2024 Dynasty 1QB Rookie Mock Draft
With the NFL Draft a distant memory, it’s time to evaluate the landing spots of all the new faces in the fantasy football landscape. As such, 11 fellow dynasty players and I recently participated in a rookie mock draft to better understand how your rookie drafts may unfold.
Thoughts on player values, strategies, and general player evaluation will follow each pick, either from your humble author or the participant who made the selection. This three-round mock rookie draft assumes a one-quarterback league with half-PPR scoring but no tight end premium scoring. The entire grid of the draft is at the bottom of the article.
Participants in Order:
- Mark Ewing (@markymark1236)
- Andrew Francesconi (@Sconi4)
- Neil Dutton (@ndutton13)
- Jacob Mummert (@mummert_jacob)
- Tim Riordan (@Timmymr)
- Michael Kotch (@MHockey1505)
- Justin Bauerle (@JustinBauerle)
- Justin Edwards (@Justin_Redwards)
- Matt Price (@MattPriceFF)
- Andy Molitor (@AndyMSFW)
- Connor Allen (@ConnorAllenNFL)
- SpaceGhostForce (@SpaceGhostForce)
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Round 1
| Pick | Drafter | Player | Position | College Team | Pre-NFL Draft ADP* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | @markymark1236 | Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | Ohio State | 1.01 |
| 1.02 | @Sconi4 | Malik Nabers | WR | LSU | 1.02 |
| 1.03 | @ndutton13 | Rome Odunze | WR | Washington | 1.03 |
| 1.04 | @mummert_jacob | Caleb Williams | QB | USC | 1.07 |
| 1.05 | @Timmymr | Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia | 1.04 |
| 1.06 | @MHockey1505 | Xavier Worthy | WR | Texas | 1.06 |
*Pre-draft average draft position pulled from Dynasty League Football
1.01 - Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Cardinals
It's no surprise that the Arizona Cardinals stood pat and took the wide receiver who was the consensus mock draft selection over the last few months. Marvin Harrison Jr. profiles as a locked-in WR2 in fantasy football for 2024, and we should expect plenty of top-12 weeks sprinkled throughout the season. Kyler Murray and Harrison are going to end up being one of the more coveted best ball stacks throughout the warmer months.
1.02 - Malik Nabers, WR, Giants
With his sixth-overall NFL Draft capital and the lack of talent in the Giants pass-catching group, it would be stunning if Malik Nabers isn’t the engine of the offense as a rookie. Saquon Barkley is out of town. Darren Waller might be heading off into the retirement sunset, leaving only Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, and a bunch of replacement-level receivers in their wake. Nabers led all draft-eligible wide receivers with his 3.66 yards per route run last season while leading the FBS in yards per game (120.7) and catches of 20+ yards (34).
1.03 - Rome Odunze, WR, Bears
Rome Odunze finds himself in a great spot long-term to grow with Caleb Williams in what could turn out to be the best Bears offense we’ve seen in recent memory, if not ever. The issue is his Year 1 target competition with Kennan Allen and D.J. Moore, a decent-to-good tight end room (Cole Kmet/Gerald Everett), and a more than capable running back room. Odunze’s most logical outcome is as a WR3 with boom weeks, but it will get better with time.
1.04 - Caleb Williams, QB, Bears
Williams is in a great place to produce as a rookie, with the aforementioned weapons in Chicago and an offensive line that has finally emerged from the league's dredges. It’s fair to wonder if he will provide enough difference-making weeks to be a top-5 selection in 1QB leagues, but locking in a onesie position always feels nice.
1.05 - Brock Bowers, TE, Raiders
Former Mackey Award winners have historically translated into the NFL, and Brock Bowers won the award twice. The landing spot is less than stellar, as the team just selected Michael Mayer in the second round of the ‘23 NFL Draft, but the former Georgia Bulldog should see the field plenty after going with the 13th-overall selection. He’ll also be battling with Davante Adams for targets from Gardner Minshew, but don’t be surprised if he’s the second pass-catcher on the Raiders by the end of the season.
