The first full week of NFL preseason action is in the books, which means dynasty fantasy football managers got to see some of their favorite rookies finally take the field for their first taste of game action at the pro level.
Yet, there were some rookies who flashed some encouraging signs in their preseason debut who should be on your sleeper radar entering the 2024 NFL season.
Which Players Could Be a Value in 2024 Rookie Drafts?
Jordan Whittington, WR, Los Angeles Rams
One name that has been making waves through most of training camp has been Los Angeles Rams WR Jordan Whittington, who followed up his strong camp with six receptions for 74 yards in his NFL preseason debut against the Dallas Cowboys.
Whittington didn’t generate a ton of draft buzz after a productive, but not special, college career playing alongside Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Ja’Tavion Sanders, and Jonathon Brooks.
Yet, Whittington’s strong hands, savvy route-running ability against zone coverage, and underrated RAC ability as a complementary option at Texas have translated very well early this preseason.
Whittington may not have a dynamic athletic profile, but his high-level IQ could make him an intriguing fit for this receiver room if he makes the roster.
Anthony Gould, WR, Indianapolis Colts
After slot WR Josh Downs suffered a high ankle sprain earlier this month, rookie WR Anthony Gould has been seeing some run with the starters in his absence.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Gould’s game during his days at Oregon State, he is an extremely explosive and twitchy athlete who can change direction and accelerate back to top speed in the blink of an eye.
Gould flashed detailed route-running traits that suggest he could manage to create separation on intermediate and third-level routes on the vertical plane. Additionally, I could definitely see him factoring into the return game early in his career.
Ultimately, Gould is more of a speculative add because when Downs returns at some point in September, I don’t see Gould seeing enough work in 11 personnel sets to be a fantasy difference-maker in 2024.
Malik Washington, WR, Miami Dolphins
One could make an argument that Malik Washington was among the most dominant receivers of the entire 2023 college football season. His 110 receptions while logging 1,426 receiving yards and nine scores in his lone season with the Virginia Cavaliers was nothing short of outstanding.
Washington’s pure tape grade had him as a potential Day 2 pick, which made his slide all the way to the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft a bit surprising — and disappointing for dynasty managers who pegged him as a potential difference-maker in the NFL.
Yet, Washington’s landing spot with the Miami Dolphins isn’t exactly a bad thing, considering QB Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards in 2023.
Sure, the signing of veteran WR Odell Beckham Jr. to join Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle definitely limits Washington’s immediate fantasy upside in his rookie year. However, I would argue Washington’s long-term outlook as a potential third option in Miami’s passing offense still warrants a roster spot in your dynasty league.
Washington may not possess elite speed (4.47 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine) or size (listed at 5’8” and 191 pounds), but his explosiveness and strength showed up in his vertical jump (42.5”), broad jump (10’6”), and bench press (19 reps).
Washington’s route-running savvy, short-area explosiveness, and great YAC ability make me confident he’ll find a way on the football field in the near future in Miami’s high-powered offense.
Dylan Laube, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Most considered the lack of additions to the Las Vegas Raiders running back room this offseason as a ringing endorsement for Zamir White becoming the team’s bell cow.
There is likely some truth to that, but I would strongly encourage you not to overlook rookie RB Dylan Laube out of New Hampshire, who was nothing short of a pass-catching machine during his final two years in college.
Laube’s 68 receptions for 699 yards in 2023 came in a variety of exciting ways in New Hampshire’s passing attack. He would abuse linebackers on angle and option routes regularly, whether he was coming out of the backfield or lined up in the slot as a receiving threat.
Laube’s acceleration and lateral agility flirt with being considered elite, which likely gives him a pass-catching role in Vegas’ offense at a bare minimum.
Combine that ability with above-average contact balance and great body lean, and we could be looking at a James White-type contributor out of the backfield to complement White.
Jacob Cowing, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Much has been made of the potential fantasy value of San Francisco 49ers rookie WR Ricky Pearsall with the trade rumors surrounding Brandon Aiyuk this offseason. But what if I were to tell you another rookie wideout on this roster is worth keeping an eye on?
Well, this is the part where I tell you that Jacob Cowing is one of the better separators in the class with instant acceleration, great vertical speed (4.38 40-time), and a diverse array of ways to beat press coverage at the breakpoint.
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The knock on Cowing is his size at 5’8”, 168 pounds, which certainly will present some limitations with regard to his catch radius and strength in contested-catch situations. Yet, the Niners invested fourth-round draft capital in the speedy Arizona product. That isn’t exactly a last-round flier at the position.
Unfortunately, Cowing is buried beneath Pearsall, Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle in San Francisco’s crowded pass-catching pecking order. Yet, I would certainly recommend stashing him away on your taxi squad to see exactly how Kyle Shanahan plans to scheme him up in his rookie season.
Sione Vaki, RB, Detroit Lions
Many of you may roll your eyes at this suggestion, but after scouting Sione Vaki originally as a safety at Utah during the draft process, I can tell you his tape as a running back is very exciting.
Sure, Vaki may not have a path to touches in 2024 that will get any fantasy managers excited with both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery expected to retain their respective roles in this backfield. But that’s why he qualifies as a dynasty sleeper, right?
Vaki is a physical runner with great contact balance and exceptional short-area burst, which makes him easy to project as an effective runner behind this talented Detroit Lions offensive line.
If the Lions were to part ways with Montgomery next offseason, he would only cost Detroit $2.2 million in dead money. If the Lions view Vaki as a complementary runner to Gibbs down the road — which we’ve already seen Montgomery prove is a valuable fantasy role — then Vaki may be worth a spot on your taxi squad in 2024.
