Rookies You NEED To Draft In 2024 Fantasy Football

Must Draft Rookies In 2024 Fantasy Football

Rookies are one of the funnest parts of fantasy football. They can give is a huge edge if we know the right ones to draft. And since I spent most of the offseason in the weeds scouting this 2024 rookie class, I feel like I have an upper hand on my league mates when determining which of these incoming prospects are worth investing into in seasonal leagues. I decided it would be helpful to share with you the top-7 rookies I’m targeting in my 2024 fantasy football leagues. Let’s start with the studs.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals

Marvin Harrison Jr is about as close to a “can’t miss prospect” as it gets. This is a guy who’s coming off a 1,200-yard, 15 touchdown season at Ohio State. He became the first wide receiver in Ohio State history to record multiple career 1,000-yard seasons. He’s a Biletnikoff Award winner, a two-time unanimous first-team All-American, and a Heisman Trophy finalist. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s the son of a hall of fame wide receiver.

The Cardinals thought highly enough of him to draft him No. 5 overall and immediately install him as the focal point of the offense. All indications out of offseason activities and training camp are that Harrison is everything he’s been hyped up to be.

Harrison fits the mold of a prototypical alpha X-wide receiver and that’s exactly the role he will play in Arizona. He’s an exceptional route-runner who commands targets and has the versatility to line up in multiple positions across the formation. He is going to be a big-bodied playmaker and the No. 1 target for quarterback Kyler Murray. Harrison will immediately command a high volume of targets as a rookie with little competition within the offense. He will thrive along the boundary and in the red zone where he will take full advantage of his incredible ability to contort his body and come down with just about everything thrown his way.

His ADP is right at the 1 / 2 turn on most platforms. It’s a high cost to pay for a rookie, but it’s warranted. He compares favorably to AJ Green and Justin Jefferson—both of which had incredible rookie seasons and it’s likely we see something similar from Harrison in 2024. 

Malik Nabers, WR, Giants 

The Giants drafted Malik Nabers No. 6 overall with the intention of making him their WR1 right away. That seems to be going according to plan so far as the former LSU star has been lighting up training camp. Nabers has been making highlight reel catches on a daily basis. He’s established himself as the alpha in the offense ahead of guys like Darius Slayton, Jaylin Hyatt, Isaiah Hodgins, and Wan’Dale Robinson.

And sure, it’s still Daniel Jones at quarterback. Of course it would have been nice to see Nabers paired with a better quarterback, but the target volume is going to be very high. Jones is going to funnel passes in Nabers’ direction. Even if they aren’t always the most accurate, the sheer volume of targets will be enough for him to be a guy we want to start on a weekly basis in fantasy football. He will get the most out of every catch, too. He is incredible with the ball in his hands, meaning he will always be gaining additional yardage and the team is surely going to feed him high-percentage manufactured touches like screens and jet sweeps as well. 

Nabers was wildly productive over the last two years at LSU. He had more than 70 catches and 1,000 yards as a sophomore. Then followed that up with 89 for 1,569 and 14 touchdowns in 2023. His game is already translating so well to the NFL level. He’s a great route runner who has the versatility to line up in the X, Z, and slot positions. His speed allows him to create separation down the field on posts, go’s, and slot fades, but he can also dial it back to win in the short and intermediate areas of the field as well. 

Nabers is in line for a 150 target rookie season and is likely going to be a top-15 scorer in fantasy football. A Ja’Marr Chase-like rookie campaign is absolutely in the range of outcomes. Think of Nabers as CeeDee Lamb with Daniel Jones at quarterback. You’re not drafting him top-5, but he’s still locked-and-loaded for a big season.

Rome Odunze, WR, Bears

When Rome Odunze was drafted No. 9 overall by the Bears—and ever since—the overall consensus from the fantasy football community was that he is going to be this year’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Meaning he will be stuck behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen as the WR3, get few targets, and be almost irrelevant for fantasy. However, that is not my read on the situation, especially after how well he has performed in training camp. Odunze has been everything you would expect out of a top-10 wide receiver. He’s been making just as many highlight plays as Marvin Harrison Jr and Malik Nabers. His connection with quarterback Caleb Williams has been obvious. Remember, Williams and Odunze were spending time together prior to either of them being drafted by the Bears. It was clear they wanted to play together in the NFL and now it’s happening.

Odunze was a dominant wide receiver in college. He caught more than 200 passes for 3,000 yards and scored 26 touchdowns over his last three seasons at Washington. He checks all the boxes from size, play strength, and athleticism, to route running and football IQ. He’s a prototypical alpha x-wide receiver who has the versatility to line up anywhere in the formation. Odunze could defy the skeptics and start in two-receiver sets in Chicago. If that happens, it is full-go for fantasy football. He will dominate down the field, along the boundary, and be a red zone monster.

But what about Keenan Allen? Allen is great. He proved last year he absolutely can still play the wide receiver position at a high level. However, I expect he will be mostly contained to the slot, occasionally rotating into two-receiver sets with Odunze. But Allen is into his 30s and certainly nowhere near the explosive playmaker that Odunze is. And even if Odunze isn’t commanding 150 targets, he can do a lot with the opportunities he does get. Going back to the JSN comparisons, Odunze is a completely different player. He will be targeted down the field, in the red zone, and will eat up yards after the catch. JSN is more of a slot guy who works close to the line of scrimmage and doesn’t receive the high-value targets that Odunze thrives on.

