Best Rounds 3-5 Dynasty Dart Throws For Your Rookie Drafts
1. Javon Baker WR New England Patriots
Baker was selected by the Patriots in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. I know what everyone is thinking the landing spot is terrible and maybe in the short term it is, but things can change in the NFL faster than you can say draft. That being said I personally really liked what New England did in the draft this year finally making offensive skill players a top priority. First of all, they draft Drake Maye who is set to be the Patriots future signal caller after picking him third overall. Why is this relevant to Javon Baker because Drake Maye is a down the field type of passer who isn't shy about throwing balls into tight windows and throwing the ball up to his receivers in contested catch situations which is Baker's specialty so this should be a match made in heaven.
Baker is also coming into a Patriots team that has a very weak wide receiver room overall. Their room includes of course fellow rookie Ja'lynn Polk who we like as well Kendrick Bourne Pop Douglass and Ju Ju Smith Schuster. Why is this relevant because this receiver room in the state that it’s in now could push Baker into a fair number of quality opportunities even possibly as early as this season.
The last point I want to make about Baker is his attitude and confidence in himself. Recently after the draft he has been constantly posting about how there shouldn't have been that many receivers picked ahead of him and I can appreciate the swagger. Judging by the tape I can say I definitely agree with him so getting him in the early to mid 3rd round of your dynasty rookie drafts I feel is a huge steal. You pair Baker at discounted dynasty draft capital plus with a quarterback that fits his style of play and the lack of high-end competition really standing in his way makes me believe Baker could be one of the bigger steals of your rookie drafts this year.
2. Jermaine Burton WR Cincinnati Bengals
Speed Kills and Jermaine Burton is a true burner type of receiver who does his best work out of the slot. Burton got drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL Draft. I love this landing spot for Burton just as their fellow AFC North rival the Pittsburgh Steelers do the Bengals have always had a solid eye for high end receiving talent through the draft.
Even putting that a side Burton is a perfect fit for the Bengals with the departure of Tyler Boyd. It’s clear Cincinnati has a legitimate need for a consistent reliable slot receiver to play in this offense next year and Burton definitely is someone who can possibly fill that void. He gets solid draft capital in the 3rd round and with Tee Higgins possibly being out the door soon in Cincinnati perhaps could open up even more opportunities for Burton soon. Plus let’s be honest being tied to Joe Burrow in this offense in any capacity is never a bad thing either. Given all of these reasons I honestly feel this could be another later round steal out of a highly stacked 2024 wide receiver class.
3. Ray Davis RB Buffalo Bills
Let’s not kid ourselves this years running back class was definitely a letdown even when we began the process and now after seeing some of the landing spots made it even more less appealing.That being said through the whole process all of us here at Dynasty DNA have all loved Ray Davis through the whole process. Davis is a talented runner that possesses so many gifts he has great contact balance, he has the size, solid speed, and solid pass catching abilities as well.
Davis lands with the Buffalo Bills getting picked in the 4th round and I’ve heard so many people say this was a horrible landing spot and I just respectfully disagree. Buffalo is a team that is in a state of transition losing Stefon Diggs this off-season and many other pieces this off-season in general. I honestly feel we see Buffalo transition a bit as well as a team in general. I think the Bills will turn to the running game more heavily in 2024 out of necessity due to some of their losses and Ray Davis could carve himself out a nice little role in this offense I believe.
Outside of James Cook there isn’t much completion in front of Davis either he definitely has a chance to make some noise if James Cook we’re to go down and even if he doesn’t I feel Davis is a perfect complement to Cook and could command more carries possibly as the season goes on. Davis has played a lot of football as well in his collegiate career the Bills can plug and play him with confidence given his experience. Davis ran for a 1000 yards in college with three different teams which is impressive to say the least.
Davis is not only talented but he’s a very intelligent football player and he’s not shy about getting his nose dirty when called upon. All this said I think out of all the bad we seen with the running backs in this class if I’m taking one I’m more than happy gambling on Ray Davis in the late 3rd early 4th rounds of your rookie drafts if he’s available to be picked
4. Kimani Vidal RB Los Angeles Chargers
Speaking of late round dart throw running backs how can we not bring up Kimani Vidal. Out of all the later round day 3 backs taken Videl may have definitely found himself in the best landing spot out of all these guys. Vidal was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 6th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. I know it isn’t great capital but I’m playing the landing spot here with the Chargers there definitely could be opportunities here for Vidal to find a role in this offense.
