• Josh Downs shines during the middle of 2024: Downs missed the beginning of 2024, but was a top-15 fantasy wide receiver during the middle parts of the year, before other injuries started piling up.
• Shrine Bowl and combine success:Jacory Croskey-Merritt showcased his potential with an impressive Shrine Bowl performance and strong combine results.
• Win with PFF+: From draft day to championship week, PFF+ is the ultimate Fantasy sidekick. Get the Fantasy Mock Draft Simulator, Live Draft Assistant, Fantasy Draft Kit, weekly waiver suggestions, Start/Sit Optimizer and more.

Estimated reading time: 35 minutes

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Each season, most of the players who lead teams to the fantasy playoffs are those selected early in the draft. However, there are always a few who dominate despite being drafted much later. For example, Brock Bowers last season and Raheem Mostert the year before went from late-round draft picks to fantasy superstars.

We’re identifying 10 players who are being drafted from the 11th round or later and could become weekly must-start options. Each player is ranked at least one round earlier than ADP

The average draft position listed is from a consensus between ESPN, Sleeper and Yahoo! for where the player is picked on average in a 12-team, redraft league.

Last updated: Sunday, August 31

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WR Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (ADP: 11.05)

Josh Downs won the Indianapolis Colts‘ slot receiving job in the 2023 preseason after getting drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft. Downs played at least 70% of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps over the first eight weeks. A high target rate led him to rank 30th among fantasy wide receivers over the first eight weeks. He had the 17th-most receptions for the 27th-most yards.

Downs suffered a knee injury, which left him questionable for two weeks. He played through the injury to minimal fantasy value. He played just a handful of snaps in the two games immediately after the injury, and then his playing time only bounced back to 60-65% of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps. After gaining 55 receiving yards or more in four of his first eight games, he was held under 55 receiving yards and no touchdowns in his final nine games.

He missed the start of the 2024 season due to an ankle injury. He returned to a quiet game in Week 3. His playing time never returned to the consistency of the start of the 2023 season, but his target rate increased significantly. From Weeks 4 to 11, he averaged 15.8 PPR points per game, which ranked 13th among wide receivers. Downs was dealing with a toe injury during most of this stretch.

Downs began dealing with a calf injury before Week 12 and a shoulder injury after Week 12, resulting in his absence in Week 13. Downs was less consistent over the last four weeks, which was in part due to the shoulder injury. He finished the season with a career-high 10 receptions for 94 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Downs’ role over the last two seasons has been very consistent. He’s been the Colts’ slot receiver in three-receiver sets but has been off the field in two-receiver sets. Downs has played 89.9% of Indianapolis’ offensive snaps when the Colts have three wide receivers on the field or more and 5.8% when the Colts have two wide receivers or fewer, only including the games where Downs played at least 30% of the team’s offensive snaps.

Typically, it is very difficult for a wide receiver to be fantasy-relevant in this role. However, Downs has been an exception thanks to his high targets per route rate and the Colts’ high rate of using 11 personnel. The Colts have the third-highest rate of using 11 personnel over the last two seasons at 74.1% of their plays.

Downs will continue playing under Shane Steichen, as he’s done throughout his career. The Colts have used three-receiver sets at a high rate along with throwing to receivers a lot, which has worked well for Indianapolis. The Colts focused more of their offense on Jonathan Taylor last season, which led to more two-tight-end sets and a much higher run rate. That was working against Downs. Ideally, the team can trust their quarterbacks more this season, which would be a big boost for Downs and help make it possible for Downs and Warren to co-exist.

Downs will have Daniel Jones as his quarterback, who has a history of throwing to slot receivers. Wan’Dale Robinson joins Downs among the top five wide receivers in slot targets over the last two seasons, so Jones would have no problems throwing to Downs. Jones also has a much lower deep target rate than Anthony Richardson from last season, which would mean more targets available for Warren or Downs. Jones’ pass accuracy is also higher, which would also be beneficial for Downs.

Downs has the upside to be a top-24 fantasy wide receiver. However, he’s dealt with multiple injuries that have cost him time and quality of play once he returns from injury. He also has Tyler Warren to deal with. Either an injury or Warren stepping up could be the difference between Downs being a fantasy starter and Downs being unplayable in fantasy leagues.

RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders (ADP: 14.07)

Jacory Croskey-Merritt spent 2019-2022 as a running back for Alabama State, playing a significant role in 2021 and 2022 with a steadily improving grade each season. He transferred to New Mexico in 2023 and significantly improved in both the running game and passing game, averaging a first down and breaking long runs at a ridiculously high rate, albeit against a lower level of competition than most running backs from the 2025 draft class. He was primarily used as a runner with New Mexico and was very rarely used as a receiver. When he was, he earned a decent grade.

He transferred to Arizona in 2024 and played one game, but an eligibility issue arose, which made him no longer eligible. He looked great on a relatively small sample, albeit against his former team, New Mexico. He played in the Shrine Bowl, gaining 97 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns.

Croskey-Merritt impressed at the combine, finishing in the 80th percentile or better in the 40-yard dash, 10-yard split, vertical jump and broad jump. While his combine results were great, his PFF tracking data suggests a below-average speed compared to other running backs at the top of the draft class. However, he was faster than Cam Skattebo, Jordan James and Tahj Brooks. 

Croskey-Merritt was selected by the Washington Commanders, who had a crowded backfield last season with Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. The Commanders have used one clear early-down back and one clear receiving back in their games. Robinson has been the primary early-down back, and Ekeler has been the primary receiving back. This initially made it seem like Croskey-Merritt’s path to playing time would be very difficult.

However, he was already playing ahead of both McNichols and Rodriguez in the Commanders’ first preseason game. Robinson and Ekeler had the game off, but Croskey-Merritt served as the primary early-down back while McNichols was the receiving back. Rodriguez didn’t play until much later in the game, suggesting he was a clear fifth on the depth chart.

This made it seem like Croskey-Merritt would be the clear handcuff if Robinson were to get injured. The second game wasn’t as promising because Rodriguez started over Croskey-Merritt but then Robinson was traded. Croskey-Merritt was among the key players to sit out in their final preseason game, while Rodriguez played in the game. This suggested that Croskey-Merritt was back ahead of Rodriguez and the top running back on the depth chart for early downs.

Croskey-Merritt will play in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, where his running backs have often been fantasy starters when healthy. He’s had an every-down back at times but has also had an early-down back with a passing-down back. Given that Croskey-Merritt wasn’t used on third downs in their first preseason game and wasn’t even used very often at New Mexico, it seems very likely his role will only be as an early-down back. Kinsbury’s offenses have been balanced, producing a low rate of throwing to running backs. Deebo Samuel‘s presence at wide receiver will likely keep the target rate to running backs low.

Jayden Daniels is a quarterback who can run, which could also potentially limit the running backs. The Commanders didn’t necessarily use him on the one-yard line like other running quarterbacks, but that could change with Croskey-Merritt. Brian Robinson was noticeably bigger than Daniels, but Croskey-Merritt is slightly smaller.

The Commanders made changes to the offensive line in 2024, which didn’t work out as well as expected. The three interior linemen all graded worse than at earlier points in their careers, despite being at an age where they should be around their prime. Brandon Coleman played fine for a third-round tackle for a rookie. The Commanders replaced their weakest link on the line with Laremy Tunsil, who is known for being an excellent pass protector, but he’s also been an adequate run blocker. The line should be improved over what it was last season, but the question is by how much.

Croskey-Merritt is about to fly up draft boards faster than most sites have updated their ADPs. His consensus ADP has improved by five rounds over the last week. He should be one of the top 32 running backs drafted, but you, ideally, won’t have to draft him that high.

RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks (ADP: 11.07)

Zach Charbonnet was the 52nd overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, which was awkward for fantasy football purposes because Kenneth Walker III was the 41st overall pick of the 2022 draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Charbonnet started his career playing between 23-27% of Seattle’s offensive snaps over the first five weeks, touching the ball a few times per week. From Weeks 8 to 10, Charbonnet started playing much more in passing situations as Walker was playing but not practicing due to calf and chest injuries. Not long after, an oblique injury kept Walker out for two weeks. 

Charbonnet became a feature back for those two weeks. Unfortunately, he averaged 3.4 and 3.2 yards per carry in those games, respectively, and averaged 13.4 PPR points in his two starts. Walker returned for the final five games of the season, where playing time was a near-even split, but Walker was dominating carries while Charbonnet averaged 19 rushing yards per game.

