2026 NFL Draft: AFC Winners and Losers (Fantasy Football)
The 2026 NFL Draft is finished, and fantasy managers are busy drafting rookies to their squads ahead of next season! Adding rookies to NFL rosters means some players may find themselves fighting for fantasy relevance, while others have the pathway opened up to being a fantasy stud!
Andy, Mike, and Jason took a deep dive into each NFL team’s draft class to find how the rookies impact each roster and identify Winners and Losers for fantasy!
AFC West
Las Vegas Raiders
Fantasy Winners
Brock Bowers (TE)
Starting at the top of the draft with the Raiders, Las Vegas spent their 10 draft picks all over the field, but the biggest win comes with the lack of significant draft capital they invested in receiving options to take targets away from their true leading receiving option in Brock Bowers. Despite playing on one of the absolute worst offenses in the league last season, Bowers still managed to finish as the TE8 on the year. Getting an upgrade at QB – be it via Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza – and a better play-caller with new Head Coach Klint Kubiak, Bowers should be considered one of the elite TE options heading into 2026 again.
Jack Bech (WR)
After a very disappointing rookie season where he barely saw the field, Jack Bech could benefit the most from the Raiders’ reset and has even more positive momentum after Las Vegas only spent a sixth-round pick on adding to the WR room. Bech stands a good chance of being in the starting lineup for the Raiders if he can beat out Tre Tucker and free agent addition Jalen Nailor through the summer.
Kansas City Chiefs
Fantasy Winners
Incumbent Receiving Options – Rachee Rice (WR), Xavier Worthy (WR), and Travis Kelce (TE)
There was plenty of talk heading into the draft that the Chiefs could be a landing spot for any of the big-name receiving options at either WR or TE, but Kansas City spent their first four picks – including two in the first round on defensive players. With Rashee Rice entering a contract season, he should still have every opportunity to earn the JSN-esque contract that he is asking for, while fantasy managers would just like to see signs of life from Xavier Worthy. Travis Kelce is returning for his 14th season and looks to still be the main receiving option at TE yet again, though Father Time has to eventually catch up to him – right?
Fantasy Loser
Emmett Johnson (RB)
Like many of the rookies the fantasy community was high on in this draft class, Emmett Johnson fell to Day 3 and to a situation where the pathway to fantasy relevance seems murky at best behind Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. Walker got a big bag of money in free agency and will likely be the bellcow for the Chiefs’ offensive running game. There could be some hope that Johnson will beat out Brashard Smith for the backup RB role, and his receiving prowess could get him on the field sooner than later.
Los Angeles Chargers
Fantasy Winner
Mike McDaniel is a national treasure. pic.twitter.com/ehms7OEtaY
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 26, 2026
Brenen Thompson – WR
How can you not be a winner when your Offensive Coordinator says he will take off his shirt if they draft you? Brenen Thompson brings a lot of speed to the Chargers offense – running the fastest 40 at the combine this season – and will have to work to find a role inside this Los Angeles offense that doesn’t offer a ton of opportunity. While fantasy managers will have to wait to see what the Harbaugh-McDaniel offense will look like this season, Thompson will be an interesting name to keep an eye on throughout the summer.
Denver Broncos
Fantasy Loser
Denver RBs
As if this unit needed any more confusion, Denver spent their second pick of this draft on RB Jonah Coleman, which may further muddy the waters for fantasy managers. With RJ Harvey entering his second season and JK Dobbins re-signing in free agency, the addition of Coleman gets back to a classic Sean Payton backfield, where we really don’t know who to rely on. In the long run, this backfield will likely belong to Harvey and Coleman, but until Dobbins gets injured like he has the last two seasons, this trio could only serve to frustrate fantasy managers.
AFC South
Tennessee Titans
Fantasy Winner
Cam Ward (QB)
There aren’t many players who have had a better offseason than Cam Ward in Tennessee. After getting Brian Daboll as an Offensive Coordinator, the Titans used the fourth overall pick on WR Carnell Tate, who was viewed by many as the most pro-ready WR in this draft class. The addition of Tate gives Ward a legitimate WR1 to continue to develop within Nashville as they rebuild this team.
