Rookie rankings are all about balancing immediate opportunity with long-term upside, and Jeremiyah Love sits at the top of this board as the clear 1.01. Carnell Tate follows as the first wide receiver off the board, while Jadarian Price, Makai Lemon and De’Zhaun Stribling round out a top five loaded with high-upside skill-position talent.
The biggest debate comes at quarterback; or, more accurately, the lack of one near the top. Fernando Mendoza doesn’t appear until No. 12, behind eight receivers and three running backs, while Kenyon Sadiq is the first tight end at No. 19. You can see how these rookies stack up against the full player pool in PFN’s overall PPR rankings, then test out different draft-day approaches with the PFN fantasy mock draft simulator.
Note: These rankings are a combination of both our fantasy experts, Kyle Soppe and Jason Katz.
Preseason Fantasy Rookie Rankings
1) Jeremiyah Love, RB | ARI
2) Carnell Tate, WR | TEN
3) Jadarian Price, RB | SEA
4) Makai Lemon, WR | PHI
5) De’Zhaun Stribling, WR | SF
6) Jordyn Tyson, WR | NO
7) KC Concepcion, WR | CLE
8) Denzel Boston, WR | CLE
9) Jonah Coleman, RB | DEN
10) Omar Cooper Jr., WR | NYJ
11) Ja’Kobi Lane, WR | BAL
12) Fernando Mendoza, QB | LV
13) Chris Bell, WR | MIA
14) Caleb Douglas, WR | MIA
15) Emmett Johnson, RB | KC
16) Mike Washington Jr., RB | LV
17) Kaelon Black, RB | SF
18) Ted Hurst III, WR | TB
19) Kenyon Sadiq, TE | NYJ
20) Nicholas Singleton, RB | TEN
21) Malachi Fields, WR | NYG
22) Cyrus Allen, WR | KC
23) Antonio Williams, WR | WAS
24) Kaytron Allen, RB | WAS
Should I Draft Carnell Tate in Fantasy Football?
Tate went No. 4 overall, and draft capital that high almost always translates to opportunity. He steps in immediately as the Titans’ WR1, and I have no concerns whatsoever about his ability to earn targets ahead of someone like Calvin Ridley. Wan’Dale Robinson provides some competition, though he appears pigeonholed into a slot role that should not meaningfully affect Tate.
So the role is secure. My hesitation is with the player himself.
START PREPARING: PFN’s FREE Fantasy Draft Simulator
I like Tate. He is a fine receiver. He simply does not strike me as No.-4-overall-pick good. He comes from the wide receiver factory that is Ohio State, and among all the top Buckeye receivers to enter the league recently, he ranks firmly last for me. That is a stacked group, so it is not an insult. It does inform how I project him.
What I see is a solid WR2 rather than a true WR1. Tate profiles as a complementary piece; a receiver who will produce steadily without ever functioning as a genuine alpha. Good, not great.
Fortunately, the price reflects reality better than usual. Receivers taken this early in the NFL Draft typically come off the board much sooner in fantasy drafts as rookies. Tate is available at a cost that does not demand stardom, which matters a great deal when I do not think stardom is coming.
The bigger issue is everything around him. The Tennessee offense is a legitimate problem. This offensive line projects among the worst in the league, and a rookie receiver cannot produce when his quarterback is running for his life. Cam Ward is a wild card in his own right. There is a very real chance he is not the answer at quarterback, and this offense is not going anywhere unless Ward takes a substantial step forward.
That combination keeps me from getting excited. A complementary receiver in a bad offense with a shaky quarterback is not the profile I chase.
FANTASY RANKINGS: PFN’s FREE Fantasy PPR, Half-PPR, and Non-PPR Rankings
Tate is my WR28 against a WR30 ADP, which is a mild vote of confidence rather than a real disagreement. I will take him if I have to. If he falls into the back half of Round 6, color me interested.
He is just not someone I am pounding the table for.
