In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by BetMGM:
Everyone knows that the New England Patriots can’t draft a WR to save their lives. N’Keal Harry (2019), Tyquan Thornton (2022), and Ja’Lynn Polk (2024) were all top-50 picks who busted in spectacular fashion.
They also can’t attract a high-profile free agent WR to save their lives.
Calvin Ridley turned down $22M, Brandon Aiyuk nah-waved a massive contract worth over $32M, and yesterday, Chris Godwin revealed that he turned down a $30M deal from the Patriots.
As someone who lives in New England, I certainly get it—I moved here for my wife, not The Freedom Trail—but it isn’t that bad.
The Patriots are not giving up, however. They selected WR Kyle Williams 69th overall (nice?) in this year’s draft as a mulligan on the Polk selection, and finally landed a WR in free agency with Stefon Diggs.
Of course, Diggs decided to celebrate his signing not with a lobster roll in the Seaport, but with a decidedly different pink substance on a yacht in Miami.
But maybe, just maybe, things will be different this year ...
Diggs appears fully healthy after tearing his ACL, and Williams is impressing at camp.
It’s certainly the best WR room they’ve had in ages, although that is an incredibly low bar to clear.
What they really need is for Drake Maye to go full Josh Allen Superman mode, and then the WR woes will miraculously vanish …
CAN MAYE BE THE DUAL THREAT WE NEED?
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Who’s The Best At … Being Bad?
It’s time to appreciate the all-timers. The all-time outliers who had performances so significant that they’re etched into the record books and fantasy football managers’ brains forever.
So, who were the absolute best … at being bad??
That’s right, we’re talking about the worst of the worst. The face-tilting performances that nobody wants to talk about, but everybody remembers. THESE are all-timers, alright.
Think you have what it takes to nail them all?
- Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times in 2024. Which QB leads the league in single-season sacks since 1960? (Need a hint? He played for Houston.)
- Some players fumble the ball from time to time, but only two players made the top-20 single-season fumble leaderboards 3 separate times. That’s right, three times. One of them: Daunte Culpepper. Can you guess the second?
- Since 2020, four pass catchers