The Best Picks by ADP from 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

Fantasy football seasons ended almost a month ago. Conference championships are days away, which means reality is setting in all too quickly that we will be without football in just a few short weeks. That doesn't mean fantasy football has to end, though. DFS tournaments are still rolling and now is as good a time as ever to reflect back on the regular season from 2024.

There's a saying among the fantasy football community that leagues are not won during the draft. While this is mostly true, if you make sound draft decisions you can gain a huge advantage over the rest of your league from the get-go. You don't have to pull your hair out trying to decide whether to bid 10% of your FAAB on Carson Steele, Samaje Perine, or Kareem Hunt.

If you're like me, you'll still do this regardless of the situation. Even so, having a great draft can help quell some roster concerns. Every year, there are numerous players that smash their average draft position (ADP) and become incredible values for fantasy managers. Here we retroactively look at the best picks for each position by ADP from 2024 fantasy drafts and why these players were able to succeed.

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Year-long rankings and stats based on Week 1-17, half-PPR scoring. 

Running Backs

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (ADP - RB11, finished RB37)

Brown was a fairly popular breakout candidate after flashing sporadically as a rookie last season, and he more than delivered this year. With Zack Moss having been signed in free agency in the offseason from Indy, it was unclear what the workload split was going to look like heading into '24, but we knew that a timeshare was likely.

Early on in the season, Moss was a top-20 back, and Brown was nowhere to be found. That quickly changed after Brown got a timely dose of running back therapy, aka the Carolina Panthers defense.

The former fifth-round pick exploded for 22.2 points on 17 touches in the Week 4 win, which jumpstarted his top-10 fantasy campaign. Moss also went down with a high-ankle sprain in Week 5, which led to Brown's opportunity share skyrocketing, and he took full advantage.

From Week 5 on Brown was the RB6 overall, clearing the 20-point threshold three times and never scoring below double figures in half-PPR. In these 13 weeks, Brown also received three or more targets 10 times, highlighted by his nine-reception, 11-target outing against Baltimore in Week 10.

For zero-running back strategists, Brown was the knight in shining armor amongst the Zamir White and Gus Edwards draft flops. He's a bona fide stud with elite speed that should be picked within the first three to four rounds of 2025 drafts.

Chase Brown was one of the best picks in fantasy this year 🫡pic.twitter.com/Zmii0NgIM3

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) December 10, 2024

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (ADP - RB42, finished RB12)

While everyone was patiently waiting for the return of Jonathan Brooks, the first running back off the board during the 2024 NFL draft, Hubbard quietly trudged his way to a top-15 positional finish in a virtually inept offense.

Over the first half of the season, Carolina was one of the worst teams in recent memory. Their #1 pick, quarterback Bryce Young was benched, and the defense couldn't stop a high school team. Somehow, someway, Hubbard was able to not only produce for fantasy managers consistently, but do so at a high level.

The former NCAA leading rusher put up a career-high 1,195 yards and 10 scores on the ground, showcasing an impressive ability to grind out tough yards but also hit long runs when the opportunity was there (#6 in breakaway run rate).

Hubbard is living proof that there is still fantasy value to be had in putrid offenses. While the Panthers did figure some things out during the second half of the year and became a semi-competitive football team, through eight weeks they were averaging 15.5 points per game and had a 1-7 record.

Hubbard was still the RB14 over this period, with a pair of 20-point boom weeks. He was third in the NFL with a 77% snap share over the course of the season and was signed to a lucrative long-term deal prior to the Week 10 win over New York. Don't overlook Hubbard in 2025 drafts.

Jonathan Brooks tragically re-tore his ACL and will probably be out for the entirety of next year. Hubbard will still probably fall again, because, you know, it's the Panthers. He will also very likely outperform his ADP.

Chuba Hubbard calls game 🎬 pic.twitter.com/QUrrCkrQxv

— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP RB52, finished RB14)

The only rookie on this list, Irving exploded onto the scene in his first season with over 1,100 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, all while averaging less than a 50% weekly snap share. The fourth-round pick from Oregon was fourth league-wide with 5.4 yards per carry (minimum 150 rushes) and completely stole the rushing mantle from Rachaad White early on.

