Drake Maye, the promising young quarterback, has emerged as a significant player in the league, prompting discussions about his potential to surpass established stars like Patrick Mahomes. Maye has been as steady as they come this year. In five out of seven contests in total and four of his last five games he scored 20+ fantasy points. His performance as the titular character has mesmerized fans and critics alike. He currently sits third in PPR points among QBs.
Even with Maye’s exceptional statistics, he has an uphill battle in the upcoming weeks. He’s going to be unavailable to help his team during the Week 14 stretch run due to a bye. This timing coincides with the first playoff round for most of your fantasy managers. His puzzling performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 has further muddled matters. Fans are understandably interested to see how he does in their inevitable rematch in Week 15. Maye has been the one who’s taken the biggest strides this season. It’s not going to take long before he finally receives praise alongside the top tier of quarterbacks.
Consistent Performance Amidst Challenges
Maye’s most recent performances have shown a degree of consistency that is quite uncommon for a player of his age and experience. In the past five games, he has scored over 20 points, a feat he has accomplished five times across seven games this season. These amazing averages are a testimony to his brilliance as much as they are to his flexibility on the pitch.
It’s important to contextualize that much of his success has been manufactured by questionable defenses. This has already been a lost season for the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans. This begs the question of whether Maye will be able to duplicate his performance when faced with stiffer competition. Regardless, his ability to really capitalize on these opportunities is far more revealing of his ceiling as a quarterback.
Ranking and Comparisons
As of today, Maye is third in PPR points per game among all quarterbacks, behind only Jalen Hurts’ 21.7 ppg. This rank puts him in very elite company and indicates that he is exceeding expectations. As many analysts have noted, Maye’s performance this season was better than anyone expected. So this change in performance has taken everybody by surprise since the beginning of the year.
Skeptics would claim that his ranking is bloated as a result of him playing against inferior defenses. We can’t deny his huge step forward in just about every area of his game. His ability to consistently score points speaks to his development as a quarterback and his potential for growth in the future.
Looking Ahead
Though he enjoyed a triumphant 2023, challenges await for Maye. That’s a change the majority of fantasy managers will have to prepare for in the most crucial playoff round. Given that scenario, particularly with a bye week again in Week 14. The timing of this bye couldn’t be worse for teams that are counting on him for fantasy points. Maye’s past performance against the Bills is a red flag. In Week 5 when they met, he mustered just 12.12 points against them.
As managers look at their rosters and plan for the coming weeks, they’ll have to take Maye into account. His gaudy stats are too good to dismiss entirely, but they have to consider his difficult schedule moving forward. If he continues to improve and adjust to stronger and more complex defenses, Maye will take a strong hold on being one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
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