This annual piece used to be called “What’s In My Wallet,” and was intended to profile the players I drafted most often. More recently, we switched to a “My Guys” approach, where it still features players I like to draft, but it also gives me the freedom to include players I’m sold on, even if I’m not lucky enough to get multiple shares of them in my drafts.

My cards are on the table. My opponents know which guys I want. I will basically ruin my remaining designs here, for your benefit. As always, spice this up and apply it to the unique challenges of your rooms. You know your setup better than I ever could.

The first round of fantasy drafts has been a minefield this year, with holdouts, injuries and uncertainty. St. Brown is the type of safe pick that can help you sleep at night. The Lions kept their offensive infrastructure in place, and the Sun God will easily lead his team in targets. And this isn’t just a floor-securing pick; St. Brown was the WR3 in half-point PPR scoring (17 weeks) last year.

Anthony Richardson is on a lot of breakout and target lists, but I wonder if that’s a solution to a problem. The QB pool is absurdly deep in 2024. Daniels likely offers the same rushing upside as Richardson, and Daniels was a much better passer in college. Reps matter too; Daniels threw 1,438 passes in college, Richardson only 393. You can draft Daniels about 4-5 rounds after Richardson in Yahoo rooms right now.

Atlanta’s offense has been undermined by poor quarterback play and questionable play calling in recent years. Now Kirk Cousins ​​is here to fix the QB room, and new OC Zac Robinson has impressive credentials after working with Sean McVay. Throw in an absurdly easy scheme that plays mostly inside and you’ve got a destination offense.

You can also throw in Drake London if you want, although I haven’t been able to get much of him this summer. In short, you’ll want to draft a bunch of Falcons this year. They seem like the overwhelming favorite in the NFC South, and fantasy production tends to correlate with team success.

He may not slide into the second round of your draft, but be ready to pounce if he does. Aaron Rodgers has always been good with his primary receivers, and Wilson’s combination of athleticism, intelligence, and competitiveness gives him a chance to one day be the NFL’s best receiver. The Jets have a strong defense, which could reduce some of the volume. But Wilson will always be a proactive pick for me.

The Ravens somehow sent an average Gus Edwards to the end zone 13 times last year. Now Henry, a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, steps into the pilot chair and is the clear favorite to lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns.

Baltimore’s offensive line does have some concerns, but that’s partially offset by Lamar Jackson’s rushing ability, which will spread the defense and open up running lanes. And don’t forget that the Ravens rarely call Jackson’s name on the goal line, which means others can score the chips. Henry is one of the best second-round picks you can take, and a steal if he somehow moves into your third round.

Lawrence was once the league’s golden boy, the next superstar ready to go after being the first pick in the draft. It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride since then — losing his rookie year to Urban Meyer’s mistake didn’t help matters. But Lawrence has quietly been charted as a QB7 and QB12 over the past two years, and he’s currently drafted as a QB16. If you’re drafting your second quarterback, he’s a prime target.

It took a while for both players to reach the full circle of trust last year, but the rules were different in the final stretch. Pacheco had eight touchdowns in his final eight games last year (including the playoffs) and was useful in the passing game, catching 31 balls. Rice’s final 10 games have also been off the page: 69 catches, 822 yards, four touchdowns. He’s not dynamic on deeper routes, but Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid will keep him relevant.

Rice’s legal situation needs to be addressed, but it’s starting to look like he’ll get a short suspension this year or the case will be postponed until 2025. I’m not afraid to proactively call out Rice.

I’m linking all three of these players because they’re boring veterans, the type of players who generally provide a nice bag of value simply because they’re not brand new toys.

• Cooper proved to be a quarterback-proof player while the Browns used five different quarterbacks last year; he’s turned into a Mike Evans-lite, with slightly less touchdown equity.

• Singletary was a surprise hero in the second half of 2023 and was immediately signed by the Giants because of his history with Buffalo with Brian Daboll.

• Montgomery’s potential is limited with Jahmyr Gibbs around, but Montgomery may have more goal-line ability and Detroit’s offensive line is fantastic.

Chemistry doesn’t happen overnight; you can’t order it off the Internet. Shakir is the only Buffalo wide receiver to ever catch a regular-season pass from Josh Allen, and new face Curtis Samuel is nursing a turf toe injury. Shakir averaged a brisk 13.6 yards per target last year, and while that stat can be misleading to support players, there’s no ignoring the fact that Shakir was better than Stefon Diggs in the final stretch — and Shakir also had 10 catches and two touchdowns in the playoffs. Shakir is the Buffalo receiver I’ve been targeting, affordably ranked as the WR54 in Yahoo drafts.

Bengal D/ST

I usually take a “play for today” approach with my DS/T picks. The Bengals are the heavy favorites going into Week 1, with 9.5 points to go with a New England offense that could flounder early. Sounds good to me. Let’s tackle Cincinnati in Week 1 and worry about the rest of the schedule later. Many leagues allow you to stream the defensive position all season long.