2026 Fantasy Football Rankings: DeVonta Smith, Mark Andrews and More Post-Draft Risers/Fallers

The NFL Draft is in the rear-view mirror, and I have been grinding the projections and rankings for the last 48 hours to deliver you the biggest risers and fallers in my 2026 fantasy football rankings.

So, let's dive in, y'all!

Risers In The Fantasy Football Rankings After The NFL Draft

As a reminder, my full fantasy football rankings can be found in our rankings hub.

Running Back Risers In The Post-Draft Rankings

Cam Skattebo | Giants

Skattebo avoided the Jeremiyah Love landmine with the Cardinals selecting the superstar rookie with the third pick. Last season, Skattebo took over the lead role for the Giants from Weeks 2-7 before suffering a compound open ankle dislocation, fractured fibula, and ruptured deltoid ligament, which ended his season.

The good news: Skattebo was cleared for voluntary workouts in April and is expected to be unrestricted in training camp.

Even more good news: Skattebo was a fantasy superstar in his six starts as a rookie, compiling 18.8 fantasy points per game (PPG). He has the two key traits that unlock massive fantasy upside as a plus receiver and a goalline thumper. Over that span, the man nicknamed "Nature Boy" after Rick Flair in high school, notched a 15% target share and handled 80% of the attempts inside the five-yard line.

Skattebo's 87 Utilization Score tells the real story. Since 2018, RBs in that range have averaged 16.6 points. He projects for 15.0 points per game in our projection model with an Xfinity Best Ceiling of 18.2, which honestly could be too low!

Rankings Impact: Skattebo climbs 22 spots to No. 38 overall as the RB18 in my ranks.

Jadarian Price | Seahawks

While we can debate whether Price was a good organizational pick as a first-round selection, we can't argue about what this does for his fantasy outlook. With Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL surgery in late February, he won't be ready until potentially week 12. This draft capital essentially locks Price in as Seattle's RB1 for most of 2026.

He wasn't a strong receiver in college, so we could see Emanuel Wilson or George Holani take on pass-down work. However, he should be the primary early-down back on a solid offense that wants to pound the rock. That could lead to a lot of scoring opportunities.

If Price performs well early on, there is a chance he hangs onto the lead role even as Charbonnet eases back into the lineup. But there is some risk with his late-season projection if Charbonnet regains the RB1 role. In redraft leagues, you can maneuver around that if and when it happens, but in bestball, it could be a little trickier.

Rankings Impact: Price catapults 29 spots, from No. 105 to 76. And that could keep pushing higher if Charbonnet is not on schedule.

Quick Hitters: RB Risers

Tony Pollard | Titans: Pollard avoided a Day 2 addition to the team. He isn't a sexy name, but his job appears safe for now. I have Nicholas Singleton taking a little work from Pollard. Still, it is hard to project a big workload for a Round 5 pick, even though I like Singleton's theoretical upside thanks to his receiving prowess. Pollard moves up from 104 to 89 in the ranks as a mid-range RB3.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt | Commanders: The man known as "Bill" didn't see any backfield competition added until Round 6 in Kaytron Allen. While Allen could challenge for short-yardage work, overall, this is a positive considering Love was highly mocked to the Commanders early in the pre-draft process. Croskey-Merritt climbs from 130 to 103 in my ranks as a low-end RB3.
Isiah Pacheco | Lions: Pacheco appears locked into the RB2 role for the Lions. He isn't a great passing-down option, but if something happened to Jahmyr Gibbs, Pacheco would be valuable in a potent offense. He could carry spike-week upside in the rushing TD department with Gibbs healthy. Pacheco ascends from 169 to 156. He is a low-end RB4 with considerable contingent upside.
Samaje Perine | Bengals: Perine is the handcuff to Chase Brown. He is now draftable, moving up from the 220s to 167 in the ranks.
Kaelon Black | 49ers: Predicting the 49ers backfield pecking order isn't for the faint of heart, but Black got surprise Round 3 draft capital as the No. 90 pick. He will battle Jordan James for the RB2 role. If he wins the job, he becomes one of the better handcuffs behind Christian McCaffrey. Black is an RB stash option in deeper leagues, now inside the top 200.

Wide Receiver Risers In The Post-Draft Fantasy Rankings

A.J. Brown | Eagles

After the selection of Makai Lemon and trade rumors continuing to swirl, it is time to think about AJB in a different uniform. If he lands with the Patriots and Drake Maye, he would be locked into the WR1 role with a QB that can air it out. Maye ranked third in passing yards per game (259) last year—well above Jalen Hurts (202).

