As the old saying goes: you won’t win your fantasy football league in the first round, but you sure could lose it. Which name will you call on as your 2024 fantasy football anchor? Who should you draft in Round 1 of your 2024 Fantasy Football Draft?
Below, find my Top-12 Picks for 2025 Fantasy Football Drafts, in order & tiers. I will give you my rankings and fantasy outlooks for all twelve of my 2024 first-rounders, in hopes it helps guide you to making the right decision.
Note: This is a preview from my 2024 Fantasy Investing Guide – just updated! If you enjoy this, please consider supporting a small fantasy brand while gaining access to over 130+ pages of my strategy, targets, fades, and sleepers (for just $10!) Don’t miss out on the guide that will win you your 2024 fantasy league!
Tier 1 – Fantasy Gods
1. Christian McCaffrey (SF, RB1)
Anyone claiming any other player belongs at the top is getting too cute (maybe, just maybe CeeDee Lamb in Best Ball amidst the WR inflation, but it’s still CMC for me).
CMC ranks as the fantasy RB3, RB1, RB1, RB8, RB2, and RB1 across his past six seasons. His 2019 season was the fifth-highest scoring for an RB of ALL-TIME, and he was on pace to score even more before an injury in 2020.
Unsurprisingly, a versatile weapon like CMC and a genius play caller like Kyle Shanahan has been a match made in fantasy wet dreams. In 26 games with the 49ers, CMC has:
- Topped 20 Half PPR points in 15-of-26 games (57.6%)
- Finished as a Top-12 RB a whopping 77%
- Finished as a top-5 RB in 14-of-26 games (54%). Absurd!
Graphic via RotoViz NFL Stat Explorer
Last year, McCaffrey was first in total opportunities, fourth in RB targets, first in rushing yards, first in rushing TDs, and first in PPR FPPG & total FPs.
McCaffrey checks all the “Legendary RB Upside” boxes: a great offense, a strong line, and meaningful work in every facet of the game, including the red zone. Another 20+ TD season is very possible, even if the 49ers lighten McCaffrey’s load as they’ve promised to do.
Lastly, CMC’s stock is boosted simply because he is a running back, and true every-down RBs are a much more scarce than quality WRs. As such, he was on a whopping 72.8% of ESPN Playoff Rosters, the most of any player last season. His 304 Value Over Replacement (VORP) score was the highest in the league, +82 points Lamb, who ranked second for Half-PPR.
Christian McCaffrey 2024 Fantasy Projection: 263 carries, 1350 rush yards, 60 receptions (79 targets), 472 yards, 18 total TDs, 320 Half-PPR FPs
2. CeeDee Lamb (DAL, WR1)
As Godly as CMC was last year (73% of ESPN Playoff Rosters!), CeeDee Lamb actually scored more PPR FPs than him & all players not named Josh Allen. Lamb ranked second in WR/RB Half PPR scoring & was the clear WR1 behind a massive breakout.
- 1st in targets (181)
- 1st in receptions (135, 6th-most for an all-time single-season)
- 2nd in yards (1749)
- 1st in total TDs (14 – 2 rushing)
- 1st in PPR FPs (407.2!) & FPPG (24)
- 1st in Half-PPR FFPs (339.7) & FPPG (20)
Even more terrifying? The Cowboys were a pathetic passing attack through the first six weeks. Dak Prescott was the QB22 in FPPG (14.6), while the offense ranked 20th in passing yards & was bottom-five in pass-rate over expectation.
Meanwhile, Lamb was just the WR13 in FPPG (14.5) – fine, but not first-round worthy.
After the Bye, the Cowboys completely changed their philosophy and opened it up. They finished the year first in points (30.1), pass yards (265.8), pass attempts (37.4), and passing TDs (2.2) per game.