1.06 - Xavier Worthy, WR Chiefs
Xavier Worthy finds himself in a fantastic offensive environment, and though he may have some duds along the way, his upside in an Andy Reid offense lands him in the same fantasy range as Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice. Brown is on a one-year deal, and Rice needs to work on some off-field issues, which also opens up long-term upside for the rookie.
| Pick | Drafter | Player | Position | College Team | Pre-NFL Draft ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.07 | @JustinBauerle | Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU | 1.11 |
| 1.08 | @Justin_Redwards | Drake Maye | QB | North Carolina | 2.08 |
| 1.09 | @MattPriceFF | Brian Thomas | WR | LSU | 1.05 |
| 1.10 | @AndyMSFW | Ladd McConkey | WR | Georgia | 1.09 |
| 1.11 | @ConnorAllenNFL | Jonathon Brooks | RB | Texas | 2.01 |
| 1.12 | @SpaceGhostForce | Keon Coleman | WR | Florida State | 2.02 |
1.07 - Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders
Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson make for a legitimate 2WR set, with Zach Ertz and rookie Ben Sinnott combining as a perfectly capable tight end duo. Fellow rookie Luke McCaffrey should grow into a nice slot option, while Austin Ekeler will look to bounce back into one of the best pass-catching backs in the league after an injury-laden 2023. Assuming Jayden Daniels can avoid so many massive hits at the next level, he’s got a nice infrastructure to compliment his rushing ability.
1.08 - Drake Maye, QB, Patriots
Our third quarterback is already off the board and is the biggest draft reach so far. I’m likely higher on Drake Maye’s rushing floor than most, but I probably got a little trigger-happy here. The Patriots have their new franchise quarterback, now we just need some better talent around him to see him grow at the next level.
1.09 - Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jaguars
Brian Thomas Jr. should slide immediately into the “X” role in the new-look Jaguars pass-catching group and be on the field for nearly 100% of the snaps, something that fellow rookie Rome Odunze may have a hard time doing in Chicago. If he ends up flowing directly into Calvin Ridley’s role from last season, we certainly won’t have any issues with volume: Ridley ran the fifth-most routes in the NFL in 2023, accounting for 132 targets.
1.10 - Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers
You could argue that Ladd McConkey had a poor landing spot, with the Chargers making it obvious they want to run the ball as much as possible. But I would push back. The team still has Justin Herbert at the helm, and McConkey could lead the team in targets as a Keenan Allen replacement.
1.11 - Jonathon Brooks, RB, Panthers
The torn ACL is still hanging over the head of Jonathon Brooks’ potential Year 1 output, but if reports are true that he’ll be up-to-speed by training camp, Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders will be usurped atop the depth chart. The Panthers don’t project to be a top-10 offense in ‘24, but they have nowhere to go but up.
1.12 - Keon Coleman, WR, Bills
With Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Trent Sherfield, and Deonte Hardy out of town, the Bills are missing the highest air yards percentage (73.3%) and second-most WR targets (317) from last season. Keon Coleman made his hay through eye-popping circus catches in college, but he’s likely going to be asked to expand that route tree in the NFL. Plenty of opportunity in Buffalo; we’ll see how early he can deliver.
Round 2
| Pick | Drafter | Player | Position | College Team | Pre-NFL Draft ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.01 | @markymark1236 | J.J. McCarthy | QB | Michigan | 2.11 |
| 2.02 | @Sconi4 | Trey Benson | RB | Florida State | 1.10 |
| 2.03 | @ndutton13 | Ricky Pearsall | WR | Florida | 2.10 |
| 2.04 | @mummert_jacob | Ja'Lynn Polk | WR | Washington | 3.04 |
| 2.05 | @Timmymr | Adonai Mitchell | WR | Texas | 1.12 |
| 2.06 | @MHockey1505 | Xavier Legette | WR | South Carolina | 2.06 |
2.01 - J.J. McCarthy, QB, Vikings
J.J. McCarthy found himself in a great situation with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but we may have gotten a little too QB-hungry in this mock. It sounds crazy, but there’s no guarantee that Sam Darnold won’t start the year behind center.
2.02 - Trey Benson, RB, Cardinals
James Conner is 29 years old and in the final year of his contract. Trey Benson will show off his home run abilities in Year 1, but we may need to exercise some patience and wait for the ever-present post-bye rookie bump that we have come to see as an annual occurrence.
