Fantasy Football 2024: Flex Rankings, Team Names and More Draft Cheatsheets

Kristopher KnoxAug 21, 2024

We're approaching the final week of the 2024 NFL preseason, which makes this the perfect time for fantasy drafting.

With only one exhibition game left, teams are close to setting rosters and defining roles. Many star players won't see the field in Week 3 and, therefore, are less likely to meet the dreaded preseason injury bug.

Even if your league is waiting until after the preseason finales to draft, time is running short. Final roster cuts will take place on August 27, and the regular season will officially kick off on September 5.

Here, you'll find a few tips, cheat sheets and team-name suggestions to aid in any last-minute studying. All rankings and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

PPR Flex Rankings

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Ryan Kang/Getty Images

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

2. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

4. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

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

6. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

7. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

8. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

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

10. Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

11. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

12. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

13. Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

14. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

15. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

16. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals

17. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

18. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams

19. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

20. Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

21. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

22. Isaiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

23. Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

24. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

25. Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

26. Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions

27 Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

28. Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

29. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

30. D.J. Moore, WR, Chicago Bears

31. Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

32. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

33. DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

34. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

35. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

36. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants

37. Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns

38. Stefon Diggs, WR, Houston Texans

39. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

40. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

Positional Cheat Sheet

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Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Lions TE Sam LaPorta

Quarterback

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

5. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

6. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

7. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

8. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

9. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

10. Brock Purdy San Francisco 49ers

Running Back

1. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

3. Breece Hall, New York Jets

4. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

5. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

6. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

7. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

8. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

9. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs

10. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Wide Receiver

1. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

2. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

3. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

5. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

7. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

8. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders

9. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets

10. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals

Tight End

1. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

4. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills

5. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

6. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

7. Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars

8. Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys

9. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

10. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Defense/Special Teams

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. New York Jets

3. San Francisco 49ers

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

5. Cleveland Browns

6. Kansas City Chiefs

7. Dallas Cowboys

8. Houston Texans

9. Buffalo Bills

10. Miami Dolphins

Kicker

1. Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

2. Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys

3. Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs

4. Ka'imi Fairbairn, Houston Texans

5. Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles

6. Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins

7. Jake Moody, San Francisco 49ers

8. Tyler Bass, Buffalo Bills

9. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta Falcons

10. Matt Gay, Indianapolis Colts

Draft Tips

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Michael Owens/Getty Images

Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill

Pay Attention to the "R" in PPR

This tip is specifically for PPR leagues, but it's an important one to remember early on draft day. When targeting those first few running backs and receivers, managers should prioritize players who regularly have opportunities to rack up those reception points.

Players like Christian McCaffrey and Tyreek Hill are valuable because they tend to produce gaudy yardage totals. However, they're equally valuable because of their target shares.

If a player regularly sees 4-5 targets (or more) per game, they're likely to provide a solid PPR floor each week.

Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, for example, only appeared in 10 games last season and failed to reach 1,100 receiving yards However, he saw double-digit targets in seven of those games and caught at least five passes in eight of them. More often than not, he was good for at least five fantasy points before even factoring in yards and touchdowns.

Simply put, players who catch lots of passes are highly unlikely to ever flat-out bust in any given week—when healthy, of course.

Pay Attention to Projected Roles and Player Situations

Draft rankings are a helpful tool, but we always recommend coming up with personalized rankings and draft tiers. It can hurt to gamble on a player and miss, but it rarely hurts as much as drafting an eventual bust because everyone else said he was going to be good.

Paying attention to projected roles and player situations can help managers adjust rankings to their liking. If a player has been holing out for a new contract—like CeeDee Lamb or Brandon Aiyuk—and you don't trust him to be at 100 percent in 2024, don't draft him too highly.

The same philosophy goes for players dealing with injuries. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, for example, battled a serious calf injury last preseason and did not get off to a very good start.

Identifying roles can be a tad trickier, but tracking camp reports and preseason reporting can help there. Rookie running back Braelon Allen, for example, has looked like a high-end rushing complement for the New York Jets in the preseason and could regularly steal touches from starter Breece Hall.

I still like Hall as an early draft selection, but I'm not quite as high on him as most.

Don't Overreach for a Quarterback

Again, it's important to use your own draft strategy for all positions. However, I'd recommend not reaching for a quarterback too early in the draft—unless you're in a superflex league.

I've seen quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts go as high as Round 2 in some leagues, and I feel that's way too high, especially in PPR formats. There are enough "good" fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL now that a quality starter can typically be found in the later rounds.

A value gap may exist between Allen and, say, Tua Tagovailoa or Caleb Williams. However, the gap isn't great enough to justify passing on an every-down running back or a No. 1 receiver in the early rounds.

If a top-tier QB is available in Round 4 or 5 and you don't love the available skill players, by all means, flip the switch on a quarterback pick. I'd just recommend grabbing at least three top-tier skill players—if not a full starting lineup—before heavily considering a signal-caller.

Managers should also avoid panic-picking a quarterback. Concern can mount if there's an early run at the position, but you're highly likely to land a quality starter before other managers start taking their backups.