-2024 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2024 Draft Kit
Kirk Cousins is being tasked with jump-starting a Falcons offense that struggled last season with Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke manning the QB position. Cousins was a consistent fantasy producer during his time in Minnesota, but he tore his Achilles on Oct. 29, and as he heads into his age-36 season, we probably shouldn't assume that he'll continue to provide low-end QB1 value. Before going on IR last season, Cousins was averaging 291.4 passing yards and 2.3 TD passes a game. For fantasy managers, drafting Cousins to be your starting quarterback would be risky, but once he's fully healthy, this proven veteran should at least be able to provide solid QB2 value.
Winston reportedly fielded interest from multiple teams and decided he’s going to Cleveland. He will backup Deshaun Watson with the Browns.
Jones joined the Jaguars in the offseason, where he'll be the backup to Trevor Lawrence. Jones can be left on the waiver wire in all leagues for as long as Lawrence stays healthy. In the event of an injury, Jones would likely only be worth starting in leagues where you can start two quarterbacks, though it's possible he'd fare better in this situation than he did in New England.
Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in the offseason where he is expected to compete with Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham for the Week 1 starting job. As of now, we project Nix to win that job, which will make Wilson droppable in all formats. For now, he should only be rostered in the deepest of Superflex leagues. Even if he is given a start or two at the beginning of the season, he's shown nothing in the NFL to make us think he'd be a viable Fantasy starter.
Justin Fields is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback in fantasy football, but how much of a chance will he get to play in 2024? The Steelers acquired Fields from the Bears in a mid-March trade, giving up a sixth-round pick that could become a fourth-rounder depending on Fields' playing time this season. The modest compensation the Bears received -- particularly when there were other QB-needy teams that didn't make a play for Fields -- suggests that the league doesn't value the sack-prone young quarterback as much as fantasy managers may have. Fields now finds himself in the same QB room as Russell Wilson, whom the Steelers acquired earlier in the offseason, and early reports suggest that Wilson has the inside track to be the Week 1 starter. Fields has landed in QB1 range in fantasy points per game each of the last two seasons (6 starts minimum), finishing QB5 in FPPG in 2022 and QB12 in 2023. Fields' rushing production fell from 76.2 rushing yards per game and eight TD runs in 2022 to 50.5 rushing yards per game and four TD runs in 2023, but he averaged a career-high 197.1 passing yards per game last season.
Trubisky is back with Buffalo this season, where he'll once again be the backup to Josh Allen. Trubisky is not worth drafting in the majority of leagues. He spent 2021 in Buffalo as the backup to Allen before spending the past two seasons in Pittsburgh. The last time Trubisky was a consistent Fantasy option was in 2020 in Chicago, but now he'll need an Allen injury to be Fantasy-relevant again. If that happens then just add Trubisky off the waiver wire.
Pickett went from the starter for the Steelers to the backup with the Eagles this offseason. He's not worth drafting in the majority of leagues. Pickett, a former 2022 first-round pick, will now play behind Jalen Hurts this season, and the only reason to add Pickett in the majority of leagues is if Hurts were to miss any time due to injury. If that happens then just add Pickett off the waiver wire.
Wilson must first beat out Justin Fields for the Steelers starting quarterback job this preseason before having any relevance in Fantasy. The one-time stud has failed to average even 21 Fantasy points per game in each of his past three seasons with a total of 13 outings of 24-plus points in that span. And while he was quite efficient in 2023 with a 66.4% completion rate and a touchdown throw every 17.2 attempts, the Steelers figure to remain run-leaning under new playcaller Arthur Smith, who ranked in the bottom eight in pass attempts per game in each of his past two seasons in Atlanta and four of his five seasons as an offensive coordinator. Wilson's a longshot to ever again put up the numbers he once did, and his playing time is far from guaranteed. That's why Wilson should be avoided in one-QB leagues and isn't even a priority in two-QB formats.
In his five starts last year, Taylor averaged 220 passing yards and 32 rushing yards per game with a worse supporting cast than he'll have in 2024. Leave Taylor on the waiver wire in all but the deepest of Superflex leagues, but be prepared to add him and start him as a QB2 if Rodgers misses time.
Howell joined the Seahawks this offseason and he'll compete with Geno Smith for playing time. Smith is the incumbent, and our pick to win the competition, but Howell has a fighter's chance. If he wins the job or Smith misses time, we would view Howell as a mid-range QB2 who could be streamable in the right matchup. Howell has upside, especially throwing to DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but there's a reason he led the NFL in both interceptions and sacks last year. He has a lot to clean up this offseason.
