The NFL Draft has come and gone and as usual it has left its mark on the world of fantasy football. The landing spots of the drafted players can affect both their rankings and the rankings of current players based on the situations they are walking into. Here are my 5 biggest fantasy football risers after the 2026 NFL Draft.
1. Antonio Williams (WAS)
Previous Rank: WR 84
New Rank: WR 64
Movement: +20
Consensus Rank: WR 63
Wide Receiver Antonio Williams out of Clemson is a very interesting prospect. Standing at 5’11” and 190 pounds, Williams is not your typical big-bodied wide receiver. However, Williams has led Clemson in receptions for the past two seasons and totaled 21 touchdowns in his college career.
Antonio Williams is not really considered a deep threat but shows promise underneath. He can create separation and be available on short and intermediate routes. He is a slot receiver who relies heavily on volume which is why I initially had him much lower in my rankings.
In the NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders selected Williams in the third round, giving him a huge boost in my rankings. I bumped Williams up 20 spots from WR 84 to WR 64. Being a third-round pick Washington will push a little more to make sure he is an effective player. He is also going into a situation where he could very well be the second option behind Terry McLaurin.
Williams is also fortunate to have been selected to a team with one of the best young quarterbacks in the game. Jayden Daniels is coming off an injury-plagued year but he is expected to get back to form this upcoming season.
When you look at his quarterback situation, and likely placement on the depth chart, Antonio Williams could have some very strong production right out of the gate. Currently, Williams is ranked eighth in my rookie wide receiver rankings. I have him as an early second round value, but I still see him go as late as the fourth round in some mock drafts. Keep an eye on him as he could be a steal for you in your dynasty league rookie drafts.
2. Nicholas Singleton (TEN)
Previous Rank: RB 51
New Rank: RB 38
Movement: +13
Consensus Rank: RB 46
Running back Nicholas Singleton is another intriguing prospect. Singleton led the charge in a dual threat running back room at Penn State. He is a 6’0” and 224-pound running back that appears to have all the physical tools to be a very good running back. Due to a foot injury that he sustained early in 2026 he was unable to perform at the combine, but it is noted that he has clocked a 4.39-second 40-yard dash.
Singleton has the size to run through tackles and the speed to break free for long gains. He is an efficient blocker and receiver on third downs and could be a three down back. Early in his career he looked like a guy that had the tools to be a star.
So, what is holding his value down? His vision is subpar. He can be tentative at the line of scrimmage and sometimes doesn’t see the running lanes when they open. His agility and ability to make people miss in one-on-one situations is less than desirable as well.
Nicholas Singleton was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Players that drop this far don’t usually see a bump up in rankings, but oddly enough the situation that he falls into is interesting.
Twenty-eight-year-old Tony Pollard currently leads the Titans backfield. Both Pollard and last year’s backup running back Tyjae Spears are free agents following this upcoming season.
I believe Singleton is walking into a situation where he could be the number two running back for a good portion of this season and he could be handed the reins as the starter next season. Being a fifth-round pick, this is still risky as the Titans could re-sign one of their running backs or even sign or draft other competition next offseason.
I am higher than consensus on Singleton. While his lack of vision and agility mixed with his injury earlier this winter dropped his draft stock I think he has tools to make him a very effective fantasy asset if the opportunity arises. I currently have Singleton as my RB 4 with a mid-second round dynasty rookie draft grade on him.
3. Malachi Fields (NYG)
Previous Rank: Unranked
New Rank: WR 71
Movement: + 13
Consensus Rank: WR 83
Wide Receiver Malachi Fields is another player who fell into an amazing situation. The 6’4” and 222lb receiver was drafted in the third round by the New York Giants.
Fields is a big-bodied wide receiver that uses his size, large catch radius and strong body control to box out and beat defenders. He doesn’t excel in breaking press coverage and has difficulty creating separation.
Fields ran a below average 40-yard dash with a time of 4.61 seconds. He is not someone that is going to blow by defenders as a deep threat but does use his body to sky over defenders for long chunk plays.
Fields’ increase in value is truly caused by his landing spot. He walks into a situation where he can be the number two wide receiver behind Malik Nabers right away.
I initially had Fields as an unranked WR, but following the draft he moved up to my WR 71. I currently value Fields as a mid to late second round pick in rookie dynasty drafts.
