• All eyes are on Buffalo Bills rookie Keon Coleman, but his true value in fantasy football leagues may lie elsewhere. Khalil Shakil's He has the potential to further develop that chemistry with an increased role in the second half of the 2023 season. Josh Allen We are moving forward.
• DeAndre Hopkins is the forgotten child of the Tennessee Titans:Despite signing with WR calvin ridley Even after becoming a free agent, Hopkins is still active with the Titans. WR1.
• check out PFF Fantasy Football Rankings: PFF's Fantasy Football Rankings include expert ranks, predictions, and strength of schedule metrics.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Every NFL season, it seems like there's a player who pops up out of nowhere looking for enough volume to lead a fantasy team to the playoffs.
Here's a look too early at four wide receivers with average draft positions (ADP) Players who could lead the team's goals during the 2024 season in Round 6 and beyond.
Note: ADP comes courtesy of fantasy pro.
DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans
ADP in May: Rounds 6-7, WR40
The Tennessee Titans overhauled their offense this offseason, adding wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to help fill out a wide receiver room that was largely barren outside of DeAndre Hopkins.
There's no doubt that fantasy managers are skeptical of Hopkins heading into his age-32 season, but his speed stats for 2023 give some reason to believe he still has power. , a target this year that could make him a great value leading the Titans.
Despite his age, Hopkins had a solid 2023 season with 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. His 0.29 fantasy points per snap was 16th among wide receivers, even though he used the specter of Ryan Tannehill and rookie Will Revis at quarterback.
Even at age 31, he didn't seem to have lost any of his speed. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hopkins averaged a top speed of 19.05 mph throughout the 2023 season, higher than his average top speed of 10.84 mph with the Arizona Cardinals and 10.41 mph with the Houston Texans.
Levis, who led all quarterbacks in deep target percentage with a 22.4% in his rookie season, is expected to target Hopkins early and often in 2024. After all, age is just a number.
Jackson Smith-Njiba, Seattle Seahawks
ADP in May: Rounds 8-9, WR45
The Seattle Seahawks selected Jackson Smith-Njiba with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the first wide receiver to come out of Ohio State.
Things didn't get off to a great start, however, with his 63-628-4 record compared to other standout rookie receivers such as Puka Nacua, Laci Rice, Jordan Addison, and Tank Dell. It was inferior.
Smith-Nijiva's 83.3% open target rate ranked 17th among 96 qualifying wideouts, but his average target depth of 6.4 yards wasn't enough to give him a high lift. His receiving grade earned through effort was only 63.9 (88th in position). The broken wrist he suffered in preseason certainly didn't hurt either. Although he was cleared to play by Week 1, he missed several valuable preseason and practice weeks leading up to the actual game, which is important for rookies transitioning to the NFL.
His rookie stat line doesn't entice potential fantasy managers, but there's no doubt he'll have ample opportunity to take on an additional role in the 2024 season. Veteran Tyler Lockett will turn 31 this season, so the Seahawks should be evaluating their future.
Lockett's overall efficiency has declined over the past few seasons, with yards after the catch per reception, yards per route run, and yards per reception decreasing in each of the past two seasons.
| status | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| yards/record | 16.1 | 11.9 | 11.3 |
| Yards After Catch/Record. | 3.81 | 3.11 | 2.80 |
| yard/route run | 2.35 | 1.89 | 1.61 |
| complete. % | 70.9% | 76.9% | 67.5% |
| Passer evaluation on target | 122.4 | 108.6 | 90.2 |
DK Metcalf's presence in Seattle may not be a given this year either. The Steelers made a call about Metcalf out of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he was “not completely turned down,” and a potential trade would not have been until after June 1. A trade before June 1 would have saved the Seahawks just $4 million. He hits the cap in 2024, but a trade after June 1 would save him $17 million.
Either way, there's a big opportunity left for the former OSU prospect, who outperformed standouts Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson in the 2021 season.
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
ADP in May: Rounds 10-11, WR55
Ever since the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to Houston this offseason, all eyes have been on Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman as a potential target for the Buffalo Bills. But based on current projections, third-year receiver Khalil Shakil could offer the most value as a pick around the 10th round in fantasy football leagues this offseason.
During the second half of the 2023 season, Shaquille's role in the offense increased significantly, playing over 60% of the offensive snaps in 10 of the final 12 games of the season. While his playing time didn't provide a high level of consistency, he did have 50 or more receiving yards in four of those appearances, although he did have two 100+ yard games — he definitely earned his place. maximized efficiency.
Although Shaquille's average target depth was very low at just 7.4 yards, he made the most of (almost) every opportunity thrown his way, reeling in 87.5% of his 56 targets. and had the highest catch percentage among all receivers with 50 or more targets. He led the pack with a passer rating of 141.5 when targeted, averaged 7.0 yards after the catch per reception (T-4th) and had a drop rate of 2% (T-3rd lowest).
Ultimately, his proven reliability will earn him Josh Allen's trust in critical situations and earn him a starting role going forward. Don't be surprised if Shaquille plays a role similar to what Cole Beasley did in the final season. 1,000 receiving yards and six touchdowns is well within the realm of possibility.
joshua palmer Los Angeles Chargers
ADP in May: Rounds 11-12, WR59
Between losing Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, and Gerald Everett, the Los Angeles Chargers suffered a mass exodus of their primary receiving option in Justin Herbert this offseason.
These four have hit 54.9% of their team goals over the past two seasons, giving them plenty of opportunities heading into 2024. While most players have their eyes on rookie wideout Rad McConkie, who will immediately take on the WR1 role, he has more sneaky value in fantasy football leagues based on his already established rapport with Herbert. One player that could prove to be one is veteran Joshua Palmer.
Palmer is coming off a year in which he set career highs in receiving grade (67.6), yards per route run (1.71) and yards after the catch per reception (5.0). His efficiency may still leave a lot to be desired compared to other top targets in the league, but given his familiarity with Herbert and available target share, he has a good chance of hitting 100+ targets. It is located in
