Super Bowl-contending team, recent stats make McCaffrey top pick
By BEN ODDIS
Beakon Staff Writer
The 2024 NFL season is on the way, and fans nationwide are beginning to draft their fantasy football teams. Among all active players, Ceedee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, and Tyreek Hill were the clearcut standouts of last year. ESPN’s PFP listed Lamb, McCaffrey, and Hill as the first, fourth, and fifth ranked players in this year’s class. McCaffrey ranked No. 1 in a league with few top-tier backs. McCaffrey is the best player for fantasy teams.
Traded to the Dolphins during the 2021 offseason, Hill has spent two seasons in Miami racking up 1,710 and 1,799-yard seasons and 20 total touchdowns. Hill had a career year leading the fantasy world as the highest-ranked receiver. Lamb during his fourth year in Dallas also had a career-best 1,749 yards with 12 touchdowns across the way. Lamb earned himself a four-year extension worth $136 million, giving fantasy owners higher expectations to keep up the top-tier numbers.
The only halfback on this list, Christian McCaffrey, came off an award-winning season. The San Francisco back posted monster numbers having a combined 2,023 rushing and receiving yards with 21 total touchdowns. McCaffrey had a 17-game touchdown streak, tying the NFL record previously set by Colts legend Lenny Moore. Considering fantasy football is completely stat-based, McCaffrey is the clear-cut best overall option for fantasy users.
Coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the 49ers are back with another league-best roster including Christian McCaffrey working behind a solid offensive line, star receivers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk George Kittle, and breakout quarterback Brock Purdy. With the NFL transitioning into a pass heavy league, it is important to build your halfback core around a star. McCaffrey is a must-draft if available with your first-round pick.
Dynamic skills, potent offense make Hill clear best pick
By RYAN REESE
Beakon Staff Writer
As the NFL season is one day away people are now starting to draft their fantasy football teams. For the people who are wondering who should I draft, whether that’s Tyreek Hill, Christian McCaffrey, or CeeDee Lamb, that is up to you but I am here to tell you that there is a clear cut number one player for this year’s season and that player is Tyreek Hill.
The Miami Dolphins are a team I’ve watched a lot, with him being one of the most exciting players in the NFL, and I can say that the offense revolves around him. Tyreek is all over the field and makes people miss, making big plays. Tyreek has an outstanding offense around him with big names like Jaylen Waddle and Odell Beckham surrounding him at wide receiver with Devon Achane and Raheem Mostert in the backfield to keep defenses on their heels. Adding on to that, the leading passer in the NFL last season Tua Tagovailoa, returns as the starting quarterback for the Dolphins. Tua will likely again this year like the last two look to Tyreek to make those big plays that sets them apart from all the other NFL teams. Tyreek took the fantasy leagues by storm last season having a career year putting up 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns which were both first in the NFL for wide receivers racking up 119 receptions with 171 targets while averaging 15.1 yards. The Miami Dolphins schedule is the 24th hardest in the NFL toughest schedule for NFL teams on Fox Sports and that is behind both the Cowboys and 49ers who are ranked 12th and 13th which gives Tyreek an advantage. One thing most players don’t have that Tyreek Hill has is consistency over the past few seasons Tyreek has played in 33 games in Miami, counting 17 games in 2022 and 16 games in 2023. He has had one year in the NFL where he played less than 15 games and since then has also racked up over 1,200 yards every year since 2020. Tyreek Hill is an outstanding player and with the Dolphins having one of the more favorable schedules I think that Tyreek will explode this season having an even better year than he did last year and he will be the best player for fantasy football
leagues.
Other players that people are drafting like CeeDee Lamb and Christian McCaffrey are also good picks but I do not believe they will have a season like Tyreek and this is why. CeeDee Lamb’s big 2023 season is fooling people and people are starting to debate on taking Lamb over Hill but this is why CeeDee won’t produce like Tyreek. The Cowboys have the 12th-ranked hardest schedule and will be seeing better competition. This causes CeeDee to go up against tough defenses which could limit him to fewer yards and catches. In the 2023 season Lamb had less yards and touchdowns than Tyreek and only had more receptions due to Tyreek being limited later in the year. Lamb is an outstanding receiver but should not be put in the same category when it comes to taking him over Hill this year in your fantasy leagues.
The only halfback on this list is Christian McCafrey who had an outstanding 2023 season and who is in most people’s draft is going first. However I’m gonna tell you first that taking Christian McCaffrey is a scary pick because of his high risk of injury. McCaffrey has played only 42 of his 83 games in the last 5 seasons. His outstanding year last year where he had over 2,000 all-purpose yards is fooling us all and could ruin your fantasy teams. McCaffrey rushed for over 1,400 yards on the ground last year but in his last five seasons, that is his highest. In his four previous years he has had only a combined 1,806 yards and this is most definitely something to keep in mind when you have a chance to draft any one of these three players. With the NFL starting to become a more pass heaver league and with all this in mind Hill is a must-take if available this year in your fantasy football leagues.