We’re continuing with the Gems and Landmines series that started last week with Jesse Baldwin’s running backs. Today, I’ll highlight three 2026 rookie wide receivers that you will want to know when that time comes: two “gems” to target and one “landmine” to ignore.
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Dynasty Rookie Wide Receiver Gems
Carnell Tate (Junior), Ohio State
Ohio State really is Wide Receiver U, isn’t it? With several studs already tearing it up on Sundays, it looks like the Buckeyes have another on deck after Carnell Tate declared for the 2026 Draft. The 6’3″ junior is a quarterback’s dream: tall and athletic, with a wide catch radius to boot. Those tools make him a legitimate candidate to be the first WR off the board in April.
While Tate didn’t see much playing time as a true freshman in 2023, he broke out as a sophomore, catching 52 balls for 733 yards and four scores. The former five-star recruit upped his play this past season, hauling in 51 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in only 11 games played, significantly boosting his draft stock in the process.
Tate has an impressive toolkit at his disposal that makes him a very promising prospect. Size and wingspan are his best physical traits, and he uses his length to gobble up anything that comes into his area. When the football does arrive, he rarely drops it thanks to his reliable hands and ball-tracking prowess. He’s a long loper, able to cover a lot of field in a short period if he’s not pressed. Because of that, defenders have to respect his vertical game; when Tate breaks off his stem, he’s usually free to make an easy grab. I have a feeling in-breaking routes in the intermediate areas of the field are going to be his bread and butter at the next level.
He’s also a willing — and violent — blocker. Not afraid to get dirty in the run game, Tate explodes at his defenders and sustains the block long enough to help free up his teammates. He’s at his best on the perimeter against cornerbacks but can chip on bigger defenders if need be.
Carnell Tate Profile
There aren’t many glaring holes in Tate’s game, but at 195 pounds, he’ll need to get stronger as he goes up against bigger, more physical NFL defenders. Despite his stride and ability to get downfield, Tate does lack true game-breaking speed to really scare pro defenses. He’ll pop a long one here and there, but he’s more likely a versatile chain-mover rather than a pure field-stretcher.
I see a lot of comparisons to Tee Higgins for Tate, and those aren’t entirely off base. He does share some traits and movements with the former Clemson Tiger. Like Higgins, who’s benefited from playing alongside Ja’Marr Chase, there’s a perception that Tate is only a WR2, at best, because defenses focused more on teammate Jeremiah Smith. Smith is a special talent, no doubt. But so is Tate. He’s a gifted technician with flashes of Devonta Smith in the way he moves so fluidly despite his longer frame.
Unless he completely bombs at the combine, Tate is likely going in the top half of the first round of the NFL Draft. He’ll be only 21 years old when he kicks off his rookie season, which is a major plus in dynasty formats. To acquire his services, you’ll need a pick in the 1.02-1.05 range of rookie drafts. That price is hefty, but if Tate hits his ceiling, he has top 10 WR upside — he’s that good.
Elijah Sarratt (Senior), Indiana
Much like his teammate and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, Elijah Sarratt is climbing draft boards everywhere. After averaging a robust 18.1 yards per reception in 2024, Sarratt has been more of a chain-mover and scoring machine this season, while helping the Hoosiers advance to the National Championship.
At 6’2” and 209 lbs, Sarratt has been productive at every school he’s played for. He burst onto the scene as a freshman at Saint Francis and caught 42 passes for 700 yards, tying the school record with 13 TDs. From there, he moved on to James Madison and blew up as a sophomore with 1,191 yards and eight scores on 82 receptions, earning first-team All-Sun Belt honors.
The man who gave himself the nickname “Waffle House” has proven to always be open — at least it seems that way. Sarratt pairs sticky hands with an innate ability to shake coverage in the intermediate areas of the field, amassing over 1,700 yards and 23 TDs in his two seasons with the Hoosiers. When Mendoza needed a first down or a clutch score, he looked Sarratt’s way often, and the senior pass catcher delivered time and time again. In fact, there have only been two games in which Sarratt didn’t find paydirt in 2025 — he’s a regular in the end zone.
Elijah Sarratt Career Stats
Sarratt dominates by using his bigger frame to create space. He can play inside as a big slot if needed, but he really shines on the outside along the boundary. Think Puka Nacua, but not quite the same bully at the catch point. Still, Sarratt is physical when needed and displays the ability to go up and win at the catch point to secure the pigskin, even when the defender is draped all over him. He definitely isn’t afraid of a little contact.
He also shows a lot of patience and control most of the time. Sarratt isn’t going to be mistaken for a burner anytime soon, so he relies on some nifty moves and timing to slip free. He excels on hitches and comebacks where he’s able to attack the football. Watching him on film, I also think he’ll be successful on in-breaking routes at the pro level if he continues to refine his route running.
That polishing will be important, because speed and quickness are among the main knocks on his game. He doesn’t show regular burst off the line and doesn’t possess the top-end speed needed to blow past coverage. Sarratt can go deep, but he won’t be a consistent vertical threat. That’s just not his game. He’ll also need to improve on his release techniques so he doesn’t get jammed up by more physical corners at the next level.