Walker was healthy for the first week of 2024, in which Charbonnet was back down to a 34% snap rate. Walker missed six games over the course of the season, giving Charbonnet more opportunities as a starter. However, when Walker was available, Charbonnet was playing fewer snaps on average compared to the previous season. He wasn’t fantasy viable when Walker was healthy, but he averaged 19.2 PPR points over his six starts during the season. His fantasy points per start ranked fourth-best among running backs last season. 

Part of his fantasy success last season came from high touchdown totals. He averaged a rushing touchdown per start, the best for all running backs, and his 0.059 rushing touchdowns per attempt over the entire season was fourth-most among running backs.

Walker has generally graded better as both a runner and a receiver over the last two seasons. Charbonnet has been more consistent at converting first downs, but Walker has broken more big plays when given the opportunity. Charbonnet has been notably better on gap runs than zone, finishing with 5.1 yards per attempt on gap plays compared to 3.5 on zone. The reverse is true for Walker, who averages 4.4 yards per attempt in his career on zone runs compared to 4.0 on gap runs.

Charbonnet has had the unique combination of being the third-down back who also plays a lot in short-yardage and goal-line situations. That helps explain his high first-down conversion rates and high touchdown totals. Charbonnet is a tad taller and bigger than Walker, but not significantly.

Klint Kubiak is the Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator. He has worked as an offensive or passing game coordinator on five different teams in the last five seasons. In three of the last four stops, including his last two as an offensive coordinator, his team has had a top-12 fantasy running back. This includes Alvin Kamara, who was fifth in fantasy points per game last season, and Christian McCaffrey, who was first in 2023. His offenses have consistently featured the running back in the passing game. 

While Walker seemed like a better fit for Kubiak’s offense, signs are pointing toward Charbonnet earning a larger role than last season. Walker has missed most of training camp due to injury, which has been a common occurrence in Walker’s career. This has given Charbonnet the first-team reps with the offense, and he’s been able to impress the new coaching staff. Kubiak has praised Charbonnet’s intelligence and said “longevity or just availability” is second-most important for elite running backs, which Charbonnet’s had this offseason, while Walker hasn’t over the last month.

This makes it at least possible that Charbonnet will have fantasy value even if there isn’t a new Walker injury. If he becomes the starter, he has top-15 potential, given Seattle’s desire to run the ball and Charbonnet’s talent.

Charbonnet might not be anything more than a handcuff this season, but he’s one of the most talented handcuffs on a team that wants to center their offense around the running back, behind a running back who has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career. This makes him arguably the top pure handcuff option in the NFL this season.

WR Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (ADP: 12.04)

The Chicago Bears drafted Mooney in 2020, and he put together one of the most successful seasons by a fifth-round rookie receiver. His 61 receptions tied with Tyreek Hill for the second most among fifth-round rookies in the past decade, and he ranked just behind Puka Nacua and just ahead of Stefon Diggs. Mooney surpassed Allen Robinson as the Bears’ top wide receiver in 2021, gaining 1,000 yards for the first and only time in his career.

Unfortunately, his yards-per-game average dropped by 21 between 2021 and 2022, and D.J. Moore‘s arrival in 2023 caused Mooney’s target rate to plummet. Part of the problem was that Mooney played primarily as an outside receiver in 2020 and 2021 but then logged more snaps from the slot than out wide in 2022 and 2023. Mooney has averaged 1.92 yards per route run over the past season when lined up out wide, compared to 1.12 in the slot.

The Atlanta Falcons signed Mooney during the 2024 offseason to a three-year, $39 million contract ($26 million guaranteed), and he served as the X receiver in their offense. His target rate shot back up despite him being the No. 2 option behind Drake London. His yards-per-game average matched his best season with Chicago, and while his receptions-per-game mark slightly declined, he set a career high in receiving touchdowns (five).

Mooney was a classic up-and-down third wide receiver option in fantasy leagues last season. He recorded 80 or more receiving yards in seven games, with his five touchdowns all coming in those outings. However, he was held to three receptions for fewer than 40 yards in six games. Some receivers tend to put up bigger numbers in losses than wins because their team needs to pass more often, but Mooney’s good games generally occurred in the Falcons’ high-scoring, close affairs, while his bad games were generally in low-scoring, close losses.

Mooney will be in Zac Robinson’s offense for a second straight season. His offense bears a strong resemblance to the one the Los Angeles Rams run, utilizing three-receiver sets at a high rate while also frequently targeting wide receivers. Mooney should see a high volume of targets.