White was one of the steals of 2023 drafts, but that was mostly due to the insane volume he received each week - 5th in touches per game with 19.8. He was never a super-efficient runner (career 3.8 YPC), which was Irving's strong suit, and the difference was clear as day from the first game of the season.

While White still had his passing-game role carved out, Irving routinely out-shined him on the ground and saw his snap share increase over the second half of the year.

The raw numbers for Irving were off the charts. He was first amongst rookie runners in rushing and receiving yards, YPC, yards after contact, and missed tackles forced. Per Ian Hartitz, the only running backs to average above four yards after contact per carry in the past ten years are Derrick Henry, Nick Chubb, and Bucky Irving.

That's pretty, pretty, pretty good company I'd say. While White is still under contract through next season, it would be a disservice to the entire Bucs organization if they did not give Irving at least 15 carries per game next season. He's just that good.

Bucky Irving in his 5 games with MORE than 10 Rushing Attempts is averaging:

➖20.8 PPG
➖128.4 YPG
➖0.8 TD’s

His 17 Game Pace:

➖353.6 Fantasy Points
➖2,183 Total Yards
➖14 TD’s

Irving ranks top 5 in the NFL in Yards Per Touch (6.0), Juke Rate (31.2%), & Catch Rate (95%). pic.twitter.com/bzvWmN53zH

— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) December 17, 2024

James Conner, Arizona Cardinals (ADP - RB19, finished RB10)

The NFL's Iron Man does it again. That's five top-20 finishes in his eight-year career, three within the top 11. The Iron Man moniker might be a tad misleading because Conner has had to deal with more than his fair share of injuries over the years, but he is nothing but consistent and one of the toughest runners in the league.

The former Steelers back put up a career-high 1,094 yards, adding over 400 yards through the air and nine total scores. He was top five in juke rate, explosive run rate, and broken tackles at an age where running backs usually start to experience a rapid decline.

Everyone talks about Derrick Henry being an alien, and he, of course, is, but Conner is Henry-lite. A bruiser who can get the tough yards on down and short, but also hit the home run. Unlike Henry, Conner is actually a true three-down back, providing a nice floor in the passing game as well with at least 46 receptions in two of his last three years.

The Cardinals clearly love Conner and will continue to feature him until he shows signs of slowing down. Arizona just inked him to an extension in early December, keeping him there for the next two seasons.

While many expected rookie third-round pick Trey Benson to take over after this season, it's likely he'll spend at least one more year playing second-fiddle to Conner who had arguably the most explosive season of his career in 2024.

The Cardinals beat up on the Rams with their run game in week 2 after getting to an early lead. 12 out of James Conner's 21 designed rushes were successful (57.1%).

Plenty of Duo with snaps of Counter, Pin-Pull and Power, plus some read stuff with Kyler Murray dropped in. pic.twitter.com/B3UclIio30

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 16, 2024

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (ADP - RB17, finished RB9)

Like Conner above, Alvin Kamara has been coming through for fantasy managers for just shy of a decade. Even with his three-game suspension to start last season, Kamara still finished as RB11 due to him being the prime beneficiary of dump-off king Derek Carr.

The pending suspension plummeted his ADP during drafts, and while Kamara still surprised the fantasy community with his PPR dominance in '23, most did not think he would repeat that success in '24.

Many arguments cited the running back age cliff -- 91% of the most productive seasons for running backs occur between the ages of 21-28. This season, however, we had three players buck this trend as Derrick Henry, James Conner, and Kamara all finished within the top 10.

What's most impressive about Kamara's dominance is that he's actually never rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season, despite finishing as a top-10 running back five out of eight years -- seven of eight if you expand to top-15.

Snagging almost 50 more receptions than any other back since entering the league will help you do that. In fact, Kamara has over 100 more receptions than the third-place back. He's in his own stratosphere when it comes to catching the football.

Kamara isn't known for his speed, but he's one of the best players in NFL history at bouncing off would-be tacklers due to his exceptional contact balance, which is something that has not deteriorated significantly with age. While the Saints didn't change much from 2023-24, there are likely massive shifts occurring to the franchise this offseason as they search for a new quarterback and coaching staff.

However, one thing is certain. Kamara will be back, after signing a two-year, $24.5M contract mid-season and will likely be featured once again in whatever new offensive system is put in place. His skillset is a quarterback's best friend.

