Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlooks for Rookie Wide Receivers (Part 2): Malachi Corley, Jermaine Burton, Luke McCaffrey and More

The NFL Draft is in the books, meaning we are that much closer to the NFL season and fantasy football!

I thought it would be fun to discuss the landing spots for rookies and how their dynasty value was impacted as a result. We already covered quarterbacks and running backs (which had a part 1 and part 2). Now it’s time to discuss wide receivers.

There were 35 wideouts selected across the seven-round draft, so we’ll release a couple stories for this position as well. This is the second story, which will open by discussing receivers drafted in the third round and cap with fifth rounders.

Malachi Corley Fantasy Outlook

Corley was the first pick in round 3, and might immediately step into a starting role for the Jets. Mike Williams and Garrett Wilson are the other projected starters right now, with Corley needing to beat out Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson, among others.

Corley’s dynasty outlook is kind of clouded because of Aaron Rodgers being the team’s current quarterback. Rodgers plays a year, maybe two, and then will likely retire, and the heir to Rodgers isn’t set in stone quite yet.

So, while I like Corley’s fantasy value quite a bit in his rookie season, his dynasty value takes a little bit of a hit. I’d probably still pick him among the top-15 rookie wideouts for fantasy purposes, and that might end up being a steal if the Jets can hit on the quarterback after Rodgers.

Jermaine Burton Fantasy Outlook

Cincinnati was a great landing spot for Burton. The team franchise tagged Tee Higgins, and the receiver is looking to get out of Cincinnati now. If the Bengals trade Higgins, Burton might slide into a starting role alongside Ja'Marr Chase.

Trenton Irwin is probably the other starting receiver at this point, so Burton might play quite a bit even if the Bengals keep Higgins. With Joe Burrow at quarterback and at least one other star receiver on the roster, Burton should have plenty of opportunities to become a fairly consistent wideout. He likely won’t put up elite numbers with Chase around, but he could effectively become what Higgins was the past several seasons, which was a good fantasy option.

Burton is another top-15 dynasty wideout pick that could be looked to as a steal as his career progresses.

Roman Wilson Fantasy Outlook

This is another landing spot that was great for a third-round pick. Wilson is probably already among the team’s top-three wideouts, and only George Pickens has somewhat consistently delivered in the NFL. Van Jefferson is the other projected starter, but hasn’t done much outside his second NFL season.

Something that hurts Wilson’s fantasy value is the uncertainty at quarterback. I like Russell Wilson to win the job, but Justin Fields also could be the one throwing passes to Roman Wilson this season. Both are fine options for this coming season, but not knowing if they’ll be on the roster next year, Roman Wilson’s dynasty outlook takes a slight hit for me.

I still like him as a top-15 option, with the chance to really outperform that draft slot in the long run if the Steelers hit on their next quarterback.

Jalen McMillan Fantasy Outlook

Tampa Bay was a decent landing spot for McMillan. He could battle Trey Palmer for one of the top-three wideout spots, but he’ll also take a backseat to Mike Evans and probably Chris Godwin for a little while.

Godwin is slated to be a free agent after this coming season, so the wait might not be super long for McMillan, but if he struggles in year one, the Bucs could also draft another option or two next year.

I definitely see some upside with McMillan, but I also wouldn’t feel comfortable drafting him inside the top 15 dynasty wideouts this year. Hopefully, he can prove me wrong.

Luke McCaffrey Fantasy Outlook

McCaffrey landing in Washington was great for his fantasy outlook. He should start in the slot alongside Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, and with the franchise quarterback (Jayden Daniels) hopefully secured, McCaffrey could be a real steal (in the real draft and for fantasy purposes).

We all know the name McCaffrey, which might actually result in him going earlier in fantasy drafts than he should, but I also like his dynasty outlook, so it might not end up being a reach in the long run. 

I have McCaffrey right around WR15 among the 2024 rookie options.

Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele Fantasy Outlooks

I was a big fan of reuniting Franklin with Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and think Franklin could be a big-time steal if Nix proves to be starting quarterback quality. Vele was a seventh-round pick, so he’s got an uphill battle in front of him.

Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims are the projected starters at receiver for Denver, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Franklin either beat Reynolds or Mims for a starting job, or simply plays a big role in the passing game as the No. 4 option. 

I have Franklin inside the top 15 dynasty wideouts, and would be tempted to take him 10th. Vele probably falls around the 30th dynasty option, and probably should be avoided outside of crazy deep fantasy leagues.

Devontez Walker Fantasy Outlook

Walker was a fourth-round pick, but falling to the Ravens was a nice landing spot for him. Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor are the projected starters right now, but Bateman and Agholor have been pretty underwhelming in their careers, so I don’t think it’d shock anybody if Walker was able to eventually start games this season.

The quarterback position is set for a while with Lamar Jackson, so if he and Walker can develop a strong connection early, Walker could enjoy a pretty successful career. 

Because he was a fourth-round pick, and seeing some of the other talented receivers available, I’d take Walker around receiver 20 in dynasty drafts.

Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson Fantasy Outlooks

Smith was a fifth-round pick for Philadelphia, while Wilson went in the sixth round. Despite being later picks, they have decent chances to carve out roles this season behind DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown.

Parris Campbell is the other projected receiver at this point, but either Smith or Wilson could knock him out of that role with a strong training camp. Either way, if Smith or Wilson are doing some good things on the field, they should play plenty of snaps in year one. 

Brown and Smith are locked in long term, but most teams need at least three receivers to succeed consistently. I’d have them ranked outside the top 20, but inside the top 25 among the rookie receivers - their dynasty values could go way up if they are playing well and Brown or Smith ever gets moved.

Jamari Thrash Fantasy Outlook

I also don’t hate the landing spot for Thrash, who went in the fifth round to the Browns. Cleveland is led by Amari Cooper, and Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore are expected to start alongside him. Moore and Jeudy have put up solid No. 2 WR numbers in their career, but the team would likely have no issues sliding Thrash past them on the depth chart.

I’m not too high on DeShaun Watson as the franchise quarterback for Cleveland, and that definitely knocks Thrash down a couple pegs on my board. Instead of being a top-20 WR option, I’d rather he be drafted closer to 25.

Bub Means Fantasy Outlook

New Orleans is an interesting landing spot for Means. Chris Olave is the team’s top wideout, while A.T. Perry and Rashid Shaheed are two solid complementary pieces, but also not locked-in starters.

I like Means around dynasty WR25, with the chance to be a major steal if he can excel early in his career and bump Perry or Shaheed out of the lineup. He’s likely going to be one of the last picks in a rookie draft, or go undrafted, so he’ll be one to monitor if he doesn’t get picked.