My Yahoo Fantasy Football Draft Grade & Recap (2024)

2024 Rank: 12 - 2023 Rank: 12

Henry is 30 years old with over 2,000 carries in the NFL -- two thresholds you don't like to see for a running back. It's reasonable and even conventional to fear that Henry's rare athletic abilities might fall off a cliff soon, and there's no shortage of ugly decline cases among running backs. Henry might prove an exception, because as a 6-foot-3, 247-pound running back with incredible anchor he rarely takes the worst of any hit. The nondescript tackles and falls also take a toll, but will they affect Henry at the same rate that they would a mortal running back? If not, Henry should thrive in a Baltimore offense that already forces defenses to make difficult choices defending the run. With that said, even a strong season from Henry would likely entail one major shortcoming, as he's never been a high-volume target and will now play with a QB that's never thrown many passes to running backs. His TD projection, on the other hand, is among the league's best, as he scored at least 10 times each of the past six seasons and now joins an offense in which Gus Edwards had 13 TDs on 198 carries last year. With Edwards gone to the Chargers and 2023 rookie standout Keaton Mitchell recovering from a late-season ACL tear, Henry doesn't have much competition for carries from his fellow running backs, but sharing an offense with QB Lamar Jackson likely precludes leading the league in carries for a fifth time.

2024 Rank: 13 - 2023 Rank: 13

Depending on your fantasy league, Nacua was either one of the best late-round picks or one of the most valuable waiver adds in the history of the league. Taken in the fifth round of last year's draft, Nacua didn't have the flashy markers many look for in prospects, lacking both big-time college production (1,749 career receiving yards) and standout size-adjusted speed (4.57-second pro-day 40 at 6-1, 201). He did generate hype during Rams training camp, however, and piled up 52 targets and 501 receiving yards before Cooper Kupp made his 2023 season debut Week 5. Nacua then averaged 78.6 yards on 8.6 targets in the 12 regular-season games he and Kupp played together -- Kupp averaged 61.4 yards on 7.9 targets in those same games -- and had 181 yards in the Rams' lone playoff game. A healthier season from Kupp might change the target distribution some, but the Rams lack other threats for big-time volume, returning Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell at wide receiver while bringing in Colby Parkinson (career high of 34 targets) as the "big" addition at tight end. Nacua seems to have become the poster boy for prioritizing GPS tracking over 40-yard-dash times and yards per route over total production when evaluating WR prospects. Whatever the case, his ability is hard to deny after he finished last season top 10 among qualified WRs in target rate, yards per route, YAC average, total YAC, yards against zone coverage and yards against man coverage --- plus a slew of other states -- en route to a rookie-record 1,486 receiving yards.

2024 Rank: 52 - 2023 Rank: 52

It didn't take long for Stroud to prove he was the best quarterback from the 2023 Draft. The second overall pick set a rookie record by going 191 attempts before throwing his first interception -- in Week 6. Two weeks later, he set another rookie record with 470 yards and five touchdowns. Despite two missing two games in concussion protocol, he totaled the third-most passing yards by a rookie in NFL history (4,108). The list goes on. Stroud used his strong arm to constantly attack downfield, averaging 9.0 air yards per target, second in the league. On attempts of at least 20 air yards, he had the league's second-highest completion percentage (58.8), throwing for eight TDs and no interceptions. His passing should only get better in Year 2, especially after the Texans added WR Stefon Diggs to an already impressive skill group of WRs Nico Collins and Tank Dell and TE Dalton Schultz. The Texans also traded for Joe Mixon, giving Stroud a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield. If the 6-foot-3, 218-pound Stroud also runs a little more this season -- after 167 yards and three TDs last year -- he'll quickly become one of the top fantasy quarterbacks.

2024 Rank: 56 - 2023 Rank: 56

The Texans scored a big win when they took one of the smaller WR prospects in recent memory with the 69th overall pick of the 2023 Draft. Dell started off as the team's No. 3 receiver but quickly became much more, exploding for 7-72-1 in Week 2 and 5-145-1 in Week 3. He added two more 100-yard games and five more touchdowns before suffering a season-ending leg fracture Week 13, having averaged 4.7 catches for 70.9 yards on 7.5 targets through his first 10 games. Dell got playing time both outside and in the slot, seeing at every level of the field. The only negative was durability, which admittedly might be more of a concern for someone who weighed in at 5-8, 165, at the 2023 Combine (where he ran a 4.49 40). Dell now has a second concern in the form of target competition, after the Texans traded for Stefon Diggs this offseason. Dell and Nico Collins still project as C.J. Stroud's top receivers long term, but Diggs could have a big impact on the target distribution for a year or two.

2024 Rank: 76 - 2023 Rank: 76

It's been a frustrating two years for Williams, whose long-awaited breakout hit a major speed bump early in the 2022 season when he suffered ACL, LCL and PCL tears in his knee. He returned to play 16 games last year, but he worked in a timeshare and averaged 3.6 yards per carry, perhaps lacking his pre-injury explosiveness. Dealing with the dysfunction of the Broncos offense would be enough reason for production to fall off, and when you account for the severity of Williams' injury in 2022, it was arguably impressive that he even held up enough to record 1,002 total yards and five touchdowns. His knee should be stronger with the benefit of a full, healthy offseason, giving Williams another chance to break out even if the circ*mstances around him remain suboptimal. The Broncos are unlikely to get high-caliber QB play from rookie Bo Nix, and they have 2023 backup running back Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime to poach snaps/carries/targets from Williams. The good news is that Williams can afford to cede some playing time to the others, considering Sean Payton's offense provided 346 carries and 150 targets for the top three RBs last year (with Williams getting 62 percent of those rushes and 32 percent of the targets).

2024 Rank: 70 - 2023 Rank: 70

Ridley's lone season in Jacksonville wasn't exactly a rousing success, but he did prove he could still play (after a year-long gambling suspension) and ultimately topped 1,000 receiving yards for just the second time in his career. The Titans saw enough to give Ridley a four-year contract this March, bringing him in -- along with Tyler Boyd -- to team up with DeAndre Hopkins and give QB Will Levis and new coach Brian Callahan a wealth of experience at wide receiver. Ridley is easily the fastest of the bunch, though he'll turn 30 in December and has perhaps lost a bit of speed since running a 4.43 40-yard dash at the 2018 Combine. He broke out for 1,374 receiving yards in 2020 after spending his first two seasons in Julio Jones' shadow, but things took a turn for the worse with a season-ending injury in 2021 and then the suspension in 2022. While Ridley and Hopkins figure to account for a huge share of the targets, it's hard to estimate the quality of those targets with so much depending on Levis' development and a new coaching staff.

2024 Rank: 103 - 2023 Rank: 103

The Commanders hope Ekeler's down 2023 season was the result of bad-luck outcomes, namely the high-ankle sprain he suffered Week 1 and the broken finger that ended Justin Herbert's year. The other explanation is that Ekeler's numbers fell off a cliff because his physical abilities declined from 2022 to 2023, which was then exacerbated by the Chargers struggling overall. A year later, the 29-year-old RB is hoping to rebound with better health and a new coaching staff, but he may have more bad luck ahead if things don't click for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and rookie QB Jayden Daniels. If nothing else, Ekeler figures to start off with most of the passing-down snaps for a team that returns 2023 lead rusher Brian Robinson. The biggest question, apart from Ekeler's potential physical decline, is whether he'll take on a decent chunk of the rushing workload or largely be limited to pass snaps the way former Commanders backup Antonio Gibson was last year.

2024 Rank: 104 - 2023 Rank: 104

Williams still has a chance to live up to his billing as the 12th overall pick in 2022, and the Lions' lack of additions at his position this offseason suggests they think he can do just that. After missing most of his debut season to rehab an ACL tear, Williams was suspended for the first six weeks of 2023 for using an app to gamble from the team facility. He then rotated with Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond for much of last year, with Amon-Ra St. Brown being Detroit's only WR to get a full starter's workload and steady stream of targets. The speedy Williams ran a lot of deep routes and never saw more than seven targets in a game, but he did contribute a bunch of big plays, including a 42-yard TD run and three-yard TD catch in the NFC Championship Game. The Lions are bringing back offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and most of their starters, with Reynolds and RG Jonah Jackson being the exceptions. Williams will have another chance to break out, and this time without a gambling suspension standing in his way.

2024 Rank: 126 - 2023 Rank: 126

There's reason to believe that Charbonnet would thrive as a starter if given the chance; he was a near-consensus Round 2 talent in the 2023 Draft and went 52nd overall to Seattle. He's a powerful runner and willing blocker who has good hands, albeit without standout size (6-1, 214) or speed (4.53) by the standards of an NFL running back. For the Seahawks last year, Charbonnet was little more than a passing-down specialist, taking 50 carries in the 13 games he and Kenneth Walker both played. While a second-round pick normally gets promoted after a solid showing on limited snaps in Year 1, the problem in this case is that Walker's also a recent second-round pick (2021) and now is established as a competent lead runner. Charbonnet could end up being the better player, if only because of his pass-game skills, but that doesn't mean he'll get a lot of touches this season without Walker missing time.

2024 Rank: 132 - 2023 Rank: 132

After playing only nine games the previous season, it was a success just for Stafford to play 15 games last year, missing one game with a thumb injury and a meaningless Week 18. He even gave late-season hope that he still can be a fantasy factor. In his last six games, he posted a 15:3 TD:INT with 8.0 YPA, averaging 20.6 fantasy points per game. It might be misplaced hope, though. His TD rate was boosted by a big improvement in red-zone passing, as he went from a 13.9 percent red-zone TD rate in his first nine games to 28.6 down the stretch. His rate likely will settle around league average (23.5 percent) this season, but his fantasy standing isn't likely to climb unless he improves his accuracy (23rd in on-target rate last season) or his air yards per attempt (15th). He also needs to avoid injury, not necessarily an easy thing for a 36-year-old. The Rams have plenty of playmakers for Stafford to lean on, including WRs Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson and RB Kyren Williams, and coach Sean McVay can still scheme gameplans to put Stafford in a solid position to be a fantasy commodity in two-QB leagues. Just don't expect a return to the numbers he put up his first season with the Rams.

2024 Rank: 225 - 2023 Rank: 225

Moody faced a lot of pressure as a rookie, coming in as a third-round pick on a Super Bowl-ready team. He wasn't great in the regular season, going 21-of-25 on field-goal attempts and 60 of 61 on PATs, before missing two more FGs and an extra point during the playoffs. Moody kicked a go-ahead, 53-yarder just inside the two-minute warning of the Super Bowl, making up for his missed PAT earlier in the game. It was an eventful rookie season, and presumably a decent enough one for Moody to keep his job in 2024. The 49ers are typically excellent in the red zone under coach Kyle Shanahan -- and also score from long distance a lot -- but Moody should at least pile up a ton of PATs if nothing else.

2024 Rank: 948 - 2023 Rank: 948

Smith has finished inside the top six in the league in tackles in each of the last four seasons. In 2023, his first full year with the Ravens, he was asked to take on additional responsibilities in coverage and turned in his highest snap count in that role of his career. He broke up a career-best eight passes, adding to his impressive fantasy resume that includes at least one pick in every season of his career. Baltimore lost a few key pieces of its defense this offseason, most relevantly Patrick Queen. That creates both opportunity for Smith to take on additional responsibilities as well as some questions about his ability to remain as effective as past seasons due to a lesser supporting cast. Based on his track record as a pro, however, we should bet on the former.

2024 Rank: 414 - 2023 Rank: 414

Byard is entering his ninth NFL season and has been remarkably consistent. He's topped 1,000 defensive snaps in each of the last seven campaigns and has topped 100 stops in three of the last four. While he spent the majority of his career in Tennessee, he showed his skills aren't scheme dependent in 2023 when he was traded to the Eagles mid-season and improved his production with his new team. This offseason, Byard signed a two-year pact with the Bears and should be locked in for every-down snaps at free safety. While his role will be secure, one thing to watch is Byard's work in coverage. He posted the fewest pass break-ups of his career and had only his third season without multiple picks, perhaps the first hints of a decline as he enters his age-31 season.

2024 Rank: 160 - 2023 Rank: 160

Hockenson was the most productive pass catcher among all tight ends prior to tearing his ACL in Week 16 last season, catching 95 passes for 960 yards and five touchdowns on 127 targets. He averaged 9.9 targets in the seven games WR Justin Jefferson missed and 7.3 targets in the eight games he played alongside Jefferson, scoring 9.5 or more PPR points in all but one outing. Because the knee injury happened so late in the year and involved multiple ligaments, Hockenson is fighting an uphill battle to be available Week 1. He'll likely need some time to ramp up even after he's cleared to play, but the 27-year-old TE has one of the highest ceilings at his position when healthy. With Hockenson alongside Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the Vikings have three standout pass catchers to help QB Sam Darnold. The problem for Hockenson is 2024 is that he's likely to miss games and then figures to step into a sub-optimal QB situation while lacking his best physical form.

2024 Rank: 310 - 2023 Rank: 310

Despite lacking a dominant pass rusher, Tampa Bay tied for seventh in sacks (48) last year, led by rookies YaYa Diaby (7.5 sacks) and Calijah Kancey (12 QB hits). This offseason, they lost OLB Shaquil Barrett and ILB Devin White, two veterans that had been crucial during playoff runs but didn't perform well in 2023. The departure of CB Carlton Davis without a replacement hurts, but Tampa Bay re-signed ILB Lavonte David and S Antoine Winfield, later adding S Jordan Whitehead in free agency and drafting S Tykee Smith (89th overall). With veteran leadership and a promising interior-rush duo in Kancey and Vita Vea, head coach Todd Bowles should field a respectable defense. Last season, the Bucs finished seventh in points allowed and 12th in fantasy scoring but 23rd in yards. Bowles' defenses tends to be good and always blitz heavily, including a No. 3 ranking last season for blitz rate (40.1 percent).

2024 Rank: 161 - 2023 Rank: 161

Wright was very productive in college at Tennessee (1,013 yards and four touchdowns at 7.4 YPC in 2023) and is a perfect aesthetic fit for the Miami offense, who already feature a similar player in Raheem Mostert. At 5-foot-11, 210 pounds Wright has sub-4.4 speed to strike from long range, especially on draws or off-tackle, allowing him to offset usage volume limitations with plus efficiency. The Dolphins don't run much and Wright won't be stealing carries from either of Mostert or Achane, but both Mostert and especially Achane are smallish for running backs, and both missed time in 2023. It won't be the plan, but Miami might need to call on Wright at some point and there's reason to think he'll be up to the challenge.

2024 Rank: 1362 - 2023 Rank: 1362