2024 NFL Draft: AFC Winners & Losers (Fantasy Football)
As the dust settles from the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s time for fantasy managers to decide which players are in a better or worse situation than before the newest batch of rookies were selected.
The Ballers are taking a team-by-team look through the winners and losers in the fallout from the NFL draft. Let’s examine who’s on the up and up or who may be losing fantasy relevance from the AFC!
AFC East
New England Patriots
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Drake Maye | QB |
| 2 | Ja’Lynn Polk | WR |
| 3 | Caedan Wallace | OL |
| 4 | Layden Robinson | OL |
| 4 | Javon Baker | WR |
| 6 | Marcellas Dial | CB |
| 6 | Joe Milton III | QB |
| 7 | Jaheim Bell | TE |
Fantasy Losers
New England WRs
Despite the addition of a shiny new QB with the third overall pick in Drake Maye, the WR room got a bit more crowded for the veteran WRs in New England. There were already seven WRs on the Patriots’ roster – Juju Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, KJ Osborn, and Jalen Reagor – and the new regime in New England added two more pass catchers in Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Both Polk and Baker might find it difficult to break into a consistent role for the Patriots, but for fantasy managers, it may be even more difficult to gauge who’s going to be worth putting into their starting rosters once the season rolls around.
New York Jets
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Olu Fashanu | OT |
| 3 | Malachi Corley | WR |
| 4 | Braelon Allen | RB |
| 5 | Jordan Travis | QB |
| 5 | Isaiah Davis | RB |
| 5 | Qwan’tez Stiggers | CB |
| 7 | Jaylen Key | S |
Fantasy Winners
Tyler Conklin – TE
A sneaky winner for the Jets that Kyle mentioned on the Dynasty Podcast may be Tyler Conklin. The Jets were on the short list of destinations for Brock Bowers in the draft, which would have eliminated Conklin from fantasy relevance, but instead New York didn’t add a single TE, so there’s a path for Conklin to still be a usage asset for fantasy managers this season. Conklin’s numbers may be a bit underwhelming since his arrival in New York, but like any receiving option for the Jets that has had to suffer through awful QB play, we might be able to hope for better things ahead with a healthy Aaron Rodgers back under center this season.
Aaron Rodgers – QB
Speaking of the Jets’ signal caller, Aaron Rodgers should be pleased with the outcome of his team’s draft. New York invested in only offensive pieces with their first five picks including drafting an OT with the 10th overall pick. As disappointing as the 2023 season was with Rodgers playing just four offensive snaps before being injured, there should still be plenty of optimism around the Jets offense with plenty of weapons surrounding the four-time NFL MVP.
Fantasy Losers
Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson – WR
It’s clear that Garrett Wilson is the top receiving option in New York, but the Jets’ addition of Malachi Corely in the third round of the draft could spell the end of relevance for Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson. Corely could step into the slot role for the Jets offense after an extremely productive collegiate career where he totaled 253 receptions in his final three seasons. While Lazard’s rapport with Rodgers from their days in Green Bay may be his saving grace, Gipson could be the odd man out if Corely gets up to speed quickly in New York.
Israel Abanikanda – RB
The hope that 2023 fifth-round RB Israel Abanikanda could be a productive backup in New York this season has to be in question after the Jets spent two day three picks on RBs. Abanikanda didn’t see the field until Week 11 in his rookie season and never was able to produce much behind Breece Hall. The biggest threat to any relevance Abanikanda may have had lies with fourth-round pick Braelon Allen. Allen is a big back who could be used around the goal line for New York and eliminate any work Abanikanda might have seen in a better-looking Jets offense this season.
Miami Dolphins
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Chop Robinson | EDGE |
| 2 | Patrick Paul | OT |
| 4 | Jaylen Wright | RB |
| 5 | Mohamed Kamara | DL |
| 6 | Malik Washington | WR |
| 6 | Patrick McMorris | S |
| 7 | Tahj Washington | WR |
Fantasy Winners
Tua Tagovailoa – QB
As if the offense in Miami needed any more upgrading, Tua Tagovailoa gets more help both along the offensive line and more dynamic skill position players through the draft. Tua set career highs in 2023 in passing yards, passing TDs, and completions, so helping improve the roster around him could see a repeat of his QB9 finish. Fourth-round RB, Jaylen Wright, should provide another element to the running game behind Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane while sixth-round WR Malik Washington brings an impressive production profile to the table and could step in as the WR3 for the Dolphins.
Fantasy Losers
Miami RB Room
While adding a talented RB like Jaylen Wright brings more play-making to the Dolphins’ backfield, it also could muddy the waters with an already crowded RB room. The split between Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane was already going to be something to monitor throughout the summer, but if Wright makes any headway into this RB rotation, it may overcomplicate one of the best teams to have an RB on for fantasy managers. With any hope, Wright is seen as an insurance policy for Mostert and Achane for the 2024 season.
Buffalo Bills
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 2 | Keon Coleman | WR |
| 2 | Cole Bishop | S |
| 3 | DeWayne Carter | DL |
| 4 | Ray Davis | RB |
| 5 | Sedrick Van Pran-Granger | OL |
| 5 | Edefuan Ulofoshio | LB |
| 5 | Javon Solomon | LB |
| 6 | Tylan Grable | OT |
| 6 | Daequan Hardy | CB |
| 7 | Travis Clayton | OL |
Fantasy Winners
Josh Allen – QB
The excellent one, Josh Allen, got his guy with the Bills taking Keon Coleman in the second round of the draft. Coleman is one of the more debated prospects from this draft class with his film and the analytics not exactly matching one another. Buffalo also invested in a pass-catching RB that they’ve seemingly been searching for since Allen took over as the starting QB with Ray Davis. While he’s older for a rookie RB at 24, Davis brings in one of the best receiving profiles in this draft class and could be a useful asset around the goal line if needed.
Fantasy Losers
Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Mack Hollins – WR
The month of Curtis Samuel being the WR1 in Buffalo was nice while it lasted. When the Bills let Gabe Davis walk in free agency and traded Stefon Diggs, there seemed to be a pathway for one of the WRs on the roster already to step into major fantasy relevance, but with Keon Coleman headed to town any of those dreams could be dead before they started. There could still be a path for Samuel, Shakir, or Hollins to contribute, but predicting who it will be and if any of them can be consistent enough to be useful for fantasy could prove difficult.
AFC West
Los Angeles Chargers
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Joe Alt | OT |
| 2 | Ladd McConkey | WR |
| 3 | Junior Colson | LB |
| 4 | Justin Eboigbe | DL |
| 5 | Tarheeb Still | CB |
| 5 | Cam Hart | CB |
| 6 | Kimani Vidal | RB |
| 7 | Brenden Rice | WR |
| 7 | Cornelius Johnson | WR |
Fantasy Winners
Justin Herbert – QB
The Chargers shipping out all of Justin Herbert’s weapons this offseason might feel like a losing situation for him, but through the draft, L.A.’s new regime made positive moves that should move him into the positive as a whole. Bringing in the draft’s top OT prospect, Joe Alt, is a big win for both Herbert’s protection and the running game, and second-round WR selection Ladd McConkey should be Herbert’s new best friend in the passing game. While the Chargers will still want to run the ball early and often, there should be more positivity around Herbert’s ability to continue to produce for fantasy.
Fantasy Losers
Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer – WR
With all of the changes in the WR room for L.A., there was a chance that Quentin Johnston and Josh Palmer could be in line to be the main targets in the Chargers’ passing game, but multiple draft selections for pass-catchers seem to be ending that direction of thinking. Los Angeles took three receivers and a pass-catching RB with four of their nine picks so it was clearly a priority for them to address. Any hope that Johnston could return on the high hopes the fantasy community had after being a first-round pick last season is on thin ice, and Palmer will enter the season on an expiring deal, so their future may be a short one in powder blue.
Denver Broncos
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Bo Nix | QB |
| 3 | Jonah Elliss | EDGE |
| 4 | Troy Franklin | WR |
| 5 | Kris Abrams-Draine | CB |
| 5 | Audric Estime | RB |
| 7 | Devaughn Vele | WR |
| 7 | Nick Gargiulo | OL |
Fantasy Losers
Javonte Williams – RB
It feels like the clock may be ticking on the Javonte Williams breakout in Denver. Williams returned from a devastating injury last season but didn’t have the impact fantasy managers have been waiting for from him. While Williams wasn’t great, he did finish the season finishing as a top-24 RB in six of his last 10 games. Still, the Broncos elected to bring in another interesting RB to Denver with fifth-round pick Audric Estime. The former Fighting Irish RB is a bigger-bodied back who finished his final season in South Bend with 18 rushing TDs and could threaten Williams in the running game as Sean Payton enters his second season with the team.
