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Fantasy Football Rankings 2024: Sleepers, breakouts, busts by NFL model that nailed Deebo Samuel's down year
By CBS Sports Staff,
2 days ago
USATSI
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey led countless owners to championships in 2023. With the 2024 season on the horizon, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year is widely considered to be the No. 1 player in almost all 2024 fantasy football RB rankings. McCaffrey headlines a group of fantasy football running backs that is relatively unproven and is sure to be full of 2024 fantasy football breakouts and 2024 fantasy football sleepers. Should the former Stanford star be the top target in your 2024 fantasy football draft strategy? Or will having 300-plus touches in two-straight seasons catch up to the four-time All-Pro in 2024? Other running backs near the top of the fantasy football 2024 rankings include Breece Hall, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, and Jonathan Taylor. Will any of them challenge McCaffrey for the top spot?
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Buccaneers running back 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 ball carrier 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 2024 Fantasy football rankings, 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: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott, who turns 31 before the start of the season, threw for a career-best 4,516 yards and led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns last season. He ranked third in the league in passing yards and led the NFL in completions (410) in a pass-heavy offense. Dallas didn't prioritize running back this offseason, bringing back Ezekiel Elliott for $2 million after Tony Pollard signed a three-year, $21.75 million deal with the Titans, so the Cowboys could be even more pass-heavy this fall.
Personally, it's a huge season for Prescott, who becomes a free agent after this year. With 10 quarterbacks earning at least $45 million this season, another strong season from Prescott could boost him into the $50 million annual conversation. Prescott was QB3 in Fantasy football last season and he's being drafted outside the top seven quarterbacks in 2024 Fantasy football drafts, which the model suggests is too low based on his previous success and projections for this year. See more Fantasy football sleepers 2024 here .
Top 2024 Fantasy football breakouts
One of the 2024 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Another Ohio State product, Harrison was selected No. 4 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL Draft and, like Wilson, he'll immediately take over as the squad's No. 1 receiver.
The son of an NFL Hall of Famer, Harrison had over 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in each of his two years as a starter in Columbus. He was named a two-time All-American and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver in 2023. Some draft pundits had him as their top-rated player in the Class of 2024 and the model is expecting him to form an immediate bond with Kyler Murray, predicting he finishes as a top-10 Fantasy receiver in his rookie season. See more Fantasy football breakouts 2024 here .
Top 2024 Fantasy football busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen as one of its 2024 Fantasy football busts. Allen was traded to the Bears this offseason after spending the first 11 years of his NFL career with the Chargers. The former second-round pick out of Cal has put together a Hall of Fame-caliber career, but SportsLine's model is calling for him to have a dip in production in 2024.
Allen will be playing in an offense led by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who is sure to experience growing pains as he transitions to life in the NFL. Allen will also be competing for targets with wide receivers Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore, tight end Cole Kmet, and running back D'Andre Swift. To top it all off, injury risk has always been a concern for Allen, who has only played a full season twice in his career. See more Fantasy football busts 2024 here
How to find proven 2024 Fantasy football football rankings
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