From Weeks 8-17 in this high-flying attack, Lamb was a FANTASY GOD:
Yes, Lamb scored 28.9 PPR FPPG and was on pace for 215 tgts, 156 rec, 1969 yds, 17 TDs & 491 FPs!
491 FPs would be the most ALL TIME by a WR– 52 more FPs than Cooper Kupp’s legendary 2021.
With the Cowboys likely to sling it early and often again given the lack of run-game presence, Lamb could legit sustain that wild pace for all of 2024. Dallas added no legitimate target threats out wide either, and I truly think he could push for 200+ targets with legit 2,000 Yard & 18+ TD upside in 2024.
In PPR leagues, and even Half, Lamb does demand consideration to be the first pick in drafts — especially if you believe his second-half pace is more reflective of what we can expect in 2024 (as I do).
3. Tyreek Hill (MIA, WR2)
The last of my “God Tier,” Hill’s 2023 ranked 9th all-time in total FPs (376). He has now finished as the WR2 in back-to-back seasons since joining the Dolphins, and is used to perfection by Mike McDaniels.
Indeed, Hill’s final stat-line was impressive: 172 tgts (3rd), 119 rec (2nd), 1799 yards (1st), 13 TDs (2nd). Additionally, he ultimately was on more playoff rosters than Lamb (70.3% vs. 65%), likely because Hill was elite for longer stretches.
Yet, it’s even more mind-boggling considering Hill’s slight drop-off in performance following a Week 14 injury against the Titans that forced Hill to miss one game and play at less than 100% the rest of the way.
Before the injury (Weeks 1-13), Hill was actually on pace to beat his goal to become the first 2,000+ yard receiver in NFL History:
Hill was on pace for 181 tgts, 132 rec, 2098 yards (!!), and 17 TDs. A true game-wrecker. He set this as his goal for the season last year, and likely would’ve hit it.
There’s little reason to expect much, if any, drop off in 2024. Jaylen Waddle may be healthier, and Hill himself said 2,000 yards would be “very selfish” of him. Plus, Tua seems to always crap himself at the end of the year, which has dragged down Hill slightly when you need him most.
Nonetheless, last year’s most-owned WR on playoff rosters in a tier with only Lamb and CMC as true “Fantasy Gods,” and no one could fault you for taking him 1st overall.
Tier 2 – Remaining Hero RBs & Alpha WRs
Note: I truly find this tier to border on interchangeable. In Redraft, I rank the 2 RBs (Robinson & Hall) higher given the scarcity of the position compared to the depth at WR in home-leagues. Still, if you play full-PPR, or prefer the safety of this crop of WR1s, by all means take your pick of the litter!
4. Breece Hall (NYJ – RB2)
Miraculously, Breece Hall finished 2023 as the RB2 in fantasy, despite recovering from an ACL tear and being shackled to a hellish QB Carousel of Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian. This is a testament to Hall’s unique, elite talent, and also his extremely high fantasy floor.
Hall is an insane athlete. A size-speed terror we rarely see — especially one with the three-down skillset of Breece.
Per PlayerProfiler, Hall ranks in the 97th percentile for 40-yard dash (4.39), 98th percentile for weight-adjusted speed score, and 94th percentile for burst score. Unsurprisingly his Relative Athletic Score (RAS), was an absurd 9.96/10 — the 7th best of nearly 2,000 RBs of all-time!
Considering last year’s hellish set-up, it can truly only get better from here (and again, he was THE RB2!)
In 2024, it could get MUCH better. Aaron Rodgers is already a full-go and should create the best offensive environment Hall has ever played in. Rodgers routinely checks down and gets his RBs into advantageous situations, while also creating more opportunities for TDs.
The Jets ranked 29th in points per game (15.8) last year. With Rodgers, the Packers routinely ranked Top-10. Hall is an excellent bet to improve upon his nine total TDs (RB12). In the rare moments the team was leading, Hall averaged the most fantasy points in the league, and the second-most weighted opportunities as a favorite last season; the Jets are favored in 14 of 17 games entering 2024. He had exactly 1 carry from inside-the-five last year.
