Stats from 2023 to Remember for 2024

Last week, I highlighted Players to Target in 2024 and Players to Consider Avoiding in 2024 as we continue to tie a bow on the 2023 NFL season. Playoff tournament lineups are all but locked in at this point, and the fantasy season is 99.9 percent over. Outside of playoff betting and DFS lineups, we're left with few options to blow our money on as far as football is concerned. However, if you are looking for some hard-hitting, written analysis, Denny Carter is grinding playoff matchups and still churning out his weekly Funnel Defense Report.

The grind never stops for Mr. Carter, who has prioritized spreadsheets over watching games since 1969.

For my latest recap, I wanted to look back at stats from every NFL team last season, highlighting one or two things that could be worth remembering seven months from now when you're back in the draft lobbies with all your closest friends and family members.

While a lot will change from now until then, a lot will also stay the same. My goal is to provide you with an article that will carry relevance throughout the offseason whenever you consider getting into drafts. So save or bookmark this article now, and think of it as your first step toward prepping for 2024 drafts. After all, the grind never stops.

Let's go ahead and get into it.

NOTE: Stats and information courtesy of PFF.com, RotoViz.com, ProFootballReference.com, NextGenStats.NFL.com, 4For4.com, FantasyPoints.com and RBSDM.com. All scoring is based on full-PPR leagues.

Arizona Cardinals

After taking over as the Cardinals' No. 1 tight end in Week 8, Trey McBride led all tight ends (min. 3.0 targets/gm) in targets per route run (0.27) and a 26.2 percent target share. His 149.5 fantasy points over that span were second only to Evan Engram (160.7) and David Njoku (159.6).

Atlanta Falcons

Kyle Pitts ranked second among tight ends (min. 50 targets) in YPR (12.6). He was also third in slot rate (58.5 percent) and 10th in total routes run (466) despite playing in an offense ranked 31st in neutral pass rate (49 percent). A new head coach should bode well for Pitts' fantasy value in 2024.

Baltimore Ravens

Per FantasyPoints.com, Zay Flowers was the first read on 27.8 percent of his targets — ranked 23rd amongst all receivers (min. 50 targets) and second only to Puka Nacua (30.4 percent) amongst rookies.

Buffalo Bills

James Cook ranked 10th in running back touches (281) and third in yards from scrimmage (1,567).

Carolina Panthers

No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young finished 2023 with an EPA/play of -0.178, ranking 70th amongst 73 qualified QBs (min. 300) plays since 2019. His 38.8 percent success rate ranked 71st. He'll need to take a significant jump in 2024 to become fantasy-relevant. Adding a good coach and players would also help the Panthers and Young's growth.

Chicago Bears

DJ Moore had a career year in 2023, finishing with 96-1,364-8. This came despite rookie Tyson Bagent starting four games in which Moore was on pace for 85-897-0. Moore's splits with Justin Fields at the helm suggest a bigger year could be in store in 2024. Although, a new QB1 in Chicago could change this for better or worse.

Cincinnati Bengals

From Weeks 13 through 18, running back Chase Brown totaled 322 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 53 touches, averaging 6.1 yards per touch. Christian McCaffrey led all qualified running backs with 6.0 YPT in 2023. The Bengals can also cut Joe Mixon for $2.750 million in dead cap space. He was rumored to be on the chopping block last offseason before agreeing to a restructured deal.

Cleveland Browns

In 11 career games with Deshaun Watson, David Njoku has averaged 9.0 fantasy points per game. In five career games with Joe Flacco, Njoku has averaged 18.6 fantasy points per game. One of these quarterbacks is expected to return as the Browns' starter in 2024, and it isn't Flacco.

Dallas Cowboys

The cover boy for Rotoworld's 2023 Fantasy Football Draft Guide, Tony Pollard, ranked fifth amongst all running backs with 11.0 expected rushing touchdowns. He managed only six. His five rush touchdowns below expected were second only to Alexander Mattison (-5.4). Pollard is set to be a free agent, but if the Cowboys opt to bring him back, they could also look to add a short-yardage/goal-line back, which would significantly cap his upside in 2024.

Denver Broncos

Rookie UDFA Jaleel McLaughlin averaged 0.99 fantasy points per touch (min. 100 touches) and outperformed Javonte Williams in nearly every efficiency metric. I've already highlighted Williams as a player to consider avoiding in 2024, as McLaughlin should earn more opportunities next season.

Detroit Lions

Sam LaPorta's 235.3 fantasy points were the most of any rookie tight end since 2000. He scored 58.7 more points than the previous record holder, Kyle Pitts, had during his 2021 rookie campaign. LaPorta's 86 receptions were also the most of any rookie tight end over that span, while his 889 yards ranked third behind Pitts (1,026) and Jeremy Shockey (894).

Green Bay Packers

Jayden Reed led all Packers receivers in YPRR (2.05) and TPRR (0.23). His targets per route run tied with Cooper Kupp, Tank Dell, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Ja'Marr Chase — to name a few — for 22nd-most amongst receivers (min. 5.0 targets/gm).

Houston Texans

Nico Collins enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023, going for 80-1,297-8 on 109 targets. In addition to his big season, he also ranked top-10 amongst qualified receivers in:

• Yards Per Reception — 16.2

• YAC/REC — 6.9

• YPRR — 3.10

• QB Rating When Targeted — 129.6

Indianapolis Colts

In the two complete games played by Anthony Richardson (Weeks 1 and 4), the Colts had a 64.4 percent pass rate in neutral game scripts. While an admittedly small sample size, this would have been the seventh-highest neutral pass rate of any team in the league.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Unless you rostered him in 2023, you'd probably be surprised to know that Evan Engram was the TE1 in expected fantasy points (226.1) and the TE2 in overall fantasy points (236.3). If fantasy points per game are your preferred measurement, Engram was the TE4 (13.9), ranking ahead of guys like Mark Andrews, David Njoku, and George Kittle.

