Thus far, the NFL offseason has been a wild ride. With that being said, how will this affect the Fantasy Football landscape? A handful of players have found new homes for the foreseeable future. Will they be fantasy-relevant? Will they positively impact their new team or fall off quicker than the hair on my head? Here are Fantasy Football’s 2024 “New faces in New places.”
Players With New Homes for 2024 Fantasy Football
Running Backs
Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens: ADP31/RB12
Arguably, the greatest Running Back of his generation has ended up on the best rushing attack in recent memory. The Ravens have had the most rushing yards as a team since the 2019 season. The Running Back with the most rushing yards since 2019? Derrick Henry. Things at times look too good to be true. The same can be said for this situation, but it will not turn out that way. At age 30, Derrick Henry has proven everyone wrong about “Running Backs decline after 28”. Although he saw 69 fewer carries and 371 yards less than the previous season, Henry played in every single game.
Now, he gets to play behind two-time MVP, Lamar Jackson. Gus Edwards accumulated 13 rushing touchdowns last season in this same offense. Now, the King of Running Backs the past five years gets his turn in this lethal rushing attack. An ADP of RB12 seems as if people are being cautious about drafting Henry. An outcome of 1200 rushing yards with 15 or more touchdowns is in his future and he will be a Fantasy Football steal in all drafts.
Joe Mixon, Houston Texans: ADP 49.5/RB17
Joe Mixon has found himself a new home with a lethal offense in the Houston Texans. Mixon has been an RB1 on a ppg basis for the past three seasons. Yet, he is being drafted now as the RB17 in Fantasy Football drafts. This is a lateral move for Mixon as just like the Bengals, he has an elite Quarterback and elite weapons around him to take the attention away from him. Dameon Pierce truthers, the dream is dead and it died last season. Joe Mixon has no competition to finish for a fourth consecutive season as an RB1. Also, a pass-catching Running Back is something all fantasy players want. The running back who has had the fourth most receptions since 2021 is Joe Mixon. At RB17, he is a tremendous value.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans: ADP84/RB28
First of all, life can hit you very fast in the blink of an eye or in this case, a season. Tony Pollard was the RB5 based on ADP this time last year. Fast forward one year and he is the RB28 in Fantasy Football currently. Pollard had a rough year last year compared to what everyone, including myself, thought he was going to do, it was a major letdown. Pollard now finds himself on the Tennessee Titans and splitting a backfield with the more explosive, younger Running Back Tyjae Spears. The coaching staff has also reported this will be a 1A and 1B role in this backfield. Do not draft Tony Pollard in the 7th round. Wait until round nine and draft Tyjae Spears if you want a Titans’ Running Back.
Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals: ADP83/RB27
Zack Moss is now the Joe Mixon replacement for the Bengals. Moss, had his best season in his four-year career last season. A lethal offensive line, plus Jonathan Taylor being out, aided in Moss’ successful season. In turn, it led to the Bengals signing Moss this off-season. Moss is set to be the Bengals’ RB1 followed by Chase Brown being the backup. To those who have concerns about Moss, he was 13th in red-zone touches. I expect the Bengals, at full strength, to be one of the best teams in football this upcoming season. Zack Moss can thrive once again and this time on an even better offense. Zack Moss is a perfect fit for those who want to approach Fantasy Football with a “ZeroRB” strategy.
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: ADP26/RB10
Josh Jacobs has a new home and that is with the Green Bay Packers. Just two years ago, Jacobs had a massive RB3 finish on a ppg basis with over 2000 total yards. When healthy, Jacobs is one of the best in the NFL. Now, he has the backfield to himself besides rookie Marshawn Lloyd. I love this ADP of Jacobs as he will see over 250 rush attempts to make it easy for franchise Quarterback, Jordan Love. Jordan Love never got a full year of Aaron Jones as he dealt with injuries and still managed a QB1 finish. Now, with an elite Running Back at full strength, the sky is the limit for Love and Josh Jacobs in 2024. Josh Jacobs is my dark horse overall RB1 for Fantasy Football in 2024.
