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
Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR – Ohio State)
- Height: 6’4?
- Weight: 205 pounds
- Year: Junior
To say that Marvin Harrison Jr. may be the best WR prospect of all time would not be an exaggeration. I graded only one WR prospect higher than Harrison Jr. going back to 2009, Julio Jones. The Biletnikoff Award winner has the pedigree, being the son of Colts Hall-of-Fame WR Marvin Harrison. He checks just about every box when looking at his production as well. He sports an elite 3.44 Yards per Route Run (YPRR) while amassing nearly 2,500 receiving yards and 26 TDs over his last two seasons at Ohio State. The best part about evaluating Harrison Jr. isn’t just checking his box scores. When diving into his tape, you get an idea of just how special he will be at the NFL level.
What He’s Got:
- Elite body control and spacing
- Impressive footspeed and twitch
- Diverse release package
- Aggressive at the catch point with reliable hands
- Incredible long speed and wiggle (potential to run a sub-4.4 40)
- Consistent and smooth route runner with a full route tree
- Best route pacing in the class
- High football IQ
What He’s Not:
- He has more trouble with first contact than you would expect a player of his size to have
- RAC ability leaves you wanting more at times
- Need to improve as a blocker
Fantasy Outlook: What you need to know is any knock on Harrison Jr. is nitpicking. He should immediately be a top-three or four dynasty WR based on where you have CeeDee Lamb ranked. In redraft leagues, he should compete to be the most valuable rookie WR, regardless of landing spot. Still, if he ends up an Arizona Cardinal or a Chicago Bear, we could see something that flirts with the best rookie wide receiver season we have ever seen.
- Height: 6’0?
- Weight: 200 pounds
- Year: Junior
When breaking down this class, there is a clear tier break after Harrison Jr. However, when it comes to Nabers, he is also in a tier of his own. Nabers leaves LSU as the record holder for all-time receiving yards, 3,003. And yes, that means more than Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. One of the most impressive playmakers in this class, Nabers, has incredible vision with the ball in his hands. He showed adaptability and development in his understanding of route running from the 2022 to 2023 season. Nabers is the next great LSU WR and has the potential to land in a perfect spot in the draft with his likely top 8-10 draft projection.
What He’s Got:
- Best playmaker in the class
- Elite burst
- Solid release package and route pacing
- Plays bigger than his frame
- Incredible agility and athleticism
- Premier separator
- High football IQ
- Tracks the ball well regardless of coverage
What He’s Not:
- Has struggled with concentration drops
- He still has room to grow as a route runner
- Needs to improve as a blocker
Fantasy Outlook: Nabers will be a force at the NFL level. He is essentially the prototype for WR fantasy football production in today’s NFL. Nabers should establish himself as a top-12 dynasty WR as early as his rookie season. The dream landing spot is with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers. If he does land in LA, he will compete not only with Harrison Jr to be the best rookie for fantasy production, but he is also a candidate to be a WR1 in redraft leagues.
- Height: 6’3?
- Weight: 216
- Current Year: Junior
Rome Odunze was a human highlight reel for the Huskies this year. His athleticism is his calling card in this class. He profiles as a player who should blow up the combine and be an NFL team’s X receiver of the future. The odd thing with Odunze is that his speed and strength don’t often translate to separation in his routes. He starts tier three for me, and depending on the declaration status of Emeka Egbuka, he may once again be the only player in his tier. My grade on Odunze would have had him slightly ahead of Jaxon Smith-Njigba in last year’s class, and he shouldn’t fall outside the top 15 in the NFL Draft this year.
What He’s Got:
- Most complete athlete among WRs
- Aggressive at the catch point
- Wreaks havoc against zone coverage
- Thrives in contested catch situations
- Impressive catch radius
- Solid footwork and diverse release package
What He’s Not:
- Has struggled to create separation
- He still has room to grow against man coverage
- He must show he can win at a similar clip in NFL contested-catch situations
Fantasy Outlook: Rome Odunze should be an immediate impact player for an offense in 2024, but I would not be surprised to see him have a Chris Olave-like rookie season. That is not a must-have player in redraft, but it’s also not a knock on what he can do. Redraft managers can expect a WR18-25 finish, depending on where he lands in the NFL Draft. Dynasty managers can slot him in just outside the top-15 Dynasty WRs for now, with a chance to jump much higher if he squashes the very few concerns he has in his profile.
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