August 21, 2024

Welcome back to the NFL WinDaily Family! It’s about that time again to start prepping for Fantasy Drafts, as we are dead in the middle of the preseason and the year is set to kick off in just a few weeks. This article will focus on the middle to final rounds of your drafts.

You don’t need me to tell you to draft Tyreek Hill or Patrick Mahomes, as we see the first several rounds are pretty cut and dry. Fantasy Championships are built on the players we take in the later rounds and the ones we avoid. So let’s uncover these sleepers at every position, and fade the potential land mines for our leagues this year. The 2024-25 Fantasy NFL Season is finally here…It’s go time!!!

Quarterback Sleepers:

Kyler Murray (ADP 7.12)

Murray is back under center for a full season in 2024 since he missed the first nine games recovering from a torn ACL last year. The Cardinals ranked dead last in the league on defense with a rating of 54.7, so expect Kyler to be playing from behind a ton. Arizona drafted rookie Ohio State phenom wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to go along with stud sophomore tight end Trey McBride for some additional firepower. But if they can’t get open, Murray is not afraid to use his legs, giving you that much-needed dual-threat capability for fantasy.

Tua Tagovailoa (ADP 7.10)

We all love Tyreek Hill. And what’s not to like about Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane? The trio of Dolphins are all being drafted by the end of the third round in drafts, yet Tua is still being disrespected at his ADP. Miami averaged 29 points per game last season, all under the fingertips of Tagovailoa. He won’t dazzle you with his feet for that added upside, but the weapons at his disposal in Miami are nothing to sneeze at.

Jared Goff (ADP 8.10)

See Tua Tagovailoa above. Detroit has everyone back on the roster for 2024 and will all be for Jared Goff to torture opposing defenses with. All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, the 2023 Tight End-1 Sam La Porta, and running back Jahmyrr Gibbs will feast. And Jared Goff only has to pull the trigger. Plenty of games indoors as well, where he prefers to be cozy and out of the elements. If you choose to wait to draft a quarterback this year, Goff is your go-to.

Quarterback Fades:

Joe Burrow (ADP 4.11)

Just say no to Joe at his current ADP, as the risk outweighs the reward for me this year. He’ll be returning from a wrist injury that he suffered in Week 10. He has very little upside with his legs, as he’s only rushed for a total of 605 yards for his career. Finally, Cincinnati still has to prove to me that they invested in their O-Line. Burrow is a God with the pigskin when he has time, but over the last two seasons, he has been a rag doll. Burrow was sacked 24 times in 2023 and has 148 total for his career, sorry Joe, I’m out.

Running Back Sleepers:

Zamir White (ADP 5.09)

Josh Jacobs has moved on to Green Bay, leaving the door wide open for Zamir to become Vegas’ three-down back. While Jacobs was shut down due to injury last season, White averaged over 20 carries and 4.8 yards per attempt in the Raiders’ last three games of the year. I am more than willing to roll the dice on a full season of Zamir White at his current price.

Gus Edwards (ADP 7.01)

Gus “The Bus” rolled out to LA to suit up for the Bolts during the off-season. He’ll be surrounded by some familiar faces, including O.C. Greg Roman, who masterminded the Ravens’ running game up until 2022. Although LA has a crowded RB room along with former Baltimore teammate J.K. Dobbins, Edwards is the healthiest and most experienced of the committee. He also found the end zone 13 times in 2023, a career high.

Jerome Ford (ADP 9.01)

Ford filled in for some big shoes in Cleveland when Nick Chubb went down early last season. In 17 games, he totaled 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns. Even though we see Chubb already squatting 500 lbs. on social media, he’s yet to take the practice field for the Browns. Jerome Ford will see a heavy workload until we get a healthy Nick Chubb, which may not be until mid-season.

