Tom Strachan | Mon, Apr 29th 2024, 6:59am EDT

Top 9 Fantasy Football Draft Targets: FFPC Leagues (2024)

With the NFL Draft barely behind us and best ball contests rapidly launching on its heels, the average draft position (ADP) of players will fluctuate massively over the next week.

This time last year many rookies were being undrafted before slowly climbing up into an area where they’d be consistently drafted. Because of this and the fluctuations veterans also experience, it’s a good time to draft and take stands on players we have reasons to believe in. If you’re drafting on FFPC below are nine players to consider when you’re on the clock.

FFPC Players to Target

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE) | ADP: 72.8

The Patriots selected Drake Maye as their new quarterback, writing their latest new chapter as they try to turn the page on several years of misery. Rhamondre Stevenson is primed to benefit from a more competent offense after two years where the Patriots fell short of expectations, finishing as the second-worst offense in 2023 with the lowest percentage of drives resulting in a score (20.2%) a year after being in the bottom 10.

With the Patriots’ only meaningful competition for Stevenson being a free agent addition (Antonio Gibson), Stevenson should see the vast majority of rushing touches. Gibson hasn’t looked explosive or impressive in any area of the game since his second season. Stevenson is heading into a contract year and will be highly motivated, with a dominant workload and an improving offense. We’ve seen plenty of league-winners emerge from this area of the draft in years past and Stevenson is worth taking shots on with that in mind.

Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAX) | ADP: 102.1

Ever since Calvin Ridley left the Jaguars high and dry on the second day of free agency they have been scrambling to find a replacement outside receiver, with reports suggesting they enquired about Brandon Aiyuk. They eventually settled for finding their replacement in the draft. Brian Thomas Jr. was talked about as a potential top-15 pick for periods of this offseason before a torn labrum saw him fall slightly to pick 23 where the Jaguars eagerly awaited.

Most medical experts expect the torn labrum won’t hamper Thomas’ rookie season and the Jaguars will be counting on him to make an immediate impact with Ridley leaving behind 136 targets in his wake. Thomas balled out at LSU winning with both size and speed as he put up 1,177 yards and 17 touchdowns in his final campaign. The Jaguars have watched the division improve and need Thomas to deliver on his promise quickly.

Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL) | ADP: 350.0

The Dallas Cowboys’ all-in approach to the 2024 season has thus far led to them not adding any significant free agents and then bypassing all skill positions in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, leaving their wide receiver core much the same as it ended the 2023 season minus Michael Gallup. From Week 10 onwards, Jalen Tolbert outperformed Gallup, earning more targets, recording a higher yards per route run (YPRR) and more air yards per target (14.1 vs. 11.9), all while playing an almost identical amount of snaps. Tolbert has yet to emerge into a role, but as the WR110 on FFPC, he’s worth adding to Dak Prescott stacks.

Rashid Shaheed (WR – NO) | ADP: 169.2

The Saints weren’t as fantasy-friendly as we might have hoped in 2023. With the pressure ramping up on both head coach, Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr, results will be required in 2024. The Saints knew their offense wasn’t up to scratch and brought in a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, who has 14 years of NFL coaching experience, most recently with the 49ers. It might be too large a leap to expect Kubiak to turn Carr into Brock Purdy but he should help turn things around.

One player who performed above expectations for the Saints in 2023 was Rashid Shaheed, who finished as a top-12 wide receiver on three occasions and added another finish inside the top 18 for good measure. Those three top-12 weekly finishes were more than DK Metcalf, Drake London, Jaylen Waddle and Chris Godwin managed, to name but a few. Shaheed is the perfect best ball receiver, especially at this cost and with the Saints not adding any competition on the first two days of the draft.

Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL) | ADP: 214.2

Everything the Ravens have done this offseason has shown faith in the idea that Rashod Bateman can finally turn his NFL career around. When the season ended it quickly became apparent Odell Beckham Jr. wouldn’t be back with the team in 2024, despite seeing the second-most targets on the team (64) and putting up the second-most yards (565). John Harbaugh spoke glowingly of Bateman unprompted at several opportunities mentioning how often Bateman had gotten open as the season progressed.

Things just didn’t break his way. Now for the first time in Bateman’s NFL career, he has a chance to enter the season fully healthy, two years removed from the dreaded Lisfranc injury that players often remark takes them up to two years to recover from. This Baltimore defense is also primed to take a backward step, having lost Mike Macdonald, Patrick Queen and Geno Stone, which should help force the Ravens to pass more often this year. Bateman has flashed talent in minute samples. If he gets up into the double-digit picks it will be too expensive for an unproven player, but he was a talented player in college and the Ravens are trying hard to get him going. The cheap contract he signed should motivate him to show he should be paid more next time he gets to the negotiating table.

DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI) | ADP: 51.5

Fresh off signing a new contract, DeVonta Smith has consistently delivered for both the Eagles and fantasy purposes. 2024 should be no different. Smith and the Eagles’ passing game occasionally goes missing when ‘The Brotherly Shove’ is deployed to great effect. In best ball, though, we’re more concerned with the ceiling outcomes and Smith certainly provides them, finishing as a top-12 WR five times in 2023. Smith has 3,178 receiving yards in three seasons with 19 touchdowns, finishing as a top-30 fantasy wide receiver in each of those years, including back-to-back top 24 seasons.

Devin Singletary (RB – NYG) | ADP: 118.7

The Giants gave Devin Singletary a three-year, $16.5 million contract in free agency, including $9.5 million in guarantees as they sought to replace Saquon Barkley. They then opted not to allocate any top-100 draft picks to the running back position. This doesn’t mean Singletary will face no competition for touches, but it shows they have a degree of faith in him, which makes sense when we remember Singletary worked with Brian Daboll in Buffalo at the start of his career.

In dynasty leagues, this might be an ideal opportunity to move on from Singletary. In best ball, it’s entirely possible the Giants saw Singletary take over the Texans’ backfield, seeing over 19 touches per game from Week 10 onwards, and thought he’d be capable of doing similar in New York.

Ezekiel Elliott (RB – FA) | ADP: 197.4

All signs point to a reunion in Dallas for the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott despite the fact the Cowboys are already paying over $6 million in dead cap hit for Elliott after cutting him a little over a year ago. When you factor in a new contract on top of that, the Cowboys will be paying Elliott the equivalent of a top-seven running back contract this year, which doesn’t look great. With the Patriots in 2023, Elliott set career-lows in success rate (45.1%) and failed to break a single rush longer than 17 yards on 184 attempts. It’s undeniable he’ll be the most talented back on the Cowboys roster and will see plenty of volume including the all-important goal-line touches.

Jayden Daniels (QB – WAS) | ADP: 119.2

There are plenty of question marks around Jayden Daniels’ ability to avoid getting spine-bustered at every opportunity. However, there are few question marks around his ceiling outcomes and the landing spot in Washington. Daniels lands in an offense with Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Luke McCaffrey, Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott ready to make his life easier, which looks like an Aladdin’s cave of riches compared to Drake Maye’s situation in New England. Daniels threw for 3,811 yards and 40 touchdowns in his final season at LSU, while also rushing for 1,250 yards and 10 touchdowns. It might not come that easily for him in 2024, but as the QB18 at 119.2, he has the potential to win leagues and big prizes from the outset.

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