Of course, there is no guarantee that Brown will land with the Patriots, but I am betting any team that trades for him is a playoff contender with a quality passer. While Brown isn't what he once was, he still ranked sixth in target share (30%) last season and averaged 14.7 points per game in a pass-deficient offense. He could score 16 to 17 with a team like New England.

Rankings Impact: Brown jumps from No. 26 to No. 20 in my ranks, and could be a top-16 selection depending on landing spot.

DeVonta Smith | Eagles

With Brown likely headed out of town, Smith gets a significant bump. Yes, Lemon will challenge for opportunities, but we shouldn't expect a rookie to command a 30% target share. That means more for Smith. Over the last three seasons, Smith had a 38% target share and a 2.58 yards per route run (YPRR) on 171 routes without Brown on the field. That is elite stuff, y'all.

If Sean Mannion unlocks additional yardage in the passing game with more motion, stacked formations and innovative route combinations, there is a significant ceiling here.

Rankings Impact: Smith moves to WR18 as my No. 27 player overall—up 16 spots in the ranks.

Quick Hitters: WR Risers

Jordyn Tyson | Saints: Tyson was the No. 8 pick in the draft and immediately steps into the No. 2 role for New Orleans. He was the most prolific collegiate producer out of all the Round 1 WR draft picks. Expect a highly concentrated passing attack revolving around Chris Olave and Tyson. Tyson ascends from No. 55 to 46 as my WR21 in the ranks—he is an absolute bargain right now on Underdog drafts as Pick 71.
Terry McLaurin | Commanders: Washington added Antonio Williams in the third round, but McLaurin is primed to lead the team in targets. With a healthy Jayden Daniels in 2024, McLaurin averaged 16.1 PPG, including the playoffs. He will be 30 this September, but is a solid low-end WR2 option. McLaurin is my WR29.
Jayden Reed | Packers: The Packers have never given Reed a full-time role, but they didn't address the position in the first two days of the draft after the departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. In a suddenly much less crowded room, the odds of Reed—who just signed a three-year $50M extension—playing more snaps are improving. Reed's 2.10 YPRR ranks 19th among WRs with at least 500 routes over the last three years—that is in WR2 territory. Reed ascends 14 spots in the ranks from 99 to 85 as a WR4 with significant upside.
Josh Downs | Colts: The Colts traded away Michael Pittman Jr. and didn't select a WR until Round 7 of the draft in Deion Burks. That leaves the door open for Downs to play a more significant role in 2026 with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine as his primary challenger. The main risk here is Indianapolis's willingness to use multi-TE personnel, and they may prefer Westbrook-Ikhine as a blocker in those packages. For this to work out, Downs must play in two-WR sets. Downs ranks 24th in targets per route run (TPRR) at 24% over the last three years—he can earn looks! Downs is my WR51.
Chris Bell | Dolphins: Bell is coming off an ACL injury, but has a shot to lead a barren Dolphins WR room in targets in 2026. He is a prolific YAC monster with the ball in his hands, who can win on in-breaking routes and crossers. Bell gets a massive boost in the projections and ranks, climbing from 168 to 129 as an upside WR5.
Tyquan Thornton | Chiefs: With Hollywood Brown gone and Kansas City waiting until Round 5 to take a WR, Thornton could play a significant role as a field stretcher for the Chiefs. He is a live pick with spike-week potential in bestball. Thornton climbs to 179 in the ranks.
Antonio Williams | Commanders: Williams was the No. 71 pick in the draft and has a shot to take over the WR2 duties in a lackluster receiving corps behind McLaurin. He could become their top underneath option with McLaurin working more vertical and intermediate routes. The rookie WR moves into draftable territory for larger leagues as my No. 180 player overall.
Raiders WRs: The Raiders didn't add a Day 1 or Day 2 pick, meaning Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor and Jack Bech could all see significant snaps. I have the most confidence in Tucker's playing time. Tucker isn't redraft material, but is a solid best ball pick. Nailor and Bech are late-round bestball dart throws.

Post-Draft Tight End Rankings Risers

Mark Andrews | Ravens

The Ravens added two TEs in the NFL draft: Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas, both Round 4 and Round 5 picks, respectively. They will chip in and help in the run game, but with Isaiah Likely gone, Andrews avoided the addition of a legit snap earner in the pass game.

Andrews will be 30 this September, but historically, we have seen good TEs play well further into their careers. The veteran has regressed in recent years, but more playing time could go a long way.

