It’s time to get excited. Crucial draft week of the summer is here and we’ll have real NFL games in a week. It’s almost time to get started.
With that in mind, it’s time to review the NFL’s power rankings from a fantasy perspective. This is an unscientific but nuanced measurement of how useful each offense is for fantasy.
Even if rankings aren’t your thing, you’ll want to keep reading as I offer quick notes on various players and situations. It’s a good resource to quickly read before jumping into that draft you want to sweep.
We will review these rankings quarterly throughout the year.
Let’s jump in there.
They have a total of 4.5 wins on the season and that sounds pretty good. The Patriots didn’t give Drake Maye the starting job despite a summer that warranted it; given the tough situation, it makes sense to delay Maye’s addition.
Dave Canales is helpful, in part Winston Wolf and part Spicoli’s fatherHe can fix it, or at least make things better. You have my permission to draft Diontae Johnson and one of the running backs; Bryce Young may never be a great player, but he will be better.
Gardner Minshew completed just 48.5% of his throws in the preseason, despite facing conventional-looking second-string defenses; watch below. Davante Adams is destined for the Hall of Fame, but this QB room might be something he can’t make up for. I’ve also shied away from Zamir White.
Daniel Jones has never played with an 800-yard receiver, but Malik Nabers is going to tear him apart. Devin Singletary is a good target for a boring RB3 replacement; he has history with Brian Daboll.
After years of run-run-run, they want this season to be a pass-pass-pass game. At the very least, things should be more interesting. Will Levis isn’t afraid to get carried away and is a decent group of pass catchers.
The new coaching staff wants the ball to be run down the ground, and given the way the wide receiver room looks, that’s a smart move. Overall, I’ve avoided this team at the draft table.
Bo Nix is older than the average rookie, but that’s probably a feature, not a flaw. Sean Payton got his man. Courtland Sutton has been an asset all summer.
Najee Harris didn’t get an extension, but he could be this year’s Rachaad White, a volume monster that makes up for his ordinary efficiency. A mediocre quarterback room and the presence of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith could sink George Pickens. If Justin Fields finally plays, he’ll claw his way toward fantasy relevance.
I’m excited for Jayden Daniels and this might be the best offense Terry McLaurin has ever played in. Kliff Kingsbury was probably in his prime as a head coach, but he doesn’t bother me as a coordinator.
While I have a fair amount of Amari Cooper and Jerome Ford stock, I’m worried that Deshaun Watson’s power is gone for good. Once the cheese goes bad, it rarely gets right again. Nick Chubb’s gruesome knee injury (and remember, he had major knee issues in college, too) makes him a poor fantasy bet for 2024. It pains me to write this, but we have to be pragmatic.
I love Chris Olave and I like Rashid Shaheed, but Derek Carr mitigates the potential. Alvin Kamara is an easy candidate to dismiss for me, as he enters his age-29 season with plenty of red flags. Taysom Hill will likely be an option (and is eligible at tight end at Yahoo).
Dave Canales was the architect of their surprising success in 2023; now Canales is gone. I expect Baker Mayfield to back off and I wouldn’t draft Rachaad White by a long shot.
He’d follow Kevin O’Connell into a burning building (look what he did with backup quarterbacks last year), but Sam Darnold is one of his biggest challenges to date.
There’s a lot of carnival potential here, a fun offense coupled with a lousy defense. Kyler Murray needs to prove he can produce from the pocket or consistently find passing lanes out of it.
I’m excited to see what offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb can do after a spectacular season in Washington. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the classic surprise player who wasn’t expected, a bargain with potential all summer long. I’ve always passed on DK Metcalf because I want a shot at JSN.
Caleb Williams always looks prepared and has the arm talent to make every throw. The Bears are giving him the most comfortable seat ever offered to a No. 1 overall pick.
Here’s an offense that I’m excited about. Brian Thomas Jr. looks to be the perfect piece for the passing game, Trevor Lawrence is being targeted in his home court, and Evan Engram just had the quietest 114-catch season I’ve ever seen. Travis Etienne also makes sense at his current position.
I understand that Anthony Richardson could go to the moon, but some scouts have him in their sights as if he’s already happened. I’ll take Jayden Daniels a few rounds later, or several other QBs much later. The deep pool of quarterbacks for 2024 is like New York City’s public transportation system: If you miss one train, another one will come along in five minutes.
Matt LaFleur is a wizard who hasn’t quite gotten his reputation right yet, and I’m buying into the Jordan Love explosion we’ve seen in the second half of 2023. The wide receiver room is a nebulous mess, but if you figure it out, that’s where the payoff is.
The backfield is cloudy and there may not be a major winner there, but at least CeeDee Lamb is signed, sealed, delivered. Jake Ferguson’s touchdown throwback tour It started in the playoffs;more is coming.
If Bijan Robinson isn’t next summer’s cover favorite, Breece Hall might be. Garrett Wilson just needs the right level of quarterback to become a superstar, and Aaron Rodgers tends to focus on his top wide receivers. The Jets’ defense is very good at all three levels, which could hurt the offense a bit — there won’t be a lot of shootouts needed.
I had a hard time ranking this team when the summer started and I still do today. Ja’Marr Chase is unhappy. Joe Burrow has struggled to stay healthy. Tee Higgins is entering his tryout year. Social media has been arguing about Chase Brown (is he a hero? is he a zero?) for two months.
Go look for Cincinnati’s D/ST defense for Week 1; they are a 9.5-point favorite and will host the Patriots.
I don’t know who offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will be, but he sure can’t be as bad as Arthur Smith was. Kirk Cousins is just what this team needs, a top-notch quarterback. Bijan Robinson could be on every magazine cover next year, and I definitely want Drake London and Kyle Pitts to get exposure, too. The schedule is an absolute delight. The easiest in the league (I’m only interested in outliers when considering SOS data.) Let’s do this.
Dalton Kincaid is probably the leader in yards in the passing game, but I also like the hidden value that Khalil Shakir offers. You’ve probably heard this already: He’s the only wide receiver on the roster who has caught a pass from Josh Allen on game day.
Sean McVay typically has one of the tightest usage trees in the league, but you probably don’t spend a third-round pick on Blake Corum without envisioning an immediate role for him. I honestly don’t know what to do with Kyren Williams.
As good as Tyreek Hill is, Jaylen Waddle’s price tag is getting me interested. The same general theme holds true in Philadelphia: AJ Brown is the alpha, but the value has me falling on DeVonta Smith.
The Chiefs downplayed Travis Kelce during the regular season last year, then let him loose in the playoffs. Given the weakness of the AFC West, I don’t see why the team wouldn’t implement that strategy for Kelce’s age-35 season. Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice arrived in late 2023 and are definitely proactive picks for me this summer.
Stefon Diggs is six years ahead of his younger fellow receivers. I’ll focus on Nico Collins and Tank Dell and leave Diggs out of the picture, thank you.
Baltimore’s offensive line is a work in progress, but Lamar Jackson’s mobility mitigates some of that problem. If Gus Edwards scored 13 times last year, what’s the ceiling for Derrick Henry? Zay Flowers lost his cool late in the playoffs, but his agility on the field is a thing of beauty.
They kept all the fun pieces that mattered. I’d like to see more away goals, but the Lions at home are the ultimate cheat codeObviously, you’ll want shares of this offense. There are plenty to choose from.
Jalen Hurts doesn’t usually throw passes to his running backs. Saquon Barkley *checks notes* He plays running back. While I admit that the second round of fantasy drafts is riskier than usual this year, I haven’t considered Barkley yet.
Be careful what you wish for, Brandon Aiyuk, you just might get it. In the meantime, I’ll continue to focus on Deebo Samuel.
