2024 NFL Draft: The Best & Worst Rookie Landing Spots For Fantasy Football
2024 NFL Draft: Best & Worst Landing Spots For Fantasy Football
That time of year is upon us once again. Dynasty rookie drafts. With the NFL draft concluding and all landing spots finalized, it’s safe to say some got it better than others. The situation rookies land in are crucial and can drastically change the trajectory of careers. Here are the best and worst rookie landing spots from the 2024 NFL draft.
Best: Keon Coleman to the Buffalo Bills
Keon Coleman comes out of the draft as one of the biggest rookie winners. It was hard to predict where Coleman would end up. Some had him in the 1st round while some had him as low as day 3. Ultimately, he joined Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Coleman is getting one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Getting the pleasure to catch from a player of Allen’s caliber as a rookie is a dream for many. Let alone be the potential WR1 for him. With Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis leaving in the offseason, a hole in the Bills receiving core opened up. The Bills are relying on Coleman to close it. He only has Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel to compete with for that WR1 spot.
During the draft process, Coleman was labeled as a “high upside but raw” prospect. That upside just got a lot higher with Allen throwing the rock at him. It’s no secret Allen likes to trust his receivers, take risks and throw deep shots. Not many are better at catching those than Coleman. Although Coleman may be raw, pairing him up with Allen is a match made in heaven. The fit is perfect and can lead him to be a day 1 contributor. Early on, Coleman will likely be used as a field stretcher. The “go up and get it” guy that Allen has never had. If he develops well, sky’s the limit. Watch out for the Allen to Coleman connection.
Worst: Drake Maye to the New England Patriots
After a disastrous season in 2023, the Patriots look towards Drake Maye to give their franchise a 180. But he doesn’t exactly have the tools to do it yet. It was clear that out of all the teams that were looking to draft a QB, the Patriots had the worst supporting cast. To start his career, Maye will have virtually nothing to work with.
In 2023, the Patriots offense was tied for last in points scored and 30th in yards per game. What have the Patriots done to fix it in the offseason? Draft a couple rookies receivers. And we’ve seen how the Patriots develop rookie receivers in the past. We’ve also seen how important the supporting cast is to QBs. If your team can’t help your QB, their confidence breaks down and their play on the field reflects it. Maye’s supporting cast currently consists of an inexperienced and defensive minded head coach, an awful receiving core and an offensive line that were top 10 in sacks allowed last year. Not an ideal situation to start your career with.
Best: Jonathon Brooks to the Carolina Panthers
The draft didn’t treat running backs well. It’s likely we’ll only see one rookie running back start from day 1. That running back being Jonathon Brooks.
With Miles Sanders having an underwhelming season, the Panthers were forced to start Chuba Hubbard. It was clear change was needed. The Panthers addressed that by scoring one of the top running backs in the class. Brooks has the size and talent to be a workhorse back. With weak competition competing with him for carries, we can see high volume from Brooks from day 1.
Worst: Michael Penix Jr to the Atlanta Falcons
In one of the biggest plot twists of the draft, the Falcons opt to take a quarterback with the 8th pick after signing Kirk Cousins to a 4 year deal. Usually, if a late 1st/early 2nd projected player got drafted this early, their fantasy value would skyrocket. But this situation is unique. Signing a quarterback to a 100 million dollar guaranteed contract then drafting one in the first round a month later is unheard of. No one saw this coming.
It was hard to see where Penix could land. There were many QB needy teams and best case scenario, Penix would be able to fight for a starting spot from the jump. The Falcons 2024 starting QB was sealed right when Cousins’ ink touched the paper. They’re not benching a 100 million dollar quarterback. So Penix and all of his fantasy managers will just have to wait their turn. There is the possibility the Falcons cut Cousins after 2 years. But even then, Penix will already be 26.
Best: Trey Benson to the Arizona Cardinals
On paper, this might not seem like a great landing spot. The Cardinals already have James Conner who’s coming off a career year. They brought in Michael Carter who played well. What role could Benson have? Well, fantasy managers may have to be patient with him. Conner is turning 29 and is playing on an expiring contract. Same with Carter. In a year, Benson may have the backfield all to himself.
