Fantasy football draft season is upon us, which means it’s time to start formulating a strategy for which direction you will go in every round when you are on the clock.
Here is a closer look at the results of this 2024 fantasy football mock draft in a non-PPR 1QB format.
2024 Redraft Mock Draft in a Non-PPR 1QB Format
1.01) Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
If you are in search of a contrarian take on who the 1.01 pick should be, you won’t find it here.
San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey’s 2,023 total yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage made him head and shoulders the highest-scoring non-QB by a wide margin in 2023. His 67 receptions last year proved he still has a great floor in full-PPR formats, which makes it very difficult to build any plausible case against the All-Pro back entering the 2024 NFL season.
McCaffrey dealing with a minor calf strain this early in August isn’t enough to scare me off of making him the first overall selection in fantasy drafts.
1.02) CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Why the Dallas Cowboys are having such a hard time paying WR CeeDee Lamb is absolutely dumbfounding to me.
Lamb’s 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 12 TDs made him an elite fantasy performer, and he produced the first WR1 overall finish of his young career. Quite frankly, this upward trend has been present all three years in the league with his receptions, receiving yards, and TDs increasing.
Lamb’s elite target share, high volume of looks in the red zone, and outstanding overall production every year of his career make him an incredibly safe investment in the first round of any format.
1.03) Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
The depth of the receiver position in the first four rounds and lack of running backs with legitimate RB1 overall upside feels pretty limited — which is why I lean toward going running back once Lamb is off the board.
The Atlanta Falcons’ offense was a confusing mess last year, with head coach Arthur Smith refusing to feature Bijan Robinson and the substandard quarterback play of Desmond Ridder. Well, both of those issues have been resolved this offseason.
The Falcons addressed the quarterback position this year by signing veteran Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year deal and using the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on QB Michael Penix Jr., which essentially doubled down on trying to upgrade the position this offseason.
Additionally, the team brought in Zac Robinson — who worked under Sean McVay as a member of the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff last year — as their new offensive coordinator. This feels like good news considering the Rams weren’t shy about featuring Kyren Williams as their bell-cow back in 2023, who was right next to McCaffrey in total touches per game in 2023.
If Zac Robinson’s offense can generate more scoring opportunities with improved quarterback play and Bijan Robinson justifiably sees an uptick in usage (he still finished the year as the RB12 in non-PPR formats last season), we could see a huge jump into the fantasy elite in 2024.
1.04) Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
Breece Hall was a full-PPR darling with his league-leading 76 receptions at the RB position, which led to an RB2 overall finish on one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Unfortunately, a non-PPR format removes those valuable points per reception, but his top-10 finish at the position in a terrible offense shows you the type of talent we are dealing with here.
This RB7 finish in non-PPR formats displayed the type of ceiling many thought Hall possessed when he entered the league two years ago — which makes his fantasy ceiling of an RB1 overall feel very much in play with the unquestioned upgrade under center the New York Jets offense will see going from Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle under center to Aaron Rodgers.
If this Jets offense makes a modest jump into an average unit this upcoming season, Hall could pair his big-play and pass-catching ability with a double-digit TD ceiling in 2024 — which makes him worthy of a top-five pick in fantasy drafts.
1.05) Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
The stats we’ve seen from Miami Dolphins WR over the last two years don’t sound real. His 119 receptions for 1,700+ yards over a two-year span make him a fantasy scoring machine in this offense.
Quite frankly, Hill is one of the few players who has a legitimate 1.01 overall case regardless of format with his exceptional play and fit in this Mike McDaniel offensive scheme.
The age cliff is nearing for a player whose speed has revolutionized the passing game, but until he shows signs of slowing down, it’s increasingly difficult to push him outside of the top five regardless of format.
1.06) A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles have gotten exactly what they bargained for when they traded their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans to acquire the services of A.J. Brown.
Brown’s Fantasy Production With Philadelphia
- 2023: 106 receptions, 1,456 yards, seven TDs (WR5)
- 2022: 88 receptions, 1,496 yards, 11 TDs (WR6)
Brown looked like he was well on his way to a career year when he rattled off six straight performances of 130+ yards from Weeks 3-8 — which was good for the WR1 overall spot in fantasy football over that span. The implosion of the Eagles’ offense still doesn’t make a ton of sense, but I still have faith in Jalen Hurts and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to right the ship.
Moore helped both Lamb and Keenan Allen produce exceptional fantasy campaigns over the last two years, which gives Brown a legitimate WR1 overall ceiling in 2024.
1.07) Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions
Up, up, up, and away is the only direction we’ve seen the fantasy production of Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown go in every year of his NFL career.
Despite the additions of both Sam LaPorta (TE1 overall) and Jahmyr Gibbs (RB10 overall) last year, Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has improved in every major statistical category every year of his NFL career.
The aforementioned dynamic rookie playmakers saw a combined 191 targets last year, and St. Brown still posted a career year of 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 TDs on 164 targets in 2023.
The same cast of characters is returning for this season, which makes it difficult to project any significantly reduced role for the Sun God in 2024.
1.08) Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Fear of the unknown is why many fantasy managers aren’t exactly sure what to do with Kyren Williams’ breakout 2023 season.
Williams was nothing short of outstanding last year, but it is just one year’s worth of production. Not to mention, the team invested a Day 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to add Blake Corum to this backfield. These factors are certainly worth monitoring.
It’s equally important to mention how exceptional Williams was on the field last year. At the season’s conclusion, Williams and McCaffrey ranked either first or second in fantasy points per game and total touches per game, putting him in the company of the elite, league-winner-type talents.
Williams may have come out of nowhere to finish as a top 10 fantasy RB with 1,144 rushing yards and 12 rushing TDs to go with an additional 206 yards and three more scores on 32 receptions, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a preview of things to come in this offense.
Keep in mind, this production from Williams came with him missing five games. On a per-game basis, Williams was nothing short of outstanding last year. His 5.02 yards per carry on 228 carries is evidence of just how highly efficient he was in a bell-cow role in 2023.
Quite honestly, if the addition of Corum in the third round is enough to scare you, then I would suggest you ask yourself this question: What do you feel Corum does definitively better than Williams?
If you have a handful of answers to that question, then don’t draft Williams here.
My ranking makes it clear that Williams offers everything Corum does as a runner but is an exponentially better option in the passing game. That makes it hard for me to believe Corum is going to get Williams off the field enough to prevent the Notre Dame product from being a top-10 fantasy back in 2024.
1.09) Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
A career-high 100 receptions in 2023 wasn’t nearly enough to make Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase’s WR13 finish in non-PPR formats satisfactory to those who invested first-round draft capital into him a year ago. Many fantasy managers spent top-three draft capital on Chase last draft season — Chase failed to live up to the lofty expectations.
Does his 2023 production require some serious context? Yes, absolutely. I’m still willing to double down on a player like Chase seeing as he is as talented as any receiver in the league. Not to mention, he still has Joe Burrow throwing him the football, and Tee Higgins’ contract situation isn’t exactly one that inspires a ton of confidence this upcoming season.
After the slow start for the entire Cincy offense due to Burrow’s calf injury through the first month of the season, Chase still rattled off three performances with 5+ receptions, 100+ yards, and at least one score from Weeks 5-10 (five games) to showcase he still has the elite upside that warrants this type of pick.
1.10) Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
Gibbs has one of the most interesting fantasy profiles of any player being drafted in the first-round range. He didn’t lead his own team in carries, rushing yards, or total TDs, but his dynamic per-touch efficiency and expanded role over the back half of last year has most fantasy managers fully bought in on his sophomore campaign.
In non-PPR formats, Gibbs’ dominating workload in the passing game doesn’t raise his floor quite as much, but his 52 receptions for 316 yards his rookie year is still very encouraging.
Additionally, Gibbs’ 5.19 yards per carry and 11 total touchdowns suggest he can be an elite fantasy asset while splitting work with David Montgomery.
The rushing workload was much closer to a 50-50 split over the back half of the year with Gibbs still dominating the volume in the passing game during that stretch, and Gibbs did see eight carries from inside the five-yard line in 2023.
If Gibbs sees his role expand on the ground enough to see a few more carries than Montgomery and earn some additional carries from inside the five-yard line this season, then Gibbs could have an RB1 overall fantasy ceiling in 2024.
1.11) Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
Garrett Wilson has drawn one of the worst quarterback situation hands in recent memory through the first two years of his NFL career.
Wilson truthers were subjected to another year of terrible quarterback play, which made his WR36 finish in non-PPR formats with 95 receptions for 1,042 yards and three TDs feel like a big disappointment. In my opinion, those numbers should not be used as a case against Wilson’s outlook entering the 2024 NFL season.
We can all agree that catching passes from quarterbacks like Wilson, Siemian, and Boyle isn’t likely to help you realize your full fantasy potential, correct? Yes.
Can we all agree that Rodgers has a lengthy track record of helping elevate dynamic playmakers at receiver to elite top-five fantasy producers at the position during his NFL career? Yes.
I understand he hasn’t done it yet, but let’s not pretend the potential impact of a future Hall of Fame quarterback won’t elevate his game to the next level.
1.12) Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
Justin Jefferson may still be in the conversation for the best WR in the NFL, but his situation does come with a bit less certainty than some of the other players listed ahead of him on this list.
In six games without Cousins under center, Jefferson has 38 receptions for 561 yards and two scores. Now, is an average of six receptions for 93 yards a sign of impending fantasy doom for the dynamic receiver? No, absolutely not.
Jefferson should still be considered a solid WR1 option for your fantasy squad in this format, but the uncertainty of having either rookie J.J. McCarthy or Sam Darnold under center does make his outlook a bit murkier than some others ahead of him on this list.
2.01) Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has been a fantasy disappointment for two straight years, which makes his RB1 overall finish back in 2021 feel like a distant memory of the past.
However, we still got glimpses of fantasy excellence once Taylor got healthy last year, which included a 27-point fantasy outing in the season finale against the Houston Texans.
The potential impact on Taylor’s TD upside from dual-threat quarterback Anthony Richardson is present, but the Wisconsin product is still well-positioned as an elite playmaking option to be the leading ball carrier of an ascending offense. This makes a player who has a proven RB1 overall upside a solid investment in the second round.
2.02) Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
What is there to say about Puka Nacua’s historic rookie year that hasn’t already been said 10 times over? His overall WR4 finish in full-PPR formats with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six scores dropped to WR5 in non-PPR leagues, which suggests he was an elite option last year regardless of format.
Nacua’s production should come with the context of Cooper Kupp missing the first four games in 2023, but elite production is elite production. Period.
Could Nacua’s target volume and numbers drop a slight bit if Kupp stays healthy the entire season? Sure, but that hasn’t happened over the last two years. Nacua battled through multiple nagging injuries as a rookie and was still one of the best fantasy options at the position in Year 1 of his NFL career.
Nacua is dealing with a knee injury that has left him considered week-to-week. Yet, all signs point towards him being available for the start of the season.
We’ve seen what Nacua’s fantasy ceiling looks like if Kupp gets injured, which has happened each of the last two years. Nacua provides a great fantasy floor with an elite ceiling in the right circumstances and could be even better in Year 2.
2.03) Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley’s move from the inept New York Giants offense to the productive unit in Philadelphia allows both optimists and pessimists to present a case regarding his 2024 fantasy outlook.
An optimist will rightfully point out that Barkley is playing behind a significantly better offensive line in an offense that creates far more scoring opportunities with enough talent around him to take attention from opposing defenses away from him.
A pessimist will quickly retort by mentioning his fantasy upside is significantly capped by tush-push aficionado Jalen Hurts under center, who could vulture away 10+ short-yardage scores a year from Eagles running backs.
Barkley is unlikely to reach the pass-catching heights we saw in his rookie year, but this situation presents the best opportunity of his career to let his exceptional athletic profile flourish in a productive offense.
2.04) Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
The per-carry efficiency certainly wasn’t pretty for Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr. — who posted an ugly 3.78 yards per carry mark in 2023 — but the lack of any significant additions to this backfield means we should expect the Clemson product to lead the way again for this backfield in 2024.
Etienne’s rushing touchdowns, receiving touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards all climbed in his second year as the starter. His back-to-back campaigns of 1,400 total yards from scrimmage give fantasy managers a reliable floor with top-five upside in the second round of fantasy drafts.
2.05) Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
It was a rough year across the board for RB Josh Jacobs in his final year with the Las Vegas Raiders, but his opportunity to be the leading ball carrier of an ascending offense should be enough to get fantasy managers excited again about his fantasy outlook.
Despite Jacobs’ disappointing RB28 overall finish last year, the Green Bay Packers still jumped at the opportunity to part ways with Aaron Jones in favor of a multi-year deal at market value for Jacobs’ services.
Helping his cause was the news talented rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury, which likely means the team will have to lean even more on Jacobs with the rookie missing crucial reps for his development during the preseason.
Jacobs is a proven three-down leading ball carrier with the versatility to create mismatches in the passing game and provide this backfield with a similar amount of explosive plays that we saw from his predecessor over the last five years.
2.06) Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
What’s not to love about landing the leading back of a Kansas City Chiefs offense in the second round? If one thing became clear last year, this backfield belongs to Isiah Pacheco.
Pacheco saw 75 more carries than any other back on the roster and remained pretty efficient on a per-touch basis despite seeing over 200 carries for the first time in his NFL career.
Pacheco’s per-game averages of 15 carries for 67 rushing yards in 2023 translate to north of 250 carries and over 1,100 rushing yards over a full slate of regular season games. Additionally, Pacheco tripled his receiving production from his rookie year with 44 receptions for 244 yards.
Keep in mind that Pacheco missed three games last year. For years, fantasy managers have wanted a back to take the lead in this high-powered Chiefs’ offense. Well, Pacheco is that guy — that makes him a great option at the end of the second round.