Belt to ass in Dallas!

Alvin Kamara w/ FOUR TDs!!!

pic.twitter.com/qps3c0UzQj

— Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) September 15, 2024

Honorable Mentions

• J.K. Dobbins (ADP - RB43, finished RB23)
• Rico Dowdle (ADP - RB44, finished RB24)

Wide Receivers

Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (ADP - WR46, finished WR4)

Quite possibility the biggest steal of the entire draft, Thomas Jr. had a remarkable rookie season while playing almost half the year with backup QB Mac Jones. The LSU product would be getting more praise if his rookie season didn't come at the tail end of Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, and Puka Nacua's insane run where each posted 1,400+ yards.

Coming into the league, most analysts saw Thomas Jr. as a relatively raw prospect whose athletic profile translated mostly as a deep threat. Some even tabbed him as a "Malik Nabers merchant", meaning he only succeeded due to the defensive focus devoted to his teammate who was a truly elite prospect. That couldn't be further from the truth.

Thomas Jr. entered the year as the No. 3 weapon behind established options Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, possibly even fourth if you throw Gabe Davis into the mix who signed a three-year $39M contract last March. This receiving hierarchy changed on a dime.

Thomas Jr. quickly turned heads with his ability to abuse press coverage and run a full route tree, the latter of which was not something he showcased a ton of in college. Regardless of who was throwing him the ball, BTJ was dominant when he took the field, especially in the fantasy playoffs (weeks 15-17) where he was the WR1 with an average of 23.9 points per game.

He was first among rookie pass catchers in yards (1,282) and touchdowns (10), also posting top-ten metrics in yards per route run and explosive catch rate.

The Jaguars just hired Liam Cohen, a guy who just helped Baker Mayfield throw for 41 touchdowns and directed an offense that was third in total yards and fourth in points per game. You can bet that he is going to get the most out of Thomas Jr., especially with year-five Trevor Lawrence throwing him the ball. He should be a safe bet for a top-10 finish next season, with legitimate #1 overall upside.

Brian Thomas Jr in his rookie season

🐆 87 catches
🐆 1,282 receiving yards
🐆 10 receiving TDs
🐆 28 catches gaining 15+ yards
🐆 2.45 yards per route run pic.twitter.com/7B6lwVo4vB

— PFF (@PFF) January 5, 2025

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (ADP - WR41, finished WR8)

Coming into the 2024 season, it seemed as though the jury was wholeheartedly split on the outlook of JSN. Pundits that were against him pointed to his relatively disappointing rookie year, where he failed to usurp an aging Tyler Lockett as the Seahawks #2 option as a first-round WR talent.

Shane Waldron, the Seahawks offensive coordinator in 2023, limited severely limited JSN's usage to short yardage and line-of-scrimmage work, a disappointing sign for someone who came into the league with elite downfield ball-tracking skills.

A change was made in OC this past offseason, and no one was happier than Smith-Njigba, who had his role completely evolve into a true threat from all levels of the field.

JSN not only passed Lockett in the Seattle WR pecking order, but DK Metcalf as well, finishing as the #8 receiver in all of fantasy. He outperformed his ADP by over 30 positional spots - the only players that beat this mark were rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr and Jerry Jeudy.

The Ohio State product really blossomed during a six-week stretch in the middle of the season where he posted five top-15 finishes, jumpstarted by a 10-180-2 line against the Rams in Week 9.

While new OC Ryan Grubb helped JSN break out in his sophomore campaign, the Seahawks failed to make the playoffs and were bottom-half of the league in points per game. This led to Grubb's firing earlier this month, so regardless of who is running the show in Seattle next season, it will mark the third new offense in as many seasons for Smith-Njigba.

He will be more of the more interesting cases to follow heading into 2025 drafts, especially if the aforementioned Metcalf is dealt to another team.

WR JSN Route Tree:

Week 9 of 2023 vs. Week 2 of 2024: pic.twitter.com/WSfi1wS8gs

— Seahawks Today (@TodaySeahawks) September 16, 2024

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders (ADP - WR30, finished WR6)

We may need to rethink how we view fantasy wideouts for rookie QBs. Historically, 70% of the time rookie QBs have failed to support even a top-36 wide receiver. In the past two seasons alone, there have been six instances where rookie QBs have started for a majority of the season, and five of those signal callers have supported top-20 wide receivers.

