The 2024 draft class is going to be loaded with receivers. And if we’ve learned anything from Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Chris Olave et al it’s that rookie receivers are absolute money when it comes to fantasy points. With that in mind here’s part 2 of the 2024 fantasy wide receiver rankings.
Way Too Early Wide Reciever Rankings – Part Two
13. Brian Thomas Jr.
He’s another rookie. And he’s another great mover. But he’s bigger than the likes of Franklin. He can bounce off tacklers as well as run straight past them.
14. Devonta Smith
The end of AJ Brown’s season seemed to signal great discontent on both sides. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him playing outside Philly next year and that would make Smith numero uno. But that Eagles offense might not be as good as it could be even with a new coordinator and less aggro.
15. Malik Nabers
Thomas Jr’s teammate at LSU is like Troy Franklin, but 4 inches shorter. He can absolutely fly, but he might struggle to get a clean release against NFL cornerbacks. But when he can find half a step not many defenders will keep up with him. He’s one of several receivers in this class that Andy Reid would love to have in KC.
16. AJ Brown
Wherever he is playing next season he’ll be a reliable receiving option. But his 2023 ended prematurely with a knee injury. And that is definitely something to keep an eye on, Brown will be 27 when the season begins. That’s by no means old, but Brown has been the stand-out receiver on 2 different teams for the last 5 years. And he’s hauled in 379 catches for 5947 yards. Just reading those numbers is exhausting.
17. Puka Nacua
There is every chance he’ll be the number 1 fantasy receiver in the league next season. The only possible weakness in Nacua’s game is his durability. And after his stellar season in 2021, he has battled injuries. The Rams won’t want Nacua to suffer the same fate. They would probably quite like to run the ball more too so all the Rams’ receivers are at less risk.
18. Rome Odunze
Odunze is a big, contested catch-type receiver. But he’s run a 4.37-second 40-yard dash! Despite that, he doesn’t always find a lot of separation on deep routes. But he can leave defenders for dust in the red zone. How successful he is may depend on where he winds up in the draft but he should definitely catch some touchdowns.
19. Nico Collins
It’s entirely possible Collins’ “breakout season” was more of an outlier than a trend. But catching passes from CJ Stroud will help it become a trend. In his first 2 seasons in the league, Collins only caught 70 passes and 3 touchdowns. In 2023 he hauled in 80 catches and 8 of them were scoring passes. Tank Dell’s injury really forced Collins into a more prominent role. But if they can both stay fit in 2024 there’s no reason they won’t both shine.
20. Tee Higgins
It seems unlikely the Bengals will be able to afford to keep him and if he leaves he will likely become a number 1 receiver elsewhere. Even if he ends up as a number 2 receiver at a different franchise he’ll still be undefendable. And he’ll still have the strongest hands in the league.
21. Stef Diggs
It seems unlikely Diggs will be happy to watch the Josh Allen one-man show happen in Buffalo for another season. If they actually trade him to a team who likes to let their receivers make plays he’ll be close to his best again. His 11.1 yards per reception in 2023 was his lowest average since 2016. And his 1,188 yards from scrimmage was the fewest since 2018. Free the Buffalo one!
22. Michael Pittman Jr.
He’s a free agent in April so it will be interesting to see where he lands. If he stays in Indy and Anthony Richardson can stay healthy he could have a monster season. But both of those things are quite important questions right now.
23. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown
It doesn’t seem like he’s happy in Arizona so he will probably try his luck elsewhere once his contract runs out. Maybe he winds up back in Baltimore with Lamar? That could be a positive or it could be a negative. But one thing that won’t change is his speed. He’s still rapid.
24. Deebo Samuel
It’s hard to rate any 49ers receiver when Shanahan is so married to the run. And CMC is probably their best receiver and running back. But if Samuel becomes more involved in the run game like he was in 2021 (when he racked up 1,770 yards from scrimmage) he’ll definitely be worth drafting.
Main Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier-USA TODAY NETWORK