Hall is also fully healthy entering this season after fighting through an ACL tear that ruined an explosive start to his NFL career. Hall said he “feels like I’m back to my old self,” which is scary considering how well he played. Running backs historically show real improvement in Year 2 post-ACL surgery.
He finally seemed to find his groove by the end of 2023. Over his final three games, in which he felt fully back, Hall accrued 507 YFS, scoring 43, 27.6, and 29 FPs (33.2 PPR FPPG). If he could achieve those ungodly totals in a disastrous setting, imagine what a full year behind a better line and a more stable offense could look like. The ceiling is truly limitless
Perhaps best of all, the Jets go from 2023’s 31st-ranked offensive line to a potential top-5 unit this season (ranked 5th by PFF). In free agency, New York signed Tyron Smith from the Cowboys and the mauling Morgan Moses from the Ravens, who both ranked in the top 10 in PFF grade last year. They also spent the 11th overall pick on monstrous T Olu Fashanu.
Sure, the team drafted a bruiser in Braelon Allen. There’s a chance Allen vultures some TDs & carves out an annoying role – Nathaniel Hackett has typically preferred RBBCs. Still, all that should be offset by a return to full health & a substantially more fertile fantasy environment with Rodgers back and a vastly improved line.
5. Bijan Robinson (ATL – RB3)
Despite being lauded as a “generational product,” Bijan Robinson underwhelmed in fantasy as a rookie. He finished as the PPR RB8 in total FPs, ranking as the RB16 in FPPG.
As a raw athlete, Bijan is plenty impressive: 87th percentile 40-yard dash (4.46), 90th percentile speed score 82nd percentile burst score. is 9.85 RAS ranked 28th of nearly 2000 all-time RBs:
Definitely an impressive specimen… but not quite on the level of Breece Hall. In comparing their college tape, Robinson looked like the more natural runner, and was similarly effective as a pass-catcher. Yet, at the NFL level, Breece has popped more regularly.
Yes, Arthur Smith’s frustrating rotation should shoulder some (much) of the blame. Still, Robinson did finish third in RB targets and ninth in total opportunities. He ranked first in RB routes (385). Robinson was just slightly above average in efficiency, ranking 27th in FPs per opportunity, 21st in YPRR, and 16th in YPC.
Still, Robinson’s situation will vastly improve in 2024, and I expect those efficiency numbers to spike, in addition to much steadier usage for Bijan.
Reason 1? Kirk Cousins‘ arrival should mean a far more stable overall offensive environment. Defenses will have to respect the passing game far more than Desmond Ridder or Taylor Heineke being under center. Robinson faced an average of 6.7 defenders in the box (RB36), and teams will no longer be able to stack the front. His eight TDs (RB20) could legitimately double in a more competent offense as well.
Additionally, new OC Zac Robinson hails from the Shanahan / Sean McVay tree. This scheme’s key focus is merging the run and pass games, and the right talent (CMC, Todd Gurley, Kyren Williams) often produces monstrous results.
Bijan has already been promised “usage like Christian McCaffrey.” HC Raheem Morris said his plan is “to get the ball to Bijan as much as you can in as many ideal situations as you possibly can.”
If Zac Robinson deploys Bijan like Kyren Williams, he could see north of 340+ touches. Williams averaged 82% of the snaps, 74% of the rushes, and 65% of the routes under Robinson’s direction — massive totals that were topped only by CMC (per FantasyLife’s Utilization Hub):
Stir in a line that ranks 6th in PFF’s line grades (and top-3 in run blocking), and Robinson presents the perfect balance of talent + usage + surrounding talent — all the ingredients for a legendary RB season.
