The 2024 Fabby Awards: Ja'Marr Chase is the Fantasy Football MVP

Michael Fabiano | 13 Hours Ago

Welcome to the 2024 Fabby Awards! / Sports Illustrated

The 2024 fantasy football season was maybe the most difficult and challenging campaign that fantasy managers have ever endured. We saw the statistical fall of several big-name players, especially at wide receiver, where a litany of injuries and subpar stats from to the position left fans with holes in their starting lineups. We also saw the re-emergence of the running backs, including Saquon Barkley, who became the ninth player to rush for at least 2,000 yards.

Heck, Derrick Henry finished the regular season with over 1,900 yards and scored a career-best 336.4 fantasy points … and he did it at the age of 30! The King became only the second running back at age 30 or older to rush for more than 1,800 yards (Tiki Barber did it in 2005), and Henry was obviously the first to rush for more than 1,900 yards at that “extended” age.

So, with the 2024 fantasy season now in the rearview mirror, it’s time to hand out a little fantasy football “hardware,” That’s right, it’s time for the 20th annual Fabby Awards!

Because after all … it’s all about the gold!

1. Most Valuable Player of the Year
2. Breakout Player of the Year
3. Sleeper of the Year
4. Super sleeper of the Year
5. Rookie of the Year
6. Bust of the Year
7. Draft Value of the Year
8. Waiver Pickup of the Year
9. Comeback Player of the Year
10. Performance of the Year

Most Valuable Player of the Year

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals: Chase finished the fantasy season with 377.4 points … that’s 68.3 more points than the No. 2 wide receiver, Justin Jefferson. He scored 55.4 points in a Week 10 game against the Ravens, 41.3 points in a Week 5 game against the Ravens, 45.1 points vs. the Cowboys in Week 14, and Chase scored 19-plus fantasy points nine times. He won plenty of fantasy titles for managers, and now he’ll get paid (hopefully) by the Bengals.

Runner up: Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles – Finished as the RB1, 355.3 points, 22.2 PPG; Barkley became only the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.

Breakout Player of the Year

Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders: Daniels finished the fantasy season with 351.6 points, which ranked fourth among QBs and fifth among all offensive players. He scored 20-plus points 10 times and averaged 29.9 points during the fantasy playoffs. Daniels would finish the regular season with 355.8 fantasy points, which is the second-most all time among rookie quarterbacks behind only Cam Newton, who scored 369.3 fantasy points back in 2011.

Runner up: Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons – Finished as the RB3 and averaged 19.8 PPG. Robinson averaged 5.3 more points per game than he did during his rookie campaign.

Sleeper of the Year

Chase Brown, RB, Bengals: Brown had an average draft position of just 96.4 at the NFFC website … he was drafted BEHIND Javonte Williams, Zamir White and Raheem Mostert! After a slow start (he scored just 18.3 points in his first three games), Brown went on to score 255 points. That was good enough to finish 10th in points among backs in the fantasy season. Oddly, he hurt himself in Week 17 while trying to slide to avoid scoring a touchdown.

Runner up: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks - Finished as the WR7 and averaged 15.5 PPG. JSN was the WR40 based on NFFC ADP, and was picked on average at 77.3 overall.

Super sleeper of the Year

Jonnu Smith, TE, Dolphins: The Dolphins offense under coach Mike McDaniel hadn’t used a tight end prominently, so Smith wasn’t even picked in most drafts. In fact, his NFFC ADP was 222! While he did have a slow start to the season, Smith caught fantasy fire in Week 11 and never cooled down. In fact, he led all tight ends in points over the final seven weeks of the fantasy season, scoring 130.1 points for an average of an astounding 18.6 points per game.

Runner up: Ladd McConkey, WR, Chargers – One of my preseason sleepers, McConkey had an ADP of 94.7 (WR45) and went on to finish 12th in points among wideouts in 2024.