By far, the biggest change for the Falcons’ offense is at quarterback, where Michael Penix Jr., who started the last three games of 2024, will take over full-time. Mooney gained 82 yards on five receptions in his first game with Penix last season, injured his shoulder in the second game and missed the third game. While Penix zeroed in on Drake London for most of those three weeks, he should be a positive for Mooney, on paper.

Penix threw deep and was accurate on such throws at much higher rates than the league average. Mooney caught 14 passes on deep attempts last season, the third most in the NFL. He could lead the league in deep targets if he gains more chemistry with Penix.

Mooney tallied the 38th-most fantasy points per game in 2024. Most teams can have two fantasy-relevant skill players if they have anywhere close to an average offense, and the Falcons have Bijan Robinson and London. It’s often the quality of the offense that determines if a third target is fantasy-viable. If Penix plays well, Mooney would likely be that third person. If Penix plays worse than Kirk Cousins last year, then the Falcons probably won’t have a third fantasy-relevant option.

Mooney has been dealing with a shoulder injury, which has kept him out of training camp. His quarterback is optimistic he will be back for Week 1, but there is a chance he will miss the start of the season. The injury has been driving down his price, which has kept him a value compared to his ADP.

Mooney was a borderline WR3 last season and could be a weekly fantasy starter if Penix continues to develop into a solid NFL quarterback. If not, Mooney will just be a fantasy backup who can fill in due to injuries or bye weeks.

QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (ADP: 12.12)

J.J. McCarthy spent three years as a quarterback at Michigan, initially as a backup to Cade McNamara, but he beat out McNamara for the starting job in 2022. He was never a high-volume quarterback due to Michigan’s run-first offense and constantly playing with a lead, but he was great on a per-play basis. He was in the 90th percentile or better in each situation. He improved significantly from his first year as a starter to his second. His dropbacks per game decreased, but his stats still increased thanks to a much higher accuracy rate.

McCarthy similarly never ran the ball too often himself, but he had a very high rate of gaining at least 15 yards or a first down. His speed and athleticism are both above average for an NFL quarterback.

His success at Michigan led the Minnesota Vikings to select McCarthy with the 10th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft after Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr. but just before Bo Nix. The Vikings had moved on from Kirk Cousins at quarterback and signed Sam Darnold, who was initially the starter, but the general assumption was that McCarthy would take over either before Week 1 or not long after. However, McCarthy tore his meniscus. He had surgery to repair it and missed his entire rookie year.

While Darnold played well for the Vikings, Minnesota opted not to re-sign him and stick with McCarthy as its starter for the 2025 season. From all reports, McCarthy is looking healthy and should be fully ready to go for the season.

McCarthy joins the Minnesota Vikings offense led by Kevin O’Connell. His offenses have been great for quarterbacks. The Vikings typically run an average-to-high number of plays and are consistently passing the ball at a high rate. Sam Darnold was a top-10 fantasy quarterback last season, Kirk Cousins was in 2022, and in 2023, he was top 10 in points per game. In 2023, after Cousins’ injury, Dobbs was a top-12 fantasy quarterback in three of four games he played 100% of his team’s offensive snaps, while Nick Mullens was a top-14 fantasy quarterback when he played 100% of the snaps. Both Dobbs and Mullens had weeks as a top-five fantasy quarterback.

McCarthy will be surrounded by a strong receiving group in Minnesota, with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at wide receiver, T.J. Hockenson at tight end and Aaron Jones Sr. at running back. The Jefferson and Hockenson duo has been around for multiple seasons and is part of the reason the Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks always perform better in fantasy than they do in real-life quarterback rankings. Even if McCarthy struggles like most quarterbacks do in their first year, the supporting cast and coaching staff should be enough to make McCarthy a top-24 fantasy quarterback. There is a chance McCarthy plays better than past Vikings quarterbacks, in which he could be a top-eight option.

The Vikings had an average offensive line in pass protection last season, but there is reason to believe they will be much better this season. Brian O’Neill is the only returning full-time starter, and he was one of the best pass-protecting right tackles last season. Christian Darrisaw had emerged as one of the best young left tackles in the league but missed half the year due to injury. The interior of the line wasn’t great, leading the Vikings to add Donovan Jackson in the first round of the draft in addition to free agents Ryan Kelly and Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts. All of them should be at least minor upgrades over the 2024 starters. 

