The Super Bowl is over. Is the fantasy football season “kinda-sorta” over? Spoiler alert: it’s not. That hangover you are experiencing is a momentary distraction. There is so much content from now until August 2024 that you will consume to make the 2024 fantasy season a winner. So, grab the Michelada, and let’s start now.
The Michelada
You might want to try the safe Bloody Mary for your hangover cure. But, like your fantasy football season, safe is not how we play.
The origins of the Michelada date back to the middle of the 20th century when it became popular in Mexico to serve beer with lime and salt. This recipe just amps it up a little bit for you.
What You Need
Mexican lager like Tecate, Sol or Modelo Especial
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch celery salt
Lime wedge
½ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes @HotBoxBatch (go to @Bo_McBigTime to get yours ) or Tabasco.
What You Will Do
Add equal parts of salt and cayenne pepper to a plate.
Rub the line wedge along the rim of your Pint glass and dip it into the salt-cayenne mixture.
Add the lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, @HotBoxBatch sauce, black pepper, and celery salt into the glass.
Fill with beer and garnish with a lime wedge (*Caution* if beer touches the rim of the glass with the salt mixture, you will get lots of foam.)
Leave enough room in the Pint so that when you stir the mixture and it foams, the foam does not mix with the rim of the glass.
Cheers!
Fantasy Football Hangover Cure
Important Resources
You are going to keep up with your fantasy prep in many ways. There are podcasts dedicated to keeping you on top of what is happening in the NFL.
@FootballDiehards with Bob Harris
@UnderdogFantasy with Josh and Hayden
And
@GoingFor2Live Podcasts with
Monday, 2-Point Conversion (generally trending fantasy football talk)
Tuesday, Speak on It, Sports Talk for real.
Wednesday, Armchair Fantasy Show, the OG of fantasy football talk
Thursday, Dynasty Gambit, to answer all your dynasty questions and concerns.
Friday, NFL DFS, giving you winning DFS advice.
There are outstanding analysts for you to follow:
@ChrisAllenFFWX content @MBFantasyLife
@ItsTeraTime content @FFToday, @FFdiehards and so much more
@jorgemartin17 content @YahooFantasy
@NimblewNumbers content @FFMillionaires
@MarcasG content @MBFantasyLife and @30TwoBit
@tootsiepop6 content @IBTMedia
@senrasays content @FPCoverage
@SkyGuasco content @RazzballNFL
And so many more…
Important Dates
February 26-March 4 NFL Combine
The Combine isn’t necessarily going to give you the best person at the position, but it is designed to highlight the ‘athletic freaks’ in the group.
Here are a few players to watch if they perform at the Combine.
QB: Spencer Rattler, South Carolina: Rattler increased public awareness with his performance at the Senior Bowl, going 4-for-4 and winning the MVP. Let’s see if his trajectory continues to rise at the Combine.
WR: Keon Coleman, Florida State: Coleman is an athletic specimen with the size (6’4”, 215lbs) of a true X receiver.
Look to see if he runs faster than anticipated (4.5) and how his route running looks in the drills.
RB: Jonathan Brooks, Texas: Brooks is coming off a season-ending ACL injury. If he performs at the Combine, look for stability in the leg.
March 13, 2 pm Mountain Time: Free Agency begins.
There are interesting names at every position this year, but perhaps the deepest free agency class will be the running backs.
Here are some names to watch in each position.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Mike Onwenu
The franchise tag for offensive linemen in 2023 was $18.2 million.
The New England Patriot lineman picked in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Patriots is in the last year of his four-year $3.497 million contract.
Last year, playing on a subpar offensive line that was last in pass block win rate (42%) and 28th in run block win rate (35%), Onwenu shined. In 850 snaps, he played 194 at guard and 656 at tackle while maintaining a 77% run block win rate (16th among 68 qualified tackles) and a 78% pass block win rate, per Pro Football Focus.
Onwenu was called for four penalties for the season and gave up three sacks.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Chris Jones
The Kansas City Chiefs will enter the 2024 season with 18 players as free agents, including Jones and L’Jarius Sneed.
