What To Do With The Last Pick Of Your Fantasy Football Draft In 2024
Players To Draft With The Last Pick In 2024 Fantasy Football
You’ve made it this far, so don’t screw it up now. The last pick in your fantasy football draft may not be quite as important as your first pick, but it’s also not an opportunity to draw a random name from a hat, either. There is real value to be had in the final round and you have a chance to draft a player who could wind up being a difference maker on your team. Just ask the managers in your league who used their final pick on Kyren Williams or Puka Nacua last year. So here are the players I’m considering with the final pick of 2024 fantasy football drafts.
Keep in mind, all leagues vary in size so some of these options may not be available in the final rounds of your league’s draft. The ADP cited in this article is from Sleeper.
Blake Corum, RB, Rams
ADP: 120.1
Whether you are team Kyren Williams or team Blake Corum, you have to acknowledge the value that Corum carries in 2024. If Williams is everything that his fans believe he is and performs similarly to last season, that means Blake Corum is going to be one of the few elite handcuff running backs in fantasy football. If anything were to happen to Williams—and he did deal with multiple injuries last season and is an undersized running back—then Corum instantly becomes an RB1 in fantasy. He would immediately slide into the bellcow role that Williams held a year ago, earning high volume and high value touches with big time touchdown upside.
But then if we let our imaginations wander a little bit and imagine a world where the coaches realize that Corum is just simply a better running back than Williams, we get the same result. Remember, Corum was wildly productive at Michigan. He was a Heisman trophy candidate in 2022. Then he set the school single-season rushing touchdown record in 2023. He’s also the school’s all-time leader in career rushing touchdowns (58), total touchdowns (61), and most points scored in a career (356).
His profile gives us all the confidence that if/when given his opportunity, he is going to seize it to the max. Whenever that happens, he is not going to allow Williams to take the job back. Corum is bigger, stronger, and more athletic than Williams. He runs hard, he’s more durable, and he’s better in pass protection. The coaches are going to love his game and it will be impossible to keep him off the field. It may be a slow start, but by season’s end, Blake Corum could be the reason you win your fantasy football championship.
Jerome Ford
ADP: 122.7
Jerome Ford’s ADP indicates the general fantasy community anticipates a full Nick Chubb return in 2024. However, Chubb’s ADP reflects some serious skepticism that he will be able to play at full strength any time soon. What gives? Given how serious Chubb’s knee injury was last season and that he doesn’t seem anywhere close to ready to step onto a football field, it feels pretty safe to say that it’s going to be a while before we see him suit up. And even when he returns, there’s a strong likelihood that he will be a shell of his former self. After all, he is 28-years old, coming off a catastrophic knee injury that occurred in a knee that he has had serious injuries with before. This all makes Jerome Ford’s 11th round ADP (RB39) one of the most exploitable inefficiencies of 2024 fantasy drafts.
Looking back at last season, Ford amassed over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and finished as the RB16 in PPR formats. He scored nine touchdowns and finished top-15 in targets and receiving yards among running backs. Ford should assume a similar role as he did last year when he accounted for more than 50% of the snaps and backfield touches. The Browns may not be top-5 in run plays per game again in 2024, but there will continue to be plenty of work for Ford. If you’re utilizing the Zero RB draft strategy, Ford is a fantastic early-season value that can bridge the gap to a Trey Benson, Blake Corum, or Jaylen Wright breakout. And then he will continue to provide RB2/RB3 value through the season. There’s really no downside to drafting him.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills
ADP: 142.7
Khalil Shakir has given us two seasons of spotty production. He has been completely off the radar for the casual fantasy gamers. However, at 24-years old and entering his third NFL season, Shakir has a chance to become relevant in 2024. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are gone. Those two accounted for nearly 2,000 receiving yards last season on 241 targets. Of course, those looks will be distributed across a number of guys in the offense, but with no established alpha, there is a real opportunity for someone to step up and be a serious fantasy contributor.
