NFL Expert Picks: Fantasy Football League-Winners for 2024

We all know that a strong roster top to bottom is required to claim a trophy in fantasy football. One player can't single-handedly carry you to glory.

But finding a player with a slick ceiling can give you a lot more wiggle room for mistakes elsewhere. That's what we're looking for when we search for league-winners.

Below, the FanDuel Research staff lays out which players they think have that league-winning upside for 2024. They may not be the safest players, but the upside they provide makes it a worthwhile tradeoff.

Fantasy Football League-Winners in 2024

Austan Kas, Senior Editor

League-Winner: Christian Watson

It sure feels like one of the Green Bay Packers' wideouts is going to out-perform his average draft position (ADP). I'll be honest: I like a few of the options.

But I think Christian Watson has the highest upside of the bunch.

Watson struggled with injuries last year and played more than half the snaps in just eight games. He still scored five touchdowns and hauled in 422 receiving yards despite the limited playing time. He's proven to have a nose for the end zone over his two-year career, scoring 14 times (12 receiving), and at 6-foot-4 and 208 pounds, he offers something different than the rest of Green Bay's pass-catchers.

Watson might have been breaking out last year right before he suffered an injury in Week 13 that ended his regular season as he went for 165 yards and 3 tuddies across his final two games. He's got an ADP of 100th overall (WR43), per FantasyPros' half-point-per-reception (PPR) ADP data, and I'm plenty willing to take a swing on him in that range.

Austin Swaim, Senior Editor

League-Winner: Malik Nabers

Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr. are going pretty far apart as rookies in similar situations, and it's not out of the realm of possibility the New York Giants' top target has a better season.

No Giants wideout posted a target share north of 19.0% or 775 receiving yards in a similar room last year, and they lost Saquon Barkley in free agency as a huge dent to the ground game. With a similar athletic and college production profile to fellow LSU alum Ja'Marr Chase, Nabers could be a target hog in his debut campaign for a coach and quarterback duo that fared much better in 2022 with a healthier offensive line.

I'm looking to scoop up the training camp star in the fifth round when possible, but he's not often sliding that far as draft season has progressed; it'll likely take a fourth-rounder.

Kenyatta Storin, Senior Editor

League-Winner: Jayden Daniels

Rookie dual-threat QB Jayden Daniels is by no means a sure thing on a Washington Commanders team showing a modest 6.5 win total on FanDuel Sportsbook, but that's baked into a draft price that has him as the QB14 and outside the top 100 overall picks, per FantasyPros.

Keep in mind that Anthony Richardson was being drafted in roughly the same spot last season, and the rushing upside he flashed in just two full games has vaulted him up to QB6 in 2024 drafts.

Our fantasy football projections peg Daniels for the fourth-most rushing yards at quarterback, which isn't outlandish when you consider he ran for 1,134 yards and 10 scores in his final college campaign. If he can be merely okay as a passer, he could crush at an ADP well after other dual-threats like Richardson and Kyler Murray.

Riley Thomas, Writer

League-Winner: Cooper Kupp

Cooper Kupp is currently tracking as a fourth-round pick with his 38th overall ADP, per FantasyPros.

After putting up the most PPR fantasy points by a wideout in a single season in 2021, injuries have been a constant problem for Kupp. He appeared in only 9 games in 2022 followed by 12 last season. This helped give Puka Nacua the stage to shine last season as he went on to finish as WR4 while Kupp was WR41 in half-PPR leagues.

However, the roles could be reversed entering the 2024 season. Nacua is currently battling his own injury, and Kupp was WR11 in fantasy points per game (PPG) from Week 13 on in 2023. When Kupp, Nacua, and Matthew Stafford were all playing, Kupp posted only seven fewer targets, two fewer catches, and even one more touchdown than Nacua over the 11-game span.

Kupp has a much higher ceiling than his WR19 ADP suggests, which is further supported by FanDuel Research’s season-long projections forecasting Kupp as WR12. The Los Angeles Rams’ receiver has a great chance of grabbing the spotlight once again, entering top-10 territory for his position.

Skyler Carlin, Writer

League-Winner: Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray made a late-season return for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 as he was recovering from a torn ACL from the 2022 campaign. Murray was understandably rusty in his first four starts a season ago, posting -0.17 expected points added per drop back and 44.0% passing success rate while averaging 26.5 rushing yards per game from Weeks 10 through 13, via NextGenStats.

However, Murray began to grow more comfortable in his final four starts in the regular season, improving to 0.04 expected points added per drop back, a 48.3% passing success rate, and 34.5 rushing yards per game.

Besides returning from a serious injury, Murray's up-and-down numbers from last year can be partly attributed to a lack of receiving weapons aside from Trey McBride and the fact he was playing in a new offensive scheme.

Fast forward to now, and Murray is now a full year removed from his knee ailment, has Marvin Harrison Jr. to target alongside McBride, and has had a full offseason to get more acclimated in Drew Petzing's offense. Murray has finished no worse than QB9 in fantasy points per game since 2020 while he's been QB5 or better in two of those seasons.

With Murray expected to see more rushing usage as he's fully healthy -- along with a much-improved pass-catching unit -- there is QB1 potential for the dual-threat quarterback in 2024.

Aidan Cotter, Writer

League-Winner: De'Von Achane

I believe we’re overthinking De'Von Achane.

I understand the workload and injury concerns with him, but Achane wasn’t just great last season — he was historically great. The second-year back totaled only 103 rush attempts as a rookie, but he turned those into 800 yards and 8 touchdowns. That’s good for 7.8 yards per attempt for all you math nerds out there.

He backed that up by dusting the rest of the league in Rushing Net Expected Points (numberFire’s EPA metric) per play (0.38), doubling the next-closest running back who saw at least 50 attempts.

There’s certainly risk embedded in Achene’s profile, and we can’t expect him to be that efficient again. But that could be mitigated with an uptick in volume, and it’s hard to find someone with as much league-winning upside at his ADP (22.3).

Annie Nader, Writer

League-Winner: Drake London

Drake London is currently being drafted in the late second round as the 11th wide receiver taken off the board.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft has been waiting for a legit quarterback to unleash him, and Kirk Cousins seems primed to do just that. London has notched 1,771 yards in his two-year career but has posted a head-turning 2.6% touchdown rate. Cousins should ensure that the 6-foot-4 pass-catcher sees the end zone at a friendlier rate.

For my money, London is the lowest-drafted wideout that holds legit top 5 upside at the position. The notion of potentially getting to Breece Hall in Round 1 and swiping London in Round 2 is exciting and could be what wins you your league.

Jim Sannes, Managing Editor

League-Winner: Rashee Rice

The risk here? It's lofty. Rashee Rice could always get suspended mid-season for his March 2024 arrest, and if that forces him to miss the fantasy playoffs, he has the potential to be a league-winner for your opponents rather than for you.

But the upside here justifies that risk.

There's always a chance Rice gets suspended before the season. That's partly baked into his draft cost as the WR37 and 83rd overall pick at FantasyPros. And if that happens, you'll still have Rice on your roster for the weeks that matter most, assuming you can claw your way into the playoffs.

Plus, it's no guarantee Rice gets suspended this year at all. The NFL said it will settle the matter at the conclusion of the legal process. If that continues to get pushed back, there's a realistic chance Rice's suspension comes during the 2025 season.

After the bye last year, Rice had 25.0% of the Kansas City Chiefs' total targets in the games he played. He'll have more competition this year, but Marquise Brown is already hurt, and Xavier Worthy could experience growing pains as a rookie. Thus, even with the potential for an ill-timed suspension, Rice's league-winning upside makes him a great target at his current draft slot.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.