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.
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 ...
Most fantasy football drafts are a couple of months out, but the arrival of the summer means it's time to start preparing. And step one in that preparation is getting your rankings down.
Quarterback has been a tricky position in fantasy football over the years. It's used to be highly valued until the "late-round quarterback" approach took hold. An influx in rushing production and overall elite play over the last few years has caused yet another shift. So let's take a deeper look at the quarterback rankings, as well as who some of the top values and busts are for 2024.
Rank
Player
Team
Bye Week
40
Mac Jones
JAX
12
39
Kenny Pickett
PHI
5
38
Micahel Penix Jr.
ATL
12
37
Jake Browning
CIN
15
36
Sam Howell
SEA
10
35
Zach Wilson
DEN
14
34
Gardner Minshew
LV
10
33
Justin Fields
PIT
9
32
Aidan O'Connell
LV
10
31
Bo Nix
DEN
14
30
J.J. McCarthy
MIN
6
29
Daniel Jones
NYG
11
28
Geno Smith
SEA
10
27
Drake Maye
NE
14
26
Bryce Young
CAR
11
25
Will Levis
TEN
5
24
Russell Wilson
PIT
9
23
Derek Carr
NO
12
22
Deshaun Watson
CLE
10
21
Baker Mayfield
TB
11
20
Aaron Rodgers
NYJ
12
19
Matthew Stafford
LAR
6
18
Caleb Williams
CHI
7
17
Justin Herbert
LAC
5
16
Tua Tagovailoa
MIA
6
15
Trevor Lawrence
JAX
12
14
Jared Goff
DET
5
13
Kirk Cousins
ATL
12
12
Jayden Daniels
WAS
14
11
Brock Purdy
SF
9
10
Kyler Murray
ARI
11
9
Jordan Love
GB
10
8
Dak Prescott
DAL
7
7
Joe Burrow
CIN
12
6
Anthony Richardson
IND
14
5
C.J. Stroud
HOU
14
4
Lamar Jackson
BAL
14
3
Patrick Mahomes
KC
6
2
Josh Allen
BUF
12
1
Jalen Hurts
PHI
5
Now that we've seen the rankings, let's look at who the biggest quarterback values you should draft are based on who is ranked significantly ahead of their average draft position (ADP) from FantasyPros.
Jayden Daniels (Ranked QB12, ADP QB17)
The biggest value on the list is rookie Jayden Daniels. As the QB17 by ADP, he's not even being selected as a high-end backup. In reality, he's ranked as a low-end starting option (for 12-team leagues), and his upside is much higher than that. Fantasy value for young quarterbacks typically comes from rushing production, and that's something Daniels offers in spades. There's a chance he turns into a bust, of course, but when you're drafting him in a spot where league mates are taking guys like Trevor Lawrence and Aaron Rodgers, that's not a risk that would come back to burn you anyway.
Kirk Cousins (Ranked QB13, ADP QB18)
Kirk Cousins' ADP makes him the perfect complement for a riskier quarterback like Daniels. Assuming everything ends up clear on the injury front, Cousins should be a pretty safe high-floor kind of player. He's not going to suddenly blossom into a top-end QB1 the way Daniels could, but he could save you when injuries or bye weeks hit. Ignoring quarterbacks early and pairing Daniels and Cousins in the later rounds is a great approach to capitalize on this value.
Jalen Hurts (Ranked QB1, ADP QB2)
A one-spot difference is not as significant as the gaps we see for Dainels and Cousins, but one spot is significant when it's the top spot at the position. If your draft approach is to try landing the year's best quarterback, you can afford to wait a little longer than you might typically. Allen is going as the first quarterback off the board, and if you're in a more casual league you could even see Hurts falling to the QB3 or QB4 spot because of the name value Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson carry.
On the other side of the coin, these are quarterbacks you should not be drafting. They're ranked significantly behind their ADP as of our last update.
