Inside The Dynasty War Room: DLF Reacts to Day Three of the 2024 NFL Draft
What a weekend for dynasty fans – many storylines that will affect dynasty leagues for years to come. The culmination of another draft is here, with the final two data points of landing spots and draft capital confirmed. Attention quickly switches to finalizing rookie rankings and upcoming rookie drafts. With this in mind, it is key to continue digesting information from the draft and set yourself up to succeed in your dynasty leagues.
Day three is extremely important for dynasty roster depth, with the bonus of hitting a superstar every few seasons. The reactions to day one and day two from inside the dynasty war room here at DLF have provided invaluable perspective to take forward. We complete the series with the conclusion of the 2024 NFL Draft.
1) Which rookie drafted on day three had the biggest increase in dynasty value?
Troy Franklin, we’re back baby!! After being left for dead for falling to day three, Franklin resurrected his value by landing with the Broncos to pair with his college QB, Bo Nix. I honestly believe that Franklin is the best receiver on the team right now, and his connection with Nix may give him a very productive rookie season. (Addison Hayes)
When looking at the weekend as a whole, Troy Franklin didn’t increase his dynasty value but landing in Denver at the top of the fourth did a lot to recover the value he lost from his fall. But looking a bit deeper down the board, I really like what happened for Theo Johnson. Not only did he have one of the best relative athletic scores (RAS) of all time for a TE, but he was the fifth tight end off the board and was drafted by a team whose starter, Darren Waller, is openly considering retirement. (Andrew Francesconi)
Several tight ends saw their name called on day three. Among them, I liked how a duo, in particular, slid into their respective teams. Ja’Tavion Sanders (Carolina Panthers) and Theo Johnson (New York Giants) were both taken early in the fourth round and can see a path to relevance, given the lack of quality in the Panthers’ tight end room, and the possible retirement of Darren Waller in big blue. (Eric Flynn)
I agree with Eric in the fact that the tight ends in this rookie class saw some nice day three capital and landing spots to help their dynasty value. Along with Sanders and Johnson going in the fourth round, I really liked Erick All going to the Bengals, Cade Stover going to the Texans and Jared Wiley going to the Chiefs. All five of those tight ends are now worth a late second-round to early fourth-round rookie draft pick for me. I would probably draft them in that order as well: Sanders, Johnson, All, Stover, and Wiley. (Justin Taylor)
An excellent selection by the Giants, taking running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. He’s a strong bet to emerge as the top backup to the soon-to-be 27-year-old Devin Singletary. Tracy Jr is a raw prospect who hasn’t been playing running back for many years, with untapped potential and a strong pass-catching background – feels like a potential duplicate of Antonio Gibson. (Kev White)
2) Which rookie drafted on day three had the biggest decrease in dynasty value?
The Jets started day three in a puzzling way as they drafted Braelon Allen at the end of the fourth round and then turned around and drafted Isaiah Davis out of South Dakota State. One running back going to New York would have been unfortunate, but now it seems like both are going to be sitting behind Breece Hall. Allen has been steadily falling since last summer, but Davis was an intriguing sleeper who seems to have lost all dynasty value with this situation. (Andrew)
A number of running backs will find themselves in tough situations when they get to training camp. Jaylen Wright, Braelon Allen, and Jase McLellan will all wonder what they’ll have to do to get some touches on their respective teams. In particular, I had high hopes for Jaylen Wright, and though it would be the type of team I’d like to see him go to work at, the reality sees De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert garner too many touches for Wright to see relevance. It could be a long wait! (Eric)
Former Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen got an awful landing spot behind Breece Hall with the Jets. But I also think former UNC wide receiver Devontez Walker going to the Baltimore Ravens is not great. I’m not sure how Walker fits in with the Ravens. They just re-signed Rashod Bateman, they took Zay Flowers in the first round last year and still have tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Walker was already dropping in my rankings pre-draft and this landing spot doesn’t help his cause. I won’t be going out of my way to draft Walker in rookie drafts. (Justin)
In my view, Braelon Allen was a prospect who needed the situation to land perfectly in order to be a solid dynasty contributor. After sliding to day three and landing behind the elite Breece Hall, it is extremely difficult to tell a story where he can contribute on any meaningful scale. Allen will struggle to break my top ten in my running back rookie rankings. (Kev)
I still had hopes for Jaylen Wright to end up where he could climb the depth chart or have value from day one. Unfortunately, I just don’t see that happening in Miami behind De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert. Wright might be this year’s Kendre Miller where we’re more excited for him in 2025, but Mostert is still under contract through next season and Achane is just a better running back. I was very disappointed in this landing spot for Wright’s dynasty value. (Addison)
3) Which veteran player had the biggest increase or decrease in dynasty value on day three of the draft?
