Tag: 2024 fantasy football

Can Denver’s receivers offer anything more than Courtland Sutton?

This looks like one of the bleakest WR corps in fantasy. But is that true?

Coming off a disastrous 2022 that saw the Denver Broncos fire their head coach after less than a full season on the job, the team hoped luring Sean Payton out of retirement to take over the reins would turn things around. It did not. A year after finishing 21st in total offense, Denver slipped to 26th overall (298.4 yards per game) and 24th in passing (191.9).

That marked the end of quarterback Russell Wilson‘s time in the Mile High City. He was released and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The club also moved on from former first-round pick wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns. Additions were made as well, including QB Bo Nix, selected 12th overall selection back in April, along with WRs Josh Reynolds, signed from the Detroit Lions in free agency, and Troy Franklin, who played with Nix at Oregon the past two seasons.

While this absolutely feels like a rebuilding year in Denver, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any fantasy value to be found in the Broncos’ receiver room.

Fantasy football: Carolina Panthers running backs preview

Here’s how you should address this backfield in fantasy drafts.

No offense was more putrid than the Carolina Panthers last season. They finished last in yards (265.3 per game), last in points (13.9), and last in passing (161.2). The lone bright spot, if you can call it that, was the running game, which ranked 20th in yards per game (104.1) and tied for 21st in yards per carry (4.0), though they were one of three clubs to rush for a league-low seven touchdowns.

Part of the problem was that running back Miles Sanders, who signed a four-year, $25 million deal, to come over from the Philadelphia Eagles, struggled mightily and lost his starting job to Chuba Hubbard, which is not what the team had in mind. Rather than dip back into free agency to try and upgrade the backfield, Carolina instead traded up in the second round to select Jonathon Brooks, the first running back taken in this year’s draft.

Development from quarterback Bryce Young will help loosen things up for the backs, and reports from Panthers camp have been positive on that front. While we’ll have to wait and see how the offense looks in Week 1, let’s check out Carolina’s options at running back.

Fantasy football outlook: Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson

When will the star tight end be available for fantasy gamers?

The Minnesota Vikings made a pair of significant moves when they acquired tight end T.J. Hockenson in 2022. They gave the Detroit Lions a second-round draft pick to acquire him and, after the season, made Hockenson the highest-paid tight end in NFL history, signing a four-year, $66 million extension that has him under contract through 2027.

In 10 games with the Vikings after the trade, Hockenson caught 60 passes for 519 yards and three touchdowns, establishing himself as a critical weapon in Minnesota’s passing game. He built on those numbers in 2023. In 15 games, despite injuries that resulted in Hockenson catching passes from four different quarterbacks, he landed 95 receptions for 960 yards and five touchdowns.

Then disaster struck.

On Christmas Eve against the Lions, Hockenson suffered a torn ACL that ended his season in an instant and put his short-term future in limbo. What makes his injury doubly troublesome is that Minnesota underwent an offensive transformation since his injury. Kirk Cousins was lured away in free agency with a massive contract from the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings signed veteran Sam Darnold to act as a bridge quarterback, and traded up in the draft to assure they would land Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

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While Hockenson has been rehabbing his injury, when training camp opened he was immediately placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, where he will remain for a while. He is missing out on the reps others are getting with Minnesota’s two new quarterbacks, which prevents Hockenson from getting critical timing and familiarity with his QBs.

The typical physical recovery time for a torn ACL is six to nine and often up to 12 months before players look like themselves again. Most would believe that would potentially make Hockenson available to return sometime in September, likely missing the first couple of games. However, due to post-injury swelling in his knee, Hockenson wasn’t able to have surgery until Jan. 29 – more than a month after the injury.

Fantasy football outlook

The Vikings coaches are saying positive things about Hockenson’s progress, but running and cutting in a T-shirt and shorts on a side practice field is very different than playing with pads on against defenders with bad intentions. As a result, Hockenson’s fantasy value has taken a significant hit.

Even on an aggressive timeline, a standard recovery wouldn’t have Hockenson available until at least mid-October. Minnesota has its bye in Week 6, so it would make more sense for the Vikings to have Hockenson start the season on the PUP list and play in Week 5, if ready. If not, he gets more time to rest with a return after the bye week. The Vikings’ medical staff has been cautious in pushing injured players back into action (see Justin Jefferson last season), so Hockenson won’t be rushed.

Despite his injury, Hockenson has an ADP around TE16, which would make him a premium TE2 in 12-team leagues. There’s a lot to like about Hockenson when he’s on the field – he’s caught four or more passes in 22 of 25 games as a Viking – but most savvy fantasy managers greatly devalue players who are guaranteed to miss time and serve no purpose for multiple weeks on a roster. If Hockenson’s ADP remains this high, let someone else make the pick and have one fewer roster spot than others by design for the first six weeks (at a minimum).

