On most draft days, there wasn’t a lot of love for the NFC North. Jordan Love was the only QB1 (maybe) in a 10-team league. Jahmyr Gibbs was probably the only RB1. Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown were the only WR1s.
Flash forward two months. Perhaps no division in recent memory has had as many players drafted as part-time starters or backups force their way into weekly lineups.
All four QBs are putting up starter numbers. Five running backs are lineup fixtures. A case can be made for 10 wide receivers and four tight ends when T.J. Hockenson comes back are in lineups. It’s a good time to have players from the 17-5 NFC North. Let’s see if we can identify a few others who are climbing into this tier of fantasy worth.
Fantasy football risers
Denver Broncos WR Devaughn Vele – This is a small sample size, but telling. In two games – Week 1 and Week 6 – Vele has scored double-digit fantasy points with a solid load share. In Week 1, he caught a team-high eight passes for 39 yards (11.9 fantasy points). After missing four games, he returned Sunday and caught four passes for 78 yards (11.8 points). If you have bye-week problems, Vele could be a cheap answer with upside.
Houston Texans WR Tank Dell – Sunday was the first game the Texans didn’t have Nico Collins, who is on the shelf for a minimum of three more weeks. C.J. Stroud made a point to target Dell a team-high nine times. He caught seven of them for 57 yards and a touchdown. Dell has big-game potential as arguably the No. 1 guy with Collins gone.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield – There’s always a risk/reward with Mayfield, but, over his last three games, he has thrown for 325 or more yards twice and has nine TD passes. He isn’t a big ground threat but has two rushing TDs as well. The Bucs have scored 30 or more points in four of six games and seem content to shoot it out, which shows a willingness to let Mayfield sling. That creates stable value in fantasy leagues.
Indianapolis Colts WR Josh Downs – Downs missed the first two games. But, in his last three, he has been targeted 30 times, catching 26 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Whether his success is tied to Joe Flacco will be tested when Anthony Richardson likely returns this week, but he is putting up Cooper Kupp slot numbers, and that can’t be argued.
Carolina Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard – He was drafted to be an RB4 – someone you wanted to maybe use as a flex if you had injuries. But Hubbard has been real deal, catching four or more passes in each of the last five games (22 catches on 24 targets). Over the last four games, he has rushed for 407 yards with weekly totals of 114, 104, 97, and 92. It’s hard to bench him regardless of opponent.
Fantasy football fallers
Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson – Most who have Watson have already dumped him, but as long as he remains, he devalues everyone else. He’s averaging just 26.5 rushing yards with one ground score and has five TD passes in six games. Worse yet, his passing yardage totals have been 169, 186, 196, 176, 125, and 168. Who benefits from that? Nobody. The Browns are poisonous as long as Watson remains the guy.
Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne – Drafted to be an every-week starter, Etienne has lost his grip on the starting job. Over the last three games, Etienne has rushed 20 times for 66 yards and no TDs. Tank Bigsby has rushed 27 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns in that same span. You don’t cut Etienne, but you don’t play him until something changes, and that’s even assuming his recent hamstring strain doesn’t linger.
Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert – He provides little as a runner with a bum leg, going for just 26 yards on 18 carries and no TDs this year. His fantasy value is predicated by passing yards and TDs. His weekly passing yardage numbers are 144, 130, 125, 179, and 237 with six passing TDs in five games. A cure to Herbert’s problem isn’t coming anytime soon.
Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely – He was the hottest waiver pickup after Week 1, catching nine passes for 111 yards and one TD – a toenail away from two. Since the mad frenzy not only to pick him up but to start Likely, his weekly numbers have been 4.6, 1.4, 3.6, 16.3, and 4.7. Most likely after those first three weeks, Likely was benched the one he blew up. Go with a vet who has a track record.
Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith – He has rushed for more than 30 yards in two of six games, so he can’t be counted on contribute with his legs to any degree. While he posts solid yardage numbers, he has yet to throw more than one TD pass in any game, which not only reduces his value but cuts into everyone whose fantasy value depends on Smith.
