Rostering Fantasy Football breakouts typically gives managers an edge in their leagues and can lead to championships at the end of the year. Sometimes these players having a “breakout” season are somewhat easy to predict, and others catch us by surprise. The definition of a “breakout” in Fantasy Football can vary person-to-person but I will define it as “a player who can take a substantial leap in Fantasy Football production or a player who can have an immediate Fantasy Football scoring impact who in either case is a major positional advantage in lineups for a given year”. This is the exact definition I used in my pre-season breakout articles, and I feel it is as clear as how I view it.
As we enter Week 10, there is still plenty of football left to play, but I wanted to reflect on the first nine weeks of football as it is halfway through the season. The reflection is who are the Fantasy Football breakouts of the year, why they are considered a breakout, and what their Fantasy Football will look like for the rest of the season. Here are you current Fantasy Football breakouts for 2024.
2024 Fantasy Football Breakouts
Quarterback Breakouts
Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers)
As I write this article, Baker Mayfield still has his Week 9 matchup to go but currently ranks second for the position in Fantasy points per game (PPG) at 24.2. Baker had a career year in 2023 with career-highs across the board and is on pace to do the same in 2024. Let’s look at the averages per game and other totals:
- Passing Attempts Per Game: 33.3 (2023) vs 35.5 (2024)
- Passing Yards Per Game: 237.9 (2023) vs 273.6 (2024)
- Passing Touchdown Total: 28 (2023) vs 21 (2024)
- Completion Percentage: 64.3% (2023) vs 71.1% (2024)
- Rushing Yards Total: 163 (2023) vs 169 (2024)
- Rushing Touchdowns: one (2023) vs two (2024)
Unfortunately, Mayfield lost Chris Godwin for the remainder of the regular season and Mike Evans is banged up but he continued to produce last week through the air plenty without both. Cade Otton has emerged, Evans will return, Rachaad White is trending up in the pass-catching department, and others have promise to rise. Mayfield is still a locked in top 10 Fantasy Football quarterback for the rest of the season.
Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
The second-overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft has been Fantasy dominant so far, as the QB3 in total Fantasy Points so far this season and the QB4 in Fantasy PPG at 20.5. Daniels has completed 163/228 passing attempts for 1,945 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, and just two interceptions. The dual-threat numbers were always expected and Daniels has showed out on the ground rushing for 459 yards and four touchdowns so far this season. Only Lamar Jackson has more rushing yards and only Jalen Hurts and Justin Fields have more rushing touchdowns.
Daniels has finished six weeks with over 20 Fantasy Points, has scored 25+ points three times, and 28+ points four times. The connection with Terry McLaurin is very evident with McLaurin producing 598 receiving yards and six touchdowns so far this season. McLaurin himself is averaging the most Fantasy PPG of his career at 15.1. The combination of passing and rushing upside that Daniels has in his bag makes him matchup-proof. Daniels has top-three Fantasy Football upside on a weekly basis.
Bo Nix (Broncos)
Talk about doing a lot with a little, first-round rookie Bo Nix has been solid this season with a very average environment and set of weapons for Denver. Prior to Monday Night Football, Nix has produced the eighth most Fantasy Points for the position and is averaging 17.3 PPG on the year. Nix has thrown for 1,753 yards, eight touchdowns, six interceptions, rushed for 295 yards, and scored four rushing touchdowns through nine weeks of football.
Although Nix has had some down Fantasy weeks, he also has had a chunk of spike weeks that have made him a difference-maker in lineups. 23.1 (Week 5), 21.7 (Week 6), and 29.8 (Week 8) highlight some of Nix’s top Fantasy performances which all have happened within the last five weeks. Nix has flashed some upside through the air with his 284 passing yards and three passing touchdowns Week 8 along with rushing totals of 61/75 in Weeks 6/7. Courtland Sutton has caught stride with Nix as of late with back-to-back weeks over 100 receiving yards. Nix may be slightly matchup dependent rest of the season, but has proven to be very useful for Fantasy Football as one of the biggest surprises for any position so far this year.
