Tue Apr 7th 2026

"My Guys" In the 2026 Rookie Class

Chris Bell

• Prior to the NFL draft, Bell is my 12th-ranked rookie, while he’s ranked 17th by DLF. I see him as a first-round pick, while they see him as a mid-second-round pick.
• While I am five spots higher on Bell than the pros at DLF, I expect many managers will be willing to take a chance on Bell earlier than 17, just as I would. He’s arguably the biggest boom-or-bust player in this year’s wide receiver class. He’s bound to fall in the NFL draft and in rookie drafts, given that he tore his ACL late last season. Still, NFL teams and dynasty managers will have to play a little cat-and-mouse game this year to see when they are willing to pull the trigger on Bell before others who know they’d like to have a player as big and explosive as him on their teams. I’ve always been honest enough to say that I have a full-time job that I love, so I am unable to watch every play from every prospect. I only have time to watch the highlights to see for myself what they do best and how it fits with the things I value most in fantasy wide receivers. I’ve heard from those who watch all the plays that Bell has many concerns, but everyone agrees his highlights are among the best in this class. Thus, someone ought to take a chance on Bell. In a weaker class like this, I expect most managers to take a chance on Bell in the second round of rookie drafts. The question is how early. I’m in the early camp. It’s important to go for upside in dynasty drafts, and that’s what Bell has in his favor. Unlike the rest of these players in this article, Bell’s draft capital will be a major factor in his ultimate rookie ranking. He needs to land with a team with a weaker depth chart and get drafted earlier than expected to give him the open door that dynasty managers want to see for him. We’ll know a lot more where we should rank Bell after the NFL draft. Hopefully, an NFL team will draft him earlier than expected, as I would like to do in dynasty drafts.

Antonio Williams

• Prior to the NFL draft, Williams is my 13th-ranked rookie, while he’s ranked 23rd by DLF. I see him as a top second-round pick, while they see him as an end-of-the-second-round pick.
• I mentioned this in another one of my articles, but after releasing my early rookie rankings on Super Bowl Sunday, I sent my buddy, Josh Chevalier, a college football fantasy analyst, a list of players I expected to rank higher than others, which included Williams. He said he agreed with all the players on my list, but was not a fan of Antonio Williams, and said I am in good company because many people like him more than he does. I guess I don’t have enough company; however, if I am still ten spots higher than Williams two months later. I like Williams because he was a four-star recruit and the sixth-highest-ranked wide receiver recruit in his class, and he made an immediate impact as a freshman with 56 receptions for 604 yards. Since then, his production has been up and down because of injuries and a slight decline in the Clemson program overall. He has his least productive season in an injured sophomore season, his best season as a junior with 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns, and a modest senior season that perfectly matched the statistics of his freshman year. When a player with his pedigree has an up-and-down collegiate career, I prefer to focus on whether he had an early breakout, which he did, and his best season, which was fantastic. I decided to just watch his junior-year tape, and when I did, I was thoroughly impressed by his play. The word that best describes him is smooth. He appears to have a great understanding of the offense and what defenses are trying to do as well. He knows how to shake defenders and set them up. He knows where to sit in zones. He plays with a high football IQ that I think can help a player of smaller stature, like him, succeed in the NFL. I’ve heard many analysts describe him as a player who can only play the slot in the NFL, but I think he’s smoother and smarter than that, and will live up to his four-star recruiting status, breakout freshman year, and super-productive junior season.

Ja’Kobi Lane

• Prior to the NFL draft, Lane is my 19th-ranked rookie, while he’s ranked 27th by DLF. I see him as a mid-second-round pick, while they see him as an early third-round pick.
• Lane played opposite my top-ranked receiver in this class, Makia Lemon, so naturally, his stats will not be as eye-popping, but his tape is. From the first time I studied his highlights, I knew I would like him more than most dynasty analysts. He was a four-star recruit to Southern California and had very productive sophomore and junior seasons, with a 12-touchdown sophomore year and a 745-yard receiving junior year. Lane’s big body, style of play, and competitiveness are what make me the most excited about him as a prospect. He’s one of the bigger receivers in this class at 6’4” and 200 lbs, and he had the biggest hands in this year’s class at 10.5 inches. His size makes him an excellent weapon on back shoulder throws, end-zone fades, and skinny posts, all of which he did well in college. He does his best work beating man-to-man coverage, and he’s a red-zone weapon. Then there’s the X-factor of his attitude. Sometimes, cockiness is a trait for receivers. He’s got that cocky attitude. He’s competitive, has fun playing, and isn't afraid to take a hit and get up smiling. I like the energy and confidence he plays with, and I think it will help him fight to earn a spot on a depth chart and become a team leader in the NFL. A team looking for a prototypical X receiver will be glad to draft Lane, as will I in rookie drafts if he is seen by others as a third-round pick instead of a second. If so, I will draft Lane a lot this year.

Skyler Bell

• Prior to the NFL draft, Bell is my 21st-ranked rookie, while he’s ranked 26th by DLF. I see him as a late second-round pick, while they see him as an early third-round pick.
• Bell was the entire offense for Connecticut last season with 101 receptions for 1278 yards and 13 touchdowns. He turned down a $500,000 NIL offer from Michigan in the transfer portal to stay with his hometown team to finish his collegiate career. He sure made his home team proud! He signed with Wisconsin and played there for three years, so he was recruited by the big schools as a three-star recruit. He’s an excellent athlete, with an 85 score at the Combine, the sixth-highest among receivers tested. He’s bigger than he looks on film, too. He’s 6’ tall and 192 pounds and has the third largest hands in the class. The best part about Bell’s film is that he can do literally everything. He lines up outside, inside, goes in motion, and even lines up in the backfield. He makes plays on screens, digs, outs, posts, and on the sideline. He can win versus zone or man, and he’s great running after the catch. Best of all, his opponents knew the ball was coming to him, but they still could not stop him. His competition will get tougher in the NFL, but his skill set is so diverse that a smart team will know how to develop him into a top target. His diversity of skills makes him a weapon with any team that drafts him, so his draft capital and landing spot will not move him much in my rankings, no matter what team drafts him and when.

Justin Joly

• Prior to the NFL draft, Joly is my 18th-ranked rookie, while he’s ranked 41st by DLF. I see him as an early third-round pick, while they see him as a mid fourth-round pick.
• I expect Joly to be the player I draft the most this season, given the big disparity in our rankings and people's aversion to drafting tight ends. I’ve been higher on Joly throughout the process from the first day I watched his tape. Over the last month, I have only heard him mentioned as a sleeper by one analyst, and another analyst has him ranked higher than I do. While it’s encouraging to hear someone else who studies players feel the same way about him as I do, I also hope none of my league mates follow him. He and I can be alone on an island with Joly and draft him often. Joly produced as a freshman at Connecticut and was targeted in the transfer portal, where he transferred to North Carolina State his junior year. He made an immediate impact at NC State, leading the team with 661 yards receiving as a junior, which was 201 more yards receiving than KC Conception. He was second on the team in receiving yards in his senior season and led the team in touchdowns with seven. He has room to grow as a blocker, and he may not even be used that much in the running game, but he’s one of the best pass-catching tight ends in this class. He’s great at finding open spots in zones, he has above-average route-running ability, and he has great hands. He was often the first read in his college offense and can become a key weapon in an NFL offense, much like Harold Fannin was as a rookie for Cleveland. If a team drafts him to become a key weapon in the passing game, I am confident that he can produce in the NFL.

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