Creating power rankings for all 32 NFL teams is a bit of an art, especially in the early part of the season when things can change rapidly. That said, here’s a snapshot of how teams might be ranked based on their performance, rosters, and recent trends as of early September 2024:
32. New England Patriots (Previous rank: 31)
They have a 4.5 win total for the season, and that sounds about right. The Patriots didn’t give Drake Maye the starting job despite a summer that deserved it; given the chaos of this situation, it makes sense to delay Maye’s onboarding.
31. Carolina Panthers (32).
Dave Canales is handy, part Winston Wolf and part Spicoli’s dad. He can fix this, or at least make things better. You have my permission to draft Diontae Johnson and one of the running backs; Bryce Young may never be great, but he’ll be better.
30. Las Vegas Raiders (26).
Gardner Minshew completed just 48.5% of his throws in the preseason despite facing a vanilla-looking second-string defense; see below. Davante Adams is HOF-bound, but this QB room may be something he can’t compensate for. I’ve also moved away from Zamir White.
29. New York Giants (29)
Daniel Jones has never played with an 800-yard receiver, but Malik Nabers will break that record. Devin Singletary is a good target for a boring RB3 fill; he has a history with Brian Daboll.
28. Tennessee Titans (30)
After years of run-run-run, they want to be pass-pass-pass this season. At least it should be more interesting. Will Levis isn’t afraid to throw it, and they have a decent group of pass catchers.
27. Los Angeles Chargers (28)
The new coaching infrastructure wants to run the ball into the ground, and given the look of the wide receiver room, that’s a wise decision. I’ve mostly avoided this team at the draft table.
26. Denver Broncos (27)
Bo Nix is older than the average rookie, but that’s probably a feature, not a bug. Sean Payton got his guy. Courtland Sutton was a value all summer.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (24)
Najee Harris didn’t get extended, but he could be this year’s Rachaad White, a volume monster who offsets ordinary efficiency. A mediocre quarterback room and the presence of OC Arthur Smith could submarine George Pickens. If Justin Fields finally plays, he’ll run his way into fantasy relevance.
24. Washington Commanders (25)
I’m excited about Jayden Daniels, and this could be the best offense Terry McLaurin has ever played in. Kliff Kingsbury was probably over his head as a head coach, but I don’t mind him as a coordinator.
23. Cleveland Browns (23)
Although I have a fair amount of Amari Cooper and Jerome Ford shares, I am worried that Deshaun Watson’s mojo might be shot for good. Once the cheese goes bad, it rarely goes good again. Nick Chubb’s gruesome knee injury (and remember, he also had major knee problems in college) makes him a bad fantasy bet for 2024. It pains me to write this, but we have to be pragmatic.
22. New Orleans Saints (21)
I love Chris Olave and I like Rashid Shaheed, but Derek Carr mitigates the upside. Alvin Kamara is an easy fade for me, entering his age-29 season with a lot of red flags. Taysom Hill is probably going to be a thing (and he’s a tight end in Yahoo).
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18).
Dave Canales was the architect of their surprising 2023 breakout; now Canales is gone. I expect Baker Mayfield to slide back, and I wouldn’t bet the farm on drafting Rachaad White.
20. Minnesota Vikings (13).
I’d follow Kevin O’Connell into a burning building (look what he did with backup quarterbacks last year), but Sam Darnold is one of his biggest challenges yet.
19. Arizona Cardinals (22)
There’s a lot of carnival potential here, a fun offense paired with a lousy defense. Kyler Murray needs to show he can produce from the pocket or consistently find throwing lanes outside of it.
18. Seattle Seahawks (19)
I’m excited to see what OC Ryan Grubb can do after a monster season at Washington. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the classic post-hype sleeper, a bargain all summer long. I’ve consistently passed on DK Metcalf because I want a shot at JSN.
17. Chicago Bears (17)
Caleb Williams always looks poised, and he has the arm talent to make every throw. The Bears give him the cushiest seat ever offered to a No. 1 overall pick.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (20)
Here’s an offense I’m warming up to. Brian Thomas Jr. looks like the perfect piece for the passing game, Trevor Lawrence is being drafted at his floor, and Evan Engram just had the quietest 114-catch season you ever saw. Travis Etienne also makes sense at his current slot.
