Fantasy Soccer 2024: Rotoworld workers most drafted gamers

It is the largest fantasy soccer draft weekend of the 12 months, and the NFL season feels simply moments away from kicking off.

As fantasy analysts, we spend a whole lot of time within the offseason speaking about which gamers we’re increased on or decrease on than the consensus. We talk about position modifications, goal shares, ADP values, and gamers rising or falling in the course of the preseason. However when push involves shove, who’re we drafting? That is what we’re hoping to point out you right here.

Under, the Rotoworld workers soccer writers go over their most drafted gamers and provides slightly perception into why we like them. A few of them are gamers we’re actively searching for each time a draft begins and others are gamers that we’re joyful to take in the event that they fall down the draft boards. Both method, these are the blokes who we’re placing our cash the place our mouths are for. Maybe you are doing the identical.

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Denny Carter

DK Metcalf – WR, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks had been lifeless final in offensive play quantity final season and Metcalf nonetheless completed 18th in receiving yards. He continued his effectivity, rating among the many league’s top-20 receivers in yards per route run. Seattle’s new offense, as coached by pass-happy Ryan Grubb, ought to unlock Metcalf and the remainder of the group’s go catchers by sheer quantity alone. Grubb’s modifications to the group’s passing assault haven’t been included into the ADPs of anybody within the Seahawks offense. Metcalf profiles as a foolish worth in most codecs.

Ty Chandler – RB, Minnesota Vikings
I’m taking Chandler within the late rounds as a guess towards Aaron Jones functioning because the Vikings’ lead again all through the season. The oft-injured, growing old Jones has by no means been handled as a workhorse — one thing Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has acknowledged a few occasions this summer time. That leaves Chander, who was considerably environment friendly together with his 2023 alternatives and checked a whole lot of bins within the nerdy operating again metrics, together with yards earlier than contact per rush. I feel Chandler is at the least pretty much as good as Jones.

Taysom Hill – TE, New Orleans Saints
I guarantee you this isn’t one other considered one of my elaborate, long-running bits. I actually imagine Taysom’s utilization — within the backfield, at tight finish, and taking direct snaps — places him in play as a top-5 fantasy tight finish in 2024. No different tight finish within the NFL goes to see the form of highly-value touches the Saints will force-feed Hill. New Saints OC Klint Kubiak has pledged to retain the Taysom bundle in 2024.

Jayden Daniels – QB, Washington Commanders
I don’t perceive why Daniels isn’t going within the fifth or sixth spherical of redraft leagues. I assume it’s as a result of he’s skinny and took some huge hits at LSU. His speeding may very well be sufficient to fully break fantasy soccer in 2024, very like Lamar Jackson did in 2019 when he was drafted because the QB12. That Kliff Kingsbury has by no means coached offense doesn’t matter to me. His Cardinals had been fourth in dropbacks over his tenure as head coach. I foresee Daniels commonly logging double-digit speeding makes an attempt this season.

Lawrence Jackson Jr.

Anthony Richardson – QB, Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson is my prime quarterback in fantasy this season so I’ve been racking up on him in fantasy drafts. In his very first NFL sport, he was QB4 for the week. I’m taking that potential and operating with it.

Tyjae Spears – RB, Tennessee Titans
I do know Tony Pollard has had a pleasant preseason, however I’m nonetheless banking on Tyjae Spears being the higher again. His effectivity and pass-catching capability make him a pleasant flex play in your fantasy lineups.

Diontae Johnson – WR, Carolina Panthers
We did see what Adam Thielen was in a position to do for the Panthers final season, proper? Diontae Johnson now fills the group’s WR1 position whereas he and Bryce Young are each upgrades for one another.

Brock Bowers – TE, Las Vegas Raiders
Brock Bowers was concerned early and infrequently in his first preseason sport. An damage slowed him for the remainder of coaching camp, however it’s clear the Raiders plan on utilizing him like a jack-of-all-trades sort of participant.

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Kyle Dvorchak

Ja’Lynn Polk – WR, New England Patriots
The one downside of drafting rookies in redraft leagues is the ramp-up time for younger gamers to earn a big position. What if I advised you a rookie was drafted inside the highest 40 picks who may lead his group in targets ranging from Week 1? Ja’Lynn Polk thrived as a chain-mover at Washington, registering a primary down on over eight p.c of his routes whereas averaging a good 2.1 yards per route run alongside Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan as a husky. Polk is a read-made NFL participant who ought to rack up chunk beneficial properties out of the field for New England.

Brian Thomas Jr. – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Brian Thomas Jr. is 6’3/209 extensive receiver who ran a 4.33-second 40-yard sprint and was drafted within the first spherical to a group and not using a true No. 1 receiver. He averaged 2.7 yards per route run and led the FBS in yards (632) and touchdowns on deep throws (11). His NFL quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, ranked fifth in Professional Soccer Focus’s passing grade on deep throws in 2023. Thomas is a splash-play machine paired with an amazing deep thrower and goes as a mid-range WR4.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. – RB, New York Giants
Tyrone Tracy gave us a scare late in the summertime after he was positioned in an air forged and carted off the sphere throughout an August follow. Because it seems, he’s fantastic and is already again at follow. A former extensive receiver, Tracy broke out as a operating again in his ultimate season of school ball with 113 carries for 716 yards and eight scores. He excelled within the effectivity metrics and registered a 9.78 RAS on the mix. Tracy cemented himself because the group’s RB2 in coaching camp earlier than struggling his scary however minor ankle damage. He may spell Devin Singletary for work on passing downs early within the 12 months and will supplant him outright by the tip of the season.

Jaleel McLaughlin – RB, Denver Broncos
Jaleen McLaughlin is solely an electrical participant ready to play a big position and is priced as if neither of these issues are true. Amongst backs with at the least 50 carries final 12 months, McLaughlin ranked thirteenth in PFF speeding grade, eleventh in yards after contact per carry, and fifth in missed tackles pressured per try. He was even higher as a receiver, rating top-five in PFF receiving grade and yards per route run. With Samaje Perine now out of the image, McLaughlin can marry elite expertise with a larger-than-expected position.

Eric Samulski

Amari Cooper – WR, Cleveland Browns
Cooper averaged virtually 18 fantasy factors in PPR leagues within the 5 video games with Deshaun Watson underneath middle, and that was with Watson enjoying poor soccer. That made Cooper WR6. In six video games with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker throwing him passes Cooper averaged underneath eight fantasy factors per sport and the second-worst catchable goal fee over that span. With Watson again underneath middle, and Nick Chubb possible not working at 100% till deep into the season, we must always see a heavy dose of Amari Cooper main this Browns offense. It may not be fairly, however I feel the outcomes shall be there.

Raheem Mostert – RB, Miami Dolphins
We do not forget that Mostert was RB3 final 12 months in half-ppr scoring, proper? We perceive that the Dolphins have primarily the identical ability place gamers again with the identical teaching workers? So why impulsively is Mostert going at RB22 in Yahoo drafts? Sure, De’Von Achane is sweet, however he was additionally good final 12 months. The Dolphins aren’t going to instantly give Achane 75% of the work, so is the argument that Mostert will not keep wholesome or that he will not rating as many touchdowns? That is fantastic, however I might argue that almost all operating backs have elevated damage danger and Mostert would not want to attain anyplace close to the identical quantity of touchdowns to be a prime 20 RB. I’ve him ranked simply RB18 in my rankings and I discover myself getting him in virtually each draft.

Khalil Shakir – WR, Buffalo Bills
Within the final 10 video games of the 2023 season, Khalil Shakir posted 462 receiving yards on 37 targets. In the meantime, Stefon Diggs put up 422 receiving yards over that very same span on 80 targets. I misplaced my aptitude for math as soon as Calculus rolled round, however that’s extra receiving yards for Shakir on fewer than half the targets. Shakir is great at gaining yards after the catch, however he’s additionally not strictly a slot receiver. The Payments have moved him across the formation and are comfy utilizing him deep down the sphere on the surface in addition to over the center of the sphere within the intermediate areas. Final 12 months, Shakir led the NFL amongst qualifying receivers in catch fee over anticipated and EPA per goal. He’s a tremendously expert receiver and ought to be the group/s prime goal, alongside tight finish Dalton Kincaid.

Caleb Williams – QB, Chicago Bears
Why is Jayden Daniels going over 10 picks forward of Caleb Williams in Yahoo codecs? I assume it is the speeding upside, and I do know Daniels rushed for over 1,000 yards for LSU final 12 months, however we’re all conscious he isn’t going to place up these sorts of numbers within the NFL. He’ll get his on the bottom, however Caleb Williams will as properly. No, he did not have the elite speeding yardage totals, however he ran for double-digit touchdowns in two straight seasons and completed with 27 speeding TDs in three years in faculty. A quarterback who’s going to take off and run within the pink zone is a significant asset in fantasy and that is not additionally factoring in that Williams is the far superior passer with a trio of elite extensive receivers. If I wait on a quarterback, I am very happy for that to be Caleb Williams.

Patrick Daugherty

De’Von Achane – RB, Miami Dolphins
Achane is a danger/reward RB1 the place fantasy managers appeared to solely value within the danger. Though Achane’s historic, ludicrous rookie effectivity is a digital lock to regress, traditionally environment friendly rookies don’t are likely to see smaller workloads as sophomores. Talking of workloads, Raheem Mostert appeared to wilt underneath his heavy contact totals down the stretch in 2023. Everybody is aware of Achane is under-sized and probably “damage inclined.” We also needs to bear in mind he’s a Jamaal Charles-ian game-breaker who most likely has the very best “league-deciding odds” of anybody in fantasy if he stays wholesome.

George Pickens – WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
One thing that’s good in a WR2/3? Zero goal competitors. In concept that would have the draw back of permitting opposing defenses to key in and bracket Pickens, however nobody can grasp with this man down the sphere. A polarizing expertise as he’s tried to make do with sub-par quarterback conditions, Pickens wanted solely the marginally improved quarterback play of Mason Rudolph down the stretch in 2023 to show he possessed one other gear. Russell Wilson/Justin Fields is a disappointingly small QB improve for 2024, however Pickens has confirmed his particular qualities on the sphere. He’s a matchup flipper you may draft at a significant low cost.

Tyler Conklin – TE, New York Jets
Conklin was eighth in tight finish receptions (58) and twelfth in yardage (552) final season. So he was a TE1, proper? the place that is going. Conklin’s ruinous landing whole of zero (0) rendered him merely the TE20 by common PPR factors. Unhealthy, however straightforward to contextualize. The Jets had world-historic terrible quarterback play. This 12 months they shouldn’t. In addition they proceed to lack reputable goal competitors. Conklin has been drafted as a barely-there TE2 who may simply crash the highest 12 on the place.

AD Mitchell – WR, Indianapolis Colts
One of the constant annual sources of worth is early-round wideouts fantasy managers battle to forecast. It’s straightforward to see why Mitchell is one such case. Anthony Richardson stays a largely unproven commodity, Michael Pittman is a supposed goal dominator, and Mitchell himself was a polarizing prospect. However Mitchell had a robust summer time and is arguably a a lot better match for Richardson’s aggressive ability set than Pittman. With Josh Downs already banged up once more, Mitchell may provide early-season compiling and big-play capability that shall be tough to dislodge if he begins scorching.