Looking at the Chargers depth chart all that stands in front of him is JK Dobbins who has never stayed healthy and Gus Edwards who is definitely on the back 9 of his career as an NFL running back. All these factors matter when it comes to Vidal and watching his tape he’s definitely a thumping hard playing type of guy exactly the type of football players Jim Harbaugh loves so the fit is definitely there for Vidal as well.
All this being said he is getting a lot of hype right now for a sixth round NFL Draft pick. I have seen him going in the early 3rd round of some dynasty rookie drafts this year I wouldn’t take him quite that high with all the high-end receiver talent that’s available in this draft. I will say though if Vidal is available in the late 3rd round or early 4th round, I do think it’s a lottery ticket worth playing at that point to me!
5. Jacob Cowing WR San Francisco 49ers
This one is more of a long shot I know but I loved Jacob Cowing’s tape Pre NFL Draft and I’ve always said when I see coaches like Kyle Shanahan or Sean Mcvay take offensive skill players that I like my antenna goes up. He lands with the San Francisco 49ers in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft I know they picked Ricky Pearsall in the 1st round of this past NFL Draft as well but I’ve heard a few reports that many of the 49ers brass were really impressed seeing Cowing through the whole process and some even were as bold to say they liked him even more than Pearsall.
I don’t know if I would go that far but I will say this landing spot doesn’t bother me I think it’s kind of a possibly sneaky spot for Cowing in the future and I like it. Especially when I have been drafting Cowing in the late 4th early 5th round of my dynasty rookie drafts it’s really solid value to me so why not take a swing at those prices on a guy that I liked through the film process especially when he lands with an offensive genius like Kyle Shanahan! I think Cowing is a great value and he is someone I’m definitely in on this late in my dynasty rookie drafts this year.
6. Theo Johnson TE New York Giants
Even though this class was super weak outside of Brock Bowers at the Tight End position. That being said we had to get a late round Tight End dart throw in here didn’t we. I feel if I’m taking a dart throw in the later rounds Theo Johnson is the guy I would most likely look to. He’s someone who didn’t wow me on tape and I do think he has a lot of work to do to improve his game quite a bit but that being said he finds himself in an excellent landing spot for potential targets in this Giants offense.
Johnson was picked by the New York Giants in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. I like the landing spot for Johnson here with the Giants overall as a whole outside of Malik Nabers here there’s targets to be had in this offense. I know Darren Waller is still there but is he it’s obvious the Waller experiment didn’t go well for the Giants in 2023 and he’s definitely a guy that’s getting close to the end of his career and he’s another guy who just can never stay healthy.
There was talk of Waller even still possibly retiring this off-season Waller is definitely right at then end of his career you can see with the injuries and age he doesn’t have much left to give. I don’t think that happens this year but you never know and if something happens to Waller Johnson has a huge opportunity to get involved in an offense that is very thirsty for pass catchers.
Johnson again wasn’t my favorite player on film, but he is an athlete and where I’ve been seeing him go in dynasty rookie drafts usually mid to late 4th round, I don’t mind gambling on him if I needed some more tight end help and I always like athletes at the Tight End position being stashed away on my taxi team.
7. Jordan Travis QB New York Jets
Like I said with the Theo Johnson write up above and talking about getting a Tight End involved in this dart throw article we also have to get a Quarterback in here as well. Especially for all those in super flex leagues so I decided on taking my late round dart throw and use it on Jordan Travis.
He was someone who I was intrigued a bit with in our film breakdowns this off-season he definitely is a fine athlete very good at using his legs and he is a solid thrower of the ball as well he is someone who I feel is a little raw but that isn’t a bad thing. Especially considering that he lands with the New York Jets here in the 2024 NFL Draft getting picked in the 5th round.
He gets to sit behind Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor where he can soak everything and learn from two guys that have been around the block. One thing to consider Travis is still recovering from a horrific knee injury he suffered last year in college, but he should be good to go around the early part of the NFL season. God forbid but if something happens to Aaron Rodgers you never know we could see Travis at some point in 2024 if he gets his shot, he may impress I know it’s a long shot, but when a lot of these type guys are down here you are throwing darts at this point in your dynasty rookie drafts why not take a chance.
I’ve been getting Travis almost as a slam dunk every time 5th round every pick in all my dynasty fantasy football drafts. I have been in quietly on Travis since seeing his film this off-season on and in some instances, I have even seen him go undrafted so you could even pick him up off the wire and stash him on your taxi squad. I don’t mind gambling on Travis here at those prices especially in super flex leagues you never know it’s always nice to have more quarterback depth especially when it’s someone I kind of liked the tape on.
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