12 Players You Should Draft or Avoid In 2024 Fantasy Football
This year of fantasy football has the makings to be very unpredictable, so listen to me here!
With the 2025 fantasy football season coming up, it's time to lock in. I'm here to help. I want you to win your league (unless, of course, I’m in it—then I hope you pick six tight ends and sleep through the waiver wire). Anyway, here's six underrated players I see exploding in 2025, and six big name guys I’m actively avoiding like lukewarm gas station sushi.
BOOM
QB: Kyler Murray
He’s finally healthy. With an expected second-year breakout from Marvin Harrison Jr., Murray has his wide receiver one—the guy he hasn’t had since DeAndre Hopkins. People are sleeping on Arizona for multiple reasons:
Kyler Murray has been injured and just hasn’t been a spectacular QB since entering the league.
They don’t have any big names.
However, as Murray starts to fall in your draft, remember this: he personally thinks he’s the healthiest he’s ever been. That’s a scary year incoming for the former Oklahoma quarterback. Arizona to the playoffs? I hope not (I’m a Rams fan)... but they’re an underrated team for sure.
RB: Chase Brown
The Bengals’ backfield is wide open—and Brown showed flashes of a future top-five back in the NFL. Cincinnati has a great receiving corps, but when they’re both locked up in coverage, the Bengals will look to Chase Brown. He catches passes. He can run for over 100 yards a game. He’s a perfect option for your squad—and he’s going later than he should.
WR: Rashee Rice
Off-field issues? Sure. Rice may still get suspended (unlikely right now,) but if he’s on the field, Mahomes is going to feed him. The Chiefs need a true WR1, and Rice’s 2023 season was great. In 2024, he suffered a season-ending injury, but still had about 300 receiving yards in four games. I had him in multiple leagues that year and he was great every game he played. He’s going to be an elite receiver this year so if you don’t draft him, which is what I’m not doing, you’ll be sorry.
TE: David Njoku
I’m shocked David Njoku played so well in just 11 games. Averaging a career-high in points per game last year (13.5, according to ESPN), the Browns’ tight end finished with over 500 receiving yards. He’s probably going to miss a couple games—but when active, Njoku will perform as well, if not better, than last year.
D/ST: Seahawks
With key offseason additions, Seattle is poised for a strong year on defense. Demarcus Lawrence, Devon Witherspoon, among others, will contribute. Finishing 2024 with 121 fantasy points, it’ll be tough for a team to do well like that again. However, the Seahawks have an even better defense this year.
K: Tyler Loop
“He’s a rookie”. Yeah, he’s Justin Tucker’s replacement. He needs to perform this year, and he will. A player who has a great leg, kicking 62-yard field goals, Loop will be an impressive rookie to watch this season.
BUST
QB: Jalen Hurts
Hate to say it. Hurts has been a fantasy stud—but 2025 won’t be his best year. He’s projected to total 364 fantasy points—but he won’t. He’ll be a top-5 QB fantasy-wise by season’s end, but he’s too overvalued. People are taking him over Lamar Jackson—the guy who will be the #1 QB in fantasy football this year.
Sure, Hurts is great and all. But you can get better quarterbacks later. Bo Nix? He’ll likely be available by pick 75 or even later. Same with guys like Baker Mayfield. Heck—even Kyler Murray is still a great option you can take late.
Early in the draft, focus on the most valuable positions: running backs and receivers. I’m not saying Hurts won’t finish as a top 5–7 QB. But he’s getting drafted extremely high. Want someone with a similar ceiling in the late rounds? Justin Fields. He’s going to have a great year in New York, and he’s way too undervalued, getting drafted in the last 3–4 rounds of most drafts.
RB: Tony Pollard
Tony Pollard will have a 1,000-yard season—again. But like many other players in fantasy football, he’s too overvalued. A player who didn’t get any goal-line action in 2024 won’t score much this year. You want a scorer? Guys like James Conner, Chuba Hubbard, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. are better options.
WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Elite talent. No debate there. But Detroit’s got other weapons. He’s coming off a great 1,200-yard year—but you can’t forget about the Lions’ other options. Gibbs, LaPorta, and Jameson Williams will all want more targets. Don’t pay WR3-overall prices for what might be WR7 production.
TE: Mark Andrews
He’s still good—but the problem is opportunity. Zay Flowers is ascending. Lamar’s rushing TDs cut into red zone chances. And Isaiah Likely isn’t going away.
For someone still going in the top five TEs, Andrews doesn’t have the consistent week-to-week volume you want at that price. Players like Trey McBride (early pick), Njoku, T.J. Hockenson, and Evan Engram are just a few names you should be targeting instead.
D/ST: Patriots
A defense that put up only 48 fantasy points in 2024, they are projected to have a much better season. And the Patriots will. However, they only totaled 48 points last year. Think of it: just last year New England had less than 50 fantasy points all year and they’re now expected to be a top defense in the NFL? I don’t know about that yet. They improved, but not drastically.
K: Jason Sanders
He’s fine. That’s the problem. In fantasy, “fine” doesn’t win. Draft a better kicker—even if it means taking him a round early. Aubrey, Dicker, Tyler Loop, Jake Bates, Butker, and Boswell are better options.
Do You Draft or Do You Skip?
Isiah Pacheco — Draft
I get the injury concerns. But this guy can explode for a big gain when he plays. He’s the clear lead back in a Mahomes offense and a main target. An underrated pickup for your team—he’s a guy you need to look out for.
Jayden Reed — Skip
Reed was electric last year in one of the best receiving rooms in the entire league. He led the team in touchdowns and receiving yards. However, with the addition of Matthew Golden, the room is as crowded as ever.
Reed is great—a very, very skilled player. But you don’t know how he’ll perform per game. One day he’s the WR1; next? WR3. That’s how talented this receiving room is. Therefore, I’m not taking a chance on him this year - and you shouldn’t either. Because of the receiving room, it’s unpredictable how he’ll play per game.
That’s it! A little early? Yeah.
When you start drafting soon, make sure to come back to this article!