The Post-Draft Rookie Kit is Coming!

The fully updated post-draft rookie draft kit will be available THIS WEEKEND! Get your copy today if you don’t already have it to get the Upper Hand in your league – this is the biggest update yet!

What’s in store:

• Dameon Pierce is primed for a big year – says Nick Caserio. That smell you’re picking up is the load of 💩 that is.

• Tyler Boyd to the Chargers? Or even the Titans? The former Bengal is reportedly drawing some interest around the league.

• Daniel Jones & Nick Chubb are getting healthier! Both are in good spots in their recoveries and have a chance to be ready to go in 2024.

• Late round 1 takeaways, courtesy of Faraz! We heard all about the top-10 on Tuesday – see what Faraz has to say about players like Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr.!

• Texans GM Nick Caserio says that RB Dameon Pierce will be a ‘big part’ of what they plan to do on offense in 2024

  • And Gabe Davis will be a dependable, weekly starter in fantasy on the Jaguars running behind Brian Thomas Jr., Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram. See? Just because we say it doesn’t mean it’s going to be true. The reality of the situation for Pierce is that he failed to make it interesting in a battle for touches with Devin Singletary while simultaneously alienating himself from the new Texans coaching staff that was installed last year. Now, the Texans have gone out of their way this offseason to add a high-profile (albeit aging) running back in Joe Mixon to share the backfield with C.J. Stroud in his sophomore campaign. And we’re supposed to believe that Pierce is going to get any run at all in this offense, let alone be a ‘big part’ of it? Sure, Pierce might spell Mixon here and there – but Pierce was supposed to have established himself at this point as the clear No. 1 in Houston. Now, he’s set to take a back seat to Mixon in 2024 and likely won’t be usable in any fantasy formats. The only thing that could potentially rescue Pierce from without would be a trade – but even then, it’s no guarantee that a prospective landing elsewhere would give him the inside track on a starting job. At the end of the day, Caserio’s comments smell like smoke to try and salvage any potential trade value they might have with the hard-running Pierce.

• Former Bengals WR Tyler Boyd garnering interest as free agent from Titans, Chargers following draft

  • Boyd has fallen a ways since his heyday from 2018 to 2020 that saw him finish as a top-20 PPR receiver in two of three years, and a top-30 receiver in all three. Since then, he’s failed to finish inside the top 30 in a season and has seen his yardage totals decrease every year since 2019. His touchdown production bottomed out in 2023 due in large part to the injury to Joe Burrow, with Boyd finding the end zone just twice – his fewest scores in a season since 2017. Much of his falloff has to do with the emergence of Ja’Marr Chase as a superstar and Tee Higgins operating as a clear No. 2 behind him, and it would be fair to say that Boyd could have used a change of scenery in each of the past three seasons since Chase joined the team. Still a free agent as we head into May, the market clearly isn’t clamoring for his services at this point… but with teams like the Chargers and Titans interested, all is not lost for the former Bengal. Boyd figures to have much more opportunity in LA should he sign with the Chargers, as his primary competition for targets would come from new rookie WR Ladd McConkey and last year’s first-round selection Quentin Johnston. A landing in Tennessee, on the other hand, could bury any change Boyd has at fantasy relevance in 2024 running behind Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins.

• Giants QB Daniel Jones, Browns RB Nick Chubb progressing nicely in their respective recoveries from ACL tears

  • Not only are both players reportedly on track as they seek to make their returns in 2024, but each received votes of confidence from their teams during the draft, as well. Despite the fact that the Giants were allegedly ready to sell the farm to move up to No. 3 overall and select UNC’s Drake Maye as their QB of the future, the deal ultimately didn’t happen and the Giants refrained from grabbing a signal caller the rest of the way. Instead, they grabbed Malik Nabers at 6th overall, who should quickly take command of the Giants receiving room and provide Jones – a former 6th overall pick himself – with a high-quality pair of hands to throw to in a make-or-break year. As for Chubb, the reports all offseason have been complimentary of Chubb as he continues to attack his recovery from his now twice-torn ACL. The Browns straight up didn’t draft a running back last weekend, and it appears that they’re content to roll into 2024 on the reconstructed right leg of Chubb. In all fairness, Chubb has earned the benefit of the doubt with his stellar play when healthy, and while fantasy managers may hesitate a bit more than usual when drafting him due to his injury, he should return as a key contributor to the Browns offense and fantasy teams alike in 2024.

Brock Bowers - TE, LV (13th Overall)

• After taking a very good prospect in Michael Mayer last year, the Raiders followed that up by taking another TE - this time, a generational prospect. Mayer’s value in dynasty just took a deep dive, but Bowers’ role in Year 1 will be somewhat questionable for now given the two TEs they have on the roster. I’d imagine they run Bowers out of the slot with Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers on the outside, while Mayer plays a more traditional inline TE role. Hoping for Bowers’ route participation to be up there with the other WRs in Year 1.

Brian Thomas Jr - WR, JAX (23rd Overall)

• The Jaguars needed a legit vertical threat on the perimeter, and they got one. BTJ has a DK Metcalf-type of route tree entering the league, but just like Metcalf, the expectation is that he can add to it to become more dynamic and versatile. For now, I don’t expect him to be a target magnet, but I do expect him to make some splash plays in Year 1. Christian Kirk and Evan Engram should continue to be very involved, and could still lead Jacksonville in targets.

Xavier Worthy - WR, KC (28th Overall)

• Could you have handpicked a better landing spot for worthy? Andy Reid is a sucker for fast WRs, but the good news is that Worthy isn’t a one-trick pony. He works very well underneath with after the catch ability, and has the speed to separate on the deep ball. Sound like anyone to you? Sounds to me like they miss Tyreek Hill. Worthy has his stock up after Round 1.

Ricky Pearsall - WR, SF (31st Overall)

• Talk about stock up, Pearsall just got first round draft capital. He was my WR7 coming into the draft, so given how much I liked him before plus the newly found draft capital, Pearsall should be moved up in dynasty rookie drafts. It’s a crowded offense in San Francisco - right now. There seems to be a lot of flux at the moment, so I wouldn’t get too caught up in the fact that there are way too many mouths to feed when projecting Pearsall’s career arc.

Xavier Legette - WR, CAR (32nd Overall)

• 5th year breakouts usually tend to not work out. He doesn’t have a great overall production profile, and neither did Jonathan Mingo last year. I’m not sure why they would try and duplicate that after Mingo’s less than ideal rookie campaign. Legette still has some rawness to his game, but he is a physical specimen and has the size/speed that you’d love. Dave Canales will have to get creative with Legette’s usage if he’s going to get a first round return out of him. I’d still bet on Diontae Johnson to be the Panthers’ WR1, so take advantage if his price dips.

He’s the best RB in that backfield. 9 months post-ACL surgery in August, reportedly no other ligaments torn, so it was a clean ACL… because of that, I’m not overly worried about the injury going into this year. This is not a Javonte Williams type of situation, people - this is more of a Breece Hall type of situation. Chuba Hubbard can be involved a bit to start, but this is a pretty good landing spot for me - a situation where he can be the workhorse in Year 1, and he’s already the clear best RB in the the receiving game among this group that they have. Maybe not an every-down workload in Year 1, but a 3-down role is definitely in the cards for him.

Remember, he was in the 97th percentile for career yards after contact/att over the last 10 years in the Power 5. Add that to finishing with a career missed tackles forced in the 99th percentile, plus 1.46 yards/route run (the highest in this class) which fell into the 85th percentile among qualifying Power 5 RBs since 2014 - he’s a good RB.