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There’s one position in the NFL that there seems to be an abundance of talent at, and it’s wide receiver. The current state of the league has shifted from receivers being a “nice to have” to an absolute necessity on championship-caliber teams.
Luckily for us fantasy football players, the position seems to get deeper and deeper every year.
Today, we wanted to take a quick look at some receivers who may not have been at the forefront of the conversation in 2023 but are poised for a breakout in 2024.
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Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
ADP: WR16
Sure, predicting London to break out this upcoming season isn’t the most under-the-radar choice, but oh well.
The QB position has been solidified in Atlanta, with QB Kirk Cousins signing a four-year deal with the team. Before going down with a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 8 of last season, Cousins was averaging a whopping 291 yards per game through the air, which technically had him on pace to lead the NFL had he played all 17 games. In the three full seasons he played before that, he was in the top nine of passing yards amongst all QBs each year.
Now that the QB position is handled, it’s no secret that London will likely be one of his favorite targets. The 6-foot-4 22-year-old is coming off a season where he ranked in the top 30 in receptions and yards, despite being on the league’s 11th-worst passing offense.
Kirk Cousins’ WR1 PPR Overall Fantasy Finishes
2022: WR1
2021: WR4
2020: WR6
2019: WR24
2018: WR7 AND WR10!!!Drake London to the MF-ing Moon in 2024. 22 Years old, and his production is set to EXPLODE 💥💥📈📈🔥🔥. pic.twitter.com/D346pyvV2n
— TheOGfantasyfootball (@TheOGfantasy) March 12, 2024
On top of that, his QBR per target in 2023 was a lowly 80.3, which ranked him down at 72nd amongst receivers last season. Furthermore, his target accuracy was ranked 79th. Upgrading from QB Desmond Ridder to Cousins will drastically improve these metrics, and London’s production will skyrocket as a result.
London has proved he can produce in less-than-ideal circumstances, and the situation in Atlanta seems to be on an upward tick. Expect London to have a career year in 2024, and he will help bolster some fantasy squads doing so.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
ADP: WR45
Lions WR Jameson Williams struggled a little bit getting out of the gate in his NFL career but became a formidable contributor to the Lions as they closed out their 2023 season. Now, they have the luxury of keeping their guru OC Ben Johnson, who decided to stay with the team another year as opposed to becoming a head coach elsewhere.
Williams wasn’t a mainstay in the Detroit rotation early in the season, playing just about 38.5% of snaps in the first half. That trended in the right direction in the second half of the season and in the playoffs, where he ended up playing over 66% percent of snaps in the team’s 2023 playoff run.
The former Alabama wideout was Detroit’s first-round pick in 2022, and for good reason. He has game-breaking speed, running a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, and was a factor in the Lions’ receiving and run games as well.
JAMESON WILLIAMS TOUCHDOWN
THAT MAN IS FAST
pic.twitter.com/FwKN7u3ylB— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) December 3, 2023
The third-year receiver has no shortage of talent, but up until this point, volume has been the main concern. With another training camp under his belt, more familiarity with QB Jared Goff, and defenses scheming to stop WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, it’d be quite a surprise if Williams doesn’t become a strong contributor in the 2024 season. Expect Williams to break out in 2024.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts
ADP: WR51
Colts WR Josh Downs had a quietly impressive rookie campaign in 2023, finishing with 68 receptions for 771 yards and two touchdowns. This landed him as the WR43 in PPR formats, ahead of some names like Diontae Johnson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jerry Jeudy, Tee Higgins, and so on.
Downs almost immediately won a starting job in Indy’s WR room, playing 598 total slot snaps, the third highest amongst all receivers in 2023. He also finished second in every receiving statistical category for the Colts behind WR Michael Pittman Jr., who had a career year with 1,100+ yards.
JOSH. DOWNS. 🤯
pic.twitter.com/2lLrV3Ftbl— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) November 12, 2023
The Colts will go back to their 2023 first-round draft pick QB Anthony Richardson in 2024, who missed the majority of his rookie season with a shoulder injury. Richardson’s arm strength pairs extremely well with Downs' breakaway speed, as Downs finished in the top 20 of receivers in YAC last season and is a legitimate deep-threat burner for this offense moving forward.
We saw what HC Shane Steichen’s offensive scheming did for Pittman’s production in 2023, and with his rookie season now out of the way, it can very well be Downs who takes that leap in 2024.
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