10. Christian Kirk (WR) - Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars currently have an interesting group of receivers. The 6-year veteran Christian Kirk looks primed to lead the bunch that includes newly acquired Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay, as well as rookie 1st-round draft pick Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU. Kirk has been consistent, albeit somewhat underwhelming in his career so far, having reached 1,000 receiving yards in only one of his six seasons. His above average reliability gives him the edge over the rest of the Jags’ pass catchers and makes him a worthy fantasy option.
9. CJ Stroud (QB) - Houston Texans
The sophomore stud comes in at ninth due to the stacked talent in this division. Stroud’s stellar rookie season has locked him in as a top 10 fantasy QB for the foreseeable future. To sweeten the pot even more, Stroud now has three-star receivers at his disposal, along with a brand-new Pro Bowl caliber running back.
8. Tank Dell (WR) - Houston Texans
Speaking of Stroud’s star receivers, Tank Dell is the first one to make an appearance on this list. Dell bursted onto the scene out of nowhere last season, catching 47 passes for 709 yards and 7 touchdowns in a rookie campaign that was cut in half due to injury. Even as Houston’s third wheel, I completely expect Dell to put up elite-level numbers. Dell should also benefit from frequently not being covered by the top corners of the opposing team.
7. Anthony Richardson (QB) - Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson seems destined to become the next fantasy darling at QB. His style of play is exactly what fits the mold of a prototypical fantasy star. Richardson’s downside is that that very same style of play has made him very susceptible to injury in the past, both in college and during his rookie season in the pros. If he stays healthy, Richardson is a virtual guarantee to be a fantasy breakout.
6. Stefon Diggs (WR) - Houston Texans
Diggs has been a top-level producer throughout most of his career, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in six straight seasons and exceeding 100 receptions in all of those seasons except one. After his four-year stint in Buffalo, Diggs now joins his third team. Unlike his situations in Minnesota and Buffalo, Diggs is not the guaranteed WR1 in Houston. Considering the emergence of Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Diggs will have plenty of competition for touches. He’s also much older than his two receiver counterparts, a factor which should be taken into account when deciding in what order the Texans’ dynamic receiving trio should be picked.
5. Joe Mixon (RB) - Houston Texans
Joe Mixon is another name on the long list of acquisitions made by the Houston Texans this offseason. Mixon was Cincinnati’s reliable RB1 for seven seasons, although he did at times struggle with consistency from a fantasy perspective. Now in Houston, Mixon should have close to the same fantasy stock as he did with the Bengals (being a RB1 on a good offense is enough to ensure plenty of scoring chances).
4. Michael Pittman Jr. (WR) - Indianapolis Colts
Pittman finished the 2023 campaign with the fifth most receptions of any player (109). He’s the clear and obvious WR1 for a Colts team that is otherwise rather inexperienced and lacking dynamic playmaking ability in their receiver room. The primary concern with Pittman is that he has struggled to find the end zone consistently over his four-year career, having only 15 career receiving touchdowns. Despite Pittman's lack of touchdowns, he remains hovering in the 10-20 range among wide receivers, mainly because of the sheer volume of his touches.
3. Nico Collins (WR) - Houston Texans
Collins narrowly edges out Diggs and Dell to place as the highest ranked among Houston’s receivers. Collins solidified himself as a star in the making last season, carrying the majority of the load at receiver after the season-ending injury to Dell. Heading into 2024, Collins appears to have the most upside out of Houston’s receivers. We’ll see how all three of them stack up with one another once the season begins.
2. Travis Etienne Jr. (RB) - Jacksonville Jaguars
Etienne has bounced back strongly since suffering a season-ending lisfranc injury in 2021 which caused him to miss his entire rookie season. He has had back-to-back campaigns with 1,000 rushing yards and emerged as a real threat in the passing game last season, catching 58 passes. Etienne’s versatility makes him a highly attractive fantasy option. He’s an integral part of Jacksonville’s offense whenever he’s on the field.
1. Jonathan Taylor (RB) - Indianapolis Colts
The last time Jonathan Taylor played a full season, he ran for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also had 40 receptions, 360 yards, and 2 touchdowns as a pass catcher. Assuming that Taylor stays healthy for the first time since 2021, there are not many running backs in the league who are capable of putting up those kinds of numbers. After Christian McCaffrey (who will rightfully be the unanimous number 1 overall pick), Taylor can be argued as the next best fantasy running back and should comfortably fall within the first 10 picks in all leagues.
