X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Players to Target and Avoid in 2024 - AFC North

Amari Cooper - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Betting Picks

Andrew Ball looks at each NFL team in the AFC North and identifies players from each team that fantasy football managers should be targeting and avoiding in 2024.

Fantasy football options are plentiful in the most competitive divisions in the NFL.

In the AFC North, all four teams finished above .500 in 2023. Three of the four squads made the postseason. This year, more rivalry fueled games are sprinkled throughout the regular season. And, of course, a boatload of fantasy football points to go around.

Our RotoBaller team is dissecting each division to bring you the best players to target and avoid in 2024. Below, the AFC North takes center stage.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Baltimore Ravens

Players to Target - Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry will turn 31 before the 2024 regular season ends and his efficiency numbers have begun to slip. His 4.2 yards per carry were tied for the lowest mark of his career and he scored 0.78 fantasy points per opportunity (35th among running backs). He also led the league in carries for the fourth time in five years.

The Titans offense was more bad than good in 2023 and the team made a concerted effort to involve rookie Tyjae Spears. That won't be a problem for King Henry in 2024. He's part of the high-powered Baltimore offense now and there isn't as much competition for carries with Keaton Mitchell recovering from an ACL tear. Former Ravens Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins are teaming up together again in Los Angeles.

Edwards scored 13 touchdowns for the Baltimore backfield last season while only playing 42% of the team's snaps. Pairing Henry's usage with Baltimore's rushing and touchdown opportunities (the team led the league in run plays per game in 2023) is seemingly a perfect fit.

Reception totals will be a concern in PPR and half PPR formats, as has been the case for his entire career. His best result is 33 catches. Lamar Jackson doesn't tend to target his running backs often. Fantasy managers can slightly fade Henry in PPR leagues, but he should be a great value in non-PPR formats.

Players to Avoid - Rashod Bateman

The hype machine is working overtime this offseason for Rashod Bateman. The former first-round pick enters his fourth season with a combined 93 catches for 1,167 yards and four touchdowns. He's totaled 10 drops. Injuries have consistently taken him off the field. He played 16 games last season, almost matching the 18 he suited up for in his first two years. He's been such a disappointment that even he was surprised that the team offered him a two-year extension.

"Definitely didn’t see it coming, but it definitely means a lot. Just knowing that they want me here and having them in my corner, having the team trust me, having some type of security. It’s kind of like a fresh start for me." - Rashod Bateman

Yet, the team is propping him up as the next big thing once again. As stated above, the Ravens led the league in run plays per game last season. With Jackson and Henry together in a backfield, there's little reason to think that will change much in the new year.

Tight end Mark Andrews returns to the lineup after missing the final six regular-season games and one playoff game (he played just 18 snaps in the postseason loss to the Chiefs). He should command the most targets on the offense. If it's not him, 2023 first-round pick Zay Flowers will. At best, Bateman is third in the pecking order on a run-dominant offense. Don't buy the hype.

 

Cincinnati Bengals

Players to Target - Zack Moss / Chase Brown

For the first three seasons of his NFL career, Zack Moss was a punchline; a running back who entered the league with some buzz behind him, only to fail his way out of Buffalo. His fortunes changed backing up Jonathan Taylor in Indianapolis. With the starter missing chunks of time, Moss hit career-best totals in carries (183), rushing yards (794), catches (27), and touchdowns (seven). Through eight weeks in 2023, Moss was the RB4 in PPR formats.

Although he's still average in the efficiency department, Moss was inked by Cincinnati to replace volume running back Joe Mixon. Fantasy managers selected Mixon last summer based on his projected workload and he delivered: third in opportunity share (78.9%), fifth in carries (257), third in red-zone touches (71), and ninth in receptions (52). There's a ton of vacated opportunities in the Bengals backfield.

The question: Will we see a healthy dose of Moss or will second-year professional Chase Brown eat into the workload more than he did last season? The offense will be centered around wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins as long as Joe Burrow remains healthy. With those two and rookie Jermaine Burton, that plan of attack calls for a lot of 11 personnel formations. The Bengals dialed up the second-most run plays from the shotgun in 11 personnel, a formation where Moss thrived. Granted, the Indianapolis offensive line is significantly better than Cincinnati's unit.

Brown will enter the game as a true change of pace to Moss' plodding style. Brown recorded the second-fastest in-game speed (over 22 miles per hour) and dominated advanced receiving metrics (4.46 yards per route run). However, he only registered 58 touches in his 12 appearances last season. The volume will need to increase to warrant a roster spot for Brown.

Depending on your belief of how the backfield touches will be split, both running backs can be viewed as value draft-day selections. If Moss takes the bulk of the touches and nears double-digit rushing touchdowns like Mixon, then he'll be a staple in non-PPR starting lineups. A 50-target season, combined with some opportunities on the ground, would make Brown a valuable PPR asset, thus beating his triple-digit ADP. Drafting both to guarantee you're rostering the top running back on one of the best offenses in football isn't a bad strategy.

Players to Avoid - None

Tee Higgins carries injury concerns into the new season. He hasn't played a full season in his first four years in the league (and that doesn't include the handful of games where he played just a handful of snaps before exiting). He's been mostly unplayable without Joe Burrow, who is returning from a torn ligament in his throwing wrist.

For seemingly the first time, however, these concerns are being factored into his ADP. In prior years, despite his highest finish of WR18, Higgins was selected in the third round of redraft formats. Essentially, he was being drafted as his ceiling. That's not the case this offseason. Fantasy managers will be able to find Higgins in the back half of the fourth round, a more reasonable landing spot if managers want to take on the injury risk.