Fantasy Loser
Calvin Ridley (WR)
Exactly one year ago, we did this same article series, and Calvin Ridley was listed as a winner thanks to his shiny new rookie QB and the lack of WR competition through the draft. Now, Ridley seems to be the odd man out in a new coaching regime that spent massive draft capital on a WR after spending big on WR Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency. Time catches players fast, and it seems like the clock is striking midnight on Ridley’s relevance in Tennessee.
Indianapolis Colts
Fantasy Winner
Josh Downs (WR)
There’s a chance that Josh Downs is quietly one of the bigger winners of the offseason for fantasy. Not only did the Colts remove target competition by trading Michael Pittman, but Indianapolis also didn’t use any significant draft capital to bring another WR in, which opens the door for Downs to show if he can work on the outside in this offense. In 2025, Downs played the highest percentage of snaps out wide – just 20.2% – so that number would have to go up significantly for him to really take a step forward in fantasy impact.
Houston Texans
Fantasy Loser
Dalton Schultz (TE)
With just one year left on his contract, it is likely the Texans drafted the replacement for Dalton Schultz in this draft in second-round pick Marlin Klein. Schultz has been plenty fantasy relevant over the last handful of years, finishing as a top-12 TE in four of the last five seasons, but with Houston taking a TE in Round 4 or higher in two of the last three seasons, Schultz could be sent out to pasture for fantasy rosters by the end of the 2026 season.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Fantasy Winner
Jags RB Room
There were plenty of late rumors that Jacksonville might be looking to spend significant draft capital on an RB after losing Travis Etienne in free agency, but the Jags didn’t draft a single RB and only brought one in as an Undrafted Free Agent. The lack of new RBs in Jacksonville clears the way for an increased role for second-year RB Bhayshul Tuten and free agent addition Chris Rodriguez. Tuten was plenty productive when he saw opportunities behind Etienne last season, finishing with four top-24 finishes in limited touches. Meanwhile, Rodriguez finished 2025 with top-24 finishes in three of his last seven games in a struggling Commanders offense. With no new threats for touches coming in, both Tuten and Rodriguez should be seen as big winners in this high-powered offense.
Fantasy Loser
Brenton Strange (TE)
The opportunity was right in front of Brenton Strange to have a breakout season in 2025, and he partially delivered, finishing as a top-10 TE five times. Any path for another step forward for Strange got more complicated with the draft after the Jags drafted two TEs – one of which was with their first pick in the draft. If there is a silver lining, the first of the two TEs, Nate Boerkircher, is mainly regarded as a blocking TE, but their fifth-round pick, Tanner Koziol, had 74 receptions in his final season at Houston. Strange will have much more competition at TE this season in Jacksonville, so taking another step forward just got more complicated.
AFC North
Cleveland Browns
Fantasy Loser
Jerry Jeudy (WR)
Just a year removed from posting the best fantasy finish of his career, Jerry Jeudy seems to be on the way out in Cleveland after the Browns spent two of their first three picks on WRs – getting KC Concepcion with the 24th-overall pick and Denzel Boston just 15 picks later. In 2025, Jeudy managed just 50 receptions on 106, the fourth fewest receptions for any WR with 100+ targets in the last decade. With a regime change in Cleveland, the addition of two young pass catchers could signal the end for Jeudy’s relevance on fantasy rosters.
Browns Rookie WRs
This draft featured a pretty deep class of WRs that many in the fantasy community were hoping could find the right home for some instant fantasy success, but with both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston heading to a questionable situation in Cleveland, it really limits the ceiling both rookies could have in their first season and beyond.
Cincinnati Bengals
Fantasy Winner
Chase Brown (RB)
The Year of Mike continues as Chase Brown has yet again dodged the draft bullet in Cincinnati. The Bengals have really worked to add defensive pieces on one of the worst units in football from 2025, which has kept them from spending money on the RB position to threaten Brown’s massive workload that saw him string together 12-straight top-20 RB finishes to finish his 2025 season. With only Tahj Brooks and Samaje Perine currently in the Cincinnati RB room, Brown should hopefully be able to pick up where he left off and provide massive fantasy value again in 2026.
