Jermaine Burton Fantasy Impact

By T.J. Besler | June 12, 2024

WR Jermaine Burton Fantasy Impact

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Alabama WR Jermaine Burton in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft (80th overall). Burton is a former blue-chip recruit who started at Georgia before transferring to Alabama. Throughout his college career, Burton displayed amazing talent but also picked up a reputation for immaturity and an inability to control his emotions. This ultimately led to him undergoing anger-management counseling and many former coaches failing to go to bat for him as the draft approached. That is a surprising development for a player with Burton’s abilities. Still, it’s hard to argue against Burton’s fit at the pro level. If he can correct and change some of the perception surrounding his character flaws he should have the chance to display his talent, which includes a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and impressive hands/tracking ability, at the next level. However, developing into a decent NFL wide receiver who is helpful to the team you play for is one thing, and becoming a valuable fantasy asset is completely different. So what does all this mean for his short-term or long-term fantasy value? Let’s take a look.

Fantasy Value

There are varying views on whether or not Cincinnati is an ideal spot for a rookie wide receiver. I think what side you land on should depend on how you’re looking at it. In the short term, Cincinnati may not be the optimal landing spot for Burton. The Bengals have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, along with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Bengals also have a pair of young receivers (Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones) who will be vying for playing time. I believe Burton is more talented than either Iosivas or Jones, but with all these pieces, as well as a tight-end room that includes the newly acquired Mike Gesicki and rookie Erick All, it could be hard for Burton to carve out a big enough piece of the pie in his rookie season to be fantasy-relevant. However, if the Bengals were to trade Higgins, as has been speculated about throughout this offseason, then Burton’s arrow, even in his first year, would be pointing up. But Burton does have enough of a skillset to play all over the field and, with his NFL-ready route-running, could take over the slot role vacated by Tyler Boyd and become a favorite target of Joe Burrow’s over the middle of the field. He would likely be splitting that role with Gesicki, limiting his upside, especially in Year 1. As of now, Burton is best viewed as a late-round draft pick in redraft leagues as the type of young wide receiver you take a shot on, stash on your bench, and see how things develop.

Dynasty Value

Burton’s dynasty value is something entirely different. Burton is a top-15 rookie wide receiver and should be viewed as a top-25 rookie pick. His rookie season could be a bit of a disappointment but as early as Year 2 we could see Burton take over the role of No. 2 target-earner on a team with a very good quarterback. All signs point to Higgins not being a Bengal in 2025. If that comes to fruition that will leave a lot of targets vacated and allow Burton to add the deep threat role to his repertoire. He could see some of that role in his rookie year since the Bengals like to create mismatches by sliding Chase to the slot occasionally, but after his rookie season, we could see those opportunities skyrocket. The Bengals saw something in Burton and viewed him as a steal in the third round. So, while it could take two or three years for Burton to have a breakout year, there is a good chance it does happen eventually. His route-running prowess and ability to create separation on deep balls were among the best in the 2024 WR class. If there is one major concern with Burton, there’s no certainty his off-the-field issues won’t carry into his NFL career. If that happens, he’ll become the type of player that hurts a locker room and eventually fades from view as teams refuse to give him multiple chances. But with the right coaching and veteran presence around him, which he should have in Cincinnati, I believe he can mature as a person and grow into a solid if not exceptional NFL wide receiver. He’s a good pick in the late second-round in 1QB rookie-only drafts and a solid early third-round pick in 2QB/Superflex leagues.

Conclusion

Burton is a talented receiver. With the departure of Tyler Boyd, the competition to be the No. 3 wide receiver for the Bengals is wide open. Those who have experience in the current system likely have the inside track for that role, but eventually, talent will win out, and midway through the season we could see Burton start to become fantasy-relevant. But his true value lies in dynasty leagues. Higgins should find a new home in 2025 and at that point, Burton could become the No. 2 target for QB Joe Burrow. In redraft, take a wait-and-see approach with Burton, drafting him toward the end of your draft as a depth piece to stash on the bench. In 1QB dynasty rookie-only drafts, look to draft him late in the second round and a few picks later in the third round in 2QB/Superflex leagues.

Jermaine Burton Fantasy Impact

WR Jermaine Burton Fantasy Impact

Fantasy Value

Dynasty Value

Conclusion

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