• teeth Alvin KamaraStarting members of New Orleans Saints'Is crime a given?: After an injury-plagued rookie season, the second-year running back is healthy. Kendre Miller There's a lot to prove.
• Najee Harris Playing for the future in the 2024 seasonMost fantasy managers Jalen Warren As a key to Pittsburgh SteelersAfter an efficient 2023 season, Harris has plenty of upside ahead of him heading into the final year of his contract.
• Get an early start on fantasy football: Create a realistic live fantasy football draft with PFF's mock draft simulator Mock Draft Simulation to prepare for live draft!
Estimated reading time: 9 mins
Following the 2024 NFL Draft, all 32 teams have held their rookie minicamp sessions, meaning they are moving on to the next step in their offseason programs: OTAs. Most teams around the league have begun their first of 10 offseason team activity workouts, meaning fantasy football managers are getting their first look at potential roster depth and roles for the year ahead. Here are four NFL players to keep an eye on throughout OTAs who could benefit the most in your 2024 fantasy football league.
RB Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints
of New Orleans Saints The Saints are in cap hell. But they're finally out of the red, and at this point in the offseason they're sitting at just over $2.4 million in effective cap space. Their outlook for the future isn't all that bright, either. In 2025, the Saints are projected to be $84.8 million over the cap, and in 2026 they're projected to have the third-lowest cap space at $29.6 million. That means they're certainly in need of some cash, and that's where a veteran running back comes in. Alvin KamaraContract With cap numbers of $7.8 million in 2024 and $29 million in 2025, the second-year running back could come into play. Kendre Miller will appear.
Unfortunately, the Saints didn't have a great opportunity to evaluate Miller's future at the running back position as he battled several injuries in 2023. He played just eight games in his rookie campaign, seven of which were spent on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Miller eventually returned for the season finale, playing 36% of the snaps and totaling 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 rushing attempts. His 5.6-yard per carry average (including 3.8 yards after contact per attempt) and 38% forced tackle missed rate earned him a PFF rushing grade of 81.1 this week, ranking fifth among running backs.
Once fully healthy, Miller should have an opportunity to assume a role through OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and if all goes well, the Saints could be in a position to part ways with Kamara and save $35-plus million over the next two seasons, either through a trade or release.
RB Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
of Pittsburgh Steelers Formally declined the fifth-year option on his 2021 first-round draft pick Najee Harris The May deadline gave all his doubters ammunition to “fade out completely,” and instead fantasy managers are falling in love with his teammate, a UDFA star. Jalen WarrenHarris led the NFL with a missed tackle rate of 35 percent last season and rushed for over 1,000 yards as a backup, but Arthur Smith's offense has ranked in the top 10 in rushing attempts each of the past three seasons and should have a chance to bounce back in the final year of his contract.
Harris recorded a career-high 77.2 PFF rushing grade in 2023, averaging a career-best 4.0 yards per carry and 3.03 yards after contact with 14 rushes of 15 yards or more. He also recorded a career-best 25.9% breakaway yardage rate, another testament to the strides he's made in terms of vision and the difficulty defenders face when tackling him.
Harris will likely share the workload with Warren in 2024, but with an improved offensive scheme and a much-improved offensive line, he should be coming off his most efficient season to date. OTAs could provide some key insight into how the Steelers plan to field these backs in 2024, and Harris could be in a great position to regain the favor of fantasy managers worldwide.
WR Jaden Reed, Green Bay Packers
Despite having a great season, Green Bay Packers In the first year Jordan Love As a starting quarterback, the team does not have a single wide receiver with an average draft position (ADP). In the top 30 of FantasyProsThe wealth of receiver talent that has (unexpectedly) emerged in 2023 and former second-round wide receiver Christian Watson He could stay healthy, but then-rookie Jayden Reed He seems to have established himself as the WR1 for this offense.
Since Week 10, Reed's target rate on route runs was 26%, ranking 15th among wide receivers, and he also ranked in the top 10 in passer rating when targeted (123.8), catch percentage (75.4%) and fantasy points per snap (0.48). Reed averaged 14.8 fantasy points per game (full PPR) from Week 10 through the end of the regular fantasy season, ranking as the WR10 for that period, finishing as a top 12 WR in four of the final nine games and only one game finishing outside the top 25 performing receivers.
OTAs might be the perfect time to prove his performance to fantasy managers. Jordan LoveHe was the NBA's top receiving option and led the team in targets, receptions and receiving touchdowns in the second half of his rookie season.
TE Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
of Baltimore Ravens The star tight end suffered a serious ankle injury late in the 2023 season, which was devastating. Mark AndrewsLuckily, they had a quality backup option in the second-year tight end. Isaiah probably He played in 10 games after Andrews' injury to help keep the team afloat, catching 26 of 37 passes for 377 yards and six touchdowns, scoring 11 or more points in five of those 10 games and eight or more points in seven.
What's impressive about his fantasy production is how efficiently he stacked up against the elite tight ends in the league, averaging 13.4 yards per reception (second-best among TEs with at least 25 targets, behind Starr). George Kittle), 7.3 yards after the catch (tied for third), and a passer rating of 139.5 when targeted (first). These numbers were achieved without Andrews on the field, but there's reason to believe Likely could have a role in the offense going forward.
Despite the departure of Odell Beckham Jr. This offseason, he was credited with 77 total targets in 2023, second-most on the Ravens behind all rookies at the time. They FlowersBaltimore hasn't put much effort into strengthening its receiver corps, as they signed a former first-round draft pick to a contract extension. Rashod BatemanThey struggled to stay healthy and drafted WR Devonte'Tez Walker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but didn't contribute much else. Lamar Jackson These are guys who can contribute immediately in the passing game. Will third-year tight end Likely emerge as a role player?