Sam Darnold (Vikings)
We have witnessed career turnarounds in recent years with players like Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield and in 2024 it has been Sam Darnold’s turn. Darnold’s career with the Jets and then Panthers as a former third-overall pick in 2018 were a disappointment. While the odds in New York were stacked against Darnold for three years, those seasons created a negative outlook for the quarterback. So far through eight games played as the Vikings starter in 2024, Darnold has produced 1,900 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, and 120 rushing yards.
Darnold is averaging 17.9 Fantasy PPG which is by far the highest of his career with four weeks scoring over 20 Fantasy Points. Four weeks as a top 10 Fantasy quarterback have been extremely useful, and he truly only has one bust week (Week 5) through eight games. The Vikings are 6-2, Justin Jefferson is connected well with Darnold, TJ Hockenson just returned, Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones are solid pieces, and Darnold will continue to be a solid streamer with top-10 upside for the rest of the season.
Keep an eye out for…. Drake Maye (Patriots)
Running back Breakouts
Bijan Robinson (Falcons)
Bijan Robinson produced 976 rushing yards, 58 receptions, 487 receiving yards, scored eight total touchdowns, and averaged 14.5 Fantasy PPG which ranked 17th last year as a rookie. Robinson through nine games has produced for 632 rushing yards, 38 receptions, 303 receiving yards, five total touchdowns, and 17.9 Fantasy PPG. A clear progression for the extremely talented dual-threat running back.
Robinson had a slower start to his year but has been on fire the last four weeks in a row with Fantasy scores of 25.5, 23.3, 23.6, and 21.5 points. Robinson has rushing totals of 95, 103, 63, and 86 as well as receiving yard totals of 40, 43, and 59 during this stretch of games. The quarterback change from extremely mediocre to a competent Kirk Cousins was always going to lift the playmakers of this offense, but the coaching change has been a major boost as well. Robinson has top-three to five upside for the rest of the season but as the RB1 across the last four weeks that might be too low.
De’Von Achane (Dolphins)
As a rookie last season, De’Von Achane averaged the fifth most Fantasy PPG at 17.3 but his season was cut short to just 11 games. 800 rushing yards, 27 catches, 197 receiving yards, and 11 total touchdowns through 11 weeks last year tells that story. So far this season Achane has rushed for 420 yards, caught 37 passes, produced 302 receiving yards, scored five total touchdowns, and is averaging 17.4 Fantasy PPG through eight games.
Tua Tagovailoa’s absence meant a hit to the entire Miami offense while the starting quarterback was out. During the games Tua has played this season, Achane’s Fantasy production has been massive with scores of 23 (Week 1), 29.5 (Week 2), 26.7 (Week 8), and 32.1 (Week 9) Fantasy Points as a top-three running back for each of those weeks. During those four mentioned games Achane has caught seven, seven, six, and eight passes which truly skyrockets his PPR boost. As long as Tua is playing, Achane has top-three to five upside.
Kyren Williams (Rams)
Very similar to De’Von Achane, Kyren Williams was a major producer last season but missed too much time to consider him a true breakout because of that. Williams rushed for 1,144 yards, caught 32 balls for 206 yards, scored 15 total touchdowns, and averaged 21.3 Fantasy Points per game last year which ranked second but only appeared in 12 games.
In 2024, Kyren is averaging a solid 18.7 Fantasy PPG through eight games played. Kyren has rushed for 602 yards, caught 20 passes for 116 yards, and scored 10 total touchdowns so far. While Williams’ efficiency last season may have been better, the touchdown scoring has made him a continued workhorse for the Rams. Williams has finished three weeks with over 20 Fantasy Points and one week with 31.6 (Week 3), and the fears of rookie Blake Corum coming in and stealing work are laughable up to this point. Williams has a top-10 upside every week.
