After months of speculation surrounding the NFL Draft, we can now start months of speculation about how the 2024 fantasy football season will play out. As always in the shadow of the draft there are reasons to be hopeful for some rookies and less so for others. This list will highlight the best landing spots for rookies in fantasy football.
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
- NFL Draft Grades: Day 1 | Day 2
NFL Draft Best Landing Spots
QB Jayden Daniels to the Washington Commanders
Despite the tension surrounding Top Golf-gate, Jayden Daniels landed in Washington as the number two overall pick and sounded pretty happy about it in his post-draft interviews. Daniels threw for 3,811 yards and 40 touchdowns in his final season at LSU, while also rushing for 1,250 yards and 10 touchdowns, putting up one of the truly great college seasons we’ve seen. Daniels lands in Washington with Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Luke McCaffrey, Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott ready to make his life easier.
Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury might have lost some of his shine after a poor end to his time in Arizona, but he knows how to utilize dual-threat quarterbacks. Daniels has players adept at helping him near the line of scrimmage and downfield, as well as knowing he can rely on his legs when necessary. There may still be questions about Daniels’ propensity to take big hits, but he couldn’t have wished for a much better landing spot. The ceiling is the roof.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals needed wide receiver help after they let Marquise Brown move on. Marvin Harrison is the clear No. 1 WR well ahead of Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch, ready to forge an instant connection with Kyler Murray. Trey McBride will be Harrison’s main competition for touches. That is no reason to be down on either player, with plenty of offenses sustaining multiple pass-catchers, particularly those with questionable defenses like Arizona. Bad defensive play forces the offense into more pass-heavy scripts, which is perfect for fantasy football. With Murray healthy this offseason for the first time under this regime, he should be able to make a return to the days when he was an excellent fantasy asset, particularly now that he has a receiver who put up over 2,400 yards and 28 touchdowns in his final two seasons with Ohio State.
QB J.J. McCarthy to the Minnesota Vikings
It always felt like the steam around J.J. McCarthy might have been getting a little out of hand, but being picked behind Michael Penix was certainly not expected. Despite this, McCarthy arguably landed in one of the best spots for a rookie quarterback with an offensive line that ranked 12th-best in 2023, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), and surrounded with weapons such as Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson. Compare that to the landing spot for Drake Maye in New England and the differences are vast and obvious.
McCarthy never passed for more than 3,000 yards in college as the Michigan scheme dictated a run-heavy approach and their defense kept scores down preventing the offense from being too pass-heavy. That doesn’t mean McCarthy can’t play in that kind of environment. He was viewed as the perfect quarterback for a Shanahan-type scheme, and that’s the situation he landed in. With little rushing production he’ll rarely challenge the top-end quarterbacks, but he has the potential to be a weekly low-end QB1 and an every-week starter in Superflex leagues.
WR Brian Thomas Jr. to the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have been scrambling ever since free agency to find a replacement for Calvin Ridley after assuming he was returning to Duval County, only to be usurped by the Titans who swooped in with a massive offer. Reports suggested Jacksonville had conversations during the draft with the 49ers about a potential Brandon Aiyuk trade but nothing came of it. Brian Thomas Jr. slid slightly further down draft boards than some might have expected, with reports about some teams being mixed on his health, due to a torn labrum. Many medical experts suggest Thomas Jr. can play through that injury and should be fine for the 2024 season.
Ridley left behind 136 targets. While some may argue targets are earned rather than designated, it’s undeniable there is a large gap and a role for Thomas Jr. to fill. He shined at LSU, winning with both size and speed as he put up 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns in his final campaign. The Jaguars badly need a dominant wide receiver to round out their group and Thomas Jr. can be that guy. The AFC South looks like a feisty division in 2024. Hopefully, that brings with it plenty of shootouts and fantasy points.
WR Xavier Legette to the Carolina Panthers
Nobody expects the Carolina Panthers to turn into the 2023 Houston Texans but the Panthers have already made massive upgrades to a barren wide receiver room by adding Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette. Bryce Young had zero help in 2023 outside of Adam Thielen, who faded fast after averaging 21.1 points per game over the first six weeks, averaging 10.1 points over the rest of the season.
Legette will have to earn his role against more established veterans, but he has the opportunity and draft capital invested to assure us he’ll have a chance. Legette wasn’t the most polished player coming out of college after five seasons, but he put up 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season. Only Adam Thielen had over 480 receiving yards. Legette might not be an every-week starter in redraft, but he’s worth a pick in dynasty leagues and a speculative stack in best ball.
WR Ladd McConkey to the L.A Chargers
The Chargers were desperate for wide receiver help with no pass-catcher being drafted within the first 11 rounds of early best ball, reflecting the lack of faith in Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer and the drastic need for the Chargers to find some help. Ladd McConkey received excellent draft capital with the Chargers trading up several spots to secure him with the second pick of the second round.
McConkey never truly broke out at Georgia with Brock Bowers being the constant focus of the passing game, but that shouldn’t make us overlook a player who has excellent hands, a quick twitch with the ball in his hands and the ability to play inside and out. McConkey should be the clear No. 1 WR within a few weeks of the start of the season. McConkey’s ADP may get out of hand, finishing the best ball pre-draft process at 116, but as long as he’s outside the top 70 he’s a value.
RB Jonathon Brooks to the Carolina Panthers
It wasn’t the biggest position of need for the Panthers, but adding a strong running back will help Bryce Young as defenses are forced to account for the run more often. Jonathon Brooks is recovering from an ACL injury suffered in November, but the good news is it was a clean ACL tear with no further complications. Younger players typically recover better and quicker from this injury. Chuba Hubbard was a serviceable back in 2023, but Brooks’ upside is far greater with true home-run ability when he makes decisive cuts.
WR Jermaine Burton to the Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals took a step closer to life after Tee Higgins by drafting Jermaine Burton with pick 80. Burton can play both outside and in the slot. Despite never hitting 800 yards at Alabama he improved each year and is in an ideal landing spot with Joe Burrow. The Bengals have consistently played heavy amounts of 3-WR sets over the Joe Burrow era. With Tyler Boyd no longer in Cincinnati, there is a hole ready for Burton to fill. It might not be the most fruitful spot for year one, but Burton is worth drafting in dynasty. In best ball, he should be added as a later-round stacking partner for Burrow as the Bengals bounce back with one of the easiest strengths of schedules in the league.
WR Roman Wilson to the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers were crying out for wide receiver help. For a team that consistently hits on wide receiver draft picks, landing Roman Wilson felt like a home run. The former Michigan receiver is an excellent route-runner, has safe hands and is a willing blocker, something Arthur Smith will no doubt approve of. Wilson can excel in the play-action game, another area the Steelers will likely utilize him in often, further emphasizing how much this is a good match. The Steelers might not be the highest-volume passing offense under Arthur Smith’s tutelage but Wilson can excel in PPR formats and as a deeper Flex option.
More Fantasy Football Draft Advice
- Erickson’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Fitz’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- DBro’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
- Hoppen’s Must-Have Best Ball Draft Targets (Premium)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
For more from Tom, check out his archive and follow him @NFL_Tstrack.