Somehow, Quentin Johnson will, by default, have to see targets in the Los Angeles Chargers offense. With no more comfort blanket of Keenan Allen, the wide receiver room reads as Josh Palmer, and rookie, Ladd McConkey, outside of Johnson. I do like the pickup of RB, Kimani Vidal, but he can catch only so many balls and the tight end situation isn’t exactly electric. Johnson may have just been given an opportunity to make amends for an underwhelming rookie year. (Eric)
Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White looks to be in a pretty good position following the draft. The Raiders had numerous opportunities to draft some pretty good rookie running backs and instead the only running back they picked was former New Hampshire player Dylan Laube, who is looked at more as a receiving back than anything else. Laube could see some third-down work, but he shouldn’t push White for the starting gig. (Justin)
Like Kyren Williams on day two, Rachaad White owners should have mild concern with the drafting of Bucky Irving – one of the best receiving backs in the class. Any passing usage of note reduces White’s floor and ceiling, as a key contributor to his fantasy production. Marvin Mims owners could be sweating with the addition of Troy Franklin, in particular after reuniting with his college quarterback Bo Nix. (Kev)
Here’s an out-of-left-field name: CeeDee Lamb might be a huge winner from the NFL Draft as a whole. Why you might ask? Well, the Cowboys’ current running back depth chart is Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Royce Freeman. The Cowboys might actually throw the ball 700 times this year and if Lamb’s 29% target share holds from last year, that’s over 200 targets in a season. On a more realistic note: Zamir White has been a massive winner with only Dylan Laube as competition and two offensive linemen drafted on day two. (Addison)
There were quite a few veteran running backs who could have gained some competition this weekend but dodged a bullet. The two that stick out are Isiah Pacheco and Zamir White. Both are destined for huge workloads on the ground and should be high-end RB2s for the 2024 season with little to no competition on the roster behind them. (Andrew)
The addition of Irving should cap Rachaad White’s ceiling in dynasty, where no added competition for Zamir White could result in further growth in his value (Credit: DLF ADP Over Time App)
4) Which player drafted on day three should we keep on our radar in rookie drafts?
