2024 fantasy breakouts, lightning round: 10 quick expert takes
Bolster your next fantasy draft by keeping these potential breakout players in your queue.
Since time is getting short before Week 1, and my recent posts have focused mainly on sleepers, and been busy focusing on updating my rankings, I want to get a couple quick posts in on breakouts and busts, starting with the former, to help those trying to catch up before their next draft.
Here are a few breakout candidates per position to consider, with quick takes on why from a variety of fantasy experts.
Quarterback
Anthony Richardson, Colts: “He played two full games last year, only averaged 211.5 passing yards per game, and averaged more than 28 Fantasy points per game. He could lead all players in rushing touchdowns if he stays healthy. He and Kyler Murray are my favorite picks for surprise players to finish as QB1.” — Heath Cummings, CBSSports
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: “Lawrence is about to turn 25 years old early in the season, so he’s at a point where we expect quarterbacks to begin their peak. Mix that with an improved offense, and he should be one of the best options when looking for a high-end backup quarterback for fantasy purposes.” — Nathan Jahnke, PFF.com
Running Back
Zamir White, Raiders: “After his 2023 finish and the Raiders’ offseason — bringing in Alexander Mattison and Dylan Laube — White is the prohibitive favorite for the biggest running back breakout. White had a line of 84-397-1 on the ground and 9-60-0 on 13 targets over the final four weeks. That’s 4.7 YPC, an average of 23.3 touches per game and 14.1 FPPG.” — Jake Ciely, The Athletic
Chase Brown, Bengals: ”He’s been the talk of Bengals camp as someone who looks the part and has been improving as a pass-blocker. The pass-protection piece is most important because that’s what the Bengals coaches care about. We already know Brown is athletic and explosive, but the coaches need to see that he can protect for Joe Burrow.” — Sal Vetri, Yahoo! Sports
Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs: “When McKinnon missed several games last year due to injury, Pacheco filled the pass-catching role nicely. He finished the year with 44 receptions and showed he has plenty of pass-catching chops. With McKinnon gone, there is no one else on the roster who poses a real threat for touches. This is now Pacheco’s backfield.” — Dave Ventresca, RotoBaller
Wide Receiver
Drake London, Falcons: “London is finally free from Arthur Smith's run-heavy scheme … and is now in a prime position to hit career highs across the board, catching passes from Kirk Cousins in Robinson's new offensive scheme. … Cousins' top receiver with the Vikings averaged 9.1 targets and 18.1 fantasy points per game, providing a glimpse of what London could achieve.” — Eric Moody, ESPN
Rashee Rice, Chiefs: “I know what you're thinking, he already broke out. But I want you to realize that Rice has a level to climb with his 2024 return. It took a while for Kansas City to truly trust the rookie last year, but look what he did in the last 10 games, including the playoffs: 69 catches, 822 yards, four touchdowns. Good lord, that's the Sun God's music.” — Scott Pianowski, Yahoo! Sports
Zay Flowers, Ravens: “He's a dynamic, three-level target with ball-carrier vision to produce in the open field, as 45.1% of his receiving yards came after the catch … In Todd Monken's passing scheme, which creates space both vertically and horizontally, Flowers is set up to post consistent numbers in his sophomore season, which will put him in the mix as a WR2.” — Matt Bowen, ESPN
Tight End
Dalton Kincaid, Bills: “Kincaid enters his sophomore campaign with the 241 targets that once belonged to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis up for grabs in Buffalo. The 24-year-old tight end could very well be Josh Allen’s No. 1 option and challenge for a position high in targets and catches.” — Matt Okada, NFL.com
Jake Ferguson, Cowboys: “Ferguson had a massive jump in production from his rookie to sophomore seasons, going from 22 to 102 targets, 19 to 71 receptions, 174 to 761 receiving yards, and 3 to 10.4 Fantasy PPG. … Ferg has top-five Fantasy potential in 2024 which would mean taking 2023’s “breakout” to a new level.” — Nick Skrip, fantraxHQ
