2024 Fantasy Football Rookies - Day 3 Picks and Undrafted Free-Agent Sleepers

May 9, 2024

Mo Aneizi looks at a few fantasy football rookies who could make an impact in the 2024 season. Which later-round NFL rookies should you consider selecting?

As the post-NFL Draft buzz begins to wear down, fans get a better idea of how their squad will shape up this season and fantasy football managers can begin theorizing on how they plan on attacking their drafts in the coming months.

While there is plenty to be excited about from a fantasy perspective from this year’s rookie class, today we wanted to take a closer look at some later-round picks who might have a chance at some fantasy relevancy in their rookie campaigns.

Let's take a look at three potential sleepers you should consider drafting.

WR Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos

After drafting Oregon QB Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft, Denver traded up early in the fourth round to reunite him with his No. 1 WR receiver from his final year in college, Troy Franklin.

Franklin was considered a Round 3 talent but fell down the board just a bit in this year’s completely loaded WR class. The duo connected for 81 catches, 1,383 yards, and 14 touchdowns in their final season together in Eugene.

The Bo Nix & Troy Franklin connection carries on in Denver 💯
pic.twitter.com/fuUdELaiCk

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) April 30, 2024

After trading away WR Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns, the Broncos WR room is in need of a solid No. 2 option to pair alongside WR Courtland Sutton. The only other significant acquisition Denver made to try and replace Jeudy was the signing of Detroit Lions WR Josh Reynolds in free agency, who will likely be Franklin’s main competition for targets after Sutton.

Franklin’s speed, route running, YAC ability, preexisting chemistry with Nix, and opportunity to earn snaps in Denver’s incomplete WR room make him an interesting name to keep an eye on in fantasy football this season.

RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Staying in Eugene, another name to keep an eye on is former Oregon RB Bucky Irving, drafted 125th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The former Duck ran the ball 186 times for 1,180 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final season. While those are impressive numbers, that likely won’t be where he fits into Tampa’s offense next year. It’s his pass-catching ability that will play a role this season. Irving caught 56 balls for 413 yards and two touchdowns last season, the most receiving yards among all RBs in the Power 5 last season.

If there’s an under the radar - Kyren Williams type of back in the 2024 NFL Draft it’s Bucky Irving from Oregon. His 85 receptions the last two seasons were the most among RBs in FBS. pic.twitter.com/60heUJPM6q

— Kyle Lindemann (@LuckIsMadeFF) April 8, 2024

Now, he gets paired with current starting RB Rachaad White, who’s coming off a strong 2023 campaign. Although he did break out in the 2023 season, White landed in the top five in both carries and receptions amongst RBs. Head coach Todd Bowles and Co. may be looking into lowering his usage in 2024, which makes way for Irving.

On top of his high-end pass-catching ability, Irving brings impressive quickness and acceleration to the table, as seen by all his runs that went beyond the second level during his time at Oregon.

If utilized correctly, Irving’s skill set sets him up for some success during his upcoming rookie campaign. He’ll be a name to keep an eye on in the back end of PPR drafts this season.

WR Johnny Wilson, Philadelphia Eagles

Howie Roseman dug deep into the value bin drafting Florida State WR Johnny Wilson 185th overall in this year’s draft. At 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, Wilson would make for the tallest WR currently in the NFL. While some project that a move to tight end may be necessary, there have been no indications that is what Philly plans to do with the former Seminole.

He racked up 617 yards on 41 catches in 10 games played in his final season in Tallahassee, playing alongside WR Keon Coleman, who was drafted 33rd overall by the Buffalo Bills.

Wilson has excellent speed for his size, a huge catch radius, and his physical presence makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing secondaries.

NEW #FlyEaglesFly WR Johnny Wilson has RARE size
(Percentile/rank, WR last 25 years)

Wingspan: 84.5” (𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐭𝐡%) (𝟏𝐬𝐭)
Height: 6’6 3/8” (𝟗𝟗𝐭𝐡%) (𝟐𝐧𝐝)
Arm Length: 35 3/8” (𝟗𝟗𝐭𝐡%) (𝟑𝐫𝐝)
Weight: 231 Pounds (𝟗𝟕𝐭𝐡%) (T-21st)
Hand Size: 10.0” (𝟖𝟕𝐭𝐡%)… pic.twitter.com/TTrTk1uZKf

— Clay Fink (@clay_fink) April 27, 2024

As for the situation he’s in, the Eagles already have a strong one-two combo in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, so Wilson’s best shot at fantasy relevancy will be to compete for the WR3 role with the likes of Parris Campbell and DeVante Parker.

While high-end volume likely isn’t on the table, Wilson’s fantasy success could come by way of the red zone. With his size and coordination, he makes for an extremely useful red-zone target, which could become his niche inside of Philly’s passing game this season.

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