Players who made (or broke) your 2024 fantasy football season

All season long, I brought you players who would make or break your fantasy team each week and now that that season has come to an end, it’s time to discuss which players made or broke your entire fantasy year.

From rookie highs to disappointing veterans, I’ve narrowed down a list of players who truly made a difference — both good and bad in 2024.

Players who made our fantasy season

The ascension to true WR1: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

We’ll start off with my favorite “make” player who was a frequent flyer in the weekly column and hit week after week: Brian Thomas Jr.

We debated Marvin Harrison Jr.’s ADP and if Rome Odunze could ascend to the WR1 role for the Bears. Both became a moot point and the real focus should have been on Brian Thomas Jr.’s potential as the Jaguars’ WR1.

Thomas Jr.’s fantasy season was a beautiful progression, culminating in 80 receptions on 122 targets for 1,179 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished as the overall WR4 and WR9 in average points per game, outperforming first-round receivers like A.J. Brown and Tyreek Hill (we’ll get to him later). This was particularly impressive considering BTJ was the lowest-drafted first-round receiver by ADP, even behind Ladd McConkey and Xavier Worthy.

While he didn’t have the highest average points per game (Malik Nabers barely edged him out), Thomas Jr.’s season stood out for his progression and consistency in terms of fantasy reliability, despite the Jaguars’ perplexing and limited targeting.

From Week 1 through Week 11 (prior to Jacksonville’s bye week), Thomas Jr. was the WR24 in average points per game, averaging 11.4 fantasy points, 3.8 receptions and 5.7 targets per game. After the bye week, Doug Pederson finally saw the light and Thomas Jr. became the WR2 in average points per game — yes the overall WR2 — averaging 20.2 fantasy points per game behind only Ja’Marr Chase.

His receptions increased to 7.6 per game on 11.8 targets per game and most of this production came with Mac Jones at quarterback. Thomas Jr. delivered as a true WR1 and his 2025 fantasy value will be fascinating and exciting to monitor.

The career year: Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I won’t lie. I had my concerns about Baker Mayfield this year, and that skepticism was largely tied to Geno Smith’s regression after 2022. Smith went from being the overall QB5 in 2022 to QB19 in 2023, with statistical drops across the board. The difference in Mayfield’s performance in 2023 compared to all previous seasons was astounding. It was easy to connect the dots and attribute a major part of Mayfield’s development to former offensive coordinator Dave Canales, so I worried that Canales’ departure from Tampa Bay would lead to the same regression we saw with Smith.

Instead, Mayfield delivered his best statistical season yet, setting career highs in completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and rushing production. He finished as the overall QB5 in total points and QB4 in average points per game behind only Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, while tying with Jayden Daniels.

Mayfield’s season wasn’t just about statistical improvement; his consistency was remarkable. He had only four games outside the top 10 quarterbacks, and two of those performances coincided with Mike Evans’ absence due to injury. Mayfield was often forced into high-volume situations due to Tampa Bay’s atrocious defense, but what he accomplished with that volume was incredible. Through 17 weeks, Mayfield threw 39 touchdowns, second only to Joe Burrow and tied with Lamar Jackson.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Mayfield’s season was his ADP value. He was drafted outside the top 20 quarterbacks, behind players like Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Trevor Lawrence.

The breakout season: Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

During draft season, I placed a lot of my personal eggs in Chase Brown’s basket, and thankfully, it absolutely paid off.

The start of the season was frustrating, as the Bengals used Zack Moss as the lead back. Despite impressive numbers on his limited work, Brown had just 14 carries across the first three games, never playing more than a third of the offensive snaps.

In Week 4 against Carolina, we finally saw a shift. Brown broke out with 15 carries for 80 yards and two rushing touchdowns. While it seemed like Brown was on the verge of becoming the lead back, the Bengals stuck with a weird committee approach. Brown clearly outperformed Moss, but Moss’ continued involvement limited Brown’s fantasy upside.

Everything changed when Moss suffered a season-ending injury in Week 8. From Week 9 through the end of the fantasy season, Brown was the overall RB6 in total points and RB5 in average points per game, averaging 18.3 fantasy points per game. Brown essentially ascended into a Kyren Williams-esque role, playing 80% or more of the snaps in every game.

Brown became matchup-proof and game-script-proof. In run-heavy game plans, Brown thrived on volume. In pass-heavy situations, he was a key piece in the receiving game, running a variety of routes beyond simple checkdowns.

I mentioned Kyren Williams for a reason; Brown is heading for a similar offseason trajectory. Moss is still under contract, raising questions about whether he will recover and push the backfield into a committee again. Do the Bengals invest in another back via the draft? Or do they trust Brown as their future workhorse? Brown will be a fascinating player to monitor this offseason.