15. Indianapolis Colts (11)
I get that Anthony Richardson could go to the moon, but some drafters are targeting him like it’s already happened. I’ll take Jayden Daniels a few rounds later, or several other QBs much later. The deep quarterback pool in 2024 is like the New York City public transportation system: if you miss a train, another one comes along in five minutes.
14. Green Bay Packers (16)
Matt LaFleur is a wizard without the full reputation yet, and I believe in the Jordan Love breakout we saw in the second half of 2023. The wide receiver room is a nebulous mess, but if you fix it, that’s where the payoff is.
13. Dallas Cowboys (15).
The backfield is cloudy, and there may not be a big winner there, but at least CeeDee Lamb is signed, sealed, delivered. Jake Ferguson’s touchdown regression tour started in the playoffs; more to come.
12. New York Jets (14)
If Bijan Robinson isn’t next summer’s cover boy, Breece Hall might be. Garrett Wilson only needs adequate quarterback play to become a superstar, and Aaron Rodgers usually focuses on his primary wideouts. The Jets’ defense is very good at all three levels, which could hurt the offense a bit – shootouts won’t be needed much.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (9)
I had a hard time ranking this team at the beginning of the summer, and I’m still there today. Ja’Marr Chase isn’t happy. Joe Burrow has struggled to stay healthy. Tee Higgins is entering his prove-it walking year. Social media has been arguing about Chase Brown (is he a hero? is he a zero?) for two months.
Get the Cincinnati D/ST for Week 1; they’re a 9.5-point favorite, hosting the Patriots.
10. Atlanta Falcons (12)
I don’t know who OC Zac Robinson will be, but he can’t be as bad as Arthur Smith. Kirk Cousins is exactly what this team needs, a plus quarterback. Bijan Robinson could be on the cover of every magazine next year, and I really want to see Drake London and Kyle Pitts. The schedule is an absolute cakewalk, the easiest in the league (I only care about outliers when it comes to SOS data). Let’s do this.
9. Buffalo Bills (10)
Dalton Kincaid is the likely yardage leader in the passing game, but I also like the sneaky value Khalil Shakir offers. You’ve probably heard this before, but he’s the only wideout on the roster to catch a game-day pass from Josh Allen.
8. Los Angeles Rams (8)
Sean McVay usually has one of the narrowest depth trees in the league, but you probably don’t spend a third-round pick on Blake Corum without envisioning an immediate role for him. I honestly don’t know what to do with Kyren Williams.
7. Miami Dolphins (7)
As great as Tyreek Hill is, the price on Jaylen Waddle has my attention. The same general theme holds true in Philly – A.J. Brown is the alpha, but the value pushes me to DeVonta Smith.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (6)
The Chiefs went easy on Travis Kelce during the regular season last year, then turned him loose in the playoffs. Given the thinness of the AFC West, I can’t see why the team wouldn’t reverse that strategy for Kelce’s age-35 season. Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice came on late in 2023 and are definitely proactive picks for me this summer.
5. Houston Texans (5).
Stefon Diggs is about six years ahead of his younger receiver teammates. I’m going to focus on Nico Collins and Tank Dell and fade Diggs, thanks.
4. Baltimore Ravens (4)
Baltimore’s offensive line is a work in progress, but Lamar Jackson’s mobility mitigates some of that problem. If Gus Edwards scored 13 times last year, what’s the ceiling for Derrick Henry? Zay Flowers lost his composure at the end of the playoffs, but his downfield mobility is a thing of beauty.
3. Detroit Lions (3).
They kept all the fun parts that mattered. I’d like to see more road scoring, but the Lions at home are the ultimate cheat code. You’re going to want pieces of this offense, of course. There’s plenty to choose from.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (2).
Jalen Hurts doesn’t throw much to his running backs. Saquon Barkley *checks notes* plays running back. While I admit that the second round of fantasy drafts is riskier than usual this year, I haven’t considered Barkley yet.
1. San Francisco 49ers (1).
The Brandon Aiyuk drama is finally over, and Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel will carry similar ADPs for the rest of the draft season. But Samuel probably has a little more touchdown equity, and he probably has a more consistent target baseline – he’s my preference here.
