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Scouting and drafting rookies is one of the most fun aspects of being in a dynasty league. Hitting on a future fantasy superstar with a rookie pick can set your team up for immense future success. However, not all rookies are created equal, and some will have to wait a year or two to break out.
Several 2024 rookies have promising future outlooks but could have limited upside in their rookie campaigns due to their situation, spot on the depth chart, or steep learning curve at their position. In this article, we'll dive into one player who fits each of those categories.
Which fantasy football rookies should be targeted in dynasty leagues but avoided in 2024 fantasy drafts? Let's get into it!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Malik Nabers, New York Giants
Nabers, the No. 6 overall pick in April's draft, is one of the best wide receiver prospects of the last decade. After a strong 1,017-yard season in 2022, Nabers caught 89 passes for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final season at LSU. He is already viewed as a top-10 dynasty wideout, but he's unlikely to live up to his cost in 2024 drafts.
The soon-to-be 21-year-old carries an NFC ADP of 43.50, making him the WR24 off the board. With Daniel Jones at quarterback, it's tough to project any first-year player counting on Jones to finish as a WR2. Since Jones was drafted in 2019, zero Giants' wide receivers have reached the 800-yard mark.
"Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no." - Eli Manning on Daniel Jones' interception returned 97 yards for a touchdown. pic.twitter.com/auFeLXiyFm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 3, 2023
Nabers might be so great that he gets the job done anyway, but it's easy to bet against him this year, especially with DeVonta Smith, George Pickens, and Zay Flowers being available around his draft slot.
Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
Pearsall is one of the weakest wide receiver prospects taken in the first round of the NFL Draft over the last few years, but his landing spot with Kyle Shanahan surely makes him worth considering in rookie drafts. Many dynasty managers won't take players who aren't valuable in Year 1, so he can often fall to the mid-second round. As a general rule, any first-round wide receiver who slips to that range is well worth taking a flyer on.
However, it would be a surprise if Pearsall is involved in the Niners' offense as a rookie. For now, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel Sr. remain on the roster, and Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are two of the best weapons at their respective positions. The organization also re-signed Jauan Jennings to a two-year, $15.4 million deal a few months ago, and Shanahan values his ability as a blocker in the run game.
In all likelihood, Pearsall will take a "redshirt" year in 2024. While he is cheap to acquire in redraft formats, you're better off stashing handcuff running backs or taking a late-round tight end instead of letting him collect dust on your roster. It wouldn't be surprising if he produced fewer than 500 total yards in Year 1.
Ricky Pearsall. Tougher than a $2 steak. pic.twitter.com/g05W3mDCrO
— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) February 28, 2024
Ben Sinnott, Washington Commanders
A lot of the fantasy football community is high on former Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott, and for good reason. He's a physical run blocker with well-above-average athleticism and looks the part of a future TE1. However, it is still rare for rookie tight ends to have success as a receiver. Sam LaPorta took the tight end spot by storm last year, but he was in a great offense with an established veteran quarterback.
Meanwhile, Sinnott will compete with Zach Ertz for snaps, and he will catch passes from Jayden Daniels, who will likely rely heavily on his rushing abilities as a rookie.
Rookie quarterbacks are usually bad news for fantasy pass-catchers, and that rings especially true for a rookie tight end who will have his own growing pains. As Daniels progresses and the team adds more talent over the next few years, there's a lot of reason to believe in Sinnott. In 2024, just stay away.
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