JK Dobbins (Chargers)
JK Dobbins has a history of major injuries that made many of us question if he would ever be the same player and even more aggressive if he would ever play again. Dobbins has suffered an Achilles tear, hamstring tear, LCL tear, and an ACL tear dating back from 2023 to 2021. The only time we saw a near full season out of Dobbins was his rookie season in 2020 where he rushed for 805 yards, scored nine touchdowns, and averaged 11.2 Fantasy PPG.
Flash forward to 2024, and Dobbins is one of the biggest surprises of the season and not just a surprise but a weekly starter for Fantasy. Dobbins through eight games has rushed for 620 yards, caught 21 passes for 107 yards, scored six total touchdowns, and is averaging 16.2 Fantasy PPG. Dobbins has scored 18+ Fantasy Points three times, 20+ Fantasy Points three times, finished four weeks with 85+ rushing yards, and two weeks with over 130 rushing yards. Dobbins should win the Comeback Player of the Year. Weekly Fantasy Football starter with top-10 upside.
Chuba Hubbard (Panthers)
Last season Chuba Hubbard won the starting job in Carolina and produced 902 rushing yards, 39 receptions, 233 receiving yards, five total touchdowns, and 10.7 (#33) Fantasy PPG. Through nine games in 2024, Hubbard is on track to smash his numbers from last season as one of the more surprising performers of the year for the position. Hubbard has rushed for 668 yards, caught 26 passes for 108 yards, has scored six total touchdowns, and is averaging 15.3 Fantasy PPG.
Hubbard has had some spike Fantasy weeks this season with scores of 27.9 (Week 3), 22.1 (Week 4), 17.5 (Week 5), and 21.2 (Week 9) Fantasy Points. Hubbard has earned at least 17 touches for four straight weeks now and the fear of rookie Jonathon Brooks coming in and stealing the RB1 job seems less and less likely. I always thought that it did not make sense for Brooks to be so young and forced into work following an ACL tear last year on a poor Panthers team. Hubbard has paid off huge for Fantasy managers as a late-round running back this year and should continue to have solid RB2 production.
D’Andre Swift (Bears)
It has always felt like we have seen flashes of true Fantasy Football potential when it comes to D’Andre Swift back with the Lions and then with the Eagles, but he always has seemed to fall short of expectations due to limited usage or injuries. Swift is a true dual-threat talent and that is evident through the years with examples of 62 receptions for 452 receiving back in 2021 and then his 1,049 rushing yards in 2023. Swift actually averaged 16.1 Fantasy PPG back in 2021 but he missed time, only playing 13 games.
After a slow start, Swift has been thriving in Chicago this season and it is directly translating to Fantasy Football. 505 rushing yards, 25 catches for 224 receiving yards, four total touchdowns, and 15.5 Fantasy PPG on the year. Swift scored under nine Fantasy Points Weeks 1-3 but has averaged 20.9 Fantasy PPG Weeks 4-9 as one of the hottest running backs to roster. If Swift can remain productive he is looking like a top 10 back.
Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks)
Kenneth Walker III has rushed for 1,051 then 905 yards in his opening two seasons, averaging 13-ish Fantasy PPG in those seasons. 2024 has been a very productive year for KWIII, despite missing two full weeks, with an average of 19.1 Fantasy PPG. 33.6 (Week 4), 20,.9 (Week 6), and 23.3 (Week 7) Fantasy Point weeks has shown the Fantasy upside we have all been waiting for. KWII has not scored in two weeks but has totaled seven touchdowns through seven games played as a running back who has a nose for the end zone. A healthy KWIII has top 12 upside for the rest of the season.