Players who broke our fantasy season

The rookie disappointment: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals

After discussing the glory of Brian Thomas Jr., it’s only fair to touch on Marvin Harrison Jr.’s disappointing season. Harrison Jr. entered the year with the most aggressive ADP of any rookie, typically going in the early second round. He was stepping into a clear WR1 role with a stable veteran quarterback, but the Cardinals’ offense struggled to find its identity all year.

Harrison Jr. finished the season with just 57 receptions on 110 targets for 822 yards and seven touchdowns. His 52% catch rate highlighted a clear disconnect with Kyler Murray. While there were concerns about Malik Nabers’ quarterback situation, Nabers still managed a normal catch rate despite playing with a chaotic combination of signal callers.

Even in the few games that Harrison Jr. actually hit, they still felt he never hit his true ceiling. Recall the Week 2 two-touchdown performance against the Los Angeles Rams, where his entire fantasy production came in the first quarter only to fail to score a single point for the remainder of the game.

Harrison Jr.’s ADP will likely drop significantly in 2025, but the big question remains: can the Cardinals adjust their offense to better utilize Harrison Jr., and can he and Murray finally get on the same page?

The sophomore slump: CJ Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

Stroud feels like a cautionary tale of getting overly excited about a rookie and over-drafting him. As a pocket passer, Stroud lacks the rushing upside that often propels quarterbacks into elite fantasy tiers (see: Joe Burrow). While rushing isn’t mandatory for success, without it, a quarterback must produce extreme passing volume to deliver top-tier results.

The expectation for Stroud was sky-high entering 2024. Coming off a promising rookie campaign where he finished as QB10 in average fantasy points per game (18.7), fantasy managers anticipated he could build on that success with an upgraded arsenal of weapons. Instead, Stroud’s 2024 numbers fell short: 3,677 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while averaging just 14.2 fantasy points per game. He plummeted to QB26, finishing behind all the rookie quarterbacks who started the majority of the season, as well as older veterans like Derek Carr and Aaron Rodgers.

Stroud’s 2023 numbers, in hindsight, didn’t justify his ADP leap to QB5 in 2024 drafts. Fantasy managers expected him to thrive with Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, plus the addition of Joe Mixon, creating visions of a high-volume, explosive Texans offense. Instead, the offense struggled with significant injuries across the board.

Even when the offense was healthy early in the season, the results were underwhelming. Stroud managed one ceiling game in Week 1 against Indianapolis, finishing as QB8 with 18.7 fantasy points. However, in the following two games, he finished as QB16 and QB25. Throughout the season, Stroud’s best performances came against AFC South rivals, and he failed to finish as a QB1 in any matchup outside the division.

While Stroud isn’t alone in being a QB bust this season, his consistent top-five draft placement makes him one of the most glaring disappointments. Fantasy managers banked on him to deliver the gaudy pocket-passer numbers we saw from players like Joe Burrow, Jared Goff or even Sam Darnold in 2024. Unfortunately, those expectations went unmet.

The first-round bust: Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins

For my final make-or-break player, I considered discussing Travis Kelce, but I’ve already covered his underwhelming season and concerns for 2025 in my Week 17 pulse check article. Instead, we’ll focus on one of the biggest first-round busts of the season: Tyreek Hill.

Hill started the year with a ceiling performance in Week 1 against Jacksonville. Unfortunately, the season quickly unraveled for both Hill and the Miami offense when Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury in Week 2. From Weeks 3 through 7, while Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined, the Dolphins offense was completely unusable. Hill failed to exceed 10 fantasy points during this stretch, despite favorable matchups that seemed ripe for success.

Much of the blame fell on Miami’s inept backup quarterback group. The hope was that Hill would bounce back once Tagovailoa returned. However, even after that happened, it took weeks for him to regain form and for Miami to find the volume necessary to support its receiving corps. Hill didn’t crack 100 yards again until Week 14 and finished the season with just three WR1 performances.

In addition to Tua’s injury, Hill dealt with his own challenges. A lingering hand injury may have impacted his performance, while the Dolphins offense shifted priorities. De’Von Achane emerged as a key receiving option, reducing opportunities for both Hill and Jalen Waddle. To complicate matters further, Jonnu Smith’s rise further limited the production of Miami’s star wide receivers.

Heading into his age-31 season in 2025, Hill’s future remains uncertain. Tagovailoa’s health and consistency are still major question marks and the Dolphins’ offensive focus appears to be evolving. Hill will likely see a noticeable dip in ADP, and fantasy managers will need to weigh the risks of betting on a bounce-back year.