The week immediately following the NFL draft is loaded with analysis about which rookies will or won’t make a fantasy football impact, who landed in the best or worst places and more.
But members of the incoming class aren’t the only ones affected by the draft results. Incumbent veterans can also be impacted by their team’s draft selections, whether it’s adding a new youngster to the mix or choosing to stand pat at a position.
Here’s a look at five veterans positively affected by the result of the NFL draft, then another five vets whose fantasy stock could take a significant tumble next season.
Round 1 Rookie Winners and Losers | Round 2-3 Winners and Losers | Draft Grades
Veteran Winners
Cam Skattebo, RB, Giants: The fact that the Arizona Cardinals took Jeremiyah Love with the third overall pick didn’t allow the Giants a chance to take him. Clearly that’s good news for the fantasy value of Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. The G-Men also drafted a big O-lineman in Miami’s Francis Mauigoa with the 10th pick, which is always a good thing for offensive skill players. Skattebo retains his stock as a potential No. 2 fantasy back and true breakout candidate in 2026.
Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jaguars: The Jaguars didn’t draft a single running back, so it looks like Tuten will remain the favorite to be their new starter. While Chris Rodriguez Jr. and LeQuint Allen are also in the backfield mix, it’s easy to like Tuten as the most valuable option from a fantasy perspective. Even if he’s the leader of a committee approach, his stock is still on the rise.
Tyler Shough, QB, Saints: Shough was already a fantasy sleeper heading into the draft, and now that’s accentuated with the addition of the dynamic Jordyn Tyson. A playmaking wide receiver out of Arizona State, Tyson will pair well with Chris Olave in an offense that also added Travis Etienne Jr. to the backfield as a free agent. Shough has top-15 potential (at least) in fantasy leagues.
Cam Ward, QB, Titans: Ward had a nondescript rookie season in the stat sheets, but he did look better down the stretch. Then the Titans did him a solid last week adding Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick to be his new No. 1 target. Ward now has Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson to throw to, not to mention Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike and Gunnar Helm. As a result, you’ll see last year’s No. 1 overall pick become a popular sleeper option in fantasy land.
Mark Andrews, TE, Ravens: Countless draft prognosticators had the Ravens taking a tight end in the first two rounds, most notably Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq. Instead, they drafted only Matthew Hibner from SMU in the fourth round … and he won’t make much of a fantasy impact. With Isaiah Likely gone to the Giants as a free agent, Andrews should remain in the TE1 conversation in 2026.
Veteran Losers
Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets: The Jets selected two pass catchers, the aforementioned Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr., in the first round of the draft. That will no doubt hurt Wilson, who is no longer the only show in town in their passing attack. When you also factor in the presence of incumbents such as WR Adonai Mitchell and TE Mason Taylor, Wilson’s fantasy ceiling is now more of a No. 2 wideout in drafts.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Cardinals: Poor Tyler. First, he found himself stuck behind Bijan Robinson in Atlanta for multiple seasons. Now he’ll be stuck behind another highly drafted running back in Love. So instead of Allgeier being a potential breakout or sleeper candidate, he's now no more than a high-end handcuff who’ll be picked in the late rounds. It’s a real death blow.
RJ Harvey, RB, Broncos: The Broncos re-signed J.K. Dobbins in the offseason, which already had fantasy managers concerned about Harvey’s 2026 ceiling. Now, with the addition of rookie Jonah Coleman from Washington, he isn’t guaranteed to be a featured runner even if (or when) Dobbins gets hurt. While I love coach Sean Payton’s offense and its effect on backs' value (see Alvin Kamara), I just don’t think we’re going to see a scenario in which Harvey sees enough touches to bust out.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams: The Rams had a chance to draft USC WR Makai Lemon with the No. 13 pick, instead taking a quarterback in Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Why? Stafford is the reigning league MVP! And with Davante Adams entering his age-33 season, it would have been great for L.A. to draft another receiver for Stafford. Along with Simpson, the Rams took another tight end in Max Klare and picked a wideout in CJ Daniels in Round 6. Not great for Stafford.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Veteran Fantasy Winners and Losers After The 2026 NFL Draft.