Brian Thomas Jr. is the 2024 Fantasy Rookie of the Year. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rookie of the Year

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jaguars: Daniels was clearly the best fantasy rookie, but I awarded him the Breakout Player of the Year hardware and I like to spread out the love. So, I'll go with Thomas Jr. here. BTJ was the fifth rookie wide receiver selected based on NFFC ADP data, behind Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Xavier Worthy, and Rome Odunze. He went on to finish first among non-quarterback rookies based on fantasy points, and only Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown scored more points at the position overall. He was especially solid down the stretch, scoring 16-plus points in each of his last five games.  In that time, he finished third in fantasy points among wideouts with 119.9 fantasy points (24 PPG). 

Runner up: Malik Nabers, WR, Giants - Finished as the WR6 and averaged 18.3 PPG. He was the most targeted wideout in the fantasy season, and his 104 catches was good for third.

Bust of the Year

Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers: McCaffrey was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in 2024 fantasy drafts, but he fell prey to the Madden cover curse and the curse of the top fantasy pick. He missed the first nine weeks of the season because of Achilles issues, he played in just four games (11.9 PPG) and then got hurt again. He finished with 47.8 fantasy points (RB67).

Runner up: Tyreek Hill, WR, Dolphins – Had an ADP of 3.7, but Hill went on to score single digits six times. He finished a disappointing WR18 and was 39th among flex starters in 2024.

Draft Value of the Year

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers: Hubbard was the RB40 based on NFFC ADP data (Round 10) ... his teammate, Jonathon Brooks, went 18.6 spots ahead of him … but he went on to finish as the RB12 during the fantasy season despite missing Week 17. Hubbard put up 15 or more points nine times, including six games with more than 20 fantasy points, all of which earned him a contract extension for the Panthers and the praise of countless fantasy fans.

Runner up: Baker Mayfield, QB, Buccaneers - Finished as the QB5, Mayfield was drafted in Round 16 based on NFFC ADP. He scored 41 total touchdowns and averaged 21.5 PPG.

Waiver Pickup of the Year

Sam Darnold, QB, Vikings: Darnold was either a late-round pick or not drafted at all (27 QBs were picked ahead of him based on NFFC ADP data) … he finished as the eighth-best signal-caller in fantasy football, throwing for 4153 yards with 35 touchdowns. He also averaged 18.8 points per game, which was more than Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoa. If Darnold stays in Minnesota, he’ll likely remain a top-10 fantasy quarterback next season.

Runner up: Jonnu Smith, TE, Dolphins: Smith, also my fantasy super sleeper of the year, was also one of the best waiver-wire adds this season at what is a thin, unreliable position.

Comeback Player of the Year

Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals: Burrow finished the fantasy season as the QB3, behind only Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. He threw for 4,641 yards, scored 44 total TDs, and averaged 22.5 fantasy points. That is a career high. Compare those totals to last season, when he missed seven games and averaged just 14.7 fantasy points, and it’s easy to see how Burrow (drafted 80.8 overall based on NFFC ADP average) is the Comeback Fantasy Player of 2024. 

Runner up: Josh Jacobs, RB, Packers: Jacobs finished as the RB6, posting 281.5 points (17.6 PPG). That’s 100.4 more points than he scored with the Raiders in 2023 (181.1).

Performance of the Year

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Bengals (Week 10): The fantasy football MVP, Chase scored more than 40 points three times. That includes an amazing performance against the Baltimore Ravens where he had 11 catches, 264 yards, three touchdowns and 55.4 fantasy points. Believe it or not, but that isn’t even Chase’s best career fantasy stat line … he scored 55.6 points against the Chiefs in 2021, and he’s scored 50-plus fantasy points three times at the NFL level.

Runner up: Josh Allen, QB. Bills (Week 14): Allen threw three touchdowns, rushed for three more and scored 51.9 points vs.the Rams. It’s the most points a quarterback has ever scored.