Size-wise, Sarratt is almost a carbon copy of Arizona’s Michael Wilson, with shades of Michael Thomas in his game. It took him a couple of years and some Marvin Harrison Jr. injuries to fully break out, but we all saw what Wilson did in the second half of 2025 en route to a 1,000-yard season in Year 3. I can see a similar trajectory for Sarratt. Unless he steps into serious volume right away as a rookie, it could be more of a marathon than a sprint as he gets acclimated to the speed of the NFL.
Sarratt may land toward the tail end of the first round of the NFL Draft, depending on how he tests at the Combine. If not, then it won’t be long before he hears his name called on Day 2. If he lands in a favorable spot, fantasy managers will probably look to draft him in the late Round 1/early Round 2 range of rookie drafts. There, you might not get an immediate producer for your fantasy team, but a solid prospect who can grow into a threat as he matures.
Dynasty Rookie Wide Receiver Landmine
KC Concepcion (Junior), Texas A&M
Every time I ask a ball-knower I respect which wide receivers they are excited about in this upcoming class, one name always comes up: KC Concepcion. After digging into his tape, I get it. There are plenty of things that he does that’ll make you all hot and bothered. He’s explosive. He’s a yards-after-the-catch maven. He has the profile of a jack-of-all-trades weapon that offensive coordinators fantasize about.
That said, it’s not all positive. There are some flaws to his game, which I will get into. But first, let me discuss what he does well.
Where the former three-star recruit wins is in space and the short areas of the field, where he can get his hands on the ball quickly. Once that happens, good luck defenders. He’s a wizard after the catch and skilled at making tacklers miss. When watching him run drags, shallow crossers, and slants — routes designed to leverage his quickness and separation ability — it’s hard not to see flashes of Amon-Ra St. Brown.
KC Concepcion Profile
Because of his YAC ability, Concepcion is best used on plays designed to get him the ball in a hurry. The Aggies leaned into this, frequently using him in pre-snap motion and feeding him the rock on screens, handoffs, and sweeps to great success. He averaged 7.5 yards per carry in 2025, and across his three-year collegiate career, he totaled 431 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries. If used properly, he could be a Jayden Reed-type weapon at the next level.
But he’s not just a gadget player. For a smaller wideout, Concepcion is a legitimate outside vertical threat. He displays excellent straight-line speed, and despite being only 5’11” and 190 pounds, he tracks the ball well and shows toughness at the catch point. In a game against South Carolina, Concepcion burned a cornerback off the line to the inside and caught a deep ball while simultaneously getting blasted by a closing safety. He also did the same against Auburn, hanging onto the ball through another big hit after the catch.
He’s also got a nose for the end zone. In two seasons at North Carolina State, Concepcion caught 16 TD passes and rushed for two scores. Against tougher competition in the SEC in 2025, he found paydirt 10 times — nine through the air and once on the ground.
If Concepcion goes to a team with a creative play-caller, it’s easy to envision him making an immediate impact. He averaged over 15 yards per reception this season, finishing with 919 receiving yards on 61 grabs. But there are things he’ll need to work on if he wants to take the next step and turn into a complete receiver.
The biggest concern is that he drops the ball far too much. Whether it’s a focus issue or just taking his eyes off the ball to set up his next move, it happens far too often. Against the Gamecocks, he had an easy would-be score on a slant in the end zone, but he just dropped a perfectly thrown ball that hit him right in the hands. Concepcion needs to improve at securing the catch before worrying about making a play. We don’t want to end up like Kadarius Toney, now do we?
Concepcion also needs to tighten up his route-running a bit. I saw some rounding at the top of routes, especially when he’s not the primary read. He’s also noticeably more comfortable against man than zone. There were a few times where he struggled to find the soft spot in zone coverage or just bailed out of an open area too quickly, leading to incompletions.
After watching him, I’m definitely intrigued by Concepcion, but his success will depend on his landing spot. He needs a system and play-caller who knows how to deploy him properly since he’s not a prototypical X receiver. Early on, Concepcion will likely be used in the return game — he did average 18.2 yards per return and scored twice on punts for the Aggies — while being sprinkled into three-WR sets as he develops into a more well-rounded receiver. There may not be a ton of volume going his way, which is the same issue that’s plagued Reed in Green Bay.
From a fantasy perspective, Concepcion has clear upside that will be tantalizing for many managers in the back half of the first round of rookie drafts. I think that’s a fine time to take a shot at him, just pay attention to the landing spot and keep your expectations in check. We’ve seen this smaller, shifty type fail many times at the pro level. Concepcion could be next if he doesn’t work on his hands. It doesn’t matter how many defenders you can make miss if you can’t secure the ball first.
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Wolf Trelles-Heard is a fantasy football contributor for PlayerProfiler. Find him on X at @DynastyFFWolf.
