The 2023 fantasy football season may be over, but for those of us who start our 2024 seasons in January, our sights are on the upcoming NFL Draft class. Whether you’re an avid dynasty player or only drive in the redraft lane, this class has a crop of players you need to know as you head into next season.
While the world has its eyes on where Caleb Williams will land, the position you need to get most acclimated with before your fantasy and rookie drafts is wide receiver. The strength of this WR class doesn’t just lie in the first round, either. There are viable options to help you win your leagues in 2024 and beyond at X, Flanker and slot WR.
Below are the ones you need to know about before your leaguemates.
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- 2024 NFL Mock Draft: First & Second Round Picks
2024 NFL Draft: Rookie Wide Receiver Targets
Emeka Egbuka (WR – Ohio State)
- Height: 6’1?
- Weight: 206
- Current Year: Junior
Egbuka is one of my favorite players to watch tape on in this class. There is a fair chance he goes back to school next year, but if he doesn’t, he is firmly in my third tier for WRs. He profiles very similarly to his former teammate, Smith-Njigba. He is the technician of this class, even if he does leave you wanting to see more as a pure athlete. He may be used exclusively as a slot receiver in his early career, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Egbuka have a Tyler Lockett-like emergence at the NFL level. His 2023 was a bit of a disappointment with the change at quarterback from CJ Stroud to Kyle McCord and his nagging injuries all season. That said, in 2022, during his sophomore season, he eclipsed 1,100 receiving yards and hit double-digit touchdowns while stacking up 75 receptions. If he does declare, he is likely looking at late-first to early-second-round NFL Draft capital.
What He’s Got:
- Elite route runner (pacing, footwork, release, IQ)
- Best hip mobility in class
- Best change of direction in class
- Can beat both zone and man coverage consistently
- Plays bigger than his frame
- Reliable hands
- Solid contested catch rate
What He’s Not:
- He may be exclusively used as slot WR
- Average speed and burst
Fantasy Outlook: Egbuka needs to declare for the Draft, which is the first obstacle. If he does, unless he gets that first-round draft capital, redraft fantasy football managers may be OK with letting him be a very late-round pick or even a waiver wire watch. He is likely to start his career in the slot, and while that can bring PPR value with it, it rarely turns into rookie-year breakout production for fantasy teams. Dynasty managers are the ones who should be locking in on Egbuka. He would fit just inside my top-25 dynasty WRs, and I would be confident taking him as early as the rookie 1.07 in superflex leagues and the rookie 1.05 in 1 QB leagues.
- Height: 6’4?
- Weight: 205
- Current Year: Junior
Brian Thomas Jr. is a solid prospect in this class with elite upside. Thomas Jr. was one of the primary reasons Jayden Daniels had a Heisman season, alongside the second player on this list in Nabers. Thomas Jr. had just under 1,200 yards and 17 TDs. No, that’s not a typo. It was a true breakout season for the Tiger. If he develops his route running and can run a more complete route tree at the NFL level, he can do a lot of damage in the deep and intermediate areas of the field. My player comp for Thomas Jr. is 2023 breakout WR Nico Collins.
What He’s Got:
- Great speed and acceleration
- Impressive mobility for his frame
- Fluid route runner
- Tracks the ball well
- Solid burst
- Elite YAC ability
What He’s Not:
- Limited route tree
- Contested catch ability is unimpressive for his size
- Needs to improve strength
- Needs to improve footwork
Fantasy Outlook: Thomas Jr., while currently ranked below Egbuka, would be much more likely to bring value to redraft leagues. He should be, at worst, a team’s WR2 from the jump. He may be more of a flex play early on in single-year formats, but his big play ability is something that you can stash away at the end of your bench, and he could be an absolute steal come the end of the year and fantasy football playoff time. Dynasty managers can expect to have to spend as early as a rookie 1.04 in 1 QB leagues or 1.06 in SF leagues. The payoff could be huge, though, as he has true alpha wide receiver upside in his career and can still help a contending team win in his rookie season.
Adonai (AD) Mitchell (WR – Texas)
- Height: 6’4?
- Weight: 196
- Current Year: Junior
Adonai (AD) Mitchell may be one of the more under-the-radar WR prospects in this class with true Alpha WR upside. Originally a Georgia Bulldog, Mitchell transferred to Texas last year, where he had the best season of his college career. Mitchell has a big frame and plays to his size. He has an incredible catch radius and surprisingly hip mobility when running routes. An underrated part of his game is his ability to accelerate and decelerate. Mitchell can line up outside or in the slot at the NFL level and could see second-round draft capital. His only major obstacle will be getting clean medicals for the NFL Draft. We are looking at a less-refined Tee Higgins if he clears that hurdle.
What He’s Got0
- Solid route runner
- Diverse release package
- Good hip mobility
- Tracks the ball well
- Reliable hands
What He’s Not:
- Struggles through contact
- Has battled injury
- Decent but not above-average speed and athleticism
Fantasy Outlook: Mitchell can be viewed in fantasy football very similarly to Thomas Jr. The only caveat is that he doesn’t have that burner breakaway speed. Due to that lack of speed, I would not be surprised to see him fall in rookie drafts into the early-to-mid second round, and that is a value dynasty managers should capitalize on.
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