Now that the NFL regular season is over, it's time to recognize the best Fantasy players from the 2024 campaign. And picking the 2024 Fantasy MVP wasn't easy.
While the NFL MVP will likely go to a quarterback between Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, we're going a different route. Our top choices are Saquon Barkley and Ja'Marr Chase.
Both are worthy and have impressive resumes. Barkley became the ninth member of the 2,000-yard rushing club with 2,005 yards, and he could have broken Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set in 1984 if Barkley played in Week 18 against the Giants. He also added 13 rushing touchdowns, 33 receptions, 278 yards and two receiving touchdowns and averaged 22.2 PPR points per game.
Chase joined an even more exclusive club as the Triple Crown winner with the most receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17). Only Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992), Steve Smith (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021) have accomplished that since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. He's also the first receiver in NFL history to eclipse both 1,700 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns in a single season. He averaged 23.7 PPR points per game.
It's a tough call, but we're giving the award to Chase. He was more consistent, better in the Fantasy playoffs and more dominant at his position.
Chase scored at least 20 PPR points eight times, at least 25 PPR points five times, at least 40 PPR points three times and had one game with at least 50 PPR points. He was at 12.2 PPR points or less four times and under 10 PPR points just once.
In the Fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17), Chase scored at least 18.4 PPR points in each outing. And he was the No. 1 Fantasy receiver by four PPR points per game and 84.5 total PPR points.
Barkley had seven games with at least 20 PPR points, seven games with at least 25 PPR points, five games with at least 30 PPR points and one game with at least 40 PPR points. He also had four games at 12.2 PPR points or less, but he scored fewer than 10 PPR points three times.
In the Fantasy playoffs, Barkley scored 9.4 PPR points in Week 15, but he finished strong with at least 18.9 PPR points in his final two games. And, by not playing in Week 18, Barkley ended up behind Jahmyr Gibb in total PPR points with 362.9-355.3.
Also, this season, three running backs scored at least 20 PPR points per game: Barkley, Gibbs (21.3), and Bijan Robinson (20.1). Barkley was exceptional, but Chase was just slightly better, which is why he's the 2024 MVP.
We did three All-Fantasy Teams to recognize all of the best players this past season. This is based on PPR, and there were definitely some tough calls of players who got left out.
But, based on how these guys performed during the season, as well as the Fantasy playoffs, these were the top Fantasy players in 2024. And we appreciate their efforts in leading all of us to many wins throughout the year.
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All-Fantasy First Team
QB: Lamar Jackson
RB: Saquon Barkley
RB: Bijan Robinson
WR: Ja'Marr Chase
WR: Justin Jefferson
TE: Brock Bowers
FLEX: Jahmyr Gibbs
Deciding on the first-team quarterback was tough because Jackson, Allen and Joe Burrow are all deserving. But Jackson gets the nod because he averaged the most Fantasy points per game (30.1), and he led all quarterbacks in rushing yards (915), which we love.
Joining Barkley on the first-team were a pair of running backs who had monster seasons in Robinson and Gibbs. These three running backs were the only ones who averaged more than 20 PPR points per game. Robinson was amazing to close the season with at least 20.1 PPR points in nine of his final 11 games.
Gibbs was dominant down the stretch with at least 19.3 PPR points in seven of his final eight games, and he ended up leading all players with 20 total touchdowns, including being tied for first with Derrick Henry and James Cook with 16 rushing scores. And in the Fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17), Gibbs scored at least 25.4 PPR points in three games in a row.
Jefferson and St. Brown were easy choices as the other two receivers with Chase on this team. Those were the only receivers with more than 300 PPR points, and Jefferson and St. Brown both went over 100 receptions and scored double digits in touchdowns.
Bowers was the No. 2 Fantasy tight end in PPR points per game (15.5), but he was first in total points (263.1). And he set the record for most receptions by a rookie in NFL history (112) and the most yardage (1,194) by a rookie tight end. It was an impressive start to what will hopefully be an amazing career.
All-Fantasy Second Team
QB: Joe Burrow
RB: Derrick Henry
RB: De'Von Achane
WR: Brian Thomas Jr.
WR: Malik Nabers
WR: Mike Evans
TE: George Kittle
FLEX: Alvin Kamara
If the Bengals were a playoff team then Burrow might be the NFL MVP in 2024. He is one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to pass for at least 4,500 yards (4,641) and 40 touchdowns (42) with fewer than 10 interceptions (eight). The other two (Tom Brady in 2007 and Aaron Rodgers in 2011) both won the MVP award. Burrow also averaged 27.0 Fantasy points per game, which was second among quarterbacks.
