With the Illinois football team having a fantastic season this year, now is a great time to look into what former Illinois players are doing in the NFL. Fantasy football is among the most popular virtual sports games in the United States. Fans can actively select players to create their ideal football team, highlighting the top offensive players in the NFL. Let’s look at how former Illini have performed in the 2024 fantasy football season.
1: Chase Brown (87.7% rostered)
After rushing for 1,643 yards with the Illini in 2022, Chase Brown has become one of the top fantasy running backs in the NFL. Brown only scored 4.5 PPG as a rookie, but with the departure of running back Joe Mixon, he found an increased opportunity in year two. The role wouldn’t be handed to Brown, though, as he started the year splitting carries with veteran running back Zack Moss.
Brown got off to a slow start before bursting on the scene and scored 23.2 points in Week 4. After that, Brown scored 16.4 and 14.4 points, respectively, in the following weeks. Recently, Moss suffered a neck injury that will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future. With the backfield to himself, Brown scored 26.7 and 22.4 points in the last two weeks.
Brown has been fairly efficient on the ground, running for 4.4 yards per catch, but where he excels is in the passing game. In these last two weeks with Moss, Brown drew 16 total targets and caught 14 of those passes. Great running backs are hard to come by, but the former Illini has solved this problem for fantasy managers.
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2: Chase McLaughlin (49% rostered)
Kickers don’t get enough love in fantasy football, but Chase McLaughlin has had a career-best season, scoring 8.9 PPG. The Buccaneers kicker has provided an edge in that kicker slot. He has scored at least 10 points four times this season. Kickers are often overlooked in the NFL since they have the most tame role, but his expertise gives Tampa Bay a reliable source of extra points every so often.
McLaughlin has been fantastic with his accuracy, nailing 16 of 17 kicks this season. Although kickers are fairly replaceable, McLaughlin has been a nice addition to fantasy football teams this season.
3: Isaiah Williams (0.2% rostered)
Wide receiver Isaiah Williams hasn’t done much for fantasy teams, but he has at least scored a few points. Williams scored 2.6 points in Week 8, which was all he had done in the year. That said, Williams is playing for the Bengals, where he has a chance to get on the field. Rookie wide receiver Jermaine Burton has struggled to stay on the field, and the same can be said for wide receiver Tee Higgins.
The Bengals are short at the wide receiver position, which could help Williams score some fantasy points if they give him some minutes. While Williams doesn’t have much impact now, he finally has a path to see the field.
