The 2024 season is upon us. Are you ready? Hopefully, you’re in for a winning campaign. But those of us who play Dynasty know it’s a 365-day-a-year endeavor. So, this is the time to make pickups and stashes that could pay off this season. Below are some players who were strong this pre-season and could make an impact during a long fantasy season. All roster percentages are courtesy of the NFL.
Quarterbacks
Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roster Percentage: 2.8
About: Some may have given up on Fields. He didn’t get a ton of support and didn’t shine in Chicago. Now, he’s tracking to start the regular season as a backup in Pittsburgh. Neither he nor Russell Wilson looked great in the pre-season. My strong suspicion is that Wilson won’t start the whole season, which opens the door for Fields. In deep Superflex leagues, I’m still holding him.
Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: I know O’Connell didn’t win the starting job for the Raiders, but it was another close call. We saw more than 60 quarterbacks start in 2023, and I suspect we’ll be in for more of the same in 2024. For now, Gardner Minshew is the starter, but will he hold the job all season? That seems doubtful. If you’re strapped at QB, there are worse stashes than O’Connell, who started ten games for the Raiders, and Antonio Pierce in 2023.
Running Backs
Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay Packers
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: Wilson looked strong in the pre-season. He also played a lot, which usually isn’t a great sign. But here, it looks like MarShawn Lloyd will be out a while, beginning the season on the injury list. Free Agent signing Josh Jacobs is the starter, and veteran A.J. Dillon is still on the roster, but Wilson looked good and has a chance to work his way into the RB2 job or serve as a change-of-pace guy. For now, I’m stashing him.
Cam Akers, Houston Texans
Roster Percentage: 0.5
About: Just when I was out, Akers pulls me back in. He’s one of a couple of players that have sucked me back in on this list. Akers was a late signing by the Texans, who showed some pop in the pre-season. Joe Mixon is the lead, but Dameon Pierce had an under-whelming 2023 campaign. He’s nominally the backup right now, but Akers is looming and has a shot at overtaking him. He’s worth a stash once again.
Carson Steele, Kansas City Chiefs
Roster Percentage: 1.3
About: Steele looked strong in the pre-season, rushing for 73 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs have Isiah Pacheco to start and another young prospect in Deneric Prince. The big question is Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a contributor who is struggling with issues that have kept him off the field. A bigger back, Steele could provide some pop in the Red Zone, too.
Wide Receivers
Devaughn Vele, Denver Broncos
Roster Percentage: 0
About: Word broke Monday the Broncos weren’t keeping veteran receiver Tim Patrick because of the depth and talent of their receiver group. While rookie Troy Franklin is a roster lock, the other rookie—Vele—has looked better in camp and pre-season. He figures to be a roster lock, too, and arguably has a better chance of contributing to the offense right away. I’m stashing him.
Trishton Jackson, Minnesota Vikings
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: Earlier this off-season, I wrote about Jalen Nailor, who has taken advantage of the opportunities in the Vikings’ pass-catching group. Another pre-season star has been Jackson, who led the team in receiving yards this pre-season. Justin Jefferson is the WR1, and Jordan Addison, who has been injured, is the WR2. Beyond that, it’s up in the air. Jackson could be a dart throw that hits for fantasy players.
Juju Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs
Roster Percentage: 1.7
About: It’s been a roller-coaster for Juju this off-season. He was released from the Patriots and likely got set free on waivers in your league. I know I cut him on a few teams. Then, on Monday, he signed with the Chiefs again. He comes in because the team is dealing with injury concerns, and he knows the offense. In 2022, Juju was the Chiefs’ leading wide receiver. So, there’s value here, making him worth an early-season pick-up.
Mack Hollins, Buffalo Bills
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: The Bills are another team with a wide-open receiving group. Hollins has impressed in camp and pre-season. With Curtis Samuel banged up and an unsettled depth chart, Hollins is another player who could make an early-season impact. He’s worth a stash.
Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati Bengals
Roster Percentage: 0.3
About: Who will take over Tyler Boyd’s role in Cincinnati? Post-draft it appeared Jermaine Burton had the inside track, but he hasn’t seized the role in pre-season. Burton is still a good future bet and a better roster bet. But Iosivas is a player the Bengals like who has contributed in the past. He could have the inside track to the WR3 role to kick off the year.
Van Jefferson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Roster Percentage: 0.2
About: I know it’s hard to get excited for Jefferson, a journeyman who is on his third team in as many years. But the Steelers’ receiver group is paper thin. Barring a miracle trade for Brandon Aiyuk, Jefferson is likely the WR2 for the Steelers. At a minimum, he should be rostered.
D.J. Chark and Derius Davis, Los Angeles Chargers
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: I’m lumping these guys together because they are part of a new-look group for the Chargers. I’d wager Josh Palmer, Quinton Johnston, and Ladd McConkey are all already rostered, but Chark and Davis have had some moments in the pre-season and figure to also be on the roster. The exact pecking order is up in the air, but Chark, in particular, seems in line for a decent role. At this point, I’m willing to take a flier on all the Chargers until we see how it shakes out.
Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals
Roster Percentage: 0.7
About: We probably take Dortch for granted, and the Cardinals likely do. Sure, Marvin Harrison, Jr., Michael Wilson, and Trey McBride are the bigger names. But the ever-reliable Dortch figures to be in the mix again with Zay Jones on a five-game suspension. He should be rostered.
Tight Ends
Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
Roster Percentage: 0.9
About: I mentioned that Akers had pulled me back in when I thought I was out, but he’s not the only one. Dulcich has great talent, and we’ve seen him flash before, but he’s struggled to stay on the field. That could be the case again, but for now, he’s healthy and looks poised to have a decent role in the Broncos’ offense. If you hung on to Dulcich, you could be poised to succeed. If he was set free in your league, he could be worth grabbing and holding to see how he and this young Broncos’ offense develops.
Colby Parkinson, Los Angeles Rams
Roster Percentage: 1.3
About: Parkinson came to the Rams from the Seahawks this off-season. He figured to be in the mix but with Tyler Higbee not ready to return from injury, he projects as the starter for the Rams. We’ve seen the Rams’ tight end do well in the Sean McVay scheme, so Parkinson is worth rostering to start the season.
Johnny Mundt, Minnesota Vikings
Roster Percentage: 0.1
About: Mundt isn’t a long-term answer, but with T.J. Hockenson on PUP to start the year, Mundt profiles as the replacement. We’ve seen him have solid games in Hockenson’s stead before, and a good tight end is a quarterback’s best friend. Mundt should be rostered and could be a sneaky desperation start at the outset of the 2024 season.
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.
