We made it through free agency. We made it through the draft. The rosters are mostly settled now. It’s a perfect time to figure out what’s what on the NFL roster landscape.
With that, let’s get the Fantasy Football Team Power Rankings cranked up for another year.
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I’ve examined all 32 NFL depth charts and come up with a set of Fantasy Power Rankings for the franchises. What follows is how interesting I consider the teams to be from a fantasy perspective, how much juice every offensive huddle offers us.
[2024 Fantasy Draft Rankings: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers]
It’s a subjective list, and your grouping would surely look different in spots. That’s the fun of it. That’s why we have a game.
I will revisit this list at least once before the season, and then we’ll have quarterly reranks in-season. See it for what it is, a breezy and fun way to get ready for the season.
It’s always a great day to talk about football and dream about that next fantasy championship.
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This is probably the Last Dance for the NFL’s best collection of skill talent — when the Niners selected Ricky Pearsall in the first round of April’s draft, they made a statement that Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk probably won’t be on the team next year. It’s never personal, it’s just business. The cost of stardom is the inability to keep everyone. The genius of Christian McCaffrey’s receiving workload is that it allows him to be tackled by the lighter defenders, but the Niners probably don’t want to give him another 272 carries. I’d still auto-pick McCaffrey first in any draft room, however.
Jalen Hurts was the MVP-elect as the calendar hit December, and the Eagles were a juicy 10-1. But the final seven games were a nightmare — just one win, capped by a no-show playoff loss at Tampa Bay. The Eagles were right not to panic and blow things up; the main pieces are back (both star receivers were extended), and Saquon Barkley can handle some of the short-yardage work that was given to Hurts. Maybe this will keep Hurts fresher for the five-month grind.
The curse of getting good in the NFL is that your stuff often gets raided — your players, your coaches, even your ideas. The good news in Detroit is that the band is back together; all the main offensive personnel comes back, and OC Ben Johnson does, too. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the highest floor picks in the first round, and I bet David Montgomery smashes his giveaway ADP again. The runaway is clear for a Jameson Williams breakout too.
Generally, you want to steer away from running backs when they hit their late 20s, and Derrick Henry is already 30. But the fit here is perfect for King Henry, tied to a mobile quarterback who doesn’t steal rushing touchdowns and an offensive line that pushes people around. TE Isaiah Likely was outstanding after Mark Andrews got hurt; the challenge this year is to find ways to use both of them together, perhaps with Likely essentially becoming a hybrid receiver.
It’s easy to fix any downtrodden franchise: just hit a home run at head coach and quarterback. Take a bow, DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud. And fantasy managers can take heart, the Texans were able to retain well-regarded OC Bobby Slowik. Stroud has receivers to challenge every spot on the field, and Joe Mixon lands in a perfect spot, sure to receive projectable volume and likely to score 8-10 touchdowns even if his efficiency metrics aren’t great.
Somehow they took a bridge year on offense and turned it into a Super Bowl parade. Pretty neat trick, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. Speed merchants Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy will stretch out defenses, and Isiah Pacheco finishes every run like it’s the last of his career. For the first time in forever, Travis Kelce is not the pole position standard at tight end. That’s life as you step into an age-34 season.
Nobody expects Raheem Mostert to score 21 touchdowns, but what’s the right answer? A dozen? Five? 10? His odometer is fairly tame, but he’s also stepping into his age-32 season. De’Von Achane will always have a cap for workload, but that 7.8 YPC grabs your attention. He’s capable of catching 40 passes, too.
It’s a top-heavy fantasy roster, with Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams at the top and then a sizable gap. Is Cooper Kupp still capable of being a no-doubt WR2? How much will rookie RB Blake Corum cut into the Williams’ workload? Matthew Stafford is never a sure bet to play a full season, and now he steps into his age-36 campaign. Still, it’s hard to look away from Sean McVay’s pretty offenses.
I found these guys difficult to rank. I still think Ja’Marr Chase has a 20-touchdown season percolating in him, and Joe Burrow is a legitimate MVP candidate when healthy. But Burrow’s had two lost seasons out of four, and the skill talent after Chase is just okay. The backfield is unsexy but probably a good value between retread Zack Moss and second-year runner Chase Brown.
Everyone knew that the Bills and Stefon Diggs were headed for a divorce, but now the challenge is to find an impact receiver among Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel and rookie Keon Coleman. Skeptics will continue to ding Coleman for the slow 40 time, but I think he has a little Courtland Sutton in him. Dalton Kincaid is the rare tight end who’s likely to lead his team in targets.
Shane Steichen is a scheming genius and Anthony Richardson looked the part before his shoulder injury wrecked his rookie year. There are playmakers all over the place, especially Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. The Colts will be must-see TV in 2024.
All we ever wanted was to see what this collection of skill talent might do with a good quarterback and an offensive play-caller not named Arthur Smith. This fall, the hypothetical becomes reality. The Michael Penix Jr. pick was an all-time head-scratcher on the heels of the Kirk Cousins signing, but Cousins won’t be looking over his shoulder in 2024.
I realize it wasn’t the deepest of samples, but somehow head coach Kevin O’Connell coached a juicy 8.8 YPA from Nick Mullens and a stunning 8.4 YPA from Jaren Hall. And now he has an interesting QB stopgap in Sam Darnold and a first-round prospect in J.J. McCarthy. Faced with an indoor-heavy schedule, the Vikings can still be a pinball machine.
