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With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, it's time to delve into the long list of undrafted players and determine if any of them have fantasy value.
Last season, despite not being drafted, Rashid Shaheed caught 28 passes for 488 yards and two touchdowns for the Saints. In recent years, there have been other key UDFA receivers, such as Kendall Hinton, Marquez Callaway, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who carved out roles from the 2020 UDFA class.
So, are there wide receivers in this year's class who might hold some value, either in 2023 or beyond? Here are three names that I think you should keep an eye on as you prepare for your dynasty rookie drafts.
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Matt Landers - Seattle Seahawks
Seattle has three really good players atop its wide receiver depth chart: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and rookie first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
However, the Seahawks do lack a clear No. 4 guy and have a lot of money tied up in Metcalf and Smith-Njigba. They do have a decent out on Lockett's contract, though, if he was cut after this upcoming season. A post-June 1st cut next year would save the Seahawks $16,900,000 per Spotrac. So, there's a chance that whoever emerges as the No. 4 wide receiver now has a good shot to be the No. 3 in 2024.
Former Arkansas wide receiver Matt Landers is a speedy player who showed an ability to play through contact in college. He's a little old for a prospect as he turns 24 in June, which likely factored into why he wasn't drafted. He certainly does not lack talent, though, as he had 47 catches for 901 yards and eight touchdowns for the Razorbacks last year in his lone season in Fayetteville.
In fact, I think pundits might have been higher on Landers if it wasn't for his journeyman status in college. He spent his first two collegiate seasons on a crowded Georgia team before transferring to Toledo in 2021, where he played just seven games. He only had one full season in college, last year at Arkansas, and he was really impressive. He's got good size and showed that he can make an impact when given an opportunity.
Let me just reiterate how fast this dude is. He ran a 4.39 and a 4.37 in his two 40-yard runs at the Combine. Geno Smith was third in the NFL last season in deep ball accuracy rating per PlayerProfiler, so there's some real upside for Landers as a downfield weapon.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton - New York Giants
There isn't a team in the NFL where you'd rather be the fourth or fifth wide receiver than the New York Giants. Kenny Golladay, who was a marquee free agent addition, has only struggled since joining the team, and Sterling Shepard is always banged up. As a result, guys like Darius Slayton, Richie James, and Isaiah Hodgins have received more playing time than anticipated.
There's a chance that has changed now, but I'm not so sure. The Giants drafted Jalin Hyatt in the third round this year and signed Parris Campbell, but there are still plenty of question marks for this team. Hodgins is tentatively penciled in as a starter. Wan'Dale Robinson enters his second season after playing just six games last year. Shepard is still around but only has one more year under contract. In fact, Slayton, Robinson, and Hyatt are the only wide receivers under contract for 2024.
Oh, wait. They aren't the only ones. The Giants gave Bryce Ford-Wheaton a three-year deal as a UDFA, which includes $236,000 guaranteed—a significant amount for an undrafted player.
Like the other receivers profiled in this article, Ford-Wheaton's speed is a big part of his allure. He ran a 4.38 40 at the Combine and had the highest vertical of any receiver there. The West Virginia product finished last season with 62 catches for 675 yards and seven touchdowns, putting him first on the Mountaineers in catches and second in yards.
While he needs to work on his consistency to succeed in the NFL, he possesses the necessary size and speed. Although the depth chart could be incredibly crowded in 2023, opportunities could open up after that. He's worth a spot on a taxi squad in dynasty leagues.
Rakim Jarrett - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have one of the top wide receiver duos in the league with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but those two won't be in Tampa forever. Evans is entering his 10th season and his final year under contract, with the next three years being void years. Godwin has two more years before his void years, but he's coming off his worst season by yards per game since 2018 and scored his fewest touchdowns since his rookie season.
At some point in the not-so-distant future, the Bucs receiving corps is going to look a lot different. And that's where Rakim Jarrett might come in.
Currently, the Bucs' depth chart at wide receiver includes the two aforementioned veterans, Russell Gage and some combination of Kaylon Geiger, Deven Thompkins, 2023 sixth-round pick Trey Palmer , and then some UDFAs, including Jarrett. A good offseason could easily put Jarrett in line not only to make this roster but to see significant snaps as the fourth or fifth receiver.
Jarrett's a very athletic player who ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the combine. He wasn't super productive in college, with his best season coming in 2021 when he caught 62 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns. Last year, he had just 40 receptions for 471 yards, but that might be more on Maryland's offense than on Jarrett. He was second on the team in receptions behind Jeshaun Jones, who only had 44, and eight players had at least 20 receptions. The ball was really spread around last season for the Terrapins.
If Jarrett can turn his superior athleticism into production, he can break through on a receiver-needy depth chart.
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