Biggest Potential Winners and Losers in the 2026 NFL Draft - Wide Receiver

The NFL Draft is kind of a cruel process if you really think about it. Every single year, like clockwork, there is a new influx of prospects aiming to push veterans out of the industry. The rookie wage scale vs. the veteran minimum even gives the young guys an advantage. Which makes it more important than ever to project which teams could be high on these rookies going into the 2026 NFL Draft.

And the “will they or won’t they” question can lead to a wide range of outcomes. Some wide receivers are ready to shoot up our rankings if the team opts not to draft pass-catchers. A lot of those same players could get buried if the team drafts someone high on our list of predraft rookie wide receiver rankings for dynasty fantasy football. There are some highly variable situations.

As we’ve been doing with this series, we are going to look at three players who sit in the danger zone at wide receiver. If they do survive the draft (and the remainder of free agency), they could have big-time upside. On the flip side, if the team deems a rookie 2026 NFL draft prospect as the new solution, they could be at risk of being relegated to the fantasy football back burner. Let’s take a look at who is on the hot seat leading up to the draft this Thursday. 

Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers

Fantasy Football Draft Winner Scenario

Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree has been spreading throughout the league lately as his scheme becomes more and more popular. And, as we’ve seen, his setup is super friendly to fantasy football. Heavy snaps from a fullback (Alec Ingold) and a blocking tight end (Luke Farrell) help to highly consolidate the snaps and targets among the tight end, running back, and only two wide receivers. The WR3 is almost always a part-time player, rotating with fullbacks and tight ends.

Mike Evans will have one of those top two wide receiver spots. Right now, Ricky Pearsall is penciled in to the other, with Christian Kirk operating as the WR3. That puts Pearsall in a high upside position. George Kittle will also be returning from an Achilles injury and might not be ready to start the season, so Pearsall truly has a chance to hit the ground running and show why he was drafted in the first round.

Fantasy Football Draft Loser Scenario

So far, Ricky Pearsall has not really lived up to his first-round billing. He’s shown flashes, but injuries, including being shot shortly before the start of his rookie season, have derailed his career to some degree. So, even in year three, he still remains a mystery box to some degree. We don’t know for sure how they view Pearsall moving forward.

Many are saying the wide receiver is one of, if not the, top draft needs for San Francisco. In some offenses that run heavy three-wide receiver sets, that’s not a big deal, as three guys are featured and the targets are earned. In San Fran, however, only two guys get the snaps. Not only is the draft looming, but Brandon Aiyuk is still technically on the team while familiar faces Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel linger in free agency. Pearsall is not out of the woods yet, but if he makes it, the upside is big.

Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Fantasy Football Draft Winner Scenario

There is a reason that most analytical football fans like Josh Downs. The numbers show that he creates separation and wins vs. man to man. His yards per route run and targets per route run are generally pretty good, which has folks wondering why he doesn’t play more snaps.

Up until now, the reason was obvious. The Colts have had Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce playing on the outside. Whether or not Downs is a better pure pass catcher is up for debate, but those players can both beat the jam on the outside and block at a high level, so Downs was a part-time player. Now that Michael Pittman has been traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Downs could transition to a more full-time role. That could see him hit the hypothetical ceiling that many fantasy gamers have been hoping for.

Fantasy Football Draft Loser Scenario

Some teams are willing to use smaller guys like Josh Downs as every-down players. We watched Wan’Dale Robinson operate in that capacity with the New York Giants, where he saw back-to-back seasons of 140 targets. Other teams have been hesitant to increase the roles of these types of guys despite a lack of high-end competition, like the Packers with Jayden Reed or the Bills with Khalil Shakir.

As it stands, the Colts' wide depth chart is thin. They could make Alec Pierce and Josh Downs the full-time guys with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine-Ikhine or Ashton Duhlin coming on for three WR sets. Or they could draft another big body on the outside and keep Downs as a part-time slot guy. They are also trying to collect a compensatory pick for Kwity Paye and, based on how they are designed, they are free to sign free agents after the draft without upsetting that formula. So Downs still needs to clear a little bit of danger here, and it starts with the draft this weekend. 

Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Fantasy Football Draft Winner Scenario

This is actually a pretty sneaky one. And that’s because most people aren’t super familiar with the new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle. And how could they be? He’s 30 years old and has only been the offensive coordinator for one team - the Chicago Bears. But working under Ben Johnson is exactly why he’s gotten this gig with the Ravens.

Ben Johnson’s scheme has focused on having a primarily wide receiver work as a slot/flanker while another works as a field-stretching split end. Picture Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in Detroit. In Chicago, Rome Odunze operated in that outside role. We envision that Zay Flowers will take that slot/flanker role, meaning there is an important role available outside, and Rashod Bateman is set to hold it. With Mark Andrews trending down lately and Derrick Henry not offering much in the pass game, there is some sneaky upside here.

Fantasy Football Draft Loser Scenario

After a down year, the Ravens ended up with picks 14, 45, and 80. That means they could easily draft a new pass-catcher for their wonderkid Declan Doyle. And there are a few different ways they could go with that pick, all of which would probably push Rashod Bateman to the outside.

Zay Flowers is already very likely the top target, which leaves room for one more fantasy-relevant pass-catcher at best. And Mark Andrews is already a threat to be that guy as is. The Ravens could take a big split end, like Denzel Boston (who played the same role as Rome Odunze at Washington). They could draft a field stretcher, like Chris Brazzel, who could operate similarly to Jameson Williams. Or some pundits, like Peter Schrager, have them taking a versatile hybrid tight end, Kenyon Sadiq. Any one of those players would put a damper on the upside of Rashod Bateman. And, as we’ve mentioned throughout the article, free agency isn’t over. I’ve even suggested myself that the Ravens could sign Tyreek Hill to be in the field-stretching role that Jameson Williams was in for Ben Johnson.