Every season, several proven players regress and even fall off of the fantasy football map due to injury, demotion, a poor system fit, or another unforeseen calamity. Players of the fake game understandably tend to be of the, “What has he done for me lately?” mindset and may underrate some proven options coming off a bad year.
Heading into the 2024 season, we’ll explore which players are most likely to bounce back from a down year in 2023.
Fantasy football players on the rebound for 2024
Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: The star quarterback’s 2023 came to a crashing halt with a torn wrist ligament, but he should be perfectly fine for Week 1. The Bengals have upgraded slightly at tight end, get a fully healthy Ja’Marr Chase back, and Tee Higgins has yet to be traded. Jermaine Burton was drafted to replace Tyler Boyd, and he has the skill set for immediate contributions. Burrow is a safe choice for bouncing back as a QB1.
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets: The future Hall of Famer was lost in Week 1 with an Achilles injury, and Rodgers even flirted with a late-season comeback before the Jets were knocked out of playoff contention. He’s currently doing everything on the field and has a do-over opportunity in an offense that has been tailored to his desires. The line was upgraded in the offseason, and New York has talent in all levels of the passing game. Assuming Rodgers can escape another serious injury, he’ll post a few QB1 weeks on his way to being a strong backup option.
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons: Like Rodgers, Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles tendon, but his was injured in Week 8. It won’t make a difference, since the offseason acquisition already is on the field as “pretty much a full-go” as of May 10, according to his new head coach. Even though Atlanta lacks a true game-changer, like Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, an ensemble cast should get the job done for the soon-to-be 36-year-old to finish as a midrange backup.
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: Watson’s 2023 campaign was cut short thanks to a fracture in his throwing shoulder. He underwent successful surgery last November and “looks like himself,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said during May OTAs. Watson has been throwing every other day to ease him back into the fold, and the three-time Pro Bowler enters a pivotal season in an attempt to resurrect his career following the off-field scandal. Cleveland is loaded with talent, so the 28-year-old has no one to blame but himself if he cannot get back on track. For now, he’s a low-end QB2 whose value is poised to increase with a summer of positive reports.
Running backs
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: Unlike many other players on this list, Taylor’s injury woes weren’t season-ending in nature. He opened the year on the mend, then found himself banged up later in the season, missing Weeks 13-15, but closed 2023 with seven TDs in his last six games. All signs point to a return to RB1 status for Taylor after last year’s contract squabble was settled and he enters 2024 healthy as a horse.
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: The 2022 NFL rushing champ missed four games last year and saw his rushing yardage as well as TDs cut in half. On a per-game basis, Jacobs posted his worst season as a pro. In free agency, the Alabama standout moved on to Green Bay, where he’ll be the presumed bell cow in an offensive system that will cater to his versatility. While Jacobs has played only one full season in five tries as a Raider, he has managed at least 15 outings 60% of the way. He’ll finish as a borderline RB1 if that trend holds up.
Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders: The Los Angeles Chargers — Ekeler included — struggled from floor to ceiling in 2023, and the diminuative Ekeler left for the Commanders in free agency. Freshly turned 29, his versatility will keep the dual-threat weapon on the field as Washington navigates a rookie quarterback in a new offensive system. Former Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury will call the plays, and we’ve see his system create fantasy success for a larger but also versatile back in James Conner. Ekeler’s main competition for touches is Brian Robinson Jr., whose game best profiles as a two-down back, and there’s room for both to see double-digit utilization most weeks, but QB Jayden Daniels‘ mobility will work against the veteran.
Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns: Chubb is coming back from another knee reconstruction and will be a long shot to make a difference in fantasy, at least in the early going. Don’t be surprised if he opens the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Assuming he can return to shake off the rust and regain confidence in his knee, Chubb could muster a playoff push to help gamers. For now, being cautiously optimistic is the appropriate course of action.
