Fantasy football managers are constantly searching for that perfect lineup combination that will propel them to victory each week. The challenge lies in identifying which players are positioned for breakout performances and which ones might disappoint despite high expectations.
Every week brings new matchups, injury updates, and coaching decisions that can dramatically shift a player’s fantasy value. Smart managers know that success often comes from spotting undervalued opportunities while avoiding potential traps that could derail their championship aspirations.
Start ‘Em: Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders
It’s been a rough three weeks for Jakobi Meyers. Things were looking so good to start the season as the veteran receiver opened with games of 17.7 and 12.8 fantasy points. Since then, he’s posted 9.3, 7.0, and 7.2 points. Not great.
Surprisingly, Meyers has been worse without Brock Bowers than with a limited Bowers, even when he is fully healthy and dominating. Although Bowers’ presence probably isn’t the main issue. It’s Geno Smith.
The former Seattle Seahawks QB has been downright awful this season. Smith is still completing 65% of his passes, but he’s thrown six touchdowns against his league-leading nine interceptions. It’s gotten so bad that you can’t help but wonder if we won’t see Kenny Pickett soon.
With all that said, if there were ever a spot for Meyers to bounce back, it’s now. The Tennessee Titans are coming off their first win of the season. They are riding high. It’s a perfect spot for a letdown.
The Titans are allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. It sounds as if Bowers is going to miss another game so he can work toward being 100% recovered before he plays again.
There is a risk that the Las Vegas Raiders lean extra hard on Ashton Jeanty. At home against a bad team, they could actually have a positive game script, limiting the need for Smith to throw the ball. But they will have to call some pass plays. When they do, Meyers stands to benefit.
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
Can it be considered point-chasing if the last time we saw a player play was two weeks ago? Either way, that’s not what this is.
DK Metcalf’s role as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ WR1 is very secure. He’s the transparent alpha in this passing attack. The problem has been a lack of overall volume on a team that plays slowly.
With this recommendation, we are banking on rational coaching. The Cleveland Browns are a pass-funnel defense. They are truly elite at stopping the run, but allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Suppose Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith are serious about winning this game. In that case, they won’t waste time pounding Jaylen Warren or Kenneth Gainwell into the Browns’ front seven, allowing Metcalf to go off for a second consecutive contest.
Sit ‘Em: Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns
Remember when Jerry Jeudy was an elite WR1 for like six weeks? Those were fun times. Jameis Winston is fun. Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel are not.
Jeudy has been in the NFL for six years. At this point, we know who he is. He’s an NFL-caliber wide receiver for sure, but he’s nothing close to a special player. If we are re-litigating the 2020 NFL Draft, he probably goes late Day 2, if not Day 3.
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Without Winston artificially inflating his fantasy value, Jeudy is pacing toward the worst season of his career. He’s averaging 6.9 fantasy points per game so far. His 22.8% target share is what you’d expect, but his 20.6% targets per route run rate is abysmal. He is not commanding volume.
Now, Jeudy is being asked to tackle a Steelers defense that has allowed wide receivers the 11th-fewest fantasy points per game. This defense started slowly but has come together recently.
Rested and refreshed coming off the bye week, they are going to feast on a rookie QB making his second career start in a hostile road environment. Jeudy belongs firmly on fantasy benches.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
Doubling down on Lions, it’s time to accept that Jameson Williams is not that good of a player. It’s ironic because heading into the 2024 season, analytics suggested Williams was an easy fade, while film provided reason to believe in a breakout. It sure looked like the film was correct. But as the saying goes, “never wrong, just early.”
Heading into this year, the film actually painted a more pessimistic outlook on Williams. He is swift and athletic, which makes him liable to bust off a big play at any moment. That skill hasn’t gone away. But last year, Williams was reliant on those plays. It worked out because Ben Johnson could scheme him open, something Williams required because he’s not a polished route runner.
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This year, the Lions aren’t scheming up those plays for Williams. Instead, they are going with the guys who can get it done on their own, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. As a result, Williams looks like the guy he was in 2023 again, someone who is not fantasy-relevant.
Williams is averaging 7.9 fantasy points per game this season. He has a mere 11 receptions in five games and has exceeded 6.6 fantasy points just once. Now, he’s going up against a Kansas City Chiefs defense allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Fantasy managers cannot trust Williams until he shows signs of life.