Rounds two and three of the 2024 NFL Draft are nowhere near as electric as round one. How could they be? The opening night of this draft is historic with plenty of shocking selections to discuss for years to come. So much so that I immediately recapped all of the fantasy relevant players for round one at it’s conclusion. Day two did provide us with some answers for fantasy football, as well, and there’s plenty to talk about. Let’s not waste any more time and dive in.
Grading Fantasy Football Relevant Picks from Rounds Two and Three of the 2024 NFL Draft
Round 2, Pick 1: Keon Coleman, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills
Fantasy Grade: A-
There may not be a better landing spot for a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft than the Buffalo Bills. After letting Gabe Davis walk in free agency and, more importantly, trading Stefon Diggs away to the Texans, quarterback Josh Allen will be looking for a new top target. The beginning of round two is an appropriate pick to use on Coleman who is by no means a top receiver in this class. For fantasy football though? There is a massive target share to be had here for Keon Coleman. He’s a big-body receiver who can win in the red zone and win anywhere on the field especially when Josh Allen is extending plays. This landing spot lands Coleman inside the first round of dynasty rookie drafts everywhere.
Round 2, Pick 2: Ladd McConkey, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Chargers
Fantasy Grade: B+
LADD McCONKEY! There’s something about his name that demands it be yelled. Another answer early in round two to a big question for fantasy football: Who will fill the void left behind by Keenan Allen and Mike Williams? Keep in mind, there’s no loyalty to last year’s first-round pick Quentin Johnston or 2021 third-round pick Joshua Palmer. This is a new regime with a new head coach and general manager. I know we’re all expecting a run-heavy Chargers team, but don’t overlook “L.A. Ladd” (L.A.dd? We’ll work on it). He is going to be Justin Herbert’s new possession receiver gobbling up targets like Keenan Allen before him. His route running alone is enough proof of that. He will have an immediate impact for the Chargers and in fantasy football.
Round 2, Pick 5: Ja’Lynn Polk, Wide Receiver, New England Patriots
Fantasy Grade: B
When Joe Burrow was drafted first overall in 2020, the Bengals paired him with Tee Higgins early in round two. Last year, the Carolina Panthers supported first overall pick Bryce Young with Jonathan Mingo in round two. Though not the first pick, Drake Maye immediately gets his WR1 in Ja’Lynn Polk here early in round two. He isn’t going to be torching any secondaries, but Polk is a reliable pass catcher to help with Maye’s development. Polk’s competition for targets may be the weakest of all other top receivers select in the 2024 NFL Draft. This pick doesn’t launch Drake Maye much higher in my rookie quarterback rankings, but it’s a huge help to stabilize his floor.
Round 2, Pick 14: Jonathan Brooks, Running Back, Carolina Panthers
Fantasy Grade: B
The first running back of the 2024 NFL Draft is Jonathan Brooks, but he did NOT go where many expected him to. First of all, Brooks coming off of the board in round two is a fantastic sign for his recovery from a full ACL tear back in the fall. Secondly, Brooks is joining a Panthers roster with a new head coach, Dave Canales, who is on record emphasizing how important it is to be able to run the ball to win the NFC South. Once again, there is no loyalty to Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard with this coaching staff! What about either of them suggests they should start next season? Jonathan Brooks is going to be the lead back in Carolina before we know it. It’s important to keep an eye on his availability throughout training camp, but if he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go. No injury recovery is the same, but remember Breece Hall last season?
