When doing research for your fantasy football draft, there are always guys you fall in love with. Whether it be a guy with a ton of upside going late in the draft, or a guy set to take on more responsibility, there is a trait or something that entices you. Something that makes you not stop thinking about them and becomes the centerpiece of your pre-draft process. They are players you want to have in every single league you play in. Here are five players that I’m targeting in every fantasy league I’m in.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers QB
Since entering the league, Justin Herbert has consistently been a good fantasy option. He has finished in the top ten in quarterback fantasy points in four of the six seasons he’s played in. He even finished as high as second back in 2021. He’s coming off another good season, completing 340 passes for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. While the interception number is high, he made up for it by rushing for a career-high 498 yards and two touchdowns.
The biggest reason why I’m high on Herbert this season is the addition of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. Say whatever you want about him as a head coach, but you can not deny his ability to call an offense. Before injuries derailed him, he had Miami’s offense as a top ten unit in the league. This was all with Tua Tagovailoa under center. If he can make Tagovailoa look good, imagine what he can do with someone like Herbert. We should be in store for his best fantasy and on-field performance.
Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks RB
There is no rookie that I’m higher on than Jadarian Price. Despite being the second-string running back behind Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, Price was effective. During his junior season with the Irish, he had 113 rushing attempts for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Had Price not been behind Love, he likely would have been even more explosive and gotten more hype. But at least he has shown he can do well in a committee-style system.
It’s not only that Price was impressive in college, but he landed in the perfect situation with the Seattle Seahawks. With them drafting him 32nd overall this past draft, he should be a big part of Seattle’s rushing attack. With Zach Charbonnet set to miss a chunk of the season, he should be getting running back one reps from the jump. The offensive line also showed strong running blocking ability on their trip to the Super Bowl, so he should have plenty of openings. Price is someone who can be a reliable producer week in and week out.
Breece Hall, New York Jets RB
There has not been much to like about the New York Jets over the past few years. But one of the few positives has been Breece Hall’s play. He has consistently ranked as a top 20 running back in fantasy and has finished as high as the running back six back in 2023. This past season, he put up 1,065 yards on 243 attempts with 4 touchdowns. He also had 19 catches for 218 yards and a touchdown. Despite talk of moving to a running-back-by-committee system, Hall has established himself as a bellcow back.
Now, sure, his fantasy numbers have decreased in each of the past few seasons, but that has been because of his low touchdown total. That should change this season. With Geno Smith under center, the Jets should be a run-first offense. They have even said they plan on giving Hall even more touches. I’m expecting him to get at least 20 touches per game as well as the main option when the Jets get inside the red zone. This should cause him to put in a top ten fantasy season.
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers WR
One of the teams I’m very high on this season is the Carolina Panthers. I think their offense has a chance to make a massive jump and help lead them to a second straight division title. A big reason for this confidence is Tetairoa McMillian. He became the wide receiver that Bryce Young desperately needed. During his rookie season, he caught 70 passes on 122 targets for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. He also averaged a solid 1.69 fantasy points per target against man and 1.72 points against zone.
Now that McMillan has a season under his belt, he should be set to take another step forward this season. He should be the number one option in the Panthers’ offense again. Their running back room, with Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks, also has injury concerns. This should open up the pass game a little bit more. At the very least, we should have McMillan set a target total similar to last season. With him having an 8.3 yards per target, he should be able to rack up a lot of yards and touchdown opportunities.
Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears TE
Although the Chicago Bears are a popular pick to regress this upcoming season, I don’t see that happening to Colston Loveland. In his first season in the NFL, he had 58 catches on 72 targets for 713 yards and six touchdowns. He led the Bears in receptions and yards and was tied for the lead in touchdowns. While he put up decent numbers all season, he reached another level over the last five games. He had a 29% target share and had one of the best yards per route of any receiver during that stretch.
Loveland’s high usage carried over to the playoffs. He was targeted on 33% of routes and averaged 2.57 yards per route run. It’s clear that he has established himself as Cabel Williams’ go-to receiver. He should see an increased role this upcoming season and should get a lot of the first looks on offense. Now, sure, we’re expecting him to get over 30% of the targets is a bit insane. But he can easily settle between 23-26% of the target share. He could be in the running to be the number one tight end in fantasy.
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