Commissioner Roger Goodell kicked things off yesterday at 7 PM EST, opening up Rounds 2-3 of the NFL Draft. I was hopeful that a litany of fantasy football-relevant talent would fly off the board early in the broadcast, but instead teams settled on focusing on the trenches, selecting just seven wide receivers or tight ends, with no running backs or quarterbacks hearing their names called.
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Fantasy Football Top Day 3 Players Remaining
Before we dive into the top remaining players for Day 3, here is a recap of Day 2.
Day 2 Recap: Fantasy Football Outlook
Round three was (thankfully) more exciting, with Carson Beck (QB – Arizona) and Drew Allar (QB – Pittsburgh) finding landing spots, and a run on wideouts finally began.
Washington kicked things off with the 71st overall pick, selecting Antonio Williams (WR – Clemson) as their new top slot receiver, who should instantly slide in opposite Terry McLaurin. I thought that this was a bit of a reach given his poor injury history, but it is hard to deny his talent as a chain mover.
The New York Giants were reportedly looking for a big-bodied complement for Malik Nabers, and they found one in Malachi Fields (WR – Notre Dame). His 6’4 218 lb. frame will provide Jaxson Dart a huge catch radius to utilize all over the field. He isn’t a true burner, but Fields’ tape reminded me of Michael Pittman at first glance.
Miami found their new top receiving threat in Chris Bell (who was a first-round talent on my board prior to his ACL injury suffered late last season), and added Caleb Douglas (WR – Texas Tech) and Will Kacmarek (TE – Ohio State) to bolster their offense. The Dolphins were utterly bereft of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball, and all three players should take the field in short order.
Zacariah Branch (WR – Georgia) won’t have to travel far, with Atlanta selecting him 79th overall. Regardless of who wins the quarterback competition for the Falcons between Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr., Branch should see plenty of targets inheriting the Darnell Mooney role, alongside of Drake London. His speed is absurd, but he will need to work on expanding his route tree.
Carolina and Tampa Bay took both deep threats that I mentioned in yesterday’s article (the link can be found here, for reference), in Chris Brazzell II and Ted Hurst. Brazzell II should be incorporated into the Panthers’ offense immediately, but I wish he had found a home on a team with a quarterback with a stronger arm. Hurst will benefit from the YOLO tendencies of Baker Mayfield, but has an uphill battle to find playing time behind Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan.
Top Day 3 Fantasy Football Players Remaining
With all of this talent now off the board, some analysts would argue that we’ve reached the “special teams contributors” portion of the draft, entering Day three. Borrowing a phrase from the legendary Lee Corso – not so fast, my friends. There is still a good amount of talent, and players who can contribute early are still out there. Here is a quick rundown of my favorite players remaining on the board, as we enter Saturday.
Quarterback
Garrett Nussmeier (QB – LSU) remains my top selection available, and I covered him yesterday. I was a little surprised to see Carson Beck off the board before him (given his advanced age and capped potential), but I suppose that Arizona valued his experience over any potential upside. For my notes on Nussmeier, click here.
Cole Payton (QB – North Dakota State) – Payton was one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch on tape, because he doesn’t play like a traditional pocket passer, nor is he some lithe scrambler akin to Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels. Instead, Payton is a smashmouth bruiser with the ball in his hands, and actually operated as the team’s short-yardage ball carrier earlier in his career. A one-year starter with the Bison, Payton finished third in the Walter Payton Award voting due to his dual-threat potential. When called upon to pass, Payton looks downfield and foregoes short, dump-off passes in favor of splash plays. He appears completely unfazed by pressure in his face, and is comfortable taking off, finding YAC at a whim. Payton will draw comparisons to Taysom Hill, but his unique skillset and aggressive mentality make him at worst a future backup, with the upside of being what Tim Tebow could have been.
Taylen Green (QB – Arkansas) – At 6’6, 227 lbs., Green is in rarified company with a unique blend of size, speed, and overall athletic prowess. A four-year starter, Green transferred to Arkansas after spending three seasons with Boise State, and has 46 starts under his belt. No one can dispute that he has all the physical tools that offensive coordinators drool over – a rocket arm, elite mobility, and track-star speed. However, his elongated throwing motion, poor decision-making, and ability to throw touch passes make him a “work in progress”. Green will need to hold the clipboard for several seasons, refining and developing, before ever being considered a starter for an NFL team. Simply put, Green is an athlete in the same mold as Justin Fields. Will he stick at quarterback or possibly be given a shot a wide receiver remains to be seen.
Running Back
All three running backs that I covered in yesterday’s article remain on the board, largely in part due to just one running back being drafted in the second and third rounds TOTAL. (San Francisco’s obligatory third-round dart-throw on Kaelon Black (RB – Indiana) broke the mold. PLENTY of talent remains, with several potential starters. Here are a few more names to consider.
Kaytron Allen (RB – Penn State) – I spoke about Allen’s running mate, Nicholas Singleton, yesterday, but I wanted to give Allen his time in the spotlight as well, since he is a talent in his own right. Allen is a three-year starter from Norfolk, VA who earned All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2025. The more physical “thunder” to Singleton’s “lightning” in the backfield, Allen excelled at short-yardage and between-the-tackles plays, thriving on running through defenders with his stout 5’11, 216 lb. frame. Allen isn’t a home-run hitter, but instead takes the yardage that the defense allows. He doesn’t possess elite speed, but is fast enough to break away from outside linebackers before the secondary eventually finds him. He was rarely called upon as a receiver in college, but Allen has good enough hands to catch passes in a pinch. His calling card is his patience in allowing blocks to develop in front of him, and making defenders pay by lowering his pads and running through contact. He would make a nice backup option for a team like Miami, Cincinnati or Atlanta, behind their quicker starters.
