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The beautiful thing about dynasty leagues is that their rookie drafts mimic the real-world NFL Draft. Each year, many young prospects enter the league full of hope that they can win Super Bowls and earn gold jackets. Likewise, dynasty managers are hopeful that these rookies can lead their squads to some fantasy football titles.
There are many standouts this season atop rookie draft boards. Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, and more are all expected to be hugely impactful in both the NFL and fantasy leagues. The late-round value picks, though, are less obvious. Hitting on third- and fourth-round picks in rookie drafts can be a huge boost.
Although Puka Nacua set the bar a bit too highly last season, some late-rounders will still exceed expectations. Who exactly will these diamonds in the rough be, though? There are many candidates, but this article will break down the top four late-round sleepers to target in rookie drafts. Let's kick things off with a new member of the Patriots.
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Javon Baker, New England Patriots
New England's offense was a mess last season, and a lack of quality quarterback play was a big reason for that. The Patriots addressed the position by taking Drake Maye third overall in this year's draft, but they also needed to vastly improve their receiving corps to set Maye up for success. Fourth-rounder Javon Baker is a part of that plan.
Baker began his college career with two very quiet seasons at Alabama, but he became a big part of the passing attack at UCF after transferring. Baker made 56 receptions for 796 yards and five TDs in 2022, and last year he caught 52 balls for 1,139 yards (21.9 yards per reception) and seven scores.
Baker is not a standout athlete. He ran a fine 4.54-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, and he ranked 19th of 31 receivers at the combine in the vertical jump. Baker has NFL size at 6'1" and 202 pounds with 32-inch arms, and his catch radius is at the 86th percentile per PlayerProfiler.
The key traits that got Baker drafted were his ball skills and separation ability. He was able to beat corners with solid route-running and high playing speed to make chunk plays on intermediate and deep routes. Baker is also proficient and adjusting to the ball to make big grabs; he showed this both at UCF and in training camp this offseason.
How the Patriots offense matched up with the Eagles.@ezlazar's joint practice deep dive: https://t.co/fxaSUSfluL pic.twitter.com/XBvpGWzkVj
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 13, 2024
While Baker did have issues with consistency and drops, the 22-year-old is still a solid prospect joining a new-look team. The other notable receivers in Foxborough are sophomore Demario Douglas, fellow rookie Ja'Lynn Polk, free agent acquisition K.J. Osborn, and the currently injured veteran Kendrick Bourne.
Although New England's QB1 at the moment is Jacoby Brissett, Maye is the crucial passer here. If Baker can use his chances both in practice and in games to build a rapport with Maye down the field, there would not be much resistance between Baker and a quickly growing role. He will need to fight for targets, but he is capable of winning the fight.
Baker's current ADP in rookie drafts on Sleeper is 31 in SuperFlex leagues. Nabbing a receiver like Baker in the third round is a solid move; the receiving room is far from settled, and Baker has the traits to take advantage of the opportunities he gets. He is a stronger option than other WRs in his range like Malachi Corley and Luke McCaffrey.
Theo Johnson, New York Giants
After spending a season as the starting TE for the Giants, Darren Waller spent the early offseason considering retirement. He announced his decision to step away from the game in June. With this possibility in mind, the Giants picked up former Penn State tight end Theo Johnson in the fourth round of April's draft.
Johnson did not put up massive numbers in his four years as a Nittany Lion. His best season came last year when he caught 34 passes for 341 yards, though his 10.0 yards per reception marked a dip in efficiency. His seven receiving touchdowns did tie for the team lead, however, and he was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference selection.
At 6'6" and 259 pounds, Johnson ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the combine. His 1.55-second 10-yard split tied for the best mark among TEs, and his 4.19-second 20-yard shuttle led his position. He was also a top-two TE in the vertical and broad jumps. Of 479 TE prospects in the PlayerProfiler database, his athleticism ranked seventh.
@PennStateFball TE Theo Johnson:
- 6'6"
- 259 pounds
- 4.58u📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8bLC5yUSN8— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2024
The 23-year-old Johnson may not have wowed in college, but he did run fine routes and make contested catches. One main knock on him in his scouting report was his failure to consistently make big plays after the catch. Fortunately, this is an area where he has the athletic traits to improve.
