Jeremiyah Love and Fantasy Football 2026 Top Rookies to Target in Mock Drafts

Nothing excites that the fantasy football community more than an NFL rookie.

The lack of a track record feels more like a blank canvas with endless possibilities. And, honestly, even the chance of that rookie going bust adds to the excitement from that potential danger.

Rookies absolutely deserve consideration for your roster. You just have to be careful about overpaying to get them or even overexposing yourself with too many of them on one roster.

If you're ready to pay a premium for a first-year player, though, let's populate your draft board with our highest-ranking rookies.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

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Draft experts may have questioned the value of Arizona using this year's No. 3 pick on a running back, but fantasy managers should've been thrilled. When a team makes that level of investment, it signals a willingness to green-light the rookie immediately.

That only matters, of course, if Jeremiyah Love is ready for a featured role, but all arrows point toward an emphatic Yes! NFL.com's Lance Zierlein described Love as a "three-phase running back" with "big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value."

In short, Love is the total package. He can power through short gains and rip off game-changing explosive plays. He can catch passes out of the backfield and zip his way down the field.

While this obviously won't automatically translate, he managed to pile 3,014 scrimmage yards and 40 touchdowns into just 28 games the past two seasons. He could be a fantasy star, and he just might crack that constellation as soon as this season.

Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans

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As the Titans were aiming to improve the offensive ecosystem around 2025 top pick, quarterback Cam Ward, they made Carnell Tate a key part of this plan. The former Ohio State star was the fourth player off the board in this year's talent grab, suggesting Tennessee not only sees franchise-player potential in him but thinks he could ascend to that status in no time.

And, frankly, it's easy to see what the Titans were thinking. Tate is a tactical route-runner who covers every branch of the route tree. He has both short-area quicks and down-field speed, and he accelerates like a sports car.

Tate has some competition for the WR1 in Tennessee coming from Wan'Dale Robinson and Calvin Ridley, but these aren't exactly insurmountable obstacles. If Tate plays up to his potential, he could be all-you-care-to-eat feasting on targets.

The biggest question with Tate's fantasy profile might have nothing to do with himself and everything to do with Ward, who completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes and managed only 15 touchdowns in 17 games as a rookie. Then again, he didn't have a playmaker like Tate at his disposal, so maybe this talented twosome can elevate together.

Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints

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Injuries impacted Jordyn Tyson during all four seasons of his college career. That the Saints still deemed him worthy of the No. 8 pick is a testament to his talent level.

Likened to Washington Commanders star Terry McLaurin, Tyson has the right blend of size, speed and skills to line up at any receiver spot. His routes are somehow both smooth and sudden, and he has enough strength and physicality to consistently come down with contested catches.

Even with the injury issues, Tyson found ways to produce. Over the past two seasons, he packed 136 catches for 1,812 yards and 18 touchdowns into 21 contests.

There are some question marks around sophomore quarterback Tyler Shough, and Tyson will have to fight Chris Olave for targets. Still, optimism should be in rich supply with Tyson, especially if he ever figures out how to duck the injury bug for good.