Tier 15 (Continued)
201. Jermaine Burton (WR, CIN) – Jermaine Burton may be the mid-to-late-season waiver wire priority that breaks the bank. He is a strong route runner and plays aggressive at the catch point. He fell in the draft due to some off-the-field concerns but lands with Joe Burrow and a Bengals team that has questions behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. If either were to miss time, Burton could be a league-winning option at wide receiver.
202. Tucker Kraft (TE, GB) – Tucker Kraft looks to be on track for week one, which means that while he and his teammate Luke Musgrave both have incredible ceilings, they are capped by the other’s existence. If one were to miss time, the other would establish them firmly in the tight end of one conversation. Until then, I am avoiding both in most leagues, and Kraft starts the year behind Musgrave.
203. Troy Franklin (WR, DEN) – Troy Franklin was touted as a potential second-round pick in the NFL draft. After a below-average showing at the combine, he ended up falling to round four. The Broncos did trade up to acquire their rookie quarterbacks’ favorite weapon in college, though, and that should matter. Franklin is a fine dynasty stash, but for redraft purposes, the road for both him and Nix to get on the field together is a long one, especially with some reports out of camp that he has been struggling with drops.
204. Demarcus Robinson (WR, LAR) – Demarcus Robinson is firmly entrenched as the Los Angeles Rams’ WR3. That may carry some value, but deciding when that will be is not a game I recommend playing. Target volume is likely going to be consolidated with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, assuming both stay healthy.
205. Indianapolis Colts (DEF, IND) – The Colts recorded 24 takeaways last season. With some better injury luck and a step forward for players like Kwity Paye, they could improve on that number in 2024.
206. Ka’imi Fairbairn (K, HOU) – Ka’imi Fairbairn wasn’t prolific for fantasy football last season, but as the Texans continue to improve their offense, he should see increased opportunity.
207. Elijah Moore (WR, CLE) – I have finally conceded that Elijah Moore’s breakout season isn’t coming. He is set up to be a rotational player out of the slot for the Cleveland Browns. If Deshaun Watson can reclaim some of his former glory, Moore has some redraft intrigue, but until we see any evidence of that, it is not difficult to move past his name in the draft queue.
208. Tyler Conklin (TE, NYJ) – If Tyler Conklin had caught just three touchdowns last season, he would have jumped to the TE14 on the season. The Jets were a mess in the passing game, but the return of Aaron Rodgers could be great news for Conklin. I doubt he flirts with the TE1 production this season, but he could be a nice bye week or injury fill-in against the right defense.
209. Rashod Bateman (WR, BAL) – Rashod Bateman is probably not someone you are drafting in redraft leagues, but he is the betting favorite to be second on the depth chart behind Zay Flowers. The Ravens staff continue to praise the once highly touted wide receiver, but staying healthy has been a massive problem for Bateman. Assuming both Andrews and Flowers are healthy, there isn’t likely enough volume for Bateman to succeed.
210. Younghoe Koo (K, ATL) – Younghoe Koo, along with all of the other Falcons, stands to benefit significantly from the addition of Kirk Cousins. He hit 86% of his attempts last season and will benefit from a lot of games inside a dome in 2024.c
211. New Orleans Saints (DEF, NO) – The Saints fell just outside the top-12 defenses last season, and that may be their ceiling in 2024.
212. Cairo Santos (K, CHI) – Cairo Santos was a kicker breakout in 2023. That should continue as the Bears offense, even with a rookie quarterback, is one that should take a big step forward.
213. Evan McPherson (K, CIN) – Evan McPherson could stand to see increased field goal opportunities in 2024. The Bengals offense should improve and they have plenty of questions at the running back position. McPherson has shown that when given the chance, he can be a top-12 option for the position.
214. Derek Carr (QB, NO) – Derek Carr has been the definition of average for most of his career. In his first season with the Saints, we saw a marked regression in Carr’s play. He was outside the top-15 quarterbacks in nearly 40% of his games played and saw five weeks outside the top 20 at the position. Carr was falling apart physically all season and heading into his age 33 season. You would do your best to avoid him. Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara will try to lift Carr into fantasy relevance, but it is not going to be an easy task.
215. Jake Moody (K, SF) – Jake Moody led the league in PAT’s last season, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him do the same in 2024. His only knock is that he wasn’t able to see too many attempts from 50+ yards.
