The 2024 NFL season can be right here earlier than we all know it, which means fantasy soccer is ramping up from this level on. As the recognition of fantasy soccer has grown, increasingly fantasy managers are enjoying in deep leagues consisting of 14+ groups and/or a ton of further roster spots.
Drafting a high-ceiling beginning lineup is at all times essential, however stashing backups with upside can take your staff excessive when accidents occur or bye weeks happen. Most fantasy avid gamers have heard of “handcuff” working backs, however “handcuff” large receivers are price consideration within the late rounds of drafts, too.
On this article, we’ll spotlight 4 backup large receivers to think about stashing in 2024 fantasy soccer. To be thought of a backup, a participant should not be listed within the beginning lineup of RotoBaller’s depth chart web page.
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When the Texans traded for former Payments famous person wideout Stefon Diggs, it closed the door on Noah Brown being a starter in three-wide units. Nevertheless, he has one of many highest ceilings amongst “handcuff” wideouts in 2024. If Diggs, Nico Collins, or Tank Dell miss temporary or prolonged motion this 12 months, Brown needs to be the subsequent man off the bench.
In Weeks 9 and 10 of final season, Brown stepped up and caught 13 passes for 325 yards and a landing. He posted consecutive top-six weeks amongst fantasy wideouts (PPR). Whereas he was restricted to only 10 video games, he demonstrated his spike-week upside when given the chance.
THIS. PLACE. IS. LOUD. pic.twitter.com/W8wVGhAL70
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 5, 2023
Houston has a crowded large receiver room behind its three starters, together with Robert Woods, Ben Skowronek, and John Metchie III. Skowronek and Metchie have by no means had the flashes of upside Brown confirmed final season, and Woods is properly past his prime getting into his age-32 season.
Brown is free in drafts of all styles and sizes, but he has a sensible path to offering no less than a number of top-36 weekly finishes. C.J. Stroud is primed to raise Houston into an elite passing staff, so getting an inexpensive piece of the offense is rarely a nasty thought.
D.J. Chark, Los Angeles Chargers
With the lack of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason, the Chargers have one of many worst pass-catching teams within the NFL. Though Quentin Johnston, Joshua Palmer, and Ladd McConkey are projected to begin in three-wide units to start the season, Chark has a path towards enjoying time. One of many three wideouts might get injured, or Johnston might fail to point out why he was a first-round decide for the second 12 months in a row, inflicting Jim Harbaugh and Co. to tug the plug on him as their No. 1 large receiver of the long run.
Chark has hardly ever been a goal hog and sure will not be if he sees additional motion in 2024, however he has spike-week upside in what needs to be an efficient play-action offense led by the most effective deep-ball throwers within the NFL — Justin Herbert.
Chark was a non-factor in fantasy soccer final 12 months, however he registered the seventh-highest common goal distance within the NFL (15.4) and scored 5 touchdowns within the lifeless Panthers offense. In the end, Chark is at all times going to be seen as a greater possibility in finest ball codecs, however he might turn into the “YOLO” ball recipient from Herbert like Williams has been over the previous couple of seasons.
Dalton to DJ 🎯 @Panthers tie up the sport in Seattle earlier than taking a 1-pt lead!
📺: #CARvsSEA on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UQdQ05hqXN pic.twitter.com/nwogSyz536
— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2023
Given his lack of authentic goal competitors mixed with having a gunslinging QB and chunk-play expertise, he is a strong flyer at price.
Let’s face it. Allen Lazard was an entire bust in his first season with the New York Jets. He was additionally by no means spectacular with the Inexperienced Bay Packers, however he developed strong chemistry with Aaron Rodgers in 2022 and posted 60 receptions for 788 yards and 6 touchdowns. In 2021, he caught a career-high eight touchdowns whereas enjoying alongside Davante Adams.
Rodgers to Lazard for the 25-yard TD! #GoPackGo
📺: #NYJvsGB on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/EIJdhy1M03 pic.twitter.com/zqxJKVuIpj
— NFL (@NFL) October 16, 2022
The 6-foot-5 veteran will not be a quantity monster in 2024, however he might get again to being a authentic red-zone risk with Rodgers again in motion. New York’s three beginning receivers are more likely to be Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, and third-round rookie Malachi Corley, however Williams is coming off an ACL tear. He might miss the beginning of the season, and based mostly on historical past, he is more likely to miss a number of video games when he returns. Whereas Lazard has been labeled as a possible reduce candidate, the group can be in a greater spot to launch him subsequent offseason. He is heading into 12 months 2 of his four-year, $44 million deal.
Lazard is a protracted shot to supply fantasy-friendly numbers this 12 months, however given his earlier relationship with Rodgers, Williams’ damage, and the truth that he is free in drafts, there isn’t any danger in stashing him.
Whereas Dontayvion Wicks has turn into a well-liked sleeper across the fantasy soccer world — he is technically a backup. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed are extra established and are seemingly the three starters in Week 1, however Wicks demonstrated loads of skill in 2023 as a fifth-round rookie out of Virginia.
Dontayvion Wicks places the Packers forward!
📺: #CHIvsGB on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/Y1fZ4ntm17
— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024
The 22-year-old ran simply 281 routes (89th most), however he scored the 58th-most fantasy factors per sport. He additionally ranked twenty fourth in yards per route run (2.07), eleventh in yards per goal (10.0), twenty fifth in yards per reception (14.9), and tenth in route win price (54.4%). (Information by way of PlayerProfiler.com)
In a small pattern, he flashed excellence, and he is tied to an ascending offense led by 2023 breakout quarterback Jordan Love.
In the meantime, Watson has missed 11 video games by means of his first two NFL seasons, Doubs is not spectacular in any effectivity metric, and Reed was utilized extra as a gadget participant than an precise downfield route runner. Wicks has a number of paths to enjoying time in his sophomore marketing campaign, and having as many items of Love’s passing sport as doable is a good suggestion contemplating how low-cost every of the Inexperienced Bay receivers are in early fantasy drafts.
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You’ll want to additionally take a look at all of our different every day fantasy soccer articles and evaluation that will help you set these successful lineups, together with this new RotoBaller YouTube video:
