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Fantasy Football Pulse Check: Caleb Williams, rookie QBs show off in Week 6

Fantasy Football Pulse Check: Caleb Williams, rookie QBs show off in Week 6

It took six weeks to get here, but we finally got to see all of the 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, who now have a record of 4-2, are ready to compete in a tough NFC North. Jayden Daniels had a strong performance in a competitive game against Baltimore and really seemed to belong with Lamar Jackson. Drake Maye made his first career start and was immediately superior to Jacoby Brissett, giving us a glimmer of hope that the Patriots can produce fantasy 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 seems like the perfect opportunity to conduct a “rookie QB check-in” to evaluate early-season performances and impact on pass catchers from a fantasy perspective.

After starting the season as QB31 and QB29, respectively, in his first two games, Caleb Williams is well on his way to a potential QB1 overall performance heading into the primetime games in Week 6. The Bears are on a three-game winning streak and have outscored their opponents 95-44 over the last three weeks. It’s important to note that the last four games have come against Indianapolis, the LA 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 succeed and exceed expectations in these situations, and for the most part, Williams has done that.

There were a few mistakes here and there, but overall the Bears’ offense is thriving, a marked difference from the first few weeks when the defense carried the team. The running game has finally found its rhythm and Williams is distributing targets evenly across the offense. During the winning streak, Williams completed at least 69% of his passes and threw seven touchdowns with just one interception. He’s also performed better on the ground, which is a great sign of how good he is on offense. Instead of panicking and jumping out of the pocket, he uses his legs effectively to move the chains, giving fantasy managers a nice bonus on the ground.

The good news is that the future continues to be very bright for Chicago. After the bye, the Bears will face Washington and Arizona – two pass-friendly defenses – followed by an injury-plagued New England team before reaching the more difficult part of their schedule. We should expect borderline QB1 consistency from Williams with a top-five edge.

When it comes to receivers, inconsistency has been and will likely continue to be a problem. While Williams is doing well and the touchdowns are flowing, the volume isn’t particularly high. His maximum pass attempts over the last three weeks is just 29 and Williams continues to distribute the ball fairly evenly. No pass catcher had more than five targets this week, with Keenan Allen leading the receiving corps and Cole Kmet easily surpassing him. In Week 5, DJ Moore dominated with a WR4 overall score in the 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 a WR7 overall finish.

The offense works well across the board with the same usage and I don’t expect anything to change. Cole Kmet remains a low-end TE1 with some inconsistencies and DJ Moore remains a low-end WR2 with upside. Allen and Odunze are risky flex options.

The battle between Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson showed why they entered the week as the top two fantasy QBs. After an uncharacteristically poor performance in Week 5, Daniels rebounded by completing 24 of 35 attempts for 269 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. While Daniels’ fantasy performance was a little lower than expected – he ran just six times for 22 yards, his lowest rushing total of the season – it was still a solid day in a tough big-stage matchup against the reigning MVP.

Aside from the first two weeks of the season when Washington was still finding its identity, Daniels has performed consistently on both the ground and in the air, and 20 fantasy points appears to be his minimum. That’s fantastic reliability for any quarterback, let alone a rookie, and difficult matchups don’t seem to threaten this floor. This is crucial for him and his pass catchers as the road ahead is not favorable. After a plus matchup against Carolina, Washington faces the Bears, Giants, Steelers, Eagles, Cowboys and Titans.

We knew Daniels had QB1 potential entering the season, but the big question was whether he could develop the talent around him, particularly Terry McLaurin. McLaurin’s fantasy value has been limited by poor QB play throughout his career, and fantasy managers – myself included – have been waiting for a quarterback to unlock his potential.

Daniels seems 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 continue to trust it in the future.

Let’s get this straight: No matter who is under center, the Patriots are a bad team. There’s nothing you can do about it. The offensive line doesn’t fit any quarterback, and while the receiving corps is promising, it’s still arguably the worst in the league. However, the offense looked completely 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 one could expect. Although there were mistakes, Maye showed a spark, throwing more touchdowns in one game than Brissett did in five games, with a volume the latter never came close to matching. Houston’s defense was tough on the passer. In Week 1, they allowed just 212 yards to Anthony Richardson and held Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen under 200 yards. Maye didn’t seem overwhelmed and rose to the moment.

Regardless of future improvements from Maye, the Patriots still lack a true WR1. However, there are some promising fantasy assets.

DeMario Douglas was the team’s most consistent receiver. While consistency is relative in New England, Douglas has scored nine times in three of his last four games, with decent yardage and his first career touchdown in Week 6. Last season, Douglas showed potential but lacked consistent upside. With Maye at quarterback, Douglas appears to have an actual ceiling and could become a weekly flex option, especially as the Patriots face Jacksonville’s porous pass defense next week.

Kayshon Boutte also found the end zone, but that appears to be more of 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 in the preseason, making the rookie receiver worth keeping an eye on.

Rattler completed 22 of 40 attempts for 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions and added 27 rushing yards in his debut. While the raw numbers may seem disappointing, they don’t tell the whole story – Rattler looked competent and got off to a good first start. It was encouraging enough to believe that the road ahead won’t be a complete disaster.

Unfortunately, the Saints will be without Chris Olave next week due to a concussion. Rattler has a deep ball, but it may take some time for him to develop chemistry with Rashid Shaheed, limiting Shaheed’s fantasy value. Alvin Kamara remains a solid RB1. Although Tampa’s strong run defense limited his production on the ground, Kamara still caught five passes, giving him a solid RB1 performance down low.

The Saints face a tough matchup against Denver next week. While Patrick Surtain II is dealing with a concussion, Denver’s defense remains strong. This matchup should be avoided as Kamara is the only safe fantasy option.

Denver won the L today, but with Nix it becomes clearer. After starting his career with no touchdowns and four interceptions in his first three games, Nix turned things around last week in a game against Vegas, where Nix scored a total of three touchdowns. This week he followed up with another solid performance, rushing for over 200 yards with two touchdowns, an interception and 61 rushing yards to boost his fantasy production for another QB1 graduation.

Denver’s offense remains unreliable overall, making Nix a game-dependent streaming option. While there are occasional flashes from other receivers, Courtland Sutton is the only consistent weekly option.