When it comes to Fantasy Football, your season can be made or lost off a few big swings. In fantasy, taking a swing on guys with unknown or checkered records can be the best way to find a steal. It can also ruin your season… We’ll walk you through 5 of our top players that can make or break your season.
It would be hard to find a player who has burned more fantasy managers than Kyle Pitts. After a 1000-yard receiving rookie season, he felt like the next big tight end in the league. Unfortunately, that hasn’t exactly happened. Following a string of coaching and quarterback failures, Pitts has turned into a midrange tight end at best, with his combined yards from the last two seasons only slightly over his rookie season. Between a failing offense and injuries, it’s safe to say Pitts hasn’t’ been a homerun bet.
This might be changing. Atlanta made significant changes this off-season with a new coach and two new QBs. Adding Kirk Cousin could be what it takes to turn Pitts back into a top-tier TE. With Cousin’s record of using his TE, TJ Hockenson had 5 TDs and nearly a 1,000 yards last year on the Titans. Pitts could be in for a spike in productivity. Pair that with Robinson and London flanking Pitts. Atlanta might have a genuinely productive offense this year.
If it were anyone else, and I mean ANYONE else, they would be a stay away after such a horrific injury, but Nick Chubb is built differently. After suffering a devastating knee injury early last season, Nick Chubb looks to make his comeback. With his return to the field still up in the air, he’ll most likely miss a few early games, but that’s a risk worth taking. In many drafts, Chubb is going significantly lower than what his productivity could be. As one of the best running backs in the league, he’s one of the highest-upside players in fantasy this year. He also could come back looking nothing like this dominant self.
We have only seen glimpses into his recovery, which is still ongoing. It could take him a month to touch the field, and even then, he might still not be the same. Swinging on Chubb in your draft is the ultimate boom or bust. He may come back and provide true RB1 production or sit in your IR spot all season. It’s risky, but he’s worth taking the chance on as an X-factor.
It can always be risky taking a rookie high in the draft, with most drafts seeing Harrison going in the second round. That said, few rookies are walking into a situation like Marvin Harrison Jr. At LSU, he showed his elite route running ability and insane athleticism. He might take the WR1 position on an Arizona team that needs a true WR1 on day one. With Kyler finally back after yet another injured year, Harrison has a chance to challenge rookie records and be a legitimately deadly WR in fantasy.
On the other hand, he is a rookie, and we’ve never seen him play a snap in the NFL. Even elite talent can struggle at first to adapt to NFL speed. With how high he is going in fantasy drafts, managers will almost need him to be a record-breaking rookie to justify taking him high. If there is anyone who can do it, though, it might just be Harrion Jr.
De’Von Achane, the gem of the waiver wire, the warhorse of Miami. This man rewrote the rules of what a running back can do. Having some of the most explosive performances we’ve seen, Achane became a fantasy football superhero overnight. He fits the role perfectly in a Miami offense built of speed, speed, and more speed. Racking up 800 yards in 11 games while battling injuries and sharing carries with Raheem Mostert, Achane might have the most significant upside in the draft. Going from a complete unknown to a guy commonly getting selected in the high 2nd round or 1st round of fantasy drafts.
Miami is running back its core after locking down Tua so we expect the same explosiveness of offense. There are still questions for Ahcane, however: will he continue to battle injury, will he still share most of the workload, or will he take over? It’s unclear if Achane will be able to elevate himself into the full-fledged RB1 of the team, but if he does, WOW. It will be hard to find an RB with more upside than Achane.
If you are a true fantasy nerd, you’ve probably already decided to take this guy. Even though he only played a handful of games last year, he was dominant. With a mixture of Josh Allen's running ability and a better arm, he could genuinely be the best fantasy QB. He’s on a hungry Cults team, pairing him with one of the best RBs in the league, Johnathan Taylor. Richardson could lead a fantasy team to the championship if everything goes right, IF. That’s the biggest issue with him; we barely saw him play, and the risk of injury remains high.
In terms of fantasy, he’s the definition of a league-winning player. Without the resume, you could just as easily be starting Baker Mayfield off waivers in week five than making your finals. We’ll see if the second-year quarterback can return and stay healthy or if those early stats were a fluke. My money would be on no, but only time will tell with him!
Fantasy is always about measured risk. You’ve got to take a swing at some point, and nailing it could make your season. These are just a few of our favorite high-ceiling, low-floor guys. Any of these players could become a tier-one player in a fantasy draft.
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