With Waller out of the picture, Johnson's competition for the TE1 gig in New York is Daniel Bellinger. Bellinger was serviceable for the Giants when Waller missed time. However, if Johnson can develop more as a blocker, beating Bellinger out for snaps should not be too much of a hurdle to clear.
As the Giants have little in the way of receiving weapons beyond first-round rookie WR Malik Nabers, there is a path for Johnson to become a key option for quarterback Daniel Jones in the middle of the field and in the red zone. He should provide value at his ADP of 40 in Sleeper SuperFlex rookie drafts.
Brenden Rice, Los Angeles Chargers
Marvin Harrison Jr. was not the only son of a legendary wideout to enter the league in 2024. Brenden Rice, son of the GOAT receiver Jerry Rice, was taken by the Chargers in the seventh round of this year's draft. Despite his low draft spot, Rice successfully fought to make his team's 53-man roster.
Rice started his college career at Colorado. He made some splashy plays in Boulder, including an 81-yard punt return TD as a freshman. In 2022, he transferred into USC's high-powered offense. Rice caught 39 passes for 611 yards and four scores as a junior, and last year he made 45 grabs for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns.
With a 4.50-second 40-yard dash, Rice has enough speed to beat some defenders deep. He is better known for leveraging his size and physicality to make plays, though. The 22-year-old Rice has earned a reputation as a player who can win contested catches and swing the odds of 50/50 balls in the offense's favor.
Rice also has great awareness. He is adept at finding the right areas to head to while his quarterback is scrambling, a trait that made him well-suited for his QB with the Trojans, Caleb Williams. Rice demonstrated this in the Cotton Bowl in January 2023; he had 174 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Tulane.
.@BrendenRice is BALLIN’ today! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/S5iXmxuWdF
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) January 2, 2023
The Chargers saw a lot of upheaval with their receiving options this offseason. Keenan Allen was dealt to the Bears, and Mike Williams signed with the Jets. This leaves Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and second-round rookie Ladd McConkey atop the depth chart. Running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Gerald Everett also departed.
Although Rice is currently buried as a depth option, the team does not have an established pecking order at WR. Rice could carve out a respectable role by the end of this season and build from there. With Justin Herbert as his quarterback, that gives Rice appeal at his current Sleeper ADP of 41 in SuperFlex rookie drafts.
Dylan Laube, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders elected to let star running back Josh Jacobs leave for the Packers in free agency this offseason, resulting in a change at the RB position in Las Vegas for 2024. Although Zamir White was already there to step up, the franchise also added former Viking Alexander Mattison and sixth-round rookie Dylan Laube.
Laube put up some excellent numbers at New Hampshire. He rushed for 1,205 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022 to go with 49 catches for 464 yards and two more scores. Last season, Laube had 749 rushing yards and nine rushing TDs in 10 games, plus 68 catches for 699 yards and seven scores through the air.
Laube is a real weapon as a receiver. He caught passes out of the backfield and out of the slot, where he ran quality routes. Laube's receiving prowess is what will get him his foot in the door of a real role in the NFL, although he was a threat no matter how he got the ball during his time in college.
Dylan Laube may be the biggest sleeper in the whole draft.. these highlights🔥
(@dylan_laube)
pic.twitter.com/ZY7rLFrPdt— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) May 15, 2024
As an athlete, Laube is solid but unremarkable. His Speed Score checks in at the 54th percentile, and he has a 68th-percentile Burst Score. Laube's 4.96 yards per carry a year ago against mostly FCS competition was not wondrous, but again, his primary value in the NFL should be as a receiving option on passing downs.
Laube managed to secure a spot on Las Vegas's 53-man roster entering the 2024 season. He has been competing with Ameer Abdullah for the RB3 role and some work on third downs. While White and Mattison are capable receivers as well, do not underestimate Laube's chances of carving out a niche of his own.
With a Sleeper ADP in SuperFlex rookie drafts of 47, Laube is available with almost no risk attached. The "late-round RB who establishes a major pass-catching role" archetype is tried and true. Stashing Laube in the fourth round of rookie drafts and hoping for a gradual increase in usage is a wise move.
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