FCS Prospects Surface Among Dynasty Risers After 2026 NFL Combine

PFF’s Ben Cooper used the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine to reshuffle dynasty thinking, and the biggest headline for FCS followers was a 6-foot-3 receiver identified only as "Lance." “This all comes after Lance earned 85.0-plus PFF receiving grades in 2024 and 2025,” Cooper wrote, and Lance “averaged 3.58 yards per route this past season,” a rate the column said puts him ahead of projected first-rounder Makai Lemon and top 2027 prospect Jeremiah Smith. Cooper also noted, “Of course, Lance was facing FCS competition, which will be the biggest asterisk on his profile,” but added that “the combine was the first chance for the 6-foot-3 receiver to prove it, and he passed the test with flying colors.”

Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. drew one of the clearer post-combine jumps. Cooper wrote that “Mike Washington Jr. may creep into the first round of rookie drafts: The Arkansas running back tested like an elite athlete at the combine and has the analytical profile to back it up. He has quickly gone from a sleeper to a desired dynasty asset, pending his real-life landing spot.” That passage links Washington’s testing and analytics to tangible dynasty upside while flagging the unresolved draft-day variable.

The tight end landscape shifted after testing as well. Cooper observed that “Eli Stowers is pushing Kenyon Sadiq for TE1 status: Both players starred at the combine, but Stowers seems to be closing the gap on Sadiq, at least for dynasty purposes. [...] Real-life landing spots will determine a lot about which tight end is better for dynasty purposes. For now, though, both Stowers and Sadiq profile as post-combine risers who will be coveted by fantasy managers in a down draft class.” Those exact lines frame the combine as a leveling event in a weak TE draft class where landing spots remain decisive.

Cooper’s honorable-mention roster also provides a useful watch list for dynasty managers. The column’s “Honorable Mention Risers” included QB Cole Payton (North Dakota State), QB Taylen Green (Arkansas), RB Seth McGowan (Kentucky), WR Brenen Thompson (Mississippi State), WR Ted Hurst (Georgia State) and TE Sam Roush (Stanford). PFF’s wider point was explicit: “PFF’s dynasty/fantasy column reacting to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine identifies several early risers and fallers for rookie‑draft managers — but crucially for FCS followers, it lists multiple FCS players as either risers or honorable mentions due to their combine testing or profile.”

The column did flag at least one faller in the excerpts: “Faller: WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame,” though Cooper’s excerpt did not provide the specific rationale for that drop. Moving forward, Cooper’s analysis ties concrete college production and PFF grades to combine testing but repeatedly underscores two constraints: competition level for FCS prospects and the ultimate impact of real-life landing spots on dynasty value. Those variables will determine whether Lance, Washington Jr., Stowers, Sadiq and the honorable-mention group translate combine momentum into rookie-draft capital.