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2024 PRE-DRAFT ROOKIE RANKINGS FOR (DYNASTY) FANTASY FOOTBALL: WIDE RECEIVERS
Here are the top 5 rookie rankings for RBs to target in (dynasty) fantasy football!
But first, here are those just outside the Top Five:
10. Xavier Legette, South Carolina
9. Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
8. Xavier Worthy, Texas
7. Ladd McConkey, Georgia
6. Roman Wilson, Michigan
5. AD Mitchell, Texas
Bio: Adonai (A.D.) Mitchell wasn’t the primary receiver for Texas as far as statistics are concerned. He originally played for the University of Georgia but never got a sizable share of the receiving work. As a freshman in 2021, he caught 24 balls for 336 yards and two touchdowns. The next season was a disaster due to a lingering ankle sprain. He appeared in only three games and caught 5 balls for 69 yards and one touchdown. It seemed a change of scenery was the best decision and he chose to transfer to the University of Texas for his junior season. This season was by far his best, he would catch 45 balls for 704 yards and nine touchdowns. He didn’t do anything crazy, but it was an improvement from the previous two seasons. The reason for Mitchell being this highly regarded of a prospect is his measurables and tape. He is not only an athletic specimen (6’2” 205 lbs, 4.34 40-yard dash time) but he's a fluid player for his size and has the frame to play on the perimeter at the next level. By watching his tape, you’d never expect him to be a receiver who hasn’t eclipsed 1,000 yards. He runs crisp routes for a big guy and is smooth with the ball in his hands. Looking at his tape alone, he looks like a great prospect, but his lack of production is still a red flag. Although his production as a whole isn't impressive, he has shown glimpses of greatness against top competition. When Mitchell and the Texas Longhorns faced off against Alabama, he caught three passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. This was against potential first-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry and other players who will be in the NFL. He has the ability, he just has to piece it together with consistency. Currently, he’s a boom or bust type of player whose outcome will be reliant on landing spot. Mitchell would benefit from going to a team with a good offense that he can slowly ease into. The Bills and Chiefs come to mind as teams with star quarterbacks who can help take advantage of Mitchell’s route running and speed. Fantasy-wise, he can be found at the end of round one or the beginning of round two in most no-superflex dynasty leagues. For redraft leagues (PPR), he has an ADP of WR48 at the end of the seventh round.
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205 lbs
Strengths:
-Speed
-Route running
-Body control
-Fluidity
Weaknesses:
-Lack of production
-Play speed (admitted to not running routes at full speed)
-Tends to body catch
NFL Draft Projection: Middle to end of round one
Fantasy: Of all the top wide receiver prospects, AD Mitchell has the widest range of outcomes. He’s a very high-risk/high-reward type of player who can either become a WR1 or a weekly spot start. He has all the tools needed of a top receiver in the NFL and can become a valuable receiver and fantasy asset, but he also lacks the production and was never a team’s top option in college. I’m willing to take the risk on the type of player he can be, especially at his current fantasy ADP.
4. Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
Bio: Brian Thomas was the lightning to Malik Nabers’ thunder at LSU. It’s completely understandable why Nabers gets all the hype, but Thomas deserves some praise. He’s been a decent contributor since joining LSU in 2021. In his freshman season, he totaled 26 receptions for 344 yards and two touchdowns and followed that up with 25 receptions for 306 yards and four touchdowns. In those two seasons, he just wasn't a big part of the offense. This past season he finally became a focal part of the Tigers’ passing game, catching 68 balls for 1,117 yards and 17 receiving yards (most in the nation). Thomas Jr. is a big-bodied receiver (6’3” and 209 lbs) who projects to line up on the outside at the next level. He is a prototypical deep threat with great acceleration and 4.33 speed. He is good after the catch, displaying a solid change of direction and explosiveness. He’ll have to increase his route tree at the next level to become a more complete receiver. He’s also not as physically dominant in the air as you would expect a player of his stature to be. His contested catch rate of 53.8% would put him at 32nd in the nation among players with a minimum of 76 targets. Still, he is a gifted deep threat that will take the top off of opposing defenses which will then help open up an offense. He’ll likely be taken in the late teens or early twenties of the first round of the NFL draft. He, like AD Mitchell, would fit in nicely on the Bills. He could take over the Gabe Davis role as the big-bodied, down-field threat. He can be found in the middle of round one of most non-superflex dynasty drafts. For redraft (PPR), he can be found around the 4/5 turn as the WR37.
