2024 fantasy rookie rankings and 3 bold(ish) fantasy takes post-NFL draft

What I expect from the rookie class when it comes to fake football.

Free agency, check. NFL draft, check. We’re getting close, people!

For the first time in my 14-year “career” as a fantasy football “expert,” I have ranked the 2024 NFL rookie class. Why? Well, I’m charging some of you for content, so I should probably do more new, exclusive stuff.

It’s also been important to have some strategy around how you want to treat rookies entering your fantasy football drafts. A common mistake is jumping on a buzzy name too early without having a sense of the fantasy environment the player is living in. Just because a player was drafted higher in the real NFL draft doesn’t mean he should be in your fake one.

Paid subscribers can scroll down to the end for a link to my full rookie rankings, which will be updated throughout the off/pre-season. In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing new dynasty and re-draft rankings as well.

Now, some fantasy food for thought on some of the biggest names in this year’s rookie class.

3 bold(ish) fantasy takes post-NFL draft

Jayden Daniels, the “best scrambler we've ever seen enter the NFL.” (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire).

The QB with the highest fantasy upside isn’t Caleb Williams. The best NFL quarterback may have been taken with the first overall pick. Williams may also be the safest fantasy play among all rookie quarterbacks heading into the season, given the impressive supporting cast that has been assembled in Chicago this offseason. 

But the rookie quarterback who has the best chance of being a league-winning player this year is Jayden Daniels, whose college numbers make him the “best scrambler we've ever seen enter the NFL.”

There’s a rich history that underscores the potential of rookie quarterbacks who can run to deliver big fantasy numbers in their debut season. As 4for4.com’s John Paulsen points out, the list of rookie QBs who were expected to gain significant yards on the ground and ended up with impressive fantasy lines is impressive. It includes the likes of Cam Newton (QB3), Jalen Hurts (QB8), Vince Young (QB9), and Lamar Jackson, who was QB8 from Week 11 on, once he took over the starting role. This doesn’t guarantee great things for Daniels, but it should instill some confidence in his fantasy potential.