The NFL Season is right around the corner, which means it is Fantasy Football season. Of course, everyone wants to know who I should draft and who the sleepers are. There are very few true hidden gems. But we think some guys can break out of and outperform their current average draft position (ADP). I will discuss 12 fantasy football sleepers for the 2024 NFL season in this article.
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2024 Fantasy Football Draft Advice: Rookie Draft Targets
The NFL Season is one week away and your fantasy football drafts are this weekend. Here is some 2024 fantasy football advice, specifically rookie draft targets. Normally it is the Rookie Running Backs that are the star of the show. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers are going very early in your drafts. We have a few other rookies, but there are not as many obvious selections this year.
There are a few Running Backs that are being drafted in the middle rounds right now. Jonathan Brooks in the 5th and Trey Benson in the 6th or 7th. The other Running Backs are being drafted very late. We have a few other wide receivers in the late rounds, but not early. Brock Bowers is being drafted as a top-10 tight end as well. Sam LaPorta and Dalton Kincaid have created some hope for the Rookie Tight End position. Here are my favorite Rookie Draft Targets.
QB, Jayden Daniels – Washington Commanders
Right now Daniels is going in the 9th or 10th round of your fantasy football drafts. For all of the same reasons you are drafting Anthony Richardson in the 5th, you should like Daniels. I would prefer him over Richardson at his current cost. Kliff Kingsbury helped Kyler Murray record a top-10 fantasy football season as a Rookie. The situation was not much different in Arizona at the time.
Daniels ability to push the ball down the field as a passer adds to his rushing upside. He has game breaking ability on the ground and everything you want from a fantasy football quarterback. Not only that, he is a polished passer who progressed each year. Daniels has top-5 fantasy football upside and you are getting him at a great value.
QB, Caleb Williams – Chicago Bears
Any time you have options this good at the wide receiver position, the Quarterback benefits. It’s hard to look at the situation and not be interested in Caleb Williams. Add in the scrambling ability and his aggressiveness downfield, this could be a very good Rookie year. There really isn’t a Quarterback drafted #1 overall dropped into a situation like this in recent memory. He could break a lot of Rookie records, even if he has some Rookie turnovers and woes.
Williams is not a Jayden Daniels type of rusher, but he can extend plays and scramble. He is a prototype for today’s NFL with his ability to create off schedule with his legs and use different arm angles. Caleb has a strong arm and a sturdy frame. Right now all three of his wide receivers are being drafted inside the top 36 at the position. Expect him to be a top-15 quarterback weekly with a handful of top-12 games like C.J. Stroud in 2023.
Rookie QB Sleeper: QB, Drake Maye – New England Patriots
RB, Trey Benson – Arizona Cardinals
I wish Trey was a little less obvious and the cost wasn’t as high as it is. Right now he is being drafted in the 8th or 9th round of your drafts. The problem is that James Conner sits in front of him. It would take a trade or an injury to get Benson the type of playing time he probably needs. The good part is that both of those things could very well be a possibility.
If James Conner was out of the picture, Trey Benson would firmly be inside the top-15 running backs and that is what you are paying for. Yes, RB30 for a backup is tough, but he is one play away from a big opportunity. Benson is one of the top rushers from this class, but his ability as a pass catcher is what makes him so exciting. He is the type of player that can win you the league. Don’t play for second place. If you want an upside pick for your bench, Trey Benson!
RB, Jonathan Brooks – Carolina Panthers
Jonathan Brooks was the consensus #1 Running Back in the NFL Draft and he was drafted first. He also went to a great landing spot with Dave Canales who helped Rachaad White to a top-5 fantasy football finish. But, Brooks is coming off of an ACL injury and starting the season the Injured Reserve. The hope is that he comes back and takes over the backfield. The optimism is high and he is being drafted in the 5th round.
But, him landing on the Injured Reserve should help lower the cost. If you can get him in the 7th or 8th to pair with Chuba Hubbard in the 9th or 10, do it. There is a chance Hubbard is the guy the first half of the year and Brooks is the guy the second half. Carolina needs picks, they could even trade Hubbard off at the deadline. Brooks is a guy that could end up being one of the top fantasy backs during the fantasy playoffs if you can be patient.
RB, Jaylen Wright – Miami Dolphins
We have become accustomed to rookie running backs impacting fantasy year one. Usually, one or two guys are drafted early. This year is different, even with Jonathan Brooks being drafted in the fifth.