Keep an eye out for…. Tyrone Tracy Jr (Giants), Chase Brown (Bengals), Javonte Williams (Broncos), Rico Dowdle (Cowboys) and upon potential return Isiah Pacheco (Chiefs)
Wide Receiver Breakouts
Drake London (Falcons)
Unfortunately, Drake London now has a hip injury to monitor that he suffered after scoring a touchdown in Week 9. London was likely off to a great game after scoring on just two targets. Mediocre quarterback play has been a huge reason London has been held back in his opening two seasons as a former first-round selection by Atlanta, in seasons he only averaged 10-ish Fantasy PPG.
Through nine weeks of football London is averaging 15.7 Fantasy PPG. 552 receiving yards and six touchdowns puts London on track to smash his prior two season totals. London has finished with 17+ Fantasy Points five times this season with a massive 33.4 points back in Week 5. We are all thanking Kirk Cousins for elevating London up to our expectations and pending health London has top five to 10 Fantasy upside rest of season.
Garrett Wilson (Jets)
Another former first-round talent held back by mediocre quarterback play that has been lifted by a veteran quarterback is Garrett Wilson. Wilson has produced over 1,000 receiving yards in his opening two seasons but only managed to average 12-ish Fantasy PPG during that span. Aaron Rodgers is finally connecting well in 2024 with Wilson, even with Davante Adams in town.
Garrett Wilson through nine weeks of football has caught 60 balls for 663 receiving yards and scored six touchdowns, averaging 17.4 Fantasy PPG. Wilson started off the season slow but has been taking off since Week 5 with Fantasy scores of 29.1, 24.7, 13.1, 16.3, and an explosive 30 Fantasy Points. Four weeks of double-digit targets have been solid and Wilson was targeted 23 times back in Week 5. Wilson has top-five to 10 upside rest of season.
Terry McLaurin (Commanders)
Another wide receiver who has been held back by quarterback play in the past but is finally producing due to an upgrade is Terry McLaurin with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. McLaurin has produced over 1,000 receiving yards for four straight seasons prior to 2024 but never finished inside the top 20 in Fantasy PPG for the position. McLaurin’s 598 receiving yard paces him to have his best season in that department and six touchdowns is one shy of his rookie season’s seven which is his career-high.
McLaurin is currently a top 10 Fantasy wide receiver and is averaging 15.1 PPG on the season. McLaurin opened up his first two games this season with under nine Fantasy Points but then went on to average 17.73 PPG since then. McLaurin has scored a pair of touchdowns now twice across his last four weeks, and his connection to Daniels continues to grow. McLaurin has top 15 upside with how Daniels is looking as a rookie.
Zay Flowers (Ravens)
Zay Flowers was the leader through the air as a rookie last season, posting 77 catches for 858 receiving yards, five touchdowns, and 12.9 (#31) Fantasy PPG. Flowers finished his final five games of his rookie year hot and that carried into the NFL Playoffs which foreshadowed a leap in production for 2024. Through nine weeks of football Flowers has 46 catches for 654 receiving yards, 47 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.
Flowers is averaging 14.9 Fantasy PPG this season mostly due to two really down weeks where he scored under six points in Week 3, Week 4, and Week 7. To be fair, Lamar Jackson threw 15, 18, and 22 times in those three games. Flowers has had solid spike weeks with scores of 22.1 (Week 2), 19 (Week 5), 22.4 (Week 6), 18.5 (Week 8), and 29.7 (Week 9) Fantasy Points. Flowers has finished with 111, 132, 115, and 127 receiving yards in four of his last five games displaying major upside. Diontae Johnson was traded to the Ravens but I do not fear Flowers to regress as Baltimore does such a great job scheming up touches for their sophomore, Jackson is averaging 28.3 passing attempts per game, and I truly just bank on Flowers’ talent. Flowers has top-12 Fantasy Football upside for the rest of the season.