The only one that failed to do so was Drake Maye this past year, who had a severe lack of talent at the position. McLaurin started off quite slow with only 39 yards through two weeks. His rookie QB was looking a bit shaky as a passer, but showing off some elite running ability with 132 yards and two scores on the ground.

Enter Week 3 when Jayden Daniels had his coming out party, a primetime road win over Joe Burrow and the Bengals where he had more total touchdowns (3) than incompletions (2). McLaurin was the main beneficiary of this stellar performance, hauling in four passes for 100 yards and a score.

From this point forward, McLaurin was a elite, must-start fantasy wideout. He posted 10 top-20 weeks, including three in the top-five. Since McLaurin entered the league as a third-round pick back in 2019, he has caught passes from ten different starting quarterbacks, the closest to franchise-caliber being Carson Wentz.

Jayden Daniels' arrival almost instantly vaulted him into the upper-echelon of fantasy pass-catchers, and a sixth round price tag made him one of the most valuable picks from 2024 drafts. The lesson: Draft wideouts with elite talent a round or so early if they get themselves a great QB prospect!

Jayden Daniels airing out this Bengals defense with a double move 27 yard TD to Terry McLaurin 🤌🏾

Just call him Santa Claus because he is handing off gifts 🎅🏽 @JayD__5 pic.twitter.com/hBz5avflj7

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 24, 2024

Ladd McConkey, San Diego Chargers (ADP - WR44, finished WR13)

Out goes an elite slot option and in comes another one for the Chargers. Superstar Keenan Allen left for a one-year deal in Chicago this past offseason, which prompted the Chargers to draft his replacement in McConkey.

Allen left massive shoes to fill in LA. The former Cal standout ranks third league-wide with 974 receptions since coming into the league over 10 years ago. Among primary slot wideouts, this is 250 more than the next closest player (Jarvis Landry - 713).

McConkey was taken in the early-second round of last year's NFL draft, and while he had the starting slot position locked down from Day 1, a big question mark was just how much value that would hold fantasy-wise in Jim Harbaugh's ground-and-pound system.

Early on, McConkey was a solid contributor to a low-volume passing attack, but was not on the fantasy radar in 12-14 team leagues. He checked in as the WR50 through six weeks.

His breakout performance came against New Orleans in Week 7, where he toasted their secondary for 111 yards and two scores. This game seemed to unlock an element of this Chargers passing attack, because their success rate through the air ascended, as did the fantasy value of their rookie wideout.

McConkey was the WR10 from Weeks 7 to 17. The big surprise here was that he did this while ranking 26th in targets, meaning McConkey was ultra-efficient with his opportunities and showcased a phenomenal rapport with QB Justin Herbert.

While Harbaugh will always prefer a run-first approach, he can't ignore the arm talent of a guy like Herbert, and the evolution of this offense throughout the season was proof of that. McConkey should continue to thrive as Herbert's #1 option for years to come and will be taken in the top-five rounds of fantasy drafts next fall.

Ladd McConkey closed the season on an insane heater.

123 Yards
83 Yards
117 Yards
58 Yards + TD
87 Yards
94 Yards + 2 TDs
95 Yards
197 Yards + TD (Playoffs)

TOP ____ WR in the NFL? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/JhTZaNRwxq

— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) January 13, 2025

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos (ADP - WR47, finished WR15)

The Broncos #1 target was able to produce a top-15 fantasy season with rookie QB Bo Nix dealing him the ball. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Sutton the entire year, though. This Broncos offense definitely took some time to click with their new quarterback.

Sutton was inconsistently featured to start, clocking in as the WR43 through seven weeks, highlighted by his infamous zero-catch, zero-target outing in a primetime win over New Orleans. After this point, Sutton was the WR12, posting three top-six weeks and solidifying himself as one of the best receivers in the AFC.

Based on sheer numbers alone, you can make a case that the first honorable mention should be on this list above Sutton, but those numbers just didn't feel as important based on the state of both teams. Sutton bested his previous reception total for a season and should challenge for it yet again as Bo Nix continues to develop in Sean Payton's offense.

Courtland Sutton comes down with a WILD touchdown catch 👀

📺: #LACvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/zPOmhitQ43

— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

Honorable Mentions

• Jerry Jeudy (ADP - WR57, finished WR12)
• Malik Nabers (ADP - WR24, finished WR7)

Quarterbacks

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ADP - QB21, finished QB5)

Baker Mayfield's career resurgence will go down as one of the most impressive NFL stories of the past decade. After being left for dead by the Panthers and Rams, Mayfield was signed by the Bucs on a one-year deal back in 2023, seemingly as a bridge QB after Tom Brady retired.

That season he won the job outright and threw for a career high 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions that ended in a divisional playoff loss at Detroit. His offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, accepted the Panthers head coaching vacancy and regression predictions started flying left and right.

Many claimed that '23 was merely a fluke year for Mayfield and the Bucs. It was quite the opposite. Under new offensive coordinator Liam Cohen, Mayfield obliterated his previous career highs once again, ballooning his numbers to 4,500 yards (3rd), 41 touchdowns (T-2nd), and a 106.8 passer rating (4th).

He was also top-10 in nearly every single passing metric - yards per attempt, completion percentage, explosive pass rate, fantasy points per dropback, etc. Mayfield has become the heartbeat of this franchise and has the full support of the coaching staff and fanbase.

The former Heisman winner's success in Tampa has really unscored the importance of a good coaching staff and play-calling to a quarterback's success. Everyone wants to just point to talent, but situational factors are nearly as important in some respects.

I wouldn't venture to say it's equal, but the average fan definitely doesn't give enough weight to the other factors. I think the guy directly below would agree.

Despite how gut wrenching this loss is for Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers.

Mayfield is now the NFL’s All time leader in career playoff passer rating with a score of 105.95, edging out Patrick Mahomes 105.8.

The Buccaneers have their Franchise guy and they’ll be back pic.twitter.com/0HrdtR8HA4

— Timothy Bailey (@RealTimBailey) January 13, 2025

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (ADP - QB30, finished QB8)

If Mayfield was left for dead, Darnold was buried deep in the Earth without even an obituary written for him. The former No. 3 overall pick was playing on his fourth team in five seasons, and had not been a true starter since 2020.

Darnold's career touchdown to interception ratio stood at an abysmal 1.1 coming into Minnesota. Like Mayfield, he was seen as a bridge quarterback for JJ McCarthy, who the Vikings took with the 10th overall pick last Spring.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell's system was a match made in heaven for Darnold, who was far and away the biggest surprise of the 2024 NFL season. He blew his previous career highs off the face of the earth, posting 35 touchdowns (previous high of 19) to just 12 interceptions, and ranked 5th league-wide with 4,319 yards.

Turns out, if you give a guy with great arm talent three first-round pass catchers including the best receiver in football, solid pass protection and creative play design, he's going to succeed.

It remains to be seen whether or not Minnesota will resign or franchise tag Darnold since he is slated to hit free agency once the '24 season wraps up. If he goes to a Tennessee or Oakland, he likely won't even sniff these type of numbers. Staying in Minnesota would be the best move for Darnold's career and his fantasy outlook.

Sam Darnold put on a clinic of high-level quarterback play against the Falcons. pic.twitter.com/5HmMHsWNuP

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 9, 2024

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (ADP - QB11, finished QB4)

Boy do I envy Commanders fan right about now. After posting one of the greatest rookie seasons we've ever seen, taking a 4-13 Commanders team to a 12-5 record with an entirely new coaching staff and ownership, Daniels has his team playing for a Super Bowl bid this weekend.

While there is a ton of credit to go around for this unprecedented turnaround, perhaps none is due more to the No. 2 pick from last year's draft. The LSU product has been a revelation at quarterback for an organization that had been desperately searching for a franchise talent at the position for an eternity.

Daniels broke the all-time rushing record for rookie QBs with 891 yards, besting the previous record of 815 held by former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III. He wasn't just special on the ground, though.

Daniels was surgical as a passer as well, excelling in Kliff Kingsbury's up-tempo spread offense that also allowed Daniels some freedom to improvise. He especially thrived when facing zone, posting the highest completion percentage in the NFL at 78.4% vs. zone coverage.

