7 Fantasy Players That Ended Strong
Every single year some players start slow and take a bit of time to break out. Other players come into the season with little to no expectations and come out of nowhere to be a real difference-maker. Last season was no exception. Players who went into the season on the outside looking in ended up being solid players down the stretch with some even becoming the type of game-changing asset that ended up on many fantasy championship rosters. Let’s take a look at a few of the players who surprised us in 2023 and what that might mean heading into 2024.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Since coming into the league in 2018 as the overall No. 1 pick for the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield has failed to live up to the lofty expectations surrounding him. While he wasn’t initially a complete bust he also didn’t progress as quickly as the Browns had hoped. From the moment he stepped onto the field for the Buccaneers things looked as if they might be different. While he still had some ups and downs, there were more ups. Over the final four weeks of the fantasy season, Mayfield finished as a QB1 three times, even hitting QB2 in week 15, and finished as the overall QB10 on the season. It remains to be seen if he will carry that momentum into 2024, especially with the addition of a new offensive coordinator. But with an ADP of QB22, Mayfield seems poised to over-produce once again.
Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Let’s face it, no one saw this one coming. After a rookie season in which Kyren Williams hardly got onto the field, he became the primary ball carrier for the Rams and a league-winner for fantasy managers. Williams had five top 11 finishes, including three top 5 finishes, to close out the season. He ran for over 100 yards four times and scored six touchdowns over that same span. While, other than his week 12 performance of 35.40 points, he didn’t contribute much in the air, he didn’t need to because he averaged over five yards per carry and one touchdown per game. With the addition of rookie Blake Corum, Williams’ workload could take a slight hit this season and his goal-line touches and scores could go down. Still, with an ADP of 19th overall he could reward any manager who chooses to grab him.
Joe Mixon, RB, Houston Texas
It may seem strange to put a player who has been around as long as Joe Mixon has on this list. But when you think about the fact that Mixon seems like one of those players who is continuously overlooked, only to out-perform his lack of expectations, his name deserves to be included. Last season, Mixon had an ADP that put him in the middle of the third round, and yet he finished as a top-five running back. Mixon was in the top seven at the position three times in his final six weeks, including being RB1 in week 13. He averaged 20 touches per game and had seven total touchdowns. Mixon is now a Texan and it’s unclear how successful he can be. According to Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, Mixon and teammate Dameon Pierce are viewed as a one-two punch, but I’m not buying it. I think this is Mixon’s backfield and with an ADP outside of the top 50, Mixon represents solid value.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Flowers was a solid prospect coming into the league, but very few fantasy managers were excited about his landing spot. The Baltimore Ravens, led by superstar QB Lamar Jackson have always been and will continue to be a run-first team, but there was some hope that with the addition of Zay Flowers they would look to open up the passing game. While there were games that saw Jackson throw close to 40 passes, overall the Ravens continued to lean heavily on the run game. Still, over the final five weeks, Flowers remained involved enough to finish as a top fifteen wide receiver four times, including three top 10 finishes. He also garnered at least eight targets in three games, hitting double-digit targets twice. Flowers has the talent, now all fantasy managers have to hope for is that he will continue to get the opportunity.
Demarcus Robinson, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Robinson was not on the fantasy radar coming into the 2023 fantasy football season, and rightfully so. Up until week 12, Robinson had not played more than 16% of the snaps in any game. Yet, Robinson finished as a WR2 four times over the final five weeks of the season. Impressive numbers for a player who wasn’t even a fantasy consideration to start the season. Even more impressive is that he did it with a healthy Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua on the field, even demanding ten targets in two of his last five games. Players who come out of nowhere, like Robinson did, to be a real fantasy contributor are often the difference between winning and losing. I wouldn’t expect much from him in 2024, but he sure was a great story in 2023.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints
Throughout most of the season, Johnson appeared to be an afterthought in the Saints’ offense and as such, became an afterthought among fantasy circles. But the reality is that Johnson has talent. He can be a solid producer at the tight end position if utilized correctly, and for whatever reason the Saints figured that out in weeks 15-17 (which just happens to be when most fantasy leagues hold their playoffs.) Over that span, Johnson had finishes of TE10, TE4, and TE1. That TE1 finish was particularly important with it being championship week. He saw an average of seven targets per game and scored in each game. If the Saints are smart they will make him a bigger part of the offense at the start of 2024. Still, it’s probably best to target Johnson as a bench stash rather than bank on him as your starting tight end.
Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars
Evan Engram currently sits with an ADP of TE7 (71st overall). That ADP puts him three spots higher among tight ends and over thirty spots higher overall than he was coming into last season and for good reason. Engram finished 2023 very strong. During the last seven weeks, Engram was outside of the top 12 at the position just once and finished as the TE1 twice. That’s some solid, consistent production at a position where it is often hard to find it. Engram also averaged over 10 targets per game and scored four times. With the departures of Zay Jones and Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram are the only well-established pass catchers on the team. Yes, Travis Etienne will be involved, along with the newly acquired Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas Jr., but QB Trevor Lawrence should continue to rely on the weapons he knows. To be honest, TE7 might be too low.
