Fantasy Football 2024: Early Mock Draft for Next Season

It's never to early to start thinking about fantasy football.

Especially when doing so gives you an excuse to run through a mock draft.

While a lot can and will change between now and the 2024 NFL season, it's still worthwhile to set some baseline expectations by running through a mock first round. So, we'll do exactly that by projecting the top 12 picks in a half-point-per-reception league.

Picks 1-4

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 11: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball to score a touchdown during Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

This is, for my money, the easiest pick on the board. Sure, you always worry about attrition when a running back handles a workload this heavy (417 touches between the regular season and playoffs), and McCaffrey's injury history is far from spotless. If he plays, though, he's obviously capable of posting monster numbers in this offense. His first full season in San Francisco yielded an average stat line of 128.6 scrimmage yards and 1.4 scores over 19 games.

2. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Injuries—to himself and quarterback Kirk Cousins—plagued Jefferson's season, and yet he still cleared 1,000 receiving yards in only 10 games. It's unclear who will be throwing Jefferson passes this time around, but his talent is such that he can produce with anyone. In 2022, he was the NFL's leader in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809), and if he stays healthy, he has a non-zero chance of beating both marks.

3. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

At times this past season, it seemed Hill was headed toward the NFL's first 2,000 receiving yard effort. He quieted down (by his standards) late in the year and missed one contest with an ankle injury, though, and had to "settle" for a career-high 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Both of his first two seasons in Miami have produced personal-bests in targets and receiving yards.

4. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

Hall received limited touches early in the season while recovering from a significant knee injury, and he almost always faced loaded boxes given the Aaron Rodgers-less Jets' inability to pass. That Hall still finished as the No. 2 running back in PPR scoring, per FantasyPros, speaks to his tremendous talent, which should shine brighter with a healthy Rodgers at the helm.

Picks 5-8

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LANDOVER, MARYLAND - JANUARY 07: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on January 7, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

5. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Three non-quarterbacks topped 250 standard fantasy points in 2023: Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill and Lamb. If Lamb comes close to matching his breakout campaign (1,862 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns), he'd be an incredible value in this slot.

6. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Williams was a league-winner for many this past season, as he quickly seized control of the Rams rushing attack and kept commanding more carries. He wound up with 228 rushing attempts in just 12 regular-season games, turning them into 1,144 yards and a dozen touchdowns.

7. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase had to navigate around Joe Burrow's injury issues this past season and still managed to post 100 receptions for 1,216 yards and seven scores. Give him a healthy Burrows, and Chase's stat line has ample room for growth.

8. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

The Lions were electric on offense this past season, and St. Brown was responsible for a lot of that voltage. He was a top-five player in receptions (119, tied for second), receiving yards (1,515, third) and touchdown catches (10, tied for fourth).

Picks 9-12

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ATLANTA, GA DECEMBER 24: Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball during the NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons on December 24th, 2023 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

9. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

It's tough to call a rookie season with 1,463 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns a disappointment, but given Robinson's skill level, he's obviously capable of more. He could get a chance to showcase that more under the Falcons' new coaching regime.

10. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Brown's season—like the Eagles' as a whole—ended on a quiet note, but he still had some of the best numbers at the position. His 158 targets and 106 receptions were both career-highs, while his 1,456 receiving yards were fifth-most in the NFL.

11. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

Gibbs dazzled in his debut season as the lightning-bolt part of the thunder-and-lightning tandem with David Montgomery. Even with the partnership, Gibbs tallied 1,261 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns on 234 touches.

12. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

It was a strange and injury-impacted season for Taylor, but by the end of it, he was back to looking like his normally dominant self. He scored six touchdowns over his final five games, averaging 101.8 scrimmage yards during that stretch.