So in fantasy drafts, I’m betting on the talent. Odunze is an incredible prospect with big-time playmaker written all over him. I’m drafting that guy.

Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs

The Chiefs offense was missing some of the elements that made them so good in the early Patrick Mahomes years. One of those things was speed. But not just guys who can run fast—they had that—but guys who could run fast but were also competent wide receivers. They’re bringing that back in 2024 with the addition of first round wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Worthy was a big time playmaker from day one at Texas. He set freshman records in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. 

He could similarly be an instant impact with the Chiefs. Mahomes and Worthy have been connecting on long passes throughout training camp. They’ve had additional time to build that chemistry with Marquise Brown sidelined with a shoulder injury. Brown could miss the early portion of the regular season as well which would only help Worthy establish himself right away.

While all the rave is about his speed—as it should be, the dude ran the fastest 40 in NFL Combine history (4.21)—but there is so much more to Xavier Worthy’s game. He’s a dynamic route runner who can win on all three levels. He has the versatility to line up in different positions across the formation which will allow the Chiefs to fully maximize his role and find matchup advantages. He will be used all over the field and will especially thrive on crossing routes in this offense.  Worthy may not be a consistent volume commander but he will absolutely have those week-winning performances that can make a huge difference in fantasy football. 

Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders

Jayden Daniels is officially the Week 1 starter for the Washington Commanders. He’s also officially the most underrated quarterback in fantasy football. Daniels is coming off a heisman trophy winning season after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and scoring 50 total touchdowns at LSU. He also ran for over 1,100 yards. And that’s where his value for us as fantasy gamers comes in. We all know the impact rushing yards and rushing touchdowns have for quarterbacks in fantasy football. I mean, just look at the top quarterbacks by ADP right now. It’s Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes. All four—especially Hurts, Allen, and Lamar—are high level rushers. Even beyond them, we have Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson. The only reason Jayden Daniels isn’t with that group is because he is a rookie. 

And that’s fair. I’m not asking anyone to rank or draft Jayden Daniels among the elite quarterbacks in fantasy. However, Daniels could absolutely have a similar impact. He has the arm to make all the throws and he will utilize his legs a ton as he adapts to the NFL game. Think about it. He’s a rookie quarterback who isn’t yet fully acclimated to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses. So what’s he going to do when he gets in trouble? He’s going to lean on his instincts and athleticism and pull the ball down and run. That immediately gives him a high floor for fantasy purposes. So even if he experiences some rookie growing pains, he will still be a quality fantasy asset. 

Where the ceiling comes in, though, is if he hits as a passer.  And that’s totally possible. He certainly has the arm talent and the weapons to make it happen. So if everything hits, Jayden Daniels could have an RGIII-like rookie season and set the fantasy world on fire.

More: Dark Horse Candidates To Be QB1 Overall 

Blake Corum, RB, Rams

Whether you are team Kyren Williams or team Blake Corum, you have to acknowledge the value that Corum carries in 2024. If Williams is everything that his fans believe he is and performs similarly to last season, that means Blake Corum is going to be one of the few elite handcuff running backs in fantasy football. If anything were to happen to Williams—and he did deal with multiple injuries last season and is an undersized running back—then Corum instantly becomes an RB1 in fantasy. He would immediately slide into the bellcow role that Williams held a year ago, earning high volume and high value touches with big time touchdown upside.

But then if we let our imaginations wander a little bit and imagine a world where the coaches realize that Corum is just simply a better running back than Williams, we get the same result. Remember, Corum was wildly productive at Michigan. He was a Heisman trophy candidate in 2022. Then he set the school single-season rushing touchdown record in 2023. He’s also the school’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns (58), total touchdowns (61), and most points scored in a career (356).

His profile gives us all the confidence that if/when given his opportunity, he is going to seize it to the max. Whenever that happens, he is not going to allow Williams to take the job back. Corum is bigger, stronger, and more athletic than Williams. He runs hard, he’s more durable, and he’s better in pass protection. The coaches are going to love his game and it will be impossible to keep him off the field. It may be a slow start, but by season’s end, Blake Corum could be the reason you win your fantasy football championship.

Trey Benson, RB, Cardinals

Like Blake Corum, Trey Benson is among the top handcuff running backs in fantasy football. He has league-winner upside if anything happens to James Conner. And given Conner’s injury history, it’s almost certain that Benson is going to be starting games at some point in 2024. Whenever that happens, he will instantly be starting in fantasy lineups as an RB2 with RB1 upside. He will have the benefit of playing in one of the NFL’s top-10 offenses with explosive players at every level. It will be impossible for defenses to key in on the running game when you have Marvin Harrison Jr out wide, Trey McBride dominating the middle of the field, and Kyler Murray’s threat to pick up chunk gains with his legs. 

Benson brings an explosive element that Conner lacks. At 216 lbs, Benson has 4.39 speed, a ton of burst, and is incredibly elusive in the open field. He runs with violence and aggression and is difficult to take down with simple arm tackles, especially once he gets a head of steam. I have no doubt he is going to rip off several long runs this season. He’s a big play just waiting to happen. He’s a natural in the receiving game as well which will help him carve out a three-down role and maximize his upside whenever his time comes. Take Benson at the end of your draft, practice patience, and enjoy the boom weeks when he gets his shot. He will be that late round gem that comes on strong in the second half of the season and pushes your team to the finish line. 

Honorable Mentions 

Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jaguars

Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins

Caleb Williams, QB, Bears

Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers