It took us six weeks to get here but we finally got to see all top-three picks from the 2024 NFL Draft in action — and the results were actually pretty good. Caleb Williams led the Bears to victory in Week 6; the Bears, now with a 4-2 record, are poised to compete in a tough NFC North. Jayden Daniels had a strong performance in a competitive game against Baltimore, looking like he truly belonged with Lamar Jackson. Drake Maye got his first career start and immediately outproduced Jacoby Brissett, giving us a glimmer of hope that the Patriots can produce fantasy-viable pass-catchers.
Elsewhere, Spencer Rattler also stepped in for his first career start and Bo Nix continued his progress. With five rookie quarterbacks in action, this feels like the perfect opportunity to do a “rookie QB check-in” to evaluate early season performances and the effects on pass catchers from a fantasy perspective.
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
After starting the season as QB31 and QB29, respectively, in his first two games, Caleb Williams is on a roll with a potential overall QB1 performance, pending Week 6’s primetime games. The Bears are riding a three-game win streak, outscoring opponents 95-44 over the past three weeks. It’s important to recognize their last four games were against Indianapolis, the L.A. Rams, Carolina and Jacksonville — all of which are relatively weak defensively. However, great matchups don’t always guarantee great performances. We want young quarterbacks to thrive in these situations and exceed expectations and, for the most part, Williams has done so.
There have been a few mistakes here and there, but overall, the Bears offense is thriving, a stark difference from the first few weeks when the defense was carrying the team. The run game has finally found its rhythm and Williams is spreading targets evenly throughout the offense. During the win streak, Williams has completed at least 69% of his passes and thrown seven touchdowns with only one interception. He’s also added production on the ground, which is an excellent sign of his comfort level in the offense. Rather than panicking and bailing from the pocket, he’s using his legs effectively to move the chains, providing a nice bonus on the ground for fantasy managers.
Pulse Check: Is Williams a weekly QB1 and can he keep up this production after the bye week?
The good news is that the road ahead remains very friendly for Chicago. After the bye, the Bears face Washington and Arizona — two pass-friendly defenses — followed by a New England team riddled with injuries, before hitting the tougher part of their schedule. We should expect borderline QB1 consistency with top-five upside from Williams.
When it comes to the receivers, inconsistency has been an issue and it will likely continue. While Williams is thriving and touchdowns are flowing, volume isn’t particularly high. His maximum pass attempts over the past three weeks is just 29 and Williams continues to spread the ball fairly evenly. No pass-catcher had more than five targets this week, with Keenan Allen leading the receiving corps and Cole Kmet slightly outperforming him. In Week 5, DJ Moore dominated with an overall WR4 finish in half-PPR. In Week 4, no pass-catcher had more than 10 fantasy points in half-PPR. In Week 3, Rome Odunze had the big week with an overall WR7 finish.
The offense is functioning well with equal usage across the board and I don’t expect this to change. Cole Kmet remains a low-end TE1 with some inconsistency and DJ Moore stays a low-end WR2 with upside. Allen and Odunze are risky flex options.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
The battle between Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson showed why they entered the week as the top two fantasy QBs. After an uncharacteristically low-efficiency performance in Week 5, Daniels bounced back by completing 24 of 35 attempts for 269 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. While Daniels’ fantasy production was a little lower than expected — he only rushed six times for 22 yards, his lowest rushing total this season — it was still a solid day in a tough matchup on a big stage against the reigning MVP.
Aside from the first two weeks of the season, when Washington was still finding its identity, Daniels has provided steady production both on the ground and through the air and 20 fantasy points appear to be his floor. For any quarterback, let alone a rookie, that’s fantastic reliability and difficult matchups don’t seem to threaten that floor. This is critical for him and his pass catchers because the road ahead isn’t favorable. After a plus matchup against Carolina, Washington faces the Bears, Giants, Steelers, Eagles, Cowboys and Titans.
Pulse Check: If Daniels is a top-three quarterback ROS, what does that mean for Terry McLaurin?
We knew Daniels had QB1 upside coming into the season, but the big question was whether he could elevate the talent around him, particularly Terry McLaurin. McLaurin’s fantasy value has been capped by poor QB play throughout his career and fantasy managers — myself included — have been waiting for a quarterback to unlock his potential.
Daniels appears to be that guy. After a slow start to the season, McLaurin has emerged as a borderline WR1 over the past four weeks, with two 100-yard games and four touchdowns — matching his touchdown total for the entire 2023 season. This production is real and I urge you to trust it moving forward.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Let’s get this out of the way: regardless of who’s under center, the Patriots are a bad team. There’s nothing they can do about it. The offensive line isn’t suitable for any quarterback and while there’s some promise in the receiving corps, it’s arguably still the worst in the league. That said, the offense looked drastically different with Maye at quarterback. Maye completed 20 of 33 attempts for 243 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and added 38 rushing yards.
For a rookie debut, this performance was as good as you could expect. While there were mistakes, Maye showed a spark and threw more touchdowns in one game than Brissett did in five games with volume that the latter never even came close to achieving. Houston’s defense has been tough on passers, allowing just 212 yards to Anthony Richardson in Week 1 and holding Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen under 200 yards. Maye didn’t look overwhelmed and stood up to the moment.
Pulse Check: What should we expect from Patriots receivers moving forward?
Regardless of any improvement going forward from Maye, the Patriots still lack a true WR1. However, there are some fantasy assets with promise.
DeMario Douglas has been the team’s most consistent receiver. While consistency is relative in New England, Douglas has seen nine targets in three of his last four games, with decent yardage and his first career touchdown in Week 6. Last season, Douglas flashed potential but lacked consistent upside. With Maye at quarterback, Douglas appears to have an actual ceiling and could become a weekly flex option, especially with the Patriots facing Jacksonville’s porous pass defense next week.
Kayshon Boutte also found the end zone, but this seems more like a fluke than a breakout. Ja’Lynn Polk, the second-most targeted receiver this week, managed just one catch for four yards. However, Polk and Maye showed a connection during the preseason, so the rookie receiver is worth monitoring.
Spencer Rattler, QB, New Orleans Saints
Rattler completed 22 of 40 attempts for 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in his debut, adding 27 rushing yards. While the raw numbers may seem underwhelming, they don’t tell the full story — Rattler looked competent and had a decent first start. It was encouraging enough to believe that the path forward won’t be a complete disaster.
Mini-pulse check: What’s the Saints’ outlook with Rattler moving forward?
Unfortunately, the Saints may be without Chris Olave next week due to a concussion. Rattler has a deep ball, but it may take time for him to develop chemistry with Rashid Shaheed, limiting Shaheed’s fantasy value. Alvin Kamara remains a solid RB1. Despite Tampa’s strong run defense limiting his ground production, Kamara still caught five passes, giving him a solid low-end RB1 performance.
Next week, the Saints face a tough matchup against Denver. While Patrick Surtain II is in concussion protocol, Denver’s defense remains strong. This matchup is one to avoid, with Kamara being the only safe fantasy option.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Denver took the L today, but things are becoming clearer with Nix. After starting his career with no touchdowns and four interceptions in his first three games, Nix turned things around in a matchup with Vegas last week where Nix had three total touchdowns. He followed that up with another solid outing this week, passing for over 200 yards with two touchdowns, one interception, and 61 rushing yards to boost his fantasy output for another QB1 finish.
Mini-pulse check: Can we trust Nix and the Broncos moving forward?
Denver’s offense remains unreliable overall, making Nix a matchup-dependent streaming option. While there are occasional flashes from other receivers, Courtland Sutton is the only consistent weekly option.
Read the full article here