Fantasy Football 2024: 4-Round Mock Draft, Top Keeper Players and Team Names

Kristopher KnoxAug 25, 2024

The 2024 NFL preseason will conclude on Sunday evening, leaving an 11-day wait between exhibition action and the regular-season opener. For fantasy enthusiasts, this is the perfect window in which to draft.

Waiting until after the preseason to conduct drafts is usually a good idea because it mitigates the risk of preseason injuries—few things in fantasy are as painful as having a high draft selection suffer a significant injury in a meaningless game.

However, managers who have waited until now to begin preparing for their fantasy drafts may find themselves struggling to do so. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to aid in those last-minute cram sessions.

You'll find a few such resources here.

Below, we'll dive into the first four rounds of a point-per-reception (PPR) mock draft conducted with FantasyPros' Mock Draft Simulator. We'll examine any notable trends, discuss a few strategies for mock drafting and dive into some top keeper options and team-name suggestions for the 2024 season.

4-Round PPR Mock Draft

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Set Number: X164496 TK1

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey

Round 1

1.01: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

1.02: CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

1.03: Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

1.04: Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

1.05: Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

1.06: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

1.07: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

1.08: Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

1.09: Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

1.10: A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

1.11: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

1.12: Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

Round 2

2.01: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

2.02: Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

2.03: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Atlanta Falcons

2.04: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts

2.05: Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams

2.06: Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

2.07: Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

2.08: Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

2.09: Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

2.10: Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

2.11: Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints

2.12: Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

Round 3

3.01: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

3.02: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

3.03: Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions

3.04: Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

3.05: Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals

3.06: De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

3.07: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins

3.08: Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

3.09: James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills

3.10: Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3.11: Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers

3.12: Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Round 4

4.01: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

4.02: Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

4.03: Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers

4.04: Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks

4.05: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

4.06: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills

4.07: Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

4.08: DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

4.09: Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans

4.10: D.J. Moore, WR, Chicago Bears

4.11: DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

4.12: Stefon Diggs, WR, Houston Texans

Draft Analysis and Tips

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Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Managers should typically look to draft ball-dominant receivers and every-down dual-threat running backs in the first two rounds, and this mock draft provided no surprises in that regard.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was the first player off the board—as he will be in most PPR drafts—and players like CeeDee Lamb, Breece Hall, Tyreek Hill and Ja'Marr Chase soon followed.

There remains little concern about Lamb and Chase, even though both players have been holding out of practices while seeking new contracts.

Managers should look to land two top-tier players at running back and/or receiver in the first two rounds. It's a good idea to try different approaches to the opening rounds—two RBs, two WRs, etc.—to gauge potential options in Round 3 and beyond.

It's usually a good idea to have at least one RB and one WR by the end of Round 4.

Round 3 is where quarterbacks and tight ends started coming off the board, and that's a reasonable range—though it can be worth waiting on a quarterback. Mocks can help managers determine how late they can realistically target a starting-caliber QB.

in this mock, for example, Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa both lasted until Round 12.

We didn't see any real boom-or-bust picks in the early rounds of this mock, aside perhaps, from Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp. Kupp is coming off two injury-hampered seasons, though he still averaged roughly five receptions and 61 yards per game last season.

Boom-or-bust candidates, promising rookies and players returning from injury can typically be found in the middle-to-late rounds—Mike Williams was a 12th-round pick in this mock—and mocks can help managers land those coveted sleepers.

By running a few mocks with specific players in mind, managers can get a good idea of a reasonable range for their favorite sleeper candidates.

Top 2024 Keepers

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Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

2. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

3. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

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

5. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons

6. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals

7. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

8. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

9. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

10. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

While managers can and should create their own criteria for identifying sleepers, some general rules should be considered for keepers.

Managers in keeper leagues should prioritize younger players who may become roster centerpieces for multiple future seasons. They should also favor pass-catchers over running backs, since receivers typically have lengthier NFL careers.

However, this doesn't mean that managers should discount quality dual-threat backs like McCaffrey, Hall or Bijan Robinson. The 28-year-old McCaffrey, for example, may only have a two- or three-year window of elite play left. Yet, he can keep fantasy managers in contention during that span.

If you have doubts about your keeper options, though, feel free to trade them in for new draft selections. It's important to know your league-mates are likely to keep which players are likely to be available for re-draft, of course, but managers don't have to use keeper slots in most leagues.

Quarterbacks and tight ends should never be considered for keeper slots. It's simply too easy to find solid value at those positions via re-draft.