It's award season, and what better way to review the 2024 NFL Season than with some good ole utilization data?

Using the data that matters most, we will hand out awards across 11 categories, keeping an eye toward the 2025 fantasy football season along the way.

  • Most utilized NFL free agent or trade acquisition
  • Hottest start (Weeks 1 to 4)
  • Best hot start you might not remember
  • Hottest finish (Weeks 14 to 17)
  • Underperformer of the year
  • Overperformer of the year
  • Fugazi of the year
  • Best newcomer
  • Biggest decline
  • Most improved
  • Mr. Utilization Score

Most utilized NFL free agent or trade acquisition

Historically, running backs who change teams—especially aging ones—can struggle in fantasy. The same can be said for wide receivers traded in the season. However, multiple names defied the odds in 2024.

Nominees:

Winner: Saquon Barkley

Barkley's full-season fantasy production pushed him ahead of Adams, but the veteran wide receiver was the runner-up. Leading the Jets with a 30% target share after an in-season trade is difficult. The familiarity with Aaron Rodgers was a big factor, but Adams was still impressive, posting the fifth-highest Utilization Score (8.7) and the eighth-most fantasy points per game (17.7) in his 11 games with the Jets.

Barkley led all running backs with 21.9 points per game, proving all that thought he was washed wrong. Interestingly, many of the concerns about Barkley came to fruition. He handled only 43% of the attempts inside the five-yard line, with Jalen Hurts stealing precious touches. The 27-year-old also registered the lowest adjusted target share of his career (11%) with a scrambling quarterback on an offense loaded with wide receiver and tight end playmakers.

Ultimately, none of that mattered. Behind a high-end offensive line, Barkley carved up NFL defenses for a league-leading 125 yards rushing per game. Despite losing touches to Hurts inside the five-yard line, Barkley still ranked ninth in attempts per game inside the five-yard line (1.1).

Hottest start (Weeks 1 to 4)

Nominees:

Winner: Malik Nabers

Collins technically bested Nabers by 0.1 in the Utilization Score, but Nabers slightly beat out Collins in fantasy points per game (22.9 vs. 22.7). Both were worthy candidates for this award, but ultimately, I sided with the rookie, who was terrific to start the season.

 

Nabers fell into a slight slump from Week 7 to Week 14 with WR34, WR26, WR22, WR24, WR22, WR24, and WR28 finishes, averaging 12.6 points. However, he got back on track with Drew Lock as the starter late in the season. From Week 15 to 18, he notched a 9.2 Utilization Score with 22.9 points per game.

Nabers led all WRs with 11 targets per game (35%), which protected him from bad quarterback play. We will have to see how the quarterback situation plays out this offseason, but given how well he overcame that challenge in 2024, he will be hard to fade regardless of the outcome.

Best hot start you might not remember

Nominees:

Winner: Kenneth Walker

Walker edged out Hall for this award for two reasons.

  1. Walker's early-season workload was the bigger surprise.
  2. When you expand the sample to the first six games, Walker played four complete games and had the second-highest Utilization Score (9.1), with 22 points per game!

 

Running back utilization is the most difficult to predict year-over-year, and Walker surprised everyone by taking over the lead passing-down role early. He led the Seahawks backfield with a 54% route participation and 72% snap share in the two-minute offense over the first six weeks.

After one season, the Seahawks fired Ryan Grubb as their offensive coordinator, and Zach Charbonnet performed admirably in Walker's absence. Those factors could lead to a new workload split in 2025, so stay tuned!

Honorable mention: Justin Fields

I haven't found a way to measure quarterback performance better than fantasy points per game, so we don't have a Utilization Score for the position. However, if quarterbacks were included in this research, Fields would have made the list. 

He didn't play great, but he is another reminder that it is hard for dual-threat quarterbacks to fail! Fields was the QB8 over the first four weeks, averaging 18.7 points per game with a 20% designed rush rate (fourth) and 10% scramble rate (seventh).

Fields and Anthony Richardson's future as NFL starters is uncertain. However, both still possess upside whenever they are on the field.

Hottest finish (Weeks 14 to 17)

Nominees:

Winner: Brian Thomas Jr.

As you can tell, this was a complex list to narrow down. Many players came through in big ways during the crunch of 2024. Ultimately, I settled on Thomas as the award winner for two reasons.

  1. If you drafted Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase, you expected them to help you win your championship.
     
  2. Thomas's ascension to Jefferson and Chase's status over the final four games is the most impressive achievement by anyone on the list.

 

Over the last four games, Thomas averaged 25.3 fantasy points per contest with Mac Jones at quarterback. Over that span, he posted a monster target share (37%) and air yards share (52%) while leading the NFL in endzone target share (75%). He became the entire passing game for the Jaguars, and opposing defenses didn't have an answer.

Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Gabe Davis were all hurt to finish the season. However, none are alpha target earners, making Thomas the favorite to lead this receiving corps in 2025.