Fantasy football expert league draft results: 10-team, PPR scoring

Huddle expert league: 10 teams

These are the results from the Huddle Fantasy Football Expert league with 10 teams. The draft was held on August 9.

Your fantasy football league draft should end up somewhat close to how this played out. Compare your draft pick to what these drafters did to get an idea of what sort of fantasy football team you can build.

This is an actual league that is played out and contains 18-man rosters and starts the standard line-up of QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, TE, Flex (RB, WR or TE), PK and DEF.  Scoring of one point per ten yards rushed or received and one point per each 20 yards passing. All touchdowns are six points except four points per passing score. One point per reception is used. Standard scoring for both defenses and kickers.

Participants

1. FullTime Fantasy – Scott Atkins
2. The Huddle – David Dorey
3. The Blitzed Podcast – Steve Gallo
4. Footballguys.com – Jason Wood
5. FF Today – Steve Schwarz
6. Sportsbook Review – Andrew Reid
7. USA TODAY Sports – Cory Bonini
8. All-ProLeagues – Robert January
9. Bleacher Report – Gary Davenport
10. GetSportsInfo – James Rapien

The resulting rosters on MyFantasyLeague

Draft results

 Positions

Should you handcuff San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey?

Here’s how you should approach San Fran RBs in fantasy leagues.

The San Francisco 49ers transformed their franchise prior to the trade deadline in 2022 with a blockbuster deal to acquire Christian McCaffrey. After mixing and matching running backs for years, McCaffrey has brought stability to the 49ers’ running game since his arrival.

In 2023, McCaffrey became the first 49ers running back since Frank Gore in 2014 to rush for more than 1,000 yards. He authored a dominant season that put him in the MVP conversation and earned his way to the consensus top pick in fantasy drafts. With the ultimate investment that comes with the first overall pick, in many cases fantasy managers opt to use their last running back selection on the No. 1 guy’s backup. In San Francisco, that’s a dicey option.

This situation is especially importing given a calf injury has McCaffrey, fantasy’s consensus top pick, set to miss the entire preseason.

The most obvious choice would be fourth-year man Elijah Mitchell. In his 2021 rookie season, Mitchell ran for 963 yards in 11 games. But he has been all but invisible since Run CMC arrived. In hindsight, Mitchell’s inability to stay healthy helped force the 49ers’ hand to make the McCaffrey trade. In three seasons, the 49ers played 51 total games. Of those, Mitchell was available for only 27 of them.

Because of the lack of confidence that Mitchell can stay healthy, the 49ers need a Plan C option. Jordan Mason was an undrafted free agent in 2022 and has kept a roster spot by playing special teams and finishing off lopsided wins. However, in two seasons, he has 83 carries for 464 yards and four touchdowns

The wild card is rookie Isaac Guerendo. Despite turning 24 in June after spending five injury-filled seasons at Wisconsin before transferring Louisville last season, Guerendo rushed 132 times for 810 yards, caught 22 passes for 234 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in part-time duty a year ago. However, what makes him somebody to keep an eye on is his 4.33-second 40 time at the combine that vaulted him to being drafted early on Day 3. If the 49ers offense wants to operate the same as it does with McCaffrey is he’s down, Guerendo may be the most similarly explosive player.

Fantasy football outlook

Most teams have a clear handcuff option in the event their primary back goes down. The 49ers don’t, in part because they constantly dealt with injuries and timeshare changes before McCaffrey arrived.

At one point, their primary rusher was Deebo Samuel, due to a rash of injuries. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, while sparsely used in the offense, could step up and be a goal-line sniper. The Niners are equipped to go pass-happy in a given week to make up for McCaffrey being out.

Today, it’s even murkier due to Mitchell and Guerendo each battling hamstring injuries. It’s tough for a rookie to unseat a veteran and nearly impossible if the former can’t stay healthy. Mitchell is expected to miss roughly a week of practice, whereas Guerendo is considered week to week after getting hurt during the first practice of camp. As a result, veteran Matt Breida was added to the roster.

For those who draft McCaffrey, Mitchell should be the handcuff, and his RB5 ADP ranking puts him in a position that it wouldn’t be a reach. The reason for that recommendation comes from the largely unremembered, meaningless final six quarters of the 49ers’ regular season. McCaffrey sat for that period with playoff positioning locked up, and Mitchell was given a chance to prove himself. He responded with 31 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

Guerendo is not entirely worthless but has lost valuable practice time and will need Mitchell to miss game action before he warrants a roster spot.

Revamped Titans passing game offers fantasy hope

A revamped passing game and system offers fantasy promise.

Coming off another sub-.500 season, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Mike Vrabel and didn’t re-sign longtime stalwarts like running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill. It felt like the end of an era as the club hired Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to replace Vrabel and signed veteran wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to jumpstart a passing attack that ranked 29th in the NFL last year (180.4 yards/game) and hasn’t finished in the top 20 since 2011.

