It’s never too early to look ahead at future NFL Draft classes to see how each position projects from a fantasy perspective. There is no clear-cut top prospect in the 2026 WR class, and the consensus in Devy circles is that this WR class will be relatively weak. For today’s article, I wanted to compare the resumes of the top WR prospects eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, which should also help me fine-tune my own Devy rankings.
My top five 2026 WR prospects are Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Evan Stewart, Antonio Williams, and Makai Lemon. Let’s dive into these prospect profiles to determine how they should be ranked.
Analytics
The statistics below were gathered from Pro Football Focus (PFF) and are all based on career averages. The numbers in bold are the group’s top performers in that particular metric.
2026 WR Career Averages
| Tgts/Gm | Rec/Gm | Rec YPG | Tgt Rate | YPRR | YAC/Rec | |
| Carnell Tate | 3.4 | 2.5 | 35.6 | 17.7% | 1.91 | 5.0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | 6.9 | 4.1 | 65.2 | 30.5% | 2.89 | 5.7 |
| Evan Stewart | 7.3 | 4.5 | 57.1 | 22.7% | 1.78 | 2.9 |
| Antonio Williams | 6.2 | 4.6 | 52.1 | 22.3% | 1.89 | 5.1 |
| Makai Lemon | 3.8 | 2.8 | 40.6 | 25.4% | 2.89 | 7.4 |
Let’s break down these numbers for each player with some added context based on their situations.
Carnell Tate (WR – Ohio St.)
Tate’s numbers are arguably the worst of the group above. Still, he has an excellent excuse, playing alongside Marvin Harrison Jr, Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith over the past two seasons. Tate posted some respectable numbers as the Buckeyes’ WR3 this past season, and should be the clear #2 option heading into 2025 behind Smith.
Tate may not be an elite athlete, but he’s a nuanced route runner and a technically sound receiver. Coming from “Wide Receiver U” and producing as an underclassman is no small task. Tate’s floor should be fairly high at the NFL level, despite the raw production and per-route efficiency not being there through his first two seasons. He’s your prototypical X-receiver and will surely carve himself out a role on Sundays.
Jordyn Tyson (WR – Arizona St.)
At a glance, we can see Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson has been the best of the group from an analytical perspective. He leads the pack in career receiving yards per game, target rate, and yards per route run, and is in the top 3 in all categories listed. Tyson is headed into Year 4 of his college career but has only played two full seasons, as he missed nearly all of 2023 with a knee injury.
Tyson produced as a true freshman for Colorado, racking up nearly 500 receiving yards and four touchdowns. After transferring to Arizona State and redshirting due to injury in 2023, Tyson put his name on the map in 2024, establishing himself as QB Sam Leavitt’s clear WR1. Tyson is versatile enough to line up wide or in the slot, is a tremendous separator, and is great in contested-catch situations. The one area of concern here is Tyson’s drop rate, with 12 drops over 24 games for nearly an 11% drop rate.
Evan Stewart (WR – Oregon)
The former freshman phenom from Texas A&M, Evan Stewart, has had an interesting college career to say the least. After earning a 27% target rate as a true freshman for the Aggies in 2024, many expected Stewart to be an early declare and ultimately the WR1 of the 2025 class. Things didn’t go as planned over the next two seasons, however. A leg injury kept Stewart sidelined for much of the 2023 season, and Stewart disappointed in 2024 as well after transferring to Oregon.
There have been questions about whether Oregon is a good fit for Stewart, as he was often used as a decoy deep. While Stewart has some burners on him, he’s an excellent separator in the short and intermediate areas of the field as well, with a good understanding of how to leverage his defenders and win at the stem. I’m hoping for a big bounce-back season for Stewart in 2025, but if he can’t be the clear WR1 over true freshman Dakorien Moore, it may be time to throw in the towel. Stewart is a natural athlete with a ton of potential; he just hasn’t found a way to piece that together from a consistency and efficiency standpoint.
Antonio Williams (WR – Clemson)
Antonio Williams often feels like the forgotten man in this draft class, given the competition he’s up against at Clemson. Williams, T.J. Moore, and Bryant Wesco may be the best wide receiver trio in college football in 2025. Williams was a Year 1 producer like Tyson and Stewart, but dealt with injuries as a sophomore, setting him back a bit. Williams played in just five games in 2023, battling ankle and foot injuries for much of the season.
