Fantasy Football Rookie Projections: How will 2026 NFL Draft first-round picks perform for your team?

He has a strong arm to make any throw, but it’s his touch passing that stands out. Though the 22-year-old has enough speed to scramble his way out of trouble and pick up yards on the ground, he’s not fast enough to be a meaningful runner in the pros. He profiles as a long-term NFL starter, who will need the right environment around him to become a star.

Though veteran Kirk Cousins will do his best to hold him off, Mendoza will be starting sooner rather than later. The Heisman Trophy winner has the ability to return fantasy QB2 value in his starts as a rookie, with a chance to reach low-end QB1 production in future years. [ Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2026 NFL season ] Ty Simpson, QB, Rams (13th overall) 2026 projection: Backup to Matthew Stafford Fantasy snapshot : Consider me skeptical that Simpson will emerge as a quality option in the NFL.

He also doesn’t have the speed required to be a true rushing threat, which is another limiting factor for his fantasy potential. This gives L. A.

some insurance in case the 38-year-old Stafford, who has dealt with back issues, gets injured or misses time for any reason. While that doesn’t change Stafford’s fantasy outlook, it does provide a succession plan that will help Puka Nacua’s dynasty stock in the long run. However, this all comes down to whether Simpson can develop into a competent starter and I will continue to have doubts about that until he shows me otherwise.