5 Late-Round Rookie Draft Targets – Dynasty League Football
Welcome to our guide on the 5 late-round rookie draft targets for dynasty league football! Finding hidden gems in the later rounds can give you a competitive edge and set your team up for long-term success.
In this article, we’ll highlight five promising rookies who may be flying under the radar but have the potential to become valuable assets for your dynasty fantasy football rosters. We’ll dive into their college performances, NFL prospects, and why they should be on your radar. Additionally, we’ve included their ADP according to our latest Dynasty Rookie ADP that we have collected. Get ready to uncover the next breakout stars and boost your draft strategy with our expert insights!
Top 5 Late-Round Rookie Draft Targets for Dynasty League Football
There’s arguably nothing more important in a dynasty league than the rookie draft. Once a year, you get your chance to draft the game’s future stars and to rebuilding rosters, this is your Super Bowl. Some players have waited all year to draft players like Marvin Harrison Jr., Caleb Williams, or Jayden Daniels. However, the real value in rookie drafts will be found in Rounds 3 or 4.
Obviously, those top-end players are great and can be extremely valuable in the long run. However, if you play your cards right, you can win your rookie draft without having a top-24 pick. Today, I’ll be going over five players you must target late in your rookie drafts and why I believe they could potentially win you your league down the line. I’ve invested in these guys as much as possible, and I fully recommend you do too. Let’s get to it.
Jermaine Burton – WR, Cincinnati Bengals
SF/PPR ADP – 3.05
Jermaine Burton has been my main third-round target in every rookie draft I’ve done. His college numbers won’t blow you away, as he only caught 39 passes for 798 yards and eight touchdowns. However, his tape was among the most impressive in the 2024 NFL Draft class.
In the end, it would seem that Duke Tobin and the Cincinnati Bengals agree. Cincinnati took Burton with the 80th overall pick, making him the WR13, which seems low for a guy as talented as Burton. However, his talent isn’t the only reason I love him in my rookie drafts. Burton is in a situation where he could be the WR2 in a Joe Burrow-led offense immediately, with the potential to be the WR1 very shortly, with Ja’Marr Chase set to hit free agency after the 2025 season. Not to mention, there is uncertainty with Tee Higgins.
At worst, Burton will be the WR3 jumping straight into the Tyler Boyd role. Quite honestly, Burton is an overall better wide receiver talent than Boyd. Additionally, he is an Alabama product, and you know how good their wide receivers are. In his situation, he is a player who, in a different draft class, could easily be a first or second-round pick in rookie drafts. However, with how talented this class really is, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be smashing the draft button if he’s there for you in the mid to late third round.
Kimani Vidal – RB, Los Angeles Chargers
SF/PPR ADP – 3.07
Kimani Vidal may be a sixth-round pick, but he is certainly talented. 1,661 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground in 2024 shows just how valuable Vidal can be despite his 5’8 stature. He uses his size to his strength, being one of the most elusive backs coming into the 2024 NFL Draft. More importantly, in a Greg Roman-led offense, Vidal could get a chance to shine very early in his career.
Roman and Jim Harbaugh love to use as many running backs as they can, and with the injury history of newly signed J.K. Dobbins, Vidal could be the RB2 in a prolific run offense in only his rookie season. If not, Dobbins and Gus Edwards are only under contract for one and two years, respectively, so if you can afford to stash him, Vidal’s time will come. All things considered, it will be worth the wait, even if that means spending a year on your taxi squads.
Jalen McMillan – WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SF/PPR ADP – 3.09
Jalen McMillan has an unlimited ceiling. At Washington, McMillan was in one of the most loaded wide receiver rooms we’ve seen this decade, playing alongside two top 40 picks in Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk, so he never got a real opportunity to show off how talented he is. Despite not getting a ton of targets from first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr, McMillan still caught the eye of scouts enough to be taken with the 92nd overall pick.
His size, agility, and well above average catch in traffic ability impressed Tampa Bay, and it impressed me. Similarly to Burton, McMillan is in a situation where he could fluctuate between the WR3 and the WR1 in a fast-paced offense over the next year or two, with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin‘s future in Tampa Bay up in the air. Baker Mayfield broke out in 2023 as the future quarterback in Tampa Bay, and before long, McMillan could be stepping into the situation of a lifetime. Try to stack Mayfield and McMillan if you get the chance.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. – RB, New York Giants
SF/PPR ADP – 4.07
Despite how talented Tyrone Tracy Jr. looked on film, he fell to the 5th Round of the NFL Draft. I was blown away when I watched his tape, and I couldn’t believe he fell that far in the draft.
Tracy is one of the most elusive backs in this draft class and could probably avoid a tackle from anybody in the league in the open field. His 4.48-second 40-yard dash won’t blow you away, but his speed in-game feels much faster than his 40 time implies. Alright, enough about his tape. Let’s talk about his situation.
Tracy was drafted into a running back room where his only competition is a newly signed Devin Singletary, who will surely lead the team in carries in 2024. However, he isn’t necessarily good enough to have that RB1 security that Saquon Barkley had. Additionally, there is second-year back Eric Gray, who projects to be nothing more than a backup.
Everybody on this list has the potential to be at the top of their respective depth charts come 2025, and Tracy is no exception. Invest in Tracy in the late rounds, and I promise you’ll thank me in a couple of years. From a fantasy football standpoint, he’s the Keaton Mitchell of 2024.
Erick All – TE, Cincinnati Bengals
SF/PPR ADP – 4.11
Yes, I know. It’s another Bengals pass catcher, but hear me out. Erick All is one of the more talented pass-catching tight ends in the 2024 class. Yes, it was a rather weak tight end class on paper, but I’ll never shy away from an Iowa alum.
All is an above-average route runner for his position and is an absolute zone killer. He knows how to find a hole in a defense. Additionally, he reminds me of Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet in that aspect. However, as I said with Tracy, All’s situation is why he made this list. The tight end room in Cincinnati is slim, and with Mike Gesicki only being signed to a one-year deal. Overall, this means All’s only real competition is Drew Sample, who he very easily could beat out and/or split snaps with. Take a chance on All, especially if you’re in a Tight End Premium league.
Jalen Coker – WR, Carolina Panthers
SF/PPR ADP – 6.02
This is a personal one. During the entire draft process, I had projected Jalen Coker to be an early Day 3 pick. I even had him as the 89th-ranked player on my Big Board. However, Coker would go undrafted, mostly due to his below-average speed and lack of competition, but his time at Holy Cross was special.
In 2023, Coker caught 59 passes for 1,040 yards and 15 touchdowns, absolutely dominating the Patriot League. Before I even looked at these numbers, Coker’s tape impressed me so much. His ability to catch any ball thrown his way is something you rarely see out of a receiver. Yes, his lack of competition is alarming, but for an undrafted player who you can pick up on waivers, Coker is well worth a shot. If he makes the Carolina Panthers 40-man roster, he could easily break out as a top-four receiver on their depth chart. All things considered, this makes Coker a solid player to stash in your dynasty fantasy football leagues this year.
That’s it! These are some players that I truly believe have a chance to be something special, and you can find them all late in your rookie drafts. Check out our 2024 Superflex Rookie Mock Draft if you want to see some more late-round options!
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