Why not Khalil Shakir? He finished out the 2023 season strong with 20 receptions on 22 targets over his last four games (including playoffs). He scored two touchdowns in the postseason and he had 105 receiving yards against the Dolphins in the regular season finale. On the season, Shakir led all NFL wide receivers in catch rate (86.7%), while accounting for the highest passer rating when targeted, and finishing No. 16 in receiving EPA (FantasyPros).
In our rookie guide at Yards Per Fantasy back in 2022, I called Shakir “one of the hidden gems in the class.” I think we will see that come to fruition in 2024. He is now poised to take on a prominent role in the Josh Allen passing attack. He’s likely to start in two wide receiver sets opposite rookie Keon Coleman while sharing slot duties with free agent signee Curtis Samuel. Shakir has been almost exclusively a slot guy in the NFL, but if we look back at his Boise State days, we can see he has the versatility to win outside as well. That will only enhance his fantasy scoring potential.
Not only am I not ready to give up on Khalil Shakir in dynasty, I will be actively targeting him in trades and drafting him in redraft leagues this summer.
Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seahawks
ADP: 150.6
Zach Charbonnet came in as a second round pick in 2023 and had a solid rookie season as a complement to Kenneth Walker. The former UCLA Bruin will fulfill that same role in 2024 with a chance at even more touches. Charbonnet caught 33 passes as a rookie, a number that could be on the rise under a new coaching staff that promises to turn up the dials on the passing game. Compared to Walker, Charbonnet is the better receiver of the duo and stands to benefit from a more modern offense. With that said, Walker will continue to lead the backfield in carries and total touches, capping Charbonnet’s fantasy value, minus a Walker injury.
But that’s exactly why we are drafting Charbonnet. For that contingent upside. If Walker were to go down—he has missed four games in two seasons—Charbonnet would have zero competition in that backfield. He would be the full-blown bellcow, dominating the touches in both the run game and as a receiver out of the backfield.
Now, the Seahawks offensive line is questionable which is the only reason he isn’t higher on this list, but Charbonnet is skilled enough to overcome some blocking deficiencies. In fact, Charbonnet was top-15 in yards created per touch last season, while ranking No. 24 in yards per touch. He also found enough room to rank No. 21 in breakaway run rate (PlayerProfiler.com).
Volume would certainly be in his favor if he was asked to step in for Walker. In the two games that Walker missed last season, in addition to leaving early in another, Charbonnet averaged 16 carries and was targeted 12 times. He played more than 84% of the snaps in two of the three games. If Walker is forced to miss more time in 2024, Charbonnet would instantly become one of the few bellcow running backs in football. That is a coveted role in fantasy, which makes Charbonnet one of the best handcuffs available and a great target in the double-digit rounds.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers
ADP: 153.4
Chuba Hubbard seemed to be one of the few bright spots in a dismal Panthers offense last season. He adequately filled in for a washed up Miles Sanders, totaling more than 1,100 yards and scoring as a top-25 running back eight times. The team went out and drafted Jonathon Brooks in the second round in an effort to upgrade the running back position. However, with Brooks coming off a November ACL injury, it’s very possible Hubbard will continue to be leaned on early in the season. Unlike most of the other backs on this list, Hubbard will serve a purpose as a bridge for Zero RB teams. He is the guy we can lean on for early season production while we wait on some of the high-upside guys (Trey Benson, Blake Corum, Jaylen Wright, etc) to get their shot.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Packers
ADP: 153.5
Luke Musgrave is on the short list to be this year’s breakout tight end. He performed well in spurts last season after the Packers drafted him in the second round. In 11 games, he caught 34 passes for 352 yards and one touchdown. A lacerated kidney forced him to miss six weeks in the second half of the season but he was able to return in time for the playoffs. There, he caught six passes for 66 yards in the Packers’ two playoff games which included a 38-yard touchdown against Dallas in the Wild Card round.
Musgrave enters 2024 with a chance to emerge as a prominent weapon in the Packers offense. Sure, you could argue there are a lot of mouths to feed in Green Bay, with quality weapons at wide receiver including Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, and even fellow second-year tight end Tucker Kraft. However, there is no established alpha in that group.
