ArticleScore 100
Beware: 2026 Top Rookie Risers
Jun 4, 2026Ryan McDowellDynasty League Football
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Player mentions
Ricky Pearsall
WR · SF · #general
... Ricky Pearsall has been a disappointment in his young career, and the team also added...
De'Zhaun Stribling
WR · SF · #general
...href="https://dynastyleaguefootball.com/player/9993998/DeZhaun_Stribling">De'Zhaun Stribling , WR SF Stribling was a classic example of a late rise...
Mike Evans
WR · SF · #general
...eteran Mike Evans will be the presumed top option in the passing game, and <a href="http...
George Kittle
TE · SF · #general
...d George Kittle won’t be far behind once he’s fully healthy. After that duo though, th...
Christian Kirk
WR · SF · #injuryupdate
... Christian Kirk . Evans, Kittle, Pearsall and Kirk have each dealt with injuries over t...
Jauan Jennings
WR · MIN · #general
... Jauan Jennings . Although 49ers brass has already suggested Stribling is not expected...
Article text
Every off-season, we spend weeks, even months, trying to solve the puzzle of dynasty prospects, identifying those easy “corner” pieces like age, college production, and measurements. Along the way, we find film grades from our favorite analysts, NFL Combine numbers, and even fantasy football-created stats like Breakout Score and more. But on that weekend in late April, we complete the puzzle with draft capital and landing spot. How early (or late) was the player chosen and which NFL team will he be suiting up for? This is the missing piece we’ve been searching for since the off-season began. Once this is revealed though, we often overlook the other important pieces of the puzzle. That’s likely not good, but it’s so easy to do. Draft capital and landing spot can immediately change our perspective on a player. “Well, I didn’t really like his film, but he did go early on Day Two.” Or, “I wasn’t a fan pre-Draft, but now he’s the Chiefs' new starting running back! What could go wrong?” More on that one later. Those final two puzzle pieces always have a way of impacting ADP. Every post-Draft riser really has one of two things going for them. Either the player landed in the perfect spot for immediate production, or he was drafted much earlier than most expected. I love comparing pre and post-NFL Draft ADP. Expectations for these players and how dynasty managers value them, can vary greatly. Let’s look at the top-five post-NFL Draft risers. To do this, I compared our April and May Superflex Rookie ADP, noting the players who had gained the most value since April’s NFL Draft. De'Zhaun Stribling , WR SF Stribling was a classic example of a late riser. It wasn’t until late April, just days before the Draft, that Stribling showed up as a projected Day Two prospect, according to NFL Mock Draft Database. Even then, his average projected draft position got no higher than 85 overall. Obviously, it was a huge surprise when the 49ers made the Ole Miss product the first pick of the second round, drafting him with the 33rd overall selection. Of course, this was a shock, but maybe we should’ve seen it coming from the 49ers. After all, of the 40 post-Draft risers we’ll look at in this article, seven of them were selected by San Francisco. Stribling was praised for his blocking ability, and some have even referred to him as the best blocking receiver in the class. He’s also developed a reputation as a physical, tough player with a strong work ethic. He looks like the ideal replacement for new Vikings receiver Jauan Jennings . Although 49ers brass has already suggested Stribling is not expected to earn a starting role right away, the opportunity is there. Veteran Mike Evans will be the presumed top option in the passing game, and George Kittle won’t be far behind once he’s fully healthy. After that duo though, the Niners have lots of questions. Ricky Pearsall has been a disappointment in his young career, and the team also added Christian Kirk . Evans, Kittle, Pearsall and Kirk have each dealt with injuries over the past two seasons. As for Stribling’s rookie ADP, he was a favorite sleeper of many when he was outside of the top 20 rookie receivers and essentially going undrafted in most mocks. His rookie ADP jumped from WR18 and 36 overall in April to the WR10 and 17 overall following the NFL Draft. SUBSCRIBE TO DLF PREMIUM! Gain Instant Access to this resource and so much more!. Premium membership provides access to all of our industry-leading dynasty fantas…