It's extremely rare for a player to be this good as a dual threat the moment he steps onto an NFL field. It look Josh Allen a full two years to reach the level he's at. Mahomes had a year to adjust as a backup. Lamar Jackson as well.

Jayden Daniels is a truly special talent, one that may have just posted the greatest rookie season in NFL history for a quarterback, even if he falls short of a Super Bowl. Besides Allen and Jackson, there should not be another signal caller taken above Daniels in '25 fantasy drafts.

Jayden Daniels excelled in the most difficult passing situations against the Lions.

🔸 vs. Blitz: 12/16, 191 yards, TD (+7.0% CPOE)
🔸 O2.5 sec: 10/16, 172 yards, TD (+6.3%)
🔸 Under Pressure: 7/9, 109 yards (+17.6%)

Daniels was sacked zero times.

Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/RFPN93ut0u

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 19, 2025

Honorable Mentions

• Bo Nix (ADP - QB28, finished QB9)
• Joe Burrow (ADP - QB10, finished QB3)

Tight Ends

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders (ADP - TE10, finished TE2)

While Jayden Daniels had arguably the greatest season for a rookie quarterback, Bowers easily had the greatest rookie season for a tight end ever. His 2024 season actually stacks up amongst the best in NFL history for tight ends regardless of year.

The No. 13 overall pick out of Georgia shattered the rookie TE receptions record, posting the third most catches at his position in NFL history with 112, all while dealing with the worst QB situation in the league.

Aside from maybe Brian Thomas Jr., Bowers was the #1 steal of 2024 fantasy drafts, obliterating his ADP by almost eight rounds. The fact that he produced Hall-of-Fame worthy numbers with Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connel and Desmond Ridder throwing him the ball is one of the most impressive feats that has ever been accomplished. It's a testament to how talented he truly is.

Coming into the league, his athletic profile was one of the greatest for a TE prospect in history, and while that doesn't always equate to surefire NFL success, it was still a crime that he fell to pick 13. The Las Vegas QB situation is still in flux at the moment, but it has to be more stable than last season.

The Raiders aren't in a great position to draft one of the top signal callers with the No. 6 pick, but Sam Darnold or Russell Wilson might be options in free agency that are head and shoulders above what we saw this year.

Bowers proved this season that it doesn't really matter who is tossing him the pigskin, he is still going to produce at an All-Pro level. He'll go within the first two rounds of '25 drafts and for good reason. Barring injury, Bowers should be the fantasy TE1 for years to come. The NFL may have found their Kelce 2.0.

Brock Bowers in his rookie season

☠️ 112 catches (rookie record)
☠️ 1,194 yards (1st among TEs)
☠️ 596 yards after the catch (1st among TEs)
☠️ 15 contested catches (1st among TEs) pic.twitter.com/6d8uKTOwN9

— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) January 6, 2025

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (ADP - TE6, finished TE1)

Every year I have a hard time drafting Kittle in those early-mid rounds. There's just so many great weapons on San Francisco, but Kittle is always a consistent fantasy option at a position that is extremely hard to find. He's finished as a top-five tight end five of his seven NFL seasons. The only two that he failed to do so were his rookie year and in 2020 when he missed eight games due to a fractured foot.

The Niners had horrific injury luck on offense this year. Christian McCaffrey infamously missed 13 games with Achilles and knee problems, his backup Jordan Mason had his own IRT stint, Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL fresh off a $120M contract extension, and Deebo Samuel missed his usual allotment of games with various injuries.

The only true mainstay on offense was Kittle, who put up his first #1 overall positional finish in his eight-year career. It was definitely a historically bad year for TEs overall, but Kittle was one of the lone bright spots as the top option for QB Brock Purdy.

The former fourth-round pick from Iowa ripped off nine-straight top-10 weeks to start the year, and ended up hitting this mark in 13 of 15 weeks he was active.

Purdy is likely to get a huge contract extension this offseason, giving Kittle some stability for his fantasy outlook next season and beyond. With Auyik and McCaffrey likely back in '25, and Kittle turning 32 during the season, he likely won't produce #1 TE numbers again but his role in this offense is one of the most secure you'll find anywhere.

Don't be afraid to take him in those important middle rounds of drafts.

Honorable Mention

•  Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins (went undrafted in majority of leagues)

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