Fantasy football seasons ended just as the calendar flipped from 2023 to 2024, and the conclusion of Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 officially sent the NFL into the offseason after an entire overtime quarter of bonus football. While NFL players and staff are getting a well-deserved rest, some fantasy football managers are going about their endless quest to get an edge over the competition in preparation for the next campaign. If you are a fantasy football enthusiast looking for a leg up this offseason, here are some proactive strategies you can use heading into draft day.
Get to Know the Rookies
If you follow both college football and the NFL closely, you already have an edge in this regard. If not, the two-and-a-half months between the Super Bowl and the 2024 NFL Draft (April 25-27) offer plenty of time to familiarize yourself with some of the top prospects set to enter the league. Fantasy managers who believed in C.J. Stroud, Sam LaPorta or even Rashee Rice from Day 1 in 2023 got excellent value in fantasy drafts, while preseason optimism in Bryce Young and Quentin Johnston proved misplaced.
In the modern age, there is no shortage of well-informed draftniks and prognosticators posting projections and mock drafts. The NFL Draft Combine is scheduled for Feb. 26-March 4, so incoming NFL players will soon have 40 times and drill results to complement their college stats and possible player comps when assessing their potential impact in the NFL. While a player's landing spot on draft day could enhance or suppress their potential, getting an early read on a few sleepers in the pre-draft process can help identify fantasy targets, be it in fantasy drafts or on waivers later in the season. Late-round fantasy fliers on 2023 fifth-round NFL Draft pick Puka Nacua worked out better than those savvy fantasy managers could have hoped, while the likes of Rice or Jayden Reed went undrafted in many leagues or were dropped after slow starts, so they were hanging out on waivers in many formats before making mid-season surges.
While each of the last few seasons has had numerous impactful rookies in the fantasy realm, the 2024 NFL Draft looks poised to have massive fantasy football ramifications for the next decade-plus, so it certainly doesn't hurt to get a beat on some of the incoming skill position players before the draft. USC QB Caleb Williams headlines a deep QB class expected to produce numerous NFL starters, and this is also projected to be one of the best WR classes in recent memory. Veteran fantasy football managers who rostered Marvin Harrison during a Hall of Fame career that spanned from 1996 to 2008 will be happy to welcome Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State to their fantasy receiving corps. Kyle Pitts and LaPorta have two of the four highest receiving yardage totals for rookie tight ends in NFL history, and Georgia's Brock Bowers may be a better prospect at that position than either of those recent draft picks.
Follow Free Agent News
The draft isn't the only way NFL teams will be augmenting their rosters. Numerous big names are set to hit free agency, and while some will ultimately be retained by their current teams, several key contributors will also move around after free agency officially opens up March 13. When following free agents, it's important to consider the second-order effects of player departures or additions. For instance, Dalvin Cook's departure from Minnesota last offseason opened the door for Alexander Mattison to take over the starting role, while Aaron Rodgers' addition to the Jets was expected to elevate the play of the team's receivers, especially Garrett Wilson. Rodgers immediately got hurt and Mattison turned out to be less impressive as a lead back than he had been as a spot starter behind Cook, but those offseason changes in context were evident in players' valuations in fantasy drafts.
Fantasy Football Forecasts: How NFL Next Team Odds Influence Player Projections
The 2024 free agent class is especially loaded at running back, with big names such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Austin Ekeler, and Josh Jacobs all potentially hitting the market. Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield highlight a relatively weak QB free agent class, and early indications suggest both are more likely than not to be brought back by the teams that employed them in 2023. Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman, and Mike Evans are the biggest WRs that could be on the move, but they may wind up staying put as well.
Read Up on Rumors
Outside of rookies and free agents, there are numerous additional factors you can stay abreast of in the offseason that could affect the fantasy landscape. Coaching staff turnover could help clue you into a player's usage the following season; the Brian Daboll hiring helped turn Daniel Jones into a fantasy-viable, dual-threat QB in 2022, though injuries and poor O-line play caught up to Danny Dimes in 2023. Off-season contract situations can also have a tangible in-season impact. Jacobs held out until just before the season in 2023 and never managed to recapture his elite 2022 form with Vegas, while Jonathan Taylor's early-season stint on the PUP list may have been spurred on by his contract dispute with the Colts.
Injury updates are also important to monitor, though many situations won't be fleshed out until teams begin organized team activities (OTAs) in May/June or training camps in mid-July. All indications point to Rodgers hitting the ground running since he was close to returning from his Achilles injury late in the 2023 season, but it remains to be seen whether Jones' torn ACL will be healed in time for New York's other QB to start Week 1, so interested fantasy managers can keep tabs on sources close to the Giants in hopes of gaining clarity on the status of Jones' knee. Just don't pay too much attention to the inevitable reports of a player being "in the best shape of his life." While they are inevitably true for some people, those offseason reports have become so commonplace as to have largely lost all meaning, much like rest-related Wednesday DNPs for important veterans deep into the NFL season.
Start or Continue a Dynasty League
Fantasy football offseason activities don't have to be exclusively research-focused. You can also flex your team manager muscles by participating in dynasty or keeper formats. Whether done through snake drafts or auctions, dynasty and keeper leagues feature off-season decisions on which players to keep year after year, with custom roster deadlines based on leagues. Whether you are deciding on which players to keep, sending out trade offers in hopes of adding talent or potential or making life difficult for your competition through salary arbitration in relevant formats, there is no shortage of keeper/dynasty league activities to scratch your fantasy football itch during the offseason and set you up for success next season. If you aren't already in a dynasty or keeper league, consider starting up your own or inquiring within the fantasy football community about an open spot in an existing league.
Do Some Best Balls
Whether you want to get some practice in before your league's draft or just want to draft without the hassle of managing a team all season, Best Balls are the perfect way to get some practice in. In Best Ball formats, you do a fantasy draft as usual, except with a larger bench…and that's it! No more staying up at night analyzing every angle of a tough lineup decision or missing out on the top waiver pickup because someone else had priority or more FAAB money to spend. After your Best Ball team has been drafted, you just sit back and watch the results come in. Your roster is locked in, and your best lineup will automatically be selected for you based on players' fantasy output that week. Best Ball formats often forgo the kicker and defense positions entirely, rewarding your ability to identify the best sleepers and values at QB, RB, WR, and TE.
You can do Best Ball drafts for free or draft for money on leading platforms such as DraftKings or Yahoo. Best Ball fantasy football drafts typically become available soon after the conclusion of the NFL Draft, which means you can draft as soon as May and definitely by early June. This early start will allow you to put all your offseason legwork to good use by uncovering hidden gems that aren't yet getting proper attention, or capitalizing on offseason uncertainty over injuries or roles. DraftKings offers self-contained 12-player leagues with payouts to top finishers, as well as tournaments in which the top two finishers in a 12-player league move on to play for larger prizes in Weeks 15, 16 and 17, including a seven-figure top prize. With traditional snake drafts (30 seconds per pick) or slow drafts (eight hours per pick), it's easy to find a DraftKings Best Ball that fits your schedule. Yahoo Best Ball contests consist of 10-team leagues with 0.5 PPR scoring, as opposed to DraftKings' 12-team, full-PPR format. Yahoo Best Ball buy-in denominations include free, $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $250 and $500, so you can find a Best Ball league that fits your risk tolerance.