Every quarterback who is in their first year as a starter with minimal rushing upside is a risk for fantasy football, but the coaching staff and surrounding cast in Minnesota put J.J. McCarthy in a better position to succeed than nearly all other first-year starting quarterbacks of recent seasons. McCarthy should already be considered a starter in superflex leagues and is a great high-upside option as a backup in single-quarterback leagues.

WR Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos (ADP: 13.12)

Mims joined the Denver Broncos as the 63rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He started last season as a non-factor, playing even less than in the previous season, and caught 11 passes for 69 yards over the first 10 weeks. In Week 11, Mims started seeing a much higher target rate. He gained at least 40 receiving yards in five of his last seven games and caught six touchdowns in that time. He had two games near the end of the season with a 46% snap rate, in addition to a 69% snap rate in the Broncos’ playoff game.

Mims ranked 23rd in PPR points per game during the seven-game stretch (15.5). He was the clear second option in the offense despite having run the fourth-most routes in the wide receiver room. He posted an elite 89.7 PFF receiving grade and saw a target on 30.4% of his routes, leading to 4.25 yards per route run. After being a deep threat earlier in his career, Mims averaged only 4.2 depth yards per target.

He scored a touchdown on 3.1% of his routes last season, the best rate among wide receivers, while his 0.64 receiving fantasy points per route ranked second.

The Broncos utilized a significant wide receiver rotation last season. Courtland Sutton and Lil’Jordan Humphrey often played on early downs, while Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Devaughn Vele played in three-receiver sets, and Marvin Mims Jr. mixed in more and more frequently in every situation as last season went on. The Broncos no longer have Vele or Humphrey, but they spent a third-round pick on Pat Bryant and added veteran Trent Sherfield Sr.

Mims’ usage in the first preseason game provided optimism for an increased role this season. In 12 personnel, the Broncos consistently used Sutton and Mims, except for one play where Franklin took Mims’ spot. In 11 personnel, both Sutton and Mims played 11 of a possible 13 snaps. Mims again played every snap with the starters in the final preseason game.

His usage was a little concerning in the first game, as he consistently lined up out wide. Mims has 2.57 career yards per route run from the slot compared to 1.57 out wide, so this was somewhat concerning. However, after Vele was traded, Mims split time with Franklin in the slot in the final game. The fact that Bryant only played in Sutton’s place with the starters and consistently played the X receiver role with the backups suggests he might not play much this season, except for when Sutton needs a break. All signs point to a significantly increased role for Mims this season. 

Mims will be in his third season with Sean Payton as his head coach. Payton’s most successful receivers have been the bigger receivers of Marques Colston and Michael Thomas, but Payton has had other similar undersized receivers during his time with the New Orleans Saints. Most notably, Brandin Cooks had a similar size and speed to Mims. Cooks had a similar average depth of target in his rookie season to Mims’ last season before becoming a more complete receiver. Cooks was WR13 in 2015 and WR10 in 2016. Payton has called Mims an elite player with the ball in his hands and has raved about his confidence.

While Brandin Cooks became a top receiver with Drew Brees throwing to him, Mims will continue catching passes from Bo Nix, who played reasonably well for a rookie last season, finishing with a high accuracy rate. His rate of throwing to wide receivers was very high, and his first read rate was low, which is generally good for a low average depth of target player. Mims should do just fine with Nix at quarterback, but there is a chance Nix makes some strides in his second season, in which case Mims’ ceiling could be raised even higher.

Mims is just a late-round dart throw, but one worth taking. Either he will have a high snap rate early in the season, similar to late last season and the playoffs, in which case he has a solid chance of being a fantasy starter, or he won’t have enough snaps, which means you can drop him early in the season.

QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 15.12)

Trevor Lawrence’s fantasy value peaked in 2022, finishing with a career-high 25 passing touchdowns and a career-high five rushing touchdowns. This led him to finish 12th in fantasy points per game. His quality of play improved in 2023, and he dropped back to pass more often. This led to more passing yards, but he threw fewer touchdowns and ran for fewer touchdowns. This helped him finish among the top-18 fantasy quarterbacks more often but among the top-12 fantasy quarterbacks less often, and ultimately decreased his fantasy value.

