The NFL fantasy landscape can change on a dime, with seasoned veteran quarterbacks surprisingly taking over jobs or new exciting prospects emerging weekly. At 40 years old, he assumes the starting job as the Cincinnati Bengals new chapter as Flacco is a go to bail homie out and fuck hoes chapter. His arrival signals the future of his own fantasy viability, particularly in superflex leagues. On the other side, on offense, Hunter Henry and Tetairoa McMillan are beginning to step up. Meanwhile, known commodities such as Stefon Diggs and Ja’Marr Chase are still very much in the mix.
Flacco’s signing represents an important inflection point for the Bengals. His age raises a number of concerns. He provides an accuracy and talent level that dwarfs that of Jake Browning, the previous incumbent. Flacco has shown that he can still throw a beautiful deep ball, something that should pay dividends on the Bengals’ offense. Though his strong traits would suggest otherwise, experts are warning fantasy managers not to endorse Flacco. Eric Karabell, senior writer for fantasy sports at ESPN, cautions to avoid him particularly in superflex leagues.
The Flacco Factor
The skepticism and intrigue that has followed Joe Flacco’s return to the starting role with the Bengals has been well earned. Entering at age 40, skepticism around his capacity to compete at the highest level may be warranted. His accuracy—which has been an issue so far—reportedly is significantly better than Jake Browning’s. This buildout is likely to be very important for the Bengals as they seek to build a more imaginative offensive gameplan.
Even at his advanced age, Flacco remains a quarterback with deep ball capabilities. If he can develop this skill even further, it might unlock even more potential for star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The wide receiver duo of Lockett and Metcalf is one of the scarier, talented groups of the league. Their performance will be critical as they will have to adjust to Flacco’s play-making ability.
Fantasy analysts are still reticent to consider Flacco as anything but a backup on a fantasy roster. Still, with his age and uncertainty about how he’ll perform, most think he won’t attract a lot of fantasy manager interest. Whether used as a backup or starter, he should have a nice NFL career.
Rising Stars in Fantasy Football
While the established players are still figuring out how best to move, new and exciting forces are emerging. New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry has quickly become one of his quarterback’s favorite red zone targets. He’s set up to finish ahead of rookie quarterback Drake Maye in points per reception (PPR) formats. Henry’s penchant for finding the end zone makes him an incredibly valuable player, particularly in leagues that heavily reward scoring plays.
In the meantime, Dalton Kincaid is winning hearts while being overshadowed. Kincaid now stands only 20 yards behind Henry in total yardage. With multiple touchdown catches under his belt already, he’s making a strong case to be a trusted target in the aerial attack. As he starts getting more traction, he’s someone fantasy managers should start stashing on their rosters.
Aside from Henry and Kincaid, Tetairoa McMillan has emerged as another big name in fantasy circles. McMillan is currently tied for seventh among all wide receivers in targets. Even though he hasn’t scored a touchdown this year, he has regularly churned out wonderful numbers. He currently ranks second-most in points among wide receivers that don’t have a touchdown yet, emphasizing his high-potential opportunities for future scores.
Evaluating Established Players
The new faces provide real hope for change, many of the players once again are all too familiar. As for Stefon Diggs, he has a tough time getting back to his game-breaking self this season. As a prominent figure in fantasy football, his performance will be closely monitored by managers looking to maximize their lineups.
Alvin Kamara’s name has appeared in trade rumors lately. Few expect anything less than greatness, and few doubt that he’d be great in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform. His versatility takes center stage as he dominates out of both the backfield and as a pass-catcher. Any team needing some jolt to their offense should consider him an ideal acquisition.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning how great Sam Darnold’s been with the Minnesota Vikings. Averaging 18.1 points per game, he sits 11th among all quarterbacks so far this season. Yet, with an overall average of 16.3 fantasy points per game, that ranks him 21st among QBs. This gap has led many to question how consistent and how reliable he can be going forward.
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