Three fantasy winners from the 2024 NFL Draft
The 2024 NFL draft is over and now fantasy football drafts are just a few months away. Fourteen skill position players were taken in the first round. These three have the greatest chance for fantasy success.
Caleb Williams (QB) Chicago Bears
The Bears surprised no one by taking USC’s dual-threat weapon, but some were surprised to hear his thoughts about running the football. During an appearance on Fox Sports’ The Herd, Williams said, “I don't like running unless I have to. I like throwing the ball to my receivers, letting all of us have fun.”
Fear not, fantasy managers. Williams averaged 5.6 yards per carry with six touchdowns for Oklahoma in 2021 and ran for 524 yards and 21 scores as a Trojan. Former Bear Justin Fields managed 17.71 fantasy points per game in 2023 thanks in part to his 657 yards on the ground.
Through the air, Williams should be in great shape with pass-catchers like DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, last year’s sixth- and eighth-leading fantasy wide receivers. He’ll also have Rome Odunze, last year’s leading receiver in the FBS.
Xavier Worthy (WR) Kansas City Chiefs
Worthy made headlines by running a record 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. That’s slightly faster than Chiefs GM Brett Veach ran to get him off the board after the Bills handed them the 28th pick.
The Chiefs have a pair of Super Bowl championships since trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins and appear to have his heir apparent in Worthy. Hill finished with top-10 fantasy numbers in four of six seasons with the Chiefs but never had a wide receiver like Marquise Brown to help shoulder the load.
Catching footballs from Patrick Mahomes in Andy Reid’s offense can do wonders for a player’s fantasy value. If Worthy has half the success Hill had with the team, he could settle in as a weekly WR1.
Malik Nabers (WR) New York Giants
Fantasy football is all about opportunity and Nabers will get plenty of it in New York. Only the Panthers threw for fewer yards per game (161.2) than the Giants (169.8) in 2023, making Nabers the team’s No.1 receiver the moment he takes the field.
Darius Slayton led New York with 770 yards last season, which ranked 46th among NFL receivers. Nabers’ 1,569 yards in 2023 were second-most in college football. His 14 touchdowns were five more than all Giants receivers combined last season.
His quarterback isn’t exactly an All-Pro, but Daniel Jones had the NFL’s sixth-best completion percentage before a forgettable, injury-filled 2023 season. If Nabers can get open, which he should with 4.38 speed, fantasy managers should expect Odell Beckham-like numbers in 2024.
More must-reads: