Now that the regular season has come to a close, it seems appropriate to give some credit to the players who led so many fantasy football teams to league championships. It takes a lot of hard work to win a league, and many of this list’s selections made a victory more possible.
It was an insane season, but there were many players who surprised and disappointed their fantasy managers. Let’s take a look back at this past season to determine which players helped the most in securing their teams the fantasy championship!
(Note: I tried to spread the awards out among a large group of players to recognize as many great seasons as possible.)
Fantasy Football MVP
Saquon Barkley
(RB, PHI)
I was surprised by how difficult this choice was. But in the end, Saquon Barkley achieved dominance throughout the entirety of the 2024 NFL season. He was unquestionably the top non-quarterback in fantasy football this season and helped the position of running back itself make a comeback.
While Chase was absolutely elite in terms of production, Saquon Barkley posted the most efficient season of his career, averaging an impressive 5.81 yards per carry in 2024. I also think the fact that Barkley was generally drafted later than Ja’Marr Chase gives him the edge in terms of draft value.
After joining the Eagles in free agency, Barkley didn’t look back, putting up some insane performances on his way to eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark for rushing yards. There’s no doubt that his historic season, along with many high-scoring fantasy performances, earned Barkley the top spot on this list.
Honorable Mention
Ja’Marr Chase
(WR, CIN)
Bust Of The Year
Christian McCaffrey
(RB, SF)
Similarly to the Fantasy MVP race, I believe the battle for this award was extremely close. CMC saw his season shortened due to injury. Etienne was just flat-out terrible in fantasy football. I believe that McCaffrey was the bigger bust simply because he was drafted higher.
He was the consensus first-overall selection in almost every league and had just come off one of the best years of his career. He was expected to continue his fantasy dominance as the overall RB1 in 2024. Unfortunately, he was injured for almost the entire season and only appeared in four games this year.
Travis Etienne saw a massive drop-off in production and lost the lead role in Jacksonville’s backfield halfway through the season, splitting carries with second-year back Tank Bigsby. He also didn’t score a touchdown after Week 2 and failed to produce even one game with 100+ rushing yards.
While both were immensely disappointing, Christian McCaffrey was not only scarcely on the field but also very underwhelming in the four games in which he was active. He’s my Bust Of The Year.
Honorable Mention
Travis Etienne Jr
(RB, JAX)
Breakout Player Of The Year
Chuba Hubbard
(RB, CAR)
Before the start of the regular season, Chuba Hubbard was not thought of as a viable starter in fantasy football, much less a superstar at the running back position. But in the absence of Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks, Hubbard looked like one of the best at his position in the entire NFL.
According to FantasyPros, Hubbard’s average draft position landed outside of the top 40 running backs in fantasy football before the start of the season. This put him behind players like Ezekiel Elliot, Blake Corum, Devin Singletary, and Zamir White. Looking back, it seems fair to admit that we were wrong to underestimate Chuba Hubbard, who put up almost 1,200 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in 15 games.
Honorable Mention
Baker Mayfield
(QB, TB)
Rookie Of The Year
Jayden Daniels
(QB, WAS)
This was probably the most difficult award to assign, which is why I have chosen to name two honorable mentions instead of just one. Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. were both absolutely electric in their rookie seasons, both finishing within the top five at their respective positions.
However, Jayden Daniels was an unstoppable force in fantasy football this season. He logged 4,459 total yards along with 31 total touchdowns in his rookie year. I think the rarity of a rookie quarterback finishing in the top-five scorers in all of fantasy football is a strong case to give Daniels the award.
His rushing production, paired with his fantastic deep passing ability, made him one the best quarterbacks in the sport this year, and he put together one of the greatest seasons from a rookie quarterback in NFL history.
Honorable Mention
Brock Bowers
(TE, LV)
Brian Thomas Jr
(WR, JAX)
Waiver Wire Pickup Of The Year
Bucky Irving
(RB, TB)
Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving came into the season as Tampa Bay’s RB2 behind incumbent starter Rachaad White. However, it didn’t take long for Irving to carve out a significant role in Tampa Bay’s offense. Irving started to earn more carries and was eventually the full-time starter by midseason.
The fascinating aspect of Irving’s fantasy production was just how efficient he managed to be. He managed to rush for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns while also picking up 392 yards through the air, but he was on the field for over 50% of the team’s offensive snaps just five times in 2024.
Despite what was lacking in his snap count, Irving was one of the most consistent running backs in fantasy football down the stretch and will most likely be selected within the first few rounds in 2025 fantasy drafts. He was a terrific waiver wire addition and helped get many teams to a championship win.
Honorable Mention
Ladd McConkey
(WR, LAC)
Comeback Player Of The Year
Sam Darnold
(QB, MIN)
While Sam Darnold and the Vikings had a disappointing end to the season in the Wild Card Round, Darnold’s relevance in fantasy football after coming into the season as a backup quarterback was truly remarkable.
After rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season ended before he took a regular season snap due to a knee injury, Sam Darnold took over the starting job and put up some quality performances, leading Minnesota to a 14-3 regular season record.
His return to relevance in fantasy football was truly something that no one saw coming. He certainly earned himself some money this year.
Honorable Mention
De’Von Achane
(RB, MIA)
Playoffs MVP
Jonathan Taylor
(RB, IND)
After being somewhat disappointing throughout the regular season, Jonathan Taylor put up his best performances of the season in Weeks 16 and 17 during the fantasy playoffs. While Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Thomas Jr. also had some outstanding performances in the playoffs, Taylor’s expectations were much lower coming into the last few weeks of the season.
I think this made him the more valuable asset during that time. After a slower start in Week 15, Taylor was the highest-scoring running back in fantasy football during Weeks 16 and 17, according to FantasyPros. If you started Jonathan Taylor in the playoffs, there was a good chance you won your league.
He seemingly came out of nowhere after posting merely solid numbers during the fantasy regular season. He even became a top-five running back option by the end of the fantasy playoffs, reflected by his ranking in the Fantasy Trading Room Week 17 RB Rankings. Because of this, Taylor is my Playoffs MVP.
Honorable Mention
Brian Thomas Jr
(WR, JAX)
Jahmyr Gibbs
(RB, DET)
Best Value Of The Year
Bo Nix
(QB, DEN)
Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix was the best value in fantasy football this season. He surprised the fantasy football world during his inaugural campaign, finishing as a top-10 quarterback in terms of scoring. According to FantasyPros, Nix wasn’t even viewed as a top-20 quarterback by the consensus and completely flew under the radar on draft day, even going undrafted in many fantasy leagues.
But something interesting happened around Week 5. The Broncos were defying the odds and pushing for the playoffs. Nix eventually led the team to their first postseason appearance in eight years, an extremely impressive feat in just his first season.
Nix ended up being a weekly starter at the quarterback position in fantasy, and after being counted out before the season, shattered the expectations in his rookie year.
Honorable Mention
Jared Goff
(QB, DET)
Most Consistent
Jahmyr Gibbs
(RB, DET)
Jahmyr Gibbs was the definition of consistency. Not only did he score double-digit fantasy points in every regular season game this season (PPR scoring), but he also continued that streak throughout the fantasy playoffs, earning a spot as one of the top fantasy playoff performers of the 2024 season. He was even our top projected running back ahead of Week 17 in the Fantasy Trading Room Week 17 RB Rankings.
If you rostered Gibbs this season, he was one of the best at his position every single week. When you’re deciding which player to draft in the first round, consistency is one of the best qualities to go off of. Jahmyr Gibbs has embodied this award like no other player this season. He’s earned this one.
Honorable Mention
Derrick Henry
(RB, BAL)
2025 Breakout Candidate
Xavier Worthy
(WR, KC)
This one was another very tough award to assign. Xavier Worthy started to put it all together down the stretch, averaging 21 PPR fantasy points per game throughout the fantasy playoffs. Going into his second year, I think Kansas City’s coaching staff will be able to get the most out of Worthy, taking advantage of his incredible speed.
I trust the Chiefs to maximize the potential of the rookie wide receiver who they traded up for. He has a very high ceiling and was one of the offensive centerpieces over the last few weeks of the season. Don’t sleep on Worthy in 2025.
Honorable Mention
Marvin Harrison Jr
(WR, ARI)
Josh Downs
(WR, IND)