Three late-round rookies with massive upside in fantasy football

Each year, several underrated rookies emerge as potential fantasy league winners. While it's unrealistic to expect anyone to have a season like Puka Nacua produced for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, this year's rookie class features players with massive fantasy upside who are going late in drafts.

With that in mind, here are three rookies who are being selected outside of the first eight rounds that you shouldn't leave your fantasy draft without.

Running back Blake Corum | Los Angeles Rams

Although Corum isn't the starter in Los Angeles, he's arguably the best running back handcuff to target in drafts, and his stock has only continued to rise.

Despite Kyren Williams breaking out last season, amassing 1,350 yards from scrimmage and scoring 15 touchdowns in just 12 games, the Rams spent a third-round pick (No. 83 overall) to select Corum. The Michigan product was a workhorse back for the Wolverines, rushing for 2,708 yards and 45 touchdowns on 505 carries over the past two seasons.

Considering the draft capital the team invested in him, there was already plenty of speculation that Corum could be an immediate factor in the backfield. Los Angeles' actions during the preseason suggest that the suspicions may have merit, as Corum didn't suit up for any preseason games — a sign the Rams view him as a valuable asset. Additionally, Williams was surprisingly named the team's starting punt returner Tuesday.

Williams served as Rams punter returner early last season, before becoming the full-time featured tailback. However, Los Angeles' decision still seems bizarre, given the success Williams had on offense and the fact he has his share of injury concerns.

Corum might have more standalone value than initially expected, but he offers true league-winning upside if Williams misses extended time with an injury, making him an ideal selection in the 11th or 12th round of fantasy drafts.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey | Los Angeles Chargers

Even though Los Angeles will rely on a run-first offense under new HC Jim Harbaugh, the team's new-look receiving corps has a chance of being fantasy-relevant. After parting ways with long-time starters Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Austin Ekeler this offseason, the Chargers enter 2024 with the most vacated targets among teams (395). Fourth-year wideout Joshua Palmer might prove to be the biggest beneficiary of the roster turnover, but McConkey has the potential to be extremely productive as a rookie.

McConkey, the 34th overall pick in April's draft, could've gone off the board in the first round if he didn't have injury concerns. In three seasons at Georgia, the polished route-runner caught 119 passes for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns and added 216 yards rushing and four more TDs. Those totals might not seem particularly impressive, though McConkey was undoubtedly an important contributor on two national championship-winning teams.

With arguably a top-five quarterback talent in Justin Herbert throwing him the ball, McConkey is entering one of the most favorable situations among rookie wide receivers. It remains to be seen whether McConkey starts in two-wide receiver sets, but he's still capable of outperforming his fantasy draft capital if he's only limited to slot work.

Wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk | New England Patriots

Typically, drafting players from a bottom-three scoring offense isn't a wise approach to constructing a fantasy football team. Even so, Polk's talent, opportunity and cost are enough to outweigh the potential downsides of selecting him.

New England drafted Polk with the 37th overall pick in April's draft after the 22-year-old enjoyed a breakout 2023 season at the University of Washington. Despite being a part of a crowded receiver room with eventual first-round pick Rome Odunze and third-rounder Jalen McMillan, Polk caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns for the Huskies last season.

Polk has already secured a starting role in New England's offense, and it's possible he could lead the team in targets, especially if rookie Drake Maye secures the starting quarterback job sooner than later. During Sunday's 20-10 preseason loss to Washington, we got a glimpse of the strong connection Polk and Maye have already established. Polk caught two passes for 33 yards and notably had what would've been a 13-yard gain wiped out by a penalty.

The Patriots will find themselves playing from behind often, as they have the lowest projected win total in the NFL ( 4.5 games ), which adds to Polk's fantasy value. You might be better off staying away from nearly every other player in New England's offense, but with an ADP of 168.4 on ESPN, Polk is a low-risk, high-reward selection in drafts.