Stud players in the first handful of rounds are talked about way too much in fantasy football. It is easy to tell people Amon-Ra St. Brown will be great for Fantasy Football this year, that Christian McCaffrey is not slowing down, or that Dalton Kincaid has a huge opportunity ahead of him. What is much more difficult to do is identify players being drafted outside the top 100 picks that will be weekly assets to Fantasy Football lineups. What is more important at the end of the day – stating the obvious or finding separating factors late in drafts? Yes, that is a rhetorical question. With that in mind, today we will attempt to identify four late-round wide receivers who could blow up and give you a huge advantage in your fantasy football league.
Finding players late in drafts that hit for Fantasy Football can give you an edge in your league – plain and simple. Here are some late-round wide receivers from last year that paid off big time for fantasy football managers:
- Adam Thielen: ADP WR50 vs WR25 in Fantasy PPG
- Nico Collins: ADP WR58 vs WR7 in Fantasy PPG
- Rashee Rice: ADP WR68 vs WR28 in Fantasy PPG
- Jayden Reed: ADP WR74 vs WR26 in Fantasy PPG
- Tank Dell: ADP WR78 vs WR18 in Fantasy PPG
- Puka Nacua: ADP WR101 vs WR6 in Fantasy PPG
Drafting the above wide receivers at their draft cost last year, had heavy Fantasy Football returns that could have helped you win weeks. Tossing darts in your draft often miss, but when they hit that can mean the difference between you and your league members. Much easier said than done though identifying who in the later rounds can not only be worth rostering, but can be Fantasy useful to you this season. That is where I come in. Here are four players that you should target in your drafts this year, being selected WR50 or later that can pay off big for Fantasy Football.
4 Late-Round Wide Receivers
1. Curtis Samuel, Bills (ADP: WR51)
Back in March, Curtis Samuel signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Buffalo Bills which reunited him with Joe Brady, who was once Samuel’s Offensive-Coordinator in Carolina. Why is this significant? Samuel posted his best season to date in 2020 with Brady as the OC: 77 receptions for 851 receiving yards, 200 rushing yards, five total touchdowns, and 14.7 Fantasy PPG (#27). Back with Brady, there is a chance that Brady utilizes Samuel in a similar gadget type of role that he did back in 2020 which elevated Samuel’s Fantasy stock.
Samuel has earned over 90 targets in his last four straight full seasons played. Stefon Diggs, now a Texan, vacates 160 targets in Buffalo which feel completely up for grabs. The Bills selected Keon Coleman in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft, Dalton Kincaid looks to build on his rookie campaign from last year as a former first-round tight end selection, and Khalil Shakir showed some late promise last year from the slot. Samuel offers the most versatility on the roster when it comes to the pass-catchers and can carve out a significant role in 2024.
Josh Allen is regarded as one of the league’s best quarterbacks, and rightfully so. Allen has finished the last four seasons straight with over 4,300 passing yards and has thrown for 35+ passing touchdowns in three of those years. Allen averaged 34.1 pass attempts per game just last season, which shows the passing volume that is present in Buffalo. Versatility, familiarity with the Offensive-Coordinator, and a tie to Josh Allen can result in Samuel being a weekly FLEX for managers this season that can help win matchups.
2. Jerry Jeudy, Browns (ADP: WR56)
I have always been a Jerry Jeudy fan, and still believe in his talent. I have also been very wrong about some bold takes through the years on Jeudy because of that. Still, his Denver situation along with injuries have felt like unfair ways of holding Jeudy back from being truly Fantasy relevant consistently. A lot of people will rip on the lack of NFL production Jeudy has had so far in his career following a great prospect profile attached to 2020 first-round draft capital. Jeudy’s 2022 season is not talked about enough, though. In 2022 through 15 games:
- 100 targets (6.7 per game)
- #12 in deep targets
- 972 receiving yards (64.8 per game)
- #16 in yards after the catch
- #16 in yards per route run (2.29)
- #9 in yards per target (9.7)
- #20 in yards per reception (14.5)
- #19 in Fantasy PPG (13.6)
Those above 2020 statistics seem fairly good, and actually show the qualities I have believed in with Jeudy in terms of his talent. Jeudy lands in Cleveland via trade this off-season, with a true chance to turn his career around. Deshaun Watson is a guy I also believe can turn things around in 2024, who has a season with 4,823 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns on his NFL resume from 2020 in Houston. Jeudy should operate as the WR2 for the Browns, and if we can pair his 2022 self with Watson playing like his Houston days then we can truly see the guy I have always believed in impacting Fantasy Football at a higher level.
3. Joshua Palmer, Chargers (WR57)
Through 10 games played in 2023, Joshua Palmer finished with 14+ Fantasy Points three times, and as a top 12 Fantasy wide receiver twice.
- Week 3: Four receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. 14.6 Fantasy Points. WR29
- Week 7: Five receptions for 133 yards. 18.3 Fantasy Points. WR10
- Week 15: Four receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. 21.3 Fantasy Points. WR12
Palmer finished 2023 #18 in both yards per target (9.5) and yards per reception (15.3). There were also five occasions in 2022 where Palmer finished with 13 Fantasy Points, finishing two of those games with over 100 receiving yards. Palmer has simply been a guy to step up when given the chance, and in 2024 he has a big chance at volume.
Justin Herbert averaged 35.1 pass attempts per game in 2023, and even though there may be a change in volume due to the hiring of Jim Harbaugh, I doubt LA holds Herbert back from slinging it. All of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Gerald Everett are all out of LA now, leaving really only Palmer as a Herbert option that has built some sort of connection through the years. The Chargers selected Ladd McConkey in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft. I project him to lead the team in targets this season. I do believe Palmer has a weekly substantial role for the Chargers, and he and McConkey create a solid 1-2 punch through the air. Palmer’s flash games through the years can become more consistent through his new opportunity for the Chargers in 2024, which could lead to him becoming a weekly upside FLEX option for lineups and one of the sneakier picks of these late-round wide receivers.
4. Ja’Lynn Polk, Patriots (ADP: WR67)
Following their selection of Drake Maye in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft as their future starting quarterback, the New England Patriots selected Ja’Lynn Polk in the second round to pair Maye with. Polk produced 1,159 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his final Washington season in 2023, and that was with Bears’ first-round selection Rome Odunze on the field with him.
Polk wins contested catches, is committed to his routes, is focused on making deep plays, and puts in effort blocking. We are seeing a lot of these traits in camp clips that are being released, which consistently show Polk making big plays and scoring. When it comes to the Patriots roster, I feel Polk is the only player who has the tools to be a team’s WR1. Demario Douglas did well last year leading the Patriots in targets as a sixth-round rookie, Kendrick Bourne is coming off of an ACL after having some great games last season, KJ Osborn comes to New England after serving as a great compliment piece to his former Vikings offense, and the Patriots selected Javon Baker in the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft who has been making some great plays in camp. For me, that list is a bunch of guys who can serve as compliment roles in an offense, but none should be the featured player in the passing game. Polk will be that in 2024.
I have been extremely high on Polk this off-season, and feel he is this year’s Rashee Rice or Jayden Reed, meaning a second-round rookie who landed in a great situation yet is slept on for Fantasy Football but balls out as a rookie. Polk could be a guy who sees consistent volume and produces as an upside FLEX for Fantasy Football in 2024 as a rookie.
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Who are your favorite late-round wide receivers for 2024 fantasy football? Drop some names in the comments below and then make sure to check out our 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit for more great rankings and analysis.