Fantasy Football Breakouts 2024: Jayden Daniels, De'Von Achane, Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey

Every year, there are diamonds in the rough that break out for fantasy football managers. These are my breakout candidates ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

A fantasy football breakout is more than just a sleeper. It's the ascension. It's the leap into fantasy stardom.

A fantasy football breakout means a player who improves dramatically to become a weekly starter - a "set it and forget it" caliber player.

Fantasy roles may change from year to year. But for one glorious season, a breakout can become a league winner like Brock Purdy, Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua in 2023.

Identifying breakouts before the season is an inexact science. Unfortunately, as life can be, the NFL is irrational. Just because a player will have a big opportunity share and seems to be in a position for success, that doesn't mean it can go that way. And a player who seems to have every obstacle impeding them can break out.

So, to meet my criteria for a breakout, players need to be QB15+, RB25+, WR30+ or TE12+. By my measurement, a fantasy football player reaches breakout status when they become a very good starter, finishing the season better than QB8, RB15, WR18, or TE7.

Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders

Has the reality of being a rookie tight end changed? Can rookie TEs excel statistically to the point that they are fantasy-relevant in today's NFL? It's happened in the past, but that was the exception, not the rule.

I still don't know if it's possible. Teams need the right ecosystem for it to occur.

The Lions' strong offensive line was the catalyst that allowed Sam LaPorta to stay on the field more and run more routes. Since they didn't need him to stay in and block as much, they could let LaPorta run routes and deliver the fantasy goods.

The Raiders don't have the luxury of a great offensive line. What will push Bowers to the forefront is he is very clearly the second-best receiver on the team behind Davante Adams. 

As the Raiders No. 2 WR in 2023, Jakobi Meyers played well with 71 receptions for 807 yards and eight touchdowns on 106 targets. I don't want to say you can plug those numbers in for Bowers in 2024, but that's the gist.

If you're worried about Bowers's ability to carve out a role, try to give the Raiders some credit. They didn't forget they already have a young, great tight end in Michael Mayer. 

However, Bowers's arrival signals they will use 12 personnel more frequently. I wouldn't be surprised if Las Vegas leads the league in two-TE usage.

Mayer will spend more time as the in-line blocker, while Bowers will be lined all over the field as a receiver. Between Adams, Bowers, Mayer and Zamir White, it will be tough to defend these guys in the red zone.

Projection: 75 receptions, 850 yards, 7 TDs (TE6 finish)

Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Speaking of Davante Adams, what I always appreciated about him coming into the NFL was his route-running and body control. Adams has never been the fastest or had the biggest catch radius because of his size; he's always been a technician in his footwork and blossomed from that.

McConkey can be that.

We all should know by now that there are a ton of targets available in this offense, even if they do opt to be a run-heavy offense. The reason to highlight McConkey is that he will feast, and I'm calling now that he will see 150 targets in his rookie season.

Remember Hunter Renfrow's 2021 target feast season? I understand Renfrow has fallen off since then, but for fantasy purposes, McConkey has that statistical upside.

Projection: 90 receptions, 1,100 yards, 5 TDs (WR16)

De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

I'm breaking my rules here because Achane is ranked in the top 15. And you could also make the case that Achane already had a pretty special rookie season in 2023. But the speedster out of Texas A&M has first-tier RB potential. Not many backs outside the top 5 have a realistic shot to accomplish that.

Last year, his game-breaking ability was on full display, with five contests with 20 or more fantasy points. The issue was that injuries kept derailing his season. Even if injuries remain an issue, fantasy managers can navigate around that since when he does play, Achane can single-handedly win your weekly head-to-head matchup.

If you're worried about Raheem Mostert, you're not looking at it correctly. Yes, other backs will get touches in Miami. However, only a few players have the explosive talent to turn limited touches into big stats. 

When Jamaal Charles first came into the league, the Chiefs still had Larry Johnson. By Year 2, Charles stole the show and was in the driver's seat. That's the comp.

Projection: Rushing: 175/1,250/8; Receiving: 45/430/4 (RB5)

Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders

This is a tough one. The emergence of a young quarterback is tricky. We forget that just two short years ago, Justin Fields finished the 2022 season as the QB6 despite missing three games! Only Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow scored more points per game than him.

And we see how far that got him.

So we don't know that Daniels will be a future superstar for the Commanders. But he can certainly succeed on the field by shouldering a big offensive workload. 

There are concerns. I think Daniels hangs onto the football for a beat (or two) too long. He starts scrambling out of the pocket a half-beat too soon. These may not be great decisions for the football team. But it can certainly lead to fantasy points.

So if you decide to wait a long time to draft a backup quarterback, of all the ones available late in drafts, you want to opt for one with some scrambling ability. Drake Maye has some sneaky athleticism, but Daniels can burn. Remember, we aren't drafting the futures of our NFL franchise. We want the guy who puts points on the board. And Daniels' skill set and the likelihood he'll have to carry this offense is very high.

There is some bounce-back potential for the Commanders as a franchise. They needed to move on from Ron Rivera years ago. 

In turn, the new regime and coaching staff could provide a breath of fresh air to the city and DMV region. It's a very, very cautious optimism. As a non-Commanders fan living in the area for the last 25+ years, it's hard to imagine this team being good. And Daniels could spearhead that shift.

Projection: Passing: 2,750 yards, 16 TD, 15 INT; Rushing: 750 yards, 8 touchdowns (QB8)

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