Fantasy managers will never forget the impressive rookie season from Tank Dell, whose campaign was cut short by a broken leg in December. After watching highlight reel and highlight reel of CJ Stroud connecting with the third-round pick out of Houston, it was heartbreaking to see Dell carted off the field during the December 9th game vs. the Broncos as the Texans were making a surprising playoff push.
Luckily for Texans fans, Houston still grabbed that playoff berth.
Before exiting with the injury, Dell had bested WR Nico Collins in multiple essential metrics. Dell led the team with a 22.5% target share vs. Collins’ 22.1%, and he had a significant advantage in air yards share: 35.9% vs. 25.3%. On a fantasy points-per-game basis, Dell averaged 18.7 points per game compared to Collins’ 18.1.
Dell was one of the season’s most successful waiver wire pickups until that injury occurred.
Dell was nearly fully recovered from his leg injury when he sustained another freak leg injury last month – this time from a bullet wound at a bar shooting in Florida. Luckily, in Dell’s own words, this was a “wrong place at the wrong time” injury that was not severe.
However, the good news is that Dell was a full participant in all OTAs for the Texans just three weeks after his gunshot wound, and all reports are that he returned at high speed.
Fantasy managers should feel safe betting on the health and talent of Tank Dell despite the crowded receiver room in Houston. The Texans offense is sure to be high-powered with Dell, Collins, and the newly acquired veteran Stefon Diggs, not to mention tight end Dalton Schultz, who just signed a fresh three-year contract. However, Dell was drafted by the Texans at Stroud’s request, and their chemistry is undeniable.
Dell’s 107 targeted air yards per game was more than CeeDee Lamb in 2023, and his 70.9 receiving yards per game was more than Chris Olave and Amari Cooper. He was also a touchdown machine, averaging .7 scores per game, trailing only Mike Evans and Tyreek Hill. Dell is coming off the board as the WR37 well after Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. I’m taking Dell at that value every day of the week.
Kirk Cousins has proven to be a valuable asset in fantasy football, averaging more than 18 points per game since 2020. This impressive performance has consistently placed him as the QB12 on a per-game basis, despite being drafted outside of the Top 12 in fantasy drafts. Even in the 2023 season, before his unfortunate Achilles injury, Cousins maintained his high standards, averaging 18.72 points per game, which was seventh-best among QBs.
That Achilles tear occurred in Week 8. Cousins is now seven months removed from surgery and 36 years old.
In the off-season, the Atlanta Falcons put a big bet on Cousins’ health, signing him to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed.
Interestingly, the Vikings chose not to.
Shortly after signing Cousins to the massive deal, the Falcons selected QB Michael Penix, Jr. with the eighth draft pick, appearing to hedge their bet.
Talent-wise, Cousins did not lose a step in 2023, averaging 291.4 passing yards and 2.3 TD passes a game before the torn achilles. He was also throwing to one of the top receivers in the league, Justin Jefferson, as well as an elite tight end, TJ Hockenson, and a talented rookie, Jordan Addison.
Now in Atlanta, there is a wealth of untapped potential. Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson are all brimming with talent but have yet to break out at the NFL level. The Falcons are hopeful new head coach Raheem Morris, new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, and Cousins can help unlock that potential.
Unlike Aaron Rodgers, who tore his left Achilles on his lead foot, Cousins tore his right Achilles, which is his plant foot where he gets power. Most people can return to normal use within six months of Achilles surgery. However, elite NFL quarterback play does not qualify under “normal use.” Cousins has been taking snaps at OTAs but is not yet 100%. Only time will tell how age and injury will affect Cousins.
We should expect a slow start for Cousins and this new offense, with everyone possibly hitting their stride mid-season. For now, I’ll leave my drafts without Cousins and hope to grab him on waivers if all goes well a few weeks into the season. I’m not willing to start the season with the risk, but the ceiling is tremendous.
The end of the 2024 NFL draft starts for many the continued building of our fantasy football dynasty rosters. If you're not in the know, dynasty leagues don't have a yearly "re-draft," but instead managers keep their same rosters year over year and hold rookie-only drafts. That makes choosing the right rooks very important when it comes to roster construction and depth chart improvement.
With that said, here's my initial look at the top 50 rookies to target in dynasty leagues. These rankings are based on a full-point PPR scoring system and focus on leagues that aren't in the superflex mold.
Of course, roster needs are very important in dynasty formats. For example, maybe you're stacked at wideout and a bit less so at tight end, so you might go with Brock Bowers ahead of someone like Rome Odunze, even if the latter is ranked higher. Obviously, the choice is yours. But these rankings will give you a good baseline from which to draw your own conclusions and draft choices.
So, in the words of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, with the first pick in YOUR 2024 fantasy football dynasty league draft, the top overall teams selects ...
The 2024 NFL season is fast approaching, so it’s time to look at fantasy positional “tiers.” Unlike my PPR player rankings, tiers group players of similar value. So, if you miss out on a particular player on a tier in your draft, you can see other players on that same tier who are good alternatives.
I’ve covered the quarterback teirs, so now let’s look at the running backs. With the number of true featured runners dwindling, backs have lost some of their past luster in drafts. This should change strategies, as managers can wait and still land productive runners in rounds 4-5 and beyond.
Tier 1 – The Elite
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers
McCaffrey has a chance to finish his career as one of the best fantasy running backs ever, even on the same level as greats like LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk. For that reason, I have him on his own tier. He’ll be the consensus top overall pick in the majority of drafts too, making McCaffrey the most valued asset in fantasy football once again.
