who has surprised you so far this season?

By Martin Richardson

I think I might have just recovered from last week’s set of games as I write this. The Buccaneers showed that games can turn so quickly after a strong start, a poor second quarter and they showed no quarter in the second half. The Ravens and the Commanders went toe to toe in an end to end shoot out that ended up in another Derrick Henry masterclass. Jordan Love put his injury woes behind him and showed his class with four more touchdowns as the Packers beat the Cardinals, who lost Marvin Harrison Jr to a concussion to compound the loss. And the Detroit Lions but on a clinic of trick plays and offensive dominance against a Cowboys team that looks bereft of confidence in aspect of the game.

Every week there is something to talk about or some stat line that just amazes me whenever I see it, and after six weeks, I have found some interesting things that caught my eye but may have gone a little under the radar. So, whilst this may not be a week of people to pick up on waivers, it is a week to see who may have been deceptively productive or even a deceptive underperformer.

CHUBA HUBBARD AND DIONTAE JOHNSON:

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It’s easy to forget some players because they are on bad teams. And the Panthers being 1-5 makes you think they are a bad team. But. And it is a big but, the Panthers have a star at RB. Chuba Hubbard is a top ten RB on ESPN, with nearly both 500 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving, as well as 3 touchdowns after 6 weeks. Hubbard is currently sat on an average 5.6 yards per carry, which is impressive when you consider he has 86 carries so far this season. He has two 100+ rushing yard games against the Bengals and the Raiders (read into that what you will) and two games where he was mighty close to doing the same. So irrespective of the situation down in Carolina, Canales and the team are liking what they see in their running back out of Oklahoma State. I don’t think anyone expected those kind of numbers from Hubbard this season, but if he keeps it up, he is more than likely to have a career year and be an integral part of the Panthers next season, regardless of what they do in the long term with Bryce Young.

And it is not just at RB where the offense is finding some rhythm. Is this all because of Andy Dalton coming and giving them a better chance of winning? Possibly, but they are certainly making a go of things. Which brings me on to Diontae Johnson. Currently Just outside the top 20 for WR, Johnson is ranked higher than Zay Flowers, Deebo Samuel, Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk and even Tyreek Hill. Since week three, Johnson has three touchdowns and 312 total yards, which is more than a decent showing. He is currently sat on a very impressive 11.7 yards per catch as well, which means when he hauls that ball in, he is making plays for you in your fantasy team. Now, will that change if, and when, Bryce Young comes back in, possibly. In the two weeks that Young played Johnson had a total of 34 yards, so it certainly looks like he has benefitted from the change in QB and one to keep an eye on should Young come back into the fold. But for now, sit back and enjoy the Diontae Johnson renaissance in Carolina.

BROCK BOWERS:

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Carrying on my theme of bad teams, the Las Vegas Raiders are next on my list. And, just like the Carolina Panthers, this is where I look at the star player, in this case, tight end Brock Bowers. A top 3 running back on ESPN so far this season, Bowers has had a solid start to the season in a tumultuous offense and when you look at the numbers, its easy to see why he is so high in fantasy terms.

Bowers is on 384 yards per reception, just over 10 yards per catch, which, like I said for Diontae Johnson, means he is making plays when he gets that ball. He is now getting more of the lion share of the targets, which isn’t exactly hard given the lack of Davonte Adams and Jacobi Myers being injured at the moment. But, with the change of QB, the lack of WR, Bowers is someone to have on your roster and someone you can depend on each week.

He now goes into a stretch of games that could prove tricky, this week against the Rams is a solid matchup for him, but then it’s the Chiefs and Bengals, followed by the Dolphins and that mean Denver defense after their bye week. But, with the production he’s had so far, even with the rollercoaster performances of their QBs, Bowers has shown he can generate solid fantasy numbers.

DK METCALF

Just like the Seahawks this season, Metcalf has been boom or bust by his very high standards. Take a look at some of these numbers: Broncos- 4 targets, Patriots- 14, Dolphins- 6, Lions- 12, Giants-7 and the 49er- 11 (where he managed 3 receptions). The pattern is clear, but the consistency is becoming an issue. With only two touchdowns so far this season, DK needs to now get more red zone targets to become that elite WR he could be. Now, don’t think I am piling here, I’m not. You can see when he is open, like that touchdown against the Patriots, he will score big. But I do think he could offer more in fantasy to be a true top 5 WR. With three games where he amassed over 100 yards, he certainly can get you points in your matchups, averaging 15.1 yards per catch; but the drop off is massive: in the other three games he has got less than 60 yards. So, add that to that the lack of touchdowns, DK hasn’t been as reliable as people would have hoped. This is one to keep an eye on as your season progresses.

LADD MCCONKEY

Finally, I want to take a look at the rookie down in LA who is beginning to find his feet. Yes, he is yet to have over 8 targets in a game, but that could be about to change with fellow WR Quentin Johnston questionable (and to practice) to play this weekend against a Cardinals team who just got ripped to shreds by Jordan Love.

McConkey has two touchdowns this season, against the Chiefs and the Raiders, as well as just over 200 yards in the air, so he is getting production. Now, as Johnston is likely to a limited player even if he suit up, McConkey is certainly going to be on the up this weekend and that means points for fantasy managers. He has an impressive 11.5 yards per reception and a longest catch and run of 37 yards, so when he gets the ball, he manages to get some chunk plays. This for me, is the week that McConkey gets going with double digit targets as well as at least one touchdown to boot.

But, long term, the rookie looks on course, according to ESPN, to have over 700 total yards and 7 touchdowns by the end of the season, but I think that if the injury to Johnston persists and he needs time to recover, Ladd McConkey could be on for a great end to the season.

MARTIN RICHARDSON

NFL/FANTASY FOOTBALL ANALYST

A Yorkshireman living in Lancashire, Martin is a massive NFL fan but his heart belongs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also a huge Fantasy Football enthusiast and spends far too long crunching the numbers! Follow him at @MRBucsFan31

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