Now that the NFL season is in full swing, every week seems to fly by. Look out—the Dynasty Rookie Stock Watch articles will be coming at you guys fast! I’ll be honest: The 2024 rookie class performed very underwhelmingly. We saw a few performances that gave us some promise for the future and some that did not. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Marvin Harrison Jr.
This performance surprised me the most. With the highest projected over/under on the slate for Week 1, I thought the coveted rookie would go crazy. That did not happen…. Marvin Harrison Jr. played 90 percent of the offensive snaps and received three targets. Three! That’s maddening to us fantasy owners, as we projected him to have a significant role in this offense from day one. The one saving grace was that Marvin Harrison Jr. was open for an easy touchdown on the right sideline, and Kyler Murray just missed him. I’m not panicking; I was just hoping to see more involvement in the offense from the jump.Â
Brock Bowers
This was easily the best performance from any skill position player from this rookie class on Sunday. Brock Bowers was targeted by Gardner Minshew early and often, racking up eight targets, six receptions, and 58 receiving yards. The highlight play that stood out was a play-action bootleg to the left side of the field where Bowers was wide open and showcased his athletic ability, picking up 31 yards on a single reception. Other than that, most of his usage was underneath throws and chain movers. Nonetheless, the volume is what we want to see from the young tight end.Â
Jayden Daniels
Outside of the rushing ability Jayden Daniels displayed, I thought there was a lot to be desired as a passer. I know most of the day he never saw a clean pocket, I know it was his first game as a rookie on the road, and I know that he salvaged his day with two rushing scores. But I want to see more. His best attribute as a passer was the deep ball. Jayden Daniels didn’t complete a pass of fifteen or more yards all game. He attempted three. We also talked about his ability to throw on the run. At times, it looked like Jayden wanted to put his head down and just run. I want to see him keep his head up, scan and survey the field, and find the open man downfield. I believe it will come with time, but he has some work to do.
Caleb Williams
On the positive side, Caleb Williams managed to grab a Week 1 victory, which hadn’t been done by a rookie QB since Sam Darnold in 2018. On the negative side, it was an abysmal performance. In the first half, Caleb Williams was 8-13 passing with 65 yards. In the second half, it was ugly. He was 6-16 passing with 31 yards. The defense bailed him out of this game, but facing the Texans in Week 2, he will have to put points on the board. Let’s see how he responds against this Houston defense.
Malik Nabers
I have to say one thing. Get this man a quarterback! At this point, I believe a WR2 (top 24) fantasy finish is realistic, but with this kind of quarterback play and lack of scoring, a WR1 (top 12) finish is unlikely. Yes, the seven targets, five catches, and 66 receiving yards look great. The problem is this offense won’t score. He’s a foundational piece on any dynasty roster; he’s going to get peppered with targets in year one; it’s just going to take some time for him to hit his ceiling.Â
Thank you for tuning in to another week of the Dynasty Rookie Stock Market. As always this will be a weekly article written by me. If you have any questions, follow me on Twitter/X @FFChalmers. My DMs are always open. Remember, Always Be Building!
