2024 NFL Draft: Fantasy Winners and Losers

2024 NFL Draft: Fantasy Winners and Losers

Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft is over, and we have some fantasy fallout. Every pick changes the value of that player and has a ripple effect on other players. Recently we have seen more fantasy football success for rookies. Last year, we saw Sam LaPorta finish at the top tight end in the class. We had top fantasy options at each position last year. We had 13 fantasy assets drafted in the first round. Let’s talk about the 2024 NFL Draft fantasy winners and losers thus far.

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2024 NFL Draft: Fantasy Winners and Losers

QB – Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Grade: A+

If there was any doubt before, there is no doubt anymore. Caleb Williams is the absolute 1.01 in your Superflex rookie drafts. Chicago has done a nice job setting him up for success. Williams has a great skillset for fantasy. He is not a traditional pocket passer, but his rushing ability will add to his fantasy value. Going to a situation where he has D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Keenan Allen is a dream.

QB – Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Grade: A+

This is a great fit for Jayden Daniels, who will start Day 1. We will see a similar offense to what we saw in Arizona with Kyler Murray. They have similar skill sets, and Daniels’ has a nice set of weapons. Hopefully, they use some of these Day 2 picks to get him some offensive line help, but I love the weapons.

Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson should thrive under Anthony Lynn and Kliff Kingsbury. They have Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, and Zach Ertz on top of anyone they pick up the rest of the draft. Daniels is a really exciting fantasy prospect. At one point you could have probably made an argument for him vs. Williams. But, right now, he is the 1.02, and I think he will be an instant producer for fantasy.

QB – Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Grade: C+

The plus side is the draft capital. Maye didn’t fall in the draft like Will Levis, and the rumors are that he was heavily sought after. All of those are good things. The NFL really likes this guy. This should give you some confidence in his ability and his upside.

But, here is the downside. New England’s roster is really, really bad. Maye struggled last year when he lost key pieces, and we saw some regression. This team needs help on the offensive line and has a terrible set of weapons. I could see Maye falling back to the QB4 and struggling to produce for fantasy early in his career.

WR – Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals

Grade: A+

This was the chalkiest of picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, and it’s a great one. Harrison was the best player on the Cardinals’ board, and he fits a huge need for them. This is a win-win for the Cardinals and for Harrison Jr. For fantasy, pairing him with Kyler Murray was an ideal scenario.

We have seen Kyler Murray feed a top fantasy wide receiver already. He can do it again. Harrison Jr. steps in as the #1 on this offense right away and will get plenty of volume. Home run pick and would be my 1.03 in Superflex rookie mock drafts. He has always been and is now officially the 1.01 in one quarterback rookie drafts.

WR – Malik Nabers, New York Giants

Grade: B

This is not the best case scenario for Malik Nabers. We have never seen Daniel Jones throw for more than 15 touchdowns. He may have to wait for the Giants to get a new quarterback for us to see his true potential. But it’s not all bad. We have seen great players produce with less-than-ideal quarterback situations. Odell Beckham Jr. was pretty good in New York, with Eli Manning in the later stages of his career.

Garrett Wilson, George Pickens, and plenty of wide receivers were good in spite of their situation. The positive is that Nabers is the #1 option right away, and he will get plenty of volume. He is a super-talented player that you do not want to be short-sighted on in a dynasty. For 2024, the ceiling is probably not there. But this is a very talented player who should have a bright future in the NFL.

QB – Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

Grade: F

The draft was pretty chalky until pick 7, and then it got weird. Latham going at 7 may or may not have shocked you. But Michael Penix going at 8 was the shocker of the 2024 NFL Draft. This is the pick everyone is talking about. Atlanta Falcons fans are in shambles right now.

The team invested $100 million guaranteed for Kirk Cousins and then drafted a 24-year-old Rookie quarterback at pick 8. If there was a position to invest heavily in, it was quarterback. Penix could be great and on the Jordan Love route for success. But this is not ideal for his short-term, and that hurts his dynasty value, too.

QB – J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Grade: A+

Last year, we saw a masterclass by the Minnesota Vikings staff, winning games with anyone at quarterback. They traded for Joshua Dobbs, and two weeks later, they are on a winning streak with him. They even won games with Nick Mullens. We expected them to trade up for Maye, Daniels, or even McCarthy.

They got McCarthy and traded up, but it was a cheap trade-up by moving up just 1 pick. This was the best possible case for J.J. McCarthy. He has elite playmakers, a phenomenal play-caller, and a solid offensive line. Sam Darnold may start a few games this year, but McCarthy, at 21, is set up for success.

QB – Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Grade: B+

The Denver Broncos and Sean Payton don’t get a B+ for taking Bo Nix this year. But this is great for Nix and his 2024 NFL Draft stock. He gets high draft capital and a clear path to starting.

Nix is a highly experienced player who had a career year. He should be able to start early, and this was definitely a plus landing spot for him. Denver’s offense was much improved last year under Payton. We will see if they add more weapons this offseason.

TE – Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Grade: A

This was a bit of a shocker, but I really like the pick. Gardner Minshew is likely the starter there for the short term, and he was a capable fantasy producer last year. Bowers is an elite prospect, and we knew he wouldn’t last that long. He went a little later because six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks!

I know they have Michael Mayer, but that was a different regime who drafted him and they are different players. Bowers and Mayer complement each other really well. Bowers could be the #2 option in targets as early as this season.

WR – Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Grade: B+

I love this pick, and this was a very commonly mocked scenario. The Jaguars had to pivot after not getting Calvin Ridley this offseason. The Jaguars have some high-priced options right now with free agent additions Evan Engram, Christian Kirk, and Gabe Davis. He brings a different element to this offense, and all of this is great news for Trevor Lawrence. Thomas Jr. should have instant fantasy success and will stay as a top-five rookie WR option.

WR – Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

Grade: A

If there is any team that can bring out the upside in Worthy, it’s the Chiefs. We saw what they turned Tyreek Hill into. Worthy not only got the first-round draft capital but an ideal landing spot. He was drafted higher than Rashee Rice and Skyy Moore and brings a different element to the team.

The fastest man in the 2024 NFL Draft ends up on the Chiefs. The rich get richer. Some will point quickly to John Ross. Others will remind us of Devonta Smith, Tank Dell, and Josh Downs. The NFL has changed a lot, and smaller players are continuing to be great fantasy options,

WR – Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers

Grade: B+

We still don’t know if the San Francisco 49ers will trade Brandon Aiyuk. If they do, this turns into an A+ for Pearsall. Not only did he get better draft capital than we thought, but the opportunities could increase—a really fun player who should produce early as a polished route-runner. Pearsall is a very interesting player that has inside/outside flexibility.

They used him in Florida a lot in the jet sweep game and out in space. He is one of the better route runners in the draft class. He is a shocker of the 2024 NFL Draft for casual fans. But we saw several NFL players, including C.J. Stroud, love the pick.

WR – Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers

Grade: B

Legette is a polarizing prospect, but he snuck into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Carolina traded up one spot to get him. He came out of nowhere in 2023 and had a breakout season. An older prospect with a late breakout age is not a great sign for success.

But Carolina is obviously confident in his ability and that he wasn’t going to be available when they picked today. A winner is Bryce Young, who has now gotten Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette. Expect a lineman today.

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