10. Najee Harris (RB) - Pittsburgh Steelers
Harris narrowly edges out teammate Jaylen Warren and Cincinnati’s Zack Moss for the 10th spot on this list. Despite having his fair share of underwhelming spells, Harris has been a 1,000-yard rusher in each of his first three seasons. He’s also a solid touchdown threat in the red zone with 22 rushing touchdowns during that span. Harris’ long-term consistency makes him a better option than the other two.
9. Amari Cooper (WR) - Cleveland Browns
Amari Cooper has been a trustworthy and reliable fantasy producer throughout his nine-year career. He has also seldom missed any game time due to injury. The veteran receiver is still comfortably slotted in as Cleveland’s WR1 despite the arrival of Jerry Jeudy from Denver. Don’t expect crazy production, but I wouldn’t shy away from drafting him in the middle rounds.
8. George Pickens (WR) - Pittsburgh Steelers
Pickens is perhaps the league’s most boom or bust player. He led the entire NFL with 18.1 yards per catch in 2023. However, his standout performances were surrounded by numerous other games where he barely produced at all. The Steelers run-first mentality coupled with their poor QB play in recent years have placed a fairly low ceiling on Pickens’ production. Pittsburgh’s QB situation is better now, but will that be enough for Pickens to finally unlock his superstar potential?
7. Zay Flowers (WR) - Baltimore Ravens
Second-year receiver Zay Flowers is the clear and obvious number one in this underwhelming Ravens receiving corps, although he’ll still be competing for touches with star tight end Mark Andrews. Flowers had an impressive rookie campaign which saw his fantasy stock rise tremendously over the course of the year. Keep in mind that Baltimore's run-heavy style might hinder his value, even though his skill set allows him to be utilized in many different scenarios.
6. Tee Higgins (WR) - Cincinnati Bengals
It now appears quite clear that Higgins will play the 2024 season with the Bengals after initial trade speculation. This is probably for the best case scenario from a fantasy perspective. The departures of Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon means more touches for Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, along with what should be a more pass-oriented offense. Even as the clear WR2 in this offense, Higgins has always produced well in the past and nothing has happened to indicate that he won't do the same going forward.
5. Joe Burrow (QB) - Cincinnati Bengals
Even before Joe Burrow suffered his season-ending wrist injury in Week 11, his numbers had been rather pedestrian compared to what they had been in 2021 and 2022. Burrow was nursing a different injury at the start of last season and many speculated that it was the catalyst for his poorer than average play. Barring something unforeseen, Burrow will start the 2024 season fully healthy for the first time in two years, making him an elite fantasy QB option.
4. Mark Andrews (TE) - Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews currently slots in as the overall TE3 in most fantasy rankings behind Travis Kelce and Sam LaPorta. Andrews is still Lamar Jackson’s favorite target and has continued to play a crucial role in Baltimore’s passing game. Before having his 2023 season cut short due to injury, Andrews was on pace to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. Not many tight ends around the league put up those kind of numbers.
3. Lamar Jackson (QB) - Baltimore Ravens
The two-time MVP firmly holds a spot as a top five fantasy QB, although he’s not quite as much of a guaranteed producer as the likes of Josh Allen. Injuries have caused Jackson to miss chunks of games in the past. Jackson also had a handful of lackluster fantasy performances in 2023, having six games where he scored 15 points or less. However, there is a solid argument that no one other than Josh Allen is more likely to single-handedly carry your fantasy team to victory in a given week.
2. Derrick Henry (RB) - Baltimore Ravens
On paper, the 2024 Baltimore Ravens will be the best team that Derrick Henry has played for in his nine-year NFL career. Henry displayed tremendous consistency during his tenure with the Titans, scoring double-digit rushing touchdowns in each of the past six seasons and eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards in five of those seasons. Henry now joins the 4th-highest scoring offense in the league last year, making him primed for a plethora of red zone scoring opportunities.
1. Ja’Marr Chase (WR) - Cincinnati Bengals
Chase ranks as the consensus third or fourth best receiver option in fantasy this upcoming season with his spot being interchangeable with his LSU teammate Justin Jefferson. The Bengals’ star wideout is also far and away the most consistent statistical producer of any skill player in the AFC North. Chase has been a 1,000-yard receiver in each of three seasons in the NFL and has caught 29 touchdowns during that time span. As is the case with Tee Higgins, Chase should get more targets due to the departure of Tyler Boyd, leaving no other receivers of note on the roster beyond the top two. Chase is all but guaranteed to be drafted in the top five unanimously.