It’s a bit too easy to say that you can’t wait to draft Christian McCaffrey or Tyreek Hill in the first round of 2024 drafts. Instead, our analysts go beyond the first round to highlight the players they’re most amped to select next season.
The Garrett Wilson dream will (finally) come true
Every team dreams of finding a star quarterback, but even play around the league average can be enough to facilitate dynamic receivers. Jared Goff is good enough for Amon-Ra St. Brown to be a star. Joe Flacco somehow revitalized the Cleveland passing game. Even Mason Rudolph has been a short-term savior with Pittsburgh, waking up our George Pickens dreams.
So imagine what Garrett Wilson might do next year if Aaron Rodgers returns and is merely competent, something the Jets haven’t had in the big chair lately.
Now pretend Rodgers returns and he’s actually better than average. I wanted all the Wilson shares this summer, but he was sunk by the immediate and unfortunate injury to his quarterback. You better believe I’m doubling down next year. Wilson is always open. Next year the ball should be delivered on time and on target. — Scott Pianowski
If Fields stays, draft more Moore
DJ Moore had a great 2023 season, but his stats hide what could’ve been a monster one. Moore averaged just 7.4 fantasy points during the four-plus games Justin Fields missed. With Fields playing, Moore averaged 17.6 — behind only Tyreek Hill and CeeDee Lamb this season. Moore was the No. 3 fantasy WR with Fields despite suffering an ankle injury during the first drive in Week 16, when he finished with his lowest output of the season while acting as a decoy the rest of the game.
Moore has always been a terrific route runner, and we’re finally getting a glimpse of his potential while playing with a competent quarterback. Assuming Fields returns to Chicago (a legit question, admittedly), I’ll be targeting Moore in 2024 fantasy drafts. — Dalton Del Don
Go get the Packers‘ true No. 1 WR
There were a few reasons to draft Jayden Reed late in drafts this past summer. The Packers needed dynamic receivers, so they spent a second-round pick on Reed. The draft capital was there and his college production profile was also strong. Reed earned 25% of his team’s college targets, 39% of the touchdowns and was a strong special teams returner. He was immediately running as the starting slot receiver for the Packers in June OTAs. There were a lot of positive signals for Reed before the season started and it ended up panning out in a major way.
Reed enters Week 18 leading Green Bay in receiving yards, receptions and total touchdowns. The second-round rookie has earned 24% of Jordan Love’s targets and produced a top-20 finish in 46% of his healthy games. Reed was a dynamic weapon for the Packers both on the ground and after the catch. He’ll probably be drafted too late this upcoming summer, but Reed should be taken ahead of Christian Watson as the Packers’ true No. 1 WR entering 2024. — Sal Vetri
A breakout receiver should continue ascending alongside his talented young QB
You already swung and hit big with Collins in 2023 — or at least I hope you did. While the draft-day ADP will be much higher this coming season, don’t let that dissuade you from taking the plunge again. Collins cleared 1,100 yards in his third season as C.J. Stroud helped unlock the excellent talent that had been lying dormant thanks to some dismal quarterbacking in Houston the prior two seasons. And Collins is just getting started.
Collins is the prototypical X-receiver who can beat man coverage and slash defenses on in-breaking routes. He’s a perfect fit for this offense and 2023 was only the beginning of his rise. Collins owned a 20.4% target share and 27.9% air-yard share through the first 17 weeks of this season and I’ll actually take the over on both of those numbers next year. I’m a huge fan of Tank Dell as well, but I’ll give the slight edge to Collins coming into 2024 simply because he’ll be healthier this offseason. But you can draft both Texans receivers with confidence thanks to their attachment to one of the league’s best young passers. — Matt Harmon
Has a trustworthy WR finally emerged on the Chiefs?
Rashee Rice was the overall WR11 throughout the fantasy playoffs and has emerged as a go-to target for Patrick Mahomes. Despite his stellar performance, however, it feels like his output has gone under-appreciated, which could make him a huge draft value that I’ll be targeting in all of my fantasy leagues in 2024.
Heading into Week 18, Rice ranks 26th among wide receivers with 937 receiving yards while tied for the 12th-most receiving touchdowns (seven) despite not officially earning a role as a starter in the offense until Week 7. Among wide receivers with 100+ targets through Week 17, Rice leads the league in passer rating when targeted (124.9) and catch percentage (79%) while ranking top 10 in receiving yards after contact (223) and yards per route run (2.39).
Rice passed both the eyeball and analytics tests in a big way as a rookie and will look to build on that season even further in Year 2. — Kate Magdziuk
Anthony Richardson only played two full games in 2023 before a shoulder injury ended his season. In those two weeks, he finished as QB4 and QB2 overall. He was going to be a fantasy monster under Shane Steichen, one of the absolute right answers in our game. The Colts had constructed an offense in which Richardson was clearly comfortable and made full use of his rare skill set. Next year, he steps right back into the same system in which he was clearly going to be a top-eight (five? three?) fantasy option.
Some of you are going to fade him because you’ve decided he’s injury-prone (always a mistake) or because you’ve simply moved on to the next unicorn QB, whoever he is. But I’m going to be proactive with the Colts offense generally and with Richardson specifically in 2024. — Andy Behrens
And with AR5’s return, don’t forget about JT
The first round in most drafts should be dominated by wide receivers next season, though Christian McCaffrey showed us the value of the bell-cow running back. Taylor is far from being the receiver that CMC is, but he may be a depressed asset ready to reassert himself as a star runner next year.
Taylor is about to turn 25 and is just two seasons removed from a rushing title. He is also healthy, which was not the case last offseason. What’s waiting for him is a Shane Steichen-driven offensive environment that is 10th in points scored, even with Anthony Richardson and Taylor missing large chunks of the season. With Richardson commanding defensive attention, and receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs keeping the opposition honest, Taylor will rarely face stacked boxes.
Some fantasy managers will think he’s injury-prone and avoid him. The smart ones will see one of the most talented running backs in the game healthy, in his prime and in a potentially great offense — similar to McCaffrey this past season. Getting drafted likely in the second round, Taylor will be a steal. — Jorge Martin
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