One of the best ways to add depth is to look for promising running backs or target unknowns in your backfield committee. Running backs like Jaleel McLaughlin and Keaton Mitchell could be worth moving up your fantasy football running back rankings in 2024, as they could easily become the primary ball-carrier if injured. You also need to decide how to approach star running backs who changed teams this offseason, such as Derrick Henry (Ravens), D’Andre Swift (Bears), Joe Mixon (Texans), Aaron Jones (Vikings), Austin Ekeler (Commanders), Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Devin Singletary (Giants).
With our reliable 2024 fantasy football rankings, you can find value throughout the upcoming draft and identify potential 2024 fantasy football sleepers, 2024 fantasy football breakouts, and 2024 fantasy football busts. Before setting up your 2024 fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out SportsLine’s proven 2024 fantasy football rankings and cheat sheet from their computer model.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Buccaneers running back Rachad White was significantly underrated. White was an average seventh-round pick in 12-team PPR leagues, but he emerged as Tampa Bay’s primary ball carrier, providing more value than expected and ranking fourth at his position. White rushed for 990 yards and six touchdowns and added 549 yards and three scores on 64 catches as a receiver. Anyone who followed the model’s advice would have landed a weekly starting running back in the middle rounds.
The same model has a proven track record of providing fantasy football tips, identifying AJ Brown as a sleeper in 2020 and accurately predicting Jonathan Taylor’s phenomenal season in 2021. Additionally, they have predicted past fantasy football sleepers such as Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Those who bet on these players have gone on to win league titles.
The model is run by the same people who create the projections for the three major fantasy sites, and it beat out human experts last season when there was a huge difference in rankings. Our 2024 Fantasy Football PPR Rankings and 2024 Fantasy Football Standard Projections are updated multiple times each day, so you’ll always get the best fantasy football advice.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest 2024 fantasy football rankings, with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts to choose from: Visit SportsLine now to see them.
Top Sleepers for Fantasy Football in 2024
One of the model’s projected fantasy football sleepers for 2024 is Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The 31-year-old Kupp won the receiving triple crown in 2021, leading the league in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches while winning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Since then, Kupp has battled injuries and played in just 21 games combined over the past two seasons.
He will have to compete for targets with Puka Nacua, but the model projects a bounce-back season for Kupp in 2024. The former third-round pick out of Eastern Washington is the WR13 in the model, but with an ADP of 46.9, Kupp would be an average fourth-round pick in CBS Sports fantasy drafts. Kupp would be taken after players like Mike Evans, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and DK Metcalf, who are all projected to finish below him in the fantasy wide receiver rankings at the end of the season. To see more 2024 fantasy football sleepers, click here.
Top fantasy football breakouts for 2024
One of the model’s predicted fantasy football breakouts for 2024 is Giants wide receiver Malik Neighbors. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Neighbors is coming off two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at LSU. In three years with the Tigers, Neighbors recorded 189 catches for 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns.
He backed up those performances by running the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds and recording a 42-inch vertical leap at LSU’s pro day. With Daniel Jones at quarterback, there may be some quality of targets issue, but the model projects Neighbors to continue in a long lineage of outstanding LSU receivers. The model ranks Neighbors as the WR31, ahead of veterans Chris Godwin and DeAndre Hopkins. Click here to see more 2024 fantasy football breakouts.
Top fantasy football blunders for 2024
As for players to avoid, the model lists Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as one of the fantasy football busts for 2024. The Alabama star is coming off the best season of his NFL career, but the model projects him to be a downgrade in 2024. Tagovailoa struggled late last season and his second half of the season paled in comparison to his first half of 2023.
Tagovailoa is currently being rated an average eighth-round pick (94.5 ADP) in CBS Sports fantasy drafts, ahead of players like Kirk Cousins, Justin Herbert and Caleb Williams. Though he has one of the NFL’s best wide receiver duos in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, drafting Tagovailoa comes with significant risk. He’s in the final year of his contract, the Dolphins are set to play a tough schedule and injury concerns remain for the 26-year-old playmaker. Click here to see more fantasy football 2024 duds
How to Find Proven Fantasy Football Rankings for 2024
SportsLine is also very high on a surprise quarterback who no one thought would be selected in the middle of fantasy football drafts in 2024. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top 10 prospect, ahead of stars like Trevor Lawrence and Aaron Rodgers. Find out who these quarterbacks are, plus each player’s 2023 fantasy football rankings, only at SportsLine.
So which sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade in fantasy football in 2024, and which QB will shock the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to find out the answers with a cheat sheet for every 2024 fantasy football position from the model that labeled Deebo Samuel a bust last year.