Top Impact Rookie WRs for Fantasy Football Drafts

August 18, 2024

Joey looks at fantasy football rookie wide receiver sleepers and draft values for 2024. These NFL rookie sleepers will make immediate fantasy impacts in year 1.

Every season, there are rookie wide receivers who make an immediate impact in fantasy football. In 2022, both Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave crossed the 1,000-yard receiving mark and finished top-25 in PPR formats in their rookie season.

In 2023, Puka Nacua, Jayden Reed, and Rashee Rice emerged as strong fantasy options in Year 1. Nacua finished as the WR4 in PPR formats, while Reed and Rice both finished inside the top-30. In 2024, look for more rookie wide receivers to become consistent fantasy options throughout the season.

So, which rookie wide receivers will make an immediate impact in the NFL in 2024 and become fantasy-relevant in their first year? Let's dive in and find out.

Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals

Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was one of the best prospects to enter the 2024 NFL Draft. Harrison totaled over 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in each of his last two college seasons at Ohio State. Those two dominant seasons helped Harrison become a top-five pick in this year's draft.

With the Arizona Cardinals needing a WR1 following the departure of Marquise Brown in free agency, they took the best wide receiver in the class in Harrison fourth overall. Now, the electric playmaker will step into a situation in Arizona, where he will be heavily featured in the passing game. He should be the team's WR1 and see plenty of targets every game, with Kyler Murray as his quarterback.

High praise for Cardinals new WR standout Marvin Harrison Jr. 😤 pic.twitter.com/8ycEIzGafT

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) August 7, 2024

Harrison landed in one of the best spots for a rookie wide receiver in the draft. He should be the main target for Murray in 2024, which definitely increases his fantasy value in Year 1. The Cardinals quarterback has also supported a top-five fantasy wide receiver before (DeAndre Hopkins in 2020), so there is potential for the 22-year-old to post big numbers in fantasy this season. 

That's why Harrison finds himself going early in the second round of 2024 fantasy football drafts. Like any rookie, there is some risk in taking him this high in drafts. But he is one of the safer rookie picks this year. He has a good quarterback in Murray throwing him passes, and he should garner somewhere between 125 and 150 targets in Year 1. As a result, don't hesitate to take the former Ohio State star that early in drafts. Fantasy managers will soon see why he was a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Malik Nabers, New York Giants

Malik Nabers showed why he was one of the best wide receivers in college last season, as he totaled 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final college season at LSU. Those 1,569 yards ranked second in Division I, only behind Rome Odunze. And Nabers' 14 touchdowns last season ranked third. 

The New York Giants then selected Nabers with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While many hated that landing spot for the talented rookie, there is potential for him to be a consistent fantasy option right away in Year 1. For starters, he should be a target hog in his first season in the league. Despite the quarterback play being suspect, Daniel Jones should lean on his new wideout early and often in the passing game. 

That has surely been the case in training camp, as Nabers caught 17-of-18 passes in the team's joint practice against the Detroit Lions just a couple of weeks ago. Of course, Jones has struggled through the air over the past few seasons, including in 2023, before a torn ACL knocked him out for the season. But just two years ago, in 2022, he ranked first in true completion percentage (75.7%), fifth in accuracy rating (8.0), and eighth in true passer rating (94). 

Rookie WR Malik Nabers is basically unstoppable. #giants #lions pic.twitter.com/uUJSgQfWjK

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 6, 2024

Jones doesn't have to be anywhere near elite in order for Nabers to be a strong fantasy option in Year 1. However, the rookie is the best wideout Jones has had in his career, and that should make things easier for the 27-year-old quarterback. Don't be afraid of drafting the former LSU product in fantasy in 2024 because of who is throwing him passes. Nabers will see more than enough targets to be a fantasy WR2. The 21-year-old playmaker is just too talented.

Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs

The last wide receiver who will find himself making a big fantasy impact in his first season is Xavier Worthy. The speedy wideout produced solid numbers in all three of his college seasons at Texas, combining for 197 catches, 2,755 yards, and 26 touchdowns. In 2021, as a true freshman, Worthy caught 62 passes for 981 yards and 12 touchdowns before wrapping up his college career by totaling 75 catches for 1,014 yards last year. 

Not only did Worthy have the college numbers to be a high pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he then ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.21 seconds) at the NFL Combine in early March. That skyrocketed his draft stock, and the Kansas City Chiefs eventually took him with the 28th overall pick.

That landing spot for Worthy is arguably the best spot for his fantasy value in 2024. He will be catching passes from the best quarterback in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes, and he should find himself with plenty of opportunities right away. Brown just injured his shoulder in the team's first preseason game, which puts him at risk of missing the beginning of the season. Additionally, Rashee Rice could face discipline from the league for his involvement in a car crash earlier this offseason.

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has high praise for former #Texas WR Xavier Worthy.

"He does a great job. He's fast, but it's almost like he can run fast, but he can run with pace, fast. He's able to track the ball really well, he runs a lot of great routes, and he's going to get… pic.twitter.com/2oC6SHMGDe

— Blake Munroe (@BlakeMunroeOTF) August 8, 2024

As a result, Worthy should see playing time right away. Even if both Brown and Rice are available in Week 1, the rookie should still see a starting role as the Chiefs' WR3. His speed in this offense with Mahomes as his quarterback is something fantasy managers shouldn't overlook this season. So, there's a strong chance the former Texas product is a worthy flex play throughout the year.

LIKE ROTOBALLER?

CLICK HERE, ENTER ROTOBALLER.COM, THEN CHECK THE BOX

More Fantasy Football Analysis