Wrapping up our roundtable series on rookie sleeper picks, the Footballguys staff weighs in on the wide receiver position today.
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Today's question: Now that the NFL Draft is over and we know the landing spots, which rookie wide receiver sleeper pick with the potential to surprise everyone?
Houston's Dark Horse
WR Jayden Higgins, Houston Texans
Jeff Haseley: The Houston depth chart fits nicely for Jayden Higgins to see immediate usage, which could turn into immediate volume if/when he proves to be more effective than Christian Kirk. Chances are, it may take half a season or longer to see an increase in targets/volume, but the potential is there for him to thrive. With Tank Dell a big question mark for the future, Houston is looking at Higgins as a replacement in due time. The offensive line gave C.J. Stroud some trouble last year, but if that improves, the passing game in general should improve, thus making Higgins one to watch, especially later in the season. Houston doubled up on Iowa State receivers, taking Jaylin Noel 45 picks later, but make no mistake about it, Higgins has an adequate size and speed combination of 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, and sub-4.50 speed. He will have a chance to showcase his skill set and find his niche in the Texans offense.
Phil Alexander: I wasn't planning to bring up Jayden Higgins, considering he was practically a first-round pick (No. 34 overall). But since Jeff already mentioned him, I'll add that the Houston rookie is significantly undervalued in early Best Ball drafts. Higgins' current ADP on Underdog Fantasy is around pick 120, placing him between Marvin Mims Jr. and Keon Coleman, players who have a limited chance of securing a featured role in their offenses. Nico Collins is clearly the Texans' WR1. However, the departure of Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell's serious knee injury have created a significant opportunity for targets in Houston. I agree with Ben's high opinion of Jaylin Noel, but Noel's profile suggests he'll likely compete with Christian Kirk for slot snaps in his first year. Higgins is a big, fast receiver who can separate both inside and outside and has excellent ball skills – essentially the perfect complement to Collins in two-receiver sets. We'll need to see how the Texans' wide receiver rotation shapes up in training camp, but right now, Higgins is a dark horse candidate to lead all rookie pass-catchers in fantasy scoring.
Herbert to Harris: LA's Next Connection
WR Tre Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
Meng Song: The Chargers drafted Tre Harris in the second round, and he has an immediate opportunity to be a weekly WR3 with upside in fantasy. Ladd McConkey projects to lead the team in target share heading into his second season, but there isn't an established No. 2 pass-catcher in Los Angeles behind him. Mike Williams reunited with the Chargers this offseason, but he's on a small one-year, $3 million deal and hasn't exactly been the most durable player. And Quentin Johnston has struggled with drops, which is kind of an issue for a wide receiver.
Harris has his own injury concerns, but if he can stay on the field, he'll have a chance to see high-value targets even as a rookie. The Chargers can utilize Harris on high-percentage throws close to the line of scrimmage and as a deep threat, which is where his fantasy ceiling lies. Justin Herbert ranked fifth in deep ball completion rate last year, so if Harris can establish chemistry with him, the rookie could produce some big plays on a weekly basis.
Bob Harris: Add me to the Tre Harris column. As noted in our Rookie Draft Guide Version 3.0, getting drafted in Round 2 by the Chargers is about the best-case scenario for Harris.
Despite questions about his versatility, Harris was in the midst of a potentially record-breaking 2024 season at Ole Miss with an FBS-best 987 receiving yards by the second week in October (181 yards more than the next-closest player on the list). Though he missed the final five games with that injury, Harris caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards with seven touchdowns in his final college season.
Now, he'll play with one of the better quarterbacks in the league -- Justin Herbert -- alongside one of the more exciting young receivers, Ladd McConkey.
The roadblock for Harris? Quentin Johnston, who, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper, will have to battle for a roster spot this summer.
Popper predicts Harris will be on the field with Mike Williams and McConkey in three-wide sets this season. Harris' long-term appeal is even greater with Williams on a one-year deal.
