These veterans — including the Chiefs’ WR duo — gained the most fantasy football value after the 2026 NFL Draft

With plenty of rookie skill players added to offenses across the league during the 2026 NFL Draft, which fantasy football veterans were affected the most? Yahoo analyst Joel Smyth breaks down the non-rookies who gained the most value by avoiding any major additions to their offenses.

[Veterans who lost fantasy value due to increased competition during the NFL draft]

1. Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars had 10 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft … zero were used on running backs. After signing Chris Rodriguez Jr. in free agency, the Jaguars were still expected to add to the room, with rumors suggesting they might use a Day 2 selection or even trade up in the draft. Instead, they used their first pick in the draft that came in Round 2 on a blocking TE in Nate Boerkircher, a surprising move for a team that ran the fifth-most three WR sets in 2025. Not only did the Jags not draft a running back, but they also made moves to further strengthen the run game.

The Liam Coen offense is great for fantasy running backs. The Buccaneers in 2024 led all teams in RB points, and the 2025 Jaguars used running backs at the goal line and in the screen game a considerable amount. Last season in Jacksonville, Travis Etienne Jr. controlled that receiving role, with Tuten slowly getting more goal-line work as the season went on. Rodriguez is another great RB in the short-yardage game, making it of vital importance that the Jaguars didn’t select another back who could be a more natural receiver than Tuten. Although as a rookie, Tuten didn’t do much damage in the passing game, his college production would prove his capability.

Not taking a running back at all shows Jacksonville’s faith in their current room. As a rookie, Tuten ranked 13th among RBs in fantasy points per snap, with nine of the RBs in front of him being fantasy RB1s. If he is given a chance to have a more complete role in 2025, he can become the next fantasy star.

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2. Davante Adams, WR, Rams

At 33 years old, with rumors swirling of the Rams selecting Makai Lemon 13th overall, it seemed over for the historic Davante Adams fantasy run. Thanks to Ty Simpson, we may get one more year. It’s easy to see Adams turning 34 next December and predicting a fall-off season, but he was far from it last year. Usually, there would be more signs if a major dip is next to come. Adams took advantage of the Rams’ No. 1 scoring offense, bringing in a league-high 14 receiving touchdowns in 15 games. In his healthy games last season, he averaged 14.9 fantasy PPG.

When Adams is on the field, he’s getting targets. His playmaking with the ball in his hands has taken a dip, but the highlight of his game has always been his work in the red zone. The selection of TE Max Klare in Round 2 is another sign that Los Angeles will keep the use of its 13-personnel (3 TEs) high. The “1” in the 13 is Davante Adams, the only WR on the field with Puka Nacua usually off the field out of the two. Six of Adams’ touchdowns in 2025 came out of 13-personnel as he became the main target in the red zone.

The Rams will have to rely significantly on him again after passing on wideouts until Round 6. As long as Matthew Stafford is still doing his thing, I wouldn’t expect too much of a dip from the future Hall of Fame WR in 2026.

3. Cam Skattebo, RB, Giants

With a new coaching staff, a brutal leg injury and a small sample of proven performance, Cam Skattebo left the NFL Draft unscathed, not only avoiding Jeremiyah Love but all rookie running backs, which was immense. John Harbaugh and his staff are bringing the Ravens’ identity to New York. Signing FB Patrick Ricard is a good example of this. They built the trenches in the draft, using four of their seven picks on offensive and defensive linemen, including each of their first-round picks. Francis Mauigoa, the 10th overall pick, can bolster the Giants’ offensive line, which was below average in run blocking in 2025.

The New York RB room not changing in free agency becomes a plus now. Skattebo more than proved he deserves to be the RB1 over Tyrone Tracy Jr., and I wouldn’t expect Devin Singletary to earn a major role after last season. It’s a rare spot where, although a complete coaching change occurred, not much change is expected. Matt Nagy as the play-caller is the biggest question mark. Andy Reid called the plays in Kansas City, meaning we haven’t seen Nagy be a play-caller since the 2021 Chicago Bears, who ranked 27th in scoring.

The role and volume are most important, however. While the injury is a major concern, if Skattebo can come back strong, there’s no reason he can’t start posting RB1 fantasy numbers once again.

4. Malik Nabers, WR, Giants

To a lesser extent, Malik Nabers is another Giants winner. After trading Dexter Lawrence for the 10th overall pick, New York was heavily rumored to use one of its two top-10 selections on a WR. This wouldn’t be the end of the world for Nabers, but it would be a negative for the receiver who led the NFL in target share in 2024, a major reason for his fantasy success. Jordyn Tyson’s target-hog tendencies specifically could have been a hit to Nabers’ value. At the end of the day, the Giants waited until Round 3 to select a receiver, Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields.

Fields is a 6-foot-4 outside receiver who can complement Nabers very well. Fields isn’t going to be a player who will come in and earn eight targets per game, making it the perfect pairing for fantasy. He can earn his role as a contested-catch deep threat, while largely not taking away value from Nabers. The Giants’ star WR barely played with QB Jaxson Dart and is working with a new coaching staff, but the volume is as close to guaranteed as you can get.

5. Kansas City WRs

Kansas City isn’t shy when it comes to taking wide receivers in the first couple rounds, and was marked as a potential landing spot for a WR in the top 10.  With Patrick Mahomes recovering from an ACL injury, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy avoid having more barriers to overcome in the 2026 season. The Chiefs only selected Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen in Round 5 and did not take a TE, another rumored draft position with Travis Kelce declining.

The departure of Nagy to New York adds another wrinkle. He wasn’t the primary play-caller, but Mahomes’ average depth of target was the lowest in the NFL since Nagy joined Kansas City in 2023. Prior to that, with Tyreek Hill and a more explosive offense, Mahomes’ ADOT was the eighth-highest.

Worthy has yet to play with returning offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Very little competition added to the Chiefs offense makes Worthy the primary candidate to control the deep targets, while Rice has a good chance to keep his red-zone role. If Kansas City can revert to its aggressive offense from the early 2020s, Worthy would be the biggest beneficiary with Rice maintaining his fantasy WR1 status.