It was hard to leave Henry off the first-team because he was so dominant at 19.8 PPR points per game, but he was just behind Barkley, Robinson and Gibbs. His 6.7 PPR performance in Week 15 at the Giants didn't help because that was the first round of the Fantasy playoffs, but otherwise Henry was awesome and tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns.
Achane's season was broken up into two parts with Tua Tagovailoa and without. With Tagovailoa, Achane averaged 22.6 PPR points per game in 11 outings. In the other six games when Tagovailoa was out, Achane averaged 8.6 PPR points, but he led all running backs in receptions with 78.
Kamara was second in receptions with 68, which is why he gets the nod here at flex, and he averaged 19.0 PPR points per game. He missed the season's final three games with a groin injury, including the last two matchups of the Fantasy playoffs, but he had a remarkable season for the Saints at his age (29).
Thomas actually played better with Mac Jones than he did with Trevor Lawrence, and Thomas closed the season with at least 18.7 PPR points in four of his final five games, including three in a row in the Fantasy playoffs with at least 23.9 PPR points. He's going to be a stud in 2025.
The same goes for Nabers, who was one of seven receivers this season to average more than 18.0 PPR points per game. He had a rocky campaign at times because of poor quarterback play, but he closed the season strong with at least 24.2 PPR points in two of three games in the Fantasy playoffs (Week 15 and Week 17).
Evans missed four games with a hamstring injury, but he still managed to get his 11th-consecutive season with at least 1,000 receiving yards and sixth season with double digits in touchdowns. He also had two dominant outings in the Fantasy playoffs with at least 29.7 PPR points (Week 15 and Week 17).
Kittle led all tight ends in PPR points per game at 15.8, and he also scored more touchdowns (eight) than Bowers (five) and Trey McBride (three). The touchdowns give Kittle the nod over McBride for this team.
All-Fantasy Third Team
QB: Josh Allen
RB: Josh Jacobs
RB: Kyren Williams
WR: Puka Nacua
WR: CeeDee Lamb
WR: Tee Higgins
TE: Trey McBride
FLEX: Chase Brown
The biggest flaw for Allen this season was his dud in Week 16 against New England, which was the Fantasy semifinals, and he only scored 13.2 Fantasy points. Hopefully, that didn't end your season, but he was otherwise masterful at 25.6 Fantasy points per game, with 12 rushing touchdowns.
I had a tough time with the running backs for this team, but Jacobs, Williams and Brown were all deserving choices. Still, it was tough to leave out James Cook, who averaged 16.7 PPR points per game and tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns.
Jacobs averaged 17.3 PPR per points game, and he was dominant down the stretch. He scored at least 20.2 PPR points in eight of 10 games through Week 17, including two outings in the Fantasy playoffs in Week 15 and 16.
Williams averaged 17.0 PPR points per game, and he scored at least 16.2 PPR points in four of his final five games, including twice in the Fantasy playoffs (Weeks 16 and 17). He also had four games during the season with at least 20 PPR points.
As for Brown, he averaged 15.9 PPR points per game for the season, but he was dominant once he took over as the lead running back for the Bengals. From Week 4 on, Brown averaged 18.2 PPR points per game, which would have made him the No. 5 running back on the year.
Nacua injured his knee in Week 1 and didn't return until Week 8. But from Week 8 on, he was a stud and scored at least 17.3 PPR points in eight of his final 10 games, including four games with at least 20.7 PPR points.
Lamb was one of eight receivers with at least 100 catches, and he averaged 17.6 PPR points per game. He also didn't quit when he suffered a shoulder injury and Dak Prescott (hamstring) was lost for the season in Week 9.
Higgins was an absolute star in the Fantasy playoffs with at least 19.8 PPR points in all three games in Weeks 15-17. In the Fantasy title game, Higgins scored 40.1 PPR points with 11 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns. He also averaged 17.7 PPR points per game for the season and scored at least 17.9 PPR points in seven of the 12 games he appeared in.
McBride only scored three touchdowns (one rushing), but he was second among tight ends in receptions (111) and receiving yards (1,146) behind only Bowers. If McBride can be more successful at scoring touchdowns in 2025 then he could be the No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues.
