Fantasy Football Busts 2024: 6 Rookies To Avoid Drafting

The 2024 NFL Draft was over three months ago. Rookies have finished mini-camps, and training camps and most will be playing in exhibition games this August. Rookies are exciting, but they can also be some of the biggest fantasy football busts.

There is always hype and excitement with new offensive rookies – everyone seems to like the shiny new toys. Rookies aren’t just for dynasty leagues but also redraft ones, where many recently had an impactful first year in the league.

Fantasy Football Busts 2024: Top Rookies To Avoid

Which rookies will succeed and which ones will flop in 2024? In this article, I’ll list six offensive rookies that I think you should avoid in redraft leagues this upcoming season and ultimately for your fantasy football team. Keep in mind, that these players are still massively valuable in dynasty fantasy football leagues. Continue reading to find out my top rookie fantasy football busts now.

WR Marvin Harrison Jr. – Arizona Cardinals

Let’s start off with a bang and with one of the most gifted wide receivers ever to come out of college. The 2023 NFL Draft’s 4th overall selection – Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison Jr.’s talent, genes, and opportunity in Arizona are unquestioned. The concern centers around his WR9 ADP. Harrison Jr. will have to have a Puka Nacua or Ja’Marr Chase type of season to return any investment on his ADP.

At his current cost, Harrison Jr. leaves no room for error and is a risk I am not willing to take at the end of round one or the beginning of round two in a draft. Check out where he’s ranked in our latest 2024 fantasy football rankings.

RB Trey Benson – Arizona Cardinals

A second Cardinal in a row? I promise I am not some secret Arizona Cardinals hater (although Emmitt Smith should have never worn that jersey, but I digress).

The Cardinals selected Trey Benson with an early third-round selection and he was the second running back selected in the draft only behind Jonathan Brooks.

Benson projects as a three-down back in the NFL and has the size and tools to succeed. There exists one problem though – the incumbent starter is James Conner who when healthy has shown that he can perform at a very high level.

Conner’s contract expires after this season and I expect the Cardinals to run him into the ground this year. Unless Conner sustains an injury (which with Conner’s past is a very real possibility) Benson will not be much of a factor for this year. A nice handcuff to Conner with spot duty but nothing more.

Benson’s time to own the Cardinals backfield will come – just not this year. He is a big risk and one of the top fantasy football busts to avoid in 2024.

RB Jonathan Brooks – Carolina Panthers

Jonathan Brooks was the first running back taken in the 2023 Draft with the 46th pick in the second round. Brooks projects as a three-down back in the NFL.

The big issue with Brooks is that he suffered a tear in his ACL last November. He hasn’t played one snap in training camp nor will he play in any preseason games.

The Panthers haven’t placed Brooks on the PUP list yet, but head coach Dave Canales has hinted at this being the likely outcome. If this were to happen, Brooks would miss the first four games of the season. Canales also stated, “this is a guy with a long career in front of him, somebody we think really high about, so we want to be really smart with him.”

Brooks won’t even be one year removed from his injury after coming off the PUP list. With capable backs in Chubba Hubbard and Miles Sanders along with the fact that the Panthers will most likely not contend for a playoff spot this season, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to hurry Brooks’ return. When he does return, there is no guarantee that he will not be eased in over the coming weeks. All in all, there is plenty of risk with Brooks in your 2024 fantasy football leagues.

RB Blake Corum – Los Angeles Rams

As soon as the former University of Michigan alum was selected by the Rams in the third round, many in the fantasy community were already forecasting Blake Corum to supplant Kyren Williams as the starter. Not so fast.

Did you know, even while missing four games last year, Williams ended up as the RB5 for the season? His average fantasy points per game (21.3) was second only to Christian McCaffrey (24.5). Why on earth would head coach Sean McVay and the Rams look to remove Williams as the lead back?

In an interview regarding the drafting of Corum, Williams stated “At first I was worried about it, but then I had to think about it. That competitive spirit in me had to get back and be like, ‘Man, they’re trying to help the team out.’ Because I missed some games last year and those games that I did miss, the run game, it wasn’t always there.” McVay has mentioned that Corum and Williams have “a lot of similarities.”

Let me translate for you those two quotes. When Williams was out for four games during the middle of the season last year, the Rams running game suffered and they went 1-3. McVay simply doesn’t want to experience that again, if Williams were to get injured. Hence the drafting of Corum, who will probably get a bit of work and some third-down passing situations, but won’t be a major factor unless Williams is out of the lineup.

WR Xavier Worthy – Kansas City Chiefs

Xavier Worthy was a late first-round pick by the Chiefs this season. At first glance, any receiver taken by the Chiefs in round one who gets a chance to play with quarterback Patrick Mahomes has to be a slam-dunk pick, no? Not necessarily.

The Chiefs also signed speedy receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown this offseason to a one-year deal providing competition for Worthy. As well, the Chiefs still have sophomores Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce, and Isiah Pacheco.

Worthy has already suffered a left hamstring injury that kept him out of OTAs and June minicamp. Missing time early on is never good for rookies, especially a receiver who needs to get assimilated into the offense/playbook, Mahomes, and the atmosphere in general.

Worthy will have a few spike weeks especially if teammate Rice is suspended. But there are simply not enough targets this year in the Chiefs offense to be a consistent weekly fantasy producer.

TE Brock Bowers – Las Vegas Raiders

The former Georgia Bulldog is one of the tightest heralded ends ever to come out of college. He is expected to do big things in the NFL and on your fantasy football teams. While I do expect Brock Bowers to be a productive and useful tight end for fantasy, I just don’t expect it to be this year. When it comes to fantasy football busts at tight end, Bowers is at the top.

Since 2000, only three rookie tight ends have surpassed 750 receiving yards – Jeremy Shockey in 2001, Kyle Pitts in 2021, and Sam LaPorta last year. Out of those three, only LaPorta scored more than two touchdowns (10). What LaPorta did last year was truly unique and amazing.

At least Pitts had Matt Ryan and LaPorta had Jared Goff throwing them the ball. Bowers will have either Gardiner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell as his quarterback. Unfortunately, that’s not exactly encouraging. There is also sophomore tight end Michael Mayer whom the Raiders selected early in the second round last year to compete with.

Overall, there are simply too many obstacles working against Bowers for him to be a factor this year. I would rather take the side of history and precedent when it comes to rookie tight end production. As opposed to hoping for another outlier season like LaPorta had last year.

Fantasy Football Busts 2024: Final Thoughts

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