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 209 lbs
Strengths:
-Big, tall, and fast
-Good YAC ability
-Efficient (averaged one touchdown every four catches in 2023)
Weaknesses:
-Limited route tree
-Contested catches
NFL Draft Projection: Middle to end of round one
Fantasy: Brian Thomas figures to be a classic deep-threat player in the NFL. He has game-breaking speed and YAC ability to be a solid fantasy player for the coming years. With his skill set, he’s probably better suited as a number two option, but we’ve still seen a handful of number two options have good fantasy seasons. He’ll be a good player to target in best-ball leagues due to his big play potential and can be a valuable player in both redraft and dynasty depending on his landing spot.
3. Rome Odunze, Washington
Bio: Rome Odunze is a straight-up DAWG. He and Michael Penix Jr. caused opposing defenses headaches all season at the University of Washington. This past season, Odunze led the nation with 1,640 receiving yards, had the sixth most receptions with 92, and the sixth most receiving touchdowns with 13. Standing at 6’3” and weighing in at 212 lbs, he has the size of a prototypical outside receiver and projects to be just that in the NFL. He excels at making contested catches (75% contested catch rate) but also has only average long speed for a wide receiver(4.45 40 yard dash). This isn’t ideal since he’ll be mirrored by NFL defensive backs, so he’ll likely be used as more of a possession receiver than a YAC guy. Despite not being an elite athlete, Odunze was still a dominant and efficient receiver which is clearly shown in his 2.93 yards per route run. For reference, that number would put him at #3 in the NFL this past season behind only Tyreek Hill and Nico Collins. Odunze has the alpha mentality and that is what you want out of a potential number one receiver. He’ll likely hear his name called within the top 12 picks of the NFL draft. I believe a good landing spot would be the New York Giants at pick number six. Since he’s widely viewed as the third-best wide receiver prospect in this year’s class, this is likely the earliest he’d be drafted. The Giants could go many different routes since there are a lot of holes to fill, but if they do select Rome Odunze, they will finally have themselves the number one receiver they’ve lacked since the days of Odell Beckham Jr. It may take a bit of time for him to adjust to the speed of the NFL, but once he does, he’ll be a weekly fantasy football starter. In non-superflex dynasty leagues, Odunze should be locked in as a top 5 pick. For redraft leagues (PPR), he is currently being selected at the end of the fourth round as the WR31.
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 212 lbs
Strengths:
-Size
-Contested catch machine
-Good catch radius
-Route-running
Weaknesses:
-Average speed and athleticism
NFL Draft Projection: Top 12 pick
Fantasy: The way Rome Odunze plays reminds me a lot of Keenan Allen. He’s a big, reliable, underrated route runner that should be productive for a long time. He has the ceiling of being a top 24 WR in fantasy as a rookie and should surpass that in the coming years as he adapts to the NFL. He is a top dynasty asset in rookie drafts and should be locked in as a top 5 pick.
