In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Yahoo Fantasy:
Our long, national fantasy nightmare is finally over.
No more Brandon Aiyuk speculation. No more trade rumors.
He is officially a San Francisco 49er for a long, long time after signing a massive extension worth $120M.
And that wasn’t the only closure we got yesterday…
The Patriots are not capitulating and have instead decided to start Jacoby Brissett, despite head coach Jerod Mayo recently admitting that Drake Maye outplayed him in the preseason.
But does it matter?
I don’t think so.
Even in Adam Schefter’s post, he finished by saying, “But Maye’s time is coming.”
It’s not a matter of if Maye starts, but rather when.
Despite my strong bias for always wanting to fast-track getting these rookies in action, I understand where the Patriots are coming from.
They love Brissett and want to show him some veteran deference, but they also likely want to give this very weak offensive line a chance to gel before Maye is back there scrambling for his life.
For fantasy purposes, I think it’s still perfectly fine to stash Maye as a high-upside QB2, especially if you miss on one of the Top-10 options. You can make an argument that his situation is almost as fantasy-friendly as Jayden Daniels’.
Speaking of Daniels, check out Dwain’s favorite player targets below…
Fantasy Life's 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit is LIVE (and free)! Click here to access all of the content you need to dominate your drafts.
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Dwain McFarland’s “My Guys” for 2024 drafts
- Watercooler: Interesting Browns news
Matthew Berry Flash Sale!
Matthew is a man of the people, and he says the people need access to awesome fantasy football tools ahead of the biggest draft weekend of the year!
So with that, we’re running one final 30% off flash sale.
Note, this will be the cheapest possible price FantasyLife+ will be.
Get 30% OFF any tier of FantasyLife+ with code MB30
The deal expires at midnight EST tonight!
My Guys For Drafts: Must-Target Players
I have done a ton of player research this summer.
I have done a ton of draft strategy research this summer.
I have drafted over 250 fantasy teams this summer.
Below are My Guys—the players I select most often in fantasy football drafts.
Quarterback
🎯 Jayden Daniels | Washington Commanders
Daniels is the fantasy football cheat code for the 2024 season. I am not guaranteeing he will be an outstanding NFL QB as a rookie, but I would be shocked if he finished outside the top 10 in fantasy football. It all comes down to his dual-threat nature–it is incredibly hard for rushing QBs to fail.
Since 2011, we have had 21 instances of a QB recording 100 or more rushing attempts while passing for fewer than 3,500 yards. That group averaged 20.3 fantasy points per game and finished with an average of QB8 in points per game. Only three failed to secure a top-12 finish.
Daniels comes off the board multiple rounds later than Anthony Richardson and Kyler Murray, but offers a similar upside—making him a strategic pillar for my QB strategy in 2024. If Daniels surprises as a passer, look out, y'all.
Running Back
🎯 Kenneth Walker III | Seattle Seahawks
Walker was an electric player with the ball in his hands in 2023.
- PFF Run Grade: 85.3 (7 of 37 RBs with at least 150 attempts)
- Missed tackles forced per attempt: 25.6% (3 of 37)
The third-year back would grade inside the top 12 at the position if the team didn't select Zach Charbonnet in Round 2 of the 2023 draft. However, the vibes have been positive, with Walker's coaches saying all the right things.
- Per Albert Breer: "To the new staff, he looks like the kind of back you can play on all three downs and build a running game around. And Zach Charbonnet gives the team some depth behind him.”
- Per Mike Macdonald via Jeremy Fowler: "Every time we go over the roster, [running backs coach] Kennedy [Polamalu], he gives me a little hint like, 'Let's feed this guy, he can be special.'"
The uncertainty drafters have about Walker forces him down draft boards behind older and less talented players. Based on his talent profile and the new coaching staff's comments, Walker is a player I want to bet on in Rounds 4 to 5 of fantasy drafts.
🎯 Miami RBs (yes, all of them) | Dolphins
I want to be in on the Dolphins’ running game in 2024. I have written a lot about De'Von Achane because we are drafting him closer to his floor than his ceiling. And while Achane is definitely one of my guys, he doesn't qualify because he goes in the first three rounds of drafts, which allows me to shout out two other names who offer value later.
Raheem Mostert averaged 17.2 PPG in contests with a healthy Achane last season. While he could cede some touches to Achane, he is still listed as the No. 1 back on the Dolphins’ depth chart and is a perfect fit for their run scheme. He is a patient runner with elite acceleration and great long speed despite entering his age-32 season. According to Next Gen Stats, Mostert had the 5th-fastest speed for an RB in 2023, hitting 21.62 MPH.
Mostert is a fine target in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts if you waited on the RB position.
Jaylen Wright posted a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and hit 23.7 MPH at the NFL Combine (only slightly slower than Achane's 24.4 the year before).
This offense is based on speed. They execute the toss play to get their world-class sprinters on the edge as well as any team in the NFL. McDaniel uses motion at the snap with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined with heavy run formations that force defenders to cheat, creating massive running lanes inside.
Wright perfectly fits this scheme and will dominate fantasy boxscores if opportunity knocks. The rookie doesn't need two injuries to become relevant—an injury to either Mostert or Achane would unlock top-12 upside in this high-octane attack.
Wright is a superb bench-stash option in the late rounds.
More of Dwain’s must-draft players…
Want to win $1 million while playing fantasy football?
If you play in a private Yahoo Fantasy league, you can enter for the chance to win big.
Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports are teaming up on a $1 million fantasy football sweepstakes. If you play in a private Yahoo Fantasy Football league, you can enter for a chance to win $1 million. You can earn additional entries if players on your fantasy team score a touchdown in any one of the three Week 1 NFL games on NBC and/or Peacock.
The sweepstakes is one of several new experiences in the newly redesigned Yahoo Fantasy app, which features a bold new look and easy-to-use features to help you have more fun and set a winning lineup, faster.
To sign up for a private Yahoo Fantasy Football league and enter the sweepstakes, click here. See official rules here.
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds:
💪 RB battles to pay attention to. Which ones should you draft?
👀 Ian and Dwain build a superteam? Rate their draft from 1-10.
🤔 Pete touched on the fallout of Jacoby Brissett above…but what about his WRs?
📓 NFL Preseason Recap. Everything you need to know in one piece.
😠 This Aiyuk stuff still isn’t resolved. Fines coming? Who will blink first?
✂️ The Browns are getting their RB back. Still a nice late-round pick.
💸 What the Deshaun Watson contract restructure means. Good context here.
🐻 This isn’t your ordinary No. 3 WR. Big things coming.
