Yes, the first round is where titles are not won, but they can be lost. The middle rounds have the occasional hits, though most of those players were drafted with intent to start. Then there are the later rounds.
Yes, past pick No. 100. These are the sleepers who sometimes appear like afterthoughts, possibly on the cut line for early-season FAAB pickups. Then players likeC.J. Stroud,Kyren Williams,Tank Dell, andPuka Nacua happen. All were late-round pickups—and sometimes off the waiver wire—who ended up being any where from solid performers to league winners for so many fantasy managers last year.
Who could be some late-round winners in 2024? We asked our Fantasy Life staff members to toss out their favorite picks who have a fantasy football ADP past 100 in most league formats. This is a mix of primarily rookies with upside and a few veterans who may be sliding down drafters’ ranks despite solid opportunities that could make these players steals during the season.
Keep in mind that other fantasy managers could go rogue or also read this article and could drive up the draft price of these players as we’re in busiest time for fantasy football drafts all year. So if you see a player you like and it’s creeping past pick 100, be ready to get your guy maybe a few picks before ADP,especially if that player is projected to outperform that ADP. Kicking things off with a rookie who's getting some steam heading into peak draft season.
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Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
When the editors proposed this roundtable piece, I rushed to the outline so I could claim Jayden Daniels. He's that popular as a sleeper among the staff. If you look in ourfree Fantasy Life Bet Tracker, you'll see I have bets on Daniels to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+650) and to go over his season-long props of 525.5 yards rushing (-112) and 3,025.5 yards passing (-112). It feels as if I talk about him on every episode of theBetting Life Show. Last year, he led all FBS QBs with 1,134 yards rushing (including sacks) in just 12 games, and he was the No. 1 dual-threat QB in the 2019 high school recruitment class. With his high-end rushing ability, he has a solid fantasy floor and the theoretical ceiling to finish as a top-three player at the position. –Matthew Freedman
Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers
McConkey played inside and outside (69%) at Georgia and attacked every field depth. He was above average against man coverage (23% target rate) and was lethal against zone (25%). Under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers will be a run-oriented offense, but there is little target competition. (For more of Dwain’s WR strategy article,visit here) –Dwain McFarland
Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Could this finally be the seasonTrevor Lawrence puts it all together and takes that next step? I certainly think so, and he’s got the weapons to make it happen. The Jaguars landedThomas with the 23rd overall selection last spring and he has all the makings of a true No. 1 WR.His 9.97 out of 10.00 RAS score ranks 10th out of 3,063 WRs from 1987 to 2024. Last season, Thomas put up 68-1,177-17 playing alongsideMalik Nabers. Now? His top competition is slot wideoutChristian Kirk andGabe Davis, who is still riding that 4-TD playoff performance from two years ago. He shouldn’t be going this late. –Sam Wallace
Cam Akers, Houston Texans
When players show us who they are and teams tip their hand, we should pay attention. That’s how I’m feeling about Texans RBCam Akers right now, as he is coming off his second Achilles tear in the past four years.
I know it sounds crazy, but I’m pretty convinced he is the locked-and-loaded RB2 in Houston behindJoe Mixon (and notDameon Pierce). Dwain wasall over this last week and now Akers has finished up the preseason with 24 attempts for 112 yards (4.6 YPC), 8 receptions for 61 yards and 1 TD, andthis truly electric play over the weekend.