That opens the door for someone like Musgrave to emerge as a significant target commander. Musgrave has all the tools to become the next breakout tight end. He has size at 6-6, 253 lbs. He is an elite athlete across the board from speed, to strength, to explosion. Musgrave gives off some George Kittle vibes in that way. If I’m betting on someone in this Packers offense—and I’d be smart to do so given how well Jordan Love finished last season—it’s going to be the guy who is incredibly talented, yet flying under the radar with a 13th-round ADP as the TE17 on Underdog.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Cowboys
ADP: 160.2
Rico Dowdle shared the Cowboys backfield last year and will do it again in 2024. However, with Tony Pollard gone and Ezekiel Elliott back, Dowdle could see an increase in touches from a year ago. We all know Zeke has been flirting with Father Time for several seasons now so it wouldn’t be a surprise for injury or underperformance to force him to take a backseat to Dowdle by mid season. And believe it or not, Dowdle was efficient in his opportunities last season. He ranked 16th among running backs in yards per target, according to FantasyPros. He will almost certainly see more targets with Pollard gone. Dowdle was also top-24 in yards per touch, top-20 in evaded tackles per touch and EPA, and top-10 in yards created per touch (PlayerProfiler.com).
The Cowboys should continue to be one of the better offenses in the NFL. Good offenses mean lots of yards and touchdowns. Lots of yards and touchdowns mean lots of fantasy points to go around. If Dowdle proves to be more effective than Elliott, he will have an opportunity to emerge as a league-winner in fantasy football.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams
ADP: 162.8
Volume. Volume, volume, volume. Matthew Stafford may end up top-5 in pass attempts per game in 2024. And why not? He has a healthy Cooper Kupp. He has super-stud Puka Nacua. And he has one of the NFL’s worst defenses on the other side which will force the offense to be pedal-to-the medal for 60 minutes every week. Reminder, Aaron Donald is no longer on that defense. Opposing offenses are going to find it much easier to move up and down the field against the Rams than in years past. That’s going to keep the sense of urgency up on the offense and force Sean McVay to lean more on his quarterback to win games. That’s great news for us as fantasy gamers, as a more aggressive offense means more fantasy points for everyone. If you’re drafting a quarterback late or need a QB2 in a superflex format, Stafford feels like a safe bet to outperform his QB19 ADP.
Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins
ADP: 163.4
In theory Jaylen Wright is in crowded backfield. But so was Kyren Williams at this time last year. We don’t have to squint too hard to see a path to similar fantasy production for Wright. All that is standing in his way of a significant workload is a tiny Devon Achane, who suffered multiple injuries as a rookie, and a 32-year old Raheem Mostert who has had a laundry list of injuries throughout his career. And who’s to say Wright doesn’t beat out those guys anyway?
Wright ran an incredible 4.38 40-time at the NFL Combine and he jumped out of the stadium. There are few teams that know how to maximize that type of speed and explosion better than Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins. They will be able to accentuate his strengths and mask his weaknesses as well as any organization. With the touchdown scoring potential in the Miami offense, there might be no better candidate to be this year’s Kyren Williams than Jaylen Wright.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons
ADP: 169.5
Tyler Allgeier was the apple of Arthur Smith’s eye last year. Smith couldn’t help but keep putting Allgeier on the field over Bijan Robinson. He even let Allgeier lead the team in red zone touches. But Smith is gone, and the new coaching staff has done nothing but talk up Bijan all offseason. That means, rather than being part of a dual backfield, Allgeier will be more of a traditional handcuff running back in 2024. And that’s okay.
Allgeier will play that role perfectly. He is the clear-cut No. 2 who would assume a workhorse role if anything were to happen to Bijan. We’ve seen him have success with that type of workload in the past so we know exactly what we are getting. Remember, back in his rookie 2022 season, Allgeier averaged a tick under five yards per carry on 210 rush attempts after taking over the backfield in the second half. That resulted in over 1,000 yards on the ground. He had five games of over 100 yards from scrimmage and finished the season with four-straight top-16 fantasy performances.
If Bijan were to go down, Allgeier would slide right back into a similar role. He would benefit from volume as well as some touchdown upside in what is expected to be a much improved Falcons offense. He would be a weekly starter in fantasy football and a guy you can trust for consistent top-24 performances. So while it looks like the standalone value won’t be there anymore, Allgeier still holds value as one of the top handcuff running backs in fantasy football.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Chargers
ADP: 194.6
Kimani Vidal joins a Chargers backfield that consists of only Gus Edwards, JK Dobbins, who is coming off multiple serious lower body injuries, and Hassan Haskins. Vidal has the size to be an NFL workhorse with impressive size-adjusted speed and burst. He is a between-the-tackles runner with the explosive traits to break off chunk plays. He follows his blockers well and is rarely tackled for loss yardage. Once he’s in the open field with a head of steam, Vidal is difficult to bring down. And even when you get hands on him, Vidal is always driving his legs and pushing forward to squeeze out one extra yard or two. That probably reminded Jim Harbaugh of Blake Corum
It’s not hard to see Vidal ascending up the Chargers depth chart quickly and leading this backfield in touches as a rookie. And we know the Chargers want to run the ball a ton, so there will be plenty of touches to be had. And with Justin Herbert leading the offense, the touchdown opportunities will be plentiful—something that made a big difference in Kyren Williams’ 2023 season. That could be Vidal in 2024.
Ray Davis, RB, Bills
ADP: 197.1
The Bills were a favorite to land a running back at some point during the draft and they chose Ray Davis to be the guy. Davis will fill a role the team has been trying to solve for a few seasons now. They brought in a number of big-bodied backs last year like Damien Harris, Latavius Murray, and Leonard Fournette. Murray had moderate success but Davis is 10 years younger and ready to take over. He will pair well with James Cook as the team’s RB2.
Davis will also project as the team’s top running back at the goal line. Even with quarterback Josh Allen stealing some of those looks, the Bills offense is good enough to provide plenty of touchdown scoring opportunities for a guy like Davis. We could see some opportunities in the passing game for Davis as well. James Cook is an overrated receiver and Davis caught 94 balls at Kentucky with a solid receiving skill set. There’s a chance he at least eats into Cook’s work on passing downs. Davis absolutely has an opportunity in one of the league’s best offenses and the skill set to be fantasy relevant right away.
Tyrone Tracy, RB, Giants
ADP: 199.1
Tyrone Tracy was one of the more interesting prospects in the 2024 class heading into the draft. He’s a converted wide receiver with limited running back experience. Yet, he proved to be a quality runner in 2023 when he ran for over six yards per carry and eight touchdowns. He runs with a good combination of speed and power with open-field elusiveness and impressive balance.
Landing with the Giants is a great spot for Tyrone Tracy Jr. The backfield is devoid of talent after losing Saquon Barkley in free agency, only to replace him with Devin Singletary. While Singletary did an adequate job in Houston last season, he is not exactly immune to some competition.
It’s not hard to see a world where Tracy winds up with a significant opportunity as a rookie. As a converted wide receiver, Tracy can jump right into a pass-catching role out of the backfield with a chance to expand that role over the course of the season. He is going to fly under the radar in fantasy drafts, but Tracy is a fun late round flier that needs to be monitored in preseason and early in the regular season. He could have a breakout in the second half if Singletary falters.
Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals
ADP: 216.7
It can’t be too surprising that Michael Wilson had a quiet rookie season after injuries held him to just 14 games over his final three collegiate seasons. Naturally, he lacked a bit of the experience required to make a significant impact as a first year NFL player. However, Wilson did enough to draw some intrigue heading into year two. He finished the season with 38 receptions and 565 receiving yards. There were five instances where he was targeted six or more times in a game. In those contests, Wilson averaged 1.94 yards per route and more than 12 fantasy points, according to FantasyPros. That’s nothing to scoff at. And we can’t forget that he was stuck with a combination of Josh Dobbs and Clayton Tune for the first half of the season. Then with Kyler Murray at the helm, Wilson finished the season strong with back-to-back top-24 fantasy performances.
