20 Rookies Drafted in Rounds 1-3 Who Could Make a Fantasy Impact in 2026

Apr 25, 2026

Eric Hartline - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 NFL Draft is over, so now it’s time for me to retreat to the rankings cave and develop the first iteration of 4for4’s official projections. But first, let’s run down the early-round rookies that could make an immediate impact this season.

For redraft purposes, I’m mainly interested in players who will (or could) start or play a significant part-time role this season. This year, I’ve broken this article up into three parts: rookies who will make an immediate impact, those who should make an immediate impact, and those who could make an immediate impact.

I’ll add the player’s draft capital and opportunity grade in parentheses. When discussing receivers, I’ll also refer to Matt Harmon’s WR work at Reception Perception.

Will Make an Immediate Fantasy Impact

RB Jeremiyah Love, Cardinals (1st, A)

Love is the best pure running back prospect since Saquon Barkley, and the PFF data backs it up. He posted a 98th-percentile PFF Run Grade (93.7), a 93rd-percentile yards after contact per attempt (4.5), a 92nd-percentile PFF Elusive Rating (127.5), and a 95th-percentile yards per route run (1.83)—a four-stat profile that screams three-down workhorse. The receiving chops matter here; Marcus Freeman has said he thinks Love could play wide receiver at the next level. I heard comparisons to Christian McCaffrey before the pick was made.

Arizona’s backfield was a complete wasteland last year—no back even hit 100 carries. Love walks into an immediate bell-cow role with minimal competition, and Mike LaFleur’s scheme values tempo and playmaking out of the backfield. The quarterback situation (Brissett/Minshew) limits his ceiling in PPR formats, but his volume floor should be rock-solid. I view him as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 in early fantasy drafts.

WR Carnell Tate, Titans (1st, A-)

Tate is the alpha receiver in this class, and the profile is about as clean as it gets for fantasy. He posted a 98th-percentile PFF Receiving Grade (89.0), a 97th-percentile yards per route run (3.02), and a 97th-percentile contested catch rate (85.7), all while running an 84th-percentile aDOT (14.6). Zero drops on the season. This is a big-bodied X receiver who wins downfield and in traffic, and that profile translates immediately.

Pairing Tate with Wan’Dale Robinson in the slot gives Cam Ward a legitimate 1-2 punch for the first time in his tenure. Ward’s aggressiveness as a passer should feed Tate’s contested-catch ability, and the Titans should be playing from behind often enough to keep the volume flowing. The YAC upside is limited (40th-percentile yards after catch per reception), so Tate’s fantasy value will be tied to touchdowns and air yards rather than chunk plays after the catch. He looks like a solid WR3 in redraft with upside from there.

WR Makai Lemon, Eagles (1st, A)

Lemon’s PFF profile is elite. He finished with the highest PFF Receiving Grade (91.4) among all 444 qualifying wide receivers—a 99th-percentile mark—and paired it with a 98th-percentile yards per route run (3.13) and a 91st-percentile contested catch rate (71.4%). He won the Biletnikoff doing his damage primarily from the slot (70.6% slot rate), which is where he’ll likely live in Philadelphia. I’m hearing comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Julian Edelman. Not bad.

The Eagles are clearly preparing for life without A.J. Brown, who is widely expected to be traded to the Patriots after June 1. That would leave DeVonta Smith as the clear WR1 on the outside, with Lemon fitting in as the high-volume slot piece in an offense that Jalen Hurts and the Saquon Barkley-led run game will keep efficient. The target path is there. He had 108 targets in 12 games at USC, which shows the kind of usage rate that should translate. Think a higher-floor, lower-ceiling WR3/WR4 in redraft with weekly PPR value.