216. Bucky Irving (RB, TB) – Bucky Irving was a do-it-all back in college (Minnesota and Oregon). He joins Rachaad White in Tampa Bay, who was one of the most elite pass-catching running backs in the NFL last season. Where White faltered was on the ground, where he posted numbers as bad as his receiving numbers were good. Irving should run away with the backup job and could eat into early down work by the season’s end. While I don’t think he warrants a draft pick right now, he should undoubtedly be on your watch list for waivers.
217. Tyler Bass (K, BUF) – The shine has faded for Tyler Bass to some extent, but he is still a powerful kicker. If he can forget the end of his 2023 season, he should contend to be a top-12 kicker in 2024.
218. Roman Wilson (WR, PIT) – Roman Wilson comes out of Michigan and is on track to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ WR2. In college, his athleticism limited him from seeing elite usage, which may be an obstacle at the NFL level as well. While he isn’t an elite route runner, he has shown enough to be able to win when put in the right situations.
219. Dylan Laube (RB, LV) – Dylan Laube is one of my favorite sleepers at the running back position. Like many of this year’s running back draft class, Laube fell to the later rounds. Laube served as the workhorse at New Hampshire and, while he is slightly smaller, can fill a similar role in the NFL. He has had an incredible change of direction and posted impressive explosiveness metrics at the combine as well. His only obstacle, as with most rookies, is his contributions as a blocker. Zamir White will get the first crack at the first and second down touches as he is the only returning player in this backfield. Laube will contend with Alexander Mattison but should start the season as the primary receiving weapon and third-down option.
220. Detroit Lions (DEF, DET) – The Lions have a ways to go on defense, but if their young secondary can translate to the NFL well and last year’s Jack Campbell can take another step forward, this unit, while not electric, could take a significant step forward.
221. Ricky Pearsall (WR, SF) – Ricky Pearsall would be the primary beneficiary of a Brandon Aiyuk trade. If Aiyuk does get moved, Pearsall makes a jump into the early 50s at the position with the potential to go even higher. If he can stay healthy, Pearsall could have 100+ targets fall into his lap. His best skill set is route running, which is one of the few things that allows young pass catchers to thrive early in their careers.
222. Audric Estime (RB, DEN) – Audric Estime saw his draft stock plummet after an abysmal showing at the NFL combine. But when you watch the tape during his time at Notre Dame, you can’t help but be impressed. He is a bruising runner at 5’11” and 227 pounds. While he did fall to the fifth round, he has a path to playing time in Sean Payton’s system in year one. Javonte Williams, despite current reports, is the favorite to lead this backfield, but don’t be surprised to see Estime take a fair amount of goal-line work. His primary limitation for fantasy football is that he is a zero in the passing game.
Tier 16
223. Jalin Hyatt (WR, NYG) – Jalin Hyatt is the younger Darius Slayton. He has a long way to go as a route runner, but he is young enough to put it together. I don’t hate Hyatt as a deep league stash, but in leagues under 12 teams, he is better left on waivers.
224. Darius Slayton (WR, NYG) – We already know what Darius Slayton is at this point in his career. He tends to settle in around 750 yards with the occasional touchdown. He gets Daniel Jones back in 2024, but he also now has a true alpha in Malik Nabers to compete with for targets. If you NEED to have a Giants wide receiver on your team and you aren’t able to snag Nabers, there are other options I would look to before Slayton.
225. Matt Gay (K, IND) – Matt Gay was able to hit eight field goals beyond 50 yards in 2023. He should continue to see those chances even with an improved offense in 2024.
226. Theo Johnson (TE, NYG) – Theo Johnson is already earning first-team reps in New York. The Giants saw Darren Waller retire this offseason, leaving them with Daniel Bellinger as the only other option. Johnson should have a chance to earn the starting job out of camp, being that he is a towering 6’6″ and 264 pounds and ran a 4.57 40-yard dash time at the combine. His athleticism shouldn’t be ignored in dynasty formats, but for redraft, it may be a carousel for a large part of the season as Johnson adapts to the NFL game.
227. Tyler Boyd (WR, TEN) – Tyler Boyd signed a contract with the Tennesee Titans this offseason and should immediately be the starting slot wide receiver. If he can establish himself as the safety blanket for second-year quarterback Will Levis, Boyd could prove to be a steal in full PPR leagues. The real problem for Boyd is that Levis is more of a gunslinger than a hit-the-underneath receiver kind of quarterback.