Wide Receivers
Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans: ADP33.5/WR18
The last time Stefon Diggs finished outside of the top 15 receivers in Fantasy Football was in 2019. At WR18 based off ADP, Diggs is a value to me. The Texans are set to have one of, if not, the best offenses in all of football. Nico Collins will line up as the “X” receiver. This, in turn, will leave Diggs to be across Collins and even line up in the slot at times. With that said, there are just too many weapons on the Texans to think the focus will be on stopping Diggs. One of my hot takes for the 2024 season is that CJ Stroud supports THREE top 15 receivers in Fantasy Football. Start your draft with a three-headed dragon by drafting three straight Wide Receivers, with Diggs being the third one.
Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers: ADP83.5, WR39
Diontae Johnson has been the product of HORRIBLE Quarterback play the past two seasons. Before that, he broke out with a WR8 finish on a PPG basis. Now, people think he was “banished” to the Carolina Panthers. The thing is, the Panthers are in a GREAT position with new Head Coach, Dave Canales. Diontae Johnson will be what DJ Moore was last year. An elite route runner and pass catcher who was cursed with poor Quarterback play. Now, he gets a Heisman winner in Bryce Young. The only way up for Young and the Panthers is UP. Dave Canales will make sure of that. Diontae Johnson WILL crush his ADP of WR39 by at least 20 spots. He is someone you can draft comfortably as your WR2 in drafts. Also, be sure to bet the over on all of Diontae Johnson’s receiving props in 2024.
Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans: ADP74.5/WR35
Calvin Ridley disappointed a ton of us from a Fantasy Football perspective but still managed eight touchdowns and over 1000 yards receiving. The Titans have done their best to surround Will Levis with pieces such as DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Chigoziem Okonkwo. Although there are many mouths to feed in this offense, Ridley did not lose a step, he just did not live up to his ADP from a year ago. Draft Ridley as one of your FLEX options with the chance he will give you weekly WR2 numbers and some WR1 spike weeks.
Curtis Samuel, Buffalo Bills: ADP129/WR52
Curtis Samuel is practically free in all of your Fantasy Football drafts. I understand, though. Samuel has not even had 1300 receiving yards in the past three seasons combined. He has a new home now, though and his Quarterback is Josh Allen. Not only that, but the Bills lost their WR1 and WR2 this off-season. Their “WR1” is a tight end by the name of Dalton Kincaid and they also drafted Keon Coleman in this year’s draft.
With that being said, the only wide receiver I am willing to draft from the Bills is Curtis Samuel. Samuel had his best season in 2020. He finished as the WR27 on a ppg basis with 77 catches. His offensive coordinator at that time was the same one for the Bills now, Joe Brady. Brady got the best out of Samuel that season and I expect Brady to do it once again in 2024. Draft Curtis Samuel in all Fantasy Football formats.
Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson & Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers: ADP184/ADP177/QB30/QB27
Both of these Quarterbacks have found a new home and it’s in the same place. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be competing to see who will be the Steelers QB1 for the start of the 2024 season. From a redraft Fantasy Football perspective, there is no need to draft either one of these guys. The thing I would do is to just add Fields from the Waiver Wire sometime in this season. Wilson is set to be the team’s QB1, but Fields has the better ADP as of now. This all seems like chaos and it is best to stay away for now, but keep your eye on this situation as the off-season continues.
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons: ADP111.5/QB18
An ADP of QB18 just does not sit well with me. Yes, Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles less than a year ago, but from videos, he is looking to be in good shape. Not only that, but he might have better weapons in Atlanta than he did with the Minnesota Vikings. With members of the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff taking over in Atlanta, Cousins is a perfect Quarterback to draft if you want to stack up your weapons and draft your Quarterback in the double-digit rounds.
Cousins was having one of his best seasons and was on pace to set a career-high in passing yards. Now, he has the chance to do it with elite weapons by his side in Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson. It is okay to not want to take a chance on Cousins, but with the weapons by his side, it is hard to overlook the value in his ADP.