Fantasy Football 2024 Draft Prep: Jamey Eisenberg's Breakouts 4.0 finds you league-winning picks

Richardson is everyone's favorite breakout quarterback this year, and hopefully he can stay healthy after ending 2023 in Week 5 with an injured shoulder. He scored 22.9 Fantasy points in Week 1 against Jacksonville and 33.6 Fantasy points in Week 4 against the Rams. Unfortunately, those were his only two healthy games since he left Week 2 at Houston with a concussion and missed Week 3 at Baltimore, and then he was knocked out against the Titans. The hope is Richardson can stay healthy all season, and if you project his two full games over a 17-game schedule, he was on pace for 3,596 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions, along with 816 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. That's clearly hard to expect, and it's a small sample size. But he has that type of upside, especially as a rusher. I love that the Colts kept Michael Pittman Jr. and added rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell, and Richardson was a pleasant surprise as a passer. He should be drafted as a top-five Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.

With Murray, it's probably best to define him as a re-breakout candidate since he's been impressive at times in his career, averaging 26.9 Fantasy points per game in 2020 and 24.9 points in 2021. The past two years, however, Murray has been under 21 points per game, but I expect him to get back to his earlier level of play. Last year, Murray returned in Week 10 from the torn ACL he suffered in 2022. In eight games, he scored at least 22.4 Fantasy points four times. He wasn't afraid to run, gaining at least 32 yards on the ground in five outings, and he rushed for three touchdowns. And we know his rushing prowess is what makes him attractive to Fantasy managers. The addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. gives Murray an elite receiving option to go with Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch. And Murray reportedly had a great offseason to prepare for this campaign. He's the No. 6 quarterback in my rankings, and he's the quarterback I've drafted the most of so far this season.

We love quarterbacks who run, and Daniels might be the best running quarterback this season. The rookie from LSU and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner had 135 carries for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games last season, and he rushed for 2,019 yards and 21 touchdowns in 26 games for the Tigers. That's 77.6 rushing yards per game, which would be amazing if he does something similar for the Commanders. He's also a solid passer, completing 72.2 percent of his throws at LSU last season for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions. Kliff Kingsbury, the new offensive coordinator in Washington, should maximize the potential for Daniels after working well with Murray at the start of his career in Arizona. And Daniels has decent weapons with the Commanders in Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Zach Ertz, Ben Sinnot, Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. I plan to draft Daniels as a top-10 quarterback in all leagues.

I'm excited about Cook's role this season as the lead back for Buffalo, and I expect him to be a bigger part of the passing game. In nine games with Joe Brady as the offensive coordinator last season, including the playoffs, Cook was on pace for 53 catches on 66 targets. The Bills have to replace 241 targets and 152 catches with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone, and I'm counting on Cook to be more of a weapon for Josh Allen out of the backfield. It also helps that Cook excelled as a rusher for Brady last season as well. In the nine games with Brady, Cook had 153 carries for 647 yards and three touchdowns, which projects to 289 carries for 1,222 yards and six scores. Cook has the chance for 350 total touches, 1,500 total yards and 10 touchdowns (he had four receiving touchdowns and six total scores in 2023). I plan to draft Cook early in Round 3 in most leagues.

The offense in Seattle is expected to improve this season under new coordinator Ryan Grubb, and everyone should benefit, including Walker. While he will once again share playing time with Zach Charbonnet, I'm counting on Walker to flirt with top-10 upside. He's worth drafting in Round 3 in all leagues, and Charbonnet (undisclosed) is hurt heading into Week 1. Walker should continue to get the majority of playing time in Seattle, and he had 10 games last year with at least 15 total touches. In those games, he averaged 16.0 PPR points per game. That was also the case for Walker in 2022 when he averaged 17.1 PPR points per game in 10 outings with at least 15 total touches. He's limited as a receiver (56 receptions on 72 targets in two seasons), but hopefully Grubb will give him more chances to catch the ball. And hopefully the offensive line should improve for Seattle this year. I love the upside for Walker heading into the season, and this should be his best year in the NFL in Year 3.

Austin Ekeler was added as a free agent in Washington this offseason, but I like Robinson much more this season. I would have no problem drafting Robinson as a No. 2 running back, and he should be the best running back for the Commanders. Ekeler, 29, might be washed up after what we saw in 2023 with the Chargers, although he was dealing with a high-ankle sprain after getting injured in Week 1. Still, Robinson should prove to be the better rusher (178 carries for 733 yards and five touchdowns in 2023), and he averaged 13.2 PPR points per game last year. He also did well as a receiver with 36 catches for 368 yards and four touchdowns on 43 targets. Kingsbury and running backs coach Anthony Lynn should be beneficial for Robinson, and Daniels' ability to escape the pocket should open up more rushing lanes. If Ekeler were to miss time then Robinson has top-15 upside. But even in tandem with Ekeler we should see Robinson have a big year.

When Zack Moss signed with the Bengals this offseason, the prevailing thought was he would replace Joe Mixon as the starter in Cincinnati. But once training camp opened, Brown reportedly has emerged as the potential starter, which could be fun. He didn't have a ton of work as a rookie in 2023 (44 carries for 179 yards and 14 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets), but he showed off his explosiveness with three plays of at least 27 yards. And in the three games where he had at least 10 total touches, he averaged 11.3 PPR points. Going back to his college days at Illinois, Brown had 328 carries for 1,643 yards and 10 touchdowns and 27 catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns in his final season in 2022. We'll see how the Bengals use Brown and Moss in tandem, but Moss has struggled to stay healthy when given chances to start in Buffalo at the beginning of his career. Brown, not Moss, is the Bengals running back I'm targeting this season.

Wilson is one of my favorite breakout candidates this year. We just have to hope that Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) is healthy for Week 1 and stays upright all season so we can finally see Wilson with competent quarterback play. He's dealt with a lot of bad quarterbacks through the first two seasons of his career -- mostly Zach Wilson -- but we got a glimpse of Garrett Wilson's upside as a rookie in 2022 when he averaged 17.6 PPR points per game in seven outings with Joe Flacco or Mike White, including three games with at least 24 PPR points over that span. Last season, Wilson scored at least 15 PPR points just eight times and scored only three touchdowns, but he averaged 9.9 targets per game, which was good for seventh in the NFL. I have Wilson ranked as a late first-round pick in all leagues, but he should be drafted no later than in the top 15 overall.

Harrison is set up for success in his rookie season, and he's worth drafting with a top-15 overall pick. Pedigree? His father Marvin is in the NFL Hall of Fame. College success? He's a two-time unanimous All-American after he had at least 67 catches, 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons at Ohio State. Opportunity? The Cardinals lacked a No. 1 receiver until Harrison was selected No. 4 overall in the NFL Draft, and now he'll be the alpha for Kyler Murray. We've seen Murray excel with a star receiver before (DeAndre Hopkins averaged 17.6 PPR points in 2020), and Harrison is capable of similar success. It might seem odd to see a rookie receiver ranked that high, but Harrison will be a star if he hits. And I'm counting on him to hit in a big way this year.

London has the potential to be a No. 1 Fantasy receiver in all leagues in Year 3 of his career thanks to the addition of Kirk Cousins at quarterback and Raheem Morris at coach. I'm being aggressive with London on Draft Day and plan to target him in Round 2 in all leagues. We've seen flashes of his upside in the first two years of his career, but he only has 11 outings with at least 13 PPR points in 33 games. Part of that was playing in a run-based system under former head coach Arthur Smith. But London also suffered with poor quarterback play from Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. That changes now with Cousins. During his time in Minnesota, Cousins helped Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs thrive. Jefferson had four seasons in a row with at least 16.9 PPR points per game, Diggs had two seasons with at least 14.5 PPR points per game and Thielen had one season at 19.2 PPR points per game with Cousins. I'm hopeful London will end up in the 16.9 range or better, and I also like that Zac Robinson is the new Falcons offensive coordinator. Robinson was just the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Rams the past two seasons, and he helped develop Puka Nacua in 2023, as well as working with Cooper Kupp. Everything is pointing up for London, and this should easily be his best season in the NFL.

Olave was a breakout candidate in 2023, but he failed to deliver on the hype when he averaged just 14.5 PPR points per game. It was a solid campaign, but more was expected, which will hopefully happen in 2024. Entering his third season in the NFL, Olave is the clear-cut leader of the Saints receiving corps. He averaged 8.6 targets per game in 2023, and that number might increase this season. I'm also excited to see what Olave can do in new coordinator Klint Kubiak's system, and he joins the Saints after spending the past season as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in San Francisco. That should lead to more pre-snap motion and creative route concepts, and Olave should benefit by making more plays after the catch. Kubiak also was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota in 2021 when Jefferson had 108 catches for 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns on 167 targets. I'm once again drafting Olave in Round 2 in all leagues, and this should be his breakout campaign.

The knock on Nabers is the quarterback situation for the Giants, and trusting Daniel Jones to help Nabers have a breakout season is tough for some Fantasy managers. But when you watch Nabers play, he might prove to be quarterback proof, and Jones doesn't have to be great for Nabers to succeed. I'm willing to take the chance on his talent as early as Round 3. We've seen Nabers dominate in training camp with plenty of highlights, and that should carry over to the regular season. He has the chance for 130-plus targets, and he's coming off an amazing year at LSU with 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns, which is why the Giants drafted him at No. 6 overall. Are there going to be some frustrating games because of Jones? Sure. But Nabers also has drawn comparisons to a young Odell Beckham. I want Nabers on my Fantasy roster.

Pickens is easily the No. 1 receiver for the Steelers, and now he gets a quarterback upgrade in Russell Wilson. In four games last year when Diontae Johnson was hurt, Pickens had two outings with at least 22.7 PPR points. He also scored at least 20.1 PPR points in two of three games with Mason Rudolph under center, who was an upgrade over Kenny Pickett. Say what you want about Wilson, but he threw 10 touchdowns to Courtland Sutton in Denver in 2023. And Wilson has six seasons on his resume where a receiver has scored double digits in touchdowns (DK Metcalf twice, Tyler Lockett twice, Doug Baldwin and Sutton), with Baldwin leading the NFL in touchdown catches for Seattle in 2015 with 14. Wilson should help make Pickens a solid No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues with the chance to be a top-15 option, and I plan to draft him as early as Round 4.

Jayden Reed will get drafted first of the Packers receivers, but I like Watson the best. I would draft Watson as early as Round 6. He has the most upside of the quartet of Watson, Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, but Watson has struggled with injuries. Last year, he missed eight games due to repeated hamstring injuries, but the Packers are optimistic that Watson figured out the root cause of those problems and then addressed the muscular imbalance/asymmetry with his legs. Before Watson's final stint on the injury report last year, he had 12 catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns on 16 targets in two outings against Detroit and Kansas City, and he scored at least 20.4 PPR points in each game. He may never become an elite Fantasy option because of all the weapons in Green Bay (don't forget about Josh Jacobs and Luke Musgrave), but he could become a No. 2 Fantasy receiver if he can stay on the field. I'm hopeful his hamstring woes are behind him and this is the season that Watson finally breaks out in his third year in the NFL.

I'm hopeful that Williams can make a big leap in Year 3 because the first two seasons of his career have been disappointing. His rookie season in 2022 was slowed by his recovery from a torn ACL, and he played in only six games. Then 2023 started with his four-game suspension for gambling. But his role should expand in 2024, and Josh Reynolds (Denver) is now gone, opening up a starting spot (and 64 targets) opposite Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions already have plenty of weapons with St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, but Williams adds a speed element that could help Goff and the offense be more explosive. He's having a great training camp by all reports, and I love Williams at his current price after pick No. 100 overall. He has the upside to be a top-30 Fantasy receiver in all leagues, and I would draft him as early as Round 8.

I love the setup for Kincaid this season, and he's one of my favorite breakout candidates. The Bills receiving corps will look entirely different with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone, and that bodes well for Kincaid's outlook. He did well as a rookie in 2023 when he was featured by Josh Allen, which happened mostly when Dawson Knox was out with an injury. Kincaid had 10 games with at least six targets, and he scored at least 12.7 PPR points in six of them. He should continue to be featured by Allen in 2024, and Kincaid should be drafted as a top-five tight end in all leagues. I plan to draft Kincaid as early as Round 5 right after Sam LaPorta, Travis Kelce, Trey McBride and Mark Andrews come off the board. I wouldn't be surprised if Kincaid finishes as the No. 1 overall Fantasy tight end in all leagues this year.

Kirk Cousins is the main reason to buy back in on Pitts this year. We've been burned by Pitts in each of the past two seasons, but I'm hopeful this year will be different. As a rookie in 2021, Pitts looked the part of a standout tight end with 68 catches for 1,026 yards and one touchdown on 110 targets, and he was a go-to guy for Matt Ryan while averaging 10.4 PPR points per game. But he struggled in 2022 before dealing with a knee injury, and he averaged just 7.6 PPR points per game. He bounced back slightly in 2023 at 8.1 PPR points per game, but more has been expected from him over the past two years. Now comes Cousins, who should be a huge upgrade for Pitts over the quarterbacks he played with the past two years. In only eight games last season, Cousins produced 64 catches for 554 yards and four touchdowns to his tight ends and helped T.J. Hockenson average 14.1 PPR points per game. Hopefully, Cousins can do something similar for Pitts. He still has top-five upside in all Fantasy leagues, and I'm looking to draft Pitts as early as Round 6.

Ferguson started the offseason as a sleeper based on his early Average Draft Position, but I'm bumping him up a category to breakout. He's a tight end you want to target this season as early as Round 8. Dak Prescott loves leaning on his tight end (see Jason Witten, Dalton Schultz and now Ferguson), and in eight seasons as the quarterback in Dallas, his tight end has been No. 2 in targets four times, including three seasons in a row with Dalton Schultz (2021-22) and Ferguson (2023). Ferguson should remain No. 2 in targets for the Cowboys this season behind CeeDee Lamb, and hopefully Ferguson will build on his production from last year when he had 71 catches for 761 yards and five touchdowns on 102 targets. He scored at least 10.1 PPR points nine times, and his final game was the 48-32 wild-card loss to Green Bay when he had 10 catches for 93 yards and three touchdowns on 12 targets. He might not finish as a top-five tight end this year, but Ferguson is going to help plenty of Fantasy managers win games in 2024.