Lawrence’s fantasy value continued to dip in 2024. His per-game stats are somewhat deceiving, as he had a game with only 10 passing attempts, but he was held under 200 passing yards in five other games. He failed to reach 200 yards only twice in 2023. Two of these games were from a very low passing attempt total, but there was one game where he had 38 attempts and 178 yards. These games largely occurred before Brian Thomas Jr. fully broke out and while Evan Engram was injured.

Lawrence suffered a shoulder injury in Week 9, which he also suffered at the end of 2023. He returned briefly in Week 13, but he suffered a concussion and didn’t return that season. Throughout Lawrence’s last three seasons, he’s been a high-risk, high-reward quarterback. His 1.8 big-time throws per game over the last two seasons are the fourth-most among quarterbacks, but he’s also had one of the highest turnover-worthy throw rates.

Lawrence is learning a new offensive system this year with Liam Coen as his new head coach. One big reason for optimism for Lawrence is how well Baker Mayfield played last season in Coen’s system. Mayfield received a 72.8 passing grade in 2023, which is comparable to Lawrence in recent seasons, and Mayfield’s passing game jumped to 82.4 in 2024. Similarly, his fantasy points per game jumped from 16.7 to 22.5. Lawrence has generally run the ball more often than Mayfield, so there is room for Lawrence’s fantasy production to be even higher.

Lawrence’s time to throw was consistently low during his time under Doug Pederson, but his average depth of target skyrocketed, leading to lower accuracy rates. We should expect his average target depth to decrease considerably. Lawrence’s deep ball accuracy over the last three years was in the bottom quarter of the league, but he finished in the top quarter of the league on short passes. The change in offensive philosophy should be a great asset to his fantasy value. 

The Jaguars have largely reworked their receiver room. Jacksonville traded up to the second overall pick for Travis Hunter and signed Dyami Brown to be their field stretcher in free agency. The Jaguars have tried several veteran wide receivers to help Lawrence, but the young duo of Brian Thomas Jr. and Hunter should be the best pair of Lawrence’s career. Jacksonville moved on from Lawrence’s safety net of Evan Engram, but Brenton Strange had a very similar receiving grade last season. Strange is another ascending player who should fill his role respectably.

Trevor Lawrence is a high-upside backup option in single quarterback leagues, and he, at best, can become your usual starter and, at worst, be an adequate fill-in during bye weeks. In superflex leagues, he is a somewhat risky second option.

RB Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 12.05)

Tank Bigsby was a third-round pick in the 2023 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and entered the league with significant preseason hype as a potential sleeper. He scored a touchdown on seven carries in Week 1 but also made a critical mistake, picking up what he thought was an incomplete pass — actually a live ball — which led to a turnover. He also had a pass go through his hands and into a defender’s arms for an interception. Bigsby didn’t touch the ball in Week 2, and in Week 3, another drop nearly resulted in an interception.

From Weeks 3 to 10, he logged two to three carries per game for minimal yardage, lost a fumble in Week 8 and tipped another pass into a near-interception in Week 10 — his final target of the year. He ended the season with just one reception and three drops on four targets. After a 2.3 yards per carry average on nine attempts in Week 11, Bigsby saw minimal playing time until the final two weeks, where he logged 13 carries.

His 2024 season began on a better note, with 12 carries for 73 yards in Week 1. However, he didn’t play on offense in Week 2 and barely saw the field in Week 3. He bounced back in Week 4 with seven carries for 90 yards and played at least 20% of offensive snaps the rest of the season. From Weeks 4 to 8, with Travis Etienne Jr. limited or sidelined, Bigsby ranked as the RB20.

He returned to a reduced role and missed a game in November but saw an uptick again in December as Etienne’s effectiveness waned, logging double-digit carries in each of the final five games and ranking as the RB28 in that stretch. Bigsby showed strong efficiency, averaging 3.74 yards after contact per attempt (third among RBs) and 0.28 avoided tackles per attempt (fifth), but ball security and receiving remained issues — he fumbled four times and dropped two passes, catching just seven balls all season (0.4 per game).

Bigsby demonstrated in 2024 that he can be a borderline fantasy starter when given a significant role. He finished as a top-24 fantasy running back in half of the games where he played at least 50% of offensive snaps and was heavily involved in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

Looking ahead, Bigsby will continue to compete for snaps, not only with Travis Etienne Jr. but also with rookie Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten is a smaller, speedier back with solid receiving skills and strong rushing grades in college. The size difference between Bigsby and Tuten may actually work in Bigsby’s favor, as it could allow the two to complement each other more naturally than Etienne and Tuten would. Bigsby remains the biggest back on the roster, which could help him retain a role in goal-line packages.

