Fantasy Football Rookie Wide Receivers You Must Have In 2024

Fantasy football drafts take place all year long, but they begin to ramp up even more following free agency and the NFL Draft. 2024 is no different, and drafting four months before Week 1 arrives gives fantasy managers competitive advantages and discounts on potential sleepers.

Being knowledgeable about the incoming rookie class is one of the most significant edges fantasy managers can have, as people often avoid first-year players due to uncertainty and lack of NFL game logs or fantasy football stats to look back on. These rookies are often cheap to acquire, meaning you won't have to sacrifice established studs to select them.

In this article, we'll cover three rookie wide receivers you must have in 2024 fantasy football. While early draft choices like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers have strong fantasy outlooks in Year 1, they're obvious draft targets and are bigger gambles given their costs in drafts. That said, we'll focus more on bargain-bin sleepers with upside. Let's dive in!

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Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

Despite a mediocre production profile in college, Los Angeles selected former Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey with the 34th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The team was rumored to be in the market for Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers thanks to their dire need at the position, but they ultimately invested in Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt in Round 1.

With Mike Williams and Keenan Allen out of town, McConkey can compete for the WR1 role in Justin Herbert's offense right away. Sure, the Chargers are expected to deploy a more run-heavy approach under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, but there's no scenario in which Herbert's go-to receiver will not be a key fantasy contributor.

The 22-year-old is a savvy route runner with above-average explosiveness and his 4.39 forty-yard dash time at the NFL combine proves he is more than just a "quick" and "twitchy" prospect.

While playing in a run-first Bulldogs offense that featured Zamir White and James Cook and sharing the field with studs like Brock Bowers, Adonai Mitchell, and Jermaine Burton at different points of his college career, he was used as a do-it-all offensive weapon for the two-time National Champions. In 39 games from 2021 to 2023, McConkey racked up 1,687 receiving yards, 216 rushing yards, 294 return yards, and 18 total touchdowns.

Ladd McConkey at Georgia
70.3% of snaps lined up outside
60 receptions
6 touchdowns

29.6% lined up in the slot
54 receptions
8 touchdown
Versatile for the #Chargers pic.twitter.com/08t6LVyPhy

— ChargersMuse (@ChargersMuse) May 4, 2024

His versatility resembles that of former Florida Gators star Percy Harvin, and his situation is perfect. He has a high-end quarterback, expensive draft capital, and weak target competition in Quentin Johnson, DJ Chark, and Josh Palmer, and the organization should finally have a sense of stability under Harbaugh.

He's being priced as a mid-level WR5 in early fantasy drafts, but a high-end WR3 finish as a rookie is within reach. He's a strong mid-round option to occupy flex or WR3 slots.

Malachi Corley, New York Jets

If you love college production, third-round New York Jets receiver Malachi Corley has what you're looking for. After a quiet freshman season at Western Kentucky, Corley racked up 73 receptions for 691 yards and seven touchdowns as a 19-year-old sophomore.

He then exploded onto the scene in his junior campaign and followed it up with another big season in 2023. Over his last two seasons, he racked up 180 receptions for 2,277 yards and 22 touchdowns and brought his yards per reception figure up thanks to high-end YAC skills.

Instant response from @WKUFootball! ⚡️

Malachi Corley breaks a tackle and takes it 70 yards to the house! 🏠

📺: @espn pic.twitter.com/KoaVsiFLDy

— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) October 6, 2023

The two-time First-Team Conference USA selection runs with attitude and refuses to be tackled by the first defender. Although his 4.56 forty-time is far from elite, it's adequate given his overall skill set.

Now, he'll get to line up next to Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams (knee) while catching passes from future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles). While it's tough to know what to expect from Rodgers after a devastating injury in Week 1 of last season, he should remain one of the most accurate passers and facilitators in the NFL. Since Corley can do damage from anywhere on the field, his quarterback situation should not be a concern. While Williams is eased into action following his 2023 ACL tear, Corley has a legitimate shot to operate as the No. 2 target behind Wilson.

The Jets were furiously looking to trade up into the second round to acquire Corley before ultimately trading up to the first pick in the third round and landing him. If he had been a second-round selection, the fantasy football community would be higher on him.

Jets released footage of Joe Douglas attempting to trade up for Malachi Corley multiple times, until he finally got a deal done with Carolina

(Jets were also considering Roman Wilson. And Douglas was very excited the Colts drafted AD Mitchell) pic.twitter.com/TNuybZgs7c

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) May 1, 2024

He's going outside the top 200 overall players in recent fantasy drafts, so he's a risk-free dart throw oozing with upside.

Jermaine Burton, Cincinnati Bengals

Jermaine Burton did not land in an ideal situation for immediate fantasy production, but he's still a must-have as a high-upside "handcuff" wide receiver in traditional fantasy formats. In best ball setups, he sees at least a slight value increase.

The 22-year-old field-stretcher failed to break out as a freshman or sophomore at Georgia, but he became a dangerous weapon in the Alabama offense in 2022 and 2023. Burton caught 79 passes for 1,475 yards and 15 touchdowns during his time in Tuscaloosa, and his whopping 20.5 yards per reception as a senior combined with his elite burst score and 4.45 forty-time likely elevated him into a Day 2 NFL Draft selection.

8 receptions, 186 yards, and 2 TDs for Jermaine Burton through three quarters 🤩pic.twitter.com/TdTFOcaiG4

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) October 7, 2023

Like the other players on this list, Burton hit the jackpot in terms of his quarterback situation. Joe Burrow battled injuries all of last season, forcing him to be a limited downfield passer, but as long as he's fully ready to go when the 2024 campaign rolls around, nobody should be concerned.

Everything points toward Tee Higgins remaining with the Bengals in 2024, so Burton is capped in the WR3 role behind him and Ja'Marr Chase as things stand. That said, Higgins has missed nine games over the last three seasons and barely played in a couple more. Chase has missed six games since his stellar rookie season. Injuries always have and will happen, meaning there could be a window where Burton is elevated into the No. 2 role. This is what makes him a great stash in all formats. Higgins could be gone before the 2025 campaign, so he's also a strong stash in dynasty.

Burton is unlikely to command consistent volume and become a "sit and forget" fantasy option, but even with Higgins and Chase on the field, he'll have chances to deliver chunk plays and deep touchdowns that will make him worth a late-round selection in best ball. He's going after players like Elijah Moore and Rashod Bateman in drafts, making him a cheap sleeper and easy drop if he does not deliver by midseason.

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