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While Luke McCaffrey and Malachi Corley came from non-Power 5 schools, they will have a chance to succeed in the NFL. Both wide receivers were selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with Corley going off the board 35 spots earlier (65th overall) than McCaffrey.
Corley will join the New York Jets, a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since the 2010 AFC Championship Game. He will field passes from four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers and line up alongside Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is facing high expectations, given his family's football success. He will bring his talents to the Washington Commanders, a team that might have a rookie starting quarterback in Jayden Daniels. McCaffrey will share catches with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson.
While both rookie wideouts can contribute to their team's cause, which can offer more upside in fantasy football for the 2024 NFL season?
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Malachi Corley Fantasy Football Outlook
Corley steadily delivered in his last two seasons with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. During his redshirt sophomore year (2022), he had 101 receptions for 1,295 yards and 11 touchdowns. A year later, he had 79 catches and a 69.9 percent catch rate, per PlayerProfiler. He finished his college football career with 984 yards and 11 touchdowns.
As he joins the Jets, he will likely be the third option during passing plays. However, he should get more playing time because the Jets used three-wide sets 75.1 percent of the time last year. His role on the Jets offense could increase depending on Williams' availability.
Jets WR coach Shawn Jefferson (who was a heck of a receiver himself) working with rookie WR Malachi Corley today at an OTA practice. #GoTops pic.twitter.com/1KDA7ZFqyc
— Dan Leberfeld (@jetswhispers) June 4, 2024
While Williams could be ready to go in Week 1, his health remains a concern. If the former Los Angeles Chargers standout will be out of action for some games, Corley can become the second-best wideout behind Wilson.
But barring any injury to Williams, RotoBaller's Nick Mariano sees some modest production in Corley's rookie season. Mariano projected Corley to finish with 39 receptions for 450 yards and three touchdowns, which could increase depending on how opposing defenses will cover Wilson and Williams.
Luke McCaffrey Fantasy Football Outlook
McCaffrey became a viable NFL prospect after switching from quarterback to wide receiver. In his last two seasons with the Rice Owls, Christian McCaffrey's younger brother had 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 19 touchdowns. Luke McCaffrey had a 28.8 percent target share and 57.3 percent catch rate in his final year at Rice.
He will join a Commanders offense that used three-wide sets 77 percent of the time last season. However, that number could change based on Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid system.
Luke McCaffrey has reportedly been taking snaps at RB at Commanders practices.
The Commanders have seen what his brother Christian can do, and couldn’t resist.
Luke has reportedly been a standout at Commanders minicamp and should reportedly play a “significant” role this… pic.twitter.com/kGDvtmj56K
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) June 15, 2024
However, McLaurin and Dotson's presence will limit McCaffrey's production. McLaurin is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Meanwhile, Dotson is finally healthy after playing all 17 regular-season games last year.
If the production of McLaurin and Dotson remains steady, McCaffrey will find it challenging to produce steady numbers. That's why RotoBaller's Nick Mariano projects him to finish with 34 catches for 385 yards and two touchdowns.
Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football?
In addition to questions surrounding Williams' availability, Corley will play with a proven quarterback in Rodgers. The Jets know what they are getting from the Super Bowl XLV-winning quarterback, even if he is coming off a season-ending Achilles tear.
Conversely, the Commanders' quarterback situation is still up in the air. While 2024 second overall pick Jayden Daniels could be their starting QB, it remains to be seen if he will deliver Heisman Trophy-level performances in the NFL.
Since a wide receiver's success heavily depends on quarterback play, it isn't surprising that Corley's fantasy football rankings are higher than McCaffrey's. National Fantasy Championship has Corley's ADP at 228.53 and McCaffrey's at 276.56. RotoBaller has Corley WR80 and 208th overall, while McCaffrey is WR99 and 271st overall.
However, even if Corley has an advantage in delivering better fantasy football numbers, their ADPs make them fringe fantasy options. While there are better options at WR3, Corley is the better pick in 2024.
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