Wilson can use that strong finish to propel him to the No. 2 wide receiver position opposite Marvin Harrison Jr. All that’s in his way is Zay Jones—Greg Dortch will be the slot. That’s a premium position to be in in what is expected to be a potent Cardinals offense. With a healthy Murray, the additions of Harrison and running back Trey Benson, and the ascension of tight end Trey McBride, this could be one of the more explosive units in the NFL. That will only benefit a guy like Michael Wilson.
Remember, Wilson was a guy that impressed in college when he was healthy and shined at the 2023 Senior Bowl. He is a big-bodied playmaker who uses his size, physical strength, and body control to create separation and win in the red zone. He has the athleticism to add value after the catch as well.
Michael Wilson has legitimate upside as the WR2 in Arizona. He needs to be on the radar at the end of best ball and seasonal league drafts. It won’t cost much to get him and the payoff could be huge.
Roschon Johnson, RB, Bears
ADP: 229.6
Roschon Johnson was one of my favorite rookies from the 2023 class. He is a big, powerful running back who somehow created production behind Bijan Robinson at Texas. He is a natural in the receiving game, both as a pass-catcher and in protection. We saw some flashes of that in his rookie campaign. However, it was an overall disappointing first year for Johnson. He ran for just 352 yards on 81 carries and was mostly relegated to RB3 duties behind Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman. If it weren’t for an untimely concussion, though, things could have been much different for Johnson.
Still, Johnson managed three top-24 fantasy performances in five weeks to close out the season. He did that by catching 15 passes from Weeks 12-17. He totaled more than 50 yards in four of those five games.
With the offseason signing of D’Andre Swift it’s hard to see a clear path to a significant role for Johnson right now. But Swift was underwhelming from an efficiency standpoint last season and Johnson did enough late in the year to warrant an opportunity at the RB2 job. That could turn into a prominent role as a high-end handcuff or eventual starter in what is expected to be a much improved Bears offense with the additions of Keenan Allen and Caleb Williams. A second half emergence could propel Johnson to a late-season RB1 status and make him this year’s Kyren Williams.
Jalen Tolbert, WR, Cowboys
ADP: 249.1
Jalen Tolbert has given us two years of mostly nothing in terms of production. After the Cowboys drafted him in the third round in 2022, Tolbert played just 89 snaps as a rookie. He did take a significant jump in that category in 2023, improving to 477 snaps while playing in all 17 games and collecting seven starts.
But the slow start to his career really wasn’t a surprise, despite the third round draft capital. I even noted this in my analysis of Tolbert in the Yards Per Fantasy rookie guide back in 2022. I said, “[Tolbert] will likely take some time before he gets on the field in a full-time capacity…don’t expect to get an immediate return on your investment.” That is exactly how things have played out so far. But I also expressed optimism that Tolbert would develop into a fantasy contributor over time. I liked him coming out. He’s a fast, versatile athlete who dominated over his last two seasons at Southern Alabama. Now the door is wide open for a third-year breakout.
Michael Gallup is gone and the Cowboys didn’t add any wide receiver of consequence in free agency or the draft (get out of here with Ryan Flournoy). Not only is Tolbert in the driver’s seat for the WR3 position, but Dallas’ No. 2, Brandin Cooks, appeared to take a step back in 2024 and will turn 31 in September. Don’t even get me started on what could happen if CeeDee Lamb were to miss time.
Dylan Laube, RB, Raiders
ADP: 261.4
Dylan Laube is the best receiving back in the 2024 class and he landed in a spot that will allow him to utilize that skill set. Right now it’s Zamir White and Alexander Mattison atop the Raiders running back depth chart—Neither of which are known for their pass-catching chops. Only a 31-year old Ameer Abdullah stands in the way of passing downs work. Considering Laube caught 117 passes and averaged 10 yards per reception over the last two seasons at New Hampshire, it’s not hard to see him beating out Abdullah. That means we could get an RB3/4 season from him as a rookie.
Who are you targeting with your last pick in 2024 fantasy football drafts? Join us on Discord and let’s discuss!
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