NFL teams are on the cusp of going to proverbial war for the better part of five months — and longer, if they’re lucky. Perennial superstars dominate the fantasy football landscape, but each season unheralded names rise from relative obscurity to make their presence felt.
While most of these unlikely contributors don’t offer a year-long run of success, anyone who has played fake football long enough knows compartmentalization is the name of the game. Even getting, say, a four-game stretch of utility from a reserve is a small win on your path to a championship.
With that in mind, we’ll take a spin around the NFL in an attempt to identify at least one undervalued consideration from each roster.
Arizona Cardinals WR Michael Wilson
Wilson gets to face single coverage as teams load up on Marvin Harrison Jr., and the second-year pro is an injury away from being the top receiver in this offense.
Atlanta Falcons WR Darnell Mooney
The former Chicago Bear gets an upgrade at quarterback and faces less defensive scrutiny as well as lower expectations. If he can remain healthy, Mooney has flex potential for 2024 fantasy rosters.
Baltimore Ravens WR Devontez Walker
A vertically gifted rookie who has limited talent ahead of him, Walker enters an offense with a hole to fill behind Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews. Monitor his progress throughout the next few weeks.
Buffalo Bills WR Curtis Samuel
While Samuel has yet to live up to his early-career expectations, he has a prime situation ahead of him in a Buffalo passing game that smashed the reset button this offseason. Bank on a volume-based WR3 finish as his floor.
Carolina Panthers WR Xavier Legette
Already turning heads this offseason, this rookie receiver has the tools to put his stamp on fantasy rosters in Year 1. His returns may be inconsistent and touchdown-dependent, but Legette is one 34-year-old Adam Thielen injury away from seeing a serious target share.
Chicago Bears RB Roschon Johnson
This one is a bit of an educated guess as to which back will win the RB2 gig, but Khalil Herbert can be substituted in if he fends off Johnson. Frankly, anyone backing up the fragile D’Andre Swift has fantasy upside.
Cincinnati Bengals TE Mike Gesicki
Gesicki’s once-promising trajectory has fallen flat in recent years, which wasn’t entirely his fault. A fresh start in an offense loaded with aerial talent cuts both ways, but the idea here is two fold: He could be a machine in the red zone, and Tee Higgins isn’t a lock to finish the season in Cincy.
Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Making his first return to 11-on-11 drills was a huge step for Watson after shoulder surgery. He has the requisite offensive line and receiving talent to bounce back in fantasy, if healthy.
Dallas Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert
Brandin Cooks is in the twilight of his career and has struggled to stay on the field in recent years. Tolbert, a fantasy watch-list candidate, has the chops to ascend in the pecking order and will have a larger role if the CeeDee Lamb contract dispute gets ugly.
Denver Broncos RB Audric Estime
After missing OTAs with a minor knee injury, the rookie is back on the field and challenging for the top spot in this wide-open backfield competition. While Jaleel McLaughlin offers a very different skill set than Estime, we know what Samaje Perine is at this point, and Javonte Williams has offered more hope than actual help in fantasy this far.
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Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams
Year 3 brings renewed hope after an ACL recovery delayed his rookie debut and last year’s gambling suspension derailed Williams’ sophomore season. No more Josh Reynolds thrusts Williams into a larger target share, but brace for inconsistency in his game.
Green Bay Packers WR Christian Watson
Plagued by hamstring issues, Watson saw a specialist and figured out the root cause. He is the top vertical threat in this passing game and presents WR2 upside, if the bum hammy is indeed behind him.
Houston Texans RB Dameon Pierce
Indianapolis Colts TE Jelani Woods
This offense is loaded with individual talent, and Woods certainly isn’t atop the list, but he could be an occasional matchup play based on his TD-scoring potential.
Jacksonville Jaguars RB Tank Bigsby
There has been talk of a larger role for Bigsby after a last year’s limited showing. He’s next in line if something were to take Travis Etienne off the field, and that alone projects to RB2 upside if the opportunity arises.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Marquise Brown
It’s tough to say anyone is unheralded in this offense, but Brown may slip through the cracks with the attention gamers are paying to rookie Xavier Worthy. Rashee Rice‘s looming suspension concern gives Hollywood even brighter star potential.
