There are three components to a winning fantasy player: price point, regular fantasy season stats, and championship-round success. Ja'Marr Chase checked all three boxes in 2024.
Chase was consistently drafted outside the top six players (Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, Breece Hall, Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown) in the high-stakes fantasy market. After the dust settled for 18 weeks, the Bengals' top wideout scored 403.00 fantasy points in PPR formats. He outscored the second-best wideout (Justin Jefferson) by 85.30 fantasy points.
Over the first 13 games, Chase caught 93 of his 127 targets for 1,344 yards and 15 touchdowns (24.42 FPPG). His play was at its best from Week 10 to Week 14 (11/264/3, 7/75/2, bye, 6/86/1, and 14/177/2), helping fantasy teams make their push to the postseason.
From Week 15 to Week 17, Chase delivered three steady showings (9/94, 6/97/1, and 9/102 - 20.00 FPPG). He wasn't electric in the fantasy postseason, but many drafters paired him with Joe Burrow, who shined for three weeks (271/3, 271/3, and 437/4).
Congratulations to Ja'Marr Chase on his outstanding season and anyone who rode him to fantasy championships.
In the spirit of the 2024 NFL season ending after the Super Bowl, I put together some charts to show how the top players finished at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end.
Here are the 2024 NFL Final Player Rankings (PPR Format): QB, RB, WR, and TE
Lamar Jackson won the fantasy quarterback title by scoring 481.10 fantasy points. He outscored Joe Burrow by 44.5 fantasy points while holding a 110-point advantage over any quarterback finishing below sixth in their position rankings.
When the Philadelphia Eagles rested Saquon Barkley, he missed out on finishing with the most rushing yards in NFL history, and Jahmyr Gibbs ran him down to steal the number-one ranking for running backs in PPR leagues. Five running backs scored 300.00 fantasy points or more, plus another 17 backs scored over 200.00 fantasy points.
The quality of the running back position in 2024 invites a green sticker (RBs color on draft boards) feast next year. Ten running backs scored between 270.00 and 240.00 fantasy points, setting the stage for 17 or so backs getting selected next draft season over the first three rounds.
Besides Ja'Marr Chase, only two other wide receivers scored more than 300.00 fantasy points in PPR leagues. CeeDee Lamb (8th) and Tyreek Hill (18th) failed to deliver seasons supporting their draft ADPs. Twenty-seven wideouts scored over 200.00 fantasy points. Brian Thomas was the value wide receiver of the year. Drake London was indeed worth his second-round ADP.
Cooper Kupp, Michael Pittman, Deebo Samuel, and Jaylen Waddle were the backbreaking wideouts in 2024 due to them all underperforming expectations by a wide margin.
There's a new tight-end sheriff in town who goes by the name of Brock Bowers. He was a great fantasy value selection in his rookie season, with a great career ahead of him. Trey McBride was probably the best tight end in 2024, but Kyler Murray lost his address in the end zone (two touchdowns despite catching 111 passes). Four tight ends scored over 200.00 fantasy points.
