• This 12 months’s MVP was an in depth name: Ja’Marr Chase and Saquon Barkley each had a case to be made, however in the end just one may take the title for 2024.
• Rookie of the Yr offers many worthy candidates in 2024: Brock Bowers, Jayden Daniels, and Brian Thomas Jr. all delivered above expectations in Yr 1 and have set themselves up as future faces of fantasy soccer.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full entry to all of our in-season fantasy instruments, together with weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Begin-Sit Optimizer and extra. Join now!
Estimated studying time: 12 minutes
With the 2024 fantasy soccer season wrapped up (Weeks 1-17 solely — sorry, Week 18 gamers), it’s time to dole out the awards to the standout gamers within the NFL who delivered, and a few who didn’t, all year long to assist fantasy players safe an important award of all — a fantasy soccer championship.
- Information referenced is from Weeks 1-17.
- Scoring referenced is full-PPR from PFF for scoring totals and averages.
- Common draft place (ADP) is taken from Fantasy Execs composite ADP which makes use of a number of web site’s knowledge.
MVP
Beginning with the massive one, this award will go to probably the most constant participant all year long, delivering high-end fantasy performances and offering the best factors edge over his friends in 2024.
WINNER: WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
This was a really shut determination, however primarily based on the parameters of the award (most significantly, the hole between his remaining level totals by way of 17 weeks) and the subsequent closest finisher on the place; 69.2 PPR factors), Chase is our 2024 MVP. Chase’s 2024 season was his finest but, and including to his worth was that he was probably the most rostered participant of fantasy managers within the playoffs this season, per ESPN, contributing to him being the 2024 MVP.
Chase’s closest competitors for WR1 this season was Justin Jefferson, as each have been drafted among the many prime 5 at their place this season. Whereas each delivered on that ADP, Chase separated himself because the clear WR1 as one of many 4 top-five drafted broad receivers this season to complete among the many top-four scorers on the 12 months.
Chase bought off to a quiet begin to the season with two finishes outdoors the top-24 PPR broad receivers however then managed 5 top-five finishes the remainder of the best way, ending contained in the top-20-scoring broad receivers in 12 of his remaining 14 video games. Chase’s MVP standing in the end comes resulting from ending as the highest participant, by a large margin, on the deepest pool of gamers to select from and dwelling as much as his excessive draft capital with a really elite season.
Runners up
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
This award is given to the first-year participant who carried out above and past the expectations of a rookie and delivers an MVP-like efficiency in their very own proper. There have been a number of worthy candidates however just one can take residence this particular {hardware}.
WINNER: TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
For the second-straight season, a rookie tight finish takes residence this award with Bowers becoming a member of Sam LaPorta in bucking the pattern of tight ends taking longer to grow to be fantasy starters within the NFL. Not solely was Bowers a fantasy starter, however this turned obvious virtually instantly after Bowers delivered back-to-back top-five finishes to kick off the 12 months – a feat that he completed in 50% of his 16 video games this season.
Bowers additionally went on to interrupt two NFL rookie data this season, together with most receptions by a rookie, which beforehand belonged to Puka Nacua after final 12 months, and most receiving yards by a rookie tight finish, which belonged to Mike Ditka from 63 years in the past. Bowers doing all of this on one of many NFL’s worst passing offenses that relied on three completely different quarterbacks with at the very least 100 dropbacks every, makes it all of the extra spectacular as he simply barely edged out Brian Thomas Jr. for this award.
Bowers was thought-about a generational prospect heading into this 12 months’s NFL Draft and seeing what he was in a position to accomplish on this 12 months’s model of the Las Vegas Raiders ought to have fantasy managers much more optimistic about his long-term potential, and a powerful candidate to be drafted as the general TE1 in 2025.
Runners up
WAIVER WIRE ADDITION OF THE YEAR
This award goes to a participant who was largely undrafted heading into the beginning of the season however had labored his manner into beginning lineups frequently by the point his rostership caught as much as his position. A number of gamers match this billing as they elevated their worth as soon as the season started, however just one can take the crown this 12 months.
WINNER: RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
As a rookie, it was at all times going to be a tough path for Irving to emerge as a weekly fantasy starter. Regardless that Rachaad White was comparatively inefficient together with his touches in 2023, there have been measurement and inexperience issues to think about for Irving translating to the NFL, which left him off round 75% of rosters to start out the season. These issues didn’t take lengthy to be voided. Each time Irving bought a chance, he seemed just like the Buccaneers’ finest operating again, and it was solely a matter of time earlier than he was deployed in that position.
It wasn’t till Week 6 that Irving was given greater than 12 touches in a recreation and went on to common 16.5 touches per recreation from that time on and completed as a top-10 PPR operating again over that span. Whereas Irving nonetheless needed to share the workload a bit within the Buccaneers backfield, he did so very effectively, averaging 5.5 yards per carry (tied for third) with an 85.5 speeding grade (eleventh) and was the one operating again with over 1,000 speeding yards on fewer than 200 carries.
Irving nonetheless took a while to grow to be a widely-rostered fantasy possibility, beginning with a 21% rostership following Week 1, however as soon as he took off, he wasn’t simply rostered, however doubtless a locked-in starter in most codecs by the point everybody had picked him up. Irving completed the 12 months with 397 receiving yards and 1,033 speeding yards, making him one among simply 4 operating backs to exceed each 1,000 speeding yards and 390 receiving yards, once more highlighting his incredible effectivity and a great acquisition off the waiver wire.
Runners up
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This award goes to the participant who noticed the most important leap in worth from final season to this season, delivering a high-end fantasy efficiency in 2024. This participant can have elevated their factors per recreation complete by a major margin and general positional end simply the identical.
WINNER: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
Smith-Njigba was a breakout candidate coming into this season, although not an apparent one as his rookie 12 months didn’t essentially present the encouraging underlying metrics that fantasy managers can comfortably level to, even with the understanding that he may transfer up the depth chart and earn extra targets within the offense. Not solely did Smith-Njigba overtake Tyler Lockett because the workforce’s WR2, however he additionally unexpectedly emerged forward of D.Okay. Metcalf because the clear No. 1 goal within the second half of the season.
Smith-Njigba and Metcalf have been tied for the workforce lead in targets (61) by way of the primary eight weeks, whereas Metcalf was the clear chief in yards (568) and sat because the PPR WR14 over that span in comparison with Smith-Njigba’s 388 yards and WR24 standing. By means of the ultimate 9 video games, Smith-Njigba was the clear chief in targets (68), receiving yards (733) and ranked because the PPR WR6 over that stretch.
Smith-Njigba’s emergence as not solely Seattle’s WR1 however a fantasy WR1 is a major enchancment from his rookie season when he couldn’t overcome Tyler Lockett to be greater than the workforce’s WR3 and was hardly ever usable for fantasy. Now, he’s prone to be thought-about probably the most highly-drafted broad receivers in 2025 as nicely. That is made extra spectacular contemplating he was being drafted outdoors the top-40 broad receivers in most codecs this offseason. His future standing as a possible WR1 going ahead makes him probably the most improved fantasy possibility of 2024.
Runners up
PLAYOFF MVP
Weeks 15-17 are an important weeks of the season for fantasy managers — a time when a small three-week stretch could make or break a complete season. This award is given to the participant who persistently delivered high-end fantasy performances for all three weeks of the fantasy playoffs and ended up being the first purpose a championship was secured as soon as all of the smoke had settled.
WINNER: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
The general PPR RB2 for the season by no means let his foot off the gasoline heading into the ultimate weeks of the 12 months, which included elite performances in each fantasy playoff week, ending as the general RB1 over that stretch. Gibbs delivered 26.7 PPR factors per recreation within the fantasy playoffs, ending because the weekly RB2 twice, together with Week 17, and he was RB7 in Week 16.
Gibbs was an elite fantasy asset all season lengthy, by no means as soon as ending outdoors the top-24 PPR operating backs in any single week, which no different participant at his place can declare this season. When it mattered most, Gibbs continued to carry out at an elite stage, delivering three speeding touchdowns on 257 speeding yards and one receiving landing on 174 receiving yards over that stretch.
Gibbs was additionally among the many top-12 most-rostered gamers heading into the fantasy playoffs, per ESPN, and the third-most rostered participant on groups within the fantasy championship, additionally per ESPN.
Runners up
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This award goes to the participant who overcame a disappointing 2023 season, whether or not resulting from harm, poor play or different circumstances that saved them from being constant fantasy starters, and delivered an distinctive 2024 that made them a weekly fantasy starter.
WINNER: QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
Darnold’s rise to fantasy stardom was arguably a lot higher than anybody else in consideration that he might need been the best alternative amongst all of the awards listed. Darnold began only one recreation in 2023 and wasn’t even slated to be a critical beginning candidate in 2024 for many of the offseason till rookie first-round decide J.J. McCarthy tore his meniscus, which required surgical procedure and ended his 12 months.
A part of Darnold’s sleeper attraction heading into Week 1 was that he could be surrounded by high-end playmakers in Minnesota’s offense, which may lead to usable fantasy worth as a bye week or harm fill-in. Darnold enormously exceeded these expectations as a weekly beginning possibility thanks to 3 top-10 finishes for the place inside the first month of the season, rating because the QB4 by way of the primary 4 video games.
Darnold continued to place up robust numbers all year long, ending top-three in passing yards (4,153), throwing for 35 touchdowns (fourth), setting a brand new career-high in passing grade (83.6) whereas serving to the Vikings lock up a playoff spot, and serving to fantasy managers discover a literal diamond within the tough as he completed as the general QB7 on the season.
Runners up
DISAPPOINTING PLAYER OF THE YEAR
This award goes to the participant who enormously underperformed relative to expectations. Eliminating those that simply couldn’t keep wholesome, as accidents are a part of the sport and aren’t essentially within the participant’s management, the main target right here might be highly-drafted gamers who have been on the sphere for the massive majority of video games and couldn’t come wherever near dwelling as much as expectations this season.
WINNER (LOSER?): WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Waddle was drafted inside the first three rounds of fantasy drafts this season, and in a 12 months the place Tyreek Hill additionally underperformed relative to expectations, Waddle nonetheless wasn’t in a position to step up and solely delivered one single top-15 PPR end throughout 14 video games performed. Each different recreation however one which Waddle was in resulted in finishes outdoors the highest 36 at his place in PPR, as he ended the 12 months because the PPR WR51 and didn’t seem in Weeks 16 and 17.
Waddle was drafted as a top-20 WR and returning that worth simply twice in a season when his expertise and expectations have been that he had WR1 potential is a large blow to all those that invested in him this offseason and to those that began him each week hoping he would flip it round. A part of the issue was Tua Tagovailoa missed a while on injured reserve, however even when Waddle’s QB1 was within the lineup (11 video games), there was hardly something resembling starting-quality fantasy manufacturing.
Waddle set new profession lows in yards per route run (1.59), receiving yards (700), targets (74), receptions (54), touchdowns (two), and receiving grade (73.1). The hope might be that this 12 months is an outlier for the 26-year-old former sixth-overall decide, however he’s unlikely to be drafted wherever near his 2024 ADP now in 2025 and can have a whole lot of work to do to beat the poor exhibiting this season.