Tua Tagovailoa (Ranked QB16, ADP QB13)
The 2023 NFL passing yards leader, Tua Tagovailoa is missing a couple of key factors for being a top-end fantasy option in 2024. First, he doesn't offer any rushing upside (74 yards and 0 touchdowns in 2023). Second, his huge passing upside last year skewed heavily toward the start of the season, not offering much consistency or value when the fantasy playoffs rolled around. For his final eight games of the fantasy football season (weeks 9 through 17), he ranked just 26th at the position in per-game fantasy scoring, averaging just 14.3 per game.
Caleb Williams (Ranked QB18, ADP QB14)
On the other side of the rookie coin, first-overall pick Caleb Williams offers none of the exciting value Jaylen Daniels does. Williams is in a great spot for real-world success as a rookie, for sure, but he's not the rusher that Daniels is, and the Bears offense also doesn't figure to be nearly as pass-heavy as the Commanders'.
Jared Goff (Ranked QB14, ADP QB12)
Jared Goff isn't a horrible pick, being taken two spots ahead of where we have him ranked, but when you're looking at the difference between QB12 (a low-end starter) and QB14 (a high-end backup), that does matter. Goff was the QB15 in fantasy scoring on a per-game basis last season, and not much has happened with the Lions' roster this offseason to signal he's due for a jump. His high-floor production is very replaceable with players going later in the draft, and if you're taking one of the first 12 quarterbacks off the board in your league, you want it to be one with way more upside.
Fantasy football isn't just all about redraft leagues, where managers pick a new team every season. The fantasy world has expanded over the decades, and dynasty leagues are one of if not the most challenging and comprehensive of those expansions. In these formats, you have one main draft (a startup) where you compile a roster that you will keep year after year.
In the seasons that follow, your league will hold yearly rookie-only drafts with the goal of building not only for the present but for the future as well. Younger players are going to hold more value in dynasty leagues. Tyreek Hill is a great player and all, and he’ll be picked in the top five in redraft leagues. That’s because you’re drafting him for just the next season.
But, entering his age-30 season, the Cheetah isn’t as valuable in dynasty formats. You’ll see that sort of pattern with many fantasy stars who are in the middle or latter stages of their careers. That list includes the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Derrick Henry and even Travis Kelce.
So, for those managers looking to take that next step in their fantasy football obsession, here are my positional dynasty startup rankings for 2024. Because age is more important in this format, I’ve included every player’s age starting in September 2024 (the start of the new season).
Let’s start building the foundation for a real “dynasty” roster!
2024 Fantasy Football Dynasty Quarterback Rankings
Rank. Player - Team - Age
1. Jalen Hurts - PHI - 26
2. Josh Allen - BUF - 28
3. Patrick Mahomes - KC - 28
4. C.J. Stroud - HOU - 22
5. Anthony Richardson - IND - 22
6. Lamar Jackson - BAL - 28
7. Joe Burrow - CIN - 27
8. Caleb Williams - CHI - 21
9. Jordan Love - GB - 25
10. Jayden Daniels - WAS - 23
11. Justin Herbert - LAC - 26
12. Brock Purdy - SF - 24
13. Dak Prescott - DAL - 31
14. Trevor Lawrence - JAC - 24
15. Kyler Murray - ARI - 27
16. Tua Tagovailoa - MIA - 26
17. Drake Maye - NE - 22
18. J.J. McCarthy - MIN - 21
19. Justin Fields - PIT - 25
20. Bryce Young - CAR - 23
21. Jared Goff - DET - 29
22. Deshaun Watson - CLE - 28
23. Kirk Cousins - ATL - 36
24. Bo Nix - DEN - 24
25. Will Levis - TEN - 25
26. Baker Mayfield - TB - 29
27. Matthew Stafford - LAR - 36
28. Michael Penix Jr. - ATL - 24
29. Derek Carr - NO - 33
30. Aaron Rodgers - NYJ - 40
31. Geno Smith - SEA - 33
32. Russell Wilson - PIT - 35
33. Daniel Jones - NYG - 27
34. Gardner Minshew - LV - 28
35. Sam Howell - SEA - 24
36. Aidan O'Connell - LV - 26
37. Jarret Stidham - DEN - 28
38. Sam Darnold - MIN - 27
39. Zach Wilson - DEN - 25
40. Drew Lock - NYG - 27
2024 Fantasy Football Dynasty Running Back Rankings
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) on Dec 24, 2023.