As a huge Kimani Vidal fan, I’m ecstatic with the landing spot on the Chargers. The draft capital was expected and his main competition is an injury-prone underachiever in JK Dobbins and a 29-year-old replacement-level talent in Gus Edwards. Vidal has monster upside in a scheme that will heavily utilize multiple running backs on game day. Ryan Flournoy is a name to watch in the deepest of leagues. (Kev)
Any time I can talk about Ray Davis, I’m going to do it. I think he fills the role of the RB1b with James Cook perfectly in that offense and he will have standalone value when Cook is healthy. But if Cook gets hurt, as we know most running backs do at some point, Davis is the most pro-ready and complete back in this class and he would be a potential RB1 in the Bills offense every week he’s the primary starter without Cook. Also Kimani Vidal. (Addison)
Kimani Vidal 100%. This might be my favorite draft pick of day three for dynasty. Vidal was uber productive in college and he pops in the important analytic metrics like missed tackles forced and yards after contact while being a plus asset in the receiving game. Unfortunately JK Dobbins is never going to be the same and I don’t think Gus Edwards is very good. There’s a chance Vidal is the RB1 at the start of the season and he’ll be freely available in the fourth round of rookie drafts. (Andrew)
I was a fan of Javon Baker coming into the draft and seeing him selected as the second wide receiver taken in day three to the New England Patriots fills me with hope that he can make his name with Drake Maye, under the new era. There’s plenty of new blood sprinkled across the offense there now and the chance will be there to make his mark. I’ll also be looking at where some interesting running backs start going off the board in rookie drafts, including Will Shipley, Kimani Vidal, and Audric Estime. (Eric)
My two favorites are running backs Ray Davis and Kimani Vidal for many of the reasons already stated, but since those guys have been discussed, I like taking a late-round chance on Brenden Rice. The former USC wide receiver didn’t get drafted until the seventh round, but the son of all-time great and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, landed in a prime spot in Los Angeles on the Chargers. The receiver joins last year’s first-round pick Quentin Johnston, this year’s second-round pick Ladd McConkey and returning WR3 Josh Palmer. This room is wide open for Rice to work his way into playing time. I’m taking a chance with a late fourth or fifth-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts. (Justin)
5) Which player are you surprised went undrafted?
I don’t know if I’m surprised, but more just interested in Cody Schrader as a UDFA. He led the SEC in rushing in 2023 on Missouri, plus caught over 40 passes over the last two years. He signed with the 49ers, so we’ll see what happens, but I think he’s the best RB who went undrafted. (Addison)
I’m surprised a team didn’t take a shot on Holy Cross wide receiver Jalen Coker. He was extremely productive at the FCS level, possesses good size, and did well at the combine. I’m also shocked that Isaiah Williams from Illinois wasn’t drafted but his teammate Casey Washington was. Seems very backward to me. (Andrew)
I’m going to go with Memphis running back Blake Watson. For someone who caught 90 passes in the past two years, I’d have expected he would have found a team in need of a player with his skill set. I will be looking for his name in the list of UDFAs to see if he becomes a priority for some teams. Watson signed with the Denver Broncos. It’s hard to know if he can stick, but he certainly would fit what Sean Payton likes to do with pass-catching running backs. (Eric)
I am really surprised that running back Frank Gore Jr wasn’t picked. I had him slotted as a day-three guy, who was a possible fifth or sixth-round pick. Gore played at a smaller school, Southern Miss, but he looked good at the senior bowl. I had him ranked in my top 12 running backs in this class, but I guess NFL personnel didn’t see it that way. Gore was quickly signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buffalo Bills. I would actually really like this landing spot if the Bills hadn’t already drafted one of my favorite RBs in this draft class Ray Davis. (Justin)
Cody Schrader is a name I expected to hear on day three of the draft. He led the SEC in rushing yards in 2023, with impressive performances against LSU, Georgia and Tennessee. Obviously the lack of athleticism displayed at the combine hurt his stock, but I expect him to get a shot in training camp to stick around with the 49ers, at worst on a practice squad with upside. (Kev)
6) Who is this year’s Puka Nacua – late-round wide receiver with a lesser profile, who rises in ADP?
