• There isn't much competition in the backfield. Las Vegas Raiders R.B. Zamir White Could play a big role in 2024: Despite the potential high pick, White is being picked as the 27th RB on average in spring best ball drafts.
• Amari CooperProduction of Deshaun Watson Playing center in 2023 indicates another big year is on the way.Cooper averaged just over five receptions and 96 yards in five games with Watson last season.
• check out PFF Fantasy Football RankingsPFF's fantasy football rankings include rankings from our experts, projections and strength of schedule metrics.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Though it's still early in the offseason, fantasy football best ball drafts and mock drafts are in full swing, giving managers their first look at players' perceived value before the season. Now it's time to start evaluating their potential value in fantasy. Here are five players who, if their average draft position (ADP) holds steady preseason, will be “must-draft assets” in your 2024 fantasy football draft.
ADP data source: Fantasy Pros.
QB Will Revis, Tennessee Titans
Current ADP: QB23
The second-year quarterback Will Revis is the Titans' quarterback of the future, but there's no doubt that the Titans have made many upgrades to their offense that have given him a great opportunity to prove himself, which could have a big impact on his fantasy performance in Year 2.
The reinforcements are not limited to the acquisition of wide receivers. Calvin Ridley and Tyler BoydIt's going to be a massive upgrade with them facing each other. DeAndre HopkinsTennessee also committed to rebuilding its offensive line after it ranked eighth-lowest in the league with a PFF pass-blocking grade of 57.1 entering the 2023 season. The Titans are looking to add center Lloyd Cushenberry The team also drafted University of Alabama tackle JC Latham sixth overall in free agency, adding two solid additions to the roster to help keep Revis going.
Levi led the league in average depth of target as a rookie with 11.1 yards, a testament to his willingness to push the ball down the field. But his receivers didn't give him much help, dropping the second-highest rate of pass attempts. Levi's rocket arm, above-average athleticism, aggressive playing style and improved offensive weapons could be the recipe for a breakout season in 2024.
RB Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders
Current ADP: RB27
of Las Vegas Raiders 2019 first-round draft pick Josh Jacobs After accounting for 70.3% of the team's rushing attempts at the running back position over the past five seasons, he walked in as a free agent. Despite the big need, the team didn't do much to address the position this offseason, adding a free agent signing. Alexander Mathison and drafted rookie Dylan Laube in the sixth round. All of this points to the former fourth-round draft pick having the potential to play a key role. Zamir White This will be his third season in the NFL.
White saw a fairly limited workload in 2023, but a season-ending injury to Jacobs gave him a golden opportunity to prove his ability to lead the backfield as a starter. White started all four of the Raiders' final games to close the season, averaging just over 23 touches per game as the lead back. He only scored one touchdown in that span, but he was in 100% of the team's carries in the red zone and inside the five-yard line. That valuable role meant Mattison was almost guaranteed to get an interception, failing to score a single touchdown on 24 chances in the red zone (nine inside the five-yard line) last season.
With question marks at quarterback, the Raiders' offense doesn't look particularly productive, but White finished as a top-16 running back in three of his four starts despite limited touchdown numbers. Think of him as a volume-based option that can provide a very solid foundation each week.
WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
Current ADP: WR31
Is there a more underrated wide receiver in fantasy football? Amari Cooper How are you now? Cleveland BrownsThe recent trends are definitely in favor of tight ends. David Njokuhe had an undeniable breakthrough. Joe Flacco But most people forget Amari Cooper was Deshaun WatsonHe was the primary receiving option in the five games he started and finished when healthy.
The Watson-Cooper duo ranks as the most efficient duo in the league in 2023. Among QB-WR duos who received 30 or more targets, Watson and Cooper rank as follows, according to NFL Next Gen Stats:
- 2nd highest EPA per target (0.90)
- 3rd in passing success rate per target (130.3)
- 6th in yards per target (12.3)
- Successful play rate: 5th (64.1%)
Cooper led the team with 7.8 targets and 96 yards receiving per game with Watson under center and scored 15-plus fantasy points in all but one of those five games. If the two can maintain that chemistry in 2024, Cooper figures to be a very valuable player in fantasy football leagues.
Current ADP: TE12
Dallas Cowboys Te Jake Ferguson He is entering his third season in the NFL after finishing as the TE9 in fantasy points per game as Dak Prescott's second receiver option.And somehow, he’s still been drafted outside of the top 10 fantasy tight ends at this point in the offseason. Makes no sense.
While Ferguson lacks elite athleticism, he figures to continue to have opportunities in the Cowboys offense (barring injury) and is projected to be much closer to the TE6 to TE8 range than his current draft cost of TE12. In 2023, Ferguson ranked seventh among tight ends on the year with 96 targets and eighth in yards (761) with ideal usage in the red zone and end zone. He ranked in the top three among tight ends in both red zone (24) and end zone (9) targets, the most valuable on-field opportunity for a position that fluctuates by touchdowns from week to week.
Ferguson's usage would provide him with a solid weekly minimum heading into the 2024 season and make him an ideal late-round target for those who missed out on him in fantasy drafts. Sam Laporta and Travis Kelceof the world.