Honorable Mentions: Best under-the-radar late-season riser

While this group of players didn't perform at the levels of the hottest finishers, they all ended the season on a high note. If you believe in Big Mo, all these names have it heading into the offseason. We will see if they can run pure as rosters transform through free agency and the NFL Draft.

Underperformer of the year

For the under- and over-performers of the year, you will see three numbers next to their names.

  1. Utilization Score.
  2. Fantasy points per game.
  3. The difference in fantasy points per game and expected fantasy based on their Utilization Score comps.

Nominees:

Winner: George Pickens

Pickens averaged 1.9 points per game less than his Utilization Score comps over the last four seasons of data. He ranked 15th in target share (27%), fourth in air yards share (44%), and 10th in endzone target share (44%). However, he only ranked 35th in fantasy points per game.

In part, we can thank our old nemesis, Arthur Smith. The Steelers ranked 25th in pass attempts per game (34) and 29th in dropback rate over expected (-5%).

In a nutshell, Pickens's target share and air yards were WR1-worthy, but in this offense, his raw targets (7.2) and air yards per game (99) fell into the WR2 range.

Overperformer of the year

Nominees:

Winner: James Cook

Technically, Henry and Montgomery outperformed their expected performance by more than Cook (47% and 41% vs. 35%). However, both players have a history of overcoming the lack of passing-down work, thanks to their prolific rushing touchdown upside in high-end offenses. I wouldn't have been surprised if you told me their Utilization Score didn't align with their fantasy points.

But I would not have bet on Cook finishing as the RB11 with 16.7 points per game with a 6.5 Utilization Score. That mark is lower than his 6.8 from 2023 when he averaged 13.9 points per game. Interestingly, Cook's utilization decreased in almost every meaningful category except the one many thought he would never improve: carries inside the five-yard line.

  • Utilization Score: 6.8 → 6.5
  • Snaps: 55% → 48%
  • Attempts: 46% → 50%
  • Attempts inside the five-yard line: 15% → 49%
  • Routes: 47% → 40%
  • Targets: 10% → 8%

Thanks to his newfound role inside the five-yard line, Cook ranked 15th in rushing attempts per game (0.9) from in close. His rushing touchdowns exploded from two to 16. That is how fantasy football works, y'all!

If I had to pick a name from this group that could produce dramatically less in 2025, it would be Cook. Touchdowns are a helluva drug, and we love the Bills, but he is almost guaranteed to regress in that department even if he retains the same workload around the goal line.

Still, Cook was one of many reminders that we shouldn't assume smaller backs can't shoulder the workload from in close. Like Jamaal Charles and Austin Ekeler of yesteryear, Kyren Williams (1.3), Jahmyr Gibbs (1.0), Cook (0.9), De'Von Achane (0.8), and Bucky Irving (0.8) all carved out significant carries per game inside the five.

Fugazi of the year

Nominees:

Winner: Jayden Reed

This one is painful, but Reed is the clear-cut winner. Westbrook-Ikhine and Valdes-Scantling might have duped some fantasy managers into starting them once or twice thanks to touchdown variance, but Reed kept many managers on the hook for much of the season.

Reed started hot with the fourth-most fantasy points per game (19.4) over the first four games, putting him in the same stratosphere as Malik Nabers, Nico Collins, and Justin Jefferson. However, his Utilization Score was much lower than that trio at 6.6.

 

Despite the lack of a high-end target dominator, Reed wasn't able to separate from the rest of the Packers' receiving corps.

 

After a red-hot start, Reed disappointed with only 11.7 points per game (42nd), making him the biggest Fugazi of 2024.

Best newcomer

Nominees:

Winner: Brock Bowers

Okay, this one was almost impossible. The big takeaway here is that fantasy football received a massive infusion of talent with this rookie class.

 

While it was close, I went with Bowers because he had the highest Utilization Score and set records.

  • Broke Mike Ditka's long-time rookie tight end yardage record of 1,067 yards with 1,194 yards. (Ditka still holds the record for yards per game at 76)
  • Broke Puka Nacua's rookie record for receptions (105) with 110.

Nabers and Thomas have already won Utilization Awards, so let's spread the love. If you think the award should have gone to Malik Nabers, you won't find a beef with me.

Biggest decline

Four numbers are next to each player's name for the year-over-year decline and improvement nominees.

  1. 2023 Utilization Score
  2. 2023 Fantasy points per game
  3. 2024 Utilization Score
  4. 2024 Fantasy points per game

Nominees:

Winner: Tyreek Hill

White was in consideration. After losing his job to Bucky Irving late in the season, it's challenging to be confident about his outlook heading into 2025. He profiles as a passing-down back with contingent upside if Irving suffers an injury. However, even that outlook is flimsy at best—Irving also offers passing-down chops.

