Those who have followed my work for a while probably know that I am fearless when it comes to my beliefs when it comes to fantasy football. No position is too bold to proclaim… as long as there is a rational and logical thought process (usually based on data) that led me to that conclusion.
I am human, however… and fake Sometimes, even though I fiercely refuse to admit it to my wife,
Here are the six players I’m most afraid of being wrong about in 2024.
There has been no shortage of praise for the Commanders’ second-round pick out of LSU, especially from me. Jayden Daniels has set the NCAA on fire in 2023, throwing for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and 4 INTs, along with 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
In short, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner was absolutely unstoppable.
While his transition to the NFL may not be as smooth as we expect for Caleb Williams, given the playmakers (or lack thereof) around him, his pass-rushing potential will give fantasy football managers an extremely high ceiling regardless of his level as a passer.
I aggressively ranked him as my QB7 over his expert consensus ranking of QB11, even going so far as to say that an arrival in front of Anthony Richardson would not be out of reach.
There may not be a player I’ve eliminated more aggressively in the second round based on his ADP this offseason than De’Von Achane. Despite absolutely dominating in a limited role as a rookie with just under 1,000 scrimmage yards and 11 TDs in a minute and 130 touches, there are legitimate concerns that fantasy managers could be in for a stressful season investing such an early pick in the second-year RB.
My concerns are as follows:
-
Will Achane see enough volume? Veteran RB Raheem Mostert is back this year, having tied for the league lead in touchdowns last year and been used as the team’s primary starter. The Dolphins also added fourth-round rookie Jaylen Wright, who had a great preseason (and for whom they traded a future third-round pick). Given the potential for an ugly three-headed committee and the durability issues that arose for Achane as a rookie, that wouldn’t be surprising.
-
Does he get goal-line work? At 5-foot-9, 183 pounds, Achane is the smallest back in the room; Mostert is 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, while Wright is 5-foot-10, 209 pounds. The offense’s most valuable touches probably won’t belong to him.
-
Is regression in store? Achane is the only running back in NFL history to average over 7.0 yards per carry on 100+ rushing attempts in a single season. Since 2015, he is one of three running backs to average over 6.0 yards per carry on 100+ rushing attempts (Alvin Kamara in 2017, JK Dobbins in 2020). Kamara saw a significant decline in his YPA from 6.1 to 4.6 the following season, while Dobbins saw his average drop from 6.0 yards per attempt to 5.7, despite playing in just eight games…
