Nino Lombardi | Mon, Jun 10th 2024, 7:06am EDT

Fantasy Football Draft Picks to Target in Each Round (2024)

A fantasy football league certainly isn’t won at the draft. The adjustments and trades made along the way will ultimately decide who is victorious in early January. That being said, pinpointing value in each round of drafts can help kickstart your team and limit the amount of housekeeping required over the course of the season.

It’s important to recall that every round will contain players who will ultimately fail miserably as well as those who achieve incredible success. Below is a list of players who, assuming health, will fall in the latter category. Here are fantasy football draft picks to target in each round.

Players to Target in Each Round

For the sake of this exercise, we will be analyzing the players available in each round of a 12-team, half-PPR league. Here are fantasy football draft picks to target in each round.

Round 1: Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)

Hall is simply an electric RB whose talent is undeniable. Among RBs with at least 100 carries, he ranked 4th in yards after contact per attempt (PFF). He’ll have no issue earning carries in this backfield where his main competition is Braelon Allen.

Hall also emerged as an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield in 2023. His 591 receiving yards were second only to perennial superstar Christian McCaffrey. Given Aaron Rodgers‘ history of using his RBs as a weapon through the air, it’s easy to foresee plenty of targets headed Hall’s way. In this new-and-improved Jets offense, the sky is the limit for the former Iowa State Cyclone.

Round 2: Saquon Barkley (RB – PHI)

Saquon has consistently provided elite fantasy production despite being behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. He now finds himself on the Eagles, who, despite Jason Kelce’s retirement, remain one of the most stout offensive-line units in the NFL.

Barkley’s calling card has always been his ability to make plays in the open field. His career PFF breakaway percentage of 37.9 is indicative of this. This explosiveness will be an ideal fit for this Philadelphia run scheme that consistently provides RBs with great spacing . Barkley will undoubtedly accumulate yardage at an incredible rate, which more than makes up for any goal-line concerns some doubters may have.

Round 3: Derrick Henry (RB – BAL)

Throughout his career, Henry has always been a very game-script-dependent fantasy asset. For this reason, his off-season move to Baltimore is ideal. He will consistently find himself in positive game scripts on a Ravens team that figures to be an AFC powerhouse once again. What’s more, Henry has arguably the best touchdown upside in the entire league.

This Greg Roman offense places a strong emphasis on running at the goal line. Gus Edwards managed to score 13 touchdowns as this team’s primary back a year ago. Henry – PFF’s 8th-highest graded rusher – in 2023, has the ability to surpass Edwards’ production this season. Make no mistake about it; while he’s not as efficient as he once was, Henry is still among the league’s finest at the position.

Round 4: Trey McBride (TE – ARI)

McBride emerged as one of the brightest stars at the TE position towards the latter half of the 2023 season. Among TEs with at least 50 targets, he ranked first in yards per route run and fifth in receiving grade (per PFF). He showed great rapport with franchise QB Kyler Murray, who will gain a clean bill of health heading into 2024.

What’s more, McBride will compete to be the primary pass-catcher in Arizona alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. There simply aren’t enough weapons to keep McBride from earning a minimum of 120 targets. He provides the ideal combination of athleticism and volume that continues to be rare at the TE position.

Round 5: Anthony Richardson (QB – IND)

Richardson showed glimpses of fantasy glory in his rookie season. In only two full games played, he scored 21.9 and 29.6 fantasy points respectively. A heavy portion of this fantasy production was the result of his rushing output. He proved to be an immense threat on the ground, which provides him with a very safe floor.

On the other hand, Richardson will have every opportunity to make great improvements as a passer. Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and rookie Adonai Mitchell form an intriguing group of WRs that will help the Colts get the most of Richardson’s arm. There are very few QBs that have the upside that Richardson possesses.

Round 6: Jayden Reed (WR – GB)

The Green Bay receiver room contains a number of talented players such as Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks. That being said, Reed is the only player amongst this group with a clear-cut role. He figures to play the Deebo Samuel role in this Shanahan-style offense.

Reed’s 5.4 yards after catch per reception (per PFF) are indicative of his ability to generate explosive plays in open space. In an ascending offense led by one of the league’s most exciting young QBs in Jordan Love, the ceiling is high for Reed. Expect him to be a great fantasy asset in his sophomore season.

Round 7: Diontae Johnson (WR – CAR)

During his time in Pittsburgh, Johnson was a consistent target earner. He’s seen an average of 130 targets per season across his career. To his credit, this elite usage has been deserved. Last season, he proved to be an effective pass-catcher once more, ranking 24th among all NFL WRs in PFF receiving grade.

In Carolina, Johnson will be the lone bright spot in an otherwise uninspiring WR group. He is due to see abundant volume in this offense that should make great improvements under new HC Dave Canales. This Panthers team is still a work in progress, so Johnson is likely to find himself in pass-heavy game scripts more often than not.

Round 8: Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

Much has been said about the new Chargle this remains true, it’d be unwise to completely write off Justin Herbert‘s primary target. McConkey is entering a favourable situation where his main target competitors are Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston.

McConkey will have every opportunity to rise up this depth chart and step into a more prominent role as the season progresses. His 3.26 yards per route run during his final collegiate season (per PFF) suggest that he’s more than capable of becoming the WR1 in this offense. Expect McConkey to turn plenty of heads during his rookie campaign.

Round 9: Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS)

Robinson quietly put together a productive 2023 season, finishing as the RB22 in half-PPR formats. He proved the quintessential ability to withstand heavy volume while maintaining high levels of efficiency. Among RBs with at least 100 carries, Robinson ranked 17th in elusive rating and 20th in missed tackles forced (PFF).

The arrival of Austin Ekeler, who’s merely a change-of-pace receiving back at this point of his career, will not affect Robinson’s volume. With an improved offensive line and a presumed upgrade at the QB position, Robinson will provide consistent fantasy production in 2024.

Round 10: Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN)

The arrival of Tony Pollard seems to have scared drafters away from Spears. According to PFF, the explosive sophomore outperformed his running-mate in nearly every efficiency metric in 2023. He had a higher elusive rating, more yards after contact per attempt, and more yards per route run.

While the contractual situation suggests that Pollard will be the Week 1 starter, Spears will eat into his workload over the course of the season. With key off-season additions such as Calvin Ridley, J.C. Latham, and Tyler Boyd, this offense is in great position to improve drastically in 2024. Spears will be the primary beneficiary of this.

Round 11: Blake Corum (RB – LAR)

Despite an incredibly productive season from Kyren Williams in 2024, the Rams invested a third-round draft pick in Corum. It’s interesting to note that Williams has quietly been dealing with a foot injury and will be missing offseason workouts. HC Sean McVay has always been wildly unpredictable with his RB usage (see Cam Akers in 2023), and Corum may be in line for a greater workload than we initially expected.

At this stage of the draft, very few players have the upside that Corum possesses. The starting RB in any McVay-led offense is a highly-coveted asset in fantasy. What’s more, Corum has the talent to make the most of this opportunity. He scored an outstanding 27 touchdowns during his final season at Michigan.

Round 12: Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT)

While many may question Arthur Smiths’ ability as a play-caller, there’s no doubt that the new Steelers OC knows how to get tight ends involved in the offense. Both Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith played key roles in the Atlanta offense in 2023. Other than the emerging WR George Pickens, the pass-catching options in Pittsburgh are quite thin. Freiermuth will be given plenty of opportunities to succeed in 2024.

While last season was disappointing for Freiermuth, he’s showed flashes in his first three seasons as a pro. Per PFF, he’s averaged 4.6 yards after catch per reception and 1.42 yards per route run across his career. Tight ends tend to breakout at an older age in comparison to other positions. These numbers suggest Freiermuth may be due for a career year in 2024.

Round 13: Ty Chandler (RB – MIN)

Chandler is one of the more intriguing handcuff RBs available in drafts this year. He profiles to have much more upside than the majority of backup RBs in the fantasy landscape. Aaron Jones has consistently struggled to stay healthy in Green Bay. It’s for this reason that the team limited his touches and often employed a tandem out of the backfield.

If the Vikings adopt the same game-plan, Chandler will have standalone value regardless of Jones’ health. If Jones were to get injured, Chandler would immediately be vaulted into solid RB2 consideration. He also showed great promise as a receiver in 2023, averaging 9.9 yards after catch per reception (according to PFF).

Round 14: Roschon Johnson (RB -CHI)

Johnson finds himself in arguably the most exciting offense in the NFL heading into 2024. While the team invested a hefty contract to acquire D’Andre Swift in free agency, Johnson will still have a valuable role in the offense. Most notably, he figures to be the primary goal-line back.

Swift has never been consistently relied upon at the goal-line and the Bears are likely to opt for the bigger back when trying to finish off drives. What’s more, Swift has a lengthy injury history and could miss time at some point next season. Johnson is the ideal low-risk, high-reward asset you want to be acquiring late in drafts.

Round 15: DeMario Douglas (WR – NE)

Douglas was very effective as a rookie. Among WRs with at least 50 targets, he ranked 3rd in yards after catch per reception and 14th in missed tackles forced (per PFF). Douglas is a true difference-maker after the catch, which separates him from the rest of this lackluster New England receivers.

Douglas should be the primary receiver in this offense and will earn a heavy dose of targets on a weekly basis. Whether it’s Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett under center, the offensive game-plan will lean heavily on Douglas and his explosiveness in space.

More Fantasy Football Draft Picks to Target

Fitz’s Top Fantasy Football Draft Targets (Premium)
Erickson’s Top Fantasy Football Draft Targets (Premium)
DBro’s Top Fantasy Football Draft Targets (Premium)

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