Tyler Allgeier is a strong back-up, with a rookie-year 1,000 yard season on his resume. Zac Robinson has said, “Certainly, Tyler (Allgeier) is going to have a big role, and at certain points in the season we are going to be leaning on him.” I still consider Allgeier a handcuff (perhaps the best there is), and I do not consider him any different than what Braelon Allen is for Breece.
Nonetheless, Bijan is an elite prospect in an ascending situation that should provide so much more stability. The ceiling is astronomical if Robinson’s usage mimics Kyren Williams… and as the superior player, it very likely could.
After these RBs, it comes down to 3 WRs:
Ja’Marr Chase vs. Justin Jefferson vs. Amon-Ra St. Brown
Here’s how I rank them… a little different than most!
6. Justin Jefferson (MIN, WR3)
The WR6, WR4, and WR1 prior to last year’s injury-marred campaign, Jefferson is arguably the most-talented WR in the entire NFL. Despite the injuries to himself and his QBs last year, Jefferson was still the WR5 in FPPG – just as dominant as ever.
Check out his game log: Jefferson was a Top-12 WR and topped 24 FPs in 6-of-10 games (60%), and two of those 10 games he either was injured (Week 5) or being eased into the line up (Week 14). Really, he was Top-12 in 6-of-8 games (75%)
Graphics via RotoViz’s NFL Stat Explorer
Losing Kirk Cousins will undoubtedly hurt. Yet, in four games with Mullens as the starter, Jefferson posted 15.4 (WR22), 26.1 (WR7), 10.9 (WR35), and 37.2 (WR1) FPs. While I would have preferred JJ McCarthy (out for 2024), Sam Darnold looked excellent thus far during the 2024 preseason and Training Camp.
I give a ton of credit to HC Kevin O’Connell, a pass-happy branch of the Sean McVay tree. In two years calling plays, O’Connell’s Vikings have racked up:
- Pass Attempts: 672 (3rd) and 631 (4th)
- Passing Yards: 4818 (2nd) and 4700 (1st)
- Passing TDs: 30 both years, 4th both years
Consider they achieved these totals with Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall all making starts, and it’s clear: O’Connell is a passing game wizard. WRs seem to run wide-open in this offense, and even with the added defensive attention, Jefferson regularly roams free. This offense is going to throw early, often, and successfully, no matter who’s under-center.
If none of that compels you, well, just remember: Jefferson is the best WR in the game. Talent will always solidify the floor, and open up the ceiling, no matter how bad the surrounding play may be (and it doesn’t project to be terrible).
The Darnold-to-Jefferson connection has reportedly been “lights out” and “on full display” throughout camp. Jefferson commented: “This is my first time really being around Sam, having him throw to me. To see the balls that he throws, especially the go balls, the deep balls that he throw, it was right in the hands. It feels like a soft pillow. He’s been doing a great job, just, you know, trying to learn and try to… build that chemistry with the whole team.” SOFT PILLOWS! Sign me up!
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET, WR5)
Having ASB ahead of Ja’Marr Chase may shock some, but I just don’t see it as controversial. St. Brown’s floor is SIGNIFICANTLY higher, and the ceiling really isn’t all that much lower.
Since Amon-Ra St. Brown became a starter in Week 13 of his rookie season, he has been a Top-12 WR in a whopping 50% of his games. He has also been Top-24 in an even-more impressive 71% of games
St. Brown is perhaps the safest Round 1 WR in fantasy. His weekly consistency is unparalleled, yet don’t let his high-floor detract from a similarly high-ceiling.
As the graphs show, ASB’s log is littered with 20+ FP performances, and include plenty of 30+ FP spike weeks too. He has seldom been a line-up killer, falling outside of the Top-24 WRs in just 29% of games.
St. Brown eats up “lay-up targets,” posting 145 and 164 looks over his past two seasons (after an impressive 119 as a part-time rookie). With TD luck rebounding for him in 2023, ASB finished as the WR3 behind only Lamb and Hill (21.1 PPR FPPG, 17.3 Half-PPR). He ranked 5th in targets, 2nd in receptions, 3rd in yards, and 6th in TDs.
ASB also achieved these impressive totals while playing with a torn oblique! He’s simply so damn good and steady. With Ben Johnson and Jared Goff both returning, ASB should once again eat his steady, always-helpful production. His consistency gives him a major edge in 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts.
8. Ja’Marr Chase (CIN, WR6)
I called Jefferson the best WR in football earlier… and yet, when he was teammates with Ja’Marr Chase at LSU, Chase was the clear No.1. Chase is so violently explosive, both in his routes and with the ball in his hands, and he truly has zero gaps in his game. Besides maybe Tyreek Hill, no one can flip a game– real life or fantasy– faster than Chase.
That’s because Chase’s ceiling is unmatched. Over the past three years, Chase has the two highest-scoring games among WRs, with 55.6 FPs (2021) and 52.2 FPs (2023):
Yet, while these graphs illustrate Chase’s monstrous spike-week potential, they also showcase his volatility. He may be a bit more boom-or-bust than fantasy managers realize, even with Joe Burrow in the lineup.
Across his three seasons, Chase has been a Top-12 WR just 33% of the time and Top-24 just 44%. He’s much more regularly busted and been out of lineups, with over half of his games (56%) outside the Top-25.
Indeed, Burrow has been in-and-out of the lineup for stretches of Chase’s career, and especially didn’t look healthy for much of 2023. When Burrow played a full season in 2022, Chase posted a career high 20.5 FPPG (WR3).
Yet, this total is actually below ASB’s performance last year (21.1). In his career with Burrow, Chase averages 18.35 FPPG, below ASB’s career average of 19.9 FPPG as a starter:
Had Tee Higgins moved on, I would’ve had Chase as the clear WR3 after Hill and Lamb. Yet, Higgins is still here. Chase is the clear No.1 at this stage of their careers, but faces far stiffer-competition than ASB, who absolutely eats first-read targets.
Tier 3 – Remaining RB1s & WR1s
After these Top-8 are gone, the board flattens out a bit for 9-12. The WRs in this range feel most likely to “explode” into the next top-tiers, but there are some RBs who could flirt with Hero Status, too.
9. AJ Brown (PHI, WR5)
Since moving to Philly, AJ Brown has finished as the WR5 in PPR leagues in back-to-back seasons, notching 144 and 157 targets in the deserved “Alpha Role.”
Even if you were just getting what he’s consistently done with the Eagles, Brown would be a phenomenal pick at 9 overall. Yet, there’s some room for optimism.
Through 9 weeks, AJ Brown and the Eagles were cooking. Brown was the WR2 in fantasy with 22.6 FPPG, trailing only Tyreek Hill, while 6 of his first 9 games were Top-12, and 89% were Top-24. He was on pace for 172 targets, 126 receptions, 1898 yards, and 11 TDs (384 FPs, sheesh!)
Unfortunately, Brown and the Eagles collapsed over the second-half. AJB only averaged 11.26 FPPG as the WR37 in this span. Jalen Hurts definitely was playing through some tough injuries, and the offense as a whole completely caved in.
Which AJ Brown should you expect in 2024? I do think Kellen Moore brings some optimism.
No, Moore’s run with the Chargers didn’t go as planned. After engineering some explosive Dallas attacks, Moore’s Chargers ranked just 18th in total yards and 21st in total points.
Yet, Moore’s offense has ranked top-6 in points per game in 4 of 5 seasons. They’ve been Top-5 in YFS per game in 4 of 5 seasons. They’ve been Top-4 in situation-neutral pace of play in 4 of 5 seasons, and top-7 in plays per game in 5 of 5 seasons.
Expect this Eagles team to be up-tempo and to run a lot of plays, and hopefully score a lot of points.
