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John Johnson breaks down fantasy football rookie sleepers and risers for Week 9 of 2024. Which NFL rookies from 2024 could be fantasy football league winners?
Eight weeks of NFL action have officially passed, and the pool of rookies who can make an impact in fantasy football and can be acquired for good value is thinning. We've seen many freshman players break out and still sustain their production, causing their trade value to skyrocket.
Players like Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving have solidified themselves as consistent contributors, and it's too late to get them for cheap. However, there are yet more players who haven't been discussed who could make an impact.
So who are some rookies who you should try to pick up or trade for? Are there any who should be ignored?
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Pick Up Now: Xavier Legette
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette (toe) has a big opportunity to step up after the team's WR1, Diontae Johnson, was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Legette hasn't shown a ton this season outside of a few highlight-reel touchdown catches (and great celebrations), but he should see more work moving forward.
Xavier Legette has the best signature TD celebration in recent memory pic.twitter.com/OdWC0eFlvS
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) October 27, 2024
He has a ridiculous athletic profile, having run a 4.39 40-yard dash at 227 pounds. If he can polish his route-running skills and head coach Dave Canales can continue to scheme ways to get him open and in space, he could have excellent upside. He hasn't produced much yet, but the QB situation has been murky.
If that can sort itself out and the next player on the list can come back, this offense can get more going and be consistent, which should help out the 23-year-old massively.
Speculatively Pick Up: Jalen Coker
The subject of a ridiculous amount of X hype, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker appears set to take on a bigger role after Johnson's departure as well. He wasn't drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, though. Undrafted WRs have an incredibly low rate of success.
"The kid from Holy Cross is a hell of a route runner."@SteveSmithSr89 knew (before the draft) that Jalen Coker had all the tools to be successful 🤩 pic.twitter.com/jWFasrL94g
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) October 29, 2024
But it's just a fact that sometimes NFL teams miss. Sometimes all of them whiff, multiple times, on a good player. There may be good reasons, there may not, but that doesn't mean Coker can't end up being a solid contributor to fantasy teams, especially in deeper leagues.
🚨🚨🚨JALEN COKER IS ABOVE AN 80+ PFF RECEIVING GRADE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL🚨🚨🚨 https://t.co/tKRcpL8ima pic.twitter.com/JnzyENOHhb
— Ron Stewart (@RonStewart_) October 28, 2024
It's a very small sample size (just 12 receptions on the season), but the results are promising. Many rosters won't have room for him, he could take time to break out, or he could fail to have much of an impact at all, but generally things like high PFF grades and advanced stats that pop are leading indicators of a bigger role.
Buy Jalen Coker
He has 12 receptions on 15 targets for 186 yards and a touchdown
Panthers quarterbacks have a 112.8 rating when throwing to him and Average 13 air yards per pass which is the best of any passer-receiver rating on the team.
— Football Fanatics (@FFB_Fanatics) October 30, 2024
New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard wasn't drafted. These things do happen. Ironically, he's a solid pro comp for Coker. It will take improvement from second-year QB Bryce Young to make the rookie WR from Holy Cross a fantasy asset, but wilder things have occurred.
Buy Now: Jonathon Brooks
It looks like we may finally get to see him in action. It's been a long time coming. Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) logged two full practices on Wednesday and Thursday. He's rostered in 72% of leagues, and the buy window is closing. It may last a few more weeks, though.
Jonathon Brooks fully practiced today 👀
We expect him to see game action on Sunday.
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) October 30, 2024
He'll play in the offense that made Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White the RB4 in full-PPR scoring in 2023. Some offensive minds are just dynamite for fantasy running back production, like Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Panthers HC Canales.
In PPR, Brooks still has a legitimate league-winning upside if he gets a decent role, and he could be a nice RB2 for struggling teams down the stretch. He can likely be picked up for cheap. Many fantasy managers are disillusioned with how long it's taken for Brooks to even return to practice.
Pick Up With Extreme Urgency: Drake Maye
Despite two solid performances in his first two starts, New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye (concussion) can still be traded for cheap and even be picked up off waivers in some leagues. He's just 23% rostered on Sleeper, which is absurd. He has easy top-12 QB potential when healthy.
DRAKE MAYE RUNS IT IN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!!!! pic.twitter.com/e0C6oKbGgJ
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) October 27, 2024
Outrunning a linebacker who was staring him down for a 17-yard touchdown rush is NOT something you should ignore. The freshman signal-caller's rushing ability is incredibly underrated. He's a locked-in QB1 for the rest of the season. He has massive upside and could end up putting up numbers similar to Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels.
If he's available in your league, pick him up immediately. He's a potential league winner available for free. The negative game scripts he's likely to play in due to New England's poor defensive play add to his sky-high upside.
Still Worth Trading For: Tyrone Tracy Jr.
While New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (concussion) has already broken out, there may be a small buy window if he's not able to suit up for this week's game. In addition, his price would still be worth it if he's truly set to become the workhorse RB for New York.
TYRONE TRACY JR. 🔥
A 45-YARD TOUCHDOWN TO KEEP THE GIANTS IN IT 😤 #NYGvsPIT | ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/MRLgsnavoq
— ESPN (@espn) October 29, 2024
It wasn't entirely surprising to see him play very well against the Seattle Seahawks and Cincinnati Bengals in Weeks 5 and 6, respectively, and he had a down game in a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, but his dominance of the backfield touches has been surprising, especially since starter Devin Singletary played well in his first few games.
He has juice. He brings a different element to this offense, and he can probably still be acquired for an underperforming big-name player. It's probably worth it at this point. Even after big performances, typically rookies drafted in the later rounds have values that take longer to rise.
Stash As Handcuff: Isaac Guerendo
San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo has already broken out, and he's a third-string player, so it's a bit of a difficult situation. When lead back Christian McCaffrey returns, Guerendo will just be a handcuff. It's hard to see him getting significant volume when an All-Pro and one of the best players ever at his position is healthy again.
Check if Isaac Guerendo cleared waivers
He’s on Bye this week so he may have been overlooked
Guerendo is *currently* the healthiest 49ers RB
2 games with 10+ touches over last 3 weeks, Guerendo is averaging 7.6 yards per carry, 14.5 PPR points per gamepic.twitter.com/yUlkzHyGwG
— Colin McTamany (@Colin_McT) October 30, 2024
That said, all CMC owners should stash the freshman back. He has league-winning upside if he gets the full-time role, and he's appeared to outplay second-string back Jordan Mason in limited action. Unfortunately, there's not a ton of upside if Mason continues to be the lead back in case of a McCaffrey injury.
Had the former Louisville Cardinal speedster gone to a different team, we'd be singing a different tune. He will be a fantastic fantasy draft pick if and when CMC leaves the team.
So What Should I Do If I Want To Win My League?
Make moves for these guys if your situation permits it. It's that simple. Until next time.
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