Fantasy Football: Five Wide Receivers Due for a Breakout This Season
The 2024 Fantasy Football season is just around the corner, so everyone is cramming mock drafts and watching videos trying to determine this year's breakout stars. Last season, Rams stars Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams emerged as fantasy football superstars, finishing top-10 in their positions. Lions tight end Sam LaPorta had a player rank over 150, yet he finished the fantasy football season as the number-one tight end. I don’t want you guys to miss out on players due for a breakout season of the same caliber as the players I mentioned earlier. Without further ado, here are my top five wide receivers due for a breakout this season.
5. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
London is the most obvious player to make this list because the Atlanta Falcons are bringing in top-12 quarterback Kirk Cousins this season. Since entering the league, London has finished as the 31st-ranked wide receiver and 37th in PPR formats. If you have watched London, it isn’t his game that was an issue. The problem with London's previous fantasy football seasons is that the quarterback play was horrible. In his first two seasons in the NFL, London hadn’t played with a quarterback that finished top-24 in QB production. This year he gets to play with Kirk Cousins who has supported Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson in finishing top-10 in their positions. Dating back to the 2018 NFL season, Kirk Cousins has supported the number-one wide receiver, number-four wide receiver, number-six wide receiver, 24th-ranked wide receiver, number-seven wide receiver, and 10th-ranked wide receiver. In the Falcons' most recent practice, London led the team in receptions with eight, the next closest player had three. London has the fourth easiest wide receiver schedule and analysts at FantasyPros have him going over 1,100 receiving yards, seven touchdowns, and 86 receptions.
4. Malik Nabers, New York Giants
The sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Malik Nabers, has had as good of a training camp as you can ask for. It seems like every day he is beating the Giants' corners down the field for big plays/touchdowns. Nabers is currently going as the 23rd-ranked wide receiver in PPR Drafts, below players like D.J. Moore, Nico Collins, and DeVonta Smith. Something Nabers has over all three of those receivers is volume upside. The Giants don’t have a single number-one wide receiver and they arguably don’t have a true number-two wide receiver on the roster to compete with Nabers for targets. Brian Daboll is one of the brightest offensive play-callers in the league and even won a playoff game with the highly criticized Daniel Jones back in 2022. The Giants made the offensive line group a priority this summer, and if they can just be a middle-of-the-pack group it’s safe to say that Nabers is going to feast. If you have Fantasy Drafts coming up soon, you should consider taking Nabers as early as the third round.
3. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
“Scary Terry” is a fan-favorite receiver because of his consistency. He has finished the season with 1,000-plus yards four consecutive times and it is always nice to have a receiver with a 1,000 floor. The issue with McLaurin in fantasy has never been talent, it has always been playcalling/quarterback play. The Commanders took college football Heisman winner Jayden Daniels with the team's second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he could be the key to a McLaurin breakout. Just this past season, we saw second-overall pick C.J. Stroud support two top-20 fantasy wide receivers while also finishing as a top-seven fantasy quarterback. If Daniels could just be 60% of what Stroud was, drafting McLaurin as the 31st-ranked wide receiver is an absolute steal. No one expects the Commanders to be among the elite teams this year so you know what that means, they will be extremely pass-heavy. Better quarterback play, better play calling, and more targets equals a McLaurin breakout.
2. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It has been four years since Godwin finished as a top-15 receiver in PPR formats but all signs are pointing towards that changing this year. According to the head coach, Todd Bowles, Godwin will go back to the slot. Godwin's best fantasy season was in 2019 where he finished as the wide receiver two in PPR formats. Godwin is also due for a bigger touchdown season after only scoring three last season. Given his 33rd wide receiver ranking, I believe that Godwin will be one of the best value picks this season.
1. D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
Last year's 21st-ranked wide receiver, D.K. Metcalf, did not live up to fantasy football owner’s expectations. Although he did better in 2023 than he did in 2022, fantasy owners across the globe are seeking the D.K. Metcalf from 2020 in which they saw him get 1,303 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 83 receptions. The Seahawks brought in former Washington Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and he will be the key for a Metcalf breakout. Grubb’s offense at Washington was so explosive that Washington was able to produce the number-one receiver in college football and the number-one quarterback in college football in terms of yards. Metcalf has also been dominant during training camp with multiple videos of Metcalf getting the best of Devon Witherspoon who if you didn’t know was a Pro Bowl corner last year. The last thing I will mention is that the Seahawks brought in Sam Howell as a backup QB and that benefits Metcalf. If Geno Smith were to get hurt, Metcalf should still be able to break out because Howell is a very capable backup. All signs are pointing toward Metcalf having a huge year.