228. Kenneth Gainwell (RB, PHI) – Kenneth Gainwell continues to be a staple in the Eagles’ backfield. In week one of last season, with D’Andre Swift on the roster, the Eagles showed us all just how much they trust Gainwell by giving him the start over Swift. Now we know that didn’t continue, but it tells us how much they like Gainwell as he battles Will Shipley for the RB2 role behind Saquon Barkley. Gainwell did not get much work last season, but it was still the best season of his career, posting over 500 total yards and two touchdowns and only playing over 50% of the snaps or more in three games. Shipley is the better player, but Gainwell knows the system. Both will need Barkley to miss time to get any meaningful playing time. If Barkley does miss time, Gainwell and Shipley will more than likely split the work.
229. Juwan Johnson (TE, NO) – Juwan Johnson will need to earn the trust of new OC Klint Kubiak if he wants to be fantasy-relevant this season. Not only that, but the broken-down bus version of Derek Carr at quarterback does not bode well for the 27-year-old. Last season, he took a small step back from his 2022, where he was able to finish the season as the TE10 in half-PPR leagues. In 12-team leagues, you can avoid Johnson this season.
230. Zay Jones (WR, ARI) – Zay Jones should be able to compete with Michael Wilson this season to be the Cardinals’ WR2 behind Marvin Harrison Jr. Jones had a minor breakout just two seasons ago before being hampered by an injury last season. On an offense that should be throwing the ball a ton and a number of questions at wide receiver, Jones could have some bye-week streamer viability in 2024.
231. Kimani Vidal (RB, LAC) – Kimani Vidal is a sixth-round pick for the Chargers out of Troy. Vidal has gotten a ton of hype this offseason in fantasy circles, and it may be warranted. He tested well enough at the combine and posted impressive numbers rushing for over 1,600 yards in his final collegiate season. His situation has some intrigue with a player of his profile, even if he has sixth-round draft capital. Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins are on the depth chart ahead of Vidal, and both have extensive injury and/or age concerns. If Dobbins can be one of the first players in NFL history to shake the dreaded Achilles tear successfully, then Vidal has a steeper hill to climb. The sheer volume of rushing opportunities that most are projecting for the Chargers means that every running back on the roster is worth rostering in 12-person leagues. Ambiguous running back rooms are a great place for fantasy managers to find value.
232. Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB, KC) – Clyde Edwards-Helaire returns to Kansas City in 2024, but he may somehow find a way to have less value for fantasy football purposes. Reports out of training camp have Deneric Prince and not Edwards-Helaire as the RB2 behind Isiah Pacheco. It isn’t overly surprising, considering that Edwards-Helaire saw his yards per carry drop from 4.25 in 2022 to 3.19 in 2023. With Prince’s skill set, Edwards-Helaire should have some, albeit minimal, value if Pacheco were to miss time.
233. Cameron Dicker (K, LAC) – Cameron Dicker has hit 52 of 55 field goals during his time as the Chargers place kicker. He is likely to see decreased opportunity in 2024 as the offense tries to redefine itself under Harbaugh and Greg Roman.
234. Green Bay Packers (DEF, GB) – The Packers’ defense is closer to having to rebuild than it is taking a step forward. It is a team unit you can avoid.
235. Noah Fant (TE, SEA) – Noah Fant has yet to live up to his potential, but there have been flashes of brilliance during his five-year career. 2024 may be a bounce-back season if Fant can stay healthy, but there are a lot of mouths to feed in Seattle, and Fant looks to be the fourth or fifth option right now. There are higher upside options available.
236. Braelon Allen (RB, NYJ) – Braelon Allen landed in a tough spot with the New York Jets. He looks to be the favorite to backup Breece Hall, but that isn’t likely to produce much fruit for fantasy football. Allen has the size and skill set to be a workhorse in the NFL. He has light, fluid feet for a 235-pound running back. Allen is one of the premier handcuffs in fantasy football, but he falls in the mid-60s because he won’t be getting many touches without Hall missing time. Allen carries significantly more value in dynasty leagues, being that he will be only 20 years old for the entirety of his rookie season.
237. Miles Sanders (RB, CAR) – Miles Sanders, along with the entire Carolina Panthers offense, struggled the whole season. The passing game was anemic, and the offensive line made things difficult for all of the Panther’s running backs in 2023. Sanders eventually lost the starting job to Chuba Hubbard, limping his way to 432 yards and one touchdown while adding a paltry 154 yards through the air. When it comes to 2024, Sanders should be splitting first-team reps with Hubbard. That, of course, is until Jonathon Brooks fully recovers from his late-season ACL tear. Sanders could lost any path to playing time at that point. In most cases, he is fine to avoid altogether.
238. Kendrick Bourne (WR, NE) – Kendrick Bourne is a bit of the forgotten man in New England. He is looking to return after tearing his ACL last season. If all goes well in his recovery, Bourne should start the season as the starting Pats’ X wide receiver. He could have some sneaky early-season value, but with rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker pushing him for snaps, I wouldn’t be surprised to start to see a drop in usage after the first month of the season.
239. Malachi Corley (WR, NYJ) – Malachi Corley has a fair shot to be the Jets’ starting slot wide receiver in 2024. With Aaron Rodgers returning from a torn Achilles, there are questions about what kind of production you can really expect for Corley, but he may be worth a late-round dart throw. Corley is dangerous with the ball in his hands, generating tons of yards after the catch, and has impressive strength for a player of his size. Reminiscent of a poor man’s DJ Moore, there is potential here, but it may be more in 2025 than it is this year.
240. Bo Nix (QB, DEN) – Bo Nix should start as early as week one for the Broncos. He comes out as an older rookie with five years of college experience. He is mainly off the fantasy radar in Redraft, but in two-quarterback leagues, if you are desperate, he makes the safe plays and often doesn’t push the boundaries and takes care of the ball. He is a rookie, so who knows if this will translate, but if you needed a bye week fill in, and he does earn the job, he is at least in the area code of usable.
241. Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB, NYG) – Fantasy managers love the idea of a wide receiver converted into a running back, and Tyrone Tracy is that. Tracy feels like a trap because of what he COULD bring with his versatility, but he is not a player I am going out of my way to acquire in redraft leagues. If he is able to establish a role for the Giants, he should have some FLEX appeal in full PPR leagues during the chaos of bye weeks.
242. Treylon Burks (WR, TEN) – Treylon Burks has 665 receiving yards combined between his first two seasons in the NFL. He proved to be a mostly raw athletic player who wasn’t able to translate his game to the NFL level. The Titans brought in Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason to go alongside veteran DeAndre Hopkins (currently injured). It doesn’t look like Burks will have much of a role in 2024, and even if he did get regular snaps, you would be hoping for WR3 production at best.
243. Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, MIA) – Odell Beckham Jr. is now a Miami Dolphin as he heads into his age-31 season. He looks to be firmly entrenched as their WR3 as long as he is healthy, but with so many mouths to feed in Miami and Tyreek Hill demanding target volume, Beckham is better left on waivers.
244. Michael Mayer (TE, LV) – Michael Mayer had a strong end to last year’s season and was approaching a potentially huge breakout season. Then, the Raiders selected Brock Bowers in the NFL Draft. Mayer could still serve as the primary in-line tight end, but with the Raiders quarterback situation, the volume and quality of targets will not be enough to make him a viable starter at tight end.
245. DJ Chark Jr. (WR, LAC) – DJ Chark signed with the Chargers this offseason as they adjusted course to become one of the NFL’s more run-heavy teams. Even with limited competition, Chark is more of a deep threat. It would be best if you didn’t put too much energy into trying to guess when he will hit.
246. Alexander Mattison (RB, LV) – Mattison was one of the more predictable blunders last year. While volume is a significant factor for any player, managers were naive to think volume devoid of talent would lead to fantasy success. Mattison has proven to be ineffective, and I think he has little utility in 12-man or fewer leagues as the Las Vegas Raiders’ RB3. At their current ADP, Dylan Laube is the only Raiders running back in which I would be investing in.
247. Minnesota Vikings (DEF, MIN) – The Minnesota Vikings’ defense has a long way to go. Although they have a number of veterans who can still be impact players, they need an infusion of youth, and they need it fast.
248. Dustin Hopkins (K, CLE) – Dustin Hopkins hit 18 field goals beyond 40 yards last season.
249. Keaton Mitchell (RB, BAL) – Keaton Mitchell had a couple of games last season that were reminiscent of De’Von Achane. Unfortunately, he had one of the more gruesome knee injuries in recent memory. Fantasy managers won’t have to draft Mitchell, but he could be a great add in the final month of the season as the change-of-pace and pass-catching back to complement Derrick Henry. He flashed impressive efficiency, averaging over eight yards per carry on 47 carries.
250. Greg Zuerlein (K, NYJ) – Greg Zuerlein had a strong season with the Jets in 2023. If the Jets can stay healthy, he may see a big jump in his extra-point attempts.