Joel SmythFantasy AnalystFri, April 24, 2026 at 12:42 AM UTC·2 min readThe 2026 NFL Draft is underway and the first round should be filled with players who will have an impact on fantasy football next season — whether in redraft or dynasty leagues. Yahoo analyst Joel Smyth is going to provide his fantasy football grades for every relevant prospect drafted in the first round on Thursday night. Follow along for live updates.

With Klint Kubiak taking over the Raiders, Mendoza’s chances of succeeding at the next level improve greatly. Kirk Cousins, who will be Mendoza’s mentor in Las Vegas, was the fantasy QB12 with Kubiak calling plays in Minnesota. For 1QB leagues, Mendoza’s upside could be limited in a run-heavy offensive attack. For example, even though Sam Darnold played great in Kubiak’s system last season, he only averaged 14.2 fantasy PPG.

James Conner was extended last season, Tyler Allgeier signed this offseason and now Jeremiyah Love was added this draft season. Allgeier will play a role he’s very successful in, similar to how he did in Atlanta, but Bijan Robinson showed that it doesn’t mean you can’t be a top-five fantasy RB while sharing the load. The last time head coach Mike LaFleur had a rookie RB was Breece Hall, who averaged over 15 half-PPR fantasy PPG prior to his injury. It may take time, but Love’s talent should make him an established RB1 on an offense figuring out its future.

The first shock of the night! The commonly mocked landing spots for Tate looked grim, but the OSU WR lands in Tennessee with very little competition. It is yet to be seen if Cam Ward is the answer, but Tate getting top-five draft capital and volume up for grabs, it was one of the best options possible. Ward’s aggressive play style can pair well with Tate’s downfield contested catch ability. Brian Daboll’s offense supplied Malik Nabers with 170 rookie targets; hopefully, Tate can get at least near the 125 mark.