Wide receivers
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals: Last year’s rib fracture and hamstring injuries cost the Clemson product five total games scattered throughout the season. All of that is behind Higgins, though something else is of concern. The disgruntled receiver finally signed his tender but remains steadfast in his desire to be traded, making it not entirely fair to assess his outlook beyond the context of considering him a Bengal. Should Higgins remain healthy, we’ve seen enough through his first three seasons to give him the benefit of the doubt in most cities.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings: There’s not much to address here from a health perspective given that Jefferson overcame last year’s ankle injury and closed out the season on a high note. QB Sam Darnold appears poised to start come Week 1, but for how long? The real variable that could impact Jefferson’s likelihood of rebounding in 2024 is the eventual move to first-rounder J.J. McCarthy, who was deployed as a game manager at the University of Michigan. That’s not to say the FBS National Champion can’t sling the rock, and if anyone is going to get the majority of his throws sent their way it has to be Jefferson. Watch for him to see more targets near the line of of scrimmage than usual to get the ball out of either quarterback’s hand quicker. He could rack up a high reception count but generate fewer yards. Expect a return to WR1 glory.
Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams: The star wideout has proven to be an injury liability recently, and last year he watched rookie Puka Nacua take the league by storm in his absence. Kupp was a mixed bag when both were on the field, but Nacua’s production noticeably declined. The former receiving champ remains a favorite of Matthew Stafford, and there will be more short-area work (read as high reception counts) while TE Tyler Higbee (knee) is on the mend in the early season. Kupp, barring injury, is a borderline WR1 candidate in PPR.
Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars: Last season saw Kirk miss five games after playing all 34 contests the prior two years, which happened to be the finest of his career to date. He suffered a groin tear last season and is at full strength. The former Arizona Cardinal is the elder statesman of this new-look wide receiving corps with Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. coming aboard this offseason. Kirk’s primary competition for targets will be TE Evan Engram. Consider him a quality bet for a WR3 rebound in PPR formats.
Mike Williams, New York Jets: Williams turns 30 on Oct. 4, and he’s coming off a torn ACL, missing all but the first three weeks of the season. He’s not a shifty receiver and will have nearly a full year to get right physically, so the reconstruction isn’t as concerning. Los Angeles moved on from Williams, resulting in him heading across the country to catch passes from Aaron Rodgers. There’s no reason to dismiss a rebound as the season goes along, but Williams’ best days are behind him.
Tight ends
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens: An ankle injury in November sidelined the star until the conference championship, but he’s healthy and ready to challenge for his spot among the game’s best tight ends. Baltimore lost Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency but added Devontez Walker in the draft — neither move should make as much of a difference for Andrews as the signing of Derrick Henry. Baltimore will look to control the clock with the ground game and short-area passing, which favors Andrews in PPR scoring.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings: A late-season ACL tear is nothing to sneeze at, though the position makes a difference. If he were a running back or shifty wideout, then Hockenson’s odds of returning to form this season would be less than as a tight end. He doesn’t need to juke as much to still provide a safety blanket for presumed eventual starter, rookie J.J. McCarthy. Justin Jefferson returns from missing much of 2023, and only the loss of Kirk Cousins is the major difference that could negatively impact Hockenson. Presuming he doesn’t land on the PUP to open the regular season, expect a low-end TE1 performance. We’ll revisit this one multiple times throughout the summer.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers: Adding quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields gives Pittsburgh an instant upgrade from last year. Another major change is the offensive system with Arthur Smith taking over. He prefers a ground-n-pound design that utilizes tight ends over the middle and down the seam. Freiermuth missed a five-game stretch in the middle of the season. Prior to the injury, he scored twice in four games but failed to find paydirt the rest of the year. There’s a prime opportunity to be seized for the fourth-year pro, and he’s among the smartest positional bets to bounce back in a big way.
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders: In 2022, the veteran tore up a knee and was relegated to backup duty after his replacement, Trey McBride, proved capable of handling the starting duties. In 2023, Ertz played sparingly before getting released and signing with Detroit as a reserve. He was reunited with Kliff Kingsbury in Washington to vie for the starting job, and a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels is poised to rely on the veteran. While him being 33 is a concern, Ertz is fully recovered from the ACL tear. Despite those positives, he will face competition from rookie Ben Sinnott, so we’ll watch this situation unfold and respond accordingly.
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals: The former Miami Dolphin was on the upward trend before Mike McDaniel took over in South Beach, ushering in a system that didn’t utilize the position all that much. A one-year stint in New England was a disaster, but the Penn State alum gets a chance to show a few youngsters on the depth chart that he still has gas left in the tank. Gesicki could be a deep sleeper with a few breaks, but he’s nothing more than a late-round curiosity for now.
