Fantasy Football 2024: Early Preseason Rankings Before Hall of Fame Game
The 2024 NFL season is here.
Well, sort of.
It's only the preseason, and it's just one game, but come Thursday night we'll all be treated to legitimate NFL action. That's when the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans will lock horns in the annual Hall of Fame game.
If you've been waiting for a sign that it's time to start prepping for fantasy football season, this is a big one.
We're here to help with that preparation process by laying out out point-per-reception (PPR) rankings at the four marquee positions while also highlighting a sleeper at each spot.
Quarterback Rankings
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Top 10
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
5. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
6. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
8. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
10. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Sleeper: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa is being undervalued by the fantasy community. Last season was the first in which he's made 17 appearances, and all he did was lead the league in passing yards (4,624), tied for fifth overall in touchdown passes (29) and post a career-high in completion percentage (4,624).
Why would he backtrack now? He is 26 years old, fully comfortable courtesy of a contract extension worth more than $200 million and surrounded by perhaps the NFL's top receiving tandem in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. As long as Tagovailoa stays on the field, he should be headed toward another massive performance.
Running Back Rankings
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Top 20
1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2. Breece Hall, New York Jets
3. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
4. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
5. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
6. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
7. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
9. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
10. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
11. Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers
12. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
13. James Cook, Buffalo Bills
14. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
15. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
17. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans
18. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
19. David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
20. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
Sleeper: Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins
Worried about what De'Von Achane's ascension could mean for Mostert's fantasy value? That's understandable, but it feels like folks are taking this too far. Remember, Achane played a prominent role in this backfield last season, and Mostert still found his way to 1,012 scrimmage yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns.
Obviously, no one should bank on seeing that many scores again, but Mostert's style and speed make him a perfect fit in Miami's offense. He'll be used early and often, and he would be firmly in the RB1 mix if the injury bug gets the better of Achane again.
Wide Receiver Rankings
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Top 30
1. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
2. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
5. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
7. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
8. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
9. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
10. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
11. Nico Collins, Houston Texans
12. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
13. Deebo Samuel Sr., San Francisco 49ers
14. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
15. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
16. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears
17. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
19. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
20. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
21. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
22. Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans
23. Malik Nabers, New York Giants
24. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
25. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers
26. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
27. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
28. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
29. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
30. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Sleeper: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle slow-played things with Smith-Njigba as a rookie a bit, but as his opportunities increased, he helped remind them why they deemed him worthy of last year's No. 20 pick. In three of his last four outings, he had at least 60 receiving yards or a touchdown catch.
Tyler Lockett is approaching his 32nd birthday and coming off of his least productive campaign in years. The Seahawks need someone to step up as their No. 2, and Smith-Njigba should get every chance to fill that role. And it could be a more valuable than role than it has been with the passing game perhaps getting more potent under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
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Tight End Rankings
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Top 10
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
3. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
5. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
6. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
7. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
8. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
9. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys
10. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Sleeper: Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
New England's offense didn't produce a lot of good moments last season, but when it did, they often involved Henry. The middle of his season was kind of a mess, but that was sandwiched between some strong performances. He had 50-plus receiving yards and a touchdown in each of his first two games for the Patriots. In his last two, he tallied 106 receiving yards and three scores combined.
The Patriots could keep things conservative with their offense, regardless of whether it's being led by veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett or rookie first-rounder Drake Maye. Either quarterback could use a reliable safety valve, and Henry can be just that. Closer to the end zone, his ability to win one-on-one matchups could see him become more of a featured target.
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