dpAs someone who loves drafting both Zay Flowers and Lamar Jackson, I’ve been not too pleased with some recent takes from my Fantasy Life colleagues.
It started out 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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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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