In the projections, I currently have him with a 79% route participation rate and only a 19% TPRR—his average last season. He projects for 25% of the receiving TDs, which is middling his three-year average of 29% and last year's 22%.

That comes to 10.5 PPR (TE10) points per game and 8.6 in half-PPR (TE8).

Rankings Impact: Andrews is my TE9 in the ranks as the No. 109 player overall.

Fallers In The Fantasy Football Rankings After The NFL Draft

For the fallers, we will keep them short and sweet since we don't have any big names other than Jeremiyah Love taking a hit.

Post-Draft Running Back Rankings Fallers

Jeremiyah Love | Cardinals: Love is an elite prospect with the fifth-highest rating (81) in the history of the Rookie Super Model, dating back to 2017. Of prospects to reach that mark, 100% have secured one to two top-six fantasy seasons by Year 3. So, there are no doubts about Love in the long term. However, he lands on a team projected to finish with 4.5 wins, tied for the worst in the betting markets. I have Love projected for a healthy dose of the rushing workload (63%) based on historical top-10 picks, but the last guy to nuke a top-10 pick's attempt share is on the team: Tyler Allgeier. So there is a risk that Love cedes some short-yardage work to Allgeier on a team projected to finish 26th in offensive TDs, which creates a problem. I am still in on Love as a low-end Round 2 pick as my No. 22 player, but he is the No. 15 pick on Underdog. We will need the Arizona offense to surprise to support that price.
Tyler Allgeier | Cardinals: This one is pretty simple. Allgeier is back to a part-time role with contingency upside with Love on the scene. He falls from 95 to 123 in the ranks as my RB40.
Rookie RBs: Emmett Johnson and Mike Washington Jr. landed on teams with entrenched starters in Kenneth Walker and Ashton Jeanty, pushing them to handcuff territory. Jonah Coleman landed in Denver, where we already have a two-pronged rushing attack in J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. All of these rookies still have appeal in later rounds in deep formats, but they didn't hit the jackpot landing spots we hoped for.
Emanuel Wilson and George Holani | Seattle: With the arrival of Price, these two back take a massive hit. One could emerge as the No. 2 and the primary passing-down back, but they are only late-round dart throws in deep leagues now.

Post-Draft Wide Receiver Rankings Fallers

Ricky Pearsall | 49ers: San Francisco shocked the world by reaching for De'Zhaun Stribling with the first pick in Round 2. While it might be a reach, the reality is that the 49ers used the pick and have a plan for Stribling. We can't ignore that when it comes to Pearsall, who could have to share playing time. Pearsall drops 14 spots, from 85 to 99, as a low-end WR4.
Calvin Ridley | Titans: With the additions of Carnell Tate (Pick 4) and Wan'Dale Robinson this offseason, the Tennessee receiving corps is suddenly crowded. Ridley is still probably locked into three-WR sets, but could lose time in two-WR looks. Ridley falls from 109 to 130 as the WR52.
Jerry Jeudy | Browns: Jeudy got a double-whammy in the draft with the Browns adding KC Concepcion in Round 1 and Denzel Boston in Round 2. Cleveland is signaling that they are ready to reset at the position. The veteran WR could fall into a rotation in two-WR sets on an offense with massive QB questions that projects 31st in offensive TDs. Jeudy plummets from 146 to 178 in my ranks. He is a WR6 option in best ball, but is an avoid for me in redraft.
Jalen McMillan | Bucs: McMillan has competition for the WR3 role with Ted Hurst arriving on the scene. Both players offer a vertical-threat skillset. McMillan could hold off the rookie, but the arrival makes his outlook less certain. McMillan is a WR6.
Adonai Mitchell | Jets: Mitchell finished last season strong, but the arrivals of Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper in Round 1 of the NFL Draft put his playing time and targets in severe jeopardy. He falls outside of my top 225.

Post-Draft Tight End Receiver Rankings Fallers

Mason Taylor | Jets: This one is really straightforward: The Jets drafted Kenyon Sadiq at No. 16 overall. Taylor is undraftable in all formats, falling out of the top-250.
Eli Stowers | Eagles: Stowers still offers long-term upside, but he will play behind Dallas Goedert in a rotational role in 2026. Stowers is a TE3 stash in TE premium formats as the handcuff to Goedert.

Players Mentioned in this Article

CamSkatteboQ
RBNYG
PPG
14.2
Proj
211.5
JadarianPrice
RBSEA
Proj
164.4
DeVontaSmith
WRPHI
PPG
9.7
Proj
195.0
MarkAndrews
TEBAL
PPG
6.2
Proj
133.1