Fantasy football rankings 2024: Breakouts from advanced NFL model that called Jahmyr Gibbs' big year

Nov 7, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick (81) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium.

Patrick Mahomes has been the top quarterback in the NFL for the last six years, but before he led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl and won NFL MVP honors in 2018, Mahomes was a major question mark. Before his breakout season, Mahomes only made one start as a rookie and few could have foreseen that he'd throw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns. Landing a player who dramatically outperforms their 2024 Fantasy football ADP like Mahomes can dramatically alter your fortunes. Who will be among the 2024 Fantasy football breakouts and where does Mahomes belong in the 2024 Fantasy football rankings? Before crafting your 2024 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2024 Fantasy football rankings and 2024 Fantasy football cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Last year, the model accurately predicted that Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs would carry significantly more value than expected during his rookie season. The result: Gibbs rushed for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns while also catching 52 passes for 316 yards and a score. Gibbs was coming off the board in the middle of the fourth round on average but finished as a top-10 running back in CBS Sports PPR leagues.

The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020 and nailing Jonathan Taylor's monstrous season in 2021. Additionally, it's called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.

The model is powered by the same people who generated projections for all three major Fantasy sites, and it beat human experts last season when there was a big difference in ranking. The projections update multiple times daily, so you're always getting the best Fantasy football advice.

Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2024, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.

Top 2024 Fantasy football breakouts

One of the 2024 Fantasy football breakouts the model is predicting: Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed. In his second year last season, Shaheed was an All-Pro returner who added a stat line of 46-719-5 on offense. He's an explosive asset out wide who has averaged 16.3 yards per catch through two NFL seasons, which ranks third in the league over that span (min. 50 receptions).

Shaheed is in line for more opportunities to show off that big-play ability this year with the Saints moving on from longtime wideout Michael Thomas. With Chris Olave, who is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, on the other side, Shaheed doesn't have to worry about seeing an opponent's top cornerback or double-coverage. With the leap that Shaheed is poised to take in Year 3, the model has him on par with Christian Kirk and Chris Godwin in its 2024 Fantasy football WR rankings, despite those two being drafted multiple rounds earlier on average.

Another breakout that SportsLine's Fantasy football rankings 2024 have identified: Bengals running back Chase Brown. A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Brown had two 1,000-yard seasons at Illinois and spent the first half of his rookie season primarily playing special teams.

However, he worked his way into the rotation late in the year and with Joe Mixon leaving this offseason, he should be in line for a major role in the Cincinnati offense. He'll compete with Zack Moss for first-team reps and there's early optimism in Cincinnati about the duo. That's a big reason why the model ranks Brown ahead of veterans like Antonio Gibson and Gus Edwards. See which other Fantasy football breakouts 2024 to pick here.

How to find proven 2024 Fantasy football football rankings

SportsLine is also extremely high on a surprising running back you aren't even thinking about being taken in the middle rounds of 2024 Fantasy football drafts. This running back is listed as a shocking top-10 option ahead of superstars like Jonathan Taylor and Joe Mixon. You can only see who it is, and the 2024 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.

So which 2024 Fantasy Football breakouts should you target? And which RB shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2024 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called Jahmyr Gibbs' breakout season, and find out.