The 25-year-old is currently set to play the season on a one-year franchise tag. If he hopes to find a long-term payday next offseason, he'll need to prove that he can stay healthy and post the remarkable numbers that fantasy football players have longed for.

 

Cleveland Browns

Players to Target - Amari Cooper

Now entering his 10th NFL season, Amari Cooper doesn’t excite the fantasy community like he did in his early days in Oakland and Dallas. But don’t sleep on his fantasy potential because he’s not the new, up-and-coming hotness.

Cooper’s 2023 season is remembered for his late-season explosion with the help of Joe Flacco, particularly the 11-catch, 265-yard, two-touchdown absurdity against Houston in Week 16. He propelled fantasy managers to their championship game before a heel injury cost him the final two games of the regular season.

That was with Flacco. Deshaun Watson, who struggled in his five full starts, returns to the starting lineup in 2024. He averaged 18.34 fantasy points per game in those games. That landed him 15th among quarterbacks. He did, however, support Cooper as a WR1. In those games they saw the field together, Cooper averaged a hair over eight targets, 5.6 receptions, and 94.2 yards per game. He only scored once in that time frame, but the Browns did opt to throw more in the red zone with Watson versus other quarterbacks.

Cooper is the 25th wide receiver coming off the board, in the middle of the fourth round. Being able to snag Cooper as a WR2/3 is an outstanding value, especially for a player who would have been the WR6 in fantasy points per game with Watson.

Players to Avoid - Jerome Ford

Last season, the Browns entered the season with a depth chart of Nick Chubb, Jerome Ford, and Pierre Strong Jr. Chubb suffered a gruesome injury (torn MCL, damaged ACL) in Week 2. Ford took over lead-back duties with the re-signed Kareem Hunt heavily mixing in. Ford finished as the RB16 in PPR formats with 12.4 points per game.

The backfield won’t be as cut and dry in 2024. Fantasy managers need to keep track of Chubb’s recovery process. Initially believed to be an injury that would keep him out into the new season, Kevin Stefanski noted that the star running back is making good progress. He’s running full speed in a straight line and is working on cutting laterally. There’s a realistic shot that he’s active for Week 1. If that’s the case, he won’t have a regular Chubb workload of seasons past. Ford will have a role, as will free-agent addition D'Onta Foreman.

Foreman has been reliable in spot starts in his last three cities: Tennessee, Carolina, and Chicago. But he's been unable to stick with a team and his efficiency numbers don't jump off the page. Unfortunately, neither did Ford's in his starts a year ago, despite operating as an RB2 for fantasy managers.

Ford was serviceable due to plentiful opportunities (23rd in carries, 14th in targets). If Chubb is healthy and/or Foreman takes a bigger share of the touches than his predecessor Hunt, Ford won't be the same running back as last year. Those scenarios are already baked into his ADP.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

Players to Target - George Pickens

With a mini-breakout in 2023, it's clear that the Steelers found another wide receiver gem in George Pickens. Now, it's time to see if he can transform into a true game-breaking wide receiver. On paper, he's being set up for that opportunity.

Diontae Johnson was traded to Carolina in the offseason, leaving Pickens as the undisputed top option in the passing game. The Steelers drafted third-round rookie Roman Wilson to be Johnson's replacement. Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, and Quez Watkins round out the depth chart. Pickens could be the only wideout to demand targets every week. He averaged over eight targets a game when Johnson was inactive last season.

Fantasy managers have a right to be skeptical about a Pittsburgh offense led by new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Steelers finished fifth in run percentage last season with the Falcons (Smith’s ex-team) one spot behind them. It was a similar story when Smith was leading the Tennessee offense. Still, A.J. Brown and Drake London earned a greater than 25% target share on those offenses (Brown in 2020, London's average in 2022 and 2023).

Pickens didn't post a strong catch rate (59.4%) but we can easily point out why. Kenny Pickett completed just 62% of his pass attempts and Pickens ran a lot of low-success routes. The former Georgia Bulldog averaged 1.5 deep targets per game (26 total, 10th in the NFL) with an average target distance of 13.5 yards. He led the league in yards per reception (18.1). Big plays are a large part of Pickens' game.

With a boosted target share and a scheme that could place the football in his hands more often (he's pushing to line up in the slot), the path to Pickens being a WR1 for fantasy football is clear. He just needs Russell Wilson to execute the plan and target one of the most athletic wide receivers in football in between running plays.

Players to Avoid - Russell Wilson

There’s no debate that Russell Wilson is an upgrade over Pickett, but that doesn’t mean fantasy success is in his future.

Wilson’s 2023 campaign will be remembered by his late-season benching and subsequent release by the Denver Broncos. Before that, however, Wilson had somewhat of a career resurgence. With a much-improved touchdown rate from 2022, Wilson was the QB9 for fantasy football before the end of his Broncos tenure.

A lot is working against Wilson in black and yellow. For starters, head coach Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith tend to prefer a rushing offensive attack. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are both highly capable running backs and will get their fair share (if not more) of carries.

The wide receiver room is underwhelming on paper. Pickens is due for a breakout season. After that, the depth chart is littered with unproven names. Tight end Pat Freiermuth may end up being the runner-up in the target department.

Because of his track record, name recognition, and change of scenery, Wilson will be an intriguing name for fantasy football managers, especially those who ignore offseason content. His ADP is deep into the QB2 range and he should not be selected in single-quarterback formats.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP