Fantasy football rankings: Kupp, McLaurin could be top WR sleepers in 2024

The 2024 fantasy football season is firing up, with players cramming before their drafts to make sure they're ready for a deep run into the playoffs.

Wide receivers have become a top priority in fantasy football, with the position now arguably being the main focus of the first two rounds of drafts. A team that doesn't have multiple good wideouts is probably going to struggle to win games. Everyone is hoping to get a draft position that lets them pick up elite threats like CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, and Justin Jefferson.

How to win your fantasy football league: Sign up for The Huddle in 2024

However, while the early rounds can make or break your team, the middle and late rounds are where you differentiate your solid teams from your fantasy champions. That means finding value while your opponents reach for a bigger name. Stashing one more reliable receiver enables you to put your free agent budget towards landing this year's breakout player. Picking up a player with WR2 potential down in round eight or nine might not set pulses alight, but it might also be the move that sets you apart in your league's championship game.

Here are five wide receivers who could end up being sleeper picks in 2024.

Fantasy football: Where to draft New York Giants WR Malik Nabers

Fantasy football 2024: Wide receiver sleepers

Average draft position (ADP) and position ranking sourced from FantasyPros data.

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (ADP35, WR17)

• 2023 stats (12 games): 737 receiving yards, 59 receptions, 5 touchdowns | 105.4 fantasy points

The reports of Kupp's demise seem premature. The 31-year-old played through multiple injuries in 2023, and with Puka Nacua's surprise emergence as a true WR1, Kupp's target share dropped. That resulted in some perfectly fine numbers for a WR3, but fantasy players that expected Kupp to be an elite scorer were certainly disappointed.

Two things are important here: first, Kupp's injuries were a hamstring strain and an ankle sprain, both of which should be fully healed by now but surely hampered the veteran's pass-catching ability. Second, even with those problems, Kupp was still one of the NFL's best at getting open in 2023. His understanding of the Rams' offense and ability to shed defenders matters, particularly at an age where receivers need to be smarter to make up for lost speed.

Kupp's being treated as a low-end WR2 and is being picked late in the third round, but fantasy players with a stomach for a little risk could get borderline WR1 production out of him.

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders (ADP62, WR30)

• 2023 stats (17 games): 1,002 yards, 79 receptions, four touchdowns | 124.2 fantasy points

"Commanders starter" hasn't meant much in fantasy football for a while now, and McLaurin (despite being the Washington player to have on your roster) is a result of being picked in the low-to-mid WR3 range. A coaching change and a rookie quarterback only add to the uncertainty.

However, the early reviews on Jayden Daniels have been positive, and McLaurin has almost no competition for targets. Yes, the Commanders will probably be predictable, but the player getting the targets is also a strong deep threat (McLaurin posted at least one 20-plus yard reception in 11 games in 2023). That's a recipe for at least one player to pile up points on this team, and that player is McLaurin. He seems primed to put up higher-end WR2 numbers, at an opportunity cost much lower than his peers on that front.

Fantasy football draft strategy: Where to attack each position in 2024

Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs (ADP82, WR37)

• Rookie (first-round pick in 2024 draft)

The Chiefs' first-round pick is going as a WR4 in 10- and 12-team leagues. Considering the brewing chatter that he should be viewed as a starter on a KC team that is an offensive juggernaut, that jumps out as a huge opportunity for alert fantasy managers.

Worthy's low ADP is based on the idea that the Chiefs simply have too many weapons, but that might change. Hollywood Brown suffered a sternoclavicular joint dislocation earlier in August, which may hamper his availability in the first couple of weeks of the regular season. Rashee Rice, who exploded down the stretch last season to average 6.9 catches per game after week 11, could end up with a lengthy suspension relating to a March traffic accident resulting in criminal charges.

Worthy might take a few weeks to get up to speed with Andy Reid's offense. Still, KC has every reason to bring Worthy along quickly, and even if the ball is spread around early, a slightly smaller slice of this team's point share is better than a big share on nearly every other NFL team.

Brandin Cooks, Dallas Cowboys (ADP148, WR58)

• 2023 stats (16 games): 657 yards, 54 catches, eight touchdowns | 119.2 fantasy points

Cooks may be on the wrong side of 30, but his current status as a player possibly not even being drafted in smaller leagues is bizarre. On surface-level analysis alone, being the WR2 on a good offense that doesn't feature a superstar tight end is worth a look alone, and that's exactly what Cooks is.

Furthermore, his 2023 stats are deceptive. Dallas came out of its week-seven bye with some changes on offense, and one of those involved Cooks becoming a red-zone target. The 10-year pro started popping up above the WR3 line on a regular basis, largely because he scored seven of his eight touchdowns in the Cowboys' final 11 games of the season. With CeeDee Lamb opening up the field on the other side, leaving Cooks up against a lone defensive back will be where teams take their risks defensively, and that means points.

Is taking Cooks going to set your draft chat room alight? Probably not, but as a late-round flier he offers a lot of promise as a reliable flex option for your team.

2024 NFL roster cut deadline: Five best players available

Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (ADP223, WR78)

• 2023 stats (?? games): 525 receiving yards, 60 receptions, 87 rushing yards, two touchdowns (one receiving/one rushing) | 73.2 fantasy points

Robinson tore his ACL in 2022, and wasn't good to go until week three last season. Despite whatever rust he accumulated and the two games missed, he still ended up leading the Giants with 60 catches in 2023. Within that data point, the signs are encouraging: Robinson racked up 38 targets in the final six games of the season, bouncing back from a mid-season lull. Robinson only played three full games with starting quarterback Daniel Jones, picking up a solid 17 targets in those outings

Frankly, you shouldn't be buying high on the Giants' offense, but we're talking about a late-round steal here. The opportunity cost is low, and Robinson (particularly in PPR leagues) seems bound to provide a really solid floor. If rookie Malik Nabers isn't able to get open as easily as he did at LSU, Jones is going to be looking Robinson's way frequently. Expect him to improve on last year's usage rate, and to do better than most of the other final-round dart throws your competition selects instead.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football sleepers: Ranking 5 best WR options for 2024