Quantity is king in fantasy soccer.
Yearly, gamers emerge with the potential for elevated alternatives. Perhaps they had been a free agent addition to a brand new group, perhaps the incumbent participant is now transferring on and a task has opened up for the longtime backup, or perhaps a younger man is simply enjoying too nicely to maintain him off the sector.
Take Rachaad White, for instance. As a rookie, White had 179 touches whereas incumbent starter Leonard Fournette totaled 269 alternatives for Tampa Bay in 2022. The next yr, Tampa moved on from Fournette and added little or no depth within the RB division. With solely Chase Edmonds, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Sean Tucker behind Rachaad, White was the clear favourite to steer that backfield in touches. Nicely, my pal, not solely did he lead the Bucs in touches, he was second within the NFL in alternatives with 336 touches, behind solely Christian McCaffrey’s 339.
That is the form of uptick in utilization we’re in search of. In order that’s our mission, to pinpoint the conditions the place a participant might have extra alternatives out there this yr than he did in 2023. There are a ton of gamers who may’ve made this record, however these are my private favorites for 2024.
Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
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I have been informed that numbers by no means lie, however they positive may be deceiving. Throughout his first two years within the league, with Arthur Smith as his head coach, London, the No. 8 choose in 2022, turned in a good 25.9% goal share, ok for WR17 over that span. However his fantasy worth did not observe swimsuit as he ranked WR47 in fantasy factors per sport. If this story sounds acquainted, it is as a result of Smith (as offensive coordinator) and the Titans did the very same factor with A.J. Brown as a younger WR, however that is a dialog for an additional day.
So why will Drake London see extra alternatives in 2024? First, after enjoying with Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, London can have a way more improved and secure QB in Kirk Cousins. That alone was trigger for celebration inside the fantasy neighborhood. Second, Smith’s run-first offense is gone, changed by a extra pass-friendly offense from Zac Robinson, who joins the Falcons after spending the previous 5 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, most not too long ago working with Matthew Stafford because the passing sport coordinator. Now he is in Atlanta with Cousins on the helm, a really comparable model of QB, and London ought to feast due to it. After seeing 109 and 117 targets in every of his first two seasons, London is a candidate to see a large bounce in alternatives in 2024.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
All the identical issues that had been disappointing for London apply to Pitts, so be happy to mentally copy and paste the negatives from above into this part as nicely. The larger challenge with Pitts was the third-year droop he skilled after having over 1,000 yards receiving as a rookie. A giant a part of final yr’s slide in manufacturing, as Stephania Bell informed us on Fantasy Focus final preseason, was seemingly damage associated after Pitts had an MCL and PCL restore on November 29, 2022. In a restricted Falcons offense, with suspect QB play, sharing enjoying time with Jonnu Smith and never being 100% wholesome, it is easy in hindsight to see why Pitts was a disappointment in 2023.
Now in 2024, he is lastly wholesome and carries large bounce-back potential. The tight finish place is as deep because it has ever been in fantasy soccer, however that will profit Pitts within the minds of fantasy managers, as he does not carry the lofty expectations or high-round ADP he did popping out of his stellar rookie season. In 2024, Pitts ought to firmly be a TE1 with game-breaking upside if Cousins and Robinson can get this Falcons passing sport again on monitor. After seeing 58 targets in 2022 and 90 in 2023, count on Pitts to see way more passing-game involvement in 2024.
Zamir White, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
White takes over because the lead again in Las Vegas with Josh Jacobs leaving after a powerful five-year run with the franchise. Jacobs has by no means lacked within the alternative division, ending within the prime 13 in touches each season of his profession, together with two top-three campaigns, leaving a large run share up for grabs within the Vegas backfield. Enter White. After sitting behind Jacobs throughout his first two years within the league, he’ll have first go because the lead again in Sin Metropolis. The group did signal Alexander Mattison this offseason, however he didn’t show he was able to being “the man” final season in Minnesota.
Given the Raiders’ sketchy QB scenario, it might be good for them to shorten video games by working the ball and dominating time of possession, and letting their ninth-ranked protection do the soiled work. I do know, it is a bit anecdotal, however is not that the way you’d function in the event you had Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew below middle? I may simply see White ending within the prime 15 in touches this season, and regardless that these touches will not be as excessive worth as you desire to in a low-scoring offense, he’ll push for 20 touches a sport. White is one in all my favourite hero working again RB2s, and I feel it is a good guess he may outperform his ADP in 2024.
Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
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2 Associated
Williams had a reasonably tough begin to his NFL profession. After lacking the vast majority of his rookie season, Williams missed much more time in his sophomore marketing campaign due to suspension. Now getting into Yr 3, there aren’t very many comps on guys like Williams breaking out to show the doubters flawed. Regardless of that, Lions GM Brad Holmes has all however doubled down on him this season. Do not forget this man was drafted No. 12 general in 2022 after the group traded as much as purchase him. Lions beat author Jeff Risdon mentioned on the Detroit Lions Podcast, “I do know they’re enthusiastic about what they have in him, and that is why they are not pursuing another large receivers and you’ll not see different large receivers introduced in. Brokers have requested. … Detroit isn’t involved in bringing in any receivers at this level.”
That is a ringing endorsement for Williams, corroborated by the truth that the Lions did not add a single WR earlier this yr in free company or the draft. The Lions, who ranked second in passing yards per sport and the highest 5 in factors scored, are banking on Williams to supply a component to this passing sport that did not exist with simply Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta final yr. For what it is value, since getting into the league in 2022, Williams is WR5 in fantasy factors per contact, highlighting that big-play potential. With solely 50 targets throughout his first two seasons, belief me after I say we’ll be seeing much more of Williams in 2024.
Extra Alternatives
Payments WRs: Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir
Departures from Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis implies that 240 targets from final yr are up for grabs. Clearly Dalton Kincaid will get his as a promising second-year TE, however Samuel and Shakir, each of whom had been top-15 in slot fantasy factors final season, will see an uptick in alternatives. Given their double-digit-round ADP, it is a straightforward funding in a high-value offense with a premier QB on the helm.
Bengals RBs: Zack Moss and Chase Brown
Joe Mixon had the fourth-most touches within the NFL final season with 309. He is now the lead again in Houston, which suggests newly acquired Moss and second-year again Brown will likely be in line to separate the touches Mixon has left behind. I am planting my flag on Moss as a low-end RB2 on this offense after his early season dominance in 2023 instead of Jonathan Taylor. Moss had a number of video games with greater than 20 fantasy factors when given the lead position, and it isn’t onerous to think about him having the alternatives to succeed once more. Brown is a pleasant pass-catcher out of the backfield, however he had solely 58 touches in 2023. Whereas this might not be a real RBBC, there are shades of splitting time right here until one in all these guys establishes himself because the alpha early on. Both means, each ought to see loads of quantity in 2024.
