Matt HarmonFantasy analystWed, April 22, 2026 at 2:05 PM UTC·13 min readThe 2026 NFL Draft is upon us. We’ll use this space to do one last bit of wishcasting as I’ll give out my somewhat realistic but ideal landing spots for all of the fantasy-relevant prospects inside the top 105 of the Consensus Big Board — top 100 would have certainly been a smoother headline, but I wanted to throw a couple wideout prospects I like at the end, so sue me.
It won’t be long until we officially know where these rookies will be playing for real in 2026 and beyond, so let’s do one final round of fan fiction.
No need to make this complicated. Mendoza will be a member of the Raiders in just a matter of days. He might take some time to adjust to the under-center world Klint Kubiak wants to live in but Vegas has Kirk Cousins to serve as a desirable bridge. In time, Mendoza’s accuracy and ball placement will bring this scheme to life.
Simpson needs seasoning and Arizona has a capable bridge in Jacoby Brissett to give him that. Also, the Cardinals need at least something to sell this season. At his best, Simpson has the arm strength and placement to drive throws over the middle, which is a must in the offense Mike LaFleur will bring from Los Angeles. If he’s a Round 2 pick and this doesn’t work out quickly, Arizona can just flush the pick and draft a quarterback in next year’s class.
Even if Aaron Rodgers is starting for this team in 2026, it’s at best a one-year arrangement, and based on how last season ended, it would be wise to have a real backup plan in-house. Nussmeier played hurt last season but still has promise. He would fit Mike McCarthy’s West Coast offense.
The Jets intend to start Geno Smith all of 2026 and for those of us interested in some of their players in fantasy, that’s preferable to any rookie they could grab. Allar is a dart throw of upside that, if everything works out, he can be the developmental future plan. If it doesn’t, he won’t be taken high enough where they can’t just move on next year.
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Love would immediately be a massive upgrade as an explosive option out of the backfield for Washington. The Commanders plan to go to a more traditional under-center offense this year with David Blough as the offensive coordinator. They have a fine committee in place to pull that off but Love would really weaponize it. I’d be willing to push Love into my Round 1 fantasy rankings with this landing spot.
The Broncos have RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins in place, which is fine but each presents his own set of questions. Harvey was capable in the passing game but didn’t bring much as an early-down rusher. Price could be his long-term running mate in that role.
Josh Norris sold me on this one in his episode of Mock Draft Monday on the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast. Washington fits the mold of the big and explosive backs with some flaws in their games whom Seattle has chased previously. Washington could be the bell-cow by the end of his rookie season and give them some of the big-play potential, even if he’s a different style of runner, they lost when Kenneth Walker III bolted for Kansas City.
I’m a fan of Coleman’s game in how he works at the line of scrimmage and succeeds at the little things of playing running back: pass protection, ball security and receiving. The Vikings need a little more depth at this position and Coleman could go from a late Day 2 or Day 3 pick and become the starter at some point during his rookie year.
Johnson doesn’t profile as a feature back but has explosive ability when/if he can reach the second level on his runs. The Packers lost Emanuel Wilson in free agency and may want to consider more of a change-of-pace option to keep Josh Jacobs fresh at some point. Johnson could find himself on waiver-wire speed dial in this role.
I’ve been standing on this match since the NFL Scouting Combine and while I think it’s unlikely to happen, Tate landing in Kansas City would be a dream. The Chiefs need a true boundary receiver who can handle volume and win against man coverage. Tate checks all the boxes.
There are places where receivers of Lemon’s archetype may end up pigeon-holed as slot-only and low-snap options; those teams won’t spend high draft capital on him. None of that would be a problem in L.A., where the Rams have had multiple success stories with players just like this, notably Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. It’s been pretty clear the Rams are in the mix for a wideout this offseason. This would be a win for Lemon in fantasy but might cloud the target tree for Davante Adams and Nacua, the latter of whom has had a tumultuous offseason, to say the least.
Tyson is going to be landing-spot sensitive because we need him in a place that will spread the field and maximize his reps at Z and slot. The Saints used a ton of three-plus wide receiver sets last year and got everyone snaps at multiple spots because of Kellen Moore’s deep bag of motion concepts. Tyson and Chris Olave would be a dangerous one-two punch where the former would thrive in the intermediate areas against zone, while Olave wins at all three levels against man coverage and is the primary vertical option.
I have a strong feeling that the Eagles both love this player in particular and won’t hesitate to use a Round 1 pick even after adding Dontayvion Wicks, Elijah Moore and Hollywood Brown as they prepare for life after A.J. Brown. Cooper would be an instant hit as the Z and slot option in tandem with DeVonta Smith. He has yards-after-catch potential that this team has been missing for years.
Even after trading for DJ Moore, the Bills could still use more pop and separation skills in their wide receiver room. My thought all along was that they should overcorrect at this position with a veteran addition and an early draft pick; here we go. Concepcion would be the best separator this team has employed since Stefon Diggs. He’d be a top-three dynasty rookie receiver with this landing spot, which he already is for me pre-draft.
Boston can play X-receiver in the NFL but would be best used on digs, crossers, slants and deeper over routes rather than pure vertical patterns. That’s exactly what the Shanahan X-receiver’s route portfolio looks like, so Boston is a perfect fit. He would get to learn under Mike Evans for a year and then form an excellent tandem with Ricky Pearsall in 2027 and beyond.
The Titans need perimeter receiver options after signing Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency. If Bell hits, he’s got a big ceiling and provides them with YAC skills the other options in the room don’t possess. Bell at the top of Round 2 is an upside swing but the Titans have enough useful bodies in the room that they can wait on him while he gets healthy from his November ACL tear.
The Giants signed guys like Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III to bring depth to a room that will need it as Malik Nabers gets healthy. They aren’t long-term answers. Brazzell is a risky bet but if developed correctly, could be a starter as a vertical perimeter receiver. The Giants could finally upgrade on Darius Slayton in that role if he hits.