I look forward to writing this piece every year, as it's my chance to highlight the players I'll be targeting frequently in my fantasy football drafts (and in my mock drafts, of which there have been close to 50 already this offseason).
The concept of Field's Favorites is not an exercise in highlighting the best overall players in fantasy football this season. My positional and top 160 rankings are available to check out for that content. It's also not my favorite players no one is talking about. We have a sleepers overview on ESPN.com and we'll talk about plenty of them on the "Fantasy Focus" podcast (Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. ET on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts).
This is a blend of it all: star players I happen to have a particular affinity for relative to where my colleagues rank them, established standouts going lower than expected right now based on ADP data, or players on the rise I am optimistic will make a leap this season.
Let's get to it.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
If you've listened to "Fantasy Focus" this offseason, you likely have heard of my love for Richardson and how I'm bullish on him becoming the next superstar fantasy quarterback. There are some numbers to help build the case, as Richardson had four rushing touchdowns in just 12 quarters of play as a rookie and posted more than 20 fantasy points in each of his two full games played. But this is largely a projection, as Richardson had a small sample size of starts coming into the NFL and then missed the final 13 games of his rookie season due to a shoulder injury. His rushing ability -- Richardson ran a 4.45-second 40 at 244 pounds during the 2023 NFL combine -- gives him a pathway to put together a season similar to Jalen Hurts' first full season as a starter, during which he threw for only 16 touchdowns and still averaged nearly 21 fantasy points per game. Richardson has an excellent coach, a very good supporting cast and the physical tools to be a game changer. He's my QB3 -- no other ESPN ranker has him in their top three -- with an average rank of 5.8 among my ESPN colleagues.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
Harrison is in a similar place as Richardson for me, as I've been all aboard the Harrison train since he landed in Arizona with the fourth pick in the NFL draft. He's a spectacular talent, deserving of being the first receiver taken in a historic class and, in my evaluation, was the most pro-ready prospect, regardless of position. Harrison enters an Arizona offense with intriguing potential, and he should face little in the way of competition for high-end target volume. He should command elite volume from Week 1, with the possibility of 150-plus as a rookie very much in play. Kyler Murray has shown before he's more than capable of aiding a receiver to a superstar fantasy season, and I suspect this duo will trend that way ASAP. I have him as my WR9, while my ESPN colleagues have him with an average rank of 12.0.
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
The internet loves nothing more than to debate the merits of Prescott as a player, but I would argue his fantasy credentials are rather indisputable. Prescott is an awesome starter for your fantasy team, as he showed last season when he finished third among QBs in points. Prescott has played every game in three of the past five seasons and posted averages of 4,622 passing yards, 34.3 passing touchdowns, 221.7 rushing yards and 2.0 rushing touchdowns. He is currently going in the eighth round of drafts on ESPN. While I have no issue with the quarterbacks being taken early -- as evidenced by the first player I wrote about in this column -- there is tremendous value in attacking the second tier of signal-callers. Prescott is the pick here, but others such as Joe Burrow, Jordan Love and Murray also fit the bill.
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
Despite a slow start to 2023, in which he was held to 6.8 fantasy points or less in four of the first five games, Njoku was the sixth-highest-scoring tight end in fantasy. (He also sat out Week 18, making it that much more impressive.) The Browns made him a primary target during the final 11 games of last season, as he totaled 101 targets (9.2 per game) and had at least six in each of those contests. Changes are coming to the Cleveland offense with a new coordinator, but Njoku is expected to remain a focal point. Much like the quarterback position, the second tier of tight ends presents great value, as Njoku is currently landing in the ninth round in ESPN drafts. That's a steal.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Flowers was the Ravens' leading receiver in several major categories last season (he had 44 more targets and nearly 300 more yards than anyone else) and was the second-most-featured receiver in terms of targets the Ravens have had since drafting Lamar Jackson back in 2018. He had five games with at least 10 targets last season, the second most by any Ravens wideout since 2018, and that was all in his rookie campaign. And yet, there's so much room to grow for an electric player with the football in his hands in a really good role. While Baltimore will rely heavily on the running game and Mark Andrews as a target, too, Flowers could easily see his target count climb closer to 130 this season and find his way inside the top 20 wideouts in fantasy.
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
The 2023 season was a forgettable one for Williams, as he struggled massively with his efficiency as both a rusher (3.6 yards per rush) and a receiver (4.9 yards per catch). But I'm going to chalk a lot of that up to Williams' return from a massive knee injury suffered the season before and trust the trend of running backs often returning to form in their second season back from a torn ACL. The Broncos showed a desire to lean on Williams, who ranked 15th in the NFL in total touches yet managed just five total touchdowns (the fewest of any player among the top 15 in touches). And the cost of Williams is too good to ignore, as he is being taken in the 11th round on ESPN.com as of this writing, behind several players who are in clear backfield splits. He is my RB23, more than five spots higher than the average of my fellow ESPN rankers.
Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills
The Bills' receiver room in 2024 feels like one where you must plant your flag on a single player, with current ADP data suggesting Shakir (159.5) is third in the court of public opinion behind Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel. But I have the order in reverse, as I view Shakir as the top candidate to emerge as the Bills' best wide receiver this season, building upon the rapport he already has with Josh Allen and his strong combination of route-running and run-after-catch skills. The truth about all the Bills' wideouts is, given their price, they are all upside-only selections, as using a pick in the double-digit rounds on a player who does not work out is totally routine and normal in fantasy. But Shakir is my pick of these low-risk investments, as he is my WR49, which is more than 10 spots higher than my ESPN colleagues on average.