Fantasy Football managers are always trying to find breakout players. These are the players that make us feel like geniuses. Finding these breakouts before the breakout happens makes us feel alive. Every year a handful of rookies make a tremendous impact in the fantasy world. There are also a handful of second-year players who make their names known and take that leap.
Some of my favorite breakout players for 2024 are running backs such as Chase Brown and Tyjae Spears. At quarterback, I like Bryce Young and Will Levis. Then, there are receivers that we all love like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Dontayvion Wicks.
In a perfect world, all of these players will break out in their sophomore seasons. Unfortunately, that is not the reality of it and some will become the very bain of our existence. Yep, some of them will be busts.
Below are my thoughts on the top breakout players I see at Running Back, Quarterback, and Wide Receiver. If these players perform as I think they will, they will be huge pieces of many championship fantasy football teams.
Top Second-Year Breakouts for 2024 Fantasy Football
Running Back
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans, RB30, ADP 109.0
Tyjae Spears has all the tools for what fantasy football managers want in a running back. Spears is my number one candidate among these breakout players. Put the ball in Tyjae Spears’ hands and watch the magic unfold. Though he averaged just 4.2 true YPC which ranked 26th, it is what is done when the ball is in his hands that is special. First of all, he was ninth amongst Running Backs in receptions and targets. Also, he was 11th in receiving yards amongst all Running Backs. Overall, when looking at the numbers Spears put up from an efficiency standpoint, it is hard not to get overly excited.
Spears also was 13th in fantasy points per opportunity, and 11th in yards per route run, averaging 5.5 yards per touch, ranking him sixth. With being fourth overall amongst Running Backs in juke rate and fifth in yards created per touch, this is the makings of an RB1 in Fantasy Football. Yes, Tony Pollard will be in the backfield with Spears and is a fairly good pass catcher, BUT the numbers were not good for Pollard last season. Pollard was 50th in fantasy points per opportunity and 44th in yards per touch. All in all, if you need any more information about Pollard for you to be hyped up about Tyjae Spears, Pollard averaged 3.16 yards created per touch. This ranked him 37th among all Running Backs.
Wide Receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks, WR47, 78.0
Unquestionably, Jaxon Smith-Njigba did nothing to make us think this is a MUST-DRAFT player in 2024. Two factors make me think differently, though. First, Tyler Lockett will be 32 years old, and Father Time already looked like it said hello to him last season. Lockett had his worst ppg finish in Fantasy Football last season dating back to 2018. With another year under his belt, I’ll place my bets on Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Another major factor we need to consider is the Seattle Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator. Ryan Grubb was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies for three seasons. The same Huskies with one of the best offenses in college football the past few seasons.
This is the same Ryan Grubb that had three 1000-yard receivers in his offense with all three receivers getting drafted this past NFL draft. Get excited, Seattle, because the football will be in the air a whole lot. My faith resides in JSN due to how easily he can create separation from his defender. With another off-season of working on himself, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is my bet to be one of the sophomore breakout players in 2024.
Quarterback
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers, QB25, ADP 191.5
Kyler Murray’s little cousin might have had one of the worst rookie seasons a Quarterback could have, but being at the bottom, the only way is UP. Bryce Young and the Panthers offense already took a step forward with the hiring of Dave Canales as their head coach. Dave Canales was the same man who was the Quarterback Coach when Geno Smith never wrote back. Smith went on to finish that season as the QB8 on a ppg basis. Smith fell back down to the QB20 in PPG last season. Then, Canales was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year, Baker Mayfield had his best season since his rookie year with Canales. Mayfield went on to finish as the QB17 in ppg, his best since year one.
All in all, we fantasy managers sometimes look too deep into things while the answers are at the surface. The Panthers traded for a receiver in Diontae Johnson who has proven to post WR1 numbers. They also drafted a Running Back Jonathan Brooks who has shown his abilities in the receiving department. Now, as the QB25, Bryce Young is the best value amongst all Quarterbacks besides Dak Prescott. Being a betting man, I would gladly put money on Bryce Young to be one of the sophomore breakout players. If there is a second-year Quarterback not already in the top 12 of Fantasy Football to draft in 2024, it is Bryce Young.