In the end, Tyreek Hill was a slam dunk for this award. Only Christian McCaffrey was a more painful high first-round draft pick in fantasy this season. Hill was the WR2 overall with 23.3 points per game in 2023 but plummeted to WR33 with 12.8 in 2024.

The 30-year-old dealt with a nagging wrist injury and fought through six games without Tua Tagovailoa. He was better in games with Tagovailoa, but even in those games, Hill was a massive disappointment when you could have selected Ja'Marr Chase (23.7 points per game) or Justin Jefferson (18.2). 

  • With Tagovailoa: 14.9 points per game
  • Without Tagovaloa: 8.9 points per game

Hill's underlying Utilization also suffered a massive hit. Over his first two years in Miami, he notched 31% and 33% target shares, which dropped to 22%. Jonnu Smith and De'Von Achane became more significant members of the passing attack, making Hill one of the guys rather than the alpha.

 

Waddle suffered the same fate as Hill, which could have been a systemic offensive problem. Defenses have adapted to Mike McDaniel's alignment and motion cheat codes. We should expect the Dolphins to lab some innovative new ideas and counterpunches this offseason. Of course, Hill might not even be a Dolphin in 2025.

Many will conclude that Hill is washed, and while the odds of that have certainly improved with this performance, my stance on the Cheetah will mostly depend on price in 2025.

Most improved (without injury assistance)

Nominees:

Winner: Trey McBride

As you can see, this was the most challenging category to trim down—many players drastically improved their game in 2024!

To get to this point, I had to cut other worthy names like Terry McLaurin (I must mention this for the sake of Ian Hartitz's blood pressure) and Bijan Robinson. Chase Brown was already taking over the backfield for the Bengals before the Zack Moss injury, but his complete takeover didn't occur until after, eliminating him from the running.

Technically, Smith-Njigba and Williams made the most considerable strides, improving their Utilization Score by 2.5 and their fantasy points by 6.1 and 6.4 per game, respectively. However, their scores and points per game topped out in the WR2 to WR3 range.

My two finalists were McBride and Higgins. McBride improved his Utilization Score by 2.3 (33%) points compared to 2.4 (39%) for Higgins. Higgins slightly bested McBride in improved fantasy points, with 6.2 (54%) compared to 4.9 (46%). McBride finished the season as the TE2 (15.6) and Higgins was the WR6 (18.7).

Ultimately, I decided to give the award to McBride because he proved it over a larger sample of games (16). My cutoff for this award was 12 games, and Higgins played precisely that many.

McBride also posted the highest Utilization Score for the tight end position, 9.3. He bested another up-and-comer in Bowers (9.1) as well as two veteran mainstays: Travis Kelce (8.8) and Kittle (8.8).

Mr. Utilization Score

Only the best of the best were in contention for the Mr. Utilization Score award. To be considered, you needed an elite score of 9.0 or higher. Only six players reached that summit.

Nominees:

Winner: Ja'Marr Chase

Before diving into Chase, let's briefly discuss Kamara and Robinson since neither was written about in any section above.

Some will scoff at including Kamara, but the utilization doesn't lie. He struggled to close out the season thanks to injuries and the decimation of the Saints roster, but the 29-year-old back averaged 18.9 points over 14 contests. In 10 games with Carr, he averaged 20.4.

Robinson barely missed the cut as a nominee for most improved. His Utilization Score climbed from 8.2 to 9.1, and his fantasy points per game catapulted from 14.8 to 19.9. Over the season's first six weeks, it looked like Robinson might have been a mistake as a mid-round one selection. However, from Week 7 to 18, he averaged the third most points (22.3) and boasted the No. 1 Utilization Score.

 

Robinson is in the RB1 overall conversation for 2025 fantasy drafts. He offers the best blend of talent, every-down role potential, and age of any back on the board. He was the runner-up for Mr. Utilization.

However, there can only be one Mr. Utilization, and Chase was the slam-dunk choice. His 9.4 Utilization Score was the eighth-highest on record since we began keeping track in 2020. This was Chase's second time to lead all WRs, he notched a 9.7 Utilization Score in 2022.

No other non-quarterback scored more fantasy points per game than Chase (23.7), and he notched high-end finishes across multiple utilization categories.

  • Targets per game: 10.1 (2nd)
  • Catchable targets per game: 8.2 (1st-tied)
  • Endzone targets per game: 1.1 (2nd-tied)

He was only the sixth receiver in history to win the NFL Triple Crown, leading the league in receptions (127), yards (1,708) and touchdowns (17). The only other wide receivers to do that:

  • Lance Alworth | Chargers (1966)
  • Jerry Rice | 49ers (1990)
  • Sterling Sharpe | Packers (1992) 
  • Steve Smith Jr. | Panthers (2005)
  • Cooper Kupp | Rams (2021)

Congratulations to all our nominees and winners, but Chase gets an extra-big shoutout as 2024's Mr. Utilization. Way to go, Ja'Marr!