I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we need more awards.

Wide receiver was the “had to get it right” position in 2024. Busts from early-round picks were like anchors on your roster. Slow starts from middle-round options kept you waiting while your squad kept taking on more Ls. If you made the playoffs or won your league, the run came down to a handful of WRs. Or, if you were on the outside of the dance looking in, you could look at any roster and instantly see why they were on their way to a title.

Suffice it to say, a handful of WRs gave us pockets of production throughout the year. Even fewer gave us constant leverage on our leaguemates. But before we hop into mock drafts, let’s recognize some of the standout wideouts from the fantasy season.

The Bhagavad Gita Award

Nominees: Ja’Marr Chase

Winner: Ja’Marr Chase

“Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

Normally, I’d identify a list of nominees and decide on a winner. There was only one answer here.

There were 18 instances of a WR eclipsing 150 receiving yards in a single game. Ja’Marr Chase claimed three of them. Seventy-four receivers were multi-TD scorers during one of their weekly contests. Chase is the most common name on that list, too, at five. I mean, as the latest Triple Crown winner, there shouldn’t be much doubt as to which WR boosted the most teams into (and through) the playoffs. But the best part is: He didn’t do it on volume alone.

  • Target Share: 28.0%, 7th (amongst all qualifying WRs – min. 250 routes)
  • Targets per Route Run: 24.0%, 17.0%
  • Air Yard Share: 33.0%, 20th 

To be fair, Chase was up to 10.2 targets per game with Tee Higgins out. And, yes, with or without Higgins, Chase set a career-high rate in snaps played from the slot (33.6%). However, in both scenarios (Higgins in or out of the lineup), Chase posted top-5 marks in yards per route run on the perimeter. On the season, he was fourth in YAC per reception. “Built different,” I think, is the term the kids use to describe such a player. 

For my mental health, Cincinnati’s defense won’t require as many heroic outings from Joe Burrow and Chase next year. Accordingly, his 23.7 PPR PPG might dip. However, if I were picking at the 1.01, clicking on the Bengals’ WR1 wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The Randy Orton Award

Nominees: Jauan Jennings, Rashid Shaheed, Jerry Jeudy

Winner: Jauan Jennings

“Outta nowhere!”

Last year, it was Brandin Cooks in Week 10.

The Cowboys’ ancillary receiver put up a thirty-burger against the Giants on ten targets. Few saw it coming. Still, this happens every year. Take Jauan Jennings’s Randy Moss impersonation from Week 3.

Deebo Samuel and George Kittle were out. Brandon Aiyuk still had to knock some rust off. It all seems so simple now. However, the more surprising part was Jennings’s role within the offense after his early-season outburst.

  • Target Share (from Week 10 on): 27.8%, 1st (amongst all 49ers’ WRs)
  • Air Yard Share: 32.6%, 1st
  • Targets per Route Run: 27.4%, 1st 

His usage in Week 10 made me a believer. Jennings hoarded 33.0% of the looks in a game with everyone healthy (minus Aiyuk). There was no looking back afterward. His 8.3 targets per game matched Courtland Sutton’s usage over the final two months of the season. Aiyuk’s rehab should allow another big day from Jennings in 2025. However, we’ll see it coming this time. 

The Necessity Award 

Nominees: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jalen McMillan, Brian Thomas Jr.

Winner: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

“Necessity is the mother of invention.”

During the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War, Scarlett Witch sacrifices her position of guarding the Vision to help the team. After displaying her power and mowing down a multitude of monsters in the process, General Okoye’s response feels familiar:

“Why was she up there all this time?”

The vibes around Jaxon Smith-Njigba were similar to start the year. In the first month, he either had less than five targets or more than ten. The former Buckeye’s outlook mirrored his rookie campaign, as he appeared destined to be the clear WR2 behind D.K. Metcalf. However, Metcalf’s injury took him out of the way, forcing a WR1 role on JSN. After the two-week trial, we all wondered why Smith-Njigba wasn’t the top option beforehand.

  • Target Share (Weeks 8-9): 32.8%, 5th (amongst 25 qualifying WRs – min. 20.0% target share)
  • Air Yard Share: 64.2%, 2nd 
  • PPR PPG: 25.0, 2nd 
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Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs the ball in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

We all “knew” Smith-Njigba was capable of being the focal point of the offense. His collegiate profile highlighted his target-earning ability, which complemented his threat as a downfield receiver. Metcalf’s size made him the preferred homerun hitter, but the sophomore showed the Seahawks they had a man who could do both.

The best part of Metcalf’s two-game hiatus was OC Ryan Grubb didn’t return to the status quo once everyone was healthy. Smith-Njigba maintained a 26.0% target share to close out the season. He also led the squad in explosive receptions. If, in fact, necessity is the mother of invention, then we can thank Metcalf for vaulting Smith-Njigba into the high-end WR2 discussion. 

Best Breakout Performance

Nominees: Jordan Addison, Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Nabers, Jalen McMillan, Ladd McConkey

Winner: The 2024 Rookie Class (Well, most of them)

There’s no standard quantitative bar for a breakout. It’s more of a “you know it when you see it” thing. That’s why I have so many nominees. For different stretches of the season, each of these names was a part of our starting lineup. 

So, the freshmen are the winners.

Yes, we’ve got another shared award, but let me make the case here. First, the ’24 class gave us clear WR1s. Sure, there was plenty of hype for most of the prospects, but most delivered. Second, to go with the top-tier talent, there are multiple guys with paths to finishing within the top 24 by the end of the ’25 season. In either case, as our way-too-early rankings suggest, the best of the group will come with a price bump in drafts this summer.

Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas, Ladd McConkey, and Marvin Harrison Jr. finished with +20.0% target shares and secured the primary WR role on their respective teams. Only Puka Nacua and Zay Flowers accomplished the same feat the year before. Collectively, this subset of the first-year receivers gave us 15 top-12 finishes. Half of them dealt with QB changes! But think about the other rookies that will garner mid-round interest.

Xavier Worthy has held onto a 22.0% target share over his last three games with the rest of the Chiefs’ receiving corps healthy. Ben Johnson is reshaping the Bears’ offense in his image, and Rome Odunze may be in the “Amon-Ra St. Brown” role. Jalen McMillan’s TD streak was better than Nick Westbrook-Ikhine’s. And apparently, Bryce Young is the tide that lifts all boats, giving Xavier Legette a chance at redeeming himself after minor flashes to complement his antics on the mic. Simply put, you’ll have plenty of chances to grab a receiver with the potential to return early-round value.

The main storyline from the 2024 draft is (and should be) the QBs. However, for the second straight year, this crop of WRs will litter playoff rosters in about ten months.

The “Sports Are Played By Humans” Award

Nominees: Mike Evans

Winner: Mike Evans

“Somebody must be cutting onions nearby.”

As much as I live in the spreadsheets, the real aspect of football captivates me. The storylines, real or manufactured, are (mostly) compelling. And, in Week 18, all eyes were on the Buccaneers’ offense for one particular play. 

Should the Saints have stacked seven defenders on Mike Evans? Probably. 

In the moment, did anyone else think Evans would have gotten the yards anyway? Absolutely.

Let’s be honest for a second. Evans would have crossed the 1,000-yard threshold weeks before the final seconds of the regular season if not for yet another hamstring injury. Baker Mayfield was averaging the sixth-most dropbacks of any QB. Without Chris Godwin, Tampa’s passing game was oscillating between featuring Cade Otton (a TE), Jalen McMillan (a rookie WR), and the RBs at times. However, with him back, consider what all had to happen for Evans to secure the record-tying mark.

The Bucs had to stay in playoff contention. The key word is “contention.” Philadelphia denied Saquon Barkley playing in a meaningless Week 18 game instead of chasing the rushing record. Tampa found themselves in a win-and-in situation after the Falcons’ collapse. But, what’s more, Evans himself had to put up the production to keep hope alive.

Evans only had 335 yards to his name at the start of Week 12 (his first game back). He needed 95 per game. On the one hand, Tampa’s offense could support the need for targets. But, again, they were fighting for a shot to get into the dance. In the end, the balancing act lifted Evans’s achievement to be one of the best moments of the 2024 season.