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Should fantasy football players draft Garrett Wilson or Puka Nacua during their 2024 fantasy drafts? Joel Smyth examines the case for both star wide receivers.
The talent is unquestioned; however, the situations since being drafted have heavily varied in the early careers of Garrett Wilson and Puka Nacua.
Both receivers are in the consensus top 10 among fantasy wideouts in early ADP. One has proven to have WR1 production in 2023, while the other’s potential has been slowed by no fault of his own.
As we head into a new season with high expectations, which receiver should fantasy players prefer at the end of Round 1?
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Garrett Wilson’s 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Logic tells us that when a special talent like Wilson is targeted fourth most in the NFL, he will be a top-four fantasy wide receiver. The problem is he had no quarterback five minutes into the season, resulting in a WR31 fantasy finish in Year 2.
There should be no reason for his target-share changes, including his second-best air yards and end-zone target share. If Rodgers is healthy, the Jets won’t repeat as 32nd in touchdown passes, while Wilson’s numbers will finally level with his talent.
more of this pls@AaronRodgers12 ➡️ @GarrettWilson_V pic.twitter.com/CTSAYQI016
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 20, 2024
Puka Nacua 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook
Everyone is asking who the next Puka Nacua is. The answer is simple. Nobody. Please, stop. As a fifth-round rookie, Nacua broke nearly every rookie receiving record, finishing as WR4, as everyone surely expected.
Although he has no shortage of ability, he greatly benefited from quarterback play, ranking second in catchable target percentage, the opposite of Wilson’s story. There is still little worry, as Nacua’s situation has remained almost identical with minimal additions and an aging Cooper Kupp.
Wide Receiver first downs and yards dating back to 2010
Puka Nacua sheesh pic.twitter.com/PLnoiAfDaS
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) March 25, 2024
Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football?
I’ll say this. Wilson has the better chance of being the overall WR1. But there’s a saying I swear by. You can’t win in the first round, but you can certainly lose.
Wilson’s upside comes with extreme risk due to being completely reliant on the play of a 40-year-old quarterback coming off of an Achilles injury (not to mention following a mediocre season in 2022). Conversely, the Rams star is high volume, non-TD reliant, and in a safe, efficient Sean McVay offense. Give me Nacua by a hair.
Puka Nacua was pre-draft scouted with negatives of not being explosive or having deep field speed to separate from NFL level defenders.
Puka Nacua controls his own narrative. That’s speed!
😤💨💨 pic.twitter.com/NTuw8crti5
— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 4, 2023
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