Fantasy Football Rookies: Jaylen Wright, Kimani Vidal, Jermaine Burton (2024)

Rookies are one of the last remaining edges to exploit in all of your drafts in 2024. ADPs lag. Upside is hard to contextualize for some, and plenty of people will shy away from drafting them because “they haven’t seen them produce yet.” Not me. Give me all the late-season rookie hammers I can get ahold of, especially the undervalued one. These are my favorite undervalued rookies to target in fantasy football in 2024.

DBro’s Undervalued Rookies to Target in 2024

Jaylen Wright (RB – MIA) – RB55

Wright got decent draft capital (fourth-round) in the NFL Draft, but he landed in a nightmare situation. Raheem Mostert is coming off arguably the best season of his career, and De’Von Achane is one of the league’s most explosive rushers. Wright looks to be on the outside looking in for rushing volume right now, but it only takes one injury to change that. Mostert and Achane haven’t exactly been pictures of health in the NFL. Wright is the perfect late-round high-upside draft pick to covet this year. The talented rookie, who ranked fifth in yards after contact per attempt and 13th in elusive rating (per PFF), is only one domino’s fall away from consistent RB2/3 production this year.

Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC) – RB70

Vidal might have tumbled down the NFL draft board, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that he lacks the talent profile to take over the Bolts’ backfield. His competition (Gus Edwards & J.K. Dobbins) isn’t exactly overwhelming. Last year, Vidal ranked 21st in PFF’s elusive rating while proving that he can handle volume with at least 23 carries in 57% of his games. With Greg Roman at the controls, there will be plenty of rushing volume to chew on, even if he doesn’t claim the workhorse role. From 2019-2022 with Baltimore, Roman coordinated an offense that ranked first in neutral rushing rate. Vidal could be a flex play in Week 1 with the upside to grow into more (RB2) as the season moves along.

Jermaine Burton (WR – CIN) – WR77

Burton has a clear path to volume behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He should be starting three-wide sets from Day 1. Tyler Boyd has been a descending player for the last few seasons, and even as the team’s third wheel, he drew between 83 and 98 targets per season. Burton could push for 100-plus in his rookie season. The passing volume should be there, as Cincinnati was third in neutral passing rate last year when Joe Burrow was healthy and looking like his usual self. Off-the-field issues are the only reason that Burton was available when the Bengals selected him in the NFL Draft. Based on talent alone, he should have been at least a second-round pick and could have honestly pushed for a first-round selection. In his final season at Alabama, Burton was in the 90th percentile against single coverage and 82nd percentile in YPRR. If Tee Higgins gets moved prior to Week 1 or holds out, Burton’s stock will soar through the roof.