Fantasy Football Dynasty

Print

Xavier Legette Dynasty Value

QUICK LINKS:

Xavier Legette looks like a classic bust from an analytical perspective. He didn't break out until he was a 22-year-old, fifth-year college player.

But the tape is exciting. Legette's combination of size and speed makes him lethal after the catch and going deep.

Plus he got first-round draft capital.

Should you be willing to overlook the shoddy college production profile?

Let's examine Legette's dynasty value after landing in Carolina.

Xavier Legette Dynasty Values

To see Xavier Legette's value for your exact league setup, check out our Dynasty Draft War Room.

Let Value Drive Your Drafting & Trading

Our Dynasty Draft War Room assigns dynamic player values based on your league’s specific settings.

These DMVP values range from 100 to 0. 

The most valuable player in your league gets a 100; 0 goes to the worst rostered player.

Use these values to compare players at the same position and across positions for help with draft, trade, and add/drop decisions.

Our Trade Value Charts use the same system to compare players across positions -- as well as future rookie-draft picks and even startup picks.

Whether you play superflex or 1-QB, PPR or otherwise, you can find a chart to fit your format. 

Did we mention tight end premium trade value charts?

Xavier Legette Draft Profile

Xavier Legette Combine Results

Percentiles vs Combine wide receivers since 1999, per MockDraftable

Xavier Legette College Stats

Fifth-Year Breakout

Legette turned in one of the more impressive 2023 campaigns among this year’s incoming WRs. His 1,255 receiving yards were the eighth-most in the country. And the market shares were big:

• 25.1% of South Carolina’s receptions
• 37.6% of the receiving yards
• 33.3% of the receiving TDs

Legette’s 35.5% Dominator Rating (share of yards and TDs) ranked fifth among 41 of the top WRs in the 2024 class.

He averaged a big 3.15 yards per route, 11th among 286 qualifying WRs and ahead of every notable prospect in this year’s class besides Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison, Troy Franklin, and Javon Baker. Legette’s 86.9 Pro Football Focus receiving grade ranked 16th among those 286 qualifiers.

He was named second-team All-SEC and a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist.

But why did it take Legette until his fifth college season to, not just break out, but even reach 200 receiving yards?

Let’s run through his journey to that big 2023 season ...

High School QB

Legette played RB and WR for most of his early football career. But he transitioned to QB for his senior season at Mullins High School in South Carolina, throwing for 887 yards and 14 TDs and racking up 1,826 rushing yards with 19 scores.

Legette was labeled a three-star “athlete” by most recruiting services but enrolled at South Carolina as a WR and spent his entire five-year career there.

Hamstring Injury and Motorcycle Accident

Legette played in 11 of South Carolina’s 12 games as a freshman. He ranked fourth among the team’s WRs in snaps and pass routes but caught just nine of 20 targets.

He was limited to six games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, missing four contests with a hamstring injury. Legette only recorded a reception in three of his six outings.

His 2021 campaign was interrupted in September when he suffered minor injuries in a motorcycle accident. Legette missed two games and then totaled just 8 catches over South Carolina’s final nine contests.

No Excuses in 2022

Legette finally had a healthy season in 2022, playing in all 13 of South Carolina’s games. 

But he still failed to make much of an impact on offense. Legette ranked just fifth among Gamecocks WRs in pass routes. He tied for seventh on the team in catches and finished 10th in receiving yards.

Legette managed just 1.12 yards per route run. The rest of South Carolina's WRs averaged 2.43 combined.

Legette was at least awesome in the return game. He took 15 kick returns for 441 yards – a school-record 29.4-yard average – and 1 TD.

Still, it was a majorly underwhelming season for a 21-year-old, fourth-year receiver.

Xavier Legette Highlights

Games watched: North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi State, Florida

There are two clear strengths to Legette’s game:

1. After-catch skills
2. Downfield ability

Big and Fast After the Catch

Legette is a nightmare with the ball in his hands. He’s a 6’1, 221-pounder with long-striding speed. (His 1.78-second “flying 20” tied WR Brian Thomas Jr. for the fastest at the Combine.) If he gets a runway, not many guys are gonna catch him.

