The wide receiver position in fantasy football is quite deep, and Drake London and Nico Collins are proof of that.
Collins is going as WR13, and London is going as WR11 in PPR leagues. I’d consider both the No. 1 wide receiver in their respective offenses, but the former does have some notable competition.
Let’s examine their values.
2024 Fantasy Outlook for Drake London
Since being selected at No. 8 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, we’ve been waiting for London to have that breakout season, and this year could be it.
According to TruMedia, London ran 484 routes last season. He saw 110 targets and recorded 69 receptions, 905 yards, and two touchdowns, averaging 13.1 yards per reception. Only 80 of those targets were deemed catchable, though.
London caught 72 passes on 117 targets for 866 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.
Now, the Falcons have quarterback Kirk Cousins throwing passes. Of course, the veteran is coming off a torn Achilles, but it appears to be all systems go for him.
Atlanta’s offense is shaping up to be a three-headed monster with London, tight end Kyle Pitts, and running back Bijan Robinson.
This could raise the question of whether there are enough targets — but the answer is a firm yes.
Cousins attempted 311 passes last season over eight games before the injury. Before that, he had 516 attempts or more in the previous three seasons. He also has a lifetime completion percentage of 66.9%.
Over his career, Cousins has thrown 5,177 passes, and 3,001 of them have gone to wide receivers.
Cousins also tossed 30 touchdowns or more in three of his last five seasons before 2023, and one of those seasons came with 29 TDs (2022).
I don’t anticipate any volume concerns, especially with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who will certainly run more 3WR sets — similar to his time with the Los Angeles Rams.
2024 Fantasy Outlook for Nico Collins
After failing to catch more than 37 passes in a single season, all it took was the addition of quarterback C.J. Stroud for Collins to break out.
Last season, Collins caught 80 passes on 109 targets for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns through 15 games. He finished as WR18 and was WR15 in average points per game.
Of course, his finish came with the caveat that he only played 15 games, missing Week 10 and Week 15.
That said, it’s worth noting that the Houston Texans added many weapons this offseason. They traded for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, signed running back Joe Mixon, and will soon have wide receiver Tank Dell back in the fold.
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Stroud completed 219 of 499 passes (63.9%) for 4,108 yards, threw for 23 touchdowns, and was only intercepted five times as a rookie.
In his second season, I certainly expect some progression, but he does have more mouths to feed. Mixon is a running back who demands carries, averaging 253 over the last three seasons.
Who Should I Draft in 2024?
Collins certainly broke out last year and was excellent, but it came with a bad running game, no Diggs, and Dell getting injured earlier in the season.
As for London, he’s entering his third season with a massive upgrade at quarterback (torn Achilles or not). And while there are other weapons there, Cousins throws the ball a bunch more, and London should benefit.
Roll with London here.