2024 Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts - Second-Round Sleepers and Avoids

We are smack in the middle of rookie draft season. It’s an important time as fantasy football dynasty managers are trying to find the right players to add to their teams.

Much like redraft leagues, there are sleepers you want to target and players you want to avoid. The second round of dynasty rookie drafts is notoriously difficult. The range of outcomes spans from fantasy stars to players who never see the field. So, who should you select and fade in this area of your rookie draft? Let's take some time today to answer this question.

Make sure you keep up to date with all your fantasy football needs by following RotoBaller on X and checking out RotoBaller.com. Here are several sleepers to target and players to avoid in your 2024 fantasy football dynasty rookie drafts.

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
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• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Sleepers

Michael Penix Jr. - QB, Atlanta Falcons

It’s not often you’re able to get a quarterback with top-eight draft capital in the second round of Superflex rookie drafts. That’s the situation we find ourselves in with Penix. Dynasty players are turned off by his age, injury history, the amount of time he spent in school, and his lack of rushing production. These are fair concerns, but it’s worth noting that several teams (including the Falcons) had Penix rated as their No. 2 quarterback in this class. He also finished 2023 as Pro Football Focus’s (PFF) eighth-highest-graded collegiate passer.

🎥 #Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. with a BEAUTIFUL TD 🍿

pic.twitter.com/F7PltNFCW3

— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) October 14, 2023

People are also scared off because Penix is snookered behind Kirk Cousins for the foreseeable future. This is not really a good reason to fade Penix, as we have seen things work out incredibly well for Jordan Love when faced with a similar situation. Quarterbacks are high-risk, high-reward selections in Superflex rookie drafts.

Penix still carries that risk but at a significantly lower cost than options at the top of drafts. The fact is Atlanta sees him as its quarterback of the future. He is going to be given an extended run at some point. Managers just need to be patient and realize it will be a few years before they see any return on investment.

Blake Corum - RB, Los Angeles Rams

Corum is one of the most talented running backs in this class.

Seeing Blake Corum score a touchdown in The Game right after Zak Zinter went out with a serious leg injury:

All. The. Feels. pic.twitter.com/bkoZrwmW1I

— Swanky Wolverine (@swankywolverine) November 28, 2023

He has great vision and quickness and is an ideal fit for Sean McVay’s scheme. The Rams watched Kyren Williams have an amazing 2023 season and still felt the need to use a Day 2 pick on Corum. This speaks to their thoughts on both backs. While he was amazing last year, Williams is still a back with Day 3 draft capital. These running backs have a long history of being replaced by more talented rushers. Don’t be scared off by Williams. It’s only a matter of time before Corum takes over this role.

Jermaine Burton - WR, Cincinnati Bengals

It was rumored Burton would fall in the draft due to reported character concerns. Ultimately, he landed with the Bengals in Round 3. Burton is arguably the next-best receiver in this class after the top-three options.

The Bengals don’t rebuild, they reload.

Jermaine Burton is an absolute WEAPON for Joe Burrow. pic.twitter.com/YKCMiryw43

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) April 28, 2024

Tee Higgins' future with the Bengals is murky at best. He's currently under the franchise tag. Reportedly, there have been no talks about a contract extension, and Higgins has also requested a trade. It’s very possible that he is not on the roster in 2025. That would leave Burton as Joe Burrow’s No. 2 option. Should Higgins miss time this season, that would also leave Burton as the WR2. He’s a talented player and is a prime target in the back half of Round 2 in rookie drafts.

Avoids

Keon Coleman - WR, Buffalo Bills

While Coleman got a great landing spot with the Buffalo Bills, he is still very raw as a route runner. He was not an elite separator in college and is unlikely to become one in the NFL. He can still develop into a solid player but needs to be deployed in a very specific manner. Buffalo seems to have other plans in mind.

Coleman as an X receiver is not the best use of skills right now. He needs time to refine his route running.

I was on the fence about Coleman and don’t love hearing this. Will be avoiding him in rookie drafts.#FantasyFootball #dynasty

pic.twitter.com/9heftni3nG

— The Fantasy Football Stallion (@FF_Stallion) April 29, 2024

The Bills' plan to use him as an X receiver is a risky proposition. Coleman will be asked to win against the opposing team's top corners right off the bat. That does not feel like the best plan for a player like Coleman. He is a contested catch machine, though, and should have his moments. However, this feels similar to Quentin Johnston landing with the Chargers last year. Johnston had similar concerns as a route runner, was forced into a big role in Year 1, and subsequently face-planted. The landing spot is great, but there are too many questions surrounding Coleman to use a second-round pick on him in Superflex leagues.

Xavier Legette - WR, Carolina Panthers

Legette enjoyed his best collegiate season during his fifth-year campaign at the University of South Carolina. He is a big-bodied receiver with good speed. The problem is that he’s nowhere close to a complete receiver. The Panthers rookie is more of a project coming into the league and needs a few years to develop if he hopes to become an impact receiver. He shows a good awareness of zone coverage and could find success as a big slot option. The Panthers have talked about using Legette in a variety of ways to get the ball into his hands. This would be ideal, but his route running makes life much tougher for him.

Bottom line: Legette is a fifth-year breakout with little separation skills coming into the league. There aren’t many players with this kind of profile who have succeeded. It’s better to pass in your rookie drafts.

Adonai Mitchell - WR, Indianapolis Colts

Mitchell is one of the toughest evaluations in this rookie class. He showed glimpses of being a dominant player at the University of Texas and showcased great speed with a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. While he had his moments, his tape is littered with inconsistent play and, at times, questionable effort.

His analytical profile is underwhelming as well. Per PFF, Mitchell had a 1.72 yards per route run (YPRR). This is a highly predictive stat for future success, and this is a low number for a wide receiver. His tape shows potential, but his analytical profile is a red flag. Ultimately, there are better options in Round 2. Let someone else gamble on Mitchell.

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