Sleeper's 2024 Fantasy Football MVPs 🥇

The moment you've waited for all season is here: Sleeper's position-by-position list of the best fantasy players in the NFL for 2024.

As a memorable 2024 NFL regular season concludes (and with your season-long Sleeper fantasy leagues likely done and dusted), it’s time to crown our fantasy football MVPs at the four primary positions: QB, RB, WR and TE.

In addition to naming the best fantasy players of 2024, we’ve also picked out our top waiver-wire adds of the season at each position along with the most sensational single-game performances to put a bow on another fantasy campaign. (For clarity, all fantasy scoring and redraft ADPs referenced here are using half-PPR fantasy points per game.)

Just because the NFL season is winding down, does not mean Sleeper doesn't have you covered for both the NFL offseason and other fantasy sports. So make sure to check back often.

But in the meantime, it’s onto the nominees…

Quarterback Nominees

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen (Sleeper ADP 20.2) finished second behind Lamar Jackson with 24.1 fantasy points per game. Most impressive was his Week 14-15 stretch, where he tallied a historic 93.2 fantasy points over the two-game period. The main case against Allen was his inconsistency, as he tallied just 12 fantasy points in Week 16 — the fantasy football semifinals for most — in one of Allen’s four occurrences below 15 points on the season.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Jackson’s 25.7 fantasy points per game were the most by any player, at any position, this season. He was remarkably consistent, topping 21 fantasy points in 13 of 16 games, while scoring at least 16 fantasy points each week. No other QB offered as consistent a floor or ceiling as Jackson (ADP 36.3).

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow (ADP 62.3) finished third among fantasy QBs with 23 points per game. However, he delivered fantasy titles to most managers that started him in Week 17, as his 37 points were the most by any player, no matter the position, that week. Burrow was also drafted several rounds later than both Allen and Jackson.

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

The late-round QB hero, Daniels (ADP 112) finished fourth with 22.5 points per game. The rookie delivered down the stretch, as his 30.9 fantasy points per game from Weeks 15-17 were the highest at the position. Daniels topped 32 fantasy points in both Weeks 16 and 17, while no other QB even reached 26 in both games.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Many who waited until the last round to select a QB were rewarded with Mayfield (ADP 178.6), and his QB5-worthy 22.4 fantasy points per game. He topped 23 fantasy points in all three weeks of the fantasy playoffs, and his 34.6 fantasy points in Week 17 were the second-most of the championship round.

Winner: Daniels

The combination of his Round 9-10 Sleeper ADP, along with his masterful performances during the fantasy playoffs, gives the rookie the edge among the competition.

Running Back Nominees

Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Gibbs (ADP 10.3) finished third in fantasy points per game behind Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, despite having the highest ADP among the finalists. However, he reached double-digit fantasy points in all but one game, and no other running back reached 17 fantasy points in each week of the fantasy football playoffs; Gibbs remarkably reached 23 in all three weeks.

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

His 21.2 fantasy points per game were more than 2.5 higher than any other running back on the season. Barkley (ADP 12.1) reached 30 fantasy points on five occasions, and he delivered a top-six fantasy performance in both Weeks 16 and 17. Unfortunately, Barkley’s 8.4-point performance in Week 15 may have cost some managers a semifinal berth.

Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

The Big Dog finished second behind Barkley with 18.6 fantasy points per game, and like Gibbs, Henry (ADP 18.6) was consistent, reaching double-digit fantasy points in all but Week 15.

Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

After a slow start, Brown (ADP 117) was the RB7 in fantasy points per game from Week 4 onward, topping 10 points in all but one contest. He wasn’t as dominant as the others listed here, but his ADP was also 8-9 rounds later than all of them.

Winner: Gibbs

We simply cannot overstate how important it is for a player to end the year on a high note. Gibbs kept his fantasy managers in playoff position all year, before delivering three straight spike games in Weeks 15-17 to ensure fantasy championships.

Wide Receiver Nominees

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson (ADP 4.3) put any concerns about his fantasy upside with Sam Darnold to bed, finishing second with 16.2 fantasy points per game. Although Jefferson only hit 20 fantasy points once during the first 13 games, in Weeks 14-17 he led all receivers with 22.5 points per game.

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase’s 19.9 fantasy points per game was nearly four more than any other wide receiver. He topped 35 fantasy points in three games, practically guaranteeing his fantasy managers a win those weeks. Chase (ADP 5.6) did fall just under 15 fantasy points in two of the three fantasy playoff weeks, though.

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

Higgins (ADP 57.3) missed five games, but at a mid-round ADP, he managed to tie Jefferson in fantasy points per game (16.2). Any fantasy managers with Higgins in the championship likely pulled out a victory, thanks to his overall WR1 finish in Week 17 (34.6 points).

Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

Thomas (ADP 104.5) was a steal in Round 9 of drafts, ending as the WR9 in fantasy points per game and WR4 in total points. The rookie was the only receiver to top 20 fantasy points in all three games during the fantasy playoffs, performing similarly to Gibbs.

Winner: Chase

Nearly all Chase fantasy managers made the playoffs, and the gap between his fantasy output and everyone else was simply too great. He is a near-lock to win the triple crown, leading the league in receptions, yards and TDs.

Tight End Nominees

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

McBride (ADP 48.2) finished third in points per game despite not catching a TD until Week 17. His 24.3 fantasy points that week were the most at the position, helping his fantasy managers secure titles.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Kittle (ADP 58.9) scored nearly two fantasy points per game (13.9) more than anyone else at the position. He was also the only tight end to reach 14 points in both Weeks 16 and 17, when managers needed it most.

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Bowers (ADP 83.2) already smashed most rookie tight end receiving records even before Week 18. He finished second to Kittle with 12.1 fantasy points per game, and he was the only tight end to top 24 fantasy points on two occasions.

Winner: Kittle

While Bowers was available two rounds later, we cannot ignore how much better Kittle performed compared to every other tight end, including at the end of the fantasy playoffs.

Waiver Wire Heroes 🦸

Unlike the MVPs, players in this section are ranked by merit, rather than their redraft ADP on Sleeper — largely because they virtually had no ADP. If you were early to pluck any of these players off waivers in your leagues, you likely reaped the benefits in the standings.

Quarterback

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings: The veteran journeyman re-wrote his entire career in 2024, finishing as the QB8 in fantasy points per game (19.5).

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos: The rookie looked like a fish out of water early on, finishing with 13 or fewer fantasy points in three September games. He then caught fire as he learned the system, ending as the QB10 with 18.4 fantasy points per game.

Running Back

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The small, fourth-round rookie took over this backfield in Week 6, performing as the RB11 per game from that point onward.

Ameer Abdullah, Las Vegas Raiders: The 31-year-old Abdullah and Gibbs were the only two running backs to top 16 fantasy points in all three weeks of the fantasy playoffs.

Tyrone Tracy, New York Giants: The late-round rookie was the RB20 per game from Week 5 onward, one of the lone bright spots on a dismal Giants team.

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs: He gave fantasy managers a boost midseason, performing as the RB5 with 16.8 fantasy points per game from Weeks 5 through 10.

Wide Receiver

Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The rookie scored TDs in his final four games, averaging more fantasy points per game (17.7) than Amon-Ra St. Brown over that stretch.

Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers: The veteran was a fantasy WR1 during the final five games of the season after returning from IR.

Tight End

Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins: He was the fantasy TE5 on a per-game basis, finishing with more yards per game than star teammate and WR Jaylen Waddle.

Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Otton scored nearly 20 more fantasy points than any other tight end from Weeks 7-9, stepping up on a Tampa team ravaged by WR injuries.

Wildest Single-Game Performances 🤯

These booms and spikes either vaulted fantasy managers to surefire weekly wins … or were left to waste on the waiver wire, since most came out of nowhere.