Buy These Players in Dynasty BEFORE Draft Day in 2026!

by Wyatt Bertolone · Featured

The NFL Draft has impacts across the league. Players’ jobs are on the line in many cases, waiting to find out if they’re being replaced. This creates buying opportunities in the dynasty marketplace as fantasy gamers have apprehension about some players, assuming they have a good chance of being affected by the results in Pittsburgh. Today, I’ll give you players to buy now in dynasty formats, whose stock could rise after draft day.

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Commanders’ Running Backs | “A Silent Armada”

I’m cheating a bit here by saying the whole backfield, but it’s true! Every day, it sounds more and more like Jeremiyah Love will be drafted before Washington’s pick. After the first round, their next pick is in the third, then in the fifth. Even a third-round back in this class doesn’t strike that much fear in the hearts of opponents. Plus, the Commanders have plenty of areas to improve. Their 2024 team success was squarely on Jayden Daniels being incredible. The team then added a bunch of aging veterans in 2025 to supplement the roster, but it didn’t work out. Now they need an injection of young talent across the board.

The biggest beneficiaries of a revamp would be Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White. In addition to both being affordable enough to take shots on them, the roles are clearly defined. Croskey-Merritt is the two-down hammer, and White is the pass-catcher who can spell Croskey-Merritt if needed. With a healthy Daniels back at quarterback, the offense will be in scoring position often and present plenty of opportunities for both players to have success relative to their current cost. Try sending a third-round rookie pick at either one and see what happens. 

Jonathon Brooks | RB, Carolina Panthers | “The Forgotten Son”

It’s been a tough time for Jonathon Brooks over the last few years. He was having a fantastic junior season at Texas before tearing his ACL late, which hurt his draft stock a bit. He was still drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft despite the injury, but then took longer than expected to return. Brooks was used sparingly once he played and quickly tore the same ACL again. The injury sidelined him all the way through the 2025 season, and he’s only now expected to be healthy for 2026. 

This offseason, Carolina decided to let Rico Dowdle walk after an impressive season for them in which he pushed Chuba Hubbard to the side. In 2026, that leaves Brooks and Hubbard to fight for opportunities. The latter has given the Panthers some solid play, especially during Brooks’ rookie season (who carried the ball just nine times), but Hubbard’s stock has fallen. There’s reason to believe that if Brooks truly is healthy again, he could take the lead in this backfield. A mid-second-round rookie pick should be able to get the job done. 

RELATED: Too Good to be True? | Dream Landing Spots for Incoming Rookies in 2026

DeVonta Smith | WR, Philadelphia Eagles | Fear the “Slim Reaper”

The reason you should want to trade for DeVonta Smith now is that the rumors of A.J. Brown being traded keep getting louder. Brown being potentially moved has been a rumor for a while now, but lately it’s sounded like it’s not a matter of if, but when. The assumed trade partner appears to be the Patriots, who would love to have the three-time All-Pro’s services, so the reports make sense. A draft-day trade, or one close to it, would drastically improve Smith’s value. Some are already slightly “baking into” Smith’s value the chance of this trade happening, but not enough.

The Alabama alum has proven to be one of the league’s better wide receivers and is capable of being the Eagles’ WR1. He’s also flashed high-end scoring and efficiency when needed. He won’t be cheap, but I’m willing to pay the price. I’d happily send anything after the 1.05 in a Superflex rookie draft, or a future 2027 first. 

David Montgomery | RB, Houston Texans | Hard Knuckles in Bayou City

The Texans trading for a running back, especially one with the profile and cost of David Montgomery, wasn’t on my bingo card, but I’m here for it! With Joe Mixon out with a mysterious injury all of 2025, the Texans’ run game suffered. They were forced to make Woody Marks their main rusher — despite him being a satellite back — with Nick Chubb, a shell of his former self, as backup. With the incoming running back class weak after Love, it’s no surprise Houston made a move to address the position by trading for Montgomery. 

During his time in the NFL, Montgomery has proven himself to be a workhorse running back who can contribute in every facet of the position. Also, in a good situation, he’s shown he can provide efficiency. It’s worth noting he’s coming off the worst season of his career, in which he scored only 9.8 PPR PPG, but it’s understandable given he shared a backfield with “Sonic” Jahmyr Gibbs. In Houston, this will be Montgomery’s backfield. RB2 production is the floor based on volume alone, and there’s room for more. I’d try to use players like Javonte Williams or Josh Jacobs to tier down to him while adding another asset, since Montgomery can produce at their level. 

Josh Downs | WR, Indianapolis | The Resurgent Talent

Since entering the NFL, Josh Downs has both been impressive and frustrating. He was a good prospect whose only knock was his small size. As a rookie, he surprised many, contributing right away. Since then, however, he hasn’t been able to step up his game. This has been mostly due to the Colts’ unwillingness to increase his role. Downs has been no better than 50th in snap share among wide receivers in any season, due to Indy viewing him as almost a slot-only player. Now, however, we have a real reason to believe that will change. 

Firstly, the Colts traded away Michael Pittman to make room for Alec Pierce‘s contract, leaving an opening for Downs to step up. Secondly, recently, Colts general manager Chris Ballard gushed about how good the North Carolina product is and expects more opportunities for him in 2026. Both of these point to Downs stepping into a larger role in 2026. He has shown that he’s talented; it’s only a matter of opportunity, now it looks like he’ll have it. Try sending any second-round pick for Downs. 


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