NFL Prospects - Best Rookie Landing Spots for Fantasy Football

In the 2024 NFL Draft, these five NFL Prospects, identified by the PlayerProfiler staff, have a great chance of producing in Fantasy Football. These players should be on your radar as we head into the 2024 NFL Season.

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Jermaine Burton, Cincinnati Bengals – Seth Diewold

The rumors coming into the 2024 NFL Draft were that Jermaine Burton was a knucklehead. This was a player who looked great on tape and produced in every college season he played (at least 400 yards receiving in all four years at Georgia and Alabama). When Burton was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, everything changed. Burton went from fantasy sleeper to a late round second round rookie pick in superflex leagues, and rightfully so. The production may not come in 2024 while Tee Higgins is on the roster, but in 2025 Jermaine Burton could find himself as the WR 2 in Cincinnati.

Also, Burton landing with the Bengals goes beyond the opportunity he might find as early as this season in three wide receiver sets. Playing with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and a Bengals organization that has been to a Super Bowl in recent history should be the stability a player like Burton will need to thrive in the NFL. This is because it’s never been a question about Burton’s talent. He has all kinds of talent. Now, he is a situation to thrive as a player, and I’d bet he does.

Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins – Matty Kiwoom

Tyreek Hill is fast. Jaylen Waddle is fast. Devon Achane is fast. The Miami Dolphins’ offense is built on speed because the head coach, Mike McDaniel, knows how to utilize fast players. Jaylen Wright ran the second fastest 40-yard dash in the 2024 NFL Combine. Additionally, he possesses incredible home run ability. For the folks that do not watch baseball that means Wright can take it to the house at any given moment. Wright posted the No. 4 highest yards per carry amongst all qualified NCAA running backs and had the No. 3 highest Breakaway Run Rate in his class.

Devon Achane isn’t going anywhere, but that ultimately won’t hurt Wright in the short term or the long term. The former Tennessee tailback is the heir apparent to the Mostert role which has been incredibly lucrative for fantasy football. Mostert has been a monster. Mostert posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 21 total touchdowns, and averaged over 17 fantasy points per game in 2023. McDaniel made sure that he got his guy and will absolutely maximize the abilities of Jaylen Wright.

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings – Jason Allwine

No QB prospect in this year’s draft had a higher range of outcomes based on where they landed than J.J. McCarthy. The biggest concern with McCarthy is the fact that he never saw much volume in his time at Michigan (because they were always winning). As a result, he’s been labeled a “Game Manager.” If he were to go to an offense like the Patriots where he didn’t have much help, he more than likely would’ve struggled. Instead, he lands in one of the more QB friendly situations in the entire league- going No. 10 overall to the Vikings. It really is the dream spot for a QB like McCarthy.

Last season Michigan ranked bottom of the NCAAF in pass volume, No. 117 in pass play percentage and No. 76 in Pass Plays per Game, but McCarthy was incredibly efficient. He finished with the No. 6 highest completion percentage at 72.3-percent and threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 22 TDs. On top of that, McCarthy had 134 carries for 508 rush yards and 8 TDs over the last two seasons. That type of efficiency has to make Kevin O’Connell salivate. This is especially true considering Michigan runs a Pro-Style offense.

Last season, Nick Mullens threw for 300+ yards in three out of his four starts. Joshua Dobbs made us think he was a franchise QB. We may doubt McCarthy as an elite game-breaking QB, but he is a truly solid prospect going to a QB maximizing coach with Justin Jefferson catching his passes. You could not dream up a better situation for J.J. McCarthy.

Jonathon Brooks, Carolina Panthers – Matt Babich

Now the head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Dave Canales, made it a point to draft his Rachaad White replacement. Jonathon Brooks, come on down. Coming out of Texas, Brooks possesses all of the desired peripherals. His 66th percentile College Dominator Rating and 75th percentile Yards per Carry demonstrate his ability to efficiently rack up production and fuel an offense. His 72nd percentile Speed Score bodes well for his ability to break off chunk plays at the next level. Finally, his 72nd percentile College Target Share means he’ll fit right into Dave Canales’ famous pass-catching role.

Canales and the Panthers selected Brooks in the second round of the NFL Draft, a significant predictor of his first-year usage. In a smiling situation in Tampa Bay, Rachaad White earned 16.1 (No. 4) Weighted Opportunities per Game on a 12.7-percent Target Share. With worse competition surrounding him, Brooks could push for even more work. In a dreary running-back landscape, Brooks projects to be a true workhorse running back in his rookie year.

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears – Theo Gremminger

You don’t have to look far down the draft board when searching for the best landing spot in the 2024 NFL Draft Class. Caleb Williams was selected No. 1 overall. Instead of landing in some moribund situation like many 1.01’s before him (Bryce Young!), he landed in an ideal situation surrounded by multiple pass-catching weapons.

The Bears traded for Keenan Allen earlier in the offseason, giving them last year’s WR6 (D.J. Moore) and WR8 (Allen). If that was not enough, they also returned Cole Kmet (2023’s TE8 Overall). They also signed D’Andre Swift on the first day of free agency, adding a back with 195 career catches. That collection of pass catchers alone would have been a fantastic starting point for Williams, but Chicago wasn’t done. With the 9th overall pick, they selected WR Rome Odunze– one of the best players in the entire draft who arrives in Chicago with an Alpha WR1 profile. The addition of Odunze gives Williams the top WR trio in the NFL. Williams is not only set up for immediate success, but a non-QB1 finish would be a disappointment.

For more from PlayerProfiler, check out this article – Top 30 Visits from the 2024 NFL Draft – Fantasy Football Impact (playerprofiler.com)