2024 Fantasy Football - Rookies Who Will Make Immediate Impacts

Now that the NFL Draft is over, we have all the necessary information to begin assembling the 2024 puzzle. This year's rookie class has been analyzed ad nauseam, and for good reason -- it ushers in an exciting crop of players ready to take the stage and immediately impact the NFL and our fantasy teams.

We're all aware that some of these rookies may require more time than others to progress to where we want them to be, and some might even never live up to draft-day expectations. However, there are certainly some newbies that are in a better position to succeed than others.

While this list is not an indictment on when these players should be selected in our rookie drafts, they're certainly prepared to make waves in their current situation. Let's dive in.

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Caleb Williams - QB, Chicago Bears

To no surprise -- Caleb Williams is the perfect candidate to fit this group of players. The Chicago Bears are starving for an elite quarterback prospect, and Williams unquestionably fits that bill. If we even get 80% of what we expect Caleb Williams to be, he could go down as the best rookie quarterback in Bears history. The Bears' rookie QB records are comically low, as no player has ever surpassed 2,193 yards (Mitch Trubisky, 2017) or 11 touchdowns (Charlie O'Rourke, 1942).

Big 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HRHoc4Sgsg

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 26, 2024

Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, Arizona Cardinals

There isn't another non-quarterback in this draft class that presents the pedigree and upside of Marvin Harrison Jr. -- some NFL scouts even had him as the top prospect overall on their board. The prodigal son has arguably been NFL-ready out of the womb and he easily goes to one of the better landing spots for an alpha WR.

Kyler Murray looked no worse for wear in his return from an ACL injury last fall and has been known to hyper-target his top option in the offense. MHJ gives an instant boost to the Cardinals' passing attack and is one of the more likely candidates to produce instantly. He's already being talked about in the top five at his position in dynasty circles.

The Highest ever drafted from WRU 👑
@MarvHarrisonJr | #DevelopedHere pic.twitter.com/xasvoTY2Si

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) May 3, 2024

Malik Nabers - WR, New York Giants

The wide receivers taken at the top of the first round in 2024 are as highly touted as the quarterbacks. We could argue Malik Nabers went to the worst landing spot on this list, but that's not stopping me from drafting him. Nabers has a versatile skill set and projects to have the ability to line up all over the offensive formation -- giving the Giants a multitude of options on how they might like to deploy him.

In addition, the subtraction of Saquon Barkley truly leaves New York's offense bereft of playmakers. It might not always be pretty and efficient, but Nabers expects to immediately take over as the WR1 for his team. 120+ targets seem like a lock, and for wide receivers -- volume is king.

Malik Nabers suit is an incredible tribute to @LSUfootball 💛💜

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📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Sg5YYFP1Q3

— NFL (@NFL) April 25, 2024

Brian Thomas Jr. - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

While the Jaguars offense isn't the fantasy wasteland that the Giants' is, Brian Thomas Jr. enters another favorable team situation. Unlike his old LSU teammate, Thomas Jr. does not possess the same formational versatility. That is not a knock on him, though, as his frame projects as a better pure 'X' WR anyway.

This sentiment is echoed on the field in how BTJ works press coverage -- a metric that he outshines Malik Nabers, per Reception Perception. Calvin Ridley left in free agency, and Trevor Lawrence needs a dynamic weapon on the outside. The addition of Gabe Davis doesn't scare me -- he's not nearly the same type of separator as BTJ -- and Christian Kirk should occupy the slot role. It will be interesting to see how quickly Thomas Jr. moves ahead of Gabe Davis in two WR sets.

New Jaguars WR Gabe Davis' 2023 #ReceptionPerception profile

- 53.8% success rate vs. man coverage
- 76.3% success rate vs. zone
- 51% success rate vs. press
- All three marks are below the 31st percentile

Davis brings value as a vertical X-receiver who can burn downfield and… pic.twitter.com/fqgbjojYxA

— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) March 11, 2024

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