Breece Hall has a chance to be the trendy cover-boy on next year’s magazines, and I’ll keep chasing Garrett Wilson’s glittering upside until someone forces me to stop. All it requires is competent quarterback play, and Aaron Rodgers can provide that with a healthy season.
It might seem strange to see the Cowboys ranked this low, but other than CeeDee Lamb, who on this roster are you thrilled to draft? I’ll move whatever mountains I can to make sure I’m heavily invested in Lamb, though; in an era where most teams have steered into the idea of spreading the ball around, he has a legitimate chance to challenge for 200 targets.
I wanted to go higher on this offense; Jordan Love is the real deal and Josh Jacobs should have another productive season left. It’s just difficult to figure out how the ball gets distributed between three interesting young wideouts, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. Even the tight end room has a crowding issue. When the usage clears up, the Packers will likely jump a fantasy tier.
The Bears have never hit a home run at quarterback, but Caleb Williams is stepping into a comfy seat. It’s hard to assume who Williams will click with the fastest, but DJ Moore looks like a reasonable third-round target to me.
Baker Mayfield resurrected his career in 2023 and Mike Evans has already put together a Hall of Fame resume. Volume was the main reason Rachaad White was a set-and-forget fantasy standard last year, but rookie Bucky Irving is good enough to push him in 2024. Chris Godwin is reliable between the 20s but the touchdowns are lacking; he has just 10 spikes in his last 46 starts.
Last year’s offense collapsed before the season really started, with the offensive line ravaged by injuries on Opening Day. New OC Ryan Grubb was the architect behind Michael Penix Jr. at the University of Washington; now he looks to rebuild Geno Smith’s confidence. No one in the Seattle passing game met their ADP expectations last year, but the prices have come down this spring.
Is Trevor Lawrence capable of being a superstar, or is he just another good-not-great quarterback? Everyone gives him a fair pass for the one lost Urban Meyer season, but 2024 is his third year with competent coaching. There is some crowding in the Jacksonville passing game, but Christian Kirk’s early ADP has him set for easy profit.
Derek Carr was quietly excellent down the stretch last year (14 touchdowns, two picks), but it always feels like his teams are looking to replace him. Chris Olave already has a sturdy floor established, but I’m fine drafting him with a Year 3 breakout in mind. Rashid Shaheed is the type of player with a capped target ceiling, but last year’s outstanding efficiency should force him into a bigger role.
Trey Benson is going to push James Conner in the backfield, Trey McBride is closing in on stardom and Marvin Harrison Jr. could be a plug-and-play star from Opening Day. Kyler Murray has a great chance to get his mojo back. The Cardinals might not be a great team in 2024, but they’ll be a fun fantasy watch. Plenty of spike potential here.
It’s Year 3 of the Deshaun Watson era and there’s still no reason to expect him to recapture his Houston glory, despite an enviable collection of pass catchers. Nick Chubb is coming off a scary knee blowout and might not be 100% at any point in 2024. Cleveland’s outstanding defense can keep the Browns in any game; this team might be playing a lot of 19-16 rock fights this year.
The Steelers didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on Najee Harris, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be the lead back for one more season. Of course, Harris’s trend is moving in the wrong direction: RB4, RB12, RB20. The Steelers have a substandard offensive line, and there is no ideal QB fit between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Both players take too many sacks, but Fields is also capable of rushing for 1,000 yards if given a full season.
Rookie hotshot Jayden Daniels has a wide range of outcomes, but he’s still the highest-upside quarterback that Terry McLaurin has ever played with. That’s a win. Jahan Dotson has to be better than he showed last year; as with McLaurin, I’m comfortable blaming the surrounding pieces. Daniels is the type of quarterback who’s more likely to tuck-and-run as opposed to checking down, which could cap the receiving upside of new RB Austin Ekeler.
The long-term quarterback solution for the Raiders isn’t currently on the roster. Davante Adams probably has another 10 touchdowns in him no matter who’s throwing the ball, and new feature back Zamir White popped at the end of 2023. The Brock Bowers pick didn’t make the fantasy community happy, given this team’s spotty quarterback room and the presence of credible sophomore TE, Michael Mayer.
Sean Payton somehow coaxed a fantasy-useful year from Russell Wilson last season, but maybe that was a statement on how the Broncos couldn’t run the ball at the goal line. The backfield is nebulous entering spring workouts, and Courtland Sutton is the only proactive pick this offense offers as we steer into early draft season.
New head coach Jim Harbaugh and new OC Greg Roman like to run to set up the run, so put a pin in Justin Herbert’s fantasy value. Rookie QB Ladd McConkey is already the logical favorite to lead this team in catches, but no one on this roster may get past 900 receiving yards.
It’s a show-me year for Daniel Jones, but at least the addition of Malik Nabers gives him a desperately needed downfield playmaker. Devin Singletary is rarely a home run as a featured back, but he usually does something useful with the ball. I’m not ready to give up on head coach Brian Daboll.
The Titans are doing everything they can to support Will Levis, giving him three veteran receivers and a retooled offensive line. Tony Pollard was the name addition to the backfield, but holdover Tyjae Spears may be the right answer there.
The presence of Jacoby Brissett means the Patriots don’t have to force Drake Maye on the field until he’s ready. Ja’Lynn Polk was the safer of the two rookie wideouts New England selected, but fourth-round sleeper Javon Baker might have the higher ceiling.
Dave Canales has pulled off miracles before; now he takes on his biggest challenge: getting Bryce Young up to speed. Jonathan Brooks was a buzzy pick for the backfield, but given his ACL tear came in November, keep expectations reasonable for his first season.