Obviously there is no “next” Puka Nacua. I wanted to choose Malik Washington but then the Dolphins turned around and drafted Tahj Washington in the seventh round and now there’s far too much competition in the slot in Miami. Instead, I’m going with Ryan Flournoy who was drafted by the Cowboys in the sixth round. Nacua had his breakout because of the Rams’ passing volume and we know Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are going to throw it at a top-five rate again. Flournoy is a freak athlete who earned a 9.89 RAS at the combine and enters a wide receiver room with very little competition. If we’re taking swings, let’s swing for the absolute fences. (Andrew)
The riser in ADP is likely to be Javon Baker, but I’ll give a shout-out to Ainias Smith as someone to keep an eye on late in drafts. Parris Campbell is just a guy, so he won’t have to do much to earn a share of the Eagles’ offense as the slot receiver. Smith runs savvy routes and has great hands, while turning into a running back after the catch. (Eric)
New England Patriots fourth-round pick Javon Baker finds himself in a pretty nice situation. Brand new regime in New England, new starting quarterback in Drake Maye, and no clear alpha in the wide receiver room. Baker, a former Alabama player who transferred to Central Florida, has all the physical tools to be a successful pro player. He should be a player to keep an eye out for in rookie drafts. (Justin)
Truth be told, there is no Puka Nacua this year or for a very long time. My rookie profile article on Malik Washington spoke glowingly of his potential as a strong, elusive slot machine with the best hands in the class. The lack of a strong third option in Miami’s passing game provides Washington with an opportunity to be an immediate contributor as a rookie, just not to the level of Nacua for obvious reasons. (Kev)
I would love to talk about Malik Washington here, but Javon Baker actually stands out with his landing spot in New England. Baker had really strong production at UCF, has great size at 6’1” 203 pounds, and is a very solid route runner. He’ll have an opportunity to be the WR2 in this new Patriots offense with Drake Maye, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was actually the most productive receiver on the Patriots, even over Ja’Lynn Polk. (Addison)
Nacua’s ascension in dynasty ADP is a once-in-a-generation outcome – the chance of a repeat in the 2024 class is basically zero (Credit: DLF ADP Comparison Tool)
7) In the 2024 NFL Draft, which player selection has been your favorite for dynasty?
There was little doubt that the Arizona Cardinals would push the button on Marvin Harrison Jr and I can’t help myself…. I love it! I cannot wait to watch Kyler Murray and himself play catch in the NFL, and even at 5’10 Murray will have no issue seeing Harrison Jr get open, over and over again. (Eric)
I love what the Arizona Cardinals did offensively in the draft. They added my single favorite player in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Like many people, I think he is special and could have an amazing career. He should immediately be quarterback Kyler Murray’s top target. I also love the landing spot for running back Trey Benson. The former FSU running back should see some work behind veteran James Conner this upcoming season, but Conner only has one year left on his deal. The Cardinals should likely transition to Benson as the full-time back in 2025. (Justin)
I’ve been in on JJ McCarthy as my pre-draft QB3 over Drake Maye, so for him to receive top-12 draft capital and land in the perfect spot in Minnesota was amazing. The Vikings’ offense is set up to succeed from a coaching and personnel point of view. McCarthy lost one game in college and was a former five-star recruit – he’s a strong probability to become a long-term starting quarterback and a very useful QB2 in dynasty. (Kev)
100% it’s Jonathon Brooks to the Panthers. From a fantasy standpoint, this pairing is going to be so great for fantasy with Brooks as the solidified workhorse RB1 in a Dave Canales offense. I could see Brooks starting out the year slower as he’s still recovering from his ACL injury, but as the season goes on and we head into 2025, it’s wheels up! (Addison)
Okay I’m not a Keon Coleman guy, but is there a landing spot more fun than him in Buffalo? The Bills had a desperate need for pass catchers and Coleman is the only one they brought in during the draft. Coleman has obvious limitations in route running and separation, but if any QB can fit the ball into a tight window to take advantage of Coleman’s athleticism it’s Josh Allen. Plus, it’s fun because it’s going to lead to a whole lot of content and heated debates! (Andrew)
8) In the 2024 NFL Draft, which player selection has been your least favorite for dynasty?