Moore has also been masterful at using his WRs in motion and creating phenomenal “lay-up” looks for his weapons. Last year, Keenan Allen finished as the WR3 in FPPG while leading the NFL with 11.7 Targets per game (199 tgt pace). CeeDee Lamb leapt from the WR19 to the WR5 under Moore’s tutelage and slot usage.
In 2022, CeeDee Lamb led the NFL with 87 PPR points as the pre-snap motion man. The next-highest total was 56. In 2023, Keenan Allen led the NFL with 105 PPR points as the pre-snap motion man. Allen had never scored more than 40 points as the pre-snap motion man in a season prior to teaming up with Moore.
Imagine what a talent like AJ Brown could do with this type of “lay-up usage?!” Sure, Devonta Smith could also man this role well, but no WR has more fantasy points on “short routes” than AJB (1.81 FPs per Short Target). His run-after-the-catch abilities make him a natural choice to thrive in this role.
Thus, AJB comes with the “know what you’re getting (WR5)” floor, with the upside of a massive ceiling boost if he gets the Keenan / Lamb role. Sign me up at 9 all day!
10. Garrett Wilson (NYJ, WR7)
If any end-of-Round 1 WR is going to take a CeeDee Lamb style leap, it’s Garrett Wilson. Anyone with eyeballs can see the dude is a special talent, capable of attacking every layer of the field with every type of route. He ranked 5th in ESPN’s Open Score, and drew volume like an elite WR should, ranking ninth in target share (27.1%), first in air-yard share (45.8%), and fifth in first-read share (36.8%).
Wilson simply has had no one to get him the rock. Last season, the Jets ranked 30th in adjusted completion rate and 27th in catchable target rate. He was bottom-3 in catchable targets in both 2022 and 2023.
Enter Aaron Rodgers. From Jordy Nelson, to Greg Jennings, to Randall Cobb, to of course most recently Davante Adams, the list of WR1s thriving with Rodgers is long. In fact, any Rodgers WR to see 140+ targets has never finished worse than WR4! (Per BDGE)
Wilson has all the ability to be Rodgers’ next great WR1. Rodgers himself acknowledged this, saying, “He’s got all the makings of a star receiver,” Rodgers said. “And we feel like if we can both stay healthy that we can accomplish a lot this year, but it’s going to be important we communicate.”
Coming off an Achilles tear, Rodgers health is no guarantee. At minimum, the Jets signed Tyrod Taylor, a very capable backup, which should buoy the floor quite a bit if Rodgers is to miss time.
This is a pretty easy case to make, and even as someone who was burned by Wilson (moreso his QBs) last year, I am more than ready to go back to the well in 2024.
11. Jonathan Taylor (IND, RB4)
There’s no denying the Hero RB fantasy upside here in Jonathan Taylor. He is just two seasons removed from finishing as the clear RB1, with 2171 YFS and 20 total TDs on a massive 384 opportunities. This new Colts offense under Shane Steichen offers tons of upside. In the few games with Anthony Richardson, the Colts were 1st in pace and no huddle rate, 3rd in average play clock seconds, and 1st in combined plays run (w/ opponents) and 7th in combined points. Even without him, the Colts ranked 12th in plays run and 11th in points. This is a RIPE fantasy environment, especially out of the backfield.
Taylor also played well once his legs were under him and saw meaningful work. From Week 7 onward, JT was the RB3 in Fantasy with 16.8 FPPG. He finished Top-12 in 56% of his games. If you combined Zach Moss and JT’s scoring from starts, you’d get 268.6 FPs, which would have ranked RB2 on the season. This is not a perfect science and can’t obviously be assumed, it illustrates the ripe set-up – especially when you mix-in the Colts line ranks third in PFF’s 2024 line rankings, boasting continuity, one of the top tackles duo in the league, and with Ryan Kelly at center.