Round 2, Pick 20: Adonai Mitchell, Wide Receiver, Indianapolis Colts
Fantasy Grade: A-
Adonai Mitchell coming off the board in round two isn’t a complete shock, but falling to the 20th pick of round two? Stunner. The Colts got an absolute steal here. Maybe it’s the Philadelphia fandom in me, but former offensive coordinator, and now Colts head coach, Shane Steichen, is overseeing a similar offense to that of the 2022 Eagles in Indianapolis. Anthony Richardson is an unpolished, mobile quarterback similar to Jalen Hurts. Michael Pittman Jr. and Adonai Mitchell are a fantastic 1-2 punch like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Mitchell is a WR1 talent playing the WR2 role in Indy, similar to DeVonta Smith in Philly. Mitchell and Pittman will likely trade off big performances week-to-week, but if you believe in Anthony Richardson like I do, both can be top-25 fantasy wide receivers fairly easily.
Round 2, Pick 21: Ben Sinnott, Tight End, Washington Commanders
Fantasy Grade: C+
In my Fantasy Football Procrastinator’s Guide to the 2024 NFL Draft, I named Ben Sinnott as a sleeper tight end pick, though admittedly made it known he was my TE2 in this draft. I was hoping he would get round three draft capital. Needless to say, seeing him come off the board in round two is a wonderful surprise. Unfortunately, we have no idea what Kliff Kingsbury’s offense with rookie Jayden Daniels at quarterback will look like. Additionally, even if Sinnott develops into a role as the top tight end, he’s still battling Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Austin Ekeler, and others for targets out of the gate. I still believe in his versatility and expected role as a pass catcher for this offense. He’s not going to start on your fantasy teams as a rookie, but he’s very much worth the stash in dynasty leagues.
Round 3, Pick 1: Malachi Corley, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
Fantasy Grade: C-
The fantasy football fun comes to a bit of a halt at the start of round three. Listen, I love me some Malachi Corley. He’s so dangerous after the catch, like a “Deebo Samuel Lite.” However, for the New York Jets’ offense, I don’t see a legitimate path to a whole lot of touches. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have the friendliest history supporting rookie receivers and Corley doesn’t provide a ton of trust as far as running routes goes. I think we’ll see Corley get a handoff here and there as well as work in some wide receiver screens to see if he can pop off a big play. If he ever moves up in the pecking order amongst Jets receivers, Rodgers may not even be the quarterback. If you have a taxi spot on your dynasty rosters, Corley is a perfect player to place there.
Round 3, Pick 2: Trey Benson, Running Back, Arizona Cardinals
Fantasy Grade: A-
Trey Benson is my RB1 from the 2024 NFL Draft class and that doesn’t change with this round three landing spot. Ahead of him on the Cardinals’ depth chart is James Conner who has never played a full season due to injury. In fact, he has played more than 13 games just once since 2019. Trey Benson is a James Conner injury away from skyrocketing in value as a rookie. At the absolute latest, he will be the lead back on an ascending Cardinals offense by 2025. James Conner has finished as a top-20 fantasy running back in each of his three seasons in Arizona. Trey Benson will take it from here with his enticing combination of size, speed, and ability to break off big runs in the open field. No complaints.
Round 3, Pick 16: Jermaine Burton, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
Fantasy Grade: D
I’m not a fan of the “deep threat” receiver on an NFL offense for fantasy football purposes. They’re almost always a one-trick pony yielding boom-or-bust performances. I’m skeptical this is the role Burton could slide into on the current Cincinnati Bengals offense that, as of now, has Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as the primary targets. Burton is so smooth when he blazes by defenders, but has never had a season of more than 40 receptions in college. Admittedly, because I really like Burton, I hope I’m wrong and he develops into a massive fantasy asset. If nothing else, he boosts the value of Joe Burrow who can look downfield for him for chunk plays to rack up points.
Round 3, Pick 18: Tip Reiman, Tight End, Arizona Cardinals
Fantasy Grade: F
I’m not as familiar with Tip Reiman as I am with the aforementioned Ben Sinnott or other tight ends in the 2024 NFL Draft. What I do know is that Reiman is unlikely to threaten Trey McBride in the Cardinals’ passing game. He may vulture a touchdown or even a big play once in a while, but McBride’s massive role does not change, even with round three draft capital for Reiman. Not all tight ends are meant to be pass catchers. Reiman will likely serve more as a blocker. He has just 41 total receptions in four seasons at the University of Illinois. I’ll be cheering him on as he demolishes defenders to make way for Trey Benson.
