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- The Case Against My Favorite Stack
As someone who loves drafting both Zay Flowers and Lamar Jackson, I’ve not been too pleased with some recent takes from my Fantasy Life colleagues.
It started last week when Matthew “No Fun” Freedman released his 12 players to fade in 2026 fantasy football article, and it included Lamar:
“There's no guarantee that first-time HC Jesse Minter (a defensive coach by trade) and new OC Declan Doyle (a first-time NFL playcaller) will create an environment that enables Jackson to flourish.
“On top of that, Jackson has missed 14 games to injury over the past half-decade, and last season he had a career-low 26.8 rushing yards per game. Now at 29 years old, the two-time MVP might be entering the downside of his Ravens tenure.”
—Matthew “No Fun” Freedman
I shook it off, though. I wasn’t going to let Freedman rain on my Ravens parade …
But then “Doubtin’” Dwain McFarland grabbed the haterade himself and started dissing on Zay, who clearly has a TD problem:
From 2012 to 2024, eight WRs with 26+ routes per game (at least the WR3 on their team) scored five or fewer TDs in their first three seasons. Zero became regular 8+ TD scorers. DJ Moore, Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills managed one spike season of 8+ TDs. The cohort averaged 5 TDs per season in their prime years.
—Doubtin’ Dwain McFarland
I’m shook … but I’m also willing to adjust my priors in the face of convincing arguments from sharp analysts.
I think both Lamar and Zay can still be good picks, but Dwain and Freedman have certainly forced me to reconsider the likelihood of the ceiling scenarios I’ve been dreaming on with both of these guys.
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Around the Watercooler
Your favorite football nerds are back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …
🍻 Fantasy Football Happy Hour is back! You don’t have to go home …
🤩 He’s the Pitt-Man of the People. More options to name your team.
🤔 The ultimate fantasy draft plan. Focus on the middle.
🚫 Just say no to drafting these QBs. Hard passes.
💧 We had such high hopes for this WR. Tough drop.
👀 A concerning injury in the Bears backfield? Keep tabs on this.
😡 FOR THE LOVE OF GOD … MOVE THE PRACTICE FACILITY, NINERS.
🪓 If you’re thinking of starting another league. Make it a Guillotine LeagueTM.
🌅 A rookie WR’s ADP is on the rise. Last man standing?
🥊 Position battles on each depth chart. Good training camp intel here.
🧊 Can we please protect Xavier Worthy’s shoulder?? I can’t do this again.
➕ Renewed hope for post-hype breakout WR. Add him while you can.
🙉 What we’re hearing. The latest on Fernando Mendoza and more.
Welcome to Fantasy HQ, Powered by Xfinity
Your fantasy football experience is about to change … and it’s getting personal. Fantasy HQ, powered by Xfinity, is going to be your one-stop shop to draft and manage your fantasy teams this season.
The expanded partnership with our friends at Xfinity makes this possible, where you can sync your leagues at fantasylife.com and get personalized advice from draft day to championship week. You’ll be able to scroll through all your teams in an organized fashion, and when you get into your rosters you’ll get lineup advice, waiver wire help, trade analyzers and much more. Yes, even for your Guillotine LeaguesTM . ⤵️
The Touts Were Wrong On These 3 Things
While we’re not about to post videos of guys wearing OLD DUDES RULE shirts while playing touch football, we should have a talk about veteran WRs. Just because they’re on the wrong side of 30, it doesn’t mean it’s time to put the DO NOT DRAFT sign on them. There are some like Davante Adams and Mike Evans (health permitting) who are worth drafting in the weeks ahead.
Alex Cupps is making his Fantasy Life debut with this feature on the three things that touts are getting wrong for fantasy football this season. Find out why he’s higher on the vets than others, and where else those experts may be wrong. ⤵️
Exploit These WR Values on Draft Day
Is Malik Nabers a screaming buy? At least until someone posts another hype video of him looking fit and ready to take on the world. Kendall and Pete identify 10 WRs whom our Fantasy Life rankers are higher on than the market. Draft them up! Make sure to subscribe to the Fantasy Life Show YouTube channel to catch every episode. ⤵️
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