As we get nearer to the NFL draft, let’s return and deal with free company and the strikes that can make a fantasy soccer impression on the 2024 season. We had some quarterback motion this offseason, together with some veteran operating backs and vast receivers, who at the moment are set as much as produce primarily based on scheme and crew match.
So, let’s get into it. Listed below are my favourite fantasy offseason strikes, beginning in Philadelphia with operating again Saquon Barkley.
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I am all-in on Barkley right here. Over six seasons in New York, Barkley averaged 98.8 scrimmage yards per sport, whereas logging 288 receptions and 47 complete touchdowns. He is a real dual-threat again, with explosive traits and residential run juice. Now, let’s put Barkley in coordinator Kellen Moore’s system behind a premier Eagles offensive line and provides him three-down quantity.
Zone and hole run schemes. Pure cutback lanes off the learn ideas with quarterback Jalen Hurts. The receiving quantity too, together with screens and deployed matchups to work the beneath ranges.
Sure, Barkley wants to stay on the sphere, as he has missed 25 professional video games attributable to accidents. And he’ll lose some aim line/low purple zone carries to Hurts. Nevertheless, that is an upgraded system match for Barkley in Philly, the place I anticipate him to provide breakout video games and RB1 numbers in ’24.
Brown is an improve for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, including a extra constant vertical stretch ingredient to the Kansas Metropolis offense. In six seasons, Brown has produced 53 explosive-play receptions (20 or extra yards). He can get free excessive of the protection. Brown may also win on the intermediate ranges or produce on screens, the place we’ll see his capacity after the catch, as 29.8% of his profession receiving totals have come after the catch.
In Reid’s offense, Brown will see his one-on-one targets and deep-ball throws. However let’s not overlook that the Chiefs’ passing sport is closely schemed, which can create vacated voids within the protection for Mahomes to focus on Brown in any respect three ranges of the sphere. Working with tight finish Travis Kelce and vast receiver Rashee Rice, Brown needs to be anticipated to provide WR3 numbers on this offense, and he has big-play upside.
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Do not anticipate a serious bump in manufacturing from Cousins with the Falcons, as he’ll stay a borderline QB1 in ’24. Nevertheless, the addition of Cousins, who can play as a ball distributor in Atlanta’s system, elevates the fantasy profiles of tight finish Kyle Pitts, vast receiver Drake London and operating again Bijan Robinson.
Pitts, regardless of his high-end traits on the place, averaged simply 8.1 PPG in ’23, whereas London checked in at 10.1. Robinson did catch 58 passes; nonetheless, I imagine he shall be deployed extra as a matchup goal for Cousins beneath offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, creating open-field alternatives.
Bear in mind, Cousins sees it actually quick from the pocket, delivering the ball with timing and placement. And he can assault the sides on boot/play-action. With these passing traits, Cousins can unlock the potential of this Falcons cross sport.
Henry averaged 14.5 PPG final season in Tennessee, however he’ll see an upgraded offensive entrance and run sport in Baltimore. The Ravens led the NFL in 2023 with 541 speeding makes an attempt, and I anticipate the run script beneath coordinator Todd Monken to be much more a number of as Henry pairs with quarterback Lamar Jackson within the backfield.
Sure, we nonetheless see downhill energy right here. Let’s get Henry on a north/south observe and in addition cater to his imaginative and prescient/cutback capacity on zone schemes. That features goal-line carries, too. However I would control how Monken schemes for the specter of Jackson as a runner, which can create extra battle for opposing defenses on the sides, thus opening lanes for Henry.
I do know Henry is 30 years outdated and the play pace may decline quickly. However given how the Ravens use the run sport as a foundational facet of their offense, Henry will see the amount and scoring alternatives to doubtlessly produce low-end RB1 numbers in ’24.
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We do not hit on the productive gamers re-signing with their groups sufficient, so let’s deal with the Bucs right here. Mayfield posted 19 or extra fantasy factors in three of the ultimate 5 weeks of the 2023 season, together with a season-high 29 factors within the Week 15 win over the Packers. Along with his aggressive throwing mindset and arm expertise, Mayfield needs to be in your streaming radar in 2024, along with the upside he brings to 2QB Superflex codecs.
Evans, who performed in all 17 video games final season, led the league with 13 landing receptions and averaged 16.6 fantasy PPG. He is the prototypical boundary X receiver with third-level explosive-play capacity, matchup traits/body within the purple zone and the route-running chops to separate in the midst of the sphere. And the play pace continues to be there on the tape. Evans shall be a draft goal for me once more.
With an improve in quarterback expertise and the offensive construction in Buffalo, let’s maintain Samuel on the radar as a possible flex possibility. Final season with the Commanders, Samuel caught 62 passes for 613 yards, together with 4 landing grabs. He has the flexibility to align on the boundary or within the slot and the movement/motion expertise to be schemed on manufactured touches (fly sweeps, screens, backfield touches). And I see Payments offensive coordinator Joe Brady deploying Samuel as a middle-of-the-field stretch goal, too.
Receivers Stefon Diggs and Khalil Shakir and tight finish Dalton Kincaid are within the combine right here, so there shall be competitors for goal quantity in Buffalo. I get it. However in an offense that may be explosive and rating factors with quarterback Josh Allen, Samuel’s general versatility could be maximized this season to create fantasy manufacturing.
The Houston offense, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, is loaded with younger expertise and a inventive playcaller in Bobby Slowik. However this can be a unit that additionally averaged simply 3.7 yards per carry final season, which ranked twenty ninth within the NFL. Mixon needs to be seen as an improve right here, given his veteran operating traits, goal-line imaginative and prescient/energy and the abilities he brings as a receiving goal out of the backfield.
Mixon rushed for 1,034 yards and 9 touchdowns final season in Cincinnati and has seen 200 or extra carries in 5 of his seven seasons. He’ll command lead-back quantity in a Houston, whereas giving Stroud a productive possibility within the display sport and as an beneath outlet versus zone protection. Mixon suits a dependable RB2 in fantasy subsequent season with the flexibility to provide RB1 numbers, relying on the matchup.
With a change in offensive construction that figures to be extra pass-heavy beneath new coach Brian Callahan, Ridley enters a scenario the place he can produce WR2 numbers in ’24. Working reverse of DeAndre Hopkins, search for Ridley to be deployed as a multilevel goal, utilizing his ball-tracking capacity on verticals and his sudden motion traits to separate on in-breakers and isolation matchups.
In Jacksonville final season, Ridley averaged 13.5 fantasy PPG, however he did log six video games with 20 or extra factors. Sure, we might want to see Tennessee quarterback Will Levis make that second-year soar, however there is no query on his arm expertise or throwing traits. Including a risk like Ridley can speed up Levis’ improvement on the place.
