Coach: John Harbaugh 6 PPG
QB: Jalen Hurts 32 PPG
Who woulda thunk Jalen Hurts would overtake 2nd overall pick Carson Wentz all those years ago? It started by transforming his passing mechanics, a process that took years. He combined this developed skillset with a unique rushing ability and finds himself in the ‘elite’ QB fantasy tier with Mahomes and Allen for 2024 redrafts. As a passer, however, he took a step back statistically. He ranked 14th in passing yards (3,858), 11th in completions (352), 13th in completion percentage (65.4%), 14th in passing touchdowns (23) and third in INTs (15). Not bad, but not on Mahomes/Allen level. He shines as a rusher ranking 3rd in rushing yards (605) and tied for 1st with 15 rushing TDs. (Allen was the only one within 9 rushing touchdowns of Hurts.) He only turned 26 in August, and development is certainly not maxed out. He has displayed that he has the ceiling to take this team to the Super Bowl and in an NFC that can’t hold a candle to the AFC in QBs, he has a chance to string together some special seasons.
RB/WR/TE: Cooper Kupp 17 PPG, Marvin Harrison Jr. 16 PPG, Zay Flowers 15 PPG, Christian Kirk 15 PPG, Dallas Goedert 15 PPG 6th men: Chase Brown 15 PPG, Brian Thomas Jr. 13 PPG, Daniel Bellinger 13 PPG, Josh Downs 11 PPG, Darnell Mooney 11 PPG, Chig Okonkwo 10 PPG, Xavier Worthy 9 PPG, Greg Dulcich 8 PPG
Largely, it was a season of disappointment for Cooper Kupp, who for the second straight season struggled with injuries. After dealing with a brutal hamstring strain in early August that kept him out through week 5, he wasn’t the same player upon his return. He averaged a meager 15.5 PPG, including nursing another ankle injury he suffered in week 11 against the Seahawks. With Puka Nacua in tow and fighting to lead the team in targets, the time to sell high on Kupp has likely come and gone. As long as the 31-year-old is healthy, he can still be a quality end starter for fantasy. While this is still up for debate, he’s shaping up to be in the Terry McLaurin tier for targets. (around 130, ranking around 20th in the NFL)
Maserati Marvin Harrison Jr. is joining the NFL as the most hyped receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson. He became the IFL’s first #1 overall pick who wasn’t a running back and did so without any sort of argument. Marvin joins an ascending Arizona Cardinals offense that has a 2023 top-5 rusher in James Conner and a top-5 tight end in Trey McBride. Kyler has put the finishing touches on his ACL rehab. With this talent in mind, what does the target situation look like for Marvin? Historically, the most targets ever by a rookie sits at 165 by Anquan Boldin back in 2003. (Puka 2nd) I think it’s safe to lock in around 130 targets going his way over a 17-game stretch, ranking around the top 20 in the NFL. What gets my jimmies rustled is his TD upside. Harrison was the most-targeted 2024 NFL draft prospect in the redzone over the past two seasons resulting in 41 targets, 20 receptions, 223 yards, and 17 touchdowns. For his rookie year, expectations are incredibly high, but for now, Marv’s expectations are that of a fringe starter.
Rookie receivers that enter a Lamar Jackson-led offense haven’t had the best hit rate. It was a breath of fresh air to see Zay Flowers enter Baltimore and provide startable numbers. Over 16 games he finished 31st in targets (106), 28th in receptions (77), 39th in yards (858) and snagged 5 TDs. He was very much a WR3, so can he ascend to greater heights? It’s very possible. The Ravens’ #2 receiver from last year Odell Beckham is in Miami, but Mark Andrews is returning after missing almost half the season with a brutal ankle injury. Andrews led this team in targets in 2022 with 106 (15 games). There was hope this team would be more pass-heavy, but they still ranked 31st in the NFL in pass attempts. (494) I can’t get behind a full-on Zay Flowers breakout, but he should still be a quality back-end starter moving forward.
