As the NFL Draft hype dies down and teams begin sorting out their depth charts, fantasy managers are turning their attention to their Opening Night Rosters in the AJFFL and beyond. This list will highlight ten players across the league that should absolutely be on your radar to keep for the upcoming season. Some of these guys are based on Draft Position... most are based on performance. Not to overcomplicate things, but obviously there's some bias here - but it's all with the intention of bringing home a championship. So before I waste any more of your time...
LDP = Last Drafted Position | GP = Games Played | TP = Total Points | VpGP = Value per Game Played | RelVal = Relative Value
Sam LaPorta LDP - 10.07 15 GP | 188.90 TP | 11.81 VpGP | 0.75RelVal | TE4 The biggest name on the list in my opinion - Sam LaPorta exceeded all expectations as a rookie this past year and has set himself up for a bright future with the Detroit Lions. The former Hawkeye Tight End captured 86 passing attempts on 120 targets - good for 4th amongst TE's in both categories. LaPorta nearly eclipsed the 900yd mark (889RecYds), with 10TDs and no fumbles... Needless to say, he had about as perfect of a rookie campaign as you can get. With Jared Goff getting extended for four more years, the LaPorta Hype-Train is just leaving the station... Not to mention how difficult it is to find a reliable, consistent TE in Fantasy Football... and at his LDP, there's no reason he should be on the draft board this fall.
C.J. Stroud LDP - 17.09 14 GP | 271.06 TP | 19.36 VpGP | 0.69RelVal | QB6 Stroud was another rookie to surpass expectations - and he did it in a BIG way. 2023's 2nd Overall Pick and the Houston Texans were last year's unexpected turnaround team - as they overperformed in almost every way. Stroud's 319/499 for 4108yds in 2023 was good enough to land him as QB6 in the AJFFL, but now that they won the division - every other team (Jags, Colts, Titans) will be hot on the trail of Stroud and the Texans. With how high he finished, how young the Texans are, and how bright of a future Houston has - Stroud is an obvious pick for your roster this fall.
Puka Nacua LDP - N/A 16 GP | 239.9 TP | 14.99 VpGP | 0.75RelVal | WR10 Puuuuuka. The hidden gem that became the league's hottest commodity. He went undrafted in most Fantasy leagues due to Cooper Kupp holding the role of "WR1"... but that changed in the early part of the season after Kupp suffered an injury setback. Nacua took over and hasn't looked back since - he ended the campaign tied for the 6th-Most-Targets among WR's (160 - matching Stefon Diggs), 4th in RecYds (1486), and 0 Fumbles Lost. With the rest of the LA Rams aging, Puka seems to be one of the staples in their offense moving forward. Don't discredit the rest of the offensive unit - it's just that Puka stretches the field to create opportunities for the rest of the team. Not only that - but he performs when called on. He's a no-brainer for this list - and you could not convince me otherwise.
Brock Purdy LDP - 14.03 16 GP | 323.70 TP | 20.23 VpGP | 0.72RelVal | QB4 This guy could be considered the steal of the 2023 draft... and for many more drafts to come. It doesn't happen often that Mr. Irrelevant makes a NFL Roster - let alone threaten the MVP Race in both the NFL, and Fantasy Sports. Lo and behold... Purdy-miester. His 0.72RelVal was one of the best among QBs last season - finishing as QB4 in the AJFFL through 14 games. Purdy's 9.6 Yards per Attempt was also the highest in the NFL (among QB's who had more than 75 attempts last year) - going 308/444 with 31 TDs and 11 INTs. Not only that, but he only took 28 sacks... which is more of a testament to his O-Line than it is a skill he's acquired, but it's still his job to get rid of the ball before the defense gets to him. It just so happens that his O-Line is one of the best in the NFL... Purdy's 4280PaYds trailed only Tua, Goff, Prescott, and Josh Allen last year. With not many changes in the Bay Area's offense, you can count on Purdy to be another favorite for the MVP Race - and he's only costing you a 12th Rd Pick. Talk about "No-Brainer"...
Amon-Ra St. Brown LDP - 13.07 15 GP | 251.5 TP | 16.77 VpGP | 0.83RelVal | WR9 ARSB is the featured WR in Detroit - and one of our lucky owners gets to keep him with a double-digit draft pick again this year. He's missed two games in his last two seasons, and his production is only going up. He's seen an increase in receptions, targets, yards, and touchdowns from year to year since entering the league in 2021 - and he's projected to have his biggest year yet this fall. The Sun God landed 119 Receptions (T-2nd) on 164 Targets (5th) for 1515y Yds (3rd) and 10 TDs (4th) in 2023 - and yes, those ranks are amongst all NFL WRs. The core of the Detroit Lions Offense was extended this offseason by at least four years - and St. Brown will be a huge part of that moving forward. Latest rumors from Detroit is that Jameson Williams is expected to get an expanded role with the offense this year - but that shouldn't concern ARSB owners in the slightest.
Dak Prescott LDP - 10.11 16 GP | 331.78 TP | 20.74 VpGP | 0.74RelVal | QB3 Dak wrapped up his eighth NFL campaign 3rd in PaYds - but 1st in PaTDs with 36. 20 of those went to CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks, but the most notable art of Dak's game this past year was his completion percentage. Prescott nearly bested a 70% success rate throwing the ball in 2023 (410/590), tying Kirk Cousins (who only played 8 games), and edging out Brock Purdy for the best passing percentage by 0.1%. Despite the impressive passing numbers, Prescott did find himself on the ground a lot this year - taking 39 sacks... the second most of his career. Only Sam Howell, Bryce Young, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Baker Mayfield were on the ground more than Prescott - but one of those QB's also made the postseason... so maybe their high sack-rate is a good sign that they're not throwing the ball away into coverage. His future is a hefty one for the Cowboys - he's slated to make $55M before his contract regresses over the next few seasons, but he's signed through 2028. To be honest, I think we've seen Dak at his best... He turns 31 this July, and he hit his best Passer Rating of his career according to ESPN. If the Cowboys want a title, their window may be ending sooner rather than later with Dak Prescott under center...
Rachaad White LDP - 14.02 16 GP | 226.6 TP | 14.16 VpGP | 0.63RelVal | RB5 A night-and-day difference from 2022 to 2023, Rachaad White makes the list for his impressive improvements in Tampa Bay. The biggest difference was finally earning RB1 reps to start the season. He nearly hit the 1k club (990 RuYds), scoring 6 RuTDs while hauling in 64 passes on 70 targets for 549 RecYds and 3 RecTDs. He did have three fumbles - which could prove costly in a close fantasy matchup... but with not much else changing with the Buccaneers offense, White's opportunity to get touches will stay in a favorable position. Finishing as RB5 last season, I could see White (barring injury) ends his season as a Top-10 RB again this season.
Jordan Love LDP - 11.05 16 GP | 312.72 TP | 19.55 VpGP | 0.70RelVal | QB9 First of all - FTP. Secondly, Jordan Love seems to be everything that Lions fans hoped he wouldn't be. On top of that, the Packers have him under contract through this season with a $10.5M contract that carries a $12.7M Cap Hit with all the confusing bonus and incentives that I'm not going to get into. His career numbers aren't glowing, but they're not bad for a QB with 27 games under his belt. 2023 was his first year as a full-time starter, ending with a playoff berth and a 9-8 record. His line reads 372/579 for 4159 Yds, 32 TDs and 11 INTs. If Love is to prove any doubters wrong, this is his season to do it. He will be due a big contract if he comes through...
Nathaniel "Tank" Dell LDP - 13.02 11 GP | 147.9 TP | 13.45 VpGP | 0.67RelVal | WR22 Before his untimely injury last season, Tank Dell was working his way into one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year. He developed some strong chemistry with C.J. Stroud, while the rest of the Texans offense was clicking at the right time as they eventually found their way into the AFC Playoff Picture. The Texans haven't made many changes in Free Agency to the WR group, but they did trade for Stefon Diggs earlier this offseason. That will have a major production impact on Dell's numbers this fall, but I don't think it will stop him from being a top-target for Stroud again. Dell caught 47 of 75 passes for 709 Yds and 7 TDs this past year - in just 11 games. You should expect an increase with a full-season stat line this fall. Dell was on a 188pt Pace through the regular season last year before his injury - which would have landed him as WR12 on our list... ahead of Puka Nacua - who is opposite Cooper Kupp.
Jake Ferguson LDP - 18.08 16 GP | 133.7 TP | 8.36 VpGP | 0.53RelVal | TE7 This former Wisconsin Badger surprised many people with his 2023 campaign - especially after his rookie season was nothing to write home about. Ferguson plays on the Dallas Cowboys - who featured a relatively explosive offense last year. The starting TE for the Cowboys hauled in 71 passes on 102 targets for 761 Yds and 5 TDs - just one year after going 19 for 22. His route running was impressive, and his rapport with Prescott developed throughout the year as he earned more targets near the end of the season. With the numbers he put up, his keeper cost in next years draft, and his potential - this guy is the only other Tight End I would seriously consider keeping for the 2024 season. Top-10 TE upside in the 16th Round? You can't beat that.
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