We’re rapidly approaching the 2024 NFL Season. As we prepare for another season competing in fantasy, we’re assessing our rosters and making plans. There are some situations we’re waiting to develop, others we are following the split, and somewhere we know what we’re expecting. But some situations are murky enough that they’re best avoided. That’s what I’m looking at today—two situations at each position that I’m avoiding in 2024.
Quarterbacks
Pittsburgh Steelers
About: The Steelers turned over their quarterback room this off-season after playing three different players at the position in 2023. The team also changed Offensive Coordinators and some personnel, making it a new situation all around. The quarterbacks they snagged have potential and upside.
Russell Wilson was QB14 in 2023 in Denver, and Justin Fields was QB18 in Chicago. So, why the hesitation? This has been an unsettled competition all off-season. The Steelers have announced, repeatedly, that Wilson is the starter.
But Fields has been the most available. Both are flawed, and both need a fresh start. My suspicion is that both play during the season, and neither is particularly reliable. With both players on the last year of a contract and nothing tying them to the Steelers, their long-term future is bleak, too. If I roster either, I’m looking to make a deal or at least have some backup options.
Las Vegas Raiders
About: We have a few situations where a tenured veteran figures to start at the outset before the quarterback of the future takes over. That’s the case for the Patriots and Vikings and could even be the case for the Broncos. But with the Raiders, I think it’s likely the quarterback of the future isn’t even on the roster.
Gardner Minshew was a solid QB21 for the Colts last year and turned that into a good two-year deal with the Raiders. Aidan O’Connell was a Fourth-Round rookie in 2023 who started 10 games and went 5-5. Both are fine. Neither is inspiring nor is their camp competition inspiring. I think they both could play, and neither is beyond a QB3. I also think the Raiders could be in the market for a quarterback again next off-season, leaving neither of these guys as a strong dynasty investment.
Running Backs
Carolina Panthers
About: This one is a little tricky. Jonathon Brooks was the top running back taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, and I like him as a dynasty prospect. He’s also a rookie coming off an injury who is on the PUP list. He doesn’t figure to start the season strong.
That leaves Chuba Hubbard and veteran Miles Sanders to lead at the outset. Hubbard was RB27 last season and had some strong moments. The question is when—not if—Brooks takes over. That means it could be a long first part of the season for those who roster Brooks and a disappointing middle and end for those who roster Hubbard.
For me, it’s a situation I’d like to avoid relying on in 2024. I still like Brooks long-term, but this year could be a frustration, especially if Sanders returns to form and enters the mix. I wouldn’t be shocked if no Panther back finished in the Top 35.
Los Angeles Chargers
About: The Chargers are in the midst of a re-boot. They brought in Jim Harbaugh as Head Coach and Greg Roman to coach the offense. They cleared out veteran backs, receivers, and tight ends, too. It figures to be a run-first scheme, which bodes well for backs.
So, why are the Chargers here? Well, they don’t have a great lineup of backs. The team added former Ravens Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, both of whom played for Roman before. They drafted Kimani Vidal and still have former Fourth-Round pick Isaiah Spiller.
Edwards is the most promising, having finished as RB25 in 2023. But that was largely thanks to 13 rushing touchdowns, a mark that could be tough to equal with a young Chargers team. Dobbins has struggled to stay healthy, and the young backs are question marks. There are options and potential upside for the Chargers but also a lot of questions. I’m not keen to rely on any of these backs in 2024, or for the long-term.
Wide Receivers
Los Angeles Chargers
About: It might feel like I’m picking on the Chargers, but it’s just a matter of the team being in a transition. Keenan Allen is in Chicago, and Mike Williams is a Jet. That leaves a young group behind in a new offense.
There are some good dynasty prospects—like second-round pick Ladd McConkey. The team also has 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston, who the Chargers hope will step forward in 2024. But will he? Beyond that, the team has Josh Palmer, veteran D.J. Chark, and rookie Brendan Rice in the mix. My money in 2024 is on Palmer leading the group, but probably as little more than a WR4. I think a lot of players could be involved, but it will be hard to rely on them as week-to-week starters.
New England Patriots
About: The Patriots hope they solved their quarterback situation by taking Drake Maye, but what about his receivers? The team grabbed Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker in the draft. They also have Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, and K.J. Osborn on the roster.
Some of them could be good long-term, and some could provide upside at times in 2024. But no Patriot finished in the Top 60 at WR in 2023, and I don’t see that changing. In fact, I’m not even sold on Polk in Dynasty, though he’s likely the best option.
Tight Ends
Seattle Seahawks
About: I’ve seen people this off-season touting the possibility that Noah Fant cracks the Top 12 at tight end. I don’t buy the argument. Sure, he has less competition at the position after Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson. But he still has three receivers—D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett—sitting in front of him for targets. He was just TE32 in 2023. He had just one game with ten or more points and ten games with five or fewer points. I just don’t seem Fant being a viable weekly starter in 2024.
Denver Broncos
About: The Broncos have some options, including Greg Dulcich, Adam Trautman, and young prospect Lucas Krull. But in 2023, the Broncos had just 39 receptions by tight ends total. They likely want to improve that in 2024, but can it happen? And if it does, who gets the volume? Trautman is a veteran who’s never carried a big load. Krull is a young player with an uncertain role. And Dulcich is a talented prospect who has appeared in just 12 games in two seasons. If you’re looking for reliability, the Broncos aren’t it at tight end in 2024.
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.
