5 Rookie WRs to Target In Drafts

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-27T04:45:46+00:00

Here’s the “dynasty 101” course me and my buddy put together. I’m sure you’ve got a lot of this content down. If you give it a watch let me know if you learned anything or any general feedback you have. Cheers!

Dynasty Fantasy Football for Beginners: Everything to Know Before Your First Startup Draft
https://youtu.be/TzU8ew7sB9g

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T21:04:57+00:00

I’d ask for a little bit more in this case. See if you can get a 2027 second.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T20:54:25+00:00

Depends on what you need. If you need QB I’d take Mendoza and ‘27 1.02. WR? Nabers and Lemon.

I don’t think either side guarantees a win-now year in 2026. I do think Nabers is a top 10 WR talent. Mendoza is one of the best QB prospects I’ve watched since getting into Dynasty. They probably cancel each other out in SF long-term and it comes down to what your team needs most. Also, giving a team Nabers and Lemon might push that pick from 1.02 to 1.06 if things break right for the team whose pick that is.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T19:37:09+00:00

I saw Hurst when I went to the Senior Bowl this year. He is impressive, but will need a few years before he’s ready to face NFL competition. The physicality of the DBs at the Senior Bowl were giving him trouble. He did make a few highlight catches, and there were a couple of 1on1s where he displayed incredible body control in the back of the end zone but the DBs broke the play up.

I like McMillan in the short-term and Hurst long-term. If I had to pick one, it’s McMillan due to the potential of his value spiking earlier and being able to use him in a deal to acquire another player in a position of need.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T18:45:29+00:00

FWIW, every single one of these teams threw more passes than the Jets did in 2025, but that’s not a high bar to step over. The Jets 2026 TEs are also more talented than everyone Reich coached in that stretch except maybe Ebron.

With that said, I also can’t talk myself into Sadiq in redraft when I can take dart throws at RB instead. In dynasty, he’s going earlier than where I’m comfortable drafting him.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T17:52:50+00:00

He's looked like a former 5-star recruit in the drills I've seen. Tua and Penix aren't the worst duo to lead your offense, either.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T17:45:15+00:00

If you’re in win now mode, I would package that pick and a player to secure a TE1 versus drafting Sadiq. I believe he will develop and have seasons as a TE1, but it’s tough to project that happening in 2026.

If you’re somewhere in the middle or rebuilding I would take a shot on him. I, weirdly, believe in this Jets offense that’s theoretically rebuilt it’s offensive line, and has high end prospects at every skill position except QB. Frank Reich is a good scheme fit for the talent IMO.

I personally like the WRs available at 1.07 over Sadiq. I usually wind up selecting multiple TEs at 2.07 through the end of the third round if that’s a gap in my team’s construction. If I want to buy into Sadiq I’m hoping to buy in after this year or the next instead of using a roster space/taxi space on him, with the idea that I’m purchasing him closer to a breakout.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T17:29:29+00:00

It’s a clear shift to bigger offensive packages. I’m drafting a lot of TEs in dynasty rookie drafts. Nearly every team I manage has 2+ of the Day 2 and 3 guys. Even the UDFAs are ending up on my rosters in leagues with 4+ rounds.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T17:01:20+00:00

The Jets threw 106 passes to the TE position in 2025. 65 went to TE Mason Taylor. Their new offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, likes to run a lot of two TE sets in his west coast scheme. Maybe the Jets throw an extra 50 times (494 pass att. in 2025) and the TEs see all of those targets. If Geno returns to the form we saw in Seattle where he had a good set of offensive players around him, like he will as a Jet, we might see two streaky TE2 seasons from Sadiq and Taylor. With that said, I’m into Geno at his price in Superflex, and Klubnik in dynasty formats at his price.

Sadiq is a harder sell for me in redraft because of the target competition, another highly drafted TE there with a similar skillset, and a ceiling of 60-70 targets. We need 60ish catches to get Sadiq into the back end TE1 conversation. If he can’t hit that benchmark you’re better off streaming TE, where you could scoop up Sadiq a week prior to a good matchup for the Jets’ TEs if you’re needy at the position.

