2024 NFL Draft: Rookies Who Landed in the Best Situations for Dynasty Leagues
It was French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte who said: “Ability is of little account without opportunity.” While talent is paramount to succeeding in the NFL, said aptitude is worthless to dynasty managers without getting the chance to be displayed. Of course, the bandwidth of this website is littered with reports of talented newcomers landing in the best situations who were abject failures when the lights came on. Yet, it is crucial to identify those players with the path of least resistance to becoming high-level, immediate contributors to both their real-life and fantasy football franchises.
Marvin Harrison Jr, WR ARI
All Charts courtesy of Sports Reference CFB.
The entire dynasty community let out a collective sigh of relief on Thursday night when the Patriots passed on Marvin Harrison Jr. The cruel irony of such an elite talent trapped in that fantasy purgatory would be a work of true villainy.
Thankfully, Harrison Jr landed in one of the best spots to fulfill his WR1 potential. The former Buckeye immediately becomes the alpha of a lackluster pass-catching group featuring Trey McBride and Michael Wilson. With Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore departing the desert this off-season, Arizona has 217 vacated targets from last season. Expect the number four overall pick to get the ball early and often in this offense.
Finally, Kyler Murray is an astronomical upgrade in quarterback play from the underthrown deep balls Harrison Jr saw in his final season in Columbus. The two-time All-American is the no-doubt 1.01 in single quarterback rookie drafts and shouldn’t last past the top four in superflex formats. In fact, I would draft him ahead of any signal caller not named Caleb Williams at 1.02 in the two-quarterback format unless my dynasty roster was barren at the position.
Caleb Williams, QB CHI
Many times, a quarterback taken with the first overall selection in a draft goes to a team so bereft of talent on offense it’s unfair to expect immediate success. Thanks to the ineptitude of the Carolina Panthers (read: David Tepper) this is not the case for Caleb Williams. The former Heisman winner steps into an offense with veterans DJ Moore and Keenan Allen at wide receiver joined by rookie wideout Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett at tight end, and pass-catching dynamo D’Andre Swift.
There’s no doubt the Bears are all-in on Williams as they shipped Justin Fields to Pittsburgh last month. Another positive development in the Windy City was the signing of Bills center Ryan Bates to anchor a rapidly improving offensive line. David Carr, Bryce Young, and Tim Couch would have loved to play behind this line during their respective rookie campaigns spent on their backs.
The former Trojan has an elite, particular set of skills reminiscent of a certain all-pro quarterback in Kansas City. Williams steps into a situation with the Bears tailor-made for high-level production sooner than later in his inaugural campaign. While Marvin Harrison Jr is a generational talent at wide receiver, I’m taking the new Bears franchise quarterback at 1.01 in superflex leagues unless I’m loaded (and I mean LOADED) at the position. If that is the case, fetch a king’s ransom for the first pick from a league opponent in a crisis at the position.
Ladd McConkey, WR LAC
The dynasty managers of Justin Herbert were frustrated on Thursday night as the Chargers passed on talented LSU wideout Malik Nabers for tackle Joe Alt. Now, this is a sensible, conservative pick from the Walmart khaki king himself Jim Harbaugh. Well, their loss was Ladd McConkey’s gain as he lands in one of the most receiver-needy locker rooms with a Pro Bowl signal caller.
With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams leaving Tinseltown this off-season, the Chargers have the most vacated targets (395) in the entire league. McConkey can truly compete to be the top target in AFC Los Angeles with Quentin Johnson and Joshua Palmer as his competition.
The Georgia product is one of this year’s fastest pre-draft risers. He lacked substantial collegiate production, but impressed NFL scouts and coaches alike during the Senior Bowl and NFL combine by pairing an elite route-running ability with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. Yes, Jim Harbaugh will not be running the Air Raid offense, but he’s smart enough to not waste a special talent like Herbert. McConkey’s ability to get open should earn him the trust of both his coaches and franchise quarterback.
Keon Coleman, WR BUF
While the Bills did not pick in the first round of the draft, Bills Mafia and Josh Allen dynasty managers knew a wide receiver to play on the outside was an immediate need. Enter Keon Coleman. The Florida State and Michigan State product comes to a team with 317 available targets after Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are no longer calling Buffalo home.
While Coleman had an unimpressive 4.61 forty time at the combine, he possesses both the size and explosion to give Allen and the Bills offense the deep threat to replace the departed Diggs. The former Seminole shares an athletic profile with Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson where they both use their frame and vertical abilities to beat defenders despite their lack of top-level speed.
If Coleman is able to quickly earn the trust of his franchise quarterback, he should be a weekly flex play with WR2 upside early this season.
- 2024 NFL Draft: Rookies Who Landed in the Best Situations for Dynasty Leagues - May 1, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football: Targets Acquired - December 8, 2023
- Dynasty Fantasy Football: Targets Acquired - November 17, 2023