That duo joins three-time All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins and 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks in a receiver room that now boasts talent and experience. Questions remain, however, as QB Will Levis enters 2024 as the starter following an uneven showing as a rookie — he threw four TDs in his debut and then managed just four scoring strikes over his remaining eight games. Behind him are QBs Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis, neither of whom have lit up scoreboards in limited opportunities.

So, with the caveat that improved play from Levis is crucial to Tennessee’s receivers delivering the goods for fantasy football owners, let’s look at what Tennessee has to work with this season.

Fantasy football outlook: Chicago Bears wide receivers

For the first time in ages, Chicago has a passing game.

When you consider the Chicago Bears franchise stretches back more than 100 years, it beggars belief that they’ve never had a 4,000-yard passer (Erik Kramer holds the record with 3,838 yards in 1995) or had someone throw 30 touchdown passes (Kramer threw 29 in ’95). Are the winds of change finally ready to blow in the Windy City?

If they aren’t, it won’t be from a lack of trying. After trading for wide receiver DJ Moore last year, general manager Ryan Pace spent the first overall pick on quarterback Caleb Williams and then the ninth selection on WR Rome Odunze. Seeking a veteran presence, the GM also worked out a deal for longtime Los Angeles Chargers wideout Keenan Allen.

On paper, this is, by far, the best receivers room in the team’s history. It doesn’t end there, though, as the Bears also have a pair of solid tight ends in Cole Kmet (73-719-6 in 2023) and Gerald Everett (51-411-3 w/ LAC), and an accomplished pass catcher out of the backfield in running back D’Andre Swift, who has averaged 49 receptions per season in his career.

With so many options paired with a rookie triggerman, what can fantasy owners expect in 2024?

Fantasy football preview: New Orleans Saints aerial attack

Do the Saints offer fantasy draft picks behind their standout WR1?

In analyzing any team’s passing game for fantasy football talent, everything starts with who is throwing the ball. If you have don’t have an elite quarterback, everyone’s value takes a hit.

The New Orleans Saints do not have one.

In most ADP rankings, Derek Carr is on the cusp of being left off drafted rosters. Do you take Carr over someone like Geno Smith, Will Levis, Daniel Jones or Bryce Young? There isn’t a lot of confidence that Carr can get the job done as anything but a one-week plug-in for a desperate fantasy roster.

One certainty is that Carr has locked in on his primary target – wide receiver Chris Olave, who was targeted 138 times in 16 games last season, catching 87 passes for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns. He’s on the border of a WR1 or WR2 in 12-team fantasy leagues. The rest of those in the Saints’ passing game are a different story. They’ll be fighting for what’s left beyond Olave.

How to address Miami Dolphins RBs in fantasy football drafts

Here’s how to prioritize this backfield on draft day.

Under head coach Mike McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins offense is predicated on one thing: speed. The club seemingly has track stars at every position, and that includes running back. Last year, it was led by veteran Raheem Mostert and third-round pick De’Von Achane. Despite that tandem combining to miss eight games, the Dolphins still ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing (135.8 yards per game) while finishing first in both yards per carry (5.1) and touchdowns (27; tied).

Even with that success, Miami invested in its backfield during the offseason, selecting RB Jaylen Wright with the 120th overall pick. He adds more depth to a position that also has another steady veteran presence in the form of Jeff Wilson Jr., who has over 2,000 career yards on the ground.

With so many options, it’ll be interesting to see how McDaniel deploys them. Keeping that in mind, let’s look at what fantasy owners might expect from Dolphins running backs this season.

Should fantasy owners punt on New York Giants running backs?

What should fantasy managers make of this revamped backfield?

Last year’s New York Giants were a sad group offensively. Quarterback Daniel Jones (knee) played just six games before tearing his ACL — further neutering an already shaky passing game — leaving running back Saquon Barkley as the only needle mover. Defenses knew that, too, keying on Barkley, who did his best to make chicken salad, turning 288 touches into 1,242 yards and 10 of the team’s 25 offensive TDs.

Unfortunately for the G-Men, Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, leaving general manager Joe Schoen to try and piece things together with an running backs room of veteran Devin Singletary and a pair of fifth-round picks in Eric Gray (2023) and Tyrone Tracy Jr. (2024). Further eroding the outlook for this group is Schoen’s desire to get a read on Jones. Can he stay healthy? Can he excel with what they hope is a true No. 1 wide receiver in sixth overall pick Malik Nabers? Is he the guy?

Managing Jones was the order of the day since head coach Brain Daboll arrived, but it sounds like they’ll be looking at 2024 as an audition to see if Jones is their quarterback of the future. With that in mind, let’s look at New York’s options at running back.