We're nearly halfway through the fantasy football season. Rookies are breaking out. Veterans are falling off. Backfields are getting murkier. Let's discuss some risers and fallers along with actionable advice for each player.
Three Up
QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Through just two starts, Drake Maye is averaging an impressive 21.2 fantasy points per game. Only Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Jordan Love, and Russell Wilson (one-game sample) are averaging more. He could certainly come back down to Earth, but this year’s third overall pick is quickly looking the part of a franchise quarterback. Despite a lack of weapons, he’s elevating the talent around him. Through just two starts (and a garbage-time drive in Week 3), Maye is just 155 yards shy of Jacoby Brissett’s total in five starts. He’s thrown five touchdowns to Brissett’s two. There was much concern about how Maye could perform in this less-than-ideal scenario, but he quickly calmed it. This has been a tough year for quarterbacks. Highly-drafted ones aren’t living up to expectations. Injuries are starting to pile up. Late-round hopes haven’t panned out. But Maye could be the answer to these problems. He’ll have a tough stretch ahead of him; the Jets, Titans, Bears, and Rams all have formidable defenses. While it might be beneficial to stash him during these weeks, the reality is that many fantasy managers won’t have that luxury. Even with some scary matchups coming up, Maye has done enough to work into the weekly discussion as a streamer.
WR Ricky Pearsall, San Francisco 49ers
Jauan Jennings and Jacob Cowing are trending up after the news of Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending ACL tear as well, but Ricky Pearsall has the highest ceiling of the bunch. In addition to Aiyuk’s injury, Deebo Samuel Sr. was hospitalized with pneumonia. And we still don’t have a clear timetable for Christian McCaffrey’s return. Pearsall was a first-round pick in this year’s draft. And he has the elasticity to line up all over the formation. Whether in the slot, out wide, or in the backfield, Pearsall’s elite athleticism gives him the ability to do much more than most rookies. In his first game back from a preseason shooting incident, Pearsall immediately pulled five targets in his direction, most of all the healthy wide receivers. He also led the team in routes run. Considering that was his first taste of NFL action, his role should only grow from here. Pearsall is a versatile and athletic wide receiver who can get open and make plays after the catch. His skill set is tailor-made for Kyle Shanahan’s passing game. Not only should you put up a heavy bid for him in your leagues, but he’s worthy of starter consideration in a projected Week 8 shoutout against the Cowboys.
RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs
Workhorse running backs on good offenses are a rare thing in today’s NFL, but that’s exactly what Kareem Hunt is at the moment. Of course, Isiah Pacheco’s looming return could dampen his season-long upside, but he’s looking like a plug-and-play RB1 for the immediate future. He’s averaging 17.2 PPR points per game, ninth-most among all running backs. Last week, against a stout 49ers’ run defense, he managed four rushing attempts inside the 5-yard line and two touchdowns. Through his three games with the Chiefs, he’s averaging 21 rushing attempts and two targets per game. Samaje Perine’s snap share has dipped in each of the three games Hunt has been in Kansas City. Carson Steele is little more than an afterthought. While some might recommend selling Hunt before Pacheco returns, it makes more sense to continue riding the hot hand, as there’s no guarantee Pacheco will recover fully and regain his old role.
Three Down
WR Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
Brian Thomas Jr.'s emergence and Evan Engram's return have crushed Christian Kirk’s fantasy value. In the three games he’s played with Thomas and Engram, he’s averaging just 4.3 targets and 1.7 targets per game. With just 31 yards per game in those matchups, the 4.8 PPR points per game he’s amassed would make him fantasy football’s WR99. Without a trade out of Jacksonville or an injury to Thomas or Engram, it’s hard to trust Kirk in your starting lineup. And if this trend continues, tough decisions about keeping him rostered will need to be made.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kansas City Chiefs
With Rashee Rice going down, the path was clear for JuJu Smith-Schuster to regain the role that he found success in during the 2022 season. But a hamstring injury almost immediately forced him out of Week 7’s matchup. There’s no timetable for his return, but the team quickly declared him out for Week 8. As more injuries pile up and bye weeks continue, finding reasons to roster Smith-Schuster while he’s on the mend becomes harder.
RBs Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Two’s a company, and three’s a crowd. Rachaad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker were in a three-headed committee after Tucker’s breakout Week 7 performance. Rachaad White had the edge in snaps, carries, targets, and routes, but it was hardly enough to get excited about. White’s 2023 season was a story of inefficiency propped up by elite volume. With that volume gone, White falls into the RB3 category. As long as all three running backs are healthy, trusting any in your weekly lineups is hard.
Check out a new episode of The Footballguys Fantasy Football Show where Alfredo Brown and I discuss Drake Maye, Ricky Pearsall, and other waiver wire pickups as we head into Week 8.