4. K.C. Concepcion (CLE)
Previous Rank: WR 59
New Rank: WR 48
Movement: +11
Consensus Rank: WR 30
K.C. Concepcion has been the hardest player for me to place this offseason. In consensus rankings he has remained a first-round dynasty draft value throughout the offseason. He was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns which further cemented his status in consensus rankings.
After being drafted by the Browns in the first round, I moved Concepcion up 11 spots from my WR 59 to my WR 48. This is a big jump, but I am still well below the consensus value of WR 30.
Concepcion is a very fluid route runner that can run the full route tree. He comes in as a very polished receiver with exceptional athleticism. He is great with the ball in his hands and consistently evades tacklers to get yards after the catch.
So with his draft capital and the amazing abilities listed above why am I so far below consensus on him? There are a couple of reasons. For starters he is a smaller target at 5’11’’ and 196lbs. Small receivers rarely live up to their first-round draft selections. There have been a handful of them that have over the past 20 years.
Being a smaller-bodied wide receiver isn’t the only thing that worries me about Concepcion. The biggest concern is the drops. He has a huge 10% drop rate.
Many analysts say he has concentration drops and it isn’t a reflection of his talent, but we have heard this before with players like Quentin Johnston, Jalen Reagor, Kadarius Toney, Breshad Perriman, Darius Heyward-Bey. This is not a fun list to look at.
My main point here is that the first thing a receiver needs to be able to do is catch the ball consistently. A drop is a drop, whether it is concentration based or not.
Regardless of my feelings on his consensus value, he did move up in my rankings after being selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. In a draft class that lacks a lot of talent I currently have him as my WR 6 and have an end of the first round rookie dynasty draft grade on him.
I do have Denzel Boston who the Browns selected only 15 picks later with pick 39 in the second-round ranked over Concepcion. Obviously, the Browns will do all they can to make sure their first-round pick isn’t a bust, but I think Boston is the safer option and in the end he will be a better player for the Browns.
Boston is a big-bodied receiver with excellent hands that can immediately be a red-zone target for the Browns. The biggest thing is he can catch the ball consistently and I believe he will be a more reliable target.
5. Germie Bernard (PIT)
Previous Rank: WR 77
New Rank: WR 68
Movement: +9
Consensus Rank: WR 66
Germie Bernard has average size at 6’1” and 204 pounds. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with pick number 47 in the second round.
Bernard has solid hands and the ability to find openings in coverage for short and intermediate gains. He doesn’t create a ton of separation, but he does find ways to get open late in his routes.
Bernard played both outside and in the slot in college, but he projects more as a slot receiver at the NFL level. Bernard does not have the speed or athletic traits to make him a deep threat or gain a lot of yards after the catch.
Germie Bernard was obviously drafted as a high value pick, so he should have opportunities for the Steelers, however they may not come quite as much in year one. He walks into a situation where D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman are ahead of him on the depth chart.
I fully expect him to play a role in the slot this year, but as a third option on a team with question marks at the quarterback position it could take some time to see a fantasy football impact from Bernard and I don’t think he will ever be a player that is a true number one target for the Steelers. He will likely spend his time as a secondary target.
Germie Bernard is currently my WR 10 in rookie dynasty league drafts. He holds a middle-to-late second-round draft value on my board.
There was obviously some movement on my board after the NFL Draft. Overall, many rookies rose in value after landing in favorable situations. Some veteran players in my rankings also rose because their teams did not draft significant competition. View the chart below of more players who saw their value rise after the NFL draft.
| NAME | PREVIOUS RANK | NEW RANK | MOVEMENT | CONSENSUS RANK |
| Omar Cooper (NYJ) | WR 48 | WR 40 | +8 | WR 47 |
| Chris Bell (MIA) | WR 67 | WR 60 | +7 | WR 60 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr. (NYG) | RB 46 | RB 39 | +7 | RB 39 |
| Rashid Shaheed (SEA) | WR 69 | WR 63 | +6 | WR 61 |
| Carnell Tate (TEN) | WR 27 | WR 21 | +6 | WR 17 |
| Alec Pierce (IND) | WR 38 | WR 33 | +5 | WR 33 |
| Tony Pollard (TEN) | RB 40 | RB 35 | +5 | RB 35 |
| Chig Okonkwo (WAS) | TE 24 | TE 19 | +5 | TE 19 |
View my 2026 NFL mock draft here.
Take a look at my latest fantasy football rankings here.
Check out more dynasty fantasy football related articles here.
Forged For Football is dedicated to helping dynasty fantasy managers build sustainable championship teams through disciplined strategy and long-term roster construction.
