This article will discuss some players who could see an expanded role due to the current starter leaving this offseason. Some players may cost a little more than others, but they are all incredible buy lows to see if they can have the starting job in 2024.
Tyjae Spears, TEN
Player Potential Leaving: Derrick Henry
Spears may be one of the more expensive players to buy on this list as we know his draft capital and that Henry likely leaving the Titans is a big thing. Spears was a third-round pick from Tulane, who lit up the draft offseason. His one big issue was his injury history and the fact he doesn’t have an ACL. Spears’ opportunities were minimal in the first half, but he would find his role as the third downback as the season went on. There were plenty of times he out-snapped Henry in games. Spears would finish with 70 targets, which was impressive for a rookie. He was also in the top ten in yards per touch and juke rate.
In the second half of the season, Spears flashed with three games over ten fantasy points. He would double his receiving output from the first half. If Henry is to be gone, Spears would likely be the day-one starter for the Titans. The coaching switch could hurt Spears from doing that, as they would probably bring in another back to compete. Players I see going for Spears have been Jayden Reed, Tony Pollard, or a 2024 second and fourth. The last one there would be more ideal. Spears has the talent and speed to make some noise in 2024.
Zamir White, LVR
Player Potential Leaving: Josh Jacobs
White was a fourth-round pick out of Georgia from the 2022 draft. He was a downhill runner who had explosiveness to his game. He was able to get a shot when Jacobs got hurt. White was RB8 in the final four weeks of the regular season. He had two 100-yard games and also showed value in the passing game. He may have helped folks win fantasy championships with his performances. White did have five runs of 10-plus yards in his limited action his season. Jacobs’s return to this team doesn’t make sense since White has shown he can be a solid back. If Jacobs does leave, White should turn into a workhorse running back for the Raiders.
White may have more chance of being a workhorse for fantasy than Spears. We saw the Raiders love to use one back, and White has 17 plus carries in each of his four starts. White has gone for 2025 second or Will Levis and a third on Dynasty Nerds GM. For championship rosters, they should look to try to send offers with a late second for a chance to land White, especially if he becomes the starter. If Jacobs leaves, then White’s value and price will skyrocket. It’s better to buy low now on the young back.
Trey Palmer, TBB
Player Potential Leaving: Mike Evans
My first receiver that could see an expanded role is Palmer. He already saw a decent role in the offense by playing 68% of the snaps and had 68 targets as a rookie. Palmer was a speedster coming out of the 2023 NFL draft. He profiled as a slot receiver and played much of it, ranking 17th in slot snaps. He was the third option in the offense behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Evans is a free agent, and there is a chance the team doesn’t want to pay him to come back at 30 years old. If Evans leaves, Palmer could jump into that WR2 role behind Chris Godwin in the offense.
Palmer wasn’t overly impressive as a rookie based on his opportunity, but he has talent. He is fast with a 4.33 40 speed. He is explosive and could see more deep routes in 2024. Baker Mayfield was top-five in deep attempts, so Palmer can do more than be in the slot. Palmer isn’t being traded much, but a fourth-round pick could do the trick. Palmer may not be a true WR1, but he does have the makings to be a solid WR2 with more opportunity on an offense.
Andrei Iosivas, CIN
Player Potential Leaving: Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd
Iosivas was a sixth-round pick out of the 2023 draft from Princeton. He had raw talent but a great blend of size and speed to succeed at the next level. Iosivas saw a few targets here and there during the season. He finished the regular season with five receptions for 36 yards and two touchdowns in week 18. He had four touchdowns on the season as a rookie.
Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are both free agents. Likely, one of them will not be returning in 2024. It is also possible that neither one return to the Bengals due to them being smart with their salary cap in the next few seasons.
You’re looking at a situation where the Bengals could have vacant 176 targets next season, with Ja’Marr Chase being the only option for that team. Iosvias has talent and should be a target early in the offseason due to his potential to start in 2024. There haven’t been many trades for him, but a 2024 fourth or Hunter Henry could do the job. He may even be on waivers in some leagues as well. Iosavis has the skills to take over the WR2 job in Cincinnati if things fall his way in 2024.
Parker Washington, JAX
Player Potential Leaving: Calvin Ridley
Another 2023 rookie makes this list; Washington was also a sixth-round pick from this past year’s draft. He was one of the electric receivers who did well with YAC to make his game great. Washington would miss the first half of the season due to some injuries. He filled in for Christian Kirk for one game in week 13 and saw 61 yards and a touchdown. He would play the slot with Kirk out of the regular season, but he wouldn’t be able to get over 30 yards again. The Jaguars were in a complete meltdown over the season’s last six weeks.
Ridley is scheduled to be a free agent, and the Ridley experiment didn’t work out well for them as they hoped. Yes, he would boom for a few games, but his connection with Trevor Lawrence never seemed right. It doesn’t make much sense to the Jaguars to invest big dollars into a 30-year-old receiver when they already have an aging team. This move would allow Kirk to go back outside, where he played well, and Washington in the slot. Washington shouldn’t cost you that much to acquire on the team, as his value is in that fourth-round rookie range.
Brevin Jordan, HOU
Player Potential Leaving: Dalton Schultz
For my last pick, Jordan could see an expanded role in 2024. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was a raw prospect who was more athletic than a tight end coming into the league. He needed time to blossom, and he showed flashes of that in 2023. In two games where he was the starter, Jordan was TE17, putting up decent numbers. Schultz is a pending free agent. The team could bring him back, but if not, then Jordan has a chance to be the starter. He is still only 24 years old going into the 2024 season.
The Texans will have money, but there are more essential positions that the Texans can throw money at than the tight-end position. Jordan had talent that made him an interesting project coming into the league. Jordan could be one of those tight ends who needed time to adjust to the NFL before being very good. He is another player you can buy very cheap for, like a fourth-round pick, to see if he can turn into a good player for an up-and-coming offense.
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