Robinson had a good but not great rookie season, finishing ninth in PPR points. Still, I can see him pushing into the top three in Year 2, as he’ll no longer be “handcuffed” under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Hall finished second in points among runners last season, and that was after coming off a serious knee injury. Barkley, who finished as the RB12 in 2023, should push into the top five or 10 behind a solid Eagles offensive line. Gibbs will continue to split work in Detroit with David Montgomery, but he has top-five upside.
Tier 3 – Mid RB1s
Jonathan Taylor, Colts Travis Etienne, Jaguars Kyren Williams, Rams
Taylor had his ups and downs last season, but he finished strong with 17-plus points in three of his last four games. He also won’t lose work to Zack Moss, who is now with the Bengals. Etienne, last season’s No. 3 runner, will be picked in Round 2 or 3. Williams was a superstar last year, scoring 15 touchdowns in 12 games. He does lack durability, however, and the Rams drafted Blake Corum. That makes Williams a bit of a risk, but he's still a top-25 pick.
Jacobs is coming off a bad season, especially compared to what he accomplished in 2022, but signing with the Packers is a positive for his fantasy appeal. Henry is entering his age-30 season, but he still finished as the RB8 last year and has little competition for touches in Baltimore. White might struggle to duplicate the RB4 finish he had last year, but he’ll remain a top-50 overall fantasy selection. White is also a strong pass catcher, which benefits his value. Pacheco is the featured back in Kansas City and could push into the top 10.
Achane was a fantasy superstar at times as a rookie, but his ceiling could still be limited with Raheem Mostert in the Miami backfield. Still, he has RB1 potential. Cook was solid once Joe Brady took over the Bills offense last season, averaging more than 16 points. He should remain the team’s lead back, even with the addition of rookie Ray Davis. Kamara averaged almost 20 touches per game last season and should still be in the RB1/RB2 mix. Walker hasn’t truly busted out in the stat sheets, but he’s been a steady No. 2 option.
Tier 6 – Mid RB2s
Joe Mixon, Texans Zack Moss, Bengals D'Andre Swift, Bears Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots James Conner, Cardinals
Mixon’s move to Houston could affect his touches to a degree, but he’s still a solid No. 2 option. Remember, he finished as the RB6 last season. His replacement in Cincinnati, Moss, will be a popular breakout candidate. I can see him easily finishing in the top 15-20 runners as their featured back. Swift was the RB20 with the Eagles in 2023, and he’ll push for that sort of finish now that he’s in Chicago. Stevenson didn’t put up great totals last season, but he also missed five games. In PPR formats, he should push back into the RB2 range even with Antonio Gibson in the mix. Conner was a league winner for managers at the end of last season, but he missed four games and could lose some work to rookie Trey Benson.
Tier 7 – Low RB2s
Zamir White, Raiders Jonathon Brooks, Panthers Nick Chubb, Browns Aaron Jones, Vikings Raheem Mostert, Dolphins David Montgomery, Lions
This tier includes sleepers/breakouts White and Brooks, who could see a featured role for their respective teams. Chubb is coming off a serious knee injury, so it’s tough to project him as more than a No. 2 fantasy runner. If he can re-claim his previous form, however, Chubb could be a major bargain. Jones missed six games a season ago, but he was a star down the stretch and figures to be the top back in Minnesota. Mostert is coming off a career year that saw him score 21 touchdowns, so regression is imminent. Montgomery was the RB17 in 2023, but he’s likely to play second fiddle to Gibbs.
Tier 8 – High RB3s/Flex
Najee Harris, Steelers Tony Pollard, Titans Austin Ekeler, Commanders Javonte Williams, Broncos Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders
Harris hasn’t been able to return to the elite fantasy status he enjoyed as a rookie, and the emergence of Jaylen Warren makes him hard to trust as more than a flex. Pollard, coming off a disappointing final season in Dallas, could find himself in a committee with Tyjae Spears. Ekeler and Robinson Jr. will share the work in Washington, limiting both their ceilings, and Williams finds himself in a crowded Denver backfield that could limit his upside.
Singletary could be a nice bargain in fantasy drafts, as he knows Brian Daboll's offense well and has little competition for touches. Warren was more efficient than Harris last season, so he’s not too far behind his teammate in the rankings. The Titans will use both Pollard and Spears in their backfield, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the latter was more effective in the stat sheets. Zeke is back in Dallas, but he’ll be part of a committee with Rico Dowdle and others.
This tier includes handcuffs and backs who will compete for depth-chart positioning in camp. Benson, Allgeier and Ford will all be valuable insurance, while Edwards and Dobbins will compete for the top spot in Los Angeles (though a committee is imminent). Charbonnet, Brown and Corum will also be seen as handcuffs, though all three could push for standalone value.
Tier 11 – Mid to Low RB4s/Handcuffs
Ty Chandler, Vikings Rico Dowdle, Cowboys Chuba Hubbard, Panthers Antonio Gibson, Patriots Alexander Mattison, Raiders Kendre Miller, Saints
This tier is also full of committee backs and potential fantasy handcuffs, including guys like Chandler, Dowdle and Hubbard. Each of them, and Gibson, could also push for standalone flex value. Miller could be a deep sleeper if Kamara is forced to miss some playing time.
Welcome to the “dart throw” tier! This group includes potential handcuffs and several young running backs competing for touches with their respective teams. Vidal is an interesting option, as he’ll have the one-dimensional Edwards and the injury-prone Dobbins ahead of him on the Chargers depth chart. Fellow rookies Lloyd, Davis, and Wright are late fliers, but none of them will open the season higher than second on their teams.
