Yet another NFL Sunday is upon us, meaning it’s time for the latest edition of our weekly must-starts column.
With the halfway point of the regular season now in the rearview and the crisp November air surrounding us, there’s plenty of data to work with — after crunching the numbers, we’ve got another three must-start players. Whether a standout talent to build lineups around or an intriguing value with matchup and salary, these are guys who can smash and win you a contest this week. Let’s jump right in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]
QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots ($6,400)
As has been established by this point, I absolutely love Drake Maye when it comes to fantasy football. The young quarterback has blossomed into a pillar of consistency with a safe floor and high ceiling, averaging 21.7 DraftKings FPPG. He currently ranks first in completion percentage (74.1%), fifth in passing yards (2,285), third in yards per attempt (8.96), and sits tied for third in passing touchdowns (17). We’re looking at an MVP-caliber campaign in his first full season as a starter, plus he pitches in 30.0 rushing yards per contest to add to his fantasy football appeal. This week, the Patriots battle the Buccaneers — with a middle-of-the-pack defense and a high-upside offense, game script sets up well for Maye and his team here. If this game becomes a shootout, which it very well could, this sets up the quarterback for quite the day in fantasy. Watch for top-three upside but with a little bit of salary shaved off compared to Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, etc.
RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers ($6,300)
I really considered D’Andre Swift here, but he’s questionable to play and may see a closer split of workload after Kyle Monangai’s big game last week. That leaves us with Rico Dowdle, who perhaps was treated too harshly when he went to the Panthers this offseason. When given opportunities to produce, the veteran has delivered like an elite running back with three games of 30+ fantasy points. After rushing for 130, 79, 183 and 206 yards in his starts, Dowdle won’t give up the RB1 role for this offense which is built from the ground up to pound the rock. He saw 25, 17, 30 and 23 carries in those four contests, and despite working as a backup for much of the season, he’s fourth among all halfbacks with 735 rushing yards. This isn’t a blip — it turns out he’s just good. The Panthers should operate with positive game script against the Saints, who give up 129.4 rushing yards per game, ninth-most. There should be tons of touches for Dowdle, runs for 5.61 YPC and will likely find the end zone at least once.
WR Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins ($6,400)
While not the flashiest name on the board, Jaylen Waddle brings both upside and floor to the table at the wide receiver position. Since assuming the WR1 role in the wake of Tyreek Hill’s injury, the young star has posted finishes of 26, 15.8, 2.5, 20.9, and 14.2 DraftKings fantasy points. Excluding that game vs. the Browns which practically took place in a monsoon, Waddle averages 19.23 FPPG. He’s seen at least six targets in every game but that weather-affected one with eight or more targets in three of five overall, so the floor is steady based on volume while the ceiling remains quite high if he breaks free for some long gains. His yardage totals since assuming the lead role are 110, 95, 15, 99 and 82, so you can decide what the outlier there is. Regardless, Waddle boasts elite speed and should see plenty of work against the division-rival Bills, especially if the Dolphins trail throughout.
