NFL Draft losers: Crowded depth charts and added competition drag down Fantasy value across key players

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Now that the NFL Draft is over, it's time for what you've all been waiting for—the winners and losers. And we all might feel like losers since this rookie class isn't great for Fantasy managers. But there are still a few gems.

We all want to know which players or teams got better from a Fantasy perspective with the addition of the rookie class. Conversely, those who got worse and will see their Fantasy value decline. It's a fun exercise, and we now have a good idea of what these teams will look like for the upcoming campaign. But it's not finished yet.

Offseason workouts and training camp, along with a few transactions still to come (see A.J. Brown, for example), will finalize our Fantasy outlook for this season. That said, a lot has changed now that the NFL Draft is done.

Here are the losers. And you can see the winners here.

1. Do we love the landing spot for Love?

Jeremiyah Love has the chance to be a special talent, and he should be a Fantasy starter all season with the Cardinals. But was this his best destination?

For now, the Cardinals have James Conner, Tyler Allgeier, and Trey Benson on the roster, and we'll see if any or all of them impact Love in a negative way. I wouldn't be too worried about it, given Love's potential, but Conner can still command touches when healthy, while Allgeier can steal rushing touchdowns.

Unlike in recent years, where I went overboard for the top rookie running back -- Bijan Robinson in 2023 and Ashton Jeanty in 2025 -- I'll be a little more cautious with Love. I consider him a high-end No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues, and the earliest I would draft him is Round 3.

Meanwhile, if Arizona holds onto Conner, Allgeier and Benson, the Fantasy value for that trio was crushed. At best, you'll draft Conner or Allgeier with a late-round pick as a handcuff, and Benson is not worth rostering in most leagues.

2. The Price is right, except for Charbonnet

I love that Seattle drafted Jadarian Price with the final pick in Round 1, but this selection is clearly an indication that Zach Charbonnet (knee) won't be ready for the start of the season -- if he plays at all in 2026. Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs.

Price's addition also means Emanuel Wilson and George Holani lose any sleeper appeal, but that's a minor loss in this situation. Charbonnet is the one to monitor here, and his status will determine how we feel about Price on Draft Day.

For now, I plan to draft Price in Round 5 as a low-end No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues. Charbonnet will be a late-round flier, and maybe he'll make an impact in the Fantasy playoffs if he returns later in the year.

3. Running back competition that could matter

Two backfields that gained competition from rookies that could matter are Denver and Las Vegas. The Broncos selected Jonah Coleman in Round 4, and the Raiders added Mike Washington Jr. in Round 4 as well.

Coleman could end up stealing touchdowns from JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey this season, and Coleman could be the handcuff if Dobbins suffers an injury. Last year, Harvey didn't become a Fantasy starter until Dobbins suffered a foot injury in Week 10, so this could be bad news for all three running backs in Denver. For now, plan to draft Harvey and Dobbins with mid-round picks in the majority of leagues.

In Las Vegas, I don't expect Washington to impact Jeanty much, but this is potentially different from what happened in 2025 when Jeanty had 266 carries compared to 41 for the rest of the running backs on the roster. And with new coach Klint Kubiak coming from Seattle, where Kenneth Walker III and Charbonnet worked in tandem, Washington could be more of a problem than anticipated.

I still plan to draft Jeanty in Round 2 in the majority of leagues. And Washington should be considered the handcuff. But we don't want to see Jeanty coming off the field much, if at all, in 2026.

4. Jayden Daniels gets little help

While I like that the Commanders added Antonio Williams in Round 3, he wasn't the ideal candidate to boost Jayden Daniels as a Fantasy quarterback. This is a bad receiving corps on paper, and Daniels will need Terry McLaurin, Williams and new tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo to step up in a major way, along with potentially White out of the backfield.

We know Daniels can make plenty of plays with his legs. But the NFL Draft -- and the offseason as a whole -- hasn't been great for Daniels. He remains a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues, worth drafting as early as Round 5.

But you can make a strong argument that Daniels belongs getting drafted behind Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Drake Maye, Joe Burrow, Hurts, Justin Herbert and Jaxson Dart this year, given the lack of weapons for Washington in the passing game.

5. More receiving options could be a problem

The Jets, Titans, Saints, Browns and Steelers all get crowded receiving corps in the NFL Draft. That's good for the quarterbacks on those rosters, but it might be bad for some of the receivers.

The Jets went from Garrett Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and Mason Taylor to adding two first-round talents in tight end Kenyon Sadiq and receiver Omar Cooper Jr. I still like Wilson as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver, but the earliest I would draft him is Round 5. Cooper is worth a late-round flier in redraft leagues, and I would leave Mitchell on the waiver wire. Sadiq is a late-round flier as well, and Taylor can be ignored in most leagues on Draft Day.

Tennessee added a potential standout receiver in Carnell Tate in Round 1. And with the addition of Wan'Dale Robinson as a free agent this offseason, that's bad news for Calvin Ridley, Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor. I would draft Tate and Robinson in the Round 6 range, and Ridley is a late-round flier at best. You can ignore Dike and Ayomanor in most leagues now.

I love what the Saints did by drafting receivers Jordyn Tyson and Bryce Lance, along with tight end Oscar Delp, but that's a lot of mouths to feed. Chris Olave loses some Fantasy value with those additions, and he should be drafted in Round 3 now. Juwan Johnson also loses value, but not many Fantasy managers were targeting him. Tyson is worth drafting in Round 6, and Lance and Delp are waiver-wire options at best.

The Browns added two receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and that lowers the value for standout sophomore Harold Fannin Jr. He went from my No. 5 tight end prior to the draft to No. 8 now, and I would draft him with a mid-round pick. Concepcion is my favorite Cleveland receiver to draft in Round 10, and Boston should be selected soon after. As of now, I have no intentions to draft Jerry Jeudy with Concepcion and Boston on the roster.

Finally, in Pittsburgh, the Steelers spent a second-round pick on Germie Bernard, which could be a problem for DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. We're still expecting Aaron Rodgers to be the quarterback this season, but that's still to be determined. I would still draft Metcalf first, Pittman second and Bernard third of this group, and Metcalf and Pittman are No. 3 Fantasy receivers. But Bernard's addition is a downgrade to the two veterans this year.