Jones held out until Week 1 last year. His renegotiated contract is a one-year $19.5 million deal that expires in March. The contract gives Kansas City the option to franchise Jones. The estimated franchise tag is expected to be in the $32.2 million range.
The three-time Super Bowl champ finished the season with 10 solo tackles, six assisted tackles, and 14 sacks.
EDGE
Danielle Hunter
Hunter has spent his entire career with the Minnesota Vikings after being drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, but the Vikings.
He held out of off-season programs before signing a one-year $20 million contract. Hunter’s contract prevents the Vikings from using a franchise or transition tag on him this upcoming season.
Betting on himself will soon pay off. Hunter played on 89% of the defensive snaps with new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He collected 16.5 sacks, 86 quarterback pressures, 22 quarterback hits, and 83 tackles and tied with Las Vegas Raiders Maxx Crosby for a league-high 23 tackles for loss.
LINEBACKER
Patrick Queen
The Baltimore Ravens declined Queen’s fifth-year option, and Queen’s career-high season stats will make them regret the decision.
Queen finished the season with 133 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hits, six passes defended, and one interception.
CORNERBACK
Kendall Fuller
Washington Commanders’ nine-year veteran is also Pro Football Focus’s third-best cornerback available on the free agent market this season.
Fuller has played all but one season in Washington after being picked in the third round in the 2016 NFL Draft by Washington. For the 2018-2019 season, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and won a Super Bowl. Fuller returned to Washington in 2020 on a four-year $40 million contract.
Fuller will be sought for his versatility. He has successfully played inside, outside, and slot. In the 2023 season, he played mainly wide, and although he allowed a 120.4 passer rating when targeted, Pro Football Focus still gave him an 83.1 overall grade. Fuller did limit opposing receivers to less than 50 catches and allowed less than 0.8 yards per coverage snaps.
For the season, Fuller compiled 55 solo tackles, 24 assisted tackles, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, nine passes defended, and two interceptions.
SAFETY
Antoine Winfield Jr.
Although snubbed by the NFL Pro Bowl voters, Winfield had an outstanding year. Pro Football Focus gave him a position-leading 91.2 defensive grade. They also have him ranked first in run-defense grade (92.5), third in tackling grade (86.1), tied for second in pass-rush grade (92.7), and eighth in coverage grade (85.3).
Winfield’s season stats hold up to PFF’s grades. He finished the season with 117 tackles, 12 pass breakups, three interceptions, five forced fumbles and five sacks.
QUARTERBACK
Kirk Cousins
If his dance movies at NFL Honors are any indication, Cousins is ready to get back on the field.
Suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 8, Cousins was having the best season of his career. He had a 103.8 passer rating and completed 69.5% of his passes. Cousins’ shortened season had him ultimately finishing with 2,331 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by Washington, Cousins played six seasons in Washington before signing with Minnesota in 2018. He has made the playoffs twice in his tenure with Minnesota.
His expiring contract, which paid him $30 million this last year, has a no-trade clause and does not allow the team to put the franchise tag on him.
TIGHT END
Dalton Schultz
Schultz finished second on the team in targets (88) and receptions (59), third in receiving yards (635), and third in touchdowns (5). Schultz also excels at pass blocking, which accounts for his 72.5% snap share.
Schultz was drafted in the fourth round in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. After being unable to reach a long-term agreement with the Cowboys, he signed a one-year $6.25 million contract with the Houston Texans.
SKILL POSITIONS
There is the potential for a seismic shift in the fantasy world with the skilled position players available in free agency.
In No Particular Order, actually in alphabetical order, but that messes up the promo.
Here are four receivers and five running backs hitting free agency this year with fantasy football-altering potential.
WIDE RECEIVERS
· MIKE EVANS
· TEE HIGGINS
· MICHAEL PITTMAN JR.
· CALVIN RIDLEY
RUNNING BACKS
· SAQUON BARKLEY
· AUSTIN EKELER
· DERRICK HENRY
· JOSH JACOBS
· TONY POLLARD
Grab that Michelada; that fun is just starting.