Top rookie prospects entering the league can certainly generate a wide range of fantasy opinions.
Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs come to mind from last year, but Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has generated a lot of fantasy hype after the Arizona Cardinals spent the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to give Kyler Murray a go-to option in the passing game.
What can fantasy football managers expect from Harrison in his rookie year in the NFL?
Should You Select Marvin Harrison Jr. at His Current ADP?
PPR Industry Consensus ADP: 16th Overall (WR9)
- Elite Prospect Profile: Harrison enters the NFL with a combination of size (6’3”, 209 pounds), speed, great hands, and a wide catch radius. His exceptional route-running, release package, and formation versatility make him a potentially special player at the position.
- College Production: Harrison had an outstanding college career at Ohio State, surpassing 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in both his sophomore and junior seasons. He also contributed as a true freshman, playing alongside NFL talents like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave.
- Immediate Opportunity in Arizona: Landing with the Arizona Cardinals, Harrison steps into a situation where he could immediately become the top target in the offense. With limited competition at WR, he has a clear path to a significant target share, potentially north of 25% in 2024.
- Comparison to DeAndre Hopkins: Harrison’s role could be similar to DeAndre Hopkins’ first year with the Cardinals, where Hopkins saw a 29.4% target share and finished as the WR4 in full-PPR formats. While Harrison isn’t guaranteed the same volume, the situation and skill set suggest a high ceiling.
- ADP Analysis: Harrison is currently being drafted as the WR9 at No. 16 overall. While this is an aggressive ranking for a rookie, his talent and situation make a top-10 fantasy finish within his range of outcomes. However, this ADP places him closer to his ceiling than his floor, which adds some risk.
- Final Verdict: Harrison’s immense talent and favorable situation make him a potential WR1 or WR2 in 2024. While selecting him in the second round carries some risk, it also comes with the upside of a breakout season similar to those of Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson in their rookie years. If you’re comfortable with the risk, Harrison could be a league-winning pick in 2024.
PFN Consensus PPR Fantasy Ranking for Marvin Harrison Jr.
Note that these rankings are the PFN Consensus Rankings and may not fully match my analysis.
10) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB | Detroit Lions
12) Jonathan Taylor, RB | Indianapolis Colts
13) Saquon Barkley, RB | Philadelphia Eagles
14) Puka Nacua, WR | Los Angeles Rams
15) Kyren Williams, RB | Los Angeles Rams
16) Marvin Harrison Jr., WR | Arizona Cardinals
17) Travis Etienne Jr., RB | Jacksonville Jaguars
18) Chris Olave, WR | New Orleans Saints
19) Derrick Henry, RB | Baltimore Ravens
20) Brandon Aiyuk, WR | San Francisco 49ers
21) Drake London, WR | Atlanta Falcons
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
The praise for Harrison’s game entering the NFL was almost unanimous. His size (6’3”, 209 pounds), speed, great hands, and wide catch radius were already enough to make scouts drool over his potential as an impact player in the league.
Yet, when you pair his great physical profile with exceptional route-running nuance, a great release package, and formation versatility, you have the chance for something truly special at the position.
Marvin Harrison Jr. has a chance to be SPECIAL at the next level.
If you have the 1.01 selection in a dynasty rookie draft, are you taking him? pic.twitter.com/PiOpg0DjQz
— PFN Fantasy (@PFNFantasy) January 22, 2024
His college production as a Buckeye was outstanding. He went over 1,200 receiving yards and scored 14 TDs in both his true sophomore and junior years while competing with players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cade Stover, and future NFL prospect Emeka Egbuka.
He even managed to see the field during his true freshman campaign with 11 receptions for 139 yards and three scores while sharing the field with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave.
Harrison checks all of the boxes as a potentially elite fantasy WR producer at the NFL level, which is why it is very exciting that he landed with the Cardinals to start his career.
Not only will he be catching passes from a productive quarterback from the moment he steps on an NFL field, but his competition for targets is virtually non-existent at the WR position. Once you get past TE Trey McBride, names like Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch are the only things that stand in Harrison’s way to seeing north of a 25% target share in 2024.
This isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, but I could see Harrison’s role be similar to that of DeAndre Hopkins’s first year with the Cardinals. Both are players who can dominate in isolation and contested-catch situations as X-receivers, which allows the shorter Murray to push the ball outside the numbers—which is where the data suggests he prefers to go with the football.
D-Hop saw a 29.4% target share in 2020 with 160 total targets, which helped Hopkins produce 115 receptions for 1,407 yards and six TDs on his way to a WR4 overall finish in full-PPR formats.
Obviously, Harrison will still have to acclimate to the NFL game and isn’t guaranteed to see the same amount of volume as a prime version of Hopkins in a completely different offensive scheme in his rookie year; yet, the similarities in situation, quarterback, and skill set do exist enough to make me believe this type of year is within the range of outcomes.
Is Harrison a Good Value in Fantasy Drafts?
Harrison is going to be quite volatile regarding his ADP when fantasy football drafts roll around later this year. He’s currently coming off the board at No. 16 overall as the WR9.
This may feel like an aggressive fantasy ranking at the moment, but the path to an elite target share for an immensely gifted receiver prospect certainly makes a top-10 fantasy finish at the WR position within Harrison’s range of outcomes in 2024.
Sure, this second-round price tag means you are relying on him to be your WR1 or WR2, depending on your roster construction. This makes it feel like you are drafting him far closer to this ceiling than his potential floor in 2024.
The case can certainly be made that going with other veteran options in the same range, such as Davante Adams, Chris Olave, and Drake London, would likely be the safer course of action, yet we saw both Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson finish as the WR5 and WR6, respectively, in their rookie seasons.
I believe Harrison is that type of talent, which means I would feel comfortable selecting him in the second round of fantasy drafts this season.