There’s a real possibility Benson gets to contribute from day 1 as well. Conner’s career has been plagued with injuries, missing 4+ games in 6 out of 7 seasons. Even if he does manage to stay healthy, the Cardinals have been shifting to a run oriented offense. They were 4th in rushing yards last season and averaged 33.2 carries over their last 5 games. Depending on his offseason, Benson could overtake Carter as the RB2 and get solid volume right out of the gate. But even if he doesn’t, the future is bright.
Worst: Braelon Allen to the New York Jets
Braelon Allen entered the draft with a real shot at being the first running back selected. But he ended up falling to the 4th round where he got scooped up by the Jets. Entering the draft, there was hope Allen would land to a team that’d allow him to take control of the backfield one day. It’s unlikely that happens as a Jet.
The Jets likely imagine Allen as a short yardage/goal line back. Although there’s a chance he can get fantasy production out of that, it isn’t ideal for someone that was previously praised as the highest upside running back by many in the dynasty community. And it isn’t a guarantee Allen locks up the RB2 spot either. Just one round later, the Jets took another running back in Isaiah Davis. And the year before, they took Israel Abanikanda in the 5th round. I’m not saying they’ll beat Allen out, but the possibility lives.
Best: Xavier Legette to the Carolina Panthers
There was a lot of skepticism regarding Legette’s draft capital given his age and lack of college production. But the Panthers took a shot at him and are giving him an amazing situation.
The Panthers were in a disastrous situation last season, however it seems their offense has been revitalized after a complete makeover. They got an offensive minded head coach, rejuvenated the offensive line and acquired new weapons. Although the acquisition of Diontae Johnson and his “target hogging” may be alarming, Legette’s game compliments him perfectly.
Johnson is an elite separator. He’s a savvy route runner that can be relied on to get open on any play. On the other hand, Legette is the “go up and get guy.” He can’t separate like Johnson and will likely be limited to 1 cut routes. But he’s the accuracy-erasing receiver that every young quarterback needs. He’ll be able to stretch the field and provide a trustworthy deep threat. Adam Thielen is another solid option but he’s 33. Johnson is also on an expiring deal. Legette can take the reins of the receiver room as soon as next year.
Worst: Isaac Guerendo to the San Francisco 49ers
Isaac Guerendo’s draft stock skyrocketed throughout the draft process after standing out in the combine. That led to the 49ers selecting him in the 4th round. Their explosive, high scoring offense may make him an appealing option to some but he’ll be buried in the depth chart.
It’s obvious the reigning OPOTY winner in Christian McCaffrey is going to carry essentially the entire workload as long as he’s healthy. They also have Elijah Mitchell who’s proven to be a solid handcuff. So where does Guerendo fit into the equation? The 49ers are likely thinking about the post-McCaffery era. For the foreseeable future, McCaffery will be the king of the 49ers backfield. Barring an injury, fantasy managers will likely have to wait a couple years until they can expect adequate volume from Guerendo. Even then, it’s not a guarantee Guerendo gets the workload they want.
Best: Ben Sinnott to the Washington Commanders
Another late riser throughout the draft process, Sinnott still earned higher draft capital than expected when he was picked in the 2nd round by the Commanders. After handing Jayden Daniels the keys to the franchise, they give him a great safety blanket one round later.
Sinnott will thrive in the Commanders’ pass heavy offense. Last season, the Commanders were the most pass heavy team in the league with 636 attempts. Although they had a coach and offensive coordinator change, I expect that to hold up. When Kliff Kingsbury was with the Cardinals, they were also extremely pass heavy. They were 4th in passing attempts in 2022 and that’s likely to translate with Washington.
Additionally, Sinnott will enter the league with a good chance to be at the top of the depth chart. They did bring in Zach Ertz but he doesn’t fit their timeline and clearly lost a step last season. Even if Ertz does take some playing time, he’ll still benefit Sinnott as a mentor. Players like Trey McBride and Dallas Goedert had to sit behind Ertz and are thriving now.
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