Heading into his third season, the former Cincinnati product will get a change of scenery, backing up QB Kyler Murray. He will likely compete for the QB2 gig with Clayton Tune. Ridder threw for 2,836 yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. Given Murray's injury history, Ridder could see playing time in 2024, but he's not worth rostering even in 2QB leagues.
Lock will serve as the Giants' backup plan at quarterback in 2024. If Daniel Jones isn't ready to start the season, or if Jones struggles at any point during the season, Lock will get on the field. He started two games for the Seahawks last year and didn't have good Fantasy numbers in either despite averaging 32 pass attempts and a 68.8% completion rate. It'll be tough to trust Lock in Fantasy lineups if or when he does play, which is why he's unlikely to get drafted outside of the deepest two-QB leagues.
Minshew will battle it out with incumbent spot starter Aidan O'Connell for the Raiders' starting QB job in 2024. Minshew fit in well with the Colts in 2023 and settled in as a QB2 in Fantasy. While he had spike weeks (QB2 and QB6 finishes), he also struggled to finish weeks inside the top 12 at QB in all but three of his games. Minshew joins a Raiders group with talented pass catchers in Davante Adams, Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, but what should also be a run-first offense under HC Antonio Pierce. Minshew is a back-end QB2 if he wins the starting job and is not worth rostering in one-QB leagues.
If Mariota gets a chance to start this season we would view him as a low-end QB2 at best. In his last stretch as a starter in 2022 he averaged just 17.1 Fantasy points per game. Until he gets that chance, he can be left on the waiver wire in all but the deepest of Superflex leagues.
Brissett joined the New England Patriots this offseason and he'll provide veteran leadership for Drake Maye. We are currently projecting Maye to start more games in 2024 than Brissett but there is a very real chance Brissett starts Week 1. If he does, he'll only be draftable in Superflex leagues and we won't view him as a great starter even in that format. In 11 starts in 2022, he averaged just 17.5 Fantasy points per game and he had a true No. 1 receiver on that roster in Amari Cooper, something the Patriots look like they're without.
With the drafting of JJ McCarthy to the Vikings, Sam Darnold is not guaranteed a starting role, despite signing a $10m deal to be the bridge QB. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that the team does not want to rush McCarthy's development and wants him to be as good as he can be. However, the team has seen plenty of evidence that he can make all the throws needed and he could force their hand, shifting Darnold to the backup role.
Rudolph helped lead the Steelers to the playoffs last season after taking the starting job from Kenny Pickett. He now figures to backup Will Levis on the Titans.
Coming into 2023, Dobbs had started just two NFL games since being taken in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Steelers. After ending 2022 as the Titans' starter, Dobbs signed with the Browns as a free agent but was traded to the Cardinals just ahead of Week 1. He started the first eight games of the season for Arizona but was acquired by the Vikings near the trade deadline after Minnesota lost Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles' tear. Dobbs appeared in five games (four starts) for the Vikings before being benched in favor of Nick Mullens to close out the year. Dobbs had a turnover problem in 2023, giving the ball away 17 times across 13 games. Dobbs was very helpful for Fantasy managers at times, mostly because of his rushing prowess (77 carries for 421 yards and six touchdowns), and now he's a backup in San Francisco behind Brock Purdy. If Purdy gets injured then Dobbs could be a popular waiver-wire option, but don't plan to draft Dobbs in the majority of leagues this season.
Wentz landed as the backup quarterback behind Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City this season. He played pretty well in a meaningless Week 18 game against the 49ers last season, perhaps just enough to show that he'd be efficient if pressed into action with the Chiefs. He's only draftable in two-QB formats as a final-round flier in the unlikely event of Mahomes missing playing time.
Flacco signed with Indianapolis this offseason, and he will be the No. 2 quarterback for the Colts behind Anthony Richardson. Flacco is only worth drafting with a late-round pick in deep Superflex and two-quarterback leagues as insurance for Richardson, but Flacco shouldn't play much if Richardson is healthy all season. That said, Richardson couldn't finish his rookie campaign with a shoulder injury, and he also missed time with a concussion in 2023. Last year, Flacco was a hero for the Browns and Fantasy managers when he came off his couch to replace Deshaun Watson (shoulder) in Week 13, and Flacco scored at least 20.2 Fantasy points in five games in a row while leading Cleveland to the playoffs, including four outings with at least 309 passing yards. If Flacco, 39, does play this season then add him off the waiver wire, but it will likely take an injury for Flacco to be Fantasy relevant this year.