Tier 16 (Continued)
251. Jason Myers (K, SEA) – Jason Myers finished the season as the K6 last year, but the Seahawks look to be converting on a lot more of their red zone trips this season with new OC Ryan Grubb.
Tier 17
252. Jelani Woods (TE, IND) – Jelani Woods is currently listed as the tight end three on the Colts depth chart. He struggled with an injury that kept him off the field all of last season, which could be part of the reason. The upside with Woods is tangible as one of the most athletic tight ends in the NFL. That being said, if he can’t stay healthy and the Colts are dead set on rotating three to four players at the position, it may be time to give up on Woods in all formats.
253. J.J. McCarthy (QB, MIN) – J.J. McCarthy had a strong first preseason game after one poor decision that led to an interception. He will likely start the season behind Darnold but could make some good strides that will benefit next season.
254. Zach Ertz (TE, WAS) – Zach Ertz looks to be on the young tight-end spoiler train once again in 2024. Trey McBride has been freed from his tyranny, but Ben Sinnot is his next victim. Now, at age 33, Ertz may not be able to keep Sinnott off the field all season, but he will be around long enough to lower both Sinnott’s and his ceiling for this season.
255. AJ Dillon (RB, GB) – AJ Dillon had the worst season of his career in 2023. He also now has to compete with rookie MarShawn Lloyd for touches behind Green Bay’s newest lead running back, Josh Jacobs. Dillon has gone from an exciting power runner who needs a chance to a big-bodied plodder in the eyes of fantasy managers, and I don’t blame them for it. He lacks the versatility to provide much fantasy value as the non-primary ball carrier. His only hope to hold onto any value in 2024 is if Lloyd continues to struggle with his fumbling issues from his collegiate career.
256. A.T. Perry (WR, NO) – A.T. Perry had a few moments last season but did not see the field much. The 6’5, 205-pound receiver may have a shot to start opposite Chris Olave in 2024, and even with Derek Carr being a shell of himself, Perry has some deep-league streamer appeal if he can earn the WR2 role.
257. Ben Sinnott (TE, WAS) – Ben Sinnott is the tight-end value you NEED in dynasty leagues. That being said, in redraft, he is going to start the season behind Zach Ertz, who also made us wait for the Trey McBride breakout. Keep him on your watch list, not on your roster, for the early season.
258. Justice Hill (RB, BAL) – Justice Hill is the favorite to back up Derrick Henry for the Baltimore Ravens in 2024. Hill had the most productive season of his career last year, but he isn’t built to be a lead back in the NFL. He should complement Henry well until Keaton Mitchell is fully recovered. When thinking of handcuffs, Hill is far off my radar.
259. Gerald Everett (TE, CHI) – Gerald Everett should have an impact for the Bears, but the chances of that carrying over to your fantasy rosters are slim. Joining his third team, he has only ever eclipsed 500 yards once in his career while averaging just over two and a half touchdowns per season.
260. Jonathan Mingo (WR, CAR) – Jonathan Mingo is probably going to drop out of this list in the near future. He is way off the radar for redraft leagues, and most dynasty managers are just waiting to make sure they have an official time of death. Mingo struggled in his rookie season as a route runner and was able to keep up with the mental part of the game, ultimately posting 418 receiving yards in 15 games.
261. Jamaal Williams (RB, NO) – Jamaal Williams’ fall from grace was abrupt. He went from a huge final season in Detroit to barely stepping on the field in 2023. This season brings more of the same, with the Saints’ offense having an equally bleak outlook. The 29-year-old back is on the wrong side of the running back age cliff and will have to contend with Kendre Miller as the backup to Alvin Kamara in what looks to be his final season with the team.
262. Jalen McMillan (WR, TB) – Jalen McMillan played at the University of Washington, where he posted impressive numbers for the Huskies. He dealt with injuries that ultimately lowered his draft stock, but McMillan has deep sleeper written all over him. Already gaining praise out of training camp, McMillan can line up all over the formation and has a fair chance to win immediate playing time in the Buccaneers’ new-look offense.
263. Trey Palmer (WR, TB) – Trey Palmer is slowly losing his grip on the Buccaneers’ WR3 role. Usually aligned in the slot, Palmer may be replaced by Chris Godwin, who will move inside more than he did in years past. Rookie Jalen McMillan has a fair chance to beat Palmer on any snaps on the outside, as well. He is a long shot in 2024, but if Godwin were to miss time due to injury, Palmer is likely the next man up in three wide receiver sets.
264. Tank Bigsby (RB, JAC) – Tank Bigsby had a tough first season with the Jaguars, but in year two, the hope is that he can acclimate to the NFL game and be a competent backup to Travis Etienne. Jacksonville has yet to bring in much competition, so year two may be a resurgence for Bigsby.
