2024 BOLD Predictions

Buckle up, we’re going bold today! I wanted to send out this surprise bonus newsletter as an extra treat for you guys, and I hope you enjoy it! But first, we have to get to some big news.

After months of speculation, the Brandon Aiyuk saga led to a…very non-dramatic and unsatisfying ending. If you’re going to hold us in suspense for months at least make it worth it! For fantasy purposes, it caps the upside of Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Aiyuk himself, as well as putting the Rick Pearsall hype train on hold. This could mean Deebo is on his way out, but his $15 million dead cap hit in 2025 is still sizeable.

In the end, it does bump down the receiving options a little, depending on how you were drafting them. If you were drafting as if Aiyuk stayed, it changed nothing. So congrats! Either way, we’re looking at yet another year of the 49ers’ options being great fantasy assets in 2024.

Now onto our main event. Some of these takes you might not see all that bold, and that’s fine. Some might look downright outrageous, and that’s great! Keep in mind these are bold takes and are not according to how I have ranked players. I rank and tier players based on what I see as their median outcome. These are the “what if” scenarios that have a chance to play out this season.

Oh and guess what, I’m also featuring some BOLD takes submitted by readers and members of the Discord! What might they have in mind?

2024 Fantasy Football Bold Predictions

🔥 Will Levis will be a top-12 fantasy football quarterback

I’ve detailed how Will Levis could be a great sleeper pick in drafts this year. I won’t belabor the point here yet again. DeAndre Hopkins's injury does put a damper on Levis, but hopefully, he can come back firing on all cylinders. He still has Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to throw to, both capable wideouts. Chig Okonkwo, Tony Pollard, and Tyjae Spears all figure to be a factor in the passing game as well.

He’s set up well to produce in what figures to be a pass-heavy offense, and even a slight uptick in his efficiency could lift him to QB1 territory.

⚔️ Justin Jefferson will NOT be a WR1

I wasn’t sure whether to go with this one, but I think this might be the spiciest take I have. Jefferson is one of the best, if not the best, wide receivers in the nation. However, I don't have a great feeling about the Vikings quarterback situation.

Sam Darnold has been less than great in his NFL career. There isn’t much I can point to as a positive for him other than he went 4-2 as a starter for Carolina in 2022 and had a decent game starting in Week 18 for the 49ers. But that’s about it. The opening schedule is rough as well: Giants, 49ers, Texans, Packers, Jets. If he makes it past the bye week, he will find it a little easier. But if not, are we confident that Nick Mullens is the answer? Jefferson wasn’t bad with Mullens at the helm last year, but can Mullens do it again?

Jefferson will still be a very good wide receiver in 2024, but can he stay a WR1? It might prove to be a tougher ask than we think.

🐈‍⬛ Bryce Young will support a top-24 and top-30 WR

Bryce Young was…bad…very bad…last year. And quite honestly, there’s not much I can point at that gives me optimism based on something Young did himself. It’s all about Dave Canales and the upgraded weapons around Young.

If Young can be coached back into competency, the weapons in Carolina aren’t that bad. Diontae Johnson was actually featured on the bold predictions newsletter last year, and he will be again in 2024. I think two of Diontae, Thielen, and Legette will finish as a top-30 WR, with one in the top-24.

Legette flashed some serious potential during his final college season. Thielen looks like he can still play. Diontae has finished as a WR1 before and is expected to be the top target in the offense. There are paths where this works out, but it depends on Young taking a second-year leap.

🐬 We’ll see two sets of teammates finish as WR1’s: Tyreek/Waddle, Puka/Kupp 🐏 

This is a two-fer. I already have Tyreek and Waddle ranked inside of WR1 territory, Puka is as well. Kupp is just outside of that area in my rankings. But can he sneak into WR1 territory yet again? Absolutely.

Waddle finished as the overall WR6 in 2022 alongside Tyreek Hill. Last year he dealt with a litany of injuries and was still top-12 in the NFL in Targets Per Route Run percentage at 26% TPRR. Essentially, he was targeted every four routes he ran. Better than Ja’Marr Chase, Chris Olave, and Garrett Wilson. He was also eighth-best in the NFL with 2.58 YPRR.

Hill is very good at football. I doubt I need to make much of an argument.

For the Rams guys, it’s simple. Puka Nacua showed he could be a WR1 in his rookie year, breaking the rookie reception record in the process. Cooper Kupp dealt with his own injuries last year but flashed upside more than once. And, before his injury first occurred in 2022, he was the overall WR2 from weeks 1-9. Word has it that the offense will run through Kupp once again in 2024, giving me confidence that he is healthy and ready to go.

🦬 Josh Allen will NOT be a top-3 QB in fantasy

He’s the first quarterback taken in most drafts, and for good reason. He’s been the QB1 in three of the last four years and QB6 or better in each of the last five. However, it’s the most unknown we’ve seen his receiving room in quite a while. Are Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir ready to make the jump? Can Curtis Samuel have a late-career revival? Can Keon Coleman truly be the WR1 of the offense?

Not only that, but 2023 was the first season Allen rushed for more than 9 touchdowns. I have a hard time believing he will score 15 rushing touchdowns again in 2024. Five quarterbacks have rushed for 10 or more touchdowns in a season since 2000. They are Dante Culpepper (once), Cam Newton (three times), Kyler Murray (once), Jalen Hurts (three times including 2023), and Josh Allen last year. Since Hurts and Allen have yet to play this year, that gives us seven instances in which we can look at next season production. Five of the seven dropped below 10 rushing touchdowns the following season.

I don’t doubt Allen’s talent and ability, but I do have questions about his surrounding talent and his chances of repeating such a high rushing touchdown total.

Fun fact, the last time he wasn’t a top-3 QB, when he finished as the QB6 in 2019, John Brown and Cole Beasley were his leading receivers. Frank Gore Sr. was the second-leading rusher. Gore’s son, Frank Gore Jr. is now on the Bills practice squad. Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid were still in high school.

🔥 Reader Submitted Hot Takes 🔥 

• 🔴 Kyler Murray will finish as the QB1 in fantasy this season! (I like it, lot of potential for Murray this season!)

• ⚫️ Pat Freiermuth will be a top-6 fantasy TE. (Definitely bold, he could be the No.2 target so it might work!)

Once again, if you want my free draft tiers and some player blurbs, team info, and charts, just check out my free Draft Kit! 

Also, if you’re not already, get in the Discord server! Football is heating up and so is the conversation!