Fantasy football stock report: Who's trending up, down after draft?

The 2024 NFL Draft is behind us, and while many rookies didn't end up in favorable landing spots for fantasy football purposes, several veterans benefited from their teams' selections.

As is the case every year, however, a number of notable veterans saw their fantasy value plummet due to the arrival of a rookie who plays the same position as they do.

With this in mind, here are 10 players whose fantasy stock is trending up or down based on the results of the draft: 

STOCK UP | RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys didn't draft a running back, so they brought back a familiar face in Elliott on a one-year, $3M deal. Elliott is 28 and averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry last season with New England, but now that he's reassuming the goal-line role in one of the NFL's top offenses, he should be a steal in drafts.

Expect Elliott to perform similarly to his final season in Dallas, when he rushed for 876 yards and scored 12 touchdowns en route to finishing as the RB19 overall in half-PPR scoring formats.

STOCK DOWN | TE Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders

The 2023 second-round pick showed promise as a rookie (27 receptions for 304 yards and two touchdowns), but Mayer's fantasy value took arguably the biggest hit of any player due to his team's draft decisions. With the 13th pick in the first round, Las Vegas selected Georgia's Brock Bowers, a potentially generational tight end prospect who should be an immediate contributor.

For someone whose ceiling was already limited since Las Vegas has WRs Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers on the roster, Mayer will be a non-factor in fantasy, barring an injury. 

STOCK UP | RB Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders

White, on the other hand, might be fantasy football's biggest winner based on the results of the draft. The only running back the Raiders selected was Dylan Laube, a sixth-round pick, suggesting White will assume a bell-cow role, regardless of the team signing Alexander Mattison in free agency.

White excelled when given an expanded workload last season, finishing as the RB9 overall from Week 15 through Week 18, offering a glimpse of what to expect from him in 2024. 

STOCK DOWN | RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Williams should finish as an RB1, but don't expect his production to match his breakout 2023 season, when he finished as the RB2 on a points-per-game basis. The Rams spent a third-round pick — which is close to premium draft capital — on former Michigan RB Blake Corum, a potential threat to take goal-line work from Williams as the season progresses. We should have a clearer image of how Los Angeles' backfield duties will be split late in the preseason, though for now, it's hard to justify spending a first-round pick on Williams in drafts. 

STOCK UP | QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Murray — who has amassed the sixth-most PPR points among quarterbacks since entering the league (1,357.4) — was the QB9 overall from Week 10 onward after returning from his ACL tear. With Arizona adding a true No. 1 wide receiver in rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., Murray's already high floor and ceiling rise even higher, making him arguably the best bang-for-your-buck fantasy QB for 2024. Given the draft capital it would cost, stacking Murray with either Harrison or tight end Trey McBride could be a league-winning combination.

STOCK DOWN | Chicago Bears pass-catchers

After adding Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze and Gerald Everett this offseason, Chicago's receiving corps has quickly become overcrowded, and there's no telling who rookie QB Caleb Williams will lean on most. As a result, several Bears pass-catchers will likely be overpriced in drafts, especially D.J. Moore, as it'll be nearly impossible for him to replicate last season's WR6 overall finish. Additionally, RB D'Andre Swift will get his fair share of work in the receiving game, taking away even more targets for Chicago's talented receivers. 

STOCK UP | QB Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

In 2022 with the Packers, Rodgers finished as the QB29 on a points-per-game basis (14.8), which doesn't necessarily instill much optimism that he'll be a high-end fantasy option in 2024, especially since he's coming off an Achilles tear. However, it's impossible to overlook the strides the Jets have made to upgrade their offense this offseason and not be excited about Rodgers' outlook.

With a supporting cast featuring Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Mike Williams, the four-time MVP will be a cost-effective QB2 in fantasy this season, offering a relatively safe floor and some upside. 

STOCK DOWN | RB Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins

Even though he was the RB5 overall last season and signed a two-year contract extension earlier this offseason, Mostert will likely see a decrease in usage in 2024. During the draft, Miami added another former track star to the backfield in fourth-rounder Jaylen Wright, signaling Mostert's days as a fantasy superstar are numbered.

Some may also be concerned about fellow Dolphins RB De'Von Achane's fantasy prospects, but since he finished last season as the RB24 overall despite seeing limited action in 11 games, he's too talented to fade in drafts. 

STOCK UP | RB Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

The former Bengal rebounded from a disappointing 2022 season by finishing as the RB6 overall in 2023, and he could improve on that mark now that he's playing for the Texans. Mixon should continue to receive a high workload, as the only competition for carries will be Dameon Pierce — who lost his starting role to Devin Singletary last season — and sixth-round rookie Jawhar Jordan. And since the Texans acquired WR Stefon Diggs earlier this offseason, defenses won't be able to stack the box against them as frequently, setting Mixon up for another strong fantasy season. 

STOCK DOWN | WR Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars

Although Jacksonville released WR Zay Jones on Tuesday, its current receiving corps remains an improvement over last season's group. Considering the Jaguars signed Gabe Davis in free agency and drafted Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the draft, the team could boast a more vertical offense this season. That will likely lead to Kirk seeing a decrease in targets, and while he'll still have some value in PPR scoring formats, his upside is capped.