Maybe it’s hard for you to get excited about an RB2, but this is the same team that quickly moved on from an inefficient Pierce last year for a capable veteran inDevin Singletary. –Pete Overzet
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Levis displayed huge arm talent in his rookie season. He managed 4 TDs in his debut and his 10.6 yard average depth of target led the league. He’ll be working in a newly installed offense under former Bengals OC Brian Callahan who made it a priority to shore up a dreadful O-Line and surround Levis with better talent. There is almost no upside baked in at his current ADP, making him a perfect QB2 target in superflex drafts and late-round stacking option in best ball, where he’s an easy pair withCalvin Ridley and/orDeAndre Hopkins. –Geoff Ulrich
Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers
I don’t have a ton of expectations for Jim Harbaugh’s return to the NFL, but one thing we know is that the dude loves to run the football. Edwards was signed out of Baltimore this offseason, and he has quietly been one of the most efficient backs since entering the league in 2018. Out of 44 RBs with at least 500 carries over that timeframe, he’s first in success rate, fourth in EPA per rush, and sixth in yards per carry. Of course, he’ll have to prove he can be as efficient without playing behindLamar Jackson, but he should get opportunities in this backfield. His only competition for carries is a guy who can’t stay on the field (J.K. Dobbins) and a sixth-round rookie (Kimani Vidal). –Matt LaMarca
Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins traded a 2025 third-round pick to move up and secure Wright, whose elite athleticism and size make him arguably the best handcuff in fantasy football this season. He might be third on the official depth chart—for now—butDe’Von Achane isn’t exactly a beacon of durability andRaheem Mostert was alive when Billy Ray Cyrus had a hit song on the Billboard charts. There’s a solid chance Wright will eventually have his name called, is my point. And I want every piece I can get of this ultra-efficient backfield. –Jake Trowbridge
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
The Bills cleared out their WR room in the offseason, withStefon Diggs andGabe Davis gone, replaced (mostly) byCurtis Samuel,Keon Coleman, and Shakir. I’m not sure we can make any judgment call on Joe Brady as an OC because he’s been dealt a bizarre set of cards in his short NFL career (thrown under the Matt Rhule bus, tankingStefon Diggs’ value halfway through last year), but Shakir put together a remarkably quiet 600-yard season in 2023. Half of those yards came in three big games, but he also had to contend for targets with two WRs (and a TE) clearly ahead of him in the pecking order. As of right now, Shakir might be the WR1 for the Bills in a system he saw firsthand during the second half of last year. This isn’t as deep or fun as my plan B and C (Audric Estime andBryce Young), but Shakir has the most breakout potential.–Ferdinando Di Fino
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
There's no way to sugarcoat it,Jameson Williams has not lived up to the hype or the draft capital invested in him through his first two seasons. However, it's never been a question of talent, as the explosive WR has shown the ability to make big plays on an NFL field (see his 42-yard rushing TD in last year's NFC Championship). Injuries, a gambling suspension, and mental errors limited his playing time and impact, but that could be set to change in 2024.Reports out of Lions training camp have been absolutely glowing on the improvement he has made heading into his third season and therehave been some really encouraging highlight videos as well. Detroit didn't make any major additions to its WR room, so Williams should be a full-time player in one the NFL's best offenses. He should easily smash his career highs in every major statistical category and has the upside to be a league winner who you can draft in the double-digit rounds. –Jonathan Fuller
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
The fastest man alive (wink) joins a Chiefs offense that has stressed its desire to get back to partying downfield like it’s 2018 again virtually all offseason long. Preseason first-team usage reflects the reality that Worthy is stepping into an immediate starting role alongsideRashee Rice andHollywood Brown (once healthy). Yes,Travis Kelce is probably still the de facto No. 1 pass-game option here. Also yes, Worthy profiles as the primary deep threat for, you know, the best QB alive. Worthy’s price point as a boom-or-bust WR3 feels like his floor, while the ceiling sure looks a lot like 2023Tank Dell—AKA someone you won’t ever want to take out of your starting lineup, even if there’s a fire. –Ian Hartitz
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers
At the later rounds of a draft, we're looking for upside. While he's not slated as the top dawg on Green Bay's depth chart,Dontayvion Wicks has the ingredients to make him a fun flier as a late-round ceiling play. In GB's first preseason game of 2024, he turned one target into a 65-yard TD. Not a bad statline. Will Wicks garner a ton of targets with guys likeChristian Watson,Romeo Doubs, andJayden Reed in the mix? Nah. But he's got the ability to bring in big plays in an offense led byJordan Love, who just threw for 4,159 yards(QB7) and 32 TDs (QB2) in 2023. Elite offense. Big-play ability. Late-round ADP. At Wicks' ADP, I'm taking my chances. SIGN. ME. UP. –Cooterdoodle
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Positive: Sutton finished last season with 10 touchdowns. Negative: He scored all those touchdowns on just 90 targets, catching just 59 for 772 yards. Sutton is the clear No. 1 wideout in an offense that will feature a couple young WRs still finding their way in Marvin Mims and rookie Troy Franklin. What’s curious in looking at the game logs for Sutton, he drew just five targets in his last two games of the season. He did leave a game early and sat out a game with a concussion, followed by injuring his ankle in the season finale. So with good health, he should go past 100 targets. With rookie Bo Nix at the helm, he’s going to need targets and can look to the veteran Sutton, who will be a safety blanket WR4 or WR5 on fantasy rosters with the possibility of at least being a bye-week or injury replacement. –Jorge Martin
