I have done a ton of player research this summer.

I have done a ton of draft strategy research this summer.

I have drafted over 250 fantasy teams this summer.

Below are My Guys — the players I select most often in fantasy football drafts.

Quarterback

Jayden Daniels | Commanders

Daniels is the fantasy football cheat code for the 2024 season. I am not guaranteeing he will be an outstanding NFL QB as a rookie, but I would be shocked if he finished outside the top 10 in fantasy football. It all comes down to his dual-threat nature — it is incredibly hard for rushing QBs to fail.

Since 2011, we have had 21 instances of a QB recording 100 or more rushing attempts while passing for fewer than 3,500 yards. That group averaged 20.3 fantasy points per game and finished with an average of QB8 in points per game. Only three failed to secure a top-12 finish.

Daniels comes off the board multiple rounds later than Anthony Richardson and Kyler Murray but offers a similar upside — making him a strategic pillar for my QB strategy in 2024. If Daniels surprises as a passer, look out, y'all.

Running Back

Kenneth Walker III | Seahawks

Walker was an electric player with the ball in his hands in 2023.

  • PFF Run Grade: 85.3 (7 of 37 RBs with at least 150 attempts)
  • Missed tackles forced per attempt: 25.6% (3 of 37)

The third-year back would grade inside the top 12 at the position if the team didn't select Zach Charbonnet in Round 2 of the 2023 draft. However, the vibes have been positive, with Walker's coaches saying all the right things.

  • Per Albert Breer: “To the new staff, he looks like the kind of back you can play on all three downs and build a running game around. And Zach Charbonnet gives the team some depth behind him.”
  • Per Mike Macdonald via Jeremy Fowler: “Every time we go over the roster, [running backs coach] Kennedy [Polamalu], he gives me a little hint like, 'Let's feed this guy, he can be special.'”

The uncertainty drafters have about Walker forces him down draft boards behind older and less talented players. Based on his talent profile and the new coaching staff's comments, Walker is a player I want to bet on in Rounds 4 to 5 of fantasy drafts.

Miami RBs (yes, all of them) | Dolphins

I want to be in on the Dolphins running game in 2024. I have written a lot about De'Von Achane because we are drafting him closer to his floor than his ceiling. And while Achane is definitely one of my guys, he doesn't qualify because he goes in the first three rounds of drafts, which allows me to shout out two other names who offer value later.

Raheem Mostert averaged 17.2 PPG in contests with a healthy Achane last season. While he could cede some touches to Achane, he is still listed as the No. 1 back on the Dolphins depth chart and is a perfect fit for their run scheme. He is a patient runner with elite acceleration and great long speed despite entering his age-32 season. According to Next Gen Stats, Mostert had the fifth-fastest speed for an RB in 2023, hitting 21.62 MPH.

Mostert is a fine target in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts if you waited on the RB position.

Jaylen Wright posted a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and hit 23.7 MPH at the NFL Combine (only slightly slower than Achane's 24.4 the year before).

This offense is based on speed. They execute the toss play to get their world-class sprinters on the edge as well as any team in the NFL. McDaniel uses motion at the snap with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined with heavy run formations that force defenders to cheat, creating massive running lanes inside.

Wright perfectly fits this scheme and will dominate fantasy box scores if opportunity knocks. The rookie doesn't need two injuries to become relevant — an injury to either Mostert or Achane would unlock top-12 upside in this high-octane attack. 

Wright is a superb bench-stash option in the late rounds.

James Conner | Cardinals

I will be brief: We underrate James Conner every season.

  • 2023: 15.5 PPG
  • 2022: 15.6 PPG
  • 2021: 15.1 PPG

Conner has new competition in Round 3 NFL Draft pick Trey Benson. However, there is plenty of room for the rookie without taking away from Conner, who managed well on a 61% snap share in 2024.

The veteran is one of my favorite targets in Rounds 5 and 6 as my RB2 or even my RB1 in zero-RB builds.

Jaylen Warren | Steelers

Warren almost reached RB2-scoring territory despite a limited role in 2023. He is a high-end pass-catching option out of the backfield and a more dynamic runner than Najee Harris. 

  • PFF Run Grade: 85.3 (11 of 37 RBs with at least 150 attempts)
  • Missed tackles forced per attempt: 35.7% (1 of 37)
  • Average yards after contact: 3.7 (2 of 37)
  • Targets per route run: 27.1 % (3 of 37)

Arthur Smith is a complete wild card, but if Warren somehow finds himself in the lead role, he could break fantasy football. Warren injured his hamstring in the preseason but is reportedly on track for Week 1. He is one of my most drafted backs in 2024.

Bucky Irving | Buccaneers

Irving is the clear-cut No. 2 back in Tampa after working well ahead of Sean Tucker this preseason and Chase Edmonds landing on IR. He would surge to RB2 territory if something happened to Rachaad White. However, Irving isn't a pure handcuff play. Given how well the rookie meshes with what this staff wants from their backs, the door is open for Irving to push White for reps as the season progresses. 

Irving ranks inside my top 150 and is one of my favorite picks on the board at RB.

Wide Receiver

Malik Nabers | Giants

I shouldn't be able to write about Malik Nabers in this article because he should be gone by Round 3 in PPR drafts. This man has the third-highest score since 2018 in our WR Rookie Super Model — only behind Marvin Harrison Jr. and Ja'Marr Chase.

The results of the WRs reaching the 85th percentile or higher in the Super Model have been solid.

I have Harrison ahead of Nabers in my rankings due to concerns about Daniel Jones, but I have Nabers projected for more targets. Nabers shouldn't be going in Rounds 4 and 5 on ESPN and Yahoo — making him a strategic pillar in my WR draft strategy.

Rashee Rice | Chiefs

Rice averaged 16.6 points per game with a 25% target share after taking over a full-time role from Week 14 through the Super Bowl. The second-year WR would be a Round 3 pick if there weren't the potential for a suspension. He could miss zero to six-plus games in 2024, depending on how it plays out — but the closer we get to the season, the more it looks like his legal team will get this thing pushed to 2024.

I have Rice inside my top 65 players — far ahead of where he is going in drafts. How often do you get to draft a potential WR1 that late?

Rome Odunze | Bears

Odunze might not get the playing time we crave early in the season, but historically, rookie WRs to go inside the top 10 in the NFL Draft find a way to make an impact. This cheat code has evaporated in best ball and high-stakes drafts, but we can still get Odunze ~75 picks after Marvin Harrison Jr. is off the board — the gap shouldn't be that large.

Be prepared to keep the rookie on your bench early, but if you are looking for upside in the later rounds, Odunze is a high-priority target. By the time we play for fantasy championships, he might churn out WR2 performances.

Diontae Johnson | Panthers

Johnson has struggled the last two seasons with 10.4 and 11.7 PPG after giving us 14.9 and 17.3 in 2020 and 2021. He continues to earn targets at a WR2-worthy rate, and Carolina's target competition is low. I expect Bryce Young to go from being a bad QB to at least average in 2024. 

He had no one to throw the ball to and played behind an atrocious offensive line as a rookie. Both of those areas were significantly upgraded this offseason. Call me crazy, but Johnson might see the best QB play of his life with Young. If he doesn't? Oh well, the man posted a WR8 finish with a washed version of Ben Roethlisberger — we aren't drawing dead, given how late you get him in drafts.

I simply can't quit target earners. I am back in, baby!!!

Tight End

Trey McBride | Cardinals

Trey McBride took over the starting TE role in Week 8 and never looked back. Over that stretch, the former Round 2 draft pick averaged 14.9 points per game. His underlying numbers were just as impressive.

  • Targets: 29%
  • Air yards: 26%
  • YPRR: 2.09

The arrival of Marvin Harrison Jr. via the NFL Draft adds target competition, but the rest of the Cardinals roster lacks target-earning challengers. McBride comes with some small-sample risk, but his demonstrated upside rivals LaPorta.

Give me McBride in Rounds 4 and 5 over LaPorta in Round 3.