2. Malik Nabers, LSU
Bio: Malik Nabers is a lot better than his ranking in this class suggests. If it weren’t for Marvin Harrison Jr., he’d be many people’s top-ranked receiver in this year’s class and probably one of the more hyped prospects we’ve seen in a while. Nabers made an impact for LSU right away as a freshman and would end the season with 28 catches for 417 yards and four touchdowns. He was part of the wide receiver rotation a lot more in 2022 as a sophomore, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards. In 2023 he blew up, catching 89 balls for 1,568 yards, and 14 touchdowns. Over the past few years, Nabers has proven he has the necessary tools to be a locked and loaded WR1 for whatever NFL team drafts him. Nabers is a fluid athlete with elite acceleration and change of direction, with his 4.35 40-yard dash time at his pro day being the icing on the cake. That type of speed and quickness keeps defenses honest and can turn any short pass into a big gain. He was dominant in the SEC, with 3.64 yards per route run and 6.6 yards after the catch per reception. In 2023, Nabers almost split evenly his time in the slot (53.6% of snaps) and out wide (46.2). This goes to show he isn’t a one-trick pony. He gives offense coordinators the freedom to put him anywhere on the field which is a major advantage. One area where Nabers could improve is in contested catches (47.6% contested catch rate). He just needs to be a little more aggressive when the ball is in the air, especially against the defensive backs in the NFL. Nabers will be a top-ten pick in the draft and almost certainly will be picked in the top five to seven. I think he will land with the Chargers at pick number five since pretty much every one of their offensive weapons is gone. He would become Justin Herbert’s new best friend and a fantasy darling if this were to come to fruition. As of now, he is being drafted in round three as the WR24 in redraft leagues (PPR). In non-superflex dynasty leagues, he should be one of the first three picks.
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 200 lbs
Strengths:
-Explosive
-YAC threat
-Versatile; can line up anywhere
Weaknesses:
-Contested catches
NFL Draft Projection: Top 10 pick
Fantasy: Malik Nabers would be the talk of the draft if there weren’t a generational wide receiver prospect in this class. Nabers has a unique blend of speed and agility that should make him a dynamic player in all aspects of the game. Whether he’s catching the ball short, deep, or getting the ball handed to him in the backfield, he can take it to the house. He’s the kind of guy that opens up your offense and will be one of the next great wide receivers in the league.
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Bio: Harrison Jr. is the clear-cut top wide receiver in an incredibly stacked class. He is the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison and has the potential to be even better than his father.. Harrison Jr. is one of the most hyped wide receiver prospects we’ve seen in a while and is projected to go within the first five picks. He was a four-star recruit and joined Ohio State in 2021. After a quiet freshman year, he took a step forward by earning a starting role for the 2022 season. He would finish the regular season with 72 catches, 1,157 yards, and 12 touchdowns. His 2023 season was just as good: 67 catches, 1,211 yards, and 14 touchdowns and he also brought home the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver. Harrison Jr. finished his tenure at OSU with the fifth-most catches, fourth-most receiving yards, and third-most touchdowns in school history. As an NFL prospect, he’s about as “can’t miss” as you can get. His strengths far outweigh his weaknesses and you have to nitpick to find flaws in his game. He has a high production profile, has a great blend of size and speed, has soft hands, and possesses the body control to make tough catches. The only “weakness” to his game is that he isn’t a huge YAC guy since he often gets taken down by the first defender. This shouldn’t be viewed as much of a concern since he’s by no means terrible after the catch. Marvin Harrison Jr. should be a trusted WR1 by the time he steps foot on the field. He has the athleticism to beat defenders physically but can also outsmart those same defenders with football I.Q. and route running. It would be a fantasy manager’s dream come true if he landed in Arizona at pick number four. He and Kyler Murray would become a dangerous QB-WR combo for years to come. Harrison Jr. can certainly be a top-five receiver in both real life and fantasy, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. He is currently being drafted in the second round as the WR11 in redraft leagues (PPR) and should be at least a top-two pick in fantasy rookie drafts regardless of the scoring format.
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 209 lbs
Strengths:
-Size/speed combo
-Explosiveness
-Body Control
-Hands
Weaknesses:
-Not the best YAC threat
NFL Draft Projection: Top five pick
Fantasy: Marvin Harrison Jr. will be a star and I just don’t see a reality where he isn’t. His production at Ohio State is elite and his tape is phenomenal. Being drafted as the WR11 in redraft is insane for a rookie. That is the type of ceiling he has. He’ll be a WR1 by the time he steps on the field and is a top-10 dynasty receiver to own without even suiting up for a professional team yet. Crazy!
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