Fantasy football is a game in which individuals draft real NFL players into their own imaginary teams. Based on individual player statistics from real-life NFL games, players are awarded imaginary fantasy points. Players compete against each other every week and with strategy, competition, and the dreaded “fantasy punishment,” the game evolves into pure chaos, heartbreak, and bragging rights. Let’s start with a deep dive into what has been happening in the fantasy world.
Devastating news wreaked havoc: Joe Burrow, a top five quarterback going into the year, will be out for three months with a toe injury, rendering him futile for the entire season. The elite Bengals offense centered on Burrow will now only be average at best. Jamaar Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown, all players drafted in the first three rounds this year, will also lose major fantasy value. Junior Noah Marts, who drafted Burrow, says, “I don’t think I’ve been more devastated.” So what can you do if you have Burrow? Some decent options to pick up are Jordan Love, Matthew Stafford, Daniel Jones, and Tua Tagovailoa. Marts says, “I will be picking up Daniel Jones.” He is a solid option for desperate teams as he scored at least 22 points in weeks one and two.
Another developing story is the promising Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson being a potential upset. He had a total of -0.1 points through week 2. For a player drafted in the 8th-10th round, a performance like this is disastrous. Unhappy Senior Daniel Siciliano claims, “Kaleb Johnson is a bust who should be traded before he loses all his value.”
On the positive side, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey scored an impressive 24 points in week two and had the game-winning kick for his team. Kickers usually get no love in fantasy, but Senior John Fitz is certainly showing his appreciation: “Brandon Aubrey is my entire team – best kicker in the league.”
Though the Eagles have had a promising start to the NFL season, outside of Saquon Barkley, performance hasn’t been translated to fantasy. A.J. Brown, Eagles wide receiver, had the worst performance of any top player in fantasy week. Senior Jackson Coon, who drafted four Eagles players, started with two losses this fantasy season and is already thinking about the last place punishment: “I’m afraid of what could happen if I'm still at the bottom by the end of the season."