The NFL offseason is nearly upon us. While others (and myself in the coming weeks) focus on 2024 way-too-early fantasy football rankings, 2024 free agency, and NFL team needs, let’s take a look ahead to the 2024 NFL draft and what it has to offer in terms of dynasty fantasy football talent.
Throughout the draft season, I’ll be delivering prospect overviews at every fantasy position to keep tabs on the top dynasty prospects. For those looking to dig deeper, check out the highly-coveted FantasyPros Dynasty Draft Kit and the fully-fledged 2024 NFL Draft Guide.
Be sure to check out all the individual 2024 NFL Draft prospect profiles for all positions written by FantasyPros’ Matthew Jones. I cross-referenced a lot of my player notes with Jones’ great scouting breakdowns of the WRs in this class.
Let’s dig into the top incoming rookie wide receivers for dynasty fantasy football leagues in 2024 to get familiar with names we will be overly obsessing about over the next three months. Here are my takeaways on all the top 2024 dynasty rookie draft wide receivers. Below we dive into a few notable names.
- Erickson’s Fantasy Football Forecast: Recap & Takeaways for 2024
- Erickson’s Early Fantasy Football Rankings, Tiers & Notes: QB | WR
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
Top Dynasty Rookie Wide Receivers
Xavier Legette (WR – South Carolina)
Xavier Legette, the impactful wide receiver from South Carolina, emerged as a notable talent in college football with his commendable performances, particularly highlighted in his SUPER senior year. Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 227 lbs, Legette’s physical stature is complemented by his athletic prowess, offering the ideal blend of size and speed required for an outside receiver, making him a formidable presence on the field.
One of Legette’s most notable qualities is his strong hands – he doesn’t use his body to catch the ball – and ability to secure catches in traffic, showcasing his reliability as a target.
He broke out in his final and fifth year with the Gamecocks, hanging a 35% dominator rating. He posted 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 receptions.
Entering the league at 23 years old as a one-year wonder raises red flags about Legette’s appeal at the next level. The size-speed specimen is enticing, but the lack of consistent production cannot be overlooked.
Easy comps for someone with this size and speed are receivers like D.K. Metcalf, who can often be more situationally dependent as a more “raw” prospect with traits that cannot be taught. Legette’s combination of size, catching ability, and consistent playmaking make him an intriguing prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jacob Cowing (WR – Arizona)
At 5’11” and weighing 175 lbs, Jacob Cowing may not possess the towering frame of some of his contemporaries, but what he lacks in height, he more than compensates for with his speed, agility, and precise route-running, making him a constant threat to opposing defenses.
Because he dominated production at Arizona and his previous stop at UTEP. 32% career dominator rating ranks No. 1 in the class.
42% dominator rating in 2020 and 41% dominator rating in 2021 were elite numbers he posted while was a member of the UTEP Miners. He represented a top-5 best single-season mark. And Cowing also delivered early on in his college career, breaking out at age 18 in 2019.
His senior year was particularly notable, with Cowing amassing 89 receptions for 868 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging a remarkable 9.8 yards per catch. His ability to stretch the field and create after the catch has been a hallmark of his college career.
Unfortunately, Cowing could not boost his stock at the Senior Bowl. He suffered an injury. Hopefully, this is not a sign of things to come for the undersized WR, who might be pigeonholed into the slot at the next level.
K.J. Hamler-esque.
Brenden Rice (WR – USC)
Brenden Rice, the dynamic wide receiver from USC and son of GOAT WR Jerry Rice, has made a notable impact in the college football arena with his compelling performances. Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 210 lbs, Rice brings an imposing, well-built physical presence to the wide receiver position, coupled with an impressive blend of speed and athleticism that makes him a formidable threat on the field.
He immediately produced from the get-go at age 18, breaking out with a 22% dominator rating in a truncated 2020 season for Colorado, albeit on a very small sample size.
Transferred to USC before the 2022 season. His stats in his senior year were particularly impressive, with 45 receptions for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns, boasting an average of 17.6 yards per catch. Although a 25% final season dominator rating is underwhelming compared to the remainder of the class.
Josh Palmer is my comparable NFL WR for him, as I think he will only go as far as his QB, offense, situation, etc. will get him. Although I’ll admit, some of his size, hand work off the line of scrimmage looked like a young, spry Michael Thomas.
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