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Wednesday, April 10, 2024
This wide receiver class is teeming with talent as there looks to be about six to seven receivers who could hear their name called in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. Dave Richard has already completed fantasy scouting profiles on Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Brian Thomas, while Dan Schneier offered his thoughts on Rome Odunze and most recently, Adonai Mitchell.
Meanwhile, Heath Cummings put together his Fantasy sleepers and breakouts for the 2024 season. In the sleepers article, he highlights a young running back who may still be productive next season, despite recovering from a torn ACL. Heath's breakouts piece details what you can expect from one of the league's most exciting second-year quarterbacks.
Throughout this scouting profile, you'll find that Dan Schneier is very high on Adonai Mitchell, and understandably so. At 6-foot-2, 212 pounds, Mitchell posted one of the best athletic scores ever recorded at the NFL Combine. Since 1987, 3,063 wide receivers have performed at the NFL Combine, and Mitchell's overall score placed him 11th among them.
With a 4.35 40-yard dash at 205 pounds, as well as posting elite scores in the vertical jump, 10 and 20-yard split, and other events, it's plain to see he's ultra-explosive. However, his ability on the field is where he'll earn his keep, and there's plenty to like about his on-field play as well. He's excellent at getting in and out of breaks and is one of the better receivers after the catch in the draft. While taller wide receivers often struggle with beating the jam at the line of scrimmage, Mitchell has shown that he has the tools to quickly get off the ball.
Dan believes Mitchell's best Fantasy fits are the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals. I think wherever he goes, he's going to see touches early on. As it stands, Mitchell is Heath Cummings' 23rd-ranked Dynasty prospect.
All of Heath's sleepers are outside of the top 100 in the Fantasy Pros consensus rankings as of April 8, and Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson falls well below that number. Despite finishing the 2023 season as QB12 in CBS scoring, Wilson is now ranked QB28 by the consensus. We do have to remember that the Steelers also acquired Justin Fields this offseason, who could also be a threat to Wilson's playing time should he falter at any point in the season.
Considering the ACL injury late in the 2023 season, I was surprised to see Keaton Mitchell listed as a sleeper, but as I read Heath's story, I understood why he still may be relevant. He's the perfect complement to Derrick Henry and could function in the same capacity as Tyjae Spears did in Tennessee while paired with Henry. Mitchell averaged 8.4 yards per carry and 8.5 yards per target last year. If he regains his form from last season, he could make a lot of plays alongside Henry in 2024.
My favorite sleeper wide receiver Heath has listed is Marquise Brown, who signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason. He's currently rated 101 overall but is seemingly in line for a boatload of targets this season. With Travis Kelce's ability to draw attention underneath, Brown will likely have a lot of one-on-one opportunities over the top. It's possible he has his best NFL season since his final season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Heath is also loving Dalton Kincaid's potential as he'll likely attract more targets in Buffalo now that Stefon Diggs has been traded to the Houston Texans . Kincaid was targeted 91 times in 16 games as a rookie and could receive over 100 targets this season. Currently, Heath has Kincaid ranked at TE7, which is higher than the consensus.
The quarterback who is being discussed the most as a breakout candidate is Anthony Richardson. Richardson has many factors working in his favor as the 2024 season approaches. He has Shane Steichen as his head coach, who helped guide Jalen Hurts to his best NFL season. From a talent standpoint, there's nothing Hurts can do that Richardson isn't capable of. Heath believes Richardson's ceiling is 3,500 yards through the air and 1,000 yards on the ground, along with 40 total touchdowns.
My favorite breakout candidate at the running back position is Zamir White. He'll have to beat out Alexander Mattison for the starting job, but his talent suggests he'll be able to claim RB1 status in Las Vegas. What I love about White is that he has big-play speed. He ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash, and the speed definitely shows up on film. He pulls away from defenders in the secondary, and he doesn't go down on first contact. I look forward to seeing him become the bell cow for the Raiders in 2024.
Another player set up nicely for a breakout is Garrett Wilson. Heath believes Wilson could easily become a top-12 wide receiver with Aaron Rodgers back in the lineup. He also has him slated for 92 catches, 1,117 yards, and seven touchdowns. If Rodgers is fully healthy and the Jets get another wide receiver on the other side of him in the draft, to roll coverage away from him, we could begin to see his name mentioned among the likes of Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and CeeDee Lamb.

 
 
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