Ja’Lynn Polk is the selection I’m fading in dynasty. Dynasty managers could be drawn to the solid draft capital, however he was in an ideal situation playing alongside top ten wide receiver Rome Odunze and quarterback Michael Penix Jr in college at Washington. Significant risk is in his profile, tied to a rookie quarterback and a first-year head coach – I prefer taking a shot on Polk’s teammate Javon Baker, at a much cheaper cost. (Kev)
Honestly, I think it’s got to be most of the running back class after Brooks and Trey Benson. We knew this class didn’t have hard-hitting studs, but it had an opportunity to fill some gaps in the running back landscape, but for some reason, Dallas didn’t pull the trigger, Las Vegas didn’t until round six, the Chargers waited until round six, there were just missed opportunities for some top names in the class to get premier landing spots and that didn’t happen. I love all the handcuffs we have now, but give us a starter! (Addison)
I’m never going to recover from Brock Bowers ending up in Las Vegas. After an excellent three seasons at Georgia, it seemed like there was no landing spot that would be bad for the star tight end but boy did we find one! Not only does it make things difficult for him, but last year’s second-round pick Michael Mayer is basically a dead asset behind Bowers as well. (Andrew)
I hope I’m wrong, being a 49ers fan, but for dynasty purposes, I cannot see how Ricky Pearsall can carve out enough of a role to be relevant. There is also a fair degree of disappointment with where the running backs landed, with very few starting opportunities in the near future. The value of those second-round rookie picks we may have been hoarding took somewhat of a hit. (Eric)
A lot of tough landing spots for the running backs in this draft class outside of Brooks, Benson, Davis, and Vidal. But two wide receivers I really liked entering this draft were Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, but both players landing in San Francisco really seems to limit their fantasy potential unless one or both of Brandon Ayiuk and Deebo Samuel get traded. Both players were going to be late second-round and late third-round targets for me, and now I’m not sure how to value either player. (Justin)
9) How does the 2024 rookie class rank against the 2023 class overall?
The issue here for me is comparing the two classes with what we already know from 2023. As a whole, I think 2024 is better right after the draft than 2023 was. However, given that we know CJ Stroud is elite, Anthony Richardson still has tremendous upside, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs are studs, the tight ends are strong, and we also have some great receivers from 2023 too, it’s hard to justify 2024 as a better class currently. But, I do think when it’s all said and done, that 2024 is going to give 2023 a run for its money, especially at the top. (Addison)
It’s really hard to compare after watching the 2023 class for an entire year but I’ll try to be unbiased. The 2024 QBs obviously have the upper hand as SIX go in the first round compared to only three in 2023. However, 2023 obviously wins the RB battle with Bijan and Gibbs both going in the first 12 picks. 2024 has the huge upper hand at WR but 2023 wins at TE. So 2-2 when comparing positions but I think it’s pretty similar overall. (Andrew)
Positionally, quarterback likely matches up well across both years, as we’ll have to see how many of the 2024 class really graduate to the level required in the NFL. The 2023 running back and tight end groups take the win, while I fancy the 2024 wide receiver group to outclass the 2023 version, significantly, with 2023 getting the edge overall. (Eric)
How the six quarterbacks’ careers eventually turn out will go a long way in determining how this 2024 class is eventually judged. If at least half of the QBs taken in the top 12 picks are busts, it doesn’t look good. History has taught us that is the likely outcome. I really like this wide receiver group. I am excited to see what it can do collectively. They have a chance to make this class shine. There were not many good landing spots for running backs, which could help kill this class. I’m leaning that the 2024 class will be better than 2023 class, but the 2024 group will really need the quarterbacks to hit. (Justin)
I’m taking the 2023 class over 2024 and upon reflection my view is there’s a fair gap overall. Both quarterback and wide receiver are extremely close when factoring in talent at the top and quality depth throughout. Where I think 2023 has a huge edge over this class is the premium running back talent resulting in three top-six dynasty running backs and a handful of superb tight end assets in Sam Laporta and Dalton Kincaid. (Kev)
Thank you for checking out our reaction to day three of the NFL Draft, please comment your thoughts below.
He is a keen supporter of mental health projects, where dynasty content is his coping strategy to remain in an optimal mindset.
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