Taking a chance on a rookie wide receiver in the later round of drafts could pay off in fantasy, especially when those wideouts went on Day 2 or Day 3 in the NFL Draft. Just look at what Amon-Ra St. Brown did as a rookie in 2021 and what Puka Nacua did last year in his first season.
Three wideouts who could fall under that category in 2024 are Luke McCaffrey, Jermaine Burton, and Malachi Corley. All three playmakers aren't being talked about a lot in drafts but could provide a ton of fantasy value right away in Year 1.
So, let's look at those three wideouts and their fantasy values this upcoming season.
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Luke McCaffrey 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
The Washington Commanders took a chance on McCaffrey, the brother of Christian McCaffrey, in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The wideout's versatility helped him fly up draft boards after he caught 71 passes for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final college season at Rice in 2023.
Luke McCaffrey receiving handoffs at Commanders Minicamp.
Already will be on the field in 3 WR sets- add in some manufactured touches and LMC’s Rookie Season production could exceed expectations.
An easy pick at ADP
(WR81 on @UnderdogFantasy )
— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) June 17, 2024
Now, McCaffrey goes to an offense that could struggle a bit this season with a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels under center. Still, the 23-year-old could see some involvement on offense right away, as he should open the season as the team's WR3 behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. However, it might be hard to rely on him in fantasy every week with Daniels as his quarterback.
Jermaine Burton 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Burton is in an interesting spot heading into his rookie season because he has a chance to shine right away. After the Bengals selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the former Alabama product should start the year as the team's WR3 behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
With Tyler Boyd leaving in free agency, Burton should see a nice role in Year 1. That makes him a solid target in the late round of fantasy drafts. He has an elite quarterback in Joe Burrow, and he should operate the starting slot position for Cincinnati in Week 1. So, he could be a great value pick at his current 187.9 ADP on a top-seven offense.
Malachi Corley 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
It's hard to imagine Corley not being fantasy-relevant in his first year in the NFL, especially in the second half of the season. For starters, the Jets traded up seven spots in the third round to take the explosive wideout at 65th overall. On top of that, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has stated multiple times that he loves the rookie's potential.
Malachi Corley is gonna bring it pic.twitter.com/mU7XrPdiLL
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 16, 2024
With Mike Williams also coming off a torn ACL, Corley could be much more involved early on than people think. He just totaled a combined 180 catches and 2,279 yards over his past two college seasons at Western Kentucky, and he now should be the Jets' WR3 in the slot to open the year. That makes him a sleeper pick in the later rounds.
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