Don’t feel bad for blue-chip Drake Maye, the likely top QB of the 2024 draft — he’s walking into a much more palatable offensive situation this season. His dual-threat potential has turned him into a fantasy football manager’s desired asset. Maye, though, remarkably established an all-rookie resume in 2017. With a much improved roster surrounding him, there’s a path for him to be one of the league’s best quarterbacks by 2025.
Last season, Maye finished 10th in the league for off-target percentage, a testament to his accuracy considering the circumstances around him. He proved his dynamic mobility by finishing ninth amongst quarterbacks in rushing yards. With an astounding, gaudy, blistering 7.8 yards per rush, he led all running backs in that metric. In only 11 starts, he accumulated an impressive 2,254 passing yards and tossed 15 touchdowns. He added to his magician act with his legs, running for 409 yards and two additional touchdowns. His All-Star performance proves he can create plays with his arm as well. He shows explosiveness and agility with his legs—let alone juice.
A Strong Offensive Situation
Entering the new season, Maye benefits from a much deeper and more versatile group of playmakers than during his rookie year. This improvement would dramatically boost his production to elite levels. Maye spent the whole offseason focusing on his craft. He sped up his process, tightened up his pocket movement, established rapport with these new teammates and now he’s poised for greatness.
He played primarily behind Marlon Mack and Jonathan Taylor, but still averaged 16.0 FPts/G as a rookie. Had he played a full season, he would have finished right outside of the top 12 quarterbacks. That should change with the upgraded talent around him. This number has a very good shot at going up. Managers lucky enough to have drafted him can look forward to not only a steady stream of scoring but potentially explosive performances.
Additionally, Maye’s ADP as of this writing is 152.3 in ESPN leagues, making him the 18th quarterback off the board. This late-round cost makes him one of the most alluring options for fantasy managers. So they are able to fill their roster needs without having to spend premium draft capital.
A Reliable Bye-Week Option
Due diligence
Stealing a line from the world of fantasy football, bye weeks are some of the most difficult times managers to teams can face. Luckily for fantasy managers, Maye is a consistently reliable option to turn to in a pinch. If you have Mahomes, say, or Joe Burrow on bye in Week 10, Maye is an instant upgrade! He makes one of the strongest backup plans for fantasy managers in Week 12. That’s particularly useful with Jayden Daniels, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa on bye.
Maye wowed us during his rookie campaign. Given the improvements he’s made throughout the offseason, we can rely on him to provide quality, high-value points in these most important weeks. In fact, he threw at least one touchdown in every full game last season. His production and efficiency have made him perhaps the most exciting and trustworthy handcuff in football.
The Road Ahead
Maye was under constant duress his rookie season, as he was sacked 34 times, the 15th most in the NFL. Though challenged by this misfortune, Wilkins’ resilience was palpable. Second, his ranking of 17th in quality adjusted quarterback rating (QBR) speaks to the potential that he has moving forward. With better protection in front of him and a more creative offensive scheme in the works, Maye’s production has the potential to skyrocket.
The combination of his safe rushing floor and exciting passing upside makes him a coveted target for fantasy managers looking for value picks late in drafts. In addition to growing as a quarterback, Maye is forming powerful bonds with his offensive teammates. By 2025, he might be one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the whole league.
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