265. Devontez Walker (WR, BAL) – Devontez Walker joins a Baltimore wide receiver core of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. If Walker proves that his explosiveness can bring a dynamic element to the passing game, he will have plenty of opportunities to establish himself as an every-down player for the Ravens. The question is, will the Ravens pass enough for it to matter?
266. Daniel Bellinger (TE, NYG) – Daniel Bellinger is the tight end that I have been holding onto in dynasty leagues for too long. Early in training camp, Theo Johnson may have already beat him for the TE1 job in New York. The two will rotate as Johnson learns the NFL game, which is unfortunate for both options in redraft leagues.
267. Alec Pierce (WR, IND) – Alec Pierce really only makes this list due to Josh Downs’s recent injury. You typically aren’t overly excited about the third pass-catching option on a run-first offense, but Pierce has a shot at competing for the WR2 job as long as Downs is off the field.
268. Cedric Tillman (WR, CLE) – Cedric Tillman was virtually nonexistent in his rookie season but could find himself playing regular snaps in 2024. The Browns have Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore also in this wide receiver room. Still, Tillman has been competing in camp, and both Jeudy and Moore may be better suited to lineup in the slot rather than across from Cooper.
269. Samaje Perine (RB, DEN) – Samaje Perine does not look long for Denver’s roster. He likely will find a team, given that he posted nearly 700 yards last season for the anemic Broncos. Ideally, a team like the Giants would scoop him up with a backfield that needs a true answer at the position.
270. Andrei Iosivas (WR, CIN) – Andrei Losivas has been slowly climbing up my rankings. He is battling it out with Jermaine Burton to be Joe Burrow’s WR3, but he has the physical tools to compete at the NFL level, and both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are no strangers to injury.
271. Tyler Scott (WR, CHI) – With the offseason additions in Chicago, Tyler Scott falls to the Bears’ WR4. He is off the fantasy radar as long as everyone stays healthy, but in deep leagues, Scott has some intrigue if one of the top three pass catchers were to miss time in a likely high-powered offense.
272. Will Shipley (RB, PHI) – The Eagles selected Will Shipley in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft. Shipley is a perfect fit to be the Eagles’ third-down back if they hadn’t signed Saquon Barkley already. That being said, he will compete with Kenneth Gainwell for the backup job and has already been sharing first-team reps with Gainwell while Barkley is out. With Barkley’s extensive injury history, Shipley has a chance to carve out the value in full PPR leagues. He is a fine last round of your draft stash.
273. Justin Fields (QB, PIT) – Justin Field’s new home is one that he will have to wait to see the field for. He should sit behind Russell Wilson for a large part of the season. The trade with the Bears that brought him to Pittsburgh was a conditional 6th that could turn into a 4th based on playing time, and I doubt the Steelers risk that this year with Russell Wilson under contract.
274. Deuce Vaughn (RB, DAL) – Deuce Vaughn is such a fun player to see on an NFL field. The difficult part is he has too small of a frame (5’6″, 176 pounds) to be a significant fantasy contributor. He is somewhere between Royce Freeman and Rico Dowdle when it comes to backing up Ezekiel Elliot in Dallas.
275. Cincinnati Bengals (DEF, CIN) – One of the reasons you should be all the way in on Bengals pass catchers this season is because the defense is projected to struggle quite a bit. In most leagues, they are off the fantasy radar.
276. Jacksonville Jaguars (DEF, JAC) – The Jaguars defense did have 16 interceptions last season and recorded 40 sacks. They need to find consistency to jump into the top 15.
277. Daniel Carlson (K, LV) – Daniel Carlson is probably best left on waivers. The Raiders have lots of concerns on offense and the opportunity will be low.
278. Evan Hull (RB, IND) – Evan Hull may be losing his grip on the backup job in Indianapolis. Still, both he and Trey Sermon would need an injury to Jonathan Taylor to see any value in 2024.
279. Jordan Mason (RB, SF) – Jordan Mason may be a cut candidate for the Niners this offseason. If he does get cut, he could find himself in a more favorable situation and a clearer path to playing time.
280. Sam Darnold (QB, MIN) – Sam Darnold should start the season for the Vikings atop the depth chart. It is unlikely he will keep that role for more than six to eight weeks. He is a low-ceiling option, even with Justin Jefferson.
281. Michael Carter (RB, ARI) – Michael Carter performed well with the very minimal touches he saw last season with Arizona. That being said, he is likely log-jammed as the RB3 behind both James Conner and rookie Trey Benson.
282. Trey Sermon (RB, IND) – As things stand now, Trey Sermon looks to be Jonathan Taylor’s backup. That being said, I would not be surprised to see Evan Hull become more involved if Taylor were to actually miss significant time.
283. D’Ernest Johnson (RB, JAC) – D’Ernest Johnson chose to stay in Jacksonville and retain his RB3 spot on their roster. He would need injury to be fantasy relevant.
284. Jeff Wilson Jr. (RB, MIA) – Jeff Wilson Jr. may be the odd man out in Miami, but until we get more clarity on that, I am fine having any Dolphins running back on my bench if the league is deep enough.
285. Isaac Guerendo (RB, SF) – Isaac Guerendo, the NFL combine darling, landed with the 49ers, and that alone has our attention. Guerendo has a chance to be the second most talented running back on this team. The only two issues here are that he has struggled with soft tissue injuries his whole career and is currently dealing with hamstring issues. Oh, and Christian McCaffrey isn’t going anywhere.
286. Chris Rodriguez Jr. (RB, WAS) – Chris Rodriguez Jr. may be a victim of too many cooks in the kitchen, but he showed flashes when given the opportunity last year. If Brian Robinson has a case of the fumbles again Rodriguez could fill in on early downs alongside Austin Ekeler.
287. Gardner Minshew (QB, LV) – Gardner Minshew is battling Aidan O’Connell for the starting job in Las Vegas, and while both are unlikely to be fantasy-relevant, Minshew is my bet to lead the group in fantasy points.
288. Cordarrelle Patterson (RB, PIT) – Cordarrelle Patterson is probably more of a special teams player than a running back for the Steelers this year, but with the new kickoff rules, touchdowns are back on the table for one of the best to ever do it.
289. Kyle Juszczyk (FB, SF) – Kyle Juszczyk, I know he is a fullback! But he gets occasional touches, and those touches tend to be valuable and usually near the goal line. Trying to predict those is an exercise in futility, but for those managers who are down bad, there are worse options. Hint: See below.
290. Pierre Strong Jr. (RB, CLE) – Pierre Strong Jr. should get some run for the Browns while Nick Chubb is on the mend, but he hasn’t given us much reason to be excited about those touches. If Jerome Ford misses time, Strong can be near the top of your waiver wire adds that week.
291. Israel Abanikanda (RB, NYJ) – Israel Abanikanda is near the bottom of the depth chart for the New York Jets, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he were a cut candidate before the end of preseason. Still, he presents upside as an early down back and should be on an NFL roster this season whether it’s with the Jets or not.
292. Chase Edmonds (RB, TB) – Chase Edmonds is currently injured but should have a chance to make the Buccaneers as their RB3 behind Rachaad White and Bucky Irving. He most likely will remain on waivers unless there are injuries ahead of him.
293. Eric Gray (RB, NYG) – Eric Gray was a popular sleeper last season, and while I wouldn’t call him a sleeper, he is near the top of my players to watch on waivers list. The Giants’ backfield is led by Devin Singletary right now, but I would not be surprised to see Tyron Tracy and/or Gray push for more touches in New York.
294. Jacoby Brissett (QB, NE) – Jacoby Brissett may start for the Patriots the first few weeks of the season, but on an anemic offense with limited scoring or rushing opportunity, he is off the fantasy radar.
295. Emari Demercado (RB, ARI) – Emari Demercado made headlines recently as he pushed both Michael Carter and apparently Trey Benson for the backup role behind James Conner. With Conner’s injury history, Demercado would be a great target if he were able to secure that job, even though I have my doubts.
296. Aidan O’Connell (QB, LV) – Aidan O’Connell is the lesser fantasy option of the two quarterbacks in Las Vegas. With some underrated weapons, I wouldn’t be surprised if neither O’Connell nor Minshew is the signal caller next year for the Raiders.
297. Isaiah Spiller (RB, LAC) – Isaiah Spiller may be one of my biggest misses in recent memory. He is technically on the roster for the LA Chargers, but I would not be surprised if he is cut before the end of the preseason. Maybe a fresh start will help Spiller find some utility in the NFL, but as things stand now, he is a dart throw from a mile away for a backfield in flux.
298. Jerick McKinnon (RB, FA) – Jerick McKinnon will most likely be on waivers in normal-sized leagues, but he is worth putting on your watch list if he signs with a contender late in the season.
299. Kareem Hunt (RB, FA) – Kareem Hunt still has some juice, even if it’s just barely. Right now, he is a free agent, but don’t be surprised if he signs with a team in the early parts of the season.
300. Cam Akers (RB, HOU) – Cam Akers signed with the Texans and made his debut for them during the Hall of Fame game. I wouldn’t expect to see Akers get much playing time in Houston if both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce are healthy, but if either goes down, he could sneak into bye week fill-in territory in a high-scoring offense.