Fantasy Football Rankings: Players to target and avoid after 2024 NFL Draft

We're officially past the NFL Draft and into the thick of the offseason, which means it's time to start sketching out your fantasy football plans.

Aside from the schedule release, there really isn't much to get excited about after the draft, but it is and important time for determining which players are now in the best position to succeed. It's also with looking at which players might have taken a step back, or thanks to free agency and other factors might have had their fantasy stock take a hit.

It's still early, and offseason camps will give us a better lay of the land, but there's value in looking at who should already be on your radar and which players should be avoided.

Fantasy Football Stock Up

Daniel Jones

The addition of receiver Malik Nabers and a failure to add any competition in the quarterback room means the Giants have given their vote of confidence to Danny Dimes, so their 2024 season will ride on how well he can play post-ACL recovery. While losing Saquon Barkley is a hit, adding a significant receiving threat in Nabers can help to elevate an otherwise lackluster receiving corps.

Anthony Richardson

The Colts added receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round and some offensive line help in rounds 3 and 4. While we only have a small sample size from his first year, Richardson was one of the best quarterbacks for fantasy in the games he finished. The offense is built to function around his strengths, so if he can stay healthy Richardson should be an easy top-ten option at the position and has the potential to be the number one overall player in fantasy.

Derrick Henry

The Ravens signed Henry to be their bellcow back for 2024, while letting JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards walk in free agency. Their only addition came in the fifth round running back Rasheen Ali. Keaton Mitchell was a playmaker for Baltimore but is recovering from his ACL tear late in 2023. As of right now, Henry looks like he'll handle another 300-touch season as he has in 4 of the past 5 seasons.

CeeDee Lamb

While it is going to be difficult to be better than he was last year, his position on the Cowboys cannot be questioned. They drafted two offensive linemen in the first three rounds and did not draft a running back, and only selected a receiver in the sixth round. In other words, he has all the leverage over the Cowboys and is basically the only game in town when it comes to offensive weapons. CeeDee deserves every penny Jerry Jones will eventually have to give to him, and is set for another year of 150+ targets from Dak.

Fantasy Football Stock Down

Josh Jacobs

The Packers signed Jacobs to a large contract in the offseason and cut Aaron Jones, giving him only AJ Dillon for competition. Enter MarShawn Lloyd who Green Bay took in round 3 and is quite similar to Jacobs both in stature and play style. AJ Dillon may be the goal line back and with Lloyd taking some of the carries between the 20s, Jacobs could see less work than originally expected. While Jacobs is still the most talented back in Green Bay, it is difficult to see him getting the workload that has led to him being a Top 12 option like he was in Las Vegas.

Cole Kmet

Kmet has been a solid late-round option at tight end the last couple of years as a reliable pass catcher for Justin Fields. And while Caleb Williams is likely to be an upgrade as a thrower, his competition has gotten significantly better as well. The Bears traded a fourth-round pick to get Keenan Allen and used the ninth overall pick on wide receiver Rome Odunze, meaning Kmet has gone from the second-best option on his team, to fourth behind DJ Moore, Allen, and Odunze.

Marquise Brown

This is pending the legal situation with Rashee Rice. If Rice is able to play this year, then the addition of Xavier Worthy makes Brown a redundancy. The hope for Brown was that he would become Tyreek Hill-lite, a speedy receiver who catches passes from the most talented quarterback on Earth. Unfortunately, the Chiefs drafted Worthy and his combine-record speed in the first round, which is most likely to impact Brown's role if Rice can avoid suspension in 2024.