Christian Kirk has quietly been productive in Jacksonville, with three straight years of #2 receiver play. Kirk was on pace for his third straight season over 980 yards before a grade 3 groin tear ended his season. His situation is about the same as it was, as Brian Thomas Jr. (in theory) directly replaces Calvin Ridley and Evan Engram is still in town. He’s been a very consistent player and his role in this offense is pretty solidified. We know what we’re getting here and that is a back-end IFL starter ranking in the 20-25 range of receivers. He’s projected to hit around 120 targets, 1,000 yards, and a half dozen TDs.
As recently as a couple of years ago, Dallas Goedert was considered a top 5 dynasty tight end. It took forever to break out of Zach Ertz’s shadow, but proved more than capable. One of the most injury-prone players in the NFL, Goedert has missed games every season of his career except as a rookie. In 2023, he broke his forearm and missed three games. As a tight end, he’s been a quality receiving option, occasionally mixing in the top 5 in receiving yards. He’s not a PPR or redzone threat on the Eagles which get their points from their bevy of other weapons. (career-high 5 TDs in 2019) Until a team change occurs, Goedert is a safe and reliable high-end backup RB/WR/TE.
PK: Evan McPherson 9 PPG
PN: Pressley Harvin 10 PPG
DT: Quinnen Williams 17 PPG
After a 300+ point, 22 PPG 2022 campaign, Quinnen regressed down to a respectable 16 PPG. The difference was actualizing on sacks, notching 12 in 2022 versus only 5 in ’23. (Only 3.5 during the IFL season.) Thankfully, there are signs of improvement, as he notched 29 pressures, which points to terrible sack luck. (most players around him are around 8-10 sacks) I’m cautiously optimistic the Big Q will be back open for business, but he may stick around as a fringe top 10 option versus an automatic top 3 as we expected. The tackle ceiling isn’t there compared to many above him. (Wilkins, Phillips, Sieler, Brown, Buckner) With DTs receiving 3.5 per tackle, they matter more than ever before.
DE: Will Anderson 17 PPG, Jermaine Johnson 16 PPG
It was a respectable, if uneventful rookie season for Will Anderson, who clocked in as the EDGE31 in PPG. He logged 7 sacks on 32 pressures, which ranked 21st in the NFL. There is an expectation that Anderson will take a step forward in all facets this season. (Including upping his tackle numbers from 45 total stops.) With Danielle Hunter playing opposite him and Denico Autry playing inside, the revamped line will also assist with creating pass-rush opportunities. At 17 PPG, he takes a step forward in his second season, becoming a top 16 option.
After a slow start in his rookie year, Jermaine Johnson took a massive step forward and became another force to be reckoned with along one the best defensive lines in the NFL. He logged 55 total tackles and 7 sacks on 25 pressures. (ranked 40th in the NFL) He led all EDGE defenders on the team by a country mile with 747 snaps, cementing himself as one of the starters. There could be another gear to Johnson’s game, but this feels about where we expected him to be upon entering the NFL. At only 25, there could be a year 3 progression coming, but I’m keeping him as a quality EDGE2 until proven otherwise.
LB: Bobby Okereke 21 PPG, Alex Anzalone 18 PPG, Eric Kendricks 18 PPG, Germaine Pratt 16 PPG (Jack Campbell 15 PPG)
Life is grand for Bobby Okereke fantasy owners as they’ve received back-to-back top-10 finishes since he joined the Giants in 2022. He is a tackle machine and a rare steady presence on a terribad Giants squad. We’ll see more of the same from Okereke, which will mean 150(ish) tackles and 4-8 big plays. He’s one of the safest and best bets to build an IDP squad around.
