Everything you need to know to dominate your fantasy football draft

Welcome to the annual USA TODAY Sports 4th & Monday NFL newsletter FANTASY FOOTBALL EXTRAVAGANZA™! 🏈

The kickoff game for the 2024 NFL season – Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 5 – is less than two weeks away and the preseason slate (thankfully!) concludes this weekend , thus unofficially kicking off fantasy football draft season.

We're here to help you prepare for fantasy football draft success and league domination against your circle of friends/coworkers/mortal enemies. ☝

But first ... join a survivor pool!

USA TODAY Sports' survivor pool is back! Sign up now and make the 2024 NFL season even more fun. Pick winners and survive the longest to win cash 💵 and other prizes! 🏆 Do you believe you have what it takes to survive the entire 18-week season without a single misstep? 🤔

➤ Survivor pool tips: Advice for staying alive picking NFL games

Fantasy football rankings

This is the all-important cheat sheet to study carefully and memorize for your fantasy football draft day needs. Here are the top 200 overall player rankings :

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
2. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
4. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
5. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

➤ Complete top 200 rankings: From McCaffrey to Adam Thielen

➤ Which players are in consideration to go No. 1 in fantasy drafts?

Another vital guide to have handy is the position-by-position rankings for those "best player available" draft-day decisions.

• Quarterback : Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
• Running back : Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
• Wide receiver : Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
• Tight end : Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
• Kicker: Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens
• Defense : New York Jets

➤ Complete position-by-position rankings (a.k.a. "The Cheat Sheet")

Fantasy breakout candidates, sleeper picks, risk-reward players and more

➤ Breakout candidates: The middle to late rounds of fantasy football drafts is prime time for finding players who could potentially vault into the top tier in much the same way Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua did last season. Who could be those players this season?

• Who could be this year's Puka Nacua?
• 6 veteran players with breakout potential

➤ Sleeper contenders: With Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis no longer in Buffalo, Curtis Samuel could have a big season in an offense desperate for a new go-to receiver.

• Consider Kyler Murray, Jayden Daniels and De'Von Achane among top sleeper picks
• 9 late-round sleepers who could help you win your league
• Sleeper picks at each position

➤ Value players: A grizzled veteran quarterback known for putting up big numbers has a lower ADP than expected in fantasy drafts. 📈

• Should you wait until the later rounds to draft your fantasy football quarterback?

➤ Bust possibilities: A new run-heavy offensive approach under Jim Harbaugh and a training camp injury present too much of a downside for Justin Herbert . 📉

➤ Risk-reward picks: While fantasy footballers look for "the next Puka Nacua," you might want to reconsider where you select the real Puka Nacua . 📊

Still trying to think of a good fantasy team name?

Yes, this can be an annual struggle for passionate fantasy football players who feel the need to rebrand their teams for each new season.

➤ There are plenty of classic fantasy football team names to use this season

➤ 160 team names inspired by every NFL team

➤ 8 best Taylor Swift-inspired fantasy football team names

NFL Facebook group: Talkin' (fantasy) football

Need more fantasy football advice? See what the folks on our Facebook Group 📲, The Ruling Off the Field 🏈, have to say about their drafts and players to watch and those to avoid.

If you enjoy reading 4th & Monday 📰, encourage your football fan friends to subscribe 📱.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Everything you need to know to dominate your fantasy football draft