Jayden Reed (Packers)
Jayden Reed was the leader through the air last season as a second-round rookie for the Packers, establishing a solid connection with first-year starter Jordan Love along with a versatile role. Reed finished with 64 catches for 793 receiving yards, 119 rushing yards, 10 total touchdowns, and 13.6 Fantasy PPG (#26). The Packers were without Jordan Love for two weeks this season which meant a dip in passing production, but Reed has still managed to catch 36 balls for 620 receiving yards, rush for 110 yards, and score four touchdowns so far. Reed is definitely on pace to have a much bigger sophomore season.
Reed is averaging 14.8 Fantasy PPG this season but has had some major scoring weeks when Love has been on the field such as 33.1 (Week 1) and 27.1 (Week 4) Fantasy Point weeks. Reed led wide receivers in rushing yards across the first five weeks of football and has finished games with 138 (Week 1), 139 (Week 4), and 113 (Week 9) receiving yards. During the down Weeks 7/8 scoring Reed had a lingering ankle issue but it was clear in Week 9 that he was back to full strength. Reed has top 12-15 upside rest of season.
Brian Thomas Jr. (Jaguars)
Trevor Lawrence was desperate for a big-play, touchdown-scoring wide receiver and the Jaguars went and selected one in the first-round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Brian Thomas Jr. has been a steady producer as a rookie wide receiver as a current top-12 overall scorer for the position averaging 14.4 Fantasy PPG. BTJ suffered a chest injury in Week 8 that originally projected him out two to four weeks but ultimately ended up playing in Week 9 which may have attributed to a down week. Thomas Jr. has had weeks scoring 21.9 (Week 4), 23.2 (Week 5), and 22.1 (Week 7) Fantasy Points. 94 receiving yards in Week 2, 86 in Week 4, 122 in Week 5, 89 in Week 7 along with five touchdowns so far shows the upside BTJ has in his bag. 595 receiving yards so far in nine games paces him for close to 1,200 yards. Healthy Brian Thomas Jr. has the potential to be a top-20 wide receiver for Fantasy Football weekly.
Malik Nabers (Giants)
Another rookie who has absolutely balled out this season is Giants’ first-rounder Malik Nabers who despite missing two full weeks is the WR13 in total Fantasy Points averaging a stellar 18.4 PPG. Nabers has had huge Fantasy weeks including 28.7 (Week 2), 28.2 (Week 3), and 23.1 (Week 4) Fantasy Points. Nabers has produced 127 and 115 receiving yards Weeks 2/4, is averaging 12.2 targets per game, and has a massive 37.2% target share. 557 receiving yards through seven games paces Nabers for a huge year through the air. This talent mixed with volume has the potential to be a top-five to seven wide receiver for Fantasy Football the rest of the way. Many thought Nabers would be held back in the same sense Drake London and Garrett Wilson were due to being a Giant but that is simply not the case here.
Other notable wide receivers having breakouts include Darnell Mooney (14.4 PPG), and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (14 PPG). Keeep an eye out for Ladd McConkey, Josh Downs, DK Metcalf, and George Pickens down the stretch
Tight End Breakouts
Brock Bowers (Raiders)
First-round rookie Brock Bowers, the Georgia Bulldogs leader the last three years, is on pace to have the best rookie tight end season of all time. Through nine weeks of football Bowers has earned 73 targets, caught 57 of them for 580 receiving yards, and is averaging the second-most Fantasy PPG at 14.2. Bowers has finished weeks with 18.8 (Week 2), 23.7 (Week 5), 16.1 (Week 6), 19.3 (Week 7), and 15.5 (Week 9) Fantasy Points. Three weeks of over 90 receiving yards is impressive seeing as though he has caught passes from the average likes of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connel this year. The volume paired with production for this talent makes Bowers a candidate to finish as this year’s TE1 in what could be a truly historic year.
Other notable tight ends having a great season include George Kittle (18 PPG), Trey McBride (13.2 PPG), Kyle Pitts (11.1 PPG), Tucker Kraft (11.1 PPG) and prior to Monday Night Football’s stats Cade Otton (10.8 PPG).
Make sure to check out all of our Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!