Williams bounced back nicely in 2024, amassing over 900 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on the year. His career averages above are decent across the board, but nothing stands out as particularly elite. Williams works primarily out of the slot, and his build suggests this is likely where he’ll operate at the next level, which is more than fine for PPR leagues. When I look at Williams ‘ skill set, I see someone with a very safe fantasy floor.
Makai Lemon (WR – USC)
I’ll be honest – I didn’t have Lemon nearly this high to start the offseason, but after hearing all the buzz surrounding his name heading into Year 3, I decided to dig a bit deeper and came out pleasantly surprised.
Lemon was a total non-factor as a true freshman for USC in 2023, but when you look at the roster that year, you can understand why. The Trojans’ pass catchers in 2023 included Tahj Washington, Brenden Rice, Zachariah Branch, Mario Williams, Duce Robinson, and Dorian Singer. Lemon broke out in 2024 as a true sophomore, leading this team in receptions, yards, and yards per game. With Washington, Rice, Williams, and Singer all in the NFL now, Robinson at Florida State, and Branch at Georgia, Lemon is set to explode in Year 3.
Like Antonio Williams, Lemon is primarily a slot receiver and has been highly efficient on a per-route basis. In 2024, Lemon finished with a 26.6% target rate, 3.0 yards per route run, and a 1.9% drop rate. He’s also a YAC monster, with 7.4 YAC/Rec over his career.
Final Rankings
1. Jordyn Tyson (WR – Arizona St.) – Before this article, I had Tyson as my WR2 of the 2026 class. After further consideration, I think he’s deserving of WR1 honors, at least as of today. He had a monster Year 3, which was really just his second college season, since he missed all of 2023 due to injury. He has the size, versatility, and athleticism to be a potential early-first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Tyson is up to my 8th overall Devy prospect.
2. Carnell Tate (WR – Ohio St.) – Tate was originally my WR1, but I had to drop him down in my 2026 ranks. We can’t take his production at face value, playing at Ohio State alongside a bunch of other NFL receivers. Still, he’s more of a projections-based bet at this time. If he can flirt with 1,000 receiving yards in 2025 while demanding around a 25% target rate and 2.0+ yards per route run, I’ll feel fairly confident about him in Dynasty. Tate is now my 13th overall Devy prospect.
3. Evan Stewart (WR – Oregon) – I will continue betting on the talent here with Stewart. Watching him manipulate defenders on tape reminds me of Garrett Wilson at the NFL level. I’m not saying he has this kind of ceiling, but the athleticism and skillset are similar. We need to see a big year in 2025 for Stewart; this is the “make it or break it” season. I’d like to see some more physicality from him as well. I’m concerned about his ability to fight press coverage on Sundays. Stewart is my 19th-ranked Devy prospect.
4. Makai Lemon (WR – USC) – I want to see a really big 2025 season from Lemon before I get too excited, but the underlying metrics all suggest that a big season is coming. Everything is in place for Lemon, with much less target competition than he’s ever had before. If he goes out there and posts 1,200 yards and 10 TDs on a 30% target share, he could be a Round 1 NFL Draft selection and be in that WR1 conversation for 2026 Dynasty Rookie drafts. Lemon is my 24th-ranked Devy prospect, right ahead of Williams. They are interchangeable in my mind.
5. Antonio Williams (WR – Clemson) – I love Williams’ game and am very confident he’ll be usable in Dynasty formats right away, even if the ceiling isn’t truly elite. He likely won’t post any crazy numbers in 2025 with Moore and Wesco competing for targets as well, but don’t be fooled, the talent is there. I see him as a bigger Josh Downs with similar fantasy production at the NFL level, kind of in that 10-14 PPR points per game range. Williams is my 25th-ranked Devy prospect overall.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and I hope you got some valuable information you can use for your fantasy team! If you’d like additional insight into Dynasty Football news and analysis, please follow me on Twitter at @jim_DFF. Until next time, keep grinding out there, DFF family! #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding
