Dynasty Report: An Early Look At The 2027 WR Class (Fantasy Football)
For dynasty football, it is never too early to look ahead to next year’s rookie class! While players can still break out in their final year, the general landscape of an upcoming draft class is typically well-defined by this point in the process. For players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CeeDee Lamb, and Ja’Marr Chase, there were plenty of early signs that they would eventually develop into impactful NFL players. Even with the lack of elite talent in the 2026 class, it was widely expected that Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, and Jordyn Tyson would round out the top three at their position heading into their final collegiate season. Similarly, several college WRs are already emerging for dynasty football, as many expect next year’s draft to be one of the deepest in recent history. With that said, let’s dive into some of the most intriguing WR prospects expected to declare in 2027.
Jeremiah Smith is currently the unquestioned WR1 for the 2027 draft. He stands out as one of the most dynamic receivers, with an ability to win at the line of scrimmage, at the catch point, and with the ball in his hands. From an analytical perspective, he is as close to a perfect prospect as you will find. In my prospect model that dates back to 2010, Smith is currently the highest-graded WR, projecting in the 99.9th percentile. That places him ahead of several elite college WRs in Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Dez Bryant, and Julio Jones. In fact, he has the highest schedule-adjusted production score in my model, posting back-to-back seasons in the +95th percentile. When you account for the fact that he ranks near the top in metrics such as Yards per Route Run (3.3), QB Rating when Targeted (143.7), and EPA per Target (0.94), it is nearly impossible to envision a more accomplished resume heading into the NFL. More importantly, he has been dominant on a very successful Ohio State offense while playing alongside two first-round picks, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate. Barring a drastic drop-off in production, Smith should enter the draft as one of the most accomplished prospects in recent history.
Heading into the 2025 season, Ryan Coleman-Williams was considered by many as one of the top WRs of the 2027 class. Especially after a dominant freshman campaign, Coleman-Williams was initially my pick for WR2 of the 2027 draft. While he could ultimately still land there, he will need to bounce back significantly this season. For context, in 2025, he set career-lows across multiple metrics, including Receiving Yards per Team Pass Attempt (1.62), Receiving Yards Market Share (21.1%), and Yards per Route Run (1.84). As a result, he finished his second campaign with only a 62nd percentile season. However, despite a disappointing year, it is important to put his career into perspective. For one, Coleman-Williams set the bar extremely high, putting together a 97th percentile true freshman season in 2024. That still holds significant value as he remains on pace to finish his career with positive experience-adjusted production. Secondly, he is still only 19 years old as he enters the final year of his college career. In fact, his true freshman breakout is one of the youngest in recent history at only 17 years old. Beyond his production, he is on track to enter the draft as the youngest WR prospect in over 10 years, underscoring the historic nature of his early collegiate success. In short, while his Sophomore year was disappointing, there is still so much untapped potential for Coleman-Williams. Assuming he can replicate or even exceed his freshman campaign in the 2026 season, he will likely finish his career as a +90th percentile prospect in my rookie model.
Heading into 2026, three WRs currently project in the +90th percentile in my rookie WR model, a group that historically has averaged a 74% breakout rate for fantasy football. Cam Coleman out of Auburn and Texas is one of the few prospects on that list. At 6’3” and 204 pounds, Coleman stands out as one of the most athletic receivers in this class. He possesses an impressive ability to vary his speed and create separation in all phases of his route. He also boasts a tremendous catch radius, which makes him a legitimate threat in the red zone. We see that clearly in his analytical profile as Coleman has accounted for an impressive 38.2% of Auburn’s receiving TDs (Market Share) over the last two years. That ranks second in his class behind only Jeremiah Smith. From a production perspective, there is a larger gap between Smith and Coleman. While his true freshman season ranks in the 92nd percentile, his lack of elite efficiency in his second campaign only led to marginal improvements in 2025. In addition, he has yet to exceed 2.0 Yards per Route Run in any season, a mark that both Coleman-Williams and Smith exceeded at least once in their careers. To be fair, Auburn’s struggles at the QB position were partially to blame for his lack of elite production. Fortunately, that should not be the case in 2026 as Coleman is set to receive passes from Arch Manning. Assuming he can elevate his game to the next level and set career-highs at Texas, Coleman has the upside to be the WR2 of a talented 2027 class.
One of the players I am most looking forward to watching this season is Charlie Becker out of Indiana. Becker started his career playing primarily on special teams, sitting behind Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. in his true freshman season. In 2025, his role started to expand as he put together multiple 100-yard receiving games in the back half of the year, finishing the season with a 21% Receiving Yards Market Share and 1.91 Receiving Yards per Team Pass Attempt. While those numbers rank below the threshold of an elite season, Becker’s underlying efficiency numbers are what truly set him apart. Over the last two seasons, Becker leads the 2027 class in Yards per Route Run (3.41), QB Rating when Targeted (146.8), and Success Rate (73%). In other words, despite limited targets over the last two years, Becker has been highly reliable and impactful when given the opportunity. With Sarratt and Cooper Jr. declaring for the NFL, Becker should have a clear path to significant volume in 2026. Even if his efficiency tapers, I still expect Becker to have a productive season as the projected WR1 for the Indiana Hoosiers. Also, keep an eye on his teammate, Nick Marsh, who recently transferred to Indiana and could also emerge as a key weapon for their offense.
One of the most dynamic receivers in the 2027 class is Mario Craver out of Texas A&M, who was highly productive for the Aggies alongside KC Concepcion last season. He accounted for over 26% of their receiving production, averaged 2.46 Receiving Yards per Team Pass Attempt (87th percentile), and finished with an elite 3.25 Yards per Route Run. With a clear path to elite volume this season, Craver should dominate and set career-highs across the board in his final season with Texas A&M. Naturally, the most common criticism for Craver is his smaller frame, measuring in at 5’9” and only 165 pounds. And while that tends to be one of the common storylines around draft season, keep in mind that the correlation between weight, height, and fantasy production is nearly zero. While we do see fewer WRs below 170 pounds enter the NFL, their hit rates are not significantly lower than WRs who weigh above that threshold. For context, we have only seen five WRs below 170 pounds enter the NFL with day one or two capital: DeVonta Smith, Marquise Brown, Tutu Atwell, Tank Dell, and Xavier Worthy. Of those five, we have seen Smith, Brown, and Dell break out in the NFL, each producing at least one top-24 fantasy season. In the case of Worthy, he likely could have broken out in Year 2 had he not dislocated his shoulder in Week 1. And while this is a smaller sample size, we should not discount Craver’s upside simply because of his size. Assuming his game continues to develop, Craver has the potential to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which would cement him as a top-five WR in my rookie model.
One of the most underrated WRs in the 2027 draft is KJ Duff out of Rutgers. A highly athletic and physically imposing prospect at 6’6” and 225 pounds, Duff’s ability to make jaw-dropping catches has been on full display in his two years with the Scarlet Knights. On top of that, he stands out as one of the most productive prospects from an analytical perspective. Not only is he the WR2 in the class in Experience-Adjusted Production, but he also ranks near the top in metrics such as EPA per Play (0.97) and Success Rate (70%). In fact, his 93rd percentile campaign in 2025 was the second-most accomplished Sophomore season in this class, behind only Jeremiah Smith. Surprisingly, given its depth, Duff may not even rank among the top five at the WR position for the 2027 class. This only emphasizes the significant value of rookie picks next year, considering a prospect like KJ Duff has the potential to slip out of the first round in rookie drafts. Regardless, if he maintains or even improves upon his sophomore production in his final season, Duff has the upside to emerge as a +90th percentile prospect in my rookie model.