The team is reporting they will play it safe, and he might not play until Week 4 or 5. So, who would be next after Brooks? Trey Benson, MarShawn Lloyd, and Blake Corum are the three next most likely candidates.
They are just one injury away from being top-20 RBs, and all should be on your radar. A little deeper, you can find Jaylen Wright. If you want Miami Dolphins running backs, this guy has multiple paths to success.
Achane and Mostert will split the duties, but if either went down, we would see Wright. He has a similar build to Mostert and is a bigger back, but he has the blazing speed that they love in this offense.
Rookie RB Sleepers: Kimani Vidal – Los Angeles Chargers, Blake Corum – Los Angeles Chargers
WR, Marvin Harrison Jr. – Arizona Cardinals
This class is stacked with three wide receivers that could be the top guy in any draft class. Marvin Harrison Jr. was so good that he was taken before Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. He has the prototypical size and a freakish combination of athleticism with it. He is a polished route-runner and plays outside. The NFL has been waiting patiently for him and he ended up going to a perfect spot.
Maserati Marv lands in Arizona with an established Quarterback, Kyler Murray. He is the clear-cut top target on the team and will benefit from a huge target share. Harrison Jr. is being drafted as a top-10 fantasy football wide receiver already. Expectations are deservingly high, don’t be surprised if he surpasses them.
WR, Malik Nabers – New York Giants
Volume is king and Malik Nabers is going to have an enormous target share. This year the Giants will trot out a combination of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito. This should not excite you and fortunately is baked into the cost. Nabers is an ultra talented playmaker that is a natural separator. He also can make big play on his own with his tackle breaking ability and yards after the catch.
We have continued to see Rookie Wide Receivers be more successful early, Nabers is worth the draft cost. He is the #1 Wide Receiver on the team already and will benefit from garbage time. Hopefully for Giants fans that he can lift up Daniel Jones and the other pieces of this offense. But, don’t let this Giants offense scare you off of Malik Nabers.
WR, Ja’Lynn Polk – New England Patriots
According to the ADP, Ja’Lynn Polk is the cheapest #1WR in the NFL. He is being drafted around most teams’ third wide receivers at pick 181 (WR67). The Patriots’ offense projects to be really bad, and Drake Maye’s reports have not been very positive.
The team brought over Jacoby Brissett, who played with Offensive Coordinator Alex Van Pelt last season. We saw Brissett be successful with Amari Cooper, and he has fed fantasy wide receivers in the past.
Polk is an outside wide receiver offering some inside flexibility and big-play speed. This offense will likely be playing from behind a lot, and garbage time points count the same for fantasy football. Volume is king, especially if you play in full point-per-reception leagues.
A lot of leagues are moving towards three wide receiver formats as well. Don’t be afraid to draft rookie wide receivers anymore. Here is one with a clear path to opportunity.
Rookie WR Sleepers: Jermaine Burton – Cincinnatti Bengals, Keon Coleman – Buffalo Bills
TE, Brock Bowers – Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders shocked everyone when they ended up taking Brock Bowers. Not because of Bowers, but because they had other needs. Their explanation, we took the best player available. Bowers reportedly was as high as top-5 on draft boards and the Raiders got him at pick 13. He is the most decorated Rookie Tight End prospect to ever come out and his ability as a receiver screams fantasy football.
The team drafted Michael Mayer last year, but Bower is a different type of player. Mayer is a great tight end, but is more of your traditional in-line blocking tight end. Bowers is a player maker and compares more like an Evan Engram with his playing style. The Raiders may not have needed a tight end, but they need a playmaker. They got one and you should feel confident in drafting Brock Bowers where he is being drafted.
TE, Ben Sinnott – Washington Commanders
This could be considered a sleeper pick, Sinnott is going undrafted. Normally, we don’t draft Rookie tight ends, but that is changing, too. Last year, multiple tight ends became fantasy-relevant early. Sinnott has no clear path to success, but that could change.
Zach Ertz is the starter, but he has slowed down quite a bit over the last few seasons. The team just traded Jahan Dotson, and there are questions about who will be the second leading target on the team. Sinnott is an extremely athletic tight end that can be used in multiple ways.
Also, we expect a ton of pass volume on a team that should have a fast-paced offense and bad defense. Sinnott is a rookie fantasy football sleeper you can get with your last pick.
Sleeper: Ja’Tavion Sanders – Carolina Panthers