Rico Dowdle (ADP 10.07)

Scoop up Rico and stash him on your benches. It’s only a matter of time until the wheels fall off for Ezekiel Elliot in Dallas. Dowdle should start the season in a timeshare with Zeke, where last year we saw flickers of his potential. In his last regular season game he averaged over five yards per carry and totaled 100 yards in a game alongside Tony Pollard. Elliot should see most of the goal line and early down work to start the year, but Dowdle has a great chance to finish it out and carry you through the playoffs.

Running Back Fades:

De’Von Achane (ADP 2.11)

I love the talent and pure speed of Achane, but Raheem Mostert is still in that Miami backfield. The 32-year-old scored 21 total touchdowns last season, The Dolphins will still get the ball into Mostert’s hands after his solid production. Achane is going way too early in drafts in his current role, not to mention his health issues, as he missed seven games in his rookie campaign.

Najee Harris (ADP 5.01)

Just keep scrolling when Najee pops up on your draft board. He is still in a timeshare with Jaylen Warren, who is by far the more explosive back. Even though Warren has recently suffered a hamstring injury, he should only miss a few weeks to start the year. Pittsburgh is also the new city where Arthur Smith landed as the new O.C., and we all remember how he frustrated Bijan Robinson Fantasy Managers last season.

Wide Receiver Sleepers:

Josh Palmer (ADP 9.11)

The Chargers unloaded veteran receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason, wiping the slate clean for new head coach Jim Harbaugh. But don’t buy into the all the rookie Ladd McConkey hype. Josh Palmer has the most chemistry with quarterback Justin Herbert now by default, elevating him to the top of their depth chart. In his three seasons for LA, he’s caught 143 balls for over 1,700 yards and nine touchdowns, not too shabby playing behind former teammates Allen and Williams.

Khalil Shakir (ADP 9.05)

Same scenario here in Buffalo as Josh Palmer’s. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis have hit the road out of the Bills’ Mafia, leaving Shakir to reap the benefits of Josh Allen. Yes, they drafted Keon Coleman in the first round, and tight end Dalton Kincaid will be featured more in the offense, but Shakir will still get his due respect. Way too much value for a potential top passing option in the Bills’ scheme. He saw 703 snaps in Buffalo in 2023, a number that will be easily surpassed.

Wide Receiver Fades:

Puka Nacua (ADP 2.04)

Puka was a league winner last season, catching 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns, and went undrafted. But his production was due to a lame Cooper Kupp all year. Shawn McVey and the coaching staff admitted that Kupp was not 100 percent all season, leaving Nacua a huge beneficiary of targets. Reports say Kupp is back to full health and ready to take back the throne in LA, so Nacua is a hard pass for me at his going rate.

Tank Dell (ADP 4.12)

Another league winner in Tank Dell if it were not for his season-ending injury he suffered in Week 11. He was well on his way to receiving over 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns, but in 2024, Dell has another issue, Stefon Diggs. The Texans made the trade for Diggs in the offseason, not for him to watch from the sidelines. Diggs falls into Houston’s WR 2 slot alongside Nico Collins, forcing Dell to take a slight back seat in the offense.

Tight End Sleepers:

Evan Engram (ADP 9.08)

He’s been lackluster in the end zone over his career, (24 touchdowns in seven years) but Engram led the league in receptions at tight end with 114 in 2023. He’s currently being drafted as tight end seven, after other names such as Kyle Pitts, who has yet to break out. Engram may be in line for even more work for the Jaguars with Calvin Ridley out of the picture, forcing us to want him even more in our lineups.

Tight End Fades:

Dallas Goedert (ADP 10.05)

Not only has Goedert battled health and inconsistency in three seasons, but he now has to share check-down opportunities with newly signed, former Giant running back Saquon Barkley. He finished as TE 14 last season, and could be trending further down the ladder in 2024, Goedert’s price is not worth its weight come draft day.

Good luck to everybody in all of your upcoming leagues and thank you for checking out my article! You can reach me on X @JoeDiCarlo78 or in our Discord tag me @DiCarlo78 for any NFL advice, always here to help! Sign up for an all-access premium pass here at WinDailySports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts and myself talking plays across every sport 24/7/365!