time rookie players who posted a YPRR of 2.25 or higher:
Tyreek Hill (2.28)
Rashee Rice (2.39)
Christian Watson (2.26)
All of those players earned more playing time in their second seasons, with Hill and Rice erupting into fantasy stars. Burden's playing time will be talked about often this offseason, but historically, he is the type of player we want to bet on. He offers WR1 upside.
What’s not to love about Jaxon Smith-Njigba in dynasty? He just finished a spectacular WR2 season with 119 catches, 1,793 receiving yards and 10 TDs. He’s not yet 24. He’s just entering his prime! We’re looking at potentially at least a five-year run of consistent greatness. That’s exactly what the Xfinity 5-Year Price Guarantee means for your wallet: one monthly price, set for five full years of reliable WiFi, with no strings attached. No mid-season price hikes. No scrambling to adjust. Just peace of mind knowing your connection, and your cost, will go the distance. Sports can be unpredictable, but your internet price doesn’t have to be. One price. Five years. Guaranteed.
At long last, the longest College Football Playoff in history is over, and the Indiana Hoosiers have defeated the Miami Hurricanes to win their first football championship.
Meanwhile, the NFL playoffs have reached the NFC & AFC Championships, with only the Seahawks, Rams, Broncos and Patriots left in the postseason.
And that means it's time for Matthew Freedman to update his 2026 NFL mock draft …
As we get closer to the draft, Freedman will provide pick-by-pick analysis in my mocks. For now, here are some general thoughts.
Arch Manning (Texas): Staying in school one more year.
LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina): Returning to school.
Drew Allar (Penn State): Season-ending ankle injury has impacted draft stock.
Garrett Nussmeier (LSU): Benched midseason after struggling with abdominal injury.
Cade Klubnik (Clemson): Regressed in final season (8.4 AY/A as junior, 7.6 as senior).
This list is a reminder that no one knows anything. Not one of these guys is in my updated mock.
Based just on vibes, this class feels a little bit like the 2022 cohort (Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis). All three of them had hype, but only one landed in Round 1.
When we get to May and look back, I won't be surprised if we see just one QB in Round 1: Fernando Mendoza. (At least that's my early read right now.)
With the exception of 2024 (I'm looking at you, Michael Penix and Bo Nix), QBs almost always go later than we expect.
Wide Receivers
This is a decent year for the position, but athletic testing will determine a lot. If a number of WRs tear up the combine, we could see six WRs go in Round 1, maybe more.
But if this class has modest pre-draft workouts, the number of WRs in the top 32 could drop to just two.
With five currently in my mock, I'm taking something of an optimistic view on this class. All of the WRs have imperfections—but enough of them have Round 1 qualities.
The Texans rode a ferocious defense to rack up their most regular-season wins since 2012, even tacking on a dominant Wild Card victory over the Steelers for good measure before the wheels came off in the Divisional Round. Of course, as great as head coach Demeco Ryans' Will Anderson and Derek Stingley-led defense was, C.J. Stroud and the offense left a bit to be desired.
2025: 12-5 (+109 point differential, preseason win total: 9.5)
Points per game: 23.8 (13th)
EPA per pass: +0.08 (17th)
EPA per rush: -0.15 (30th)
Points per game against: 17.4 (second)
EPA per pass against: -0.1 (first)
EPA per rush against: -0.12 (third)
The front office doesn't have a ton of cap room to work with in free agency, but the team does possess four picks inside the draft's top 69 selections thanks to additional draft capital gained from past deals with the Giants and Commanders. While some depth is needed on the defensive side of the ball, it shouldn't be a controversial take to suggest the majority of the team's offseason attention deserves to be spent on the offensive side of the ball.
What Do The Houston Texans Need To Address For 2026?
Offensive Line
This group simply hasn't been, you know, good in recent years.
2025: PFF's 27th-ranked offensive line
2024: 29th
2023: 15th
2022: 26th
2021: 29th
At a minimum, the franchise needs to replace or re-sign starting RG Ed Ingram and RT Trent Brown. Their potential absences leave the team with the league's fifth-cheapest offensive line entering 2026—something that seems unacceptable considering their aforementioned lackluster performance in recent years.
Getting more out of former Day 2 picks Juice Scruggs and Blake Fisher would be ideal, but devoting more early-round capital to the room is encouraged either way.
