For some NFL teams, we will draft as many as eight or nine players from their roster in fantasy football drafts. For others, we may only see a couple of their players get selected.
From top to bottom in the AFC, there is plenty of fantasy value. In particular, the AFC West has four names to keep an eye on.
That will be today’s focus — who is the best fantasy football asset on each team in the AFC West?
Who Are the Best Fantasy Football Picks for AFC West Teams in 2024?
Denver Broncos: WR Courtland Sutton
Technically, someone on the Broncos has to be the best value, it just doesn’t necessarily mean that player is worth drafting in fantasy. So, I guess the answer here is Courtland Sutton.
The Broncos can be best described as a fantasy wasteland. There’s just not much here. In standard-sized fantasy leagues, we may very well see only two players from this team get drafted.
If you want to argue that Javonte Williams is more valuable, I wouldn’t argue it. The same goes for Jaleel McLaughlin, or perhaps even rookie RB Audric Estimé.
I went with Courtland Sutton because how many real-life WR1s with absolutely no competition for targets can you get outside the top 45 wide receivers?
Sutton was largely dependent on touchdowns last season, scoring 10 of them on just 59 receptions. He’s unlikely to reach that number with a rookie quarterback. But even so, there aren’t any exciting options on the Broncos. Sutton is the best value of a weak group.
Kansas City Chiefs: QB Patrick Mahomes
The last time Patrick Mahomes even had a chance to be the best value on the Chiefs was back in 2018, his first year starting. Since then, he’s been a perennial top-three option. That is, until now.
For much of the summer, Mahomes was going outside the top three quarterbacks. He’s now creeping back up to his rightful spot as the overall QB2. However, largely, he’s still going later than he has at any point since 2018.
With the Chiefs adding two new wide receivers in Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy, combined with the returns of Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, I think we’re getting 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns from Mahomes.
Las Vegas Raiders: WR Davante Adams
I’m not even in on Davante Adams this season. He finds himself as the best fantasy value on the Raiders by default. There just isn’t anyone I even remotely want to draft on this team.
Adams averaged 15.6 fantasy ppg last season, which was his lowest mark since averaging 17.6 ppg in 2017. Those aren’t bad numbers. They’re just not what we’ve come to expect from Adams.
He averaged below 2.0 yards per route run last season. Utilizing TruMedia, I found that Adams’ EPA per target has been in decline for three consecutive seasons. In 2020, it was 0.45. It held steady at 0.44 in 2021, and in 2022, his first season with the Raiders, it fell to 0.22. Last year, it was a paltry 0.09.
Is Adams in decline, or is this a product of poor QB play? Either way, it’s not good, and the situation does not appear to have gotten any better. Nevertheless, he’s still Davante Adams. If anyone could rebound for a WR1 season at this age, it’s him. But mostly, I just dislike Adams less than the rest of the players on this team.
Los Angeles Chargers: WR Joshua Palmer
Fantasy managers love exciting young players. Ladd McConkey is the highest-drafted Chargers WR by far. But should he be going ahead of Joshua Palmer? The argument in favor of it is McConkey is a much more dynamic player. Palmer, for all he can do, has a capped ceiling.
With that said, Palmer is still the WR1 of this team. He is the most veteran receiver they have and the only one with an established rapport with Justin Herbert.
We’ve seen Palmer post high-WR3 numbers in games where he was an every-down player. Historically, that’s been when one of Keenan Allen or Mike Williams was inactive. Both are gone this year. Palmer is going around WR60. That’s essentially free.
