USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Fantasy football is a game of matchups, so what you see one week you might not see the next.
That is something most casual fantasy managers fail to understand and when they set up their waiver wire claims for the following week, and they end up making some serious mistakes.
What we witnessed at the quarterback position this past week is a perfect example, so if you are looking for a new gunslinger, be careful with which players you choose.
Patriots fans were brimming with excitement as the future of their franchise, Drake Maye, was making his starting debut against the Texans this past week. They lost, 41-21, but Maye finished the afternoon with 243 passing yards, three touchdowns and a 60.6 percent completion rate. He also ran the ball five times for 38 yards, adding in that rushing element fantasy managers to covet.
Next week, the Patriots take on the defensively challenged Jaguars, and though many are sprinting to their waiver wire to add him, it could be a mistake. Or, as Admiral Akbar once declared, “a trap!”
The Jaguars are not a good team. We know that. But this is still a rookie quarterback preparing to face an NFL-level defense and lets not forget that he threw two interceptions and also lost a fumble last week. But the worst part for him and the rest of the Patriots is that Week 7 means a trip across the pond to play in England.
Though there didn’t seem to be any ill-effects from travel for Caleb Williams, there are still some concerns for New England. First and foremost, the Patriots are not as good a team, and Maye is nowhere near as polished as Williams. Maye also lacks the veteran weapons to help him along. His weaponry is just as green as he is.
You also have the fact that there is no travel for Jacksonville this time. They are spending the entire week in London and will not be contending with a long flight, subsequent jetlag and a complete upheaval of their normal schedule. The Patriots are experiencing all of this for the first time and will struggle.
Another potential pitfall is investing in Justin Fields. His two rushing touchdowns may have saved his fantasy day, but with a healthy Russell Wilson lurking, Fields’ days as a starter are numbered.
He failed to post a completion rate of more than 60 percent in each of his past two games, and this Steelers’ passing attack is weak. Neither Mike Tomlin nor Arthur Smith is going to tolerate that much longer, and a game against the Jets in Week 7 could be the moment we see Wilson take over.
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Always be wary of what you see in the NFL as it can change in the blink of an eye. Just ask the Broncos, who were on a three-game win streak then failed to show up against the Chargers.
Maye and Fields have their fantasy appeal, but investing in them is extremely risky. Don’t go wasting your free-agent bid dollars on them.
Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.