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Justin looks at five early sleepers for fantasy football rookie drafts in 2024. These are players going after the first round in early rookie drafts.
It's time for dynasty fantasy football players to turn their attention to next season and the upcoming rookie class.
While most rookie drafts will wait until after the NFL Draft when we know the landing spot for rookies, that isn't always the case. Some leagues do early drafts before we have all the information about where a player will go.
Below are five early rookie sleepers for 2024 rookie drafts. These players have ADPs outside the first round in rookie drafts. This article is specifically looking at one-quarterback leagues, not Superflex.
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Xavier Legette - Wide Receiver, South Carolina
South Carolina's Xavier Legette might be the most interesting player in this draft class because it's just so hard to get a read on who he really is as a player.
If you're going by what he showed in 2023, Legette might be one of the best wide receivers in this class, an elite talent who can win in all phases of the game. The problem is that he really only had one real season of production at the college level. Of his 1,678 career receiving yards and 12 career touchdowns, 1,255 yards and seven of those touchdowns came this season.
Was it just a case of Legette not getting enough snaps earlier in his collegiate career? Maybe! He has the look of an elite No. 1 receiver and showed great speed for the Gamecocks this season, which aren't things you can teach. He might have just needed a shot. He got it, and he was impressive. If that growth continues, he'll be a great NFL receiver.
Blake Corum - Running Back, Michigan
People should be talking more about Blake Corum heading into the NFL Draft after he scored 27 rushing touchdowns for the Wolverines last season, bringing him up to 58 rushing scores in his college career.
There's a lot that Corum does well as a running back. He sees the field expertly and just seems to have this great awareness of where he needs to go. He isn't the fastest guy on the field, but he's a strong player who can pass block and who will be able to find holes in the defense.
On the other hand, there are some concerns. Corum doesn't have ideal size. He's a little on the older side for a running back prospect. He isn't some physical specimen. Still, I'd bet on the positives outweighing the negatives.
Bo Nix - Quarterback, Oregon
There are a couple of can't-miss quarterbacks in this class, but there's also a talented second-tier at the position. One of those players is Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, who is coming off of a huge 2023 season for the Ducks, throwing 45 touchdowns to just three interceptions while completing 77.4% of his throws.
Sure, it's worth noting that he made a lot of easy throws and that the throws won't be quite as easy at the NFL level, but Nix's accuracy and the strong way he held up under pressure last season are big pluses. He's also a really good athlete and can make plays with his legs.
The knock against Nix is that he needs a perfect situation to help him process things, plus he's already on the older end of prospects. He might end up in a Gardner Minshew type of situation where he's not a long-term NFL starter, but he gets a few seasons as a starter and posts some good numbers in those situations.
Cody Schrader - Running Back, Missouri
Cody Schrader has taken a weird route to get to the NFL. He started his college career at Division II Truman State before transferring to Mizzou, where he walked on with the Tigers. After a solid first season with the Tigers, Schrader broke out in 2023, rushing 276 times for 1,627 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 22 catches for 191 yards.
Schrader is a tough runner. He's not going to run away from a defense, but in the right scheme, he could grind out some yards and help the short-run game. That's not to say he doesn't have some quickness, though. If he can get past the initial tackler, he can make things happen at the next level. In the right situation, he can be a valuable early-down back, even if he doesn't profile to be someone who is on the field for every snap.
Jacob Cowing - Wide Receiver, Arizona
Jacob Cowing, who began his career at UTEP, spent the past two seasons at Arizona, where he proved to be one of the best slot receivers in the country. The hope here is that his ability to make plays out of the slot can help him overcome concerns about his frame and his ability to make contested catches.
Considering Cowing's likely going to be going in the fourth round or so in rookie drafts, this is a bet I'm willing to take. If he can get into space, he can use his quickness to make plays. Hopefully, he lands in a pass-oriented offense where he can make an impact as the No. 3 receiver.
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