For the second year in a row, a Texas Longhorn was the first running back taken in the NFL Draft. In 2023, it was Bijan Robinson, and this year, it's his understudy in Jonathon Brooks. While a torn ACL in November may damper some opinions on Brooks being a 2024 Fantasy football breakout, there are a few other rookie running backs who could fit the bill. That includes the Cardinals' Trey Benson, who was the second RB drafted, while a deep Fantasy football 2024 sleeper pick could be fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy of the Giants.
The former is slotted behind James Conner, and the veteran was productive last year but he's also missed four games in back-to-back seasons. Meanwhile, Tracy's pitch to being taken in 2024 Fantasy football drafts is that there's a huge void in the Giants backfield with Saquon Barkley gone, and journeyman Devin Singletary is the only New York back with starting experience. What other rookies should be on your radar as you're constructing your Fantasy football draft strategy? Before setting your 2024 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2024 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Buccaneers wide receiver Rachaad White was being dramatically undervalued. White was coming off the board in the seventh round on average in 12-team PPR leagues, but he emerged as Tampa Bay's workhorse running back and provided significantly more value than expected, finishing No. 4 at his position. White rushed for 990 yards and six touchdowns while adding 64 catches for 549 yards and three more scores as a receiver. Anybody who followed the model's advice scored an every week starting running back in the middle rounds.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020 and nailing Jonathan Taylor's monstrous season in 2021. Additionally, it's called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The 2024 Fantasy football PPR rankings and 2024 Fantasy football standard projections update multiple times daily, so you're always getting the best Fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2024, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts.Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Fantasy football sleepers
One of the 2024 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown. The 27-year-old had a disappointing 2023 season with Arizona, catching 51 passes for 574 yards and four touchdowns. Brown dealt with inconsistent quarterback play, but that will not be the case this year after he agreed to a one-year deal with the Chiefs.
He is penciled into a starting wide receiver spot alongside the NFL's best quarterback and one of the league's best coaches. Brown has flashed his potential and big-play ability, going over 1,000 receiving yards while catching six touchdowns with the Ravens in 2021. He is primed for a career resurgence in Kansas City, as Patrick Mahomes is desperate for another elite weapon.See more Fantasy football sleepers 2024 here.
Top 2024 Fantasy football breakouts
The model is also projecting Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. The No. 2 overall pick rewrote the NCAA record books while at LSU en route to winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy. Daniels set the NCAA single-season passer rating mark (208.0) last year and became the first player in FBS history with 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards. He replaces the departed Sam Howell as Washington's starting QB after Howell led the NFL in pass attempts last year.
The Commanders have a new head coach and offensive coordinator, with the latter being former Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury. He has familiarity with Heisman-winning dual-threat QBs as he coached Kyler Murray to top 10 rankings in terms of QB Fantasy points in each of Murray's first three NFL seasons. Daniels will get a bonafide No. 1 wideout in Terry McLaurin, as well as arguably the best pass-catching RB in the league with newcomer Austin Ekeler joining the Washington backfield. So, Daniels is equipped with both a play caller and the weapons that should ease his learning curve as a rookie, which are huge reasons why the model has Daniels as a top-15 QB in its Fantasy football rankings 2024.See more Fantasy football breakouts 2024 here.
Top 2024 Fantasy football busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Bears tight end Cole Kmet as one of its 2024 Fantasy football busts. In his fourth NFL season, the former second-rounder posted career-highs in receptions (73) and receiving yards (719) while adding six scores. He finished as the TE8 for the 2023 NFL season after ranking seventh at the position in Fantasy points the previous year. While Chicago's overall passing game seemingly upgraded with the drafting of Caleb Williams first overall, Kmet will have much more competition for targets in 2024.
The Bears added WR Keenan Allen -- who has the second-most targets and receptions in the NFL since 2016 -- in addition to spending a first-round pick on WR Rome Odunze, who led the NCAA in receiving yards a year ago. With D.J. Moore still in Chicago, and the fact that Williams never targeted the tight end much at Oklahoma or USC, Kmet's stock is pointing down. Kmet's 2024 Fantasy football ADP has him being the fourth TE drafted on average, but the SportsLine model has him barely cracking the top 10 in positional rankings this year.See more Fantasy football busts 2024 here
How to find proven 2024 Fantasy football football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising quarterback you aren't even thinking about being taken in the middle rounds of 2024 Fantasy football drafts. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top-10 option ahead of stars like Trevor Lawrence and Aaron Rodgers.You can only see who it is, and the 2023 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2024 Fantasy Football sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade, and which QB shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2024 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that nailed Deebo Samuel as a bust last year, and find out.
