The NFL season may still be a couple of months away, but fantasy players are already thinking about potential line-ups. This means getting ready for drafts, trying to find trades in dynasty leagues, and drawing up a shortlist of players to trust in Pick\u2019em contests.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s especially tough when deciding what to do with rookies. For every Ja\u2019Marr Chase or Puka Nacua, there\u2019s a risk that you can wind up choosing a Kyle Pitts or Skyy Moore. With no past data to go on, there\u2019s simply no way to know how players will adapt to life in the NFL.<\/p>\n
With some players, though, it can be slightly easier to predict how their rookie seasons will go. Some head coaches have already laid out their intentions for their new draftees to be day one starters, while injury can provide opportunities for others.<\/p>\n
Heading into the 2026 NFL season, these are three players that you can trust to get results in Pick\u2019em contests.<\/p>\n
The Arizona Cardinals<\/a> are going through a transitional year in 2026. They still have their key weapons on offense, such as tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr, but after seven years, they have moved on from quarterback Kyler Murray.<\/p>\n The Cardinals have already named journeyman Jacoby Brissett as the week one starter, with veteran Gardner Minshew as his backup. The quarterback room also includes Carson Beck, who was drafted in the third round with an eye to the future. It\u2019s very much a \u201cwait and see\u201d situation, rather than \u201cwin now\u201d.<\/p>\n It also means that rookie running back Jeremiyah Love<\/a>, rather than whoever is under center,\u00a0 is going to be the heart of the offense.<\/p>\n Love is seen as a generational dual-threat talent, just as happy receiving the ball as he is putting up yards on the ground. He\u2019s a perfect fit for Mike LaFleur\u2019s offense, giving him a high ceiling, and best of all, he\u2019ll be relatively uncontested for reps. With James Conner coming off a major foot injury, Love will get a heavy volume early in the season.<\/p>\n When looking at Sleeper\u2019s Pick\u2019em contests<\/a>, look to take the over with Love, and strongly consider the combined rushing plus receiving yards market.<\/p>\n The Seattle Seahawks<\/a> have had a notable departure from their elite Super Bowl-winning backfield, with Kenneth Walker III leaving to join the Kansas City Chiefs, leading them to take Jadarian Price<\/a> in the first round. He\u2019s expected to take on Walker\u2019s role and share the workload with Zach Charbonnet. At the start of the season, though, Price will have the backfield to himself.<\/p>\n Charbonnet is recovering from the ACL injury he sustained in the Seahawks\u2019 Division Round game against the San Francisco 49ers, and is expected to miss the opening weeks of the season. This\u2019ll not only give Price a full workload early on, but also an excellent opportunity to establish himself as the dominant running back in Seattle.<\/p>\n He\u2019s well worth taking an over market on early, but make sure to stick to rushing yards. He was seldom used in the pass game throughout his time at Notre Dame, and that isn\u2019t expected to change in Seattle.<\/p>\nJadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks<\/h3>\n
KC Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns<\/h3>\n