Marvin Mims, Tim Patrick – WR
There has been plenty of drama over the Broncos’ WR room with the team shipping out Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton reportedly requesting to be traded. This should have given plenty of opportunity to Marvin Mims and Tim “Fireball Jones” Patrick, but Denver used multiple draft picks to add WRs to the team, including WR Troy Franklin who is a former teammate of their new QB Bo Nix at Oregon. Mims caught the eye of many in the fantasy community last season but was seldom used by the Broncos while Patrick can’t seem to stay healthy enough to be a consistent option having missed the entire last 2 seasons due to injury.
Las Vegas Raiders
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Brock Bowers | TE |
| 2 | Jackson Powers-Johnson | G |
| 3 | Delmar Glaze | OT |
| 4 | Decamerion Richardson | CB |
| 5 | Tommy Eichenberg | LB |
| 6 | Dylan Laube | RB |
| 7 | Trey Taylor | S |
| 7 | M.J. Devonshire | CB |
Fantasy Winners
Zamir White – RB
After the Raiders let Josh Jacobs walk in free agency, it feels like the entire fantasy community was waiting for the ball to drop on Zamir White’s fantasy value, but he seems to have made it through the draft process as the clear top RB on the roster. White finished the 2023 season with four straight top-20 RB finishes and he stands to inherit the massive void left by Jacobs’ departure with more than half the team’s carries available. Las Vegas did draft a pass-catching back in Dylan Laube in the sixth round, but he shouldn’t threaten any of the work White seems to be stepping into for fantasy managers.
Fantasy Losers
Michael Mayer – TE
The surprising selection of Brock Bowers by the Raiders with the 13th overall pick hits any optimism for Michael Mayer to take a step forward in his second season pretty hard. Mayer worked his way onto the field last season as a rookie but didn’t contribute much as far as a fantasy asset. Still, Mayer profiled coming into the league as a player who could have high-end TE potential, so there was plenty of hope he’d be able to take steps forward with an improved offense in Vegas. There may be a world where the Raiders make use of both TEs and they’re relevant for fantasy managers, but Mayer might be the odd man out with at least three pass-catchers ahead of him in the offense currently.
Kansas City Chiefs
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Xavier Worthy | WR |
| 2 | Kingsley Sumataia | OT |
| 4 | Jared Wiley | TE |
| 4 | Jaden Hicks | S |
| 5 | Hunter Nourzad | OL |
| 6 | Kamal Hadden | DB |
| 7 | C.J. Hanson | OL |
Fantasy Winners
Patrick Mahomes – QB
It feels like the Chiefs’ search to replace Tyreek Hill may have come to a close with the team drafting WR Xavier Worthy – a.k.a. the fastest player ever at the NFL combine – to add to the arsenal for Patrick Mahomes. Worthy brings elite speed into the Chiefs’ WR room and should fit right in alongside Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice in the passing game. Kansas City also made a point to address the offensive line that finished as the 18th best according to PFF in 2023.
Fantasy Losers
Hollywood Brown, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney – WR
A big addition to the receiving game could spell doom for any fantasy relevance from Hollywood Brown, Justin Watson, and Kadarius Toney. Kansas City desperately needed production down the stretch from someone other than Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice and continued to come up short more times than not. While there may be a path for Brown to integrate himself into the Chiefs’ offense, Toney and Watson have been on the roster for several seasons and shouldn’t be considered factors in fantasy lineups for 2024.
AFC South
Tennessee Titans
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | JC Latham | OT |
| 2 | T’Vondre Sweat | DT |
| 4 | Cedric Gray | LB |
| 5 | Jarvis Brownlee Jr | CB |
| 6 | Jha’Quan Jackson | WR |
| 7 | James Williams | S |
| 7 | Jaylen Harrell | EDGE |
Fantasy Winners
Will Levis – QB
It feels like the Titans have done everything they can to equip Will Levis to take a step forward in his sophomore season. In free agency, the Titans made a point to add a strong receiving option with Calvin Ridley, and through the draft they prioritized their OT need with their top pick of J.C. Latham. Levis showed flashes of being able to lead a strong passing attack as a rookie, but with the departure of Derrick Henry, the Titans’ offense will have to really lean on Bananarama taking a step forward, and Tennessee’s front office is giving him everything he needs to be able to do so.
Indianapolis Colts
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Laiatu Latu | EDGE |
| 2 | Adonai Mitchell | WR |
| 3 | Matt Goncalves | OT |
| 4 | Tanor Bortolini | C |
| 5 | Anthony Gould | WR |
| 5 | Jaylon Carlies | S |
| 5 | Jaylin Simpson | S |
| 6 | Micah Abraham | CB |
| 7 | Jonah Laulu | DT |
Fantasy Winners
Anthony Richardson – QB
For the small window that we got to see Anthony Richardson last season, it’s worth being optimistic about what could be on the horizon for the Colts offense, but Indianapolis made a point to address offensive needs with four of their first five picks in the draft. The biggest addition that will benefit Richardson may come with the addition of one of the more polarizing WRs in the class with Adonai Mitchell’s selection in the second round. Mitchell was a TD machine in his final season at Texas getting into the end zone 11 times, and should be a strong complement next to Michael Pittman in the Colts’ offense.
Fantasy Losers
Josh Downs, Alec Pierce – WR
The addition of Mitchell could spell the end of opportunity for Josh Downs and Alec Pierce. While Pierce has never really shown he’s capable of being a contributor for fantasy, Downs had a strong stretch from Weeks 5-8 last season but never finished higher than WR48 from Week 9 on. There should be a little uncertainty about what the passing volume will be with Anthony Richardson under center for the entire season, so with bigger mouths to feed on the roster, Pierce and Downs may be nothing more than end-of-the-bench fantasy players in 2024.
Jacksonville Jaguars
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Brian Thomas Jr | WR |
| 2 | Maason Smith | DL |
| 3 | Jarrian Jones | DB |
| 4 | Javon Foster | OT |
| 4 | Jordan Jefferson | DL |
| 5 | Deantre Prince | CB |
| 5 | Keilan Robinson | RB |
| 6 | Cam Little | K |
| 7 | Myles Coles | EDGE |
Fantasy Winners
Trevor Lawrence – QB
Jacksonville has spent another offseason trying to equip QB Trevor Lawrence with pass-catching options that can take this offense to the next level. Lawrence may have lost Calvin Ridley in free agency, but they invested their first-round pick in Brian Thomas Jr. to help fill that void. Thomas brings in an impressive production profile that includes a 17-TD final season at LSU. If there’s one thing that this offense has been missing, it’s a big target downfield that Lawrence can rely on consistently, and it feels like he may finally have it with Thomas.
Travis Etienne – RB
For all the talk last offseason about Travis Etienne losing snaps in the Jaguars’ offense, none of that came to fruition as he finished 340 rushing attempts and 73 targets on the season. This draft year, the Jaguars did nothing to address any additional RB depth that they’ve talked about needing, so it’s likely that Etienne will once again be the main RB to carry the majority of the touches out of the backfield for Jacksonville.
Fantasy Losers
Gabe Davis – WR
What was seen as a big free agency addition might just be a roster clogger at this point with Gabe Davis. Davis signed with the Jaguars to be a downfield threat in the offense, but the team’s addition of Brian Thomas Jr. may be a better version of what Davis brings to the table. It’s still a possibility that both Thomas and Davis can exist in the Jacksonville offense without deeming each other irrelevant, but it’s more likely that Davis will be phased out by the end of the season for the younger prospect they just spent first-round draft capital to acquire.
Houston Texans
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 2 | Kamari Lassiter | CB |
| 2 | Blake Fisher | OT |
| 3 | Calen Bullock | S |
| 4 | Cade Stover | TE |
| 6 | Jamal Hill | LB |
| 6 | Jawhar Jordan | RB |
| 7 | Solomon Byrd | OL |
| 7 | Marcus Harris | DL |
| 7 | LaDarius Henderson | OL |
Fantasy Losers
Brevin Jordan – TE
Any hope that the momentum Brevin Jordan generated down the stretch of the 2023 season – however little it may have been – may have been squashed. Houston brought back Dalton Schultz in free agency and then spent a fourth-round pick on TE Cade Stover. Stover is actually older than Jordan even though he’s a rookie, but he’s got an athletic profile that could help him develop into a serviceable TE at the pro level and will be a help on special teams as well. There will be truthers who believe that Jordan can still be a thing in the NFL, but it feels like the team may be preparing to go in another direction.
