Best Fantasy Landing Spots for Top WR Prospects
Ideal Landing Spots For 2024 Rookie Wide Receivers
Being drafted to the right team is crucial for producing in fantasy. While a talented player can shine in a bad situation, it’s a lot more difficult if their teammates aren’t doing anything to help. Let’s look at two immensely talented wide receivers as an example: Puka Nacua and Garrett Wilson. Both are great at what they do, but Nacua (WR4) was far more valuable for fantasy than Wilson (WR26) last year. This is mainly due to the teams they were drafted by. I love Nacua, don’t get me wrong. However, if you switched their teams, Wilson would have probably had just as good of, if not a better season than Nacua. Quarterback play, target competition, coaching; all of it matters. So, where would each of the top receivers shine the most? Let’s dive in.
(I will only look at the receivers expected to go in the first round and choose realistic landing spots for them. Obviously, a team like the Chiefs would be much better for Marvin Harrison Jr. than the Patriots, but that is very unlikely to happen, barring a trade. If I think there’s a good chance that a team trades up, I will specify that.)
Marvin Harrison Jr: Cardinals
MHJ is regarded by most as the WR1 in the class, and rightfully so. This means he shouldn’t last long, and his list of potential landing spots is pretty short. You could argue the Chargers are the best spot, but I wanted to stick to one prospect per team, to keep it fresh. Harrison Jr. would instantly be the alpha in an offense that lacks much firepower. Trey McBride is the only name that could provide legit target competition, but he’s a tight end. With Hollywood Brown set to hit free agency, the only receiver on the team worth noting is Michael Wilson, and he definitely won’t be a threat to MHJ. Arizona actually looked good on offense with Kyler last year, ranking 9th in EPA/play in Weeks 10-18 (see image below). I expect them to ride that momentum into 2024, and Harrison Jr. should be a huge beneficiary of that. Kyler has a history of supporting strong fantasy WR seasons (Deandre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Christian Kirk). MHJ would instantly challenge to be a top 12 fantasy WR next season in Arizona.
Malik Nabers: Chargers
Nabers is being mocked to the Chargers a lot, and it makes sense. Keenan Allen will be 32 years old next season. Mike Williams is coming off another big injury, and Quentin Johnston looks like a huge bust. New head coach Jim Harbaugh should help Justin Herbert and get him an elite weapon. When you dive into the roster, Nabers shouldn’t have too much target competition. With Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett set to hit free agency, Nabers would instantly be the 3rd best option behind Allen and Williams. However, don’t be surprised if LA decides to part ways with Big Mike. Cutting him would save the team $20 million in cap space. He’s coming off that ACL tear, and I think cutting him would make a lot of sense. If that happened and the Chargers took Nabers, the sky is the limit. Check out Alex Johnson‘s profile on Nabers here!
Rome Odunze: Jets
I realize that many people expect the Giants to grab Odunze, what if he went to the other New York team? The Jets will probably prioritize the offensive line at 11, but what if they wanted to give Aaron Rodgers an elite weapon? Odunze could do amazing things with Rodgers at QB. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall would be his only competitors for usage, and his downfield skillset would complement Wilson. For Odunze’s sake, I pray he doesn’t get drafted by the Giants or Titans before the Jets pick. Brett Kollmann made a great video on Odunze, and he articulates his thoughts better than I could.
Brian Thomas Jr: Jaguars
The Calvin Ridley experiment didn’t quite work out in Jacksonville, and it doesn’t look like he will return next year. That leaves a lot of targets to be soaked up by somebody, and Thomas Jr. looks like a great fit. At 6’5” and 198 lbs, he is an athletic freak. Last year at LSU, he consistently made contested catches and hauled in 17 touchdowns. Jacksonville doesn’t really have a big-bodied weapon for Trevor Lawrence to throw to, and I could see them snagging Thomas Jr. at 17. He’d be battling Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram for snaps. All of them have shown who they are at this point, and probably aren’t going to get any better. Thomas Jr should be in line to start as the WR2 opposite of Kirk, with the potential to be the WR1 later in the season.
Xavier Worthy: Bills
I almost picked the Cowboys here, but fewer mouths to feed in Buffalo was the ultimate decider. The Bills desperately need a playmaker for Josh Allen. Stefon Diggs’ play declined as the 2023 season went on, and Gabe Davis looks like he’s done in Buffalo. Khalil Shakir is a replacement-level player. Josh Allen is a top-2 quarterback, and Worthy would benefit greatly from that talent. Diggs and tight end Dalton Kincaid would still likely be the top options in the passing game, but Worthy should slot in as #3 on the totem pole. Worthy isn’t a big-bodied red zone threat, but his blazing speed and ability to create big plays (as noted by Alex here) will translate well to the NFL, especially with Josh Allen as his QB. If you want to learn more about Worthy, our team also put out a video about the speedster.
Adonai Mitchell: Chiefs
The Chiefs may have won the Super Bowl, but it definitely wasn’t because of their wide receiver talent. We know what the deal is with KC. Travis Kelce is 34 years old, and Rashee Rice is the only receiver on the team worth a roster spot, in my opinion. Giving the Chiefs Mitchell could spell doom for the rest of the league. Mitchell is a bit raw and lacks the elite production that some of the other prospects have. However, he makes up for that with high-end athleticism and clutch factor. As Alex talks about in his dynasty profile, Mitchell would be best deployed as a Z-receiver. The Chiefs have a big need there, so the fit would make sense.
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