Legette outruns four Mississippi State defenders for this 76-yard TD.

That speed helps him defeat No. 7’s angle on this jet sweep:

If Legette doesn’t get a runway to build up that speed, he has enough power to bust tackles and pick up a bunch of yards after contact.

He uses a speed move and leg drive (with the help of a teammate) to pick up 8 yards after contact here:

Big and Fast Going Deep

That same combination of size and speed makes Legette a dangerous weapon going deep. He quickly chews up cushions and glides by DBs with his sub-4.4 speed.

Legette adds to that an impressive ability to track the ball and make contested grabs.

He works back through contact to snare this underthrown deep ball.

Legette gives the defender no chance to break up this bomb, shielding him with his big frame and then high-pointing the ball.

Strong Hands

Legette has one of the best pairs of hands in this year’s WR class. He dropped just 2.7% of his catchable targets last season, per Pro Football Focus, and is comfortable making catches away from his frame.

Where Does Legette Need to Improve?

Legette will enter the NFL as a relatively raw receiver. He can struggle against press coverage (despite his size) and needs to refine his route running. 

Legette is faster than he is quick and is not the most agile receiver. So I wonder if he has the capacity to develop into an asset on short and intermediate routes.

Xavier Legette Team Fit: Carolina Panthers

The Panthers offense has a wide range of outcomes in the short term. New HC Dave Canales is coming off an impressive season with the Bucs -- but that was his first OC gig. QB Bryce Young is coming off an ugly rookie season. 2024 already feels like somewhat of a make-or-break year.

And Legette's development will play a big part in how this Carolina offense shakes out. The Panthers swung a trade for WR Diontae Johnson earlier this offseason and return veteran WR Adam Thielen. So they don't need Legette to assume an alpha role right away. But they're certainly counting on him to contribute after trading up to take him 32nd overall.

Canales said shortly after the draft that he thinks Legette is ready for everything his offense asks its receivers to do. "Out of the backfield. Jet sweeps. Short crossers. Perimeter screens. Down the field posts," Canales said. "There really isn't much else we do with receivers. He has done it all."

Dynasty Value Conclusion

It's easy to fall in love with Legette's tape. At 221 pounds with sub-4.4 speed, he boasts a truly elite combination of size and speed. He's powerful after the catch, dangerous going deep, and has a strong pair of hands.

In the most optimistic view, Legette's game has shades of Deebo Samuel (after the catch) and D.K. Metcalf (downfield ability).

This Year's Jonathan Mingo?

But Jonathan Mingo is a much more realistic comparison. Like Legette, Mingo impressed on tape with his skills after the catch and downfield.

But also like Legette, Mingo entered the NFL with a worrisome college production profile. Then he turned in an ugly rookie season that has him looking like a bust.

That's the most realistic outcome for Legette considering the fact that he'll be a 23-year-old rookie needing lots of refinement.

There's certainly upside thanks to his raw tools. But there's a good chance Legette will be overvalued in your dynasty rookie draft.

That's only more true after he landed in Round 1 of the NFL Draft to a Panthers team whose uncertain offense only adds to Legette's volatility.

See where Legette is going in current startup dynasty ADP -- and best ball ADP.

Ready to go from a perennial rebuilder to a yearly contender?

Think you've got what it takes? Prove it. Subscribe to Draft Sharks and show the fantasy world you're not here to play games – you're here to win.

Don't be a spectator; be a champion.

Hit that subscribe button or step aside for those hungry for victory. 

Not convinced? Explore the suite of dynasty tools that will serve as your exclusive analytics department. 

Draft Sharks - your unfair advantage.

How does Brooks stack up vs. the rest of the rookies?

Matt and Jared take a pre-draft look at the 2024 rookie class ...

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.