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Amarius Mims | OT |
| 2 | Kris Jenkins | DL |
| 3 | McKinnley Jackson | DL |
| 4 | Erick All | TE |
| 5 | Josh Newton | CB |
| 6 | Tanner McLachlan | TE |
| 6 | Cedric Johnson | EDGE |
| 7 | Daijahn Anthony | S |
| 7 | Matt Lee | OL |
Fantasy Winners
Zack Moss, Chase Brown – RB
One of the more interesting backfields in the league to monitor over this offseason has been in Cincinnati where they’ve moved on from Joe Mixon and signed Zack Moss in free agency. With the Bengals electing not to invest any draft capital at the RB position, Moss and second-year RB Chase Brown stand to inherit the 67% of carries that were vacated by Mixon’s departure. Fantasy managers will have to decide whether or not they believe the backfield will be a true split between Moss and Brown, or if one of the two backs will be able to emerge as the leader out of the backfield in a great offense.
Fantasy Losers
Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones – WR
With no moves being made at WR, it would be easy to think that second-year WRs Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones would be in a good spot, but the non-departure of WR Tee Higgins so far this offseason despite his reported request for a trade puts them in a bit of purgatory for fantasy managers. Iosivas or Jones would stand to inherit the WR2 role if Higgins were to be dealt to another team, but unless that happens, fantasy managers may find it difficult to keep them on their rosters heading into the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Troy Fautanu | OL |
| 2 | Zach Frazier | C |
| 3 | Roman Wilson | WR |
| 3 | Payton Wilson | LB |
| 4 | Mason McCormick | OL |
| 6 | Logan Lee | DL |
| 6 | Ryan Watts | CB |
Fantasy Winners
Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren – RB
Any speculation that hiring Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator would have the Steelers interested in adding to the backfield was squashed after the draft. Najee Harris and Jaylen feel safe bets to be the main RBs again for Pittsburgh’s offense with a sprinkle of Cordarrelle Patterson to keep Art happy. To aid their running game, the Steelers used their first-round pick on OG Troy Fautanu who profiles as one of the better run-blocking offensive linemen in this year’s class. Harris and Warren each finished inside the top-25 RBs last season and any increase in the amount that Pittsburgh wants to run the ball will only bring their stock up as we approach the season.
Cleveland Browns
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 2 | Michael Hall Jr | DL |
| 3 | Zak Zinter | OL |
| 5 | Jamari Thrash | WR |
| 6 | Nathaniel Wilson | LB |
| 7 | Myles Harden | CB |
| 7 | Jowon Briggs | DL |
Fantasy Winners
Jerome Ford – RB
After taking over as the lead back for the Browns when Nick Chubb was injured last season, Cleveland not investing in another RB is a big win for Jerome Ford. Ford finished as the RB17 in 2023 as the main back for the Browns for the majority of the season. While Nick Chubb is sure to return to the field for Cleveland, fantasy managers hoping to continue the run that Ford started last season may get their wish if Chubb isn’t ready to roll full speed to start the year.
Baltimore Ravens
| 2024 Draft Picks | ||
| Round | Player | Position |
| 1 | Nate Wiggins | CB |
| 2 | Roger Rosengarten | OT |
| 3 | Adisa Isaac | EDGE |
| 4 | Devontez Walker | WR |
| 4 | T.J. Tampa | CB |
| 5 | Rasheen Ali | RB |
| 6 | Devin Leary | QB |
| 7 | Nick Samac | OL |
| 7 | Sanoussi Kane | S |
Fantasy Losers
Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor – WR
It feels like time may be running out for both Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor in Baltimore. A year after drafting WR Zay Flowers in the first round, Baltimore brings in the explosive Devontez Walker in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. Walker has some refinement to do with his route running, but he’s a fantastic athlete for his size and has an above-average production profile despite just playing one season at a Power 5 school in college. If the Todd Monken offense is going to take a step forward in Baltimore, a guy like Walker could be a big beneficiary leaving Bateman and Agholor fighting for scraps in the passing game.