As one last bonus, Taylor faces the easiest fantasy playoff schedule among RBs too. Yes, his receiving ceiling is completely capped with Richardson, and if Richardson also vultures the larger share of TDs, JT will struggle to pay off his price. But if the Colts want to protect their young QB, I imagine JT gets the lion’s share of opening cracks at the GL. There’s real 1500+ rushing, 15+ TD upside with this talent, scheme, and line mix.
12. Saquon Barkley (PHI, RB5)
Early in the offseason, I had been largely fading Saquon Barkley. I was (& remain) worried about the “Tush Push” completely sapping Barkley’s TD upside, while also concerned about his receiving ceiling.
Hurts ranked first in the NFL in TDs inside the five last season (13 attempts, ultimately he had 15 total rushing touchdowns). Also, in Hurts’ two full seasons at QB, the Eagles have ranked 21st and 32nd in RB targets and have consistently been behind the Giants in this metric. Sure, they haven’t had a pass-catcher like Barkley (although Swift is no slouch). Hurts also scrambles for first downs more often than a statue QB who may dump it off. Plus, Barkley will be contending with AJ Brown & Devonta Smith, after spending his career as the passing-game focal point.
Those concerns are all valid still, but I am warming up the more & more I dig into Barkley’s 2024 outlook, and the more positive drumbeat I read.
Granted, it’s never good to overreact to practice news… but we don’t want to underreact either.
In the opening days, longtime Eagles beat noted: “Saquon Barkley was heavily involved in the passing game, and he probably had more receptions than anyone on the team. He lined up all over the formation. The Eagles ran some speed option drills with Hurts and Barkley to open practice…
“It’s often been pointed out that Barkley will be running behind a great offensive line for the first time in his career. But beyond that, he’ll also have a quarterback in Hurts who can draw attention away from him on speed options / RPOs / etc., and with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith at wide receiver opposing defenses won’t be able to stick eight defenders in the box to stop him.”
The usage has been so creative, that Barkley hopes to have “Christian McCaffrey level of impact.” Now, I don’t believe Barkley is CMC, perhaps not even close. But RB is a usage driven position. He was behind an Eagles offensive line that was 2023’s top-graded unit and ranked second in PFF’s 2024 Rankings (compared to the 29th Giants). Barkley goes from the 30th-ranked offense to the seventh.Plus, even with the GL Vulture concerns, Swift actually averaged 1.5x Barkley’s goal-line carries per game last year (14 attempts over 16 games compared to Barkley’s eight over 14 games). Miles Sanders just hit 11 TDs and an RB12 finish, and Barkley offers a FAR greater ceiling. Given the massive three-year, $37.8 Million contract, the Eagles are incentivized to use him, too. If these pass-catching & GL concerns bend in Barkley’s favor, a “Legendary Season” is within his range of outcomes, and much likelier than I originally gave him credit for.
Who’s Next? What Should you do in Early Round 2?
Well, to get the full answer and all my favorite player targets, you’ll have to check out my 2024 Fantasy Football Investing Guide (full refund if you don’t think it’s worth the $10 you spent!)
Yet, as a further sneak peek: I love balancing out my multi-starter positions with my first two picks. If I went AJ Brown or Garrett Wilson down here, I’d aim to get an RB (Kyren, Gibbs). If I went Barkley or JT, I’d be targeting a WR (Puka).
I am also not opposed to going RB-RB at the tail end of drafts this year, at least in redraft (in Best Ball, the WRs economy is too wild to go RB-RB). With so many quality WRs available in Rounds 3-8, and only 6-8 true “Hero Worthy RBs” available, I don’t mind taking two stabs at the position late in Round 1 (i.e. Saquon-Kyren).
Thank you for checking out this preview of The Wolf’s 2024 Fantasy Football Guide! If you found it helpful, I PROMISE you’ll love the guide. I go Round-by-Round to tell you the who, why, and when of fantasy drafting. For just $10, you can support a small brand’s dreams + get the guide that wins you your league! Thank you for considering it.