Rasheen Ali, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Rasheen Ali completely flew under the radar during the pre-draft process due to a ruptured biceps tendon he sustained during Senior Bowl practices. However, his prospect profile suggests that he’s worth keeping an eye on behind Derrick Henry in Baltimore’s high-powered rushing attack.
Ali is a physical downhill runner with a nice burst and surprising lateral agility for a bigger back. He doesn’t showcase wasted motion or sluggish hips when forced to reset after a jump cut at top speed. Additionally, Ali is a capable and reliable pass-catching option out of the backfield, which is a nice element he brings to the backfield that Henry doesn’t do at a high level.
Henry will be the guy in 2024, but Ali’s long-term outlook with an aging veteran RB in front of him makes him an intriguing stash, given how dominant he looked back in 2021 with 1,735 total yards and 24 touchdowns in his redshirt freshman season.
Jalen Coker, WR, Carolina Panthers
One personal disappointment was seeing WR Jalen Coker out of Holy Cross go undrafted. However, that doesn’t mean I’m still not making it a point to go and draft this prospect everywhere I can late in rookie drafts.
Coker combines an explosive athletic prospect — NFL Combine-best 42.5” vertical jump at the WR position — with exceptional body control and strong hands that suggest he can produce in contested-catch situations even with a significant jump in competition.
Sure, the athletic profile is nice, but Coker brings so much more to the table than just being able to dominate contested catches. He displayed some of the most advanced route-running detail in the class — expansive release package combined with multiple reps of rocker and pressure steps approaching the breakpoint of his route — to help him consistently create plenty of space for his quarterback.
If we’re looking for a weakness in Coker’s game, it would have to be his lack of home-run speed. Coker ran just a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which does suggest he’s not going to consistently threaten many defenses vertically.
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Yet, Coker’s combination of route-running detail both against man and zone coverage, physicality at the catch point in traffic, and diverse route tree make him a quality candidate to move to the big slot. It wasn’t something he was asked to do much for the Crusaders, but a lack of evidence shouldn’t be considered evidence.
This is the part where I inform you the Carolina Panthers signed Coker as an undrafted free agent. Carolina traded for Diontae Johnson and drafted Xavier Legette this offseason, but neither has established themselves as Bryce Young’s go-to guy.
Actually, if that title goes to anyone currently on Carolina’s roster, it would be Adam Thielen. For some context, Thielen — who has some similarities concerning his lack of vertical speed — finished as the WR17 in PPR formats operating primarily out of the slot (second-most slot snaps in the league last year behind Tyler Boyd).
The lack of an established top option and an aging veteran WR with a similar prospect profile give Coker as good a chance as any to make this roster. I believe he will do that and much more in the years to come.
Javon Baker, WR, New England Patriots
Speaking of teams who completely retooled their wide receiver room this offseason, the New England Patriots decided to invest multiple picks in the 2024 NFL Draft to build around third-overall pick Drake Maye.
I’m guessing you’re already up to speed on the team’s second-round pick, Ja’Lynn Polk, but I’m here to tell you not to sleep on New England’s fourth-round pick Javon Baker.
Baker’s lack of production during his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide was certainly disappointing, but he finally reached his potential as an impactful playmaker on the outside with UCF. His 52 receptions for 1,139 receiving yards and seven scores flashed some of the top-tier potential Baker possesses as a fluid mover with an NFL body at 6’1” and 202 pounds.
To speak a bit more to some of those flashes of excellence, Baker’s route-running nuance (multiple reps where he changes tempo, attacks DBs’ leverage, and bursts out of breaks), jaw-dropping catches away from his frame, and above-average play strength at the catch point all appear on tape.
Consistency is Baker’s biggest issue. The drops have to be cleaned up at the next level.
Ultimately, Baker has a great set of physical tools entering the league and an opportunity to earn a role very early in his career with a young franchise quarterback in a WR room completely up for grabs.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants
For those of you who have been paying attention to my draft content since January, you know how high I have been on Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Unfortunately, Tracy suffered a low ankle sprain in mid-August and is considered week-to-week at this time. Yet, that still isn’t enough to scare me off from suggesting you add Tracy to your dynasty roster right now.
Tracy did nothing but help his stock throughout the entire pre-draft process with some outstanding testing metrics. His 4.48-second 40-yard dash, 40” vertical jump, 10’4” broad jump, and cat-quick times in the three-cone drill (6.81 seconds) and short shuttle (4.06 seconds) all help make him one of the most explosive RB prospects in this class.
When you turn on Tracy’s tape, you cannot help but envision him as an impactful fantasy running back. He has exceptional creativity as a ball carrier and great short-area quickness, burst, and contact balance.
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The advanced metrics of Tracy’s 2023 season were mostly outstanding and confirm his ability to consistently make defenders miss. He ranked inside the top 10 at the position with 4.44 yards after contact per attempt and forced over 40 broken tackles on just 114 carries.
By the way, this is the part where I inform you that Tracy has been playing the position for just one year after transitioning from wide receiver.
Speaking of those days at receiver, Tracy’s pass-catching and route-running skills are among the best due to his experience as a wideout. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s not a liability in pass protection.
The one downside to Tracy’s profile is his age. He will turn 25 later this year, which limits his developmental runway in the league and will likely turn many dynasty managers off of him altogether.
Yet, Tracy is stepping into a backfield with no firmly established pecking order and offers an intriguing amount of upside heading into his rookie season.