2.07) Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
Ranking any rookie — no matter how talented — this high will always be met with skepticism. Yet, Marvin Harrison Jr. is walking into an offense orchestrated by Kyler Murray that is completely devoid of a go-to receiver, which makes an aggressive fantasy projection for a prospect of his caliber very plausible.
Harrison’s blend of elite speed, route-running nuance, versatile release packages, formation versatility, body control, and exceptional contested-catch ability make him a candidate to see north of 150 targets in his rookie year. If this comes to fruition, Harrison could flirt with a top-five fantasy season in 2024.
2.08) Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
In a similar fashion to Lamb and St. Brown, Chris Olave enjoyed a sizeable jump in production across the board from his rookie to sophomore year, finishing with more receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns than his rookie season.
In many ways, Olave’s 87 receptions for 1,123 yards and five scores last year feels like it was just scratching the surface of his fantasy ceiling.
Olave may not be a dynamic YAC threat like some of the other names taken ahead of him, but he is among the best vertical threats in the game and regularly routes up DBs trying to check him in man coverage.
With Michael Thomas’ departure earlier this year and no noteworthy additions to the receiver room this offseason, the table is set perfectly for Olave to leap into the low-end WR1 range in 2024.
2.09) Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
Michael Pittman Jr. can’t seem to get the respect he deserves from many in the fantasy community. I’m on a mission to right that wrong.
Pittman has seen his targets and receptions climb every season of his four-year NFL career. This resulted in him catching 109 of his 156 targets last year in his first season in Shane Steichen’s offensive scheme with a backup quarterback orchestrating the passing offense for the majority of the year.
If Richardson is half as good as many fantasy managers expect him to be this season, Pittman could leap into top-10 fantasy territory at the WR position in 2024.
2.10) Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Do you remember what happened when some fantasy managers were too quick to write off Patrick Mahomes’ fantasy upside after the Chiefs traded away Hill ahead of the 2022 season? Well, Mahomes went on to win his second league MVP and finished as the QB1 overall that year. Funny coincidence, that is the only year any QB finished with more fantasy points than Josh Allen since 2020.
If you are lower on Allen because he lost Stefon Diggs this offseason, then shouldn’t we acknowledge Allen’s fantasy production over the last nine games of the year, a stretch in which Diggs was just the WR44 in full-PPR formats?
From Week 10 through the rest of the regular season, Allen was the QB1 overall on a points-per-game basis. It sure seemed like Allen didn’t need Diggs to play at an All-Pro level or be an elite fantasy producer.
My point: Great players tend to figure it out no matter the circumstances. Allen is in that class. Don’t overthink this. Draft him as your starting QB with confidence in 2024.
2.11) De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
No matter what type of outlier performances are included in small fantasy sample sizes, 455 rushing yards on just 37 carries (12.3 yards per carry), with an additional eight receptions for 63 yards and seven total TDs, proves De’Von Achane has an elite fantasy ceiling.
The blinding speed, turbo-charged acceleration, and underrated contact balance make Achane one of the most interesting fantasy assets entering the 2024 NFL season. The ceiling legitimately feels like the RB1 overall, which makes him a very tempting option at the end of the second round. Yet, in a similar fashion to Gibbs, the presence of another ball carrier stands to potentially cap his sky-high fantasy ceiling.
Throw in the durability concerns that cost him six games his rookie year, and you have one of the biggest boom-or-bust fantasy options going in the first two rounds of fantasy drafts in 2024.
2.12) Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Like Wilson, fantasy managers have seen encouraging signs of potential fantasy greatness from Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London through the first few years of his NFL career while stuck in a bad passing offense.
Fortunately, the upgrade from Ridder to Cousins coupled with a shift to a new offensive scheme, which could feature him in a revamped passing game, certainly present a handful of plausible reasons for an optimistic fantasy outlook in 2024.
2024 Redraft Mock Draft | Rounds 3-6
3.01) Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
3.02) Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3.03) Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3.04) Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
3.05) Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texans
3.06) Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
3.07) Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
3.08) Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
3.09) Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
3.10) Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
3.11) Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions
3.12) Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
4.01) Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
4.02) Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, San Francisco 49ers
4.03) Davante Adams, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
4.04) Brandon Aiyuk, WR, San Francisco 49ers
4.05) Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
4.06) Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals
4.07) Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
4.08) Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
4.09) James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
4.10) Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
4.11) Stefon Diggs, WR, Houston Texans
4.12) DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
5.01) Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
5.02) Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
5.03) DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
5.04) DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
5.05) Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
5.06) Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
5.07) C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
5.08) Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
5.09) Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
5.10) D’Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears
5.11) Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings
5.12) Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders