Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

Fantasy football dynasty rookie drafts are just around the corner -- who should you be targeting in the third round and beyond? Brant Henson provides one QB, RB, WR, and TE.

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for. 

Rookie draft season for dynasty managers is one of the most fun times of the year. From evaluating prospects, trading draft picks, and finally tuning into the NFL Draft just to see your favorite prospect land in a spot with little to no guaranteed playing time behind an NFL star, hearts will be broken and rookie ADPs will shake up.

Here, I detail my favorite sleeper picks at each position for fantasy. As things stand right now, you should be able to get these prospects in Round 3 or 4 of rookie drafts. That could change with landing spots, but these four prospects all excite me for various reasons.

Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina

Spencer Rattler is widely considered the clear-cut QB7 in this draft class. After Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix, there is a clear tier drop. Rattler’s up-and-down college career saw him be a candidate to be a future first overall pick early in his career. He has clear talent with his arm strength and has developed leadership skills as he was humbled a bit in college. 

Rattler threw for 3,186 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions at South Carolina in 2023. He impressed at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine and could rise to the early second round in Superflex rookie drafts depending on where he lands in the NFL Draft.

Blake Watson, RB, Memphis

You have to take a deep dive down most lists of running back prospects to find Blake Watson. He wasn’t even invited to the NFL Combine, but that’s not stopping me from being enamored more than others with Watson’s talent. After starting his career at Old Dominion, Watson transferred to Memphis where he went on to continue to shine.

He ran for 3,301 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns in his career while adding 928 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a receiving threat. Watson’s bowling-ball build (5-foot-9, 195 pounds) and lack of injury history should intrigue NFL scouts, along with his perceived 4.5 speed and pass-catching ability.

Memphis RB Blake Watson does the smart thing with a big lead and the clock winding down. @ShrineBowl pic.twitter.com/zENw7gRFPG

— Tony Catalina (@Tony_Catalina) February 2, 2024

Watson was also a standout in the East-West Shrine game in which he totaled 121 all-purpose yards. Plus, why doubt the recent track history of Memphis running backs? Darrell Henderson, Tony Pollard, Antonio Gibson, and Kenneth Gainwell all carved out NFL roles. Watson is next in line.

Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington

This year’s wide receiver draft class is the deepest and best that I have ever seen. From the surefire studs at the top in Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze to the projected second- and third-rounders, teams can rack up a multitude of instant starters. One prospect that isn’t being talked about enough? Ja'Lynn Polk out of Washington.

Polk quietly had 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns for the national runner-up. He had seven 100-yard games all while being overshadowed by Odunze.

With ideal NFL size at 6-foot-2, 204 pounds, Polk can play both on the outside and in the slot. His route-running and ball-tracking skills are extremely underrated with all of the incoming talent, but there is no real reason to overlook him. He doesn’t have elite athleticism, but his route running more than makes up for it. 

Ja’Lynn Polk showing off and impressive catch radius and strong hands to snag this one. 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/O561uQYeaZ

— Jeremy (@PopesFFH) March 21, 2024

Polk should be a starting WR2, which is going to end up being a steal for whichever team drafts him and should be a steal in rookie drafts, too.

Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State

The tight end I’m planting my flag on is Kansas State’s Ben Sinnott. Initially a walk-on, Sinnott was one of the most productive security blankets in the nation in 2023. He caught 49 balls for 676 yards and six touchdowns last season, finishing the season with an exclamation point in a 10-catch, 136-yard effort. 

Sinnott is flying under the radar with Brock Bowers and Ja'Tavion Sanders rightfully taking all of the hype at the position. While he’s no athletic phenom, Sinnott does all of the right things to continue producing as a future TE1. An ideal landing spot for him would be somewhere like Washington where he could come in and learn from a veteran before taking over down the stretch of the upcoming season.

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