2.03 - Ricky Pearsall, WR, 49ers
With no movement on the Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel front, we’re going to have to take a wait-and-see approach with Ricky Pearsall. His first-round draft capital is incredible and hints at a future disbanding, but maybe not in 2024. Over the last three seasons, the WR3 in San Francisco has averaged 26 receptions.
2.04 - Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Patriots
Ja’Lynn Polk has been one of the biggest risers since the NFL Draft. He joined a Patriots pass-catching group that needed a serious influx of talent. Early in his career, he should offer Drake Maye a target on all three levels.
2.05 - Adonai Mitchell, WR, Colts
The landing spot with the Colts might offer more of a fantasy boost for quarterback Anthony Richardson than it does for Adonai Mitchell himself. Mitchell led the draft class with an 81.3% first down/touchdown rate and makes the Indianapolis receiver room more cohesive, but what will his target share look like?
2.06 - Xavier Legette, WR, Panthers
It’s fitting that Mitchell and Xavier Legette go back-to-back here, as they both have similar shortcomings in their games. The issue with Legette is that it took him five years to break out, and his new head coach (Dave Canales) has visions of jet sweeps, backfield work, and screens—not exactly what we want to hear when we’re envisioning a fantasy WR1.
| Pick | Drafter | Player | Position | College Team | Pre-NFL Draft ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.07 | @JustinBauerle | Troy Franklin | WR | Oregon | 1.08 |
| 2.08 | @Justin_Redwards | Roman Wilson | WR | Michigan | 2.09 |
| 2.09 | @MattPriceFF | MarShawn Lloyd | RB | USC | 2.07 |
| 2.10 | @AndyMSFW | Blake Corum | RB | Michigan | 2.03 |
| 2.11 | @ConnorAllenNFL | Ben Sinnott | TE | Kansas State | 4.09 |
| 2.12 | @SpaceGhostForce | Jermaine Burton | WR | Alabama | 3.11 |
2.07 - Troy Franklin, WR, Broncos
Troy Franklin gets reunited with college QB Bo Nix. It just took until the fourth round. That combination could equate to early usage, as Sean Peyton will look to utilize Franklin’s speed.
2.08 - Roman Wilson, WR, Steelers
The Steelers have made a habit out of finding talent on Day 2 (or later) at the wide receiver position, and they’ll look to do the same here with Roman Wilson. He should be getting starter snaps out of the slot in Week 1, with the possibility of taking over the WR2 role opposite George Pickens.
2.09 - MarShawn Lloyd, RB, Packers
While MarShawn Lloyd won’t be pushing Josh Jacobs out of the way, there is a very good chance he will leapfrog A.J. Dillon—if he hasn’t already. In 2023, Dillon averaged a terrible 3.4 yards per carry and notched 1.03 yards per route run.
2.10 - Blake Corum, RB, Rams
Blake Corum provides redundancy at running back in Los Angeles but could take the RB1 role if Kyren Williams is injured. This is a low-risk, high-reward pick, and the exact type of situation we should target at this point in rookie drafts.
2.11 - Ben Sinnott, TE, Commanders
Ben Sinnott was the only tight end selected in the second round of the NFL Draft and one of only two (Brock Bowers) selected in the top 80. He will likely see the field early and often, though we need him to carve out a role in the passing game so he doesn’t get stuck with the dreaded “blocking TE” mantra. Won the 2023 Lowman Trophy for the best fullback in the country.
2.12 - Jermaine Burton, WR, Bengals
Jermaine Burton jumps a full round over pre-Draft ADP, which has much to do with this landing spot. He should offer the Bengals an upgrade over Tyler Boyd and has a gigantic ceiling when/if the team moves on from Tee Higgins.
Round 3
| Pick | Drafter | Player | Position | College Team | Pre-NFL Draft ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.01 | @markymark1236 | Jaylen Wright | RB | Tennessee | 2.04 |
| 3.02 | @Sconi4 | Bo Nix | QB | Oregon | 4.02 |
| 3.03 | @ndutton13 | Malachi Corley | WR | Western Kentucky | 2.12 |
| 3.04 | @mummert_jacob | Bucky Irving | RB | Oregon | 3.07 |
| 3.05 | @Timmymr | Javon Baker | WR | UCF | 3.05 |
| 3.06 | @MHockey1505 | Braelon Allen | RB | Wisconsin | 2.05 |
3.01 - Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins
The Dolphins continue to add speed to their offense with Jaylen Wright, who ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at 210 pounds. Thirty-two-year-old Raheem Mostert has only played 15+ games three times since being drafted in 2015, while De’Von Achane missed six games of his rookie season due to a knee injury.
3.02 - Bo Nix, QB, Broncos
Bo Nix should handily beat out Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, but he feels like an all-floor, no-ceiling option at this point. He’s a streaming option on QB-needy teams as it stands.
3.03 - Malachi Corley, WR, Jets
The constant barrage of Deebo Samuel comps had him locked into the second round before the NFL Draft, but he’s —at best— fourth in the touch pecking order behind Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Mike Williams. Nevertheless, he offers YAC upside that will deliver boom weeks on an offense we can project for a bounce-back year.
3.04 - Bucky Irving, RB, Buccaneers
Bucky Irving’s college receiving numbers were boosted by Oregon’s propensity to target players behind the line of scrimmage. His mediocre NFL Combine (4.55 40 at 192 pounds, 29.5” vertical) likely didn’t help his draft stock but did land in a nice spot to back up Rachaad White.
3.05 - Javon Baker, WR, Patriots
Javon Baker joins fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk as two guys who could be the face of the receiving room in the not-so-distant future. He makes for a good stash as we watch the new-look offense unravel.
3.06 - Braelon Allen, RB, Jets
Like many others, I was excited about Braelon Allen during the pre-draft process, but this landing spot is brutal. He drops a full round here, as Breece Hall is going to be quite the hill to climb for meaningful fantasy games. The team also added Isaiah Davis in the following round and still has Israel Abanikanda on the roster.
| Pick | Drafter | Player | Position | College Team | Pre-NFL Draft ADP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.07 | @JustinBauerle | Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | Texas | 3.01 |
| 3.08 | @Justin_Redwards | Audric Estime | RB | Notre Dame | 3.06 |
| 3.09 | @MattPriceFF | Ray Davis | RB | Kentucky | 3.09 |
| 3.10 | @AndyMSFW | Michael Penix | QB | Washington | 3.10 |
| 3.11 | @ConnorAllenNFL | Kimani Vidal | RB | Troy | N/A |
| 3.12 | @SpaceGhostForce | Luke McCaffrey | WR | Rice | 4.05 |
3.07 - Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Panthers
After watching Bryce Young suffer through his rookie season, the Panthers added three rookies who should climb to the top of the depth chart in the first four rounds, including Ja’Tavion Sanders. Of 36 qualifying quarterbacks, Young targeted the TE position at the 27th-lowest rate (16%) last season, making Sanders' short-term fantasy upside questionable.
3.08 - Audric Estime, RB, Broncos
At first glance, the Broncos running back room looks like a bit of a logjam, but there are plenty of scenarios in which Audric Estime sees the field in 2024. Javonte Williams has had a rough beginning to his career, Samaje Perine is a replacement-level player, and Jaleel McLaughlin only had four games with 10 or more touches as a UDFA. Estime could be the goal line back as early as this year.
3.09 - Ray Davis, RB, Bills
The Bills have proven that they are uncomfortable giving James Cook an oversized load. Ray Davis offers an upgrade to the Latavius Murray/Damien Harris role from 2023.
3.10 - Michael Penix, QB, Falcons
Michael Penix is a perfect taxi squad candidate. He could be 26 years old by the time he gets a look as the Falcons starter.
3.11 - Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers
Our first (and only) player in this mock, who was going undrafted in rookie mocks before the NFL Draft. Kimani Vidal landed in a great spot to push for immediate usage in L.A.
3.12 - Luke McCaffrey, WR, Commanders
Luke McCaffrey had the second-most contested catches in the 2024 NFL Draft class (17). His third-round draft capital could push him into an immediate WR3 role in Washington.
Final Grid:
