With the 2026 NFL Draft in the rearview we have a lot of things to talk and yuck it up about. Many teams and players’ situations have changed whether it be for better or worse. This stock up/down piece will include rookies and veterans whose fantasy relevancy took a hit or got a boost. There are still free agents available (Tyreek Hill, Jauan Jennings etc.) who could shake things up a bit, but for now we are rocking with this. Let's get it.
The Browns making competent moves in the 2026 NFL draft should be applauded. They attacked their biggest detriments, wide receiver and offensive line (not quarterback). Things look solid for Sanders entering Year 2 after the Browns selected K.C. Conception (24th overall) and Denzel Boston (39th overall), two receivers I feel like easily could've been drafted inside the top 20. Moving back early in the first to select Utah tackle Spencer Fano (ninth overall) was the biggest move though, to go along with the free agent offensive line signings (earlier this offseason). If the Browns are doing all of this to set up Deshaun Watson for future success, then hey, silly me, but if (and when) Sanders is under center, I expect to see the star we saw at Colorado.
Most people who talk NFL Draft don't have any type of backbone when it comes to Sanders as if he wasn't easily a better prospect than Ty Simpson (who was drafted 13th overall to the Rams). They are too scared to be separated from the pack. New weapons and new protection will mean better numbers for the former Colorado quarterback. I'm here for all of that.
I always felt like Price was the second best back in this class and he was drafted as such (32nd overall). He’ll be tasked with taking over reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker’s old stomping grounds. We could see Price have a decent amount of leeway depending on when Zach Charbonnet returns from injury. Even so, I wouldn't necessarily expect Price to be a 20-touch per game guy out of the gate. The beauty of it all is, he doesn't need that to be effective. For now, we can work off of the biggest indicator, he was drafted in the first round for a reason.
With A.J. Brown standing two feet and one arm out of the door, the Eagles made other plans. It started with adding Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks to the wide receiver room. They made a bigger splash in the draft selecting (sniping from the Steelers) Makai Lemon 20th overall. They stacked more solid picks by landing tight end Eli Stowers and tackle Markel Bell. I expect these rookies to contribute early, and all together are more valuable than Brown. To be honest, Hurts could be primed for his best season yet as now he can operate knowing he doesn't have a receiver whose main goal is to set career high marks (nothing wrong with that by the way).
For Williams here, he’ll have an opportunity to compete and earn a legit role in the Commanders’ offense. He's a versatile player who can operate well in the middle of the field through zones and be used as a backfield player as well. The competition he’ll face for targets in the receiver room outside of Terry McLaurin isn't threatening (Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, etc.) so he’ll have a shot. Not someone at this point is bang the table for redraft but could be a sneaky dynasty asset down the line.
It wasn't that Stafford’s situation got worse, it's that the Rams didn't do anything specifically to really help him. With Stafford being on a year-by-year basis, a new WR2 or WR3 (such as Makai Lemon) could've helped out. The 2025 season for Stafford was great, obviously winning the MVP, but it was an outlier for the late-career version of himself. 2025 was the first time in 3 seasons he surpassed 4,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. Instead of getting players that could directly help them now, they selected a quarterback who won't play this year (Ty Simpson, 13th overall), a tight end who’ll have to fight his way of the depth chart (Max Klare, 61st overall) and a depth lineman (Keagen Trost, 93rd overall). Stafford should be fine, but it'll be tougher to replicate last season.
Harvey dynasty managers, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM. That problem’s name is Jonah Coleman and he is legit. We know Sean Payton loves to deploy multiple backs and if resigning J.K. Dobbins didn't do it, drafting Coleman (who is excellent in pass protection) could be the knockout blow. With that being said, Dobbins’ injury history is also likely a key factor in the Broncos adding another back. While Harvey certainly has the talent needed to be a successful NFL back, adding Coleman creates a situation where the two will compete for touches behind Dobbins.
Washington is a nice back who has the type of initial burst that you want every back to have (it also helped him run a 4.33 at the NFL Combine). In a different landing spot (Vikings, Jaguars etc.) I would've felt different about his fantasy potential, but his role will be clear in Las Vegas. Washington will be used as a change of pace back to spell Ashton Jeanty, something the Raiders definitely needed. His biggest value to start his career will be as Jeanty’s backup and it's only not ideal unless you've drafted him in dynasty leagues already.
This isn't severe, but here me out. For the fourth straight off-season, the Chargers have added a receiver in the NFL Draft (two in 2023 and 2025). Of all those players (Quentin Johnston, Tre’ Harris, KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Derius Davis), McConkey has created separation as the team's top receiver. Here's the issue, in 2025 McConkey had only two games with more than 90 receiving yards and it looked more like an “everyone gets their turn” offense. Enter 2026 fourth round pick Brenen Thompson, the man with the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Combine (4.26). He's a guy who has the talent to penetrate his way into the rotation and get touches as he possesses different traits than any current Chargers’ receiver. This receiving room could be messier than you think (for fantasy).