For almost a generation, we’ve been teased by Alex Anzalone and the potential to take a step forward through opportunity. After six longggg years, he finally cracked the top 20 linebackers, notching 129 total tackles and 3 sacks. Jack Campbell and him are likely to coexist for a long period in the middle of this defense and how their snaps are allocated is a storyline to watch. The Lions only started one full-time backer last season, rotating mostly with Derrick Barnes and Campbell in the other slot. My bet would be Anzalone holds onto the prime spot for another year, but the puff pieces are getting louder for Jack to take another step forward. With a small regression baked into this projection, Anzalone feels safe to crack the top 32 again. He’s signed through 2025.
The Vikings unceremoniously cut Eric Kendricks in the 2022 offseason but was quickly picked up by the Chargers. It was a bit of a mixed bag with the team, struggling with injuries and rotating with Kenneth Murray as the full-time backer. Now he’s back with his old DC Mike Zimmer and it’s widely expected that he’ll man the middle. With his best years behind him, as he has lost a step athletically, Kendricks could be in for one final swan song as a productive IDPer. He signed a 1-year 3-million contract with the Cowboys.
I wonder what Mychal Kendricks is up to nowadays?
The lesser-known quality Bengals linebacker, Germaine Pratt is a superb player in his own right. Consistently doing his best Dre Greenlaw impersonation. Pratt is excellent in coverage but struggles with tackle efficiency. He’s never exceeded 120 total tackles in a season and last year’s 118 was a career high. He also took a step forward in the big play category, with 2 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, and 2 INTs. Only 27 and full-time snaps, we’ve seen profiles like his continue to improve in their late 20s. He’s a solid LB3 with upside.
CB: Trevon Diggs 12 PPG, Tariq Woolen 11 PPG
Since 2020, we’ve consistently seen Trevon Diggs near the top of the cornerback leaderboards. He is a pass-deflection savant and his 11 INTs in 2021 still loom large over his profile. He unfortunately tore his ACL in week 2 and is on the comeback train. Diggs is a stud corner for IDP purposes, as he’s not so good that opposing offenses avoid him. So long as he’s healthy, he’ll return to a borderline top-16 option as he’s consistently provided since the turn of the decade.
An epic rookie year may have created unrealistic expectations for Tariq Woolen, who was primed for regression after a 16 PD, 6 INT, 1 touchdown 2022. That regressed to only 11 PDs and 2 INTs, with his tackle numbers taking a small dip as well. Locked into playing on the outside in Seattle, Woolen joins the pack of full-time corners who are serviceable but lack upside. Perhaps he can return to his outstanding rookie year, but I’d bet what we saw in year 2 is what he’ll consistently produce.
S: Kerby Joseph 12 PPG, Javon Bullard 12 PPG (Nick Cross 11 PPG)
Kerby Joseph has put together a pair of quality safety seasons that put him around the low-end S2 range. Last year, Joseph recorded 82 total tackles, 4 INTs, and 11 PDs reporting in at 14.5 PPG. This season, his role and opportunity are a bit in flux. Brian Branch has been seeing more time at safety during training camp, with Melifonwu and Joseph rotating at the other position. Until we get more clarity on the snap situation to begin the year, Joseph goes down a peg. However, his big play ability and stable tackle floor equate to a solid outlook if he continues to provide full-time snaps.
Javon Bullard is a fun, but tricky projection. Bullard is trending toward being the day 1 stater opposite Xavier McKinney and is currently in a position battle with fellow rookie Evan Williams. Bullard had 56 total tackles, 2 INTs, and 5 PDs through 12 games during his last season with George (12 games) which is quality production. What worries me is his usage, as he’ll likely be playing deep most snaps. There is potential for a solid IDPer in Bullard, but we’re in wait-and-see mode until we learn more.
Off: Arizona Cardinals 11 PPG
PPG: 316
W-L: 6-11
X-Factor: Offensive development.
Curt has some quality pieces on all fronts of his roster. Offensively, he houses future or current studs in Hurts, Marv, BTJ, and Xavier Worthy. Defensively is where Curt butters his bread, with the front seven being one of the best-constructed groups in the AFC. It’ll likely be another year before Curt can contend, but the future is very bright in KC. (Sitting on 6 more 1sts in the next two years.)
