Fantasy Football Rankings 2024: Sleepers, breakouts, busts by NFL model that called Deebo Samuel's hard year

SportsLine simulated the new NFL season 10,000 times and identified 2024 Fantasy football sleepers, breakouts and busts for upcoming drafts

Several NFL wideouts showed that they can still produce on the wrong side of 30 last year like Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs and Mike Evans. They were all top 15 wideouts in terms of Fantasy points and you won't have to sift through many 2024 Fantasy football tiers to find them listed in the 2024 Fantasy football rankings. That gives hope to the likes of Tyreek Hill and Amari Cooper, who will be in their age-30 seasons this year, but should remain some of the most-coveted wideouts in Fantasy football 2024. The same can't be said for running backs, as Raheem Mostert was the only player 30 or older to rank in the top 50 in rushing yards.

With Derrick Henry having just turned 30 years old, will the new Ravens back maintain his production outside of Nashville and avoid being one of the 2024 Fantasy football busts? It's critical to target 2024 Fantasy football sleepers and 2024 Fantasy football breakouts while avoiding 2024 Fantasy football busts.  Before setting your 2024 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2024 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Buccaneers running back Rachaad White was being dramatically undervalued. White was coming off the board in the seventh round on average in 12-team PPR leagues, but he emerged as Tampa Bay's workhorse ball carrier and provided significantly more value than expected, finishing No. 4 at his position. White rushed for 990 yards and six touchdowns while adding 64 catches for 549 yards and three more scores as a receiver. Anybody who followed the model's advice scored an every week starting running back in the middle rounds.

The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020 and nailing Jonathan Taylor's monstrous season in 2021. Additionally, it's called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.

The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The 2024 Fantasy football PPR rankings and 2024 Fantasy football standard projections update multiple times daily, so you're always getting the best Fantasy football advice.

Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest 2024 Fantasy football rankings, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

Top 2024 Fantasy football sleepers

One of the 2024 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: Titans running back Tyjae Spears. The 2023 third-round pick is coming off a strong rookie season, racking up 838 yards from scrimmage while scoring three touchdowns. Tennessee's backfield looks significantly different heading into the 2024 campaign since star Derrick Henry is no longer on the roster.

Tony Pollard is set to take over as the lead back in the offense, but Spears has an easier path to competing for touches than he did with Henry on the team. Pollard struggled in his return from an injury he suffered during the 2022 postseason, so Spears could wind up as the bell-cow back by the end of the season. Spears was heavily involved in the passing game last season and new head coach Brian Callahan has a history of involving his running backs in the passing attack. See more Fantasy football sleepers 2024 here.

Top 2024 Fantasy football breakouts

One of the 2024 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks. The former Texas star was a coveted player heading into the 2024 NFL Draft after demonstrating an ability to force missed tackles, protect the quarterback and catch passes out of the backfield. Carolina snagged Brooks with the No. 46 overall pick in the draft, trading up six spots even though he is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season at Texas.

New head coach Dave Canales helped turn Rachaad White into a breakout running back at Tampa Bay last year, as White commanded the ninth-most targets among all running backs. White also finished with the fifth-most touches at his position overall, so Brooks could be in line for a monster season if he passes Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart. The soon-to-be 21-year-old has a ton of upside, and the model ranks Brooks ahead of running backs like Jerome Ford, Ezekiel Elliott and Gus Edwards. See more Fantasy football breakouts 2024 here.

Top 2024 Fantasy football busts

As for players to avoid, the model lists Lions quarterback Jared Goff as one of its 2024 Fantasy football busts. The former No. 1 overall pick is coming off his best season with the Lions as he ranked second in the NFL in passing yards (4,575) and fourth in passing touchdowns (30). That led to him signing a four-year, $212 million extension, but with Detroit being reigning division winners, its strength of schedule will be much tougher in 2024 after Goff feasted on weaker teams in 2023.

He had just seven touchdowns across six games versus playoff teams last year and will presumably see more of those teams this year. Additionally, the Lions lost starting WR Josh Reynolds in free agency, and the team figures to lean more on emerging RB Jahmyr Gibbs, after he ranked third amongst RBs with 5.2 yards per carry, and that will take the ball out of Goff's hands. Thus, while Goff has a 2024 Fantasy football ADP that ranks sixth at the QB position, the SportsLine model slots him outside the top 10 quarterbacks in its positional Fantasy football rankings 2024. See more Fantasy football busts 2024 here

How to find proven 2024 Fantasy football football rankings

SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising quarterback you aren't even thinking about being taken in the middle rounds of 2024 Fantasy football drafts. This quarterback is listed as a shocking top-10 option ahead of stars like Trevor Lawrence and Aaron Rodgers. You can only see who it is, and the 2023 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.

So which 2024 Fantasy Football sleepers, breakouts and busts should you target and fade, and which QB shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2024 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that nailed Deebo Samuel as a bust last year, and find out.