Ranking the Top 16 Overall Fantasy Football Players (11-16): Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson and More
Mark's top 16 fantasy football players for 2024 starts with numbers 11-16.
We are kicking off my top 16 overall players in fantasy football with the players ranked 11-16. The rankings are based on a .5 PPR scoring system. The reason I went with 16 players is because generally the biggest leagues people play in are 16-team leagues so this should cover the first round for just about everyone.
11. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
The hesitance to draft King Henry this year as a high-end RB1 is baffling to me. He fell into the best possible situation with Baltimore and is going to have a monster year. If he plays 17 games, he should be projected to score in the area of 25 TDs.
His age and past workload are legitimate concerns, but Henry is a unicorn. The guy just isn't built like other human beings. If you look at the advanced metrics from last season, it was the Tennessee Titans offense that lost a step, not Henry by any means.
People passing on Henry are going to live to regret it in a major way and that will be evident immediately when the season kicks off.
12. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Gibbs is the highest guy in my top 16 that I have serious concerns about. He already has a hamstring injury and they often linger or even resurface. David Montgomery also isn't going away and a worst will have about a 40% snap share with plenty of usage on the goal line.
With that said, there is just too much talent and upside to allow Gibbs to drop any further. We already saw that he can be an elite RB1 while sharing a backfield with Montgomery in the back half of last season. That's both a credit to his talent and the Lions' offense, which boasts the best offensive line in the league and potentially the best overall offense in 2024.
13. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
There are two schools of thought with Barkley. The first is that the massive upgrade in situation moving to Philly should propel Barkley up draft boards. The other is the presence of Jalen Hurts and the fact that he will inevitably steal a ton of TDs.
There are also a lot more mouths to feed in Philly than there were in New York. Turns out that both things are true. Hurts and the other weapons will take a lot of points away from Barkley, nevertheless, he's still going to be great.
We may have forgotten just how good he is while he was wasting away on the Giants and often banged up. He'll remind the world just who he is this year behind a great offensive line in a potentially elite offense which will prevent defenses from keying in on him.
14. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
I've been banging the drum for Pacheco for years now and I'm not sure I've seen anyone higher on him this season or last season. I would be shocked if he didn't have a monster breakout year for the Chiefs in 2024.
This is an extremely talented three-down back who is going to see a ton of volume in an offense run by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. He is a sure-fire RB1 with the upside to finish among the very top fantasy running backs in the league this season.
15. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson is another polarizing player this year. While he is undoubtedly one of, if not the best wide receiver in football, the situation is scary. The season-ending injury to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy only made things worse because it takes away the possibility of him being a breakout star this season.
The best-case scenario for the Vikings is now Sam Darnold staying healthy while playing behind a terrible offensive line. There is no doubt the volume will be there Jefferson, but that's not always enough in a situation like this. This could end up like what we saw with Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson last year and it has to scare fantasy owners.
16. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals
Harrison is one of the best wide receiver prospects I've ever graded coming out of college and was drafted into a situation with a good quarterback where he'll immediately be the undisputed top target on the outside. It won't take long for him to show how special he is.
He will see a ton of volume on a weekly basis and I have full confidence that he'll perform like the elite NFL WR1 that he is. I'm someone who tends to shy away from rookies, and I have no doubts that he will look like a superstar as soon as he steps on a pro field. The hype is real.
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