Still, while the contrasting skill sets are encouraging for Bigsby’s role stability, Tuten’s presence alone makes it harder for Bigsby to carve out the kind of consistent fantasy value he had during parts of last season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ new head coach, Liam Coen, brings optimism after overseeing a productive Tampa Bay offense in 2024. If Tank Bigsby can secure a goal-line role, he could benefit from more scoring opportunities. However, Coen’s past running backs — like Bucky Irving and Cam Akers — have generally been smaller and more dynamic, a profile that fits rookie Bhayshul Tuten more than Bigsby. The only recent exception, Rachaad White, succeeded primarily as a receiving back, an area where Bigsby has struggled.

Tank Bigsby has a chance to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars in carries, but it will be difficult to trust him in fantasy unless he’s consistently reaching double-digit carries and starts catching at least one pass per game.

TE Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans (ADP: 19.02)

Chig Okonkwo was a fourth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 as an undersized tight end with excellent speed and athleticism. Over the last three seasons, the only tight ends who have been faster are Jonnu Smith and Darren Waller, based on NGS tracking data.

Okonkwo started his career third on the Titans’ depth charts. Austin Hooper was the primary receiving tight end, Geoff Swaim was the primary blocker, and Okonkwo was the primary backup in both. He was excellent on a per-play basis, finishing with a high target rate on his limited routes. His 2.62 yards per route run was tied for the most by a tight end in a season in the last three seasons. He was tied with George Kittle from this season, and the third-place tight end finished with 2.23 yards per route run.

The Titans moved on from both Hooper and Swaim for 2023, adding Trevon Wesco to be their blocking tight end. They drafted Josh Whyle and had Kevin Rader also play notable snaps. The Titans’ run-first offense limited his routes even though he was on the field for a high percentage of pass plays. His 403 routes were the 18th-most among tight ends despite playing every game. His big plays disappeared, and he was remarkably average. His yards per route run were cut in half, but his routes more than doubled, leading to a slight increase in fantasy points.

The Titans gave Josh Whyle a more prominent role in 2024 and swapped out Wesco for Nick Vannett. The Titans ran more plays in 2024 and asked the tight ends to stay in and block less often, leading to more routes run by their tight ends but a lower percentage of those were by Okonkwo. He started avoiding more tackles, but his quarterbacks weren’t necessarily taking advantage. His 0.71 avoided tackles per game was the sixth-most among tight ends.

Okonkwo’s role in the Titans’ offense evolved as the season progressed. He averaged 57.4% of Tennessee’s offensive snaps over the first 10 weeks of the season, and that increased to 72.4% over the next seven weeks before suffering an abdominal injury early in Week 18. He caught a 70-yard touchdown pass in Week 12, leading to a higher target rate over the rest of the season. In the fantasy playoffs, he caught 22 passes for 182 yards, along with a 17-yard run. While he couldn’t be used as a fantasy starter throughout the fantasy regular season, his 43.9 fantasy points during the playoffs were the fourth-most behind Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta and George Kittle despite not scoring a touchdown.

After the season, head coach Brian Callahan had plenty of great things to say about Okonkwo’s development as a tight end, which is a promising sign for his future.

The Titans opted not to re-sign Vannett and cut Whyle on cut-down day but instead drafted Gunnar Helm in the second round.

Ideally, Okonkwo will pick up exactly where he left off last season. In his last two healthy games, Okonkwo played 76% of Tennessee’s snaps in 11 personnel, 87% of the 12 personnel snaps, and 100% of the 13, 21 and 22 personnel snaps. If Okonkwo continued this for the whole season, that would be excellent for his fantasy potential. Through two weeks of the preseason, Okonkwo has played 22 of a possible 23 snaps, suggesting his role will be just as big, if not bigger.

Okonkwo would have finished 16th in fantasy points per game among tight ends if he had his late-season route rate mixed with his season-long production per route. Preseason usage suggests his role will be just as good as the end of last season, if not better. He played 37 of 41 snaps over the three preseason games. 

The Titans made several changes to their wide receiver room, adding Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson and several Day 3 and undrafted rookies. That, mixed with Calvin Ridley, gives Okonkwo minimal competition for targets relative to all other tight ends in the league.

Okonkwo will be in his second season with Brian Callahan as head coach. His offense looked very different in Tennessee compared to the Cincinnati Bengals without Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins. The Titans ran the ball much more often and were more willing to throw to tight ends.

There is a chance the Titans will be more pass-heavy this season with Cameron Ward at quarterback. Ward had a low deep target rate, low first read rate and great accuracy on short passes, which is all good news for Okonkwo. However, Ward also doesn’t have a lot of experience throwing to tight ends. There is a chance Okonkwo finishes second on the team in targets, but that depends completely on his ability to gain chemistry and Ward’s trust. 

Okonkwo has shown he has the speed and big-play ability to be a fantasy starting tight end and has had the playing time to be a fantasy starter. He didn’t put that all together until the last few weeks of last season. Okonkwo can be a top-12 fantasy tight end next season if he keeps the playing time he had to end last season and gains chemistry with Cameron Ward.

TE Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP: 16.10)

Brenton Strange was a late second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023, where he was third on the depth chart behind Evan Engram and Luke Farrell. Strange didn’t do anything noticeable from a grades perspective and caught five passes for 35 yards and a touchdown on the season. Strange surpassed Farrell on the depth chart at some point during the 2024 offseason, as Strange played 19 snaps to Farrell’s 14 in Week 1.

Engram suffered an injury during warm-ups of Week 2, causing him to miss four games. Strange became the starter and averaged 73.9% of Jacksonville’s offensive snaps during that four-week stretch. He didn’t receive a high target rate, but he scored twice and had a game with 65 receiving yards. His 36 fantasy points during that stretch were the ninth-most among tight ends. Engram returned in Week 6, bringing Strange back to a backup role. He typically played more than 35% of the offensive snaps and managed one game with five receptions for 59 yards.

Engram missed the last four games of the season, allowing Strange to return to the starting lineup. He averaged 69.4% of the snaps during those four games. He had two strong games with 11 receptions for 73 yards and four receptions for 60 yards. Additionally, he had two quiet games. He scored 30.5 fantasy points during those four weeks, which was 17th best. He ultimately had 8.3 fantasy points per game as a starter, 19th among tight ends. He had a very high 50.6% single coverage open target rate.

The Jaguars released Engram and lost Farrell in free agency. This has moved Strange into the clear lead tight end for the Jaguars. The Jaguars added multiple veteran tight ends this offseason, but Engram has been the clear lead, every-down tight end through two preseason games.

The Jaguars were one of the few teams to make a change at their top tight end spot. The Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets all added rookie tight ends, while the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers added veteran tight ends who will be at least 30 years old by the start of the season. It’s fair to call Strange one of the very few non-rookie sleeper options at the position.

The Jaguars have also made changes to their wide receiver room. Brian Thomas Jr. became one of the top wide receivers in the league as a rookie, and Jacksonville spent its second overall pick on Travis Hunter. Strange will be the third receiving option on the team at best.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new head coach in Liam Coen. While Coen has generally had a balanced offense with a lead tight end, the tight end position hasn’t been a high priority in the offense. Cade Otton was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ lead tight end last season, and he finished eighth in offensive snaps. Otton had the best season of his career, mainly due to a three-game stretch with 25 receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns, but that only happened when the top two wide receivers were injured. He averaged 31.1 yards per game and scored one touchdown over his 11 games. Tyler Higbee finished fourth in the league in snaps in 2022. Higbee averaged 9.2 fantasy points per game when Cooper Kupp was healthy and 9.9 without him. The Los Angeles Rams didn’t have a clear second wide receiver option, like the Buccaneers in 2024 or the Jaguars this season.

Strange will be catching passes from Trevor Lawrence, as he has throughout his NFL career. Lawrence had a high rate of throwing to tight ends with Engram. That will ideally help influence the offense and allow him to have a higher target rate than Coen’s past tight ends. However, Lawrence also has a very high first read rate, and Doug Pederson had no problem designing passes for tight ends. It’s unlikely Strange will have that high of a first read rate.

Brenton Strange didn’t show enough to be a consistent fantasy starter in his eight starts last season, and he now has more competition for targets due to a new offensive coordinator that’s had a lot of success with wide receivers. However, Strange is one of the few sleeper veteran options for someone who wants to take a swing late in a draft. Strange could be a great waiver wire target in-season if Brian Thomas Jr. or Travis Hunter suffers an injury.