Fantasy Football 2024: Top Rookies and Rookie Busts

During the NFL season, many rookies significantly impact their respective teams.

For example, in 2023, CJ Stroud was a top-ten QB. Bijan Robinson and Jamhyr Gibbs were top-ten RBs. Puka Nacua was a top-five wide receiver. Finally, Sam LaPorta was the top tight end in fantasy after an impressive season.

Therefore, there is a lot of potential to get undervalued rookies in the draft who can become league winners.

An image of Sam LaPorta in his Detroit Lions jersey. (Athlete: Sam LaPorta Source: sports.yahoo.com, Photograph by Chris Graythen/Getty Images, Date: December 3, 2023)

Top WR Talent

Excitingly, there was a lot of top talent in the 2024 NFL draft.

ESPN draft analyst, Matt Miller, touted Marvin Harrison Jr. as the best WR prospect since 2010. He also drew comparisons to Randy Moss, Julio Jones, and AJ Green.

Accordingly, he is the consensus number-one rookie in fantasy drafts, with a projected ADP of around 16. Harrison Jr. will likely receive most of Kyler Murray’s targets as the WR1.

However, Trey Mcrbride may hinder Harrison Jr.’s statistics since he is widely regarded as a top-three tight end.

Similarly, Malik Nabers will enter the New York Giants system as the WR1 and the consensus number two rookie in fantasy drafts.

He is a top dynasty draft pick alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. and will be drafted as a lower-tier WR2 with an ADP of around 49. Nabers will receive many targets from Daniel Jones, who could revitalize himself into a top-ten QB.

A picture of Marvin Harrison Jr. in his Ohio State jersey. He was drafted with the number four draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft. (Athlete: Marvin Harrison Jr. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Photograph by Alexander Jonesi, Date: November 19, 2022)

However, after Harrison Jr. and Nabers, fantasy draft rankings are conflicted on the best rookies, considering the top QBs, RBs, WRs, and TEs from the loaded 2024 draft.

Rookie TE Bust Alert

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, Brock Bowers was the best prospect since Kyle Pitts.

Unluckily, he was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders, who already have Michael Mayer, a top tight end prospect from the 2023 draft who only had 40 targets in his rookie year. The team also has Davante Adams, who will take targets from Mayer and Bowers.

The Raiders also have a troubling quarterback situation, with second-year Aidan O’Connell ranking 32nd in catchable pass rate, worsening the situation for Bowers.

Overall, his ADP at 96.6 makes him an overpay unless he can prove he will receive most of O’Connell’s targets.

An image of Brock Bowers, the 13th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, at the 2024 Las Vegas Training  Camp. (Athlete: Brock Bowers, Source: outkick.com, Photograph by Ric Tapia/Getty Images Date: July 26, 2024)

Rookie RB Bust Alert

Contrastingly, the 2024 NFL draft did not have top RB talent like in 2023, which saw two RBs go in the top 12.

Instead, it took until the second round that we saw the first RB go off the draft board: Jonathan Brooks. After a torn ACL injury that cut his 2023 season short, Brooks entered the draft as a steal who could compete for an RB1 spot.

However, Chuba Hubbard remains as the RB1 for the Panthers, so it would be best to conserve a late-round draft pick for Brooks. If Brooks gets injured and Hubbard performs well, he will be a bust for the 2024-2025 NFL season.

2024 NFL Draft Top Rookie and Busts Summary

The 2024 NFL Draft was loaded with offensive talent, boasting three top WRs taken in the top ten picks. Nevertheless, some players may become busts this season: Jonathan Brooks and Brock Bowers.

Unfortunately, these two were drafted into unideal situations, competing for the RB1 position against Chuba Hubbard and the TE1 spot against Michael Mayer.

Ultimately, aspiring Fantasy Football League winners should consider 2024 NFL rookies if they can draft them below their ADP since they can provide serious value. However, they should avoid potential busts or underperforming players.

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