Demond Claiborne (RB – Wake Forest) – Claiborne was one of my favorite players to watch at the position, with his combination of speed (he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash) and one-cut ability to make defenders miss, before quickly accelerating into the secondary. A second-team All-ACC player in 2025, Claiborne is a lighter option at the position and one of the few sub-200 lb. players in this class. He is a big-play threat with the ball in his hands and seems to always play in his top gear. Claiborne was reckless with ball control last season (leading the nation with 5 losses) and dropped several passes, causing his stock to slide. He will need to find the right balance between playing with his hair on fire and keeping it under total control to be counted on moving forward.
Adam Randall (RB – Clemson) – Randall is an impressive physical specimen, at 6’3 and 232 lbs. of pure muscle. Still learning the position, Randall spent his first three seasons at wide receiver before transferring to the backfield after struggling with drops and learning the route tree. Coaches looking for potential upside need look no further – his lack of tread on the tires and combination of size and speed is difficult to find. Randall is incredibly raw, but could easily be molded into a starting caliber player, if given the time to develop under a system that can be patient. I’d like to see him run with a lower pad level, as his height makes him a large target for opposing linebackers to gang-tackle. He will also need to improve his decision making and begin to trust his ability to find holes along the line – something I foresee happening with reps. For a team that can be patient, Randall is an intriguing late-round snag.
Wide Receiver
Skyler Bell (WR – Connecticut) – It is a breath of fresh air to finally write about a UCONN player for Fantasy purposes! Bell was a four-year starter who began his career at Wisconsin, before transferring to the Huskies. Used as an outside receiver previously, I’m not sure if his smaller 6’0, 192 lb. frame is best suited for working opposite larger cornerbacks, and get the feeling that he would thrive as a slot-option instead. Still, versatility and the ability to line up in different spots is a major plus. Bell thrives catching the ball around the line of scrimmage and then following his blockers to generate chunk plays, rather than working as a downfield threat. He had a few Odell Beckham-esque plays on tape, taking a simple slant route for major gains that I was excited to see. He put up exceptional numbers in the three-cone drill (6.65 seconds), and his calling card is his ability to quickly accelerate and decelerate in open space. He doesn’t have all the traits to be an “X” option for any given team, but he makes for a nice third or fourth option.
Elijah Sarratt (WR – Indiana) – Sarratt bounced around college, and eventually followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana, where he earned All-Big Ten honors twice with the program. A 6’2, 210 lb. specimen who plays strong and physical, Sarratt excels in out-muscling defenders in man coverage to gain separation, and does the majority of his damage on short-to-intermediate targets downfield. He isn’t the fastest player remaining, but he is above-average in just about all his traits, with his calling card being soft, sure hands that hold onto the ball. His size allows him to take on larger cornerbacks with ease, and he is a willing blocker on plays that are designed to go out wide. Sarratt would be a really nice second option for a team looking to establish a physical identity with a receiver willing to take hits on crossing routes to pick up first downs when necessary.
Bryce Lance (WR – North Dakota State) – Lance possesses ideal size (6’3, 204 lbs.) and speed (he ran a blazing 4.34 40-yard dash at the Combine) to become something special in the NFL, for a team willing to work on refining his traits. The keyword with Lance to remember is RAW. Talent is here in droves. Lance dominated the competition in the FCS for the Bison, scoring 25 touchdowns over the last two seasons, with a vast majority of his catches going for more than 20 yards. He has strong hands but doesn’t use them well, sometimes preferring to catch the ball against his body. Lance occasionally is a “feet shuffler” on shorter routes and needs to become more fluid with his movements closer to the line of scrimmage. His straight-line speed is elite, but his change-of-direction skills remain a work in progress. For a team willing to refine him for a season, he could really be something special in the long-term.
Tight End
Jack Endries (TE – Texas) – I want to highlight tight ends that are capable of becoming receiving threats at the next level, rather than those who will be strictly drafted for their blocking prowess. Endries began his college career at California, redshirting before becoming an All-Pac 12 player in 2024, finishing as the team’s leading receiver while Fernando Mendoza was under center. He transferred to Texas in 2025 and was highly sought after in the portal, but wasn’t utilized to the same extent as prior years due to target competition. At 6’4 and 240 lbs., Endries is a slimmer tight end who is best used in the “move” role, rather than someone who will stay on the line to block. He fails to play overly physical and rarely breaks tackles, which is a shame. Though he is a plus route-runner with good hands, Endries is a rotational receiving threat at the position, who isn’t well-rounded enough to play on all three downs consistently.
Michael Trigg (TE – Baylor) – Trigg is a fifth-year senior who transferred from USC to Ole Miss in 2022, before eventually finding his way with Baylor later on. A former highly ranked basketball recruit, Trigg was able to translate his quick feet and athleticism to the gridiron, following in the footsteps of many converted athletes before him. He has several highlight reel catches that are utterly absurd, and there is no question that Trigg has the ability to dominate smaller defenders who attempt to line up against him. Trigg’s downfall stems from occasionally taking plays off and significant maturity issues. When actually invested in the game, he is a top talent at his position with all the physical traits to perform well at the next level. He will need some hand-holding along the way to get to that point, first.
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