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Fantasy football rankings 2024: Sleepers, busts, breakouts by model that nailed Deebo Samuel's hard NFL year
By CBS Sports Staff,
1 day ago
USATSI
After a contentious offseason in which he requested a trade after it appeared he wouldn't receive a contract extension, the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk defied the odds last week. Aiyuk landed a new four-year, $120 million deal to remain a critical part of one of the NFL's top offenses. The extension shores up his spot in the 2024 Fantasy football rankings, but how will the deal impact the 2024 Fantasy football projections of Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle? Purdy is clearly at his best with his full allotment of skill-position players, while Samuel and Kittle may slide down 2024 Fantasy football draft cheat sheets with fewer targets available.
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: Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. The NFL announced that it will wait until Rice's legal case plays out before initiating a suspension, so the second-year wideout is in line to play the entire 2024 season. This announcement has made him an asset at his current 2024 Fantasy football ADP, especially since he was the WR9 in PPR leagues from Weeks 11 to 17 last season.
Rice went over 17 Fantasy points four times in those seven games and averaged 14.5 Fantasy points per game in the playoffs against elite defenses. He commanded 102 targets last season, almost twice as many as anyone else on the roster other than tight end Travis Kelce. The Chiefs added wide receivers Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy to their offense in the offseason, but Rice remains the top target for Patrick Mahomes. See more Fantasy football sleepers 2024 here .
Top 2024 Fantasy football breakouts
One of the 2024 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey. The rookie from Georgia was a dependable target throughout his third college season, catching 30 passes for 478 yards and two touchdowns. McConkey did not command a huge target share due to tight end Brock Bowers' role in the offense, but he ranked eighth nationally in yards per route run.
The polished route runner is an ideal rookie for this Los Angeles offense, providing a reliable weapon for quarterback Justin Herbert. The Chargers traded up in Round 2 to draft McConkey, as they desperately needed to strengthen their wide receiver room. He could realistically wind up as the WR1 in Los Angeles, so he certainly has breakout potential from a Fantasy perspective. See more Fantasy football breakouts 2024 here .
Top 2024 Fantasy football busts
As for players to avoid, the model lists Packers receiver Christian Watson as one of its 2024 Fantasy football busts. The North Dakota State product has had stretches where he's looked like a bonafide No. 1 receiver for the Packers, but he missed three games as a rookie and then eight more games in 2023 and those injuries have kept him from reaching his full potential.
He's apparently worked on a muscle mass disparity between his two legs that they believe was responsible for his hamstring injuries but he'll still have a crowded Green Bay wide receivers' room to contend with. Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks have all proven to be productive when called upon and the model sees those challenges for targets as an issue too. That's why it ranks Watson behind Diontae Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins even though they're being drafted nearly 20 picks later on average. See more Fantasy football busts 2024 here
How to find proven 2024 Fantasy football football rankings
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