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The 2024 rookie wide receiver class was rated as strong last spring, a ton of potential game-changers. And now that the fantasy football season is almost complete, we can emphatically give the final conclusion.
The children are fine.
Rookies appeared all over television screens in the fantasy football playoffs, intent on delivering championships to coaches who believed in youth over experience. Consider the WR rankings as the Sunday window closed early, with 12 games in the books.
Malik Nabers (7-171-2 good for 32.6 fantasy points) ranked as the WR2 of the week, Ladd McConkey (9-84-2 for 25.4 points) the WR7. Jalen McMillan (5-51-2 for 20.5 points), Brian Thomas Jr. (7-91-1 for 20.4 points) and Xavier Worthy (8-79-1 for 18.9 points) were all in a row, holding down the 10 -11-12 positions, respectively. Heck, even Marvin Harrison Jr. (6-96-0) had a solid game on Saturday, while Keon Coleman (3-27-1) had a circus touchdown catch.
Thomas and Nabers were college teammates at LSU (along with another super rookie, QB Jayden Daniels), and the fantasy draft debate between Thomas and Nabers should be fun next year. Thomas has been remarkably productive and consistent this year despite mediocre quarterback play from Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones (to be fair, the touchdown Thomas caught on Sunday came on a magnificent throw from Jones). New York’s quarterback situation has held Nabers back at times, although Drew Lock had his stuff in Sunday’s upset of Indianapolis. The Giants are sure to draft a signature quarterback next year.
Nabers and Thomas could advance to Round 1 of the 2025 drafts
Nabers, of course, was 17 previous picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. But it was Thomas who was the highest-rated prospect coming out of high school. Given what Thomas overcame this year, I give him a slight lead over Nabers in 2025, but it’s a small difference. They could play in a row in many leagues. For now, I imagine they’ll land somewhere around the Pick 12-13 slot, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they get even more expensive than that. Forget about putting them in Round 3, that’s not going to happen.
McConkey will be a fantasy staple in Year 2
McConkey’s clinic in New England was doubly painful for the Patriots, who traded the pick that became McConkey to the Chargers in April, and soon after selected one of the year’s failed rookies, WR Ja’Lynn Polk . McConkey’s real upside was likely protected at Georgia, where he and TE Brock Bowers were unable to play in weekly shootouts. Does McConkey have Cooper Kupp’s upside potential in the future? It sure seems like the rookie is constantly open. He feels like a perfect third-round pick next year.
Worthy shares on the rise
The flow of Worthy’s rookie season was similar to how the Chiefs handled Rashee Rice last year: They smoothed things out early and then ramped things up late. Of course, Worthy and Rice play very different roles, but the cadence of their seasons was similar. I suspect Worthy will likely land around Round 5 in the 2025 drafts.
Bucs’ offseason decisions will affect McMillan
McMillan was slow to earn the trust of managers in fantasy, as he finally surpassed 50% of the roster late this week. But with two touchdowns on Sunday, that gives him six kills in his last four games, part of Tampa Bay’s reliable carnival. It will be interesting to see how Tampa Bay handles Chris Godwin, a pending free agent, after the season. If Godwin doesn’t return, McMillan probably makes sense in Rounds 5 and 6. With Godwin back, the decision is more complicated. The Buccaneers could also lose OC Liam Coen, who has been brilliant on the score sheet.
Harrison, you ask?
I suspect Harrison is a third-round pick next year – a bet on talent, even if you don’t trust the infrastructure. Kyler Murray and Harrison never fully resolved the issues.
Other rookies deliver in Week 17
Two more non-quarterback rookies deserve a nod for Week 17 as we complete this look ahead.
Bucky Irving, star in the making
Bucky Irving took over the RB3 spot in championship week thanks to 190 total yards against Carolina’s goal. He basically got Rachaad White out of the way in Tampa’s backfield: Irving racked up 20 carries and 24 touches compared to six and seven, respectively, for White. I don’t think White is a bad player, but Irving seems special. It looks like Irving could be a second-round pick next year, no later than Round 3.
Brock Bowers is the new TE1
Bowers, of course, rewrote all those rules for rookie tight ends that Sam LaPorta worked on a year ago. Bowers entered late in Sunday’s win over the Saints, securing all of his goals for a solid 7-77-0 line. His tally of four touchdowns is a little short, but consider the limited quarterbacks he’s been playing with. And let’s also acknowledge that Bowers passed Mike Ditka on the all-time rookie TE yards chart, although Bowers had the benefit of a more complete schedule.
Kyle Pitts once challenged that Ditka yardage record and came up short. Pitts has been a maddening fantasy player ever since, but Bowers looks like something that will last. Maybe the Raiders will improve at QB, maybe they won’t, but I don’t think it matters. Bowers should be the first tight end selected next year, assuming it will be Round 2-3 in virtually every league.