When players in the NFL are in the final year of their current contract, it motivates them to bring the best version of themselves to the field each week. Sometimes when players sign a new long-term contract, they might take it easy at the start of the season. That is why adding a few players that are in a contract year to your fantasy team could benefit you a ton during the year. Here are three players that I am targeting when drafting my fantasy football team this season.
QB Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys
In the past two seasons, the Dallas Cowboys have re-signed two of their best players, Micah Parson and, most recently, CeeDee Lamb. But the leader of the Cowboys, QB Dak Prescott, still is waiting for owner Jerry Jones to give him his big payday.
Prescott, 31, is a three-time pro bowler and is coming off an incredible season where he led the NFL in passing touchdowns (36) while being third in yards (4,516). Prescott threw nine interceptions, the first time that he has thrown under 10 while playing a full season since 2018.
In 2023, Prescott was the third-highest scoring fantasy QB (352 FPTS) while averaging 20.7 points per game according to Fantasy Pros. Right now, he is being drafted as the ninth QB off the board with an ADP of 78th overall. If you miss out on the top four QBs (Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson), Prescott is a great choice to boost your roster. He will be trying to impress Jones every game to get the massive contract he is looking for.
Prescott is +1800, eighth among QBs to win the 2024 NFL MVP on DraftKings Sportsbook.
WR Stefon Diggs | Houston Texans
Diggs finished as a top 10 WR in all four seasons he played with the Bills. Last season, he did drop off a bit in yardage from 2022, but Diggs still caught 107 balls (sixth in NFL) for 1,181 yards and eight touchdowns. Diggs was WR9 in 2023, which is the worst finish he has had since 2019 when he was WR24.
Diggs does turn 31 years old in November, but he should not have a huge drop-off in production. He joins a young and talented Houston team led by C.J. Stroud, who is coming off of an unbelievable rookie season. Although Diggs joins a crowded WR room with rising stars, Nico Collins and Tank Dell, he is still the most reliable player with the most experience for Stroud.
With his contract expiring after this season, Diggs will be hungry to make an impact in Houston early and often. Diggs will not receive the same workload that he saw in Buffalo where he saw 150-plus targets in his last four seasons, but will have to make every play count.
WR Tee Higgins | Cincinnati Bengals
After having a very successful start to his career, Higgins took a step back last season. Part of that was due to missing five games and being without star QB Joe Burrow for much of the second half of the schedule. Higgins totaled 656 yards, 42 catches and five touchdowns.
Higgins had 137.6 fantasy points in the PPR format in 2023 and finished the season as WR51. Although Higgins missed a few games and didn’t look like the version we saw of him during his first three seasons in the league, when healthy, he is still one of the best young receivers in the NFL. When he played 16 games in 2022, Higgins was WR18 at the end of the year. In 2021, he was WR24, playing in 14 games that season.
Higgins is being taken as the 29th WR off the board with his ADP being 57 in PPR leagues. Getting a player of Higgins’ caliber late in the fourth round or early in the fifth is a steal, especially if he has Burrow under center for an entire season.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is ryanwohl) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
