Justin BooneFantasy AnalystFri, April 24, 2026 at 3:23 PM UTC·7 min readYahoo’s Justin Boone reveals his rookie projections every fantasy-relevant selection in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. You can also read his detailed reaction to every fantasy-relevant selection on Thursday.
2026 projection (13 starts): 2,743 passing yards, 18 TDs, 14 INTs, 251 rushing yards, TD
Fantasy snapshot: Mendoza has proven himself to be a good leader with excellent on-field awareness who displays the toughness needed to overcome adversity during games. He has a strong arm to make any throw, but it’s his touch passing that stands out.
Though the 22-year-old has enough speed to scramble his way out of trouble and pick up yards on the ground, he’s not fast enough to be a meaningful runner in the pros.
He profiles as a long-term NFL starter, who will need the right environment around him to become a star.
Though veteran Kirk Cousins will do his best to hold him off, Mendoza will be starting sooner rather than later. The Heisman Trophy winner has the ability to return fantasy QB2 value in his starts as a rookie, with a chance to reach low-end QB1 production in future years.
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Fantasy snapshot: Consider me skeptical that Simpson will emerge as a quality option in the NFL. He also doesn’t have the speed required to be a true rushing threat, which is another limiting factor for his fantasy potential.
This gives L.A. some insurance in case the 38-year-old Stafford, who has dealt with back issues, gets injured or misses time for any reason. While that doesn’t change Stafford’s fantasy outlook, it does provide a succession plan that will help Puka Nacua’s dynasty stock in the long run.
However, this all comes down to whether Simpson can develop into a competent starter and I will continue to have doubts about that until he shows me otherwise.
2026 projection (15 starts): 247 carries, 1,072 rushing yards, 6 TDs, 45 receptions, 339 receiving yards, 2 TDs
Fantasy snapshot: Love has the size, skill and athleticism to be a three-down workhorse at the next level.
The 20-year-old displays good vision and patience, letting blocks develop in front of him, while also having the breakaway straight line speed necessary to create big plays. He’s also a comfortable pass-catcher (56 receptions over the last two seasons) who’s dangerous out in space.
The biggest loser in this situation is Tyler Allgeier, who signed with the team in free agency. Allgeier was escaping the shadow of Bijan Robinson in Atlanta and now finds himself stuck behind another top prospect in Love, keeping him in the backup RB mix for the foreseeable future.
Operating behind an elite Notre Dame offensive line certainly helped his production, but Love is a set-it-and-forget-it fantasy RB1 with a path to being a high-end producer.
2026 projection (15 starts): 207 carries, 889 rushing yards, 7 TDs, 19 receptions, 127 receiving yards
Fantasy snapshot: Price lacks a complete resume and the kind of production you normally want to see from an incoming rookie back, because he played behind Love at Notre Dame. We also have to factor in the efficiency boost that came from their dominant offensive line.
Even so, it’s hard not to like Price’s physical style, which often led to broken tackles and at least a few extra yards on most plays. Though he wasn’t asked to be a pass-catcher very often, his hands seem up to the task of being used in that area moving forward.
The biggest fantasy winners and losers from Round 1 🚨(via @fantasysmyth) pic.twitter.com/E9hIv8GbJ6
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) April 24, 2026