6 Fantasy Football Bounce-Back Candidates 2024
As the 2024 fantasy football season approaches, identifying players primed for a resurgence can give you a competitive edge. Whether due to injuries, team changes, or underperformance, these fantasy football bounce-back candidates have the potential to outperform their ADP and deliver significant value to your roster. Discover our top six picks for the 2024 season and why they’re poised for a comeback.
6 Fantasy Football Bounce-Back Candidates 2024
Fantasy football is the ultimate unpredictable game. Almost every player will have a down year at some point in their career. Our job is to identify who is going to bounce back. The biggest advantage you can have is knowing who to draft at a discounted price.
Injuries were up around the league last year which leaves us with plenty of options to look at. We will be taking a look at players who were either injured or had a down year in general. Also, we will be determining when the best time to draft them is. Here are the top six fantasy football bounce-back candidates for the 2024 fantasy season.
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
I think people have forgotten how great of a fantasy quarterback Kyler Murray is. He is often injured but when healthy he has been at times a top-five option at QB. Murray finished the 2023 season as the QB26. However, on a points-per-game basis, he was the QB10. That was higher than Patrick Mahomes. This has been the story of his career. When healthy he has been great.
Last season he finished with 1799 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. You can also add on another 233 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go with it. Many would say it was not only an injury year, but also a down year in general for Murray.
If you took his averages from last season and multiplied them by a 17-game season he would’ve finished as the QB6. Now we can assume that was a down year for Kyler as well coming off a torn ACL the year before. Also, we can now add rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. to the mix.
Because of his injury history, Murray should be about the seventh or eighth quarterback taken in your draft. He is one of the best fantasy football bounce-back candidates at quarterback. In our standard 12-team PPR league he was taken at the 7.12 spot. Additionally, in our 12-team Super Flex PPR league, he was taken at the 2.07.
Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs was a First Team All-Pro in 2022. However, last season he suffered a down year and so did the entire Raiders offense. In 13 games Jacobs only had 805 rushing yards and six touchdowns. That is an astonishing 35 fewer rushing yards per game than the year before. Fortunately, the team became better once head coach Josh McDaniels was fired. Ultimately, it was too little too late to save the season.
One of the biggest free agent signings this season was Jacobs to the Packers. Long-time starter Aaron Jones was signed by the Minnesota Vikings and Jacobs looks to step right in and be a workhorse from day one. This is a massive improvement in his environment and the Packers are also one of the youngest teams in the league. He gets to run behind a good offensive line and an up-and-coming Jordan Love.
Currently, Jacobs is the 12th running back taken according to ADP. I think that is a bit low for someone one year removed from an All-Pro season. In our standard PPR league, Jacobs was taken at the 3.06 which is right in line with my expectation. Additionally, in our Super Flex PPR league, he was taken at the 4.07 spot. If you want to cash in on a discounted Josh Jacobs you should be looking to grab him in the third round of your draft.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Someone who always ends up on my roster is Jonathan Taylor. Taylor is an elite talent who has caught the injury bug the last couple of seasons. In 2023 he only played in ten games and started seven. Before 2022 he had been a dependable, healthy workhorse his entire life. Personally, I see no reason why he still can’t be that at only 25 years old.
The last time Taylor had a fully healthy season he was an absolute monster. He was the RB1 overall and finished his season with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Even during last season, he gave us a glimpse of how great the talent still is. In the last five games he played in 2023, Taylor scored six touchdowns. Additionally, he finished the year with three of his last four games going over 90 yards rushing. This included an absolute monster game in week 17, in which he went off for 188 yards and a touchdown.
Right now, Taylor is the fourth running back being taken in fantasy drafts on average. If he can stay healthy an entire season he could decimate that sort of ADP. Taylor was taken 9th overall in our standard PPR league. In our Superflex PPR league, he was taken at the 3.01 spot.
Diontae Johnson, WR, Carolina Panthers
This is a wide receiver who has a ton of talent and was stuck on a dreadful offense with the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. It couldn’t get much worse than the last couple of years for Diontae Johnson so it is only looking up from here. Despite going to Carolina who also had a dreadful offense, I am confident in this signing.
Johnson has always been one of the most talented possession receivers in the league. And how he gets a chance to go to a revamped offense. Head coach Dave Canales resurrected the careers of both Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield. Because of that, I believe Bryce Young will take a massive leap forward this year. Last year, we saw what Adam Thielen could do with Young as his quarterback. Moreover, Johnson is a huge upgrade over Thielen at this point in his career.
In our PPR scoring, Johnson went at the 8.10 spot. He was picked at the 10.05 mark in our Superflex PPR league. For a running back who could end up with 100 catches and 1,000 yards that seems like a good deal to me. I may be a little higher than some on Johnson but the talent is there and he should get the targets to have a career resurgence.
Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
My least confident bounce-back candidate. However, the Titans are known for running the football. Last season was a mess for Pollard on the Cowboys. In 17 games he barely scraped 1000 yards rushing. He was a major major disappointment for fantasy owners.
Now that Pollard is a Titan, the potential is there for him to step in and make the job his own. Despite already having Tyjae Spears, the Titans still decided to pay Pollard. Any time a team is willing to throw money at the running back position it should signal to you that they are going to use them.
Pollard is the 29th running back taken according to ADP. In our standard PPR league, Pollard was taken at the 7.02 spot. In our Superflex PPR league, he was selected at the 9.02 mark. This is a cautious buy for me at the price point. However, he has an elite receiving upside which is not something every running in this range can say.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Coming off a disappointing 2023 season, Rhamondre Stevenson will look to bounce back this year. In total, he only received 15 or more carries just four times last year. This was a big dropoff from his 2022 season where he finished as the RB11. Between the rushing and the pass-catching upside, Stevenson still offers some fantasy football upside. However, whether or not he will bounce back this year remains to be seen. Ultimately, it’s quite possible he could return to RB1 status this year.
What Are Fantsay Football Bounce-Back Candidates?
Fantasy football bounce-back candidates are players who underperformed in the previous season but have the potential to return to form and deliver strong performances in the upcoming season. Identifying these fantasy football bounce-back candidates can provide significant value to fantasy managers, as they are often available at a discount in drafts due to their prior struggles.
Fantasy football bounce-back candidates might have been affected by injuries, changes in team dynamics, or simply a statistical downturn. By analyzing factors such as team changes, improved health, and positive off-season developments, savvy fantasy managers can pinpoint these fantasy football bounce-back candidates and capitalize on their potential resurgence. Targeting fantasy football bounce-back candidates can be a strategic move, allowing managers to secure high-upside talent without paying a premium price.
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