Round 3, Pick 19: Blake Corum, Running Back, Los Angeles Rams
Fantasy Grade: B
I want to give Blake Corum an “A” grade, but I can’t ignore the fact that Kyren Williams is still on the Los Angeles Rams. Williams’ 260 touches in just 12 games last season don’t just disappear as a result of this round-three pick. However, when you look at the five games Williams was unavailable for, the Rams run game yielded touches to Royce Freeman, Ronnie Rivers, Zach Evans, and even returnee veteran Darrell Henderson. They needed a legitimate compliment to Williams like Blake Corum. It’s worth noting no other current Rams running back was drafted higher than the fifth round. Corum has the size, skill, and proven workload to lead this backfield in 2024 and beyond. It wouldn’t shock me if Kyren Williams takes a bit of a back seat over time, but for now, I expect a somewhat even split barring an injury to either.
Round 3, Pick 20: Roman Wilson, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers
Fantasy Grade: C+
You want a Diontae Johnson replacement in Pittsburgh? Roman Wilson appears to be it with the Steelers’ round-three selection. After devaluing Jermaine Burton a few picks prior for his lack of production, here I am optimistic about Wilson despite his limited production, as well. Wilson is a different type of player, though, with the ability to win in coverage early on and provide a reliable target for either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. That last part factors into Wilson’s fantasy grade. Wilson weighs less than 190 pounds and ran a 4.39 40-yard dash. I don’t know how effective Wilson will be in the red zone, but when the Steelers need to keep a drive alive and move the chains, he will be their guy.
Round 3, Pick 25: MarShawn Lloyd, Running Back, Green Bay Packers
Fantasy Grade: C+
I’m giving myself a pat on the back for predicting MarShawn Lloyd to the Green Bay Packers with one of their two round-three picks on Twitter (@Colin_McT) as well as a few live streams over the last month or so. Lloyd boasts an impressive 7.1 yards per carry last season at USC with 24 runs of 10 or more yards. Yes, he’s backing up Josh Jacobs in 2024, but what about next season? Jacobs is only guaranteed $12.5 million of his four-year, $48 million deal. The Packers are year-to-year with Jacobs so there’s no guarantee he sticks around in 2025. Keep that in mind, but for now, the fantasy grade is a bit above average for the situation as is.
Round 3, Pick 29: Jalen McMillan, Wide Receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Fantasy Grade: C+
Chris Godwin played 51%, 53%, and 60% of his snaps in the slot from 2020 to 2022. In 2023, just 32% of his snaps came out of the slot. I’m still holding out hope that new offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, moves Godwin back into a slot-heavier role, but this round-three selection says otherwise. Jalen McMillan is the heir apparent for when Chris Godwin is no longer in Tampa Bay. Assuming Liam Coen, former of the Los Angeles Rams, is still in the building, McMillan has a shot to slide into a Cooper Kupp-like role for Baker Mayfield to utilize. There is a ton of upside to believe in here, but not enough to spend a high rookie pick on. Look to target McMillan comfortably in the second round of rookie drafts.
Round 3, Pick 37: Luke McCaffrey, Wide Receiver, Washington Commanders
Fantasy Grade: D
I had no intentions of giving Luke McCaffrey much thought for any of my dynasty leagues, but the round-three draft capital is hard to ignore. McCaffrey figures to slide into a slot role in three wide receiver sets with Terry McClaurin and Jahan Dotson on the outside. Don’t forget about Austin Ekeler either out of the backfield. Considering the many mouths to feed, as well as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels calling his own number and taking off running, I don’t see a world in which McCaffrey carves out a fantasy friendly role. At best, he could be a touchdown dependent flex with a volume-based floor, but I need to see it first. I don’t think I ever will.