Baltimore Ravens
Fantasy Winner
Lamar Jackson (QB)
After a disappointing 2025 season, the Ravens invested heavily around Lamar Jackson with their 2026 draft picks to help replace some of what they lost in free agency. Baltimore spent the 13th-overall pick on Olavavega Ioane, regarded as the best interior offensive lineman in this class, and followed that up with four new pass-catchers. A pair of young WRs – Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt – gives Jackson a duo of big, athletic pass catchers to play alongside Zay Flowers. Baltimore also added a pair of TEs in the same draft for the fourth time in their history – Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas. Overall, Baltimore has done its best to put new pieces around Jackson and keep their Super Bowl window open.
Fantasy Loser
Rashod Bateman (WR)
With the addition of a pair of rookie WRs, the time for Rashod Bateman to maintain his role as the WR2 in Baltimore could be running short. Bateman disappointed for fantasy last season after what was easily his best year in 2024, reverting to his usual unpredictable fantasy output we have come to know. It may not be immediate with the rookies needing time to get their footing, but the clock on Bateman’s time as a primary piece in Baltimore’s offense is likely running short.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Fantasy Loser
Michael Pittman Jr (WR)
The change of scenery for Michael Pittman Jr had a short silver lining with the Steelers spending a second-round pick on WR Germie Bernard. With DK Metcalf as the clear top receiving option for the Steelers, the rest of the targets in this offense could be pretty limited, leaving Pittman managers a bit disappointed in what role could be available for him. To top it off, who is playing QB is still up in the air for Pittsburgh, which only adds to the uncertainty for how much impact Pittman can still have for fantasy rosters. To be fair, this could have been way worse if that Makai Lemon pick had actually gone through.
AFC East
New York Jets
Fantasy Winner
Jets Offense Overall
With two of their three first-round picks, New York invested in big time offensive weapons to help improve their offense with TE Kenyon Sadiq and WR Omar Cooper Jr. There is a little redundancy with Sadiq and Cooper, as they’re both likely to work out of the slot, but having a pair of young pass-catchers alongside Garrett Wilson can only help improve the worst passing offense in the league from 2025. What the Jets really have done here is set up whoever they draft as their future QB in 2026 with a proper set of weapons to be successful very quickly.
Fantasy Loser
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Mason Taylor (TE)
Just one season after being taken in the second round, Mason Taylor’s value may all but be gone after the Jets chose to use the 16th-overall pick on another TE in Kenyon Sadiq. Taylor ranked just fifth in receiving yards in one of the better rookie TE classes in recent memory, and lives in Footballers’ lore, having never broken a single tackle. If Sadiq can deliver on the freaky athletic prowess that got him drafted with premier draft capital, the chances of Taylor emerging for fantasy seem slim.
Miami Dolphins
Fantasy Winner
Dolphins Rookie WRs
Miami entered the draft with one of the absolute worst WR rooms that’s ever been assembled, which really gives the three WRs they drafted a legitimate opportunity to emerge for fantasy rosters. Both Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell were selected in the third round by the Dolphins and have the bigger bodies to play on the outside. While Bell is still recovering from a late-season ACL injury, he could have been a first-round pick if healthy. The third WR drafted, Kevin Coleman Jr., profiles as more of a slot WR who will have to win with his elite speed. With a veteran room including Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, Theo Wease Jr., Malik Washington, and Terrace Marshall Jr., this trio of rookies should have a real shot at being fantasy relevant in their first year.
Buffalo Bills
Fantasy Loser
Keon Coleman (WR)
With the Bills trading back a record three times in the first round, Keon Coleman dodged the premier WR draft capital bullet, but eventually Buffalo took one of my favorite WRs in this class in Skyler Bell. Bell had a monster final season at Connecticut, grabbing 101 catches for 1,276 yards and 13 TDs. While just a fourth-round pick, Bell could work his way into the Bills’ passing attack quickly, leaving Coleman out in the cold for fantasy purposes. After a pair of very disappointing seasons, Coleman’s opportunity may be running out in Buffalo.
New England Patriots
Fantasy Winner
Romeo Doubs (WR)
For now, it seems Romeo Doubs is still the WR1 in New England after the Patriots only added a third-round TE in Eli Raridon as far as pass-catchers are concerned in the draft. Raridon is a former basketball player who will bring the athletic ability fantasy managers are looking for to have high-end fantasy value, but it may take some time for him to see the field. Maybe the worst-kept secret in the NFL is the assumed trade of AJ Brown to New England sometime this summer, but for the time being, Doubs seems to be holding on to the WR1 role for the Patriots.