Welcome to Rookie Sleepers to Steal, the latest article in our 2024 NFL Fantasy Football Draft Kit series. This article will look at some rookies who should be available in the mid-to-late rounds of redraft leagues. For this article, we will avoid the big-name rookies which limits us to mostly wide receivers and running backs as they are typically the good late-round values. The quarterbacks and tight ends of value were drafted early so we won’t be discussing them. When referencing ADP, we will be using Fantasy Pros 1/2 PPR 1QB ADP. For a look at how that compares to our rankings, check out The FFU Consensus Rankings.
Keon Coleman, WR (Bills)
Every year fantasy managers clamor for the Buffalo Bills to use a first-round pick on a wide receiver, and then when they finally do, and Stefon Diggs moves on, the community seemingly disregards him entirely. I understand Coleman may not be the most high-profile or exciting draft pick, but there is more than enough talent for him to succeed. Coleman split his collegiate career between Michigan State and Florida State and was relatively productive at both schools. While Coleman was viewed as a prospect with potential, he was viewed more as a Day 2 pick than as a first-round talent. So there was plenty of shock when Coleman was the name that Buffalo called out.
Coleman finds himself in a Bills receiving corps that sports the likes of Khalil Shakir, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and a now-injured Curtis Samuel. A roster like that, with a first-round draft pick is a situation where it’s tough for me to see a scenario in which the Bills WR1 isn’t Coleman. For him to not win the WR1 spot, he would have to be a bust of epic proportions. Only a few years ago, fantasy managers would be able to draft high-profile rookies in the eighth and ninth rounds of fantasy drafts. Unfortunately, those picks worked out so well that you need to use a second or third round this year on the upside rookie receivers such as Marvin Harrison Jr. The forgotten man appears to be Keon Coleman, in one of the best offenses in football. This is a mid-round swing for the fences and may be the best value in fantasy football.
Trey Benson, RB (Cardinals)
Benson is my second consecutive Florida State player on this list and while he was arguably the better of the two prospects he draft capital and land spot were certainly inferior. Benson is a very talented running back who is a great dynasty pick as he will be a stud when he finally takes over as the lead back in Arizona, but for this season he appears to be the RB2 behind veteran James Conner.
So why am I suggesting a backup running back as a sleeper to target you are probably wondering? Well, that’s easy. While James Conner is the starter in Arizona, he is also going to be 30 years old before the 2024 NFL season comes to an end. Add in the fact that he is one of the most injury-plagued players in recent memory and there is the potential for tons of value here for Benson. Benson is, in my opinion, the most high-valued running back handcuff in fantasy. While Benson holds elite handcuff value, it’s also possible he could be fantasy-relevant even in an RB2 role. While I don’t expect him to be a league-winner as a backup or in a committee, he is well worth the ninth-round pick he currently commands. Benson is a low-risk and potential high-reward pick in 2024 redraft leagues.
Brian Thomas Jr, WR (Jaguars)
Thomas Jr is a similar case to Keon Coleman except the fact that I have far more confidence in Christian Kirk than I do in any receiver on the Buffalo Bills, and that’s why he is further down the list for me. Much like Coleman, Thomas Jr found his way into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Thomas Jr was rumored to compete for a first-round pick, so it was less surprising to see him creep into the first round.
The current price tag on Brian Thomas Jr is a ninth-round pick and that is likely due to fears surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars offense and quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The value of Lawrence seems to be at an all-time low and after losing Calvin Ridley this offseason, expectations for Jacksonville appear to be low among the fantasy community. Where I saw an obvious pathway to Coleman being the WR1 in Buffalo, I believe it’s more than likely that Thomas Jr is the WR2 in Jacksonville. It’s not outside the range of outcomes that Thomas Jr passes Kirk on the depth chart. Even in a WR2 role on Jacksonville, there is inherent fantasy value in Brian Thomas Jr, especially at this price point. I’m sure some will say that Gabe Davis will be the WR2, but he has never proven consistency and I would rather bet on the upside of Thomas Jr. He has the potential to be a top 30 wide receiver for fantasy even as a rookie as I expect this offense to rebound and be productive as it was two seasons ago.
Ricky Pearsall, WR (49ers)
Pearsall is yet another wide receiver drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft but is the lowest on this list for obvious reasons. Despite being available in the final rounds of most fantasy football drafts, he also has the toughest pathway to relevance. Pearsall is the definition of a dart throw, but he is worth a late-flier in case his situation changes.
The problem for Pearsall is that as his current situation stands, he is buried on one of the deepest offensive rosters in the NFL. Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle comprise one of the deepest groups of pass-catchers in the league and will leave little opportunity for Pearsall to produce. The opportunity for Pearsall comes if a situation changes, and for that reason, he is worth a late-round pick. If, before Week 1 kicks off Brandon Aiyuk is traded, the value of Pearsall quickly skyrockets and you have a free receiver with WR2/3 upside, if Aiyuk is not moved, you can cut Pearsall before Week 1 and all it cost you was a last-round pick. He is a low-cost lottery ticket, and a worthwhile dart throw in the weeks leading up to Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.
Tyrone Tracy Jr, RB (Giants)
When looking for late-round rookie sleepers, all you are looking for is an opportunity or scenario in which that player could gain immense value. That’s what we have with Tyrone Tracy Jr. Rookie running back Tyrone Tracy quickly made his way up the New York Giants depth chart, seemingly securing at a minimum the RB2 job. The momentum was there for Tracy as he was rising in drafts and appeared primed to challenge Devin Singletary for the starting role. That momentum was sidetracked a bit by an injury during Week 1 of the preseason, fortunately, that injury appears to be minor.
The injury, while minor, seems to be enough to send his ADP plummeting back down to where it started which is great if you are looking to target a great late-round dart-throw. Devin Singletary has proven to be fantasy-relevant throughout his NFL career but has struggled to be a true bell cow. While Tracy may not win the starting job outright from Singletary, there is great late-round value in both Singletary and Tracy Jr if this turns out to be a committee situation. If Tracy does somehow manage to become the Giant’s starter, he could be the best value in 2024 redraft leagues.
That concludes Rookie Sleepers to Steal. Thank you for reading this article. You can check out the rest of the featured articles in the 2024 Draft Kit here. For our video content leading up to the draft, check out The FFU YouTube Channel.