Las Vegas Raiders RB Dylan Laube
Zamir White and Alexander Mattison enter camp ahead of the rookie, but Laube does one thing neither is adept at: catching the rock. Being a standout performer in OTAs can’t hurt his cause, either.
Los Angeles Chargers RB Kimani Vidal
Another rookie rusher whose versatility will endear him to his coaching staff, Vidal has a stiff in Gus Edwards and an injury waiting to happen in J.K. Dobbins ahead of him. This will be a run-heavy offense, and the receiving corps is among the league’s weakest, so Vidal still could shine in his own right.
Los Angeles Rams RB Blake Corum
Kyren Williams was one of the finest fantasy surprises last year, but he also has missed time in consecutive seasons with ankle injuries. Corum’s rookie season positions him for success in Sean McVay’s system, one that matches his skills well.
Miami Dolphins RB Jaylen Wright
Rookie running backs galore! Wright, a well-built speedster, entered camp behind a 31-year-old Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, who missed time last year due to injury. It’s not hard to see how this could play out in Wright’s favor.
Minnesota Vikings RB Ty Chandler
Aaron Jones has missed games in three of the last four seasons, including six last year, and turns 30 in December. Chandler is far from being a special talent, but opportunity matters in fantasy. That said, don’t be surprised if Minnesota signs another back before Week 1.
New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry
Jacoby Brissett is slated to open the year as the starting quarterback, and his game-manager profile lends to frequent targeting of Henry’s position. Furthermore, New England’s receiving corps is among the least impressive in the NFL.
New Orleans Saints WR Rashid Shaheed
We’ve seen Chris Olave already get banged up this summer, and the Saints lost TE Juwan Johnson (foot) indefinitely. Shaheed is a downfield asset whose game centers on doing more with less, so weekly returns may be erratic.
New York Giants WR Wan'Dale Robinson
All signs point to the passing game operating through rookie Malik Nabers, but the next likeliest weapon of relevance is Robinson. He’ll mostly work underneath with limited attention and is more than a year removed from a torn ACL.
New York Jets WR Xavier Gipson
Gipson is a dangerous return man and will vie for a top-three role in 2024, but he left the July 26 practice with a leg injury, so take this one with a grain of salt. He’s currently expected to be absent a week or two. Should Gipson miss extended time, rookie Malachi Corley becomes that much more intriguing. Gipson has the advantage of already knowing the offense and Aaron Rodgers.
Philadelphia Eagles RB Will Shipley
Saquon Barkley is no stranger to injuries, of course, and Kenneth Gainwell has proven to be just average in his past opportunities. Gainwell and Shipley will see the field if Barkley misses time; both are viable, but it’s preferred to gamble on the pass-catching rookie’s upside.
Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth
This offensive design will lean on the backfield and work in the tight end position. Pittsburgh’s receiving corps is underwhelming, and a healthy Freiermuth should be the second-most targeted weapon in the Steel City.
San Francisco 49ers RB Isaac Guerendo
Recommending injured players isn’t ideal, but it is less problematic when the guy ahead of him is pictured in the dictionary under “injury-prone.” Elijah Mitchell doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt on that front, and reports of Guerendo’s hamstring injury have him missing a few weeks of practice. For the risk-averse, consider another rookie, WR Ricky Pearsall, as a safer choice to deliver over expectations.
Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Howell
No one should be drafting Howell, Seattle’s primary backup to Geno Smith. However, this new coaching staff has no loyalty to the latter and acquired the former Washington Commander. The offense is loaded with talent, and at some point the coaches will want to see what they have in Howell if Smith disappoints.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving
This is the “Rachaad White Show” without question, but he lacked explosiveness and could cede touches to Irving if the Bucs are interested in spelling him. Chase Edmonds, who’s on his fourth team in three years, is all that stands between Irving and the RB2 job.
Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis
All of the physical tools needed to excel, Levis will benefit from an upgraded line and receiving corps. Perhaps just as important, Mike Vrabel’s “three yards and a cloud of dust” philosophy has been replaced with a pass-friendly system.
Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz
No one should be excited to draft Ertz, presuming he even gets selected in your league. He has familiarity with the system from Arizona and a rookie QB to treat him as a safety outlet; additionally, there’s a rookie tight end behind him. That’s a recipe for at least a modest rebound.