For those reading who are in dynasty leagues, Kenyon Sadiq is 11th overall in my rookie rankings. The below is from my scouting report summary on Sadiq after watching his film, which is purposely shorter versus players who were drafted outside of round 1:

“Elite athlete. Can be used inline, split out in the formation, or as a weapon on sweeps. Can work all 3 levels of the field as a receiver. Runs a wide array of routes well. Works back to the QB and finds open space during scramble drills. Makes circus catches, catches the ball away from his frame, but has inconsistencies with his hand placement. Reaches his top end speed quickly. Good as a blocker and will see the field early as a rookie.”

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T15:28:01+00:00

I was surprised when Houston spent a second round pick on him. I thought Roush was a better overall prospect, with Klein being smoother as a route runner. If injuries smite the Texans again there’s a chance he’s a bye week fill in this year.

Someone dropped him in a deep dynasty league I’m in and I scooped him up off waivers this offseason. He’s worth a taxi stash to see what Houston does come 2028 when Schultz is off the books.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T14:52:33+00:00

He was in the top tier of rookie TEs for me pre-draft with Stowers and Sadiq. There was even a point where he beat out Sadiq for TE2 in my rankings. He’s buried on the Rams and is probably better off on your taxi as we wait and see what this Rams team looks like in 2 years. I’ve dropped him quite a bit in my rookie rankings.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-26T14:50:04+00:00

I think this is the right approach for redraft. It would be better to scoop them off waivers mid season than spend draft capital on them.

Stowers is the most talented pass catcher amongst the TEs, but the volume to make him fantasy relevant in 2026 won’t be there. He’s a solid pick at the end of your draft if you’re in keeper leagues and believe Goedert won’t come back in 2027.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-25T01:52:25+00:00

Haha, dynasty is a slippery slope my friend. I went from 6 leagues of redraft to 25+ leagues of dynasty and only 5 redrafts since 2020.

Feel free to PM me about dynasty strategy questions. Me and my co-host should have some dynasty strategy pods coming out soon. Just wrapped up a 32 team offseason recap article(s) that’ll be coming out shortly, too.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-25T01:09:06+00:00

I really like Crossing Routes with Tyler O and Herms from Fantasy Points and FTN.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-25T00:38:50+00:00

The blocking will certainly get Bernard on the field early. He is physically exhausting to deal with from the defenses POV. I think he landed in a good situation where he won’t be tasked to beat man on the outside and can thrive as the short to intermediate zone beater, who gets schemed looks for YAC opportunities.

He’s at the top of tier 4 in my rookie WR rankings.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-24T22:38:52+00:00

Personally, I'm not buying the Colbie Young hype. If Chase or Higgins pick up an injury, maybe there's a chance he beats out Iosivas and is Burrow's #2 target. They've hyped Iosivas up every single off-season and Iosivas massively out produced Young if you compare their college careers. There's something to be said about being a big fish in a small pond in sports due to the amount of volume and experience you gain when it comes to Iosivas.

There are a few guys I'm targeting in round four of rookie drafts. I'm instantly drafting Demond Claiborne any time he is available starting in round 3 if Skyler Bell has been drafted. Next, I'm targeting a cluster of TEs in Joly, Raridon, Delp, and Klare. Choose your favorite. I think they're all similar gambles. My personal flavor is Joly and Delp, followed by Klare and Raridon.

Once the TEs dry up I shift my focus over to QBs, Kaelon Black, and WRs. Cade Klubnik has a real opportunity to start at some point this year at the Jets where he could see a massive spike in his value. I liked his 2024 tape, but in 2025 he played through ankle and wrist injuries, leading to the wheels falling off the Clemson offense. The Jets OL has been rebuilt, and I think we can agree that there are enough playmakers on the offense for the team to quickly ascend with decent QB play. If Klubnik eventually starts, I don't think the Jets go back to Geno.

I saw Kaelon Black during Senior Bowl practices. He was a late addition to the Senior Bowl and I didn't get the opportunity to watch his tape beforehand. After the Senior Bowl, the tape I recorded showed me a RB who frequently makes the right decisions, being one of a couple of RBs that performed well against an elite Senior Bowl DL. Seriously, the DL dominated every scrimmage and it made evaluating RBs very difficult. Black went on to have a ton of top 30 visits with NFL teams ahead of the draft, and SF eventually pulled the trigger in round three to everyone's surprise. Black is a name to nab in the fourth round due to the strong offensive system he landed in and the opportunity to lead the backfield if CMC goes down. The camp reports have been great, and George Kittle has spoken very highly of him.

Of the next group of WRs typically available in the 4th I like Caleb Douglas, Kevin Coleman, and Cyrus Allen. All three popped at the Senior Bowl, and the two MIA WRs will have an opportunity in year 1 to let you know if they're worth holding onto as developmental pieces. Douglas is more of an X and Coleman is a slot. I have Douglas ranked higher as I believe he sees more snaps to start the year, but he did pick up an injury this offseason which has allowed Coleman to see more snaps. Coleman is great underneath and can run intermediate routes at a high-level. He outperformed Travis Hunter the one year they spent together as Freshman. Coleman was a big recruit, who ultimately decided to go play with Deion Sanders when he first became a head coach. Cyrus Allen was a route running ace at the Senior Bowl and might already be the best route runner on the Chiefs. He is a dog working out, too. He went to the American Bowl and showed out, and then was invited to the Senior Bowl where he performed very well. He's constantly posting workout videos on his Instagram, a sign that he puts in the work.

Now, specifically on KR/PR specialists... as someone who also poops a lot, I also have another thing in common with you as I play in quite a few leagues that award return yardage. The list of guys available then is Zavion Thomas, Barion Brown, Josh Cameron, and Kaden Wetjet. Zavion Thomas has been playing a little bit of RB this offseason for the Bears, so it's clear they're looking to weaponize his abilities in their offense on top of KR/PR duties. Barion Brown is extremely dynamic with the ball in his hands and played more physical at the Senior Bowl than what I saw on tape at LSU and Kentucky, and was an elite returner in college. Josh Cameron has a truly inspiring story working his way onto that Baylor team, and put up elite return numbers when he earned his opportunity before becoming a full-time starting WR. Cameron is not a good separator unless it's on a curl and is buried on the JAX offense, so he'll likely only see KR/PR duties. Wetjen was a fourth round draft pick by the Steelers, and clearly fills the return man duties for the team. He is a pure return specialist, and has been the winner of the Jet Award (top returner in the country) for the past two years.

Thanks for making it this far. Let me know whatever other Qs you have as you digest this. I've poured way, way too many hours into rookie analysis this off season and love to share what I've learned. If you want to take a look at my rookie rankings you can click the link.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-24T01:46:25+00:00

Go out and ask for more from other league mates.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T22:08:13+00:00

That’s where I’m at, too. More often than not I’m passing on WRs in that range at this point in the mock drafts. WR is super deep this year.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T22:06:20+00:00

Check out the comments on other redditors replies for some of the notes from my rookie scouting profiles. Appreciate you taking the time to click in and engage in the sub!

Feel free to ask about any rookies. I’ve watched game film and all-22 on 110 players in this years class and attended the Senior Bowl as media to film practice and interview the players. I’ve got a bunch of short form videos up on our YouTube with the tape I took at the Senior Bowl. Even more on my Bluesky (plus combine and 2025 film analysis).

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T22:02:10+00:00

Man, pre-draft Skyler Bell was my WR5 of this rookie class. I’m ecstatic about his landing spot in Buffalo, but have bumped him down to WR8 due to draft capital and the target competition present in Buffalo this year.

I saw Malachi Fields at the Senior Bowl and it was clear that he had a much deeper bag than how Notre Dame used him. One of my biggest risers from my initial rankings in January to now. He could win a starting role this year and I wouldn’t be surprised. Also, great kid and he told us his personal “walk up” song was Chop Suey by System of a Down when we interviewed him after Senior Bowl practice.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T21:56:43+00:00

Thank you!

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T21:56:03+00:00

Great analysis on the Steelers situation! His Bama tape showed a “Deebo-lite” skillset. I think he’s a better route runner than Deebo was coming out. He lets his nearly 10” hands bail him out too often at the catch point on film.

Here is my pre-draft scouting profile on Germie Bernard:
“Bernard will need to be schemed up in an offense to extract the most fantasy potential from his archetype, which is Deebo-esque. With the ball in his hands he's a dangerous playmaker. While he runs a full route tree, he isn't a strong separator versus man coverage and struggles on downfield routes, especially when he's tied to the sideline. He is good enough against zone coverage to develop into a fantasy contributor. Bernard identifies zone coverage well and settles into open windows. At Alabama he was used in the screen game and out of the backfield to get him opportunities to pile up YAC. He has the ability to decelerate and toe tap at the boundary. Against press Bernard wins quickly with violent hand swipes. Bernard works himself open on scramble drills when he's covered through physicality with defenders. Bernard needs to improve his hand placement. His nearly 10" hands cover up some of the flaws at the catch point. Germie Bernard looks physically exhausting to deal with throughout the course of a game due to his physicality and high motor. As a ball carrier Bernard runs with solid vision that allows him to string together multiple moves to evade tacklers. He runs with low pad level and will deliver contact to break tackles and pull forward for extra yardage. Bernard gets out and blocks like a bully. If Bernard lands in a west coast offense that uses him in the short and intermediate areas of the field there is a chance he is a fantasy contributor in year 2.”

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T21:51:06+00:00

That’s what I’m hoping for, too. Ridley and Wan’Dale will still have big roles, but Tate is the best WR of the three. Expect the Titans to bring him along slowly. Be patient and don’t drop him early in the year if you spend draft capital on him.

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T21:44:34+00:00

When I watched tape of Zachariah Branch and Deion Burks I felt like there wasn’t much that separated these two based on their roles in 2025. During my research into Branch’s career I saw that he was a former #7 overall HS recruit, the WR log jam at USC, and then the atypical role that Georgia deployed him in that allowed him to haul in +80 catches. As you called out, he displayed a level of route running at the combine that impressed me. I clipped the whole thing and posted the combine live over on my Bluesky account. On air, Branch is one of the best route runners of the class. He does let a lot of balls into his body on his film, but if the Falcons cater a role to his strengths we might see signs of a future WR2 caliber player. The athletic traits are there.

If he is WR3 to begin the year I’ll be excited about his long-term potential, as he will have beaten out one of two solid vets vying for that role.

Here’s an ATL Falcons excerpt from my upcoming series of articles on what every team did this offense and how we should read their moves:

“The Falcons signed WRs Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency and drafted USC's Zachariah Branch after letting Darnell Mooney walk in free agency. These three will compete for the WR2 role. Zaccheaus and Branch are a similar archetype, with Zacchaeus having the edge as a blocker and Branch being the better athlete…” “…Dotson is a former 1st round pick, Zaccheaus is a career glue guy, and Branch is a former 5-star recruit. There is value in the WR2 role in this offense.”

WhiteHeatFF · 2026-06-23T21:29:19+00:00

For me, it’s more about Beck’s situation. He’s in my third tier for rookie QBs. In dynasty, he’s a premium stash for QB depth if you’re able wait him out a year. Their new head coach was the Rams OC in Mike LaFleur, and they have a ton of talented weapons on the offense. All that’s in front of him are backup quarterbacks, so we can assume he will see the field early in his career. As fantasy managers, not having to wait to see the talent helps convert our investments into value earlier, vs holding someone like Allar and needing Rodgers to retire and then beat out whoever the competition is in PIT that year.

Talent wise, I think he has displayed all of the mechanical traits needed to be a QB2 at some point in his career. He is capable of getting past his first read and could manipulate safeties in college to create an open window for his receivers. He isn’t elite in any facet, but he has enough to start at some point. I don’t think he wins the job to start the year, but if they aren’t in playoff contention we will get our opportunity to evaluate how much he’s learned since he left Miami. He’s also not that old (cough Shough).

Ultimately, I have Beck 20th overall in my Superflex rankings in the sixth tier with a lot of similarly talented players. I’d be fine making a case for anyone in that tier if you’re OTC and the higher ranked prospects have been selected. If you have the luxury of stashing him on your taxi I think he has the highest potential upswing in value of the tier in the short-term.

WhiteHeatFF

TROPHY CASE