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Rank. Player - Team - Age
1. Bijan Robinson - ATL - 22
2. Breece Hall - NYJ - 23
3. Jahmyr Gibbs - DET - 22
4. Jonathan Taylor - IND - 25
5. Christian McCaffrey - CAR - 28
6. Travis Etienne - JAC - 25
7. Kyren Williams - LAR - 24
8. De'Vone Achane - MIA - 22
9. James Cook - BUF - 24
10. Kenneth Walker - SEA - 23
11. Isiah Pacheco - KC - 25
12. Josh Jacobs - LV - 26
13. Saquon Barkley - PHI - 27
14. Jonathon Brooks - CAR - 21
15. Rachaad White - TB - 25
16. Rhamondre Stevenson - NE - 26
17. Javonte Williams - DEN - 24
18. Zamir White - LV - 25
19. D'Andre Swift - CHI - 25
20. Trey Benson - ARI - 22
21. Najee Harris - PIT - 26
22. Joe Mixon - CIN - 28
23. Tony Pollard - TEN - 27
24. David Montgomery - DET - 27
25. Alvin Kamara - NO - 29
26. Brian Robinson Jr. - WAS - 25
27. Nick Chubb - CLE - 28
28. Derrick Henry - BAL - 31
29. Zack Moss - CIN - 26
30. Tyjae Spears - TEN - 23
31. Zach Charbonnet - SEA - 23
32. James Conner - ARI - 29
33. Aaron Jones - GB - 29
34. Jaylen Warren - PIT - 25
35. Devin Singletary - NYG - 27
36. Blake Corum - LAR - 23
37. MarShawn Lloyd - GB - 22
38. Kendre Miller - NO - 22
39. Jaylen Wright - MIA - 21
40. Jaleel McLaughlin - DEN - 24
41. Chase Brown - CIN - 24
42. Austin Ekeler - LAC - 29
43. Chuba Hubbard - CAR - 25
44. Bucky Irving - TB - 22
45. Jerome Ford - CLE - 24
46. J.K. Dobbins - LAC - 26
47. Raheem Mostert - MIA - 32
48. Antonio Gibson - WAS - 26
49. Tyler Allgeier - ATL - 24
50. Roschon Johnson - CHI - 23
51. Gus Edwards - LAC - 29
52. Ty Chandler - MIN - 26
53. Rico Dowdle - DAL - 26
54. Keaton Mitchell - BAL - 22
55. Dameon Pierce - HOU - 24
56. Khalil Herbert - CHI - 26
57. Ezekiel Elliott - DAL - 29
58. Ray Davis - BUF - 24
59. Elijah Mitchell - SF - 26
60. Alexander Mattison - LV - 26
61. Tank Bigsby - JAC - 23
62. Braelon Allen - NYJ - 20
63. Will Shipley - PHI - 21
64. Kenneth Gainwell - PHI - 25
65. Audric Estime - DEN - 21
66. Miles Sanders - CAR - 27
67. Clyde Edwards-Helaire - KC - 25
68. Jamaal Williams - NO - 29
69. Tyrone Tracy - NYG - 24
70. AJ Dillon - GB - 26
71. Kimani Vidal - LAC - 23
72. Isaiah Spiller - LAC - 23
73. Isaac Guerendo - SF - 24
74. Jordan Mason - SF - 25
75. Deuce Vaughn - DAL - 22
76. Trey Sermon - IND - 25
77. Israel Abanikanda - NYJ - 21
78. Justice Hill - BAL - 26
79. Isaiah Davis - NYJ - 22
80. D'Onta Foreman - CLE - 28
2024 Fantasy Football Dynasty Wide Receiver Rankings
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) on Jan. 7, 2024.
Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
Rank. Player - Team - Age
1. Justin Jefferson - MIN - 25
2. Ja'Marr Chase - CIN - 24
3. CeeDee Lamb - DAL - 25
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown - DET - 24
5. Garrett Wilson - NYJ - 24
6. Puka Nacua - LAR - 23
7. Marvin Harrison Jr. - ARI - 22
8. A.J. Brown - PHI - 27
9. Chris Olave - NO - 24
10. Drake London - ATL - 23
11. Brandon Aiyuk - SF - 26
12. Malik Nabers - NYG - 21
13. Nico Collins - HOU - 25
14. Michael Pittman Jr. - IND - 26
15. Jaylen Waddle - MIA - 25
16. Tee Higgins - CIN - 25
17. Devonta Smith - PHI - 25
18. D.K. Metcalf - SEA - 26
19. Rashee Rice - KC - 24
20. Rome Odunze - CHI - 22
21. Tyreek Hill - MIA - 30
22. Tank Dell - HOU - 24
23. Zay Flowers - BAL - 23
24. Deebo Samuel Sr. - SF - 28
25. Jordan Addison - MIN - 22
26. D.J. Moore - CHI - 27
27. Jaxon Smith-Njigba - SEA - 22
28. George Pickens - PIT - 23
29. Brian Thomas Jr. - JAC - 21
30. Jayden Reed - GB - 24
31. Xavier Worthy - KC - 21
32. Ladd McConkey - LAC - 22
33. Christian Kirk - JAC - 27
34. Keon Coleman - BUF - 21
35. Terry McLaurin - WAS - 28
36. Christian Watson - GB - 25
37. Davante Adams - LV - 31
38. Calvin Ridley - TEN - 29
39. Stefon Diggs - HOU - 30
40. Xavier Legette - CAR - 23
41. Ricky Pearsall - SF - 24
42. Adonai Mitchell - IND - 22
43. Cooper Kupp - LAR - 31
44. Mike Evans - TB - 31
45. Diontae Johnson - CAR - 28
46. Amari Cooper - CLE - 30
47. Jameson Williams - DET - 23
48. Josh Downs - IND - 23
49. Courtland Sutton - DEN - 28
50. Ja'Lynn Polk - NE - 22
51. Chris Godwin - TB - 28
52. Jakobi Meyers - LV - 27
53. Marquise Brown - KC - 27
54. Romeo Doubs - GB - 24
55. Jerry Jeudy - CLE - 25
56. Demario Douglas - NE - 23
57. Roman Wilson - PIT - 23
58. Malachi Corley - NYJ - 22
59. Gabe Davis - JAC - 25
60. Curtis Samuel - BUF - 28
61. Rashid Shaheed - NO - 26
62. Mike Williams - NYJ - 29
63. Quentin Johnston - LAC - 22
64. Marvin Mims Jr. - DEN - 22
65. Jahan Dotson - WAS - 24
66. Keenan Allen - CHI - 32
67. Dontayvion Wicks - GB - 23
68. Josh Palmer - LAC - 24
69. Khalil Shakir - BUF - 24
70. Jermaine Burton - CIN - 23
71. Wan'Dale Robinson - NYG - 23
72. Rashod Bateman - BAL - 24
73. Elijah Moore - CLE - 24
74. Michael Wilson - ARI - 24
75. Troy Franklin - DEN - 21
76. DeAndre Hopkins - TEN - 32
77. Tyler Lockett - SEA - 31
78. Darnell Mooney - ATL - 26
79. Jalin Hyatt - NYG - 22
80. Javon Baker - NE - 22
2024 Fantasy Football Dynasty Tight End Rankings
Lions tight end Sam LaPorta makes a catch during warmups before the NFC divisional playoff game.