Kansas City Chiefs

Rashee Rice's 0.25 targets per route run ranked 14th among qualified receivers, while his 392 routes run ranked 64th overall. A full-time role in 2024 is all he should need to have top-five fantasy upside next season.

Las Vegas Raiders

Second-year running back Zamir White played like one of the top running backs in the league after the Raiders lost Josh Jacobs in Week 14. From Weeks 15 through 18, White tied with Najee Harris for a league-high 84 rush attempts while ranking third in rush yards (397), fourth in explosive run rate (6.0 percent), fifth in YCO/ATT (3.43), and ninth in YPC (4.7). With Jacobs likely headed for free agency, White may have done enough to open training camp as the Raiders' RB1.

Los Angeles Chargers

Prior to suffering a torn ACL in Week 3 against the Vikings, Mike Williams was on pace for 108-1,411-6 on 147 targets. He would have set new career highs in receptions, yards, and targets. It's a small sample size, but with Keenan Allen possibly on the outs this offseason, Williams could be in line for a career year in 2024.

Los Angeles Rams

Kyren Williams was an absolute volume hog in 2023, ranking third amongst all running backs with a 37 percent opportunity share. With that said, Williams was just as efficient, ranking fifth in YPC (5.0), seventh in YCO/ATT (3.34), and 18th in missed tackles forced rate (21.0 percent). Drafting Williams in 2024 isn't just a bet on volume but high-end efficiency.

Miami Dolphins

De'Von Achane led all running backs (min. 100 rush attempts) in yards per carry (7.9), YCO/ATT (5.12), and breakaway rush yard percentage (54.0 percent). For comparison, the running backs who ranked second in said categories are as follows:

Minnesota Vikings

Jordan Addison's 42-yard touchdown in the Vikings' Week 18 loss to the Lions gave him 10 touchdowns on the season. Addison became one of five rookie receivers since 2000 to go for 900-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns, joining some elite company in the process.

New England Patriots

Despite struggling for much of the season, Rhamondre Stevenson still managed 857 yards from scrimmage. His 71.4 yards per game put him on a 17-game pace for 1,214 total yards, which would have ranked ahead of Najee Harris (1,205) for 14th-most amongst running backs.

New Orleans Saints

Chris Olave was one of six receivers in 2023 to see 100-plus targets and averaged 13.0-plus air yards per target. He finished sixth in total air yards with 1,834.

New York Giants

Darius Slayton led all Giants pass-catchers with 770 receiving yards despite ranking third in receptions. His 9.7 yards per target and four touchdown receptions were also tops on his team. There's little to get excited about here, but it's something to consider for a deep league flyer who is still under contract for 2024.

New York Jets

Despite playing with the likes of Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle, Garrett Wilson managed nine top-24 fantasy finishes in PPR leagues. He was the fourth-most targeted receiver in the league (169) but had a catchable target rate of 74 percent, ranking 50th amongst 80 qualified receivers. The return of Aaron Rodgers should put Wilson firmly on the radar as a top-12 fantasy receiver.

Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts set a quarterback record with 15 rushing touchdowns. Of those touchdowns, 13 came from distances of three yards or closer. If the league doesn't move to ban the "Tush Push" in 2024, another double-digit rush touchdown season should be in store for Philly's QB1.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Najee Harris will enter the final year of his contract with the Steelers in 2024 and will presumably be the RB1. His RB1 status should once again make Jaylen Warren a value in fantasy drafts. Among running backs with 100-plus touches last season, Warren ranked 13th in fantasy points per touch (0.95), while Harris finished 44th (0.70). Below is also a look at several efficiency metrics courtesy of PFF. I highlighted the leader in every metric.

Najee Harris closed out 2023 on a high note, but Warren was the better value all season long. I expect that to repeat itself in 2024.

San Francisco 49ers

Brock Purdy threw 31 touchdowns in 2023 but had an expected passing touchdown total of 22.0. His nine touchdowns over expected led all passers by a wide margin. Joe Flacco had the second-highest touchdown passes over expected at 3.12. Additionally, Purdy's 3,283.6 expected passing yards ranked 18th amongst all quarterbacks, while his 996.4 pass yards over expected again led all passers by a wide margin. Tua Tagovailoa was second with 391.6 PYOE. Purdy has thrived in Kyle Shanahan's offensive system at a nearly unprecedented level. His fantasy value will be tied to his elite weapons running hotter than the sun for a second consecutive season.

Seattle Seahawks

DK Metcalf continues to be one of the best touchdown-scoring threats in the league. His eight receiving touchdowns tied for seventh most amongst receivers, while his 9.0 expected touchdowns were good for sixth-most. Metcalf's 17 end zone targets were good for fourth-most in the league, and he's never finished below 14 end zone targets in any of his five seasons in the league.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rachaad White ranked sixth in running back targets (70) but led all running backs with 451 routes. Bijan Robinson ranked second with 421, while Christian McCaffrey ranked third with 417.

Tennessee Titans

Among running backs with at least 100 carries, rookie Tyjae Spears ranked 11th in YCO/ATT (3.15) and had a missed tackles forced rate of 26 percent. Both numbers were second-best amongst rookie running backs behind De'Von Achane.

Washington Commanders

The Commanders had a PROE of 5.4 percent, the 14th-highest total of any team over the last five seasons. Expect some regression here. If the Commanders hire Ben Johnson as their next head coach, it's worth noting that the Lions never had a PROE above negative 1.7 percent in his three years as their offensive coordinator.