NFL Rookies That Flopped - Early Fantasy Football Outlooks for 2025

The NFL is a tough business. While it is always exciting to watch young rookies enter the league and succeed immediately, the reality is that most players require at least a year or two of development before they pan out and start producing for fantasy football.

Some players seem like surefire successes and flop, while others fly under the radar and succeed. Team fit, work ethic, and opportunities are the true driving forces behind successful NFL careers. As such, there is a lot of variability in NFL success.

There were several rookies who were expected to succeed in 2024 and were able to step up to the plate. However, a handful of players fell short of expectations in their inaugural season. Let's check out ten rookies who fell short of expectations in 2024.

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Xavier Legette, WR, Carolina Panthers

Xavier Legette was an older rookie who had a late breakout in college. Even so, he stepped into an opportunity to claim the No. 1 wide receiver role in Carolina this season.

The Panthers' offense was up and down, with both Bryce Young and Andy Dalton behind center in 2024. However, 34-year-old Adam Thielen enjoyed success. Even the disgruntled Diontae Johnson was a WR1 for a few weeks in this offense.

To be fair, Legette flashed potential with a couple of solid games throughout the season. He could never earn a consolidated target share, even once Young began playing excellent football down the stretch of the season. Legette will have one more chance to claim his place as the top dog on this offense, but his 497-yard and four-touchdown rookie stat line is uninspiring.

Best plays of Xavier Legette from 2024 pic.twitter.com/9h30nOjNzt

— IAmWestsideFetti 💙🖤🤟🏾 (@4MR_Fetti) January 15, 2025

MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Green Bay Packers

MarShawn Lloyd had a bad case of the injury bug in 2024. He would ultimately appear in one game and he never looked quite right in that appearance.

Lloyd generated a lot of buzz in training camp. Given how head coach Matt LaFleur tends to deploy multiple running backs, there was a path to fantasy relevance for Lloyd during his rookie year.

If Lloyd can get healthy this season, he may have another shot at that opportunity. Starter Josh Jacobs is not getting any younger. He has a lot of tread on his tires and needs a legitimate No. 2 option behind him. Lloyd could be worth a late-round flier in 2025 fantasy drafts.

Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills

The No. 1 wide receiver job in Buffalo was right there for the taking for the No. 33 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Coleman was unable to seize the moment as injuries and offensive philosophy limited his rookie year.

Despite a lack of eye-popping stats (29 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns), Coleman flashed high-end talent throughout the season. His 19.2 average yards per catch was excellent, if not unsustainable. He also missed four games, so his total receiving line could have been over 700 yards.

The Bills will likely add someone to the wide receiver room this offseason, which could benefit Coleman. The jury is still out as to whether he can be a fantasy star. Perhaps having a quality receiver on the other side of the field will take attention away from Coleman and allow him to produce. Coleman is worth keeping an eye on in all formats, with Josh Allen slinging him the rock.

KEON. COLEMAN. ROOKIE. SEASON. HIGHLIGHTS. pic.twitter.com/gDv7HSFVFT

— BillsMuse (@BillsMusee) January 31, 2025

Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

Trey Benson is a highly talented running back who was touted as potentially being the No. 1 back over Jonathon Brooks in the 2024 NFL Draft class. Unfortunately, Benson has a James Conner problem.

Conner continues to be the heart and soul of the Cardinals' offense. As long as Conner is healthy, the offense runs through him. Benson was merely a complement in 2024.

Benson's path to fantasy relevance is likely through a Conner injury. Conner was extended by the Cardinals in 2024. Unless his production falls off a cliff, Conner will likely continue to stave off the second-year man out of Florida State.

Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears

As the third wideout taken in a loaded wide receiver class in 2024, Rome Odunze was expected to do a lot more than catch 54 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns. Odunze did manage 101 targets. He had an abysmal catch percentage of 53 percent.

The path to greatness for Odunze is clear. With the likely departure of Keenan Allen this offseason, Odunze should step into a clear No. 2 role behind DJ Moore. Odunze began developing a solid rapport with Caleb Williams towards the end of the season. If Williams can take a step forward, so will Odunze.

The talent is there for Odunze, and the onus is now on the Bears' offense as a whole to support the quality weapons in place.

Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams was the victim of high expectations during his rookie season. He would be higher on the list if he was not a quarterback. With Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Cole Kmet in place as pass catchers, many expected Williams to succeed. Unfortunately, rookie quarterback success is a result of many more factors.

The Bears did not put a solid offensive line or the right coaching around Williams. Additionally, Williams has several flaws he needs to work through, such as his frantic nature in the pocket when plays break down.

On a positive note, Williams finished as the QB16 with a 20:5 touchdown to interception ratio. Unfortunately, many fantasy managers expected Williams to be a top-10 quarterback in 2024. With Ben Johnson hired as the Bears' new head coach, the arrow is certainly pointing up. It is up to Williams to take the next step.

Blake Corum, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Anyone who thought Blake Corum would steal work from the incumbent Kyren Williams was sorely mistaken. Despite all the coach speak suggesting otherwise, Williams would dominate the running back touches in the Rams' backfield.

Corum finished the season with 58 carries for 207 yards in a backup role. The Rams have displayed with their actions over the last few seasons that they are committed to using Williams as a high-volume running back.

Unless there is a significant coaching change in Los Angeles, this appears to be a situation in which Corum will only hold fantasy value if Williams is injured or leaves the Rams in any capacity.

Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers

Brooks entered the league while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college. He was widely viewed as the No. 1 running back in the 2024 NFL Draft class, which was reflected by his selection in the second round.

Due to the injury, Brooks was unable to take the field until November. He would subsequently tear the ACL in the same knee a month later.

Brooks is still only 21-years-old. However, it seems unlikely that he will be able to suit up in 2025. ACL injuries are not the nail in the coffin they once were, but tearing the same knee twice in as many seasons suggests that Brooks may never claim significant fantasy value.

Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, New England Patriots

While Ja'Lynn Polk may not have had the same expectations as others on this list, his excellent opportunity and subsequent extreme lack of production were undeniably terrible. Polk stepped into a wide receiver room in desperate need of a No. 1 option. Despite a solid college career and second-round draft capital, Polk was unable to assume the mantle in New England.

Polk only finished with 12 receptions for 87 yards in 14 games in 2024. He did manage two touchdowns but he was far from useful for fantasy purposes. Polk will return to a team this season that is likely to add another name to the wide receiver room.

Despite a promising young quarterback in Drake Maye in place for Polk, it feels like Polk's fantasy value is likely to fade. His inability to eclipse 100 receiving yards on the season or even see significant playing time is highly worrisome.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals

Marvin Harrison Jr. literally stands tall as the biggest rookie bust relative to expectations in 2024. As the best wide receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson, Harrison was drafted as a WR1 in many fantasy football leagues. The recent success of Justin Jefferson, Puka Nacua, and Ja'Marr Chase inflated Harrison's value.

Let's be clear: Harrison did not have a poor season for a rookie. He caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. That amounted to an inconsistent WR30 finish on the season. That is not a bad place to be for a rookie. However, many had high expectations for the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Harrison's future prospects are still positive. He has a quality quarterback in Kyler Murray, and he should be a top-2 option in what projects to be a solid offense. Frankly, an improvement in his chemistry with Murray should do Harrison a lot of good.

Harrison only caught 62 of 116 targets on the season. That is an abysmal catch rate. At times, Murray and Harrison were visibly frustrated with each other. These guys simply could not figure out how to connect. If Harrison could inch his catch rate up from 53 percent to approximately 70 percent, we would be having a different conversation. A 70 percent catch rate would still put Harrison around 80th in the league.

Fantasy managers should stay patient with Harrison. He is a cautionary tale that we cannot over-inflate rookies at any position. It did not work out how we wanted in 2024, but there is a huge space for improvement in 2025.

Only 58% of Marvin Harrison Jr’s targets were catchable this season 🗑️

58% of his targets = 67 targets

He had 62 receptions & 5 drops. Meaning he dropped 7% of his catchable targets.

He caught 93% of his catchable targets.

KYLER MURRAY NEEDS TO IMPROVE‼️ pic.twitter.com/sxi2VKwtLG

— PPRFantasyTips (@PPRFantasyTips) January 31, 2025

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