Top 10 Wide Receivers in the 2024 Draft
Dynasty fantasy football managers have been rewarded with youth and production at the wide receiver position in recent seasons. From top talent Justin Jefferson to players tiers below, such as Jahan Dotson and Brandon Aiyuk, these assets receiving high team investments have found production as well as a future upside for dynasty managers. Recently, college wide receivers are entering the NFL with multiple skills already capable of beating defenders. Ultimately, it has led to an explosion in wide receiver value with the youth and turnover at the position.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is a perfect example of this recent phenomenon at wide receiver. He has so many positives in his favor from his college coaching, team exposure, and the refinement he shows, plus his ability to win at an exciting position. Dynasty Football and Devy managers are already aware of his upside and that he can be a top-five value at a position that produces matchup-changing numbers. Wide receivers that hit stick around with production windows for years, and Harrison has every chance to be the next top receiver.
That high-end talent is hard to find in any draft, and his managers will be thrilled to have him, but 2024 is not one player or bust at this position. Managers should be able to find first-round picks and talented receivers who can still reach back-end WR1 or WR2 seasons with their first-round rookie selections. This draft may even have a reasonable amount of depth, so let’s look at nine other names that can help your receiver position for the next half-decade.
1. Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
There isn’t much more that needs to be said about Harrison until we see him take the field in 2023 and eventually participate in pre-draft activities next year. As a sophomore, Harrison Jr. caught 14 touchdowns on his way to an All-American season in 2022. He also became the team’s top threat while 2023 pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba was dealing with injuries for the Buckeyes. Harrison is a big physical receiver that dynasty managers usually enjoy investing in. His frame is NFL-ready, and so is his aggressiveness as well as route tree.
Furthermore, Harrison is as complete of a receiver to come out and be this hyped since Ja’Marr Chase. Unlike Chase, it seems Harrison will be playing in his prospective final college season, but the draft result should be similar for both players. Two different wide receiver types, both deserving of top-five overall capital, NFL teams, and dynasty managers, will love to have him in 2024. Harrison is likely to produce right away, and it’s only a matter of how long it takes before he’s a steady top-10 option at receiver.
2. Malik Nabers, LSU
For LSU in 2022, managers may have been expecting an ascension for 2023 pick Kayshon Boutte to become a high-end asset. However, we learned during the season that it may take until 2024 for that next top LSU receiver for dynasty, and that it’s in the form of Malik Nabers. Nabers is a speedster who has really exciting playmaking ability. When he gets the football, he can take any touch to the end zone. While he isn’t a huge wide receiver, he does have some length and catch radius.
Just to be clear, Nabers’ frame isn’t a concern. Not to mention, he seems like a solid investment to make for those who like speed and players getting targets in the short game. Watching his aggressiveness and speed, his skills feel a bit like a larger Diontae Johnson. Additionally, he has elusiveness and impressive body control. He had an impressive 72-catch, 1,017-yard season in 2022 and will be in a good position to exceed those numbers in 2023. Eventually, he could be valued as a mid first-round rookie draft pick and in the NFL draft next Spring. This would lead to reasonable expectations that he can reach WR1 or high-end WR2 status for fantasy.
3. Rome Odunze, Washington
The Washington Huskie’s Rome Odunze and teammate Jalen McMillan return alongside quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as they look to improve together in 2023. Odunze could have been a part of the 2023 NFL Draft, but he decided to come back and is likely to again put up big numbers. Odunze led the Huskies in receiving yards in 2022 with 1,145 while also contributing seven touchdowns.
Odunze is a fast and big deep threat. He has the great ability to high-point the football and is good at using his physicality to bring it down for big gains. Maybe expect a lower-tier Mike Evans or the best outcome of George Pickens for fantasy purposes. Additionally, he uses his size and makes chunk yardage plays while still having the separation and speed for after the catch. He will likely take a season or two to fully find his role, and he could face an up-and-down first season not dissimilar to Christian Watson in 2022.
In the end, he’s a specific type of asset to own, but should eventually offer upside as a WR2 for dynasty managers. After about the first five players in Superflex, Odunze is a talent to take a chance on. In 1QB rookie drafts, this is a first-round pick.
4. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Emeka Egbuka is likely to be a 2024 first-round pick. As we get closer to the middle of this list, that’s a good sign for dynasty managers if they are worried about depth in 2024. This position seems to produce good players for fantasy every year, and Egbuka has the skills and ability to become an NFL team’s number-one receiving option. Egbuka is smooth and will be a valued player in dynasty circles due to his refined skillset and production.
Egbuka kept up with the Marvin Harrison Jr. breakout in 2023 by producing a 1,151-yard season while contributing 10 touchdowns in the air, adding two more scores on the ground as well. He’s in a similar mold to one-time Buckeye Chris Olave due to the route running prowess and similar physical traits. Overall, he should be a terrific first-round pick for dynasty managers who are looking to compete and inject youth into their wide receiver room.
5. Xavier Worthy, Texas
The Texas Longhorns lost significant running back talent in 2023, with Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson moving onto the NFL level. However, the team does return top receiving options in the talented Xavier Worthy and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. With a returning Quinn Ewers and the team bringing in top recruit Arch Manning, it would not be a shock to see an offensive approach conducive to more passing production. Worthy and Sanders can both make names for themselves in the 2023 season. Not to mention, Worthy may be the last receiver listed here to reach the first-round tier.
Worthy has had solid production in his first two college seasons but has not yet reached over 1,000 yards. His Freshman season was his best, with a 981-yard, 12-touchdown effort for the 2021 Longhorns. He would have a 15.8 average per catch that season, which isn’t surprising with his downfield ability. His agile moves off the line allow him to quickly create separation between himself and defenders. Additionally, he’s able to catch the ball and extend his big plays in the open field.
Worthy is likely a late first-rounder or early Day 2 NFL pick, and dynasty managers will be getting a playmaker with speed. A very similar talent to Marquise Brown coming out of Oklahoma, Worthy now needs to put up a Brown-type collegiate season and go over 1,000 yards.
6. Jalen McMillan, Washington
Jalen McMillan had a breakout year for the Washington Huskies in 2022, leading the team in catches with 79 on the season. Coming off a 1,000-yard season as well, McMillan will be looking to repeat those numbers and become a Day 2 NFL Draft pick for 2024. McMillan and teammate Rome Odunze work together because their skills are very separate, and they mesh well. Where Odunze excels more downfield, McMillan is a route-running dynamo who is going to succeed at multiple levels and win in gritty areas on offense.
Furthermore, McMillan has the same solid hands, strength, and versatility such as Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jahan Dotson, types drafted recently. Unlike those players, he may not quite have the speed or polished abilities those players had coming into the NFL. That fact is why 2023 is important for McMillan. In the end, he could end up being the more valuable Huskie wide receiver over Odunze.
7. Dorian Singer, USC
Dorian Singer and the USC wide receiver room will be battling for premium Caleb Williams targets all season. He is a name, not many dynasty managers may know right now. However, that could massively change by October and November of this year. Singer is a former Arizona receiver who would be brought in to replace production who left for the NFL in Jordan Addison. Williams and the Trojans needed more explosive targets, and Singer is definitely a playmaker.
Similar to Malik Nabers of the LSU Tigers, he has a lanky but solid frame. He also has speed similar to players up towards Worthy and Nabers on this list. For the 2022 Wildcats, Singer had a 66-catch, 1,105-yard season while sharing targets with fellow listed player Jacob Cowing. Both Singer and Cowing should continue to see massive targets and more production in 2023, and Singer could see a massive profile upgrade now playing for the Trojans. If Singer is the one to see the majority of Caleb Williams passes, he will not be this low in wide receiver rankings come 2024. Ultimately, he should become a solid Day 2 pick, if not more, and for rookie drafts a second round pick or higher.
8. Troy Franklin, Oregon
Troy Franklin is the lightest of the listed wide receivers here, but he plays with a lot of speed and agility. He’s not overly strong but is able to make plays on the ball in the air and contort his body enough to bring it down. Additionally, he doesn’t break many tackles but should be able to find an NFL role quicker than even some players above him on this list. However, Franklin’s speed and height should give us confidence that Franklin can be a top 70 NFL Draft pick. Not to mention, his speed should at least allow him to see the field in a specialized role early in his career.
Franklin is one of the faster players on the field, and that should allow NFL teams to scheme him open, even if he is never considered a team’s top target. He seems lined up to be an ideal luxury piece in an offense. He really is only a concern due to a slight frame. Really, nothing in his on-field performance is a concern at the college level. He scored nine times for the Ducks last season and may further his development with quarterback Bo Nix in 2023. Franklin should be a Day 2 pick that dynasty managers take a chance on at some point in the second round of rookie drafts.
9. Antwane Wells Jr., South Carolina
On this list, only four of the listed players will be eligible to play in 2024’s Senior Bowl. We’ve discussed Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, and now we finish out our list with South Carolina Gamecock Antwane Wells Jr. As well as the previously mentioned Jacob Cowing. This fact emphasizes the impact and readiness we’re seeing from younger prospects more at this position. Let’s first talk about Wells Jr., a James Madison transfer who produced for the Gamecocks in 2022.
Wells Jr. stepped up to the top conference and step into a top receiving role by producing 68 catches and 928 yards in 2022. Additionally, he is incredibly smooth, and he should be able to fill an NFL role for some time. With these older players, receiving as much exposure as possible is key in the pre-draft process. Wells Jr. was able to make the step up to a top league and continue to put up numbers.
Wells Jr. feels like a perfect late Day 2 pick that managers get excited about heading into their rookie drafts. We’ve seen how the Senior Bowl and subsequent events can raise the stock of players. Jahan Dotson, Jayden Reed, and Tank Dell all took part in those events for varying lengths, and that exposure to NFL executives began their rise in the process. A player like Wells Jr. should see some hype this upcoming college season. However, his fantasy prospects may not be truly believed until later on in the process and eventually draft night. In the end, he will likely be a talented late second or early third dart in rookie drafts.
10. Jacob Cowing, Arizona
Jacob Cowing is another transfer who came up to a top collegiate level and continued to produce in 2022. He had an impressive 19.6 yards per catch average in 2021 for the UTEP Miners while producing 1,354 yards on 69 catches. Once he transferred to the Arizona Wildcats, he again had 1000 yards, this time catching 85 balls in 2022. He proved he belonged in a wide receiver corps with another 1,000-yard receiver. Additionally, he still was able to get to the end zone.
Cowing is a fast deep threat who should develop a role at the next level, but he’s not the strongest or largest receiver. He may be a contender’s ideal WR3, but that could mean someone like Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, or Jalen Hurts throwing him the ball. Overall, he is another candidate to have a good season but then rise more during the Senior Bowl and beyond.
This feels like a development situation from Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Think of productive college players such as Romeo Doubs or Khalil Shakir. They both had to wait until Day 3 but have reasonable hopeful managers. Cowing could be a very good complimentary piece in dynasty who can be drafted starting in rookie third rounds. In the end, he could become a WR3-4 for a few fantasy seasons.
The headliners at each position in 2024 have cast a slight shadow on the prospects below them. That is most clear with the biggest star in Marvin Harrison Jr. at wide receiver. Most dynasty teams will not get him, but there are future starters in this class. If you need some youth and need a few re-rolls at the position, focus on acquiring and valuing the late first and early second round picks next season. At the very least, this is another strong class of wide receivers who have the talent to fight up the depth chart for the duration of their rookie contracts.
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