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Sports Illustrated

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Michael Fabiano

Fantasy Football 2024: Updated Player Rankings by Position

FA Bal PHI Christian Kirk Christian McCaffrey Christian Watson BUF Kirk Cousins NFL SEA (Geopolitical Entity)

The NFL’s free-agency frenzy has been a wild ride, as several big-name players will be wearing new uniforms this year. We’ve also seen high-end players get traded, released and re-signed, and all of it has seriously shuffled my 2024 seasonal player rankings.

At quarterback, the biggest mover is obviously Justin Fields. Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and projected to back up Russell Wilson, Fields went from a top-12 field general to being ranked outside the top 30. I have also included rookies, which is an exercise in futility before the NFL draft, but their ranking at least gives you some idea of how I value the players based on their skill set and upside in their first year.

The easiest first-year quarterback to rank is Caleb Williams, who seems destined to be drafted first overall by the Chicago Bears. With new additions D’Andre Swift, Keenan Allen and Gerald Everett at his disposal, not to mention incumbents like DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, Williams is in a terrific position to shine in the stat sheets.

At running back, where we saw an absolute boatload of player movement, you’ll see slight upticks for Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry with their new teams. A few other runners, including Zack Moss and Zamir White, have also seen their value rise based on player movement on their respective teams this offseason.

On the flip side, changing teams didn’t do Austin Ekeler or Tony Pollard any favors. In fact, I have both ranked outside of the top 20 due to projected backfield committees.

The top of the wide receiver list has changed slightly, as I moved Justin Jefferson from No. 1 to No. 3 after the departure of Kirk Cousins. For now, CeeDee Lamb and Tyreek Hill are my top two receivers. Speaking of Cousins, his presence in Atlanta has Drake London’s stock on the rise. He’ll be a popular breakout player. The return of Aaron Rodgers has Garrett Wilson in my top 10, even with the addition of Mike Williams, and Marvin Harrison Jr. is in my top 20 even before he’s been picked in the draft.

Receivers who have seen their value decline are Moore and Allen, who will contend for targets in the Windy City rather than being their team’s clear top option. Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins hurt each other’s ceilings in Tennessee, and Marquise Brown’s presence in Kansas City makes Rashee Rice at least slightly less attractive.

At tight end, I moved Kyle Pitts back into my top 10 with Cousins under center. With questions about his return from a torn ACL, I have T.J. Hockenson at No. 11. He would normally be in the top three with Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce. Speaking of Kelce, this is the first time he hasn’t been the top-ranked tight end since, well, I honestly can’t even remember! My top rookie, Brock Bowers, comes in as a low-end starter.

Being that it’s only March, this list is going to change a whole lot in the next few months. The NFL draft will be the biggest factor, so take my rookie rankings within this seasonal list with a grain of salt. I can tell you this, whoever the Dallas Cowboys draft to be their starting running back, assuming that’s the scenario, will be in my top 25 backs.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy! Fantasy football season is never too far away!