The 2024 NFL Season is here, and with it comes some lineup questions. Which moves should you make to maximize your points? Let this weekly post be your guide as I offer one start and one sit suggestion at QB, RB, WR, and TE. These suggestions are based on my rankings against consensus each week. Because we want to measure our success, we check back each week for a recap of how I did.
For this project, a start is a player I think will finish Top 12 at QB or TE and Top 24 at RB or WR. A sit is a player I think will finish outside those metrics. In the coming weeks, I’ll use that standard to review my suggestions from the previous week in the recap. Now, on to this week’s picks.
Quarterbacks
Start: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
About: The Cardinals started a new era with Jonathan Gannon as Head Coach in 2023. It began without Murray recovering from a knee injury and sitting out the first nine weeks. When he returned, he looked great. Murray was QB9 from Week 10, and the Cardinals showed some signs of life.
He pairs last season’s breakout, tight end Trey McBride, with possibly the best receiver in the 2024 class in Marvin Harrison, Jr. Yes, the Cardinals are on the road against the Buffalo Bills. But it’s September, so weather isn’t an issue. And the Bills, while good, saw a lot of pieces on defense—including both starting safeties and cornerback Tre’Davious White—leave this off-season. That bodes well for Murray. I’m firing him up.
Sit: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
About: I like Herbert, and I still think he’s a decent Dynasty prospect. But the Chargers are in a rebuild. Jim Harbaugh is in as Head Coach, and Greg Roman has taken over as Offensive Coordinator. In addition, the team saw receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, tight end Gerald Everett, and running back Austin Ekeler depart this off-season. Herbert is still there, but he’s coming off a foot injury that limited him in camp and kept him out of the pre-season. Now he’s leading a run-heavy offense with a group of new, unproven receivers in Week 1. In addition, he’s facing a stout Raiders’ front that Maxx Crosby leads. Herbert won’t be a Top 12 option in Week 1.
Running Backs
Start: James Cook, Buffalo Bills
About: Cook had a tremendous sophomore season for the Bills. He finished as RB12 on the season. But that only tells part of the story. In the first part of the season, he was solid. Through Week 9, he averaged 11.7 points per game. But after Joe Brady took over the offense, from Week 11 on, he jumped up to averaging 16.4 points per game. The Bills shifted to a more run-heavy offense, with Cook and tight end Dalton Kincaid as the primary beneficiaries. The Bills let the top two receivers go this off-season and are rebuilding that unit. But Brady remains in his post, and Cook remains a big part of the Bills’ offense. I’m firing him up.
Sit: Zack Moss and Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
About: I liked Moss’s signing, and I still hope he will become a good, low-end starter. But I’m not sure about Week 1. We still don’t know the split between Moss and Brown and whether either will get enough work to put up big numbers. Then there’s the Bengals’ passing game. The Week 1 matchup against the Patriots is appealing, but I think the Bengals and a healthy Joe Burrow will take to the air with (hopefully) Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. I don’t think either back gets enough volume to end up in the Top 25 in Week 1.
Wide Receivers
Start: Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
About: It’s a new era for the Falcons. Raheem Morris has taken over as Head Coach, and Kirk Cousins is now leading a re-loaded offense. It’s fair to wonder what Cousins will look like after a major injury, but London is a talented receiver who needed a chance. I think he gets one this week. And with Kyle Pitts ailing, I think he will get plenty of volume for a Falcons team looking to make a showing against the Steelers at home in Week 1. He’s in the lineup for me.
Sit: Titans Receivers
About: This is about two things—my belief in the Bears and my lack of faith in Will Levis. Levis was uneven at best as a rookie, and now he’s on the road in a new system. The Bears feel like an ascending team, one with a strong secondary. That’s a potential challenge. I like Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and DeAndre Hopkins as players, but I don’t think they do well in Week 1. Hopkins is coming off a knee injury, and all of them will be splitting targets in a work-in-progress offense. Maybe they get there, but it won’t be in Week 1.
Tight Ends:
Start: Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
About: While the changes at receiver got all the press for the Jaguars, their best pass catcher went under the radar. Engram led the team in targets—with 143—and in receptions—with 114. The Jaguars open against the Dolphins, and it is a game where the offense must keep up. The Jaguars’ receivers are solid, but Engram was the top target in 2023, and I suspect he will be again on Sunday. He’s a start for me.
Sit: Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
About: I like Bowers’ potential. He was the top tight end off the board in the draft and a First-Round pick for a reason. But the Raiders are opening on the road against the Chargers. I like the Chargers’ defense, and I think it could be a low-scoring game, especially with a new offensive scheme and a new quarterback. Davante Adams is the top target, and the team also has Jakobi Myers. That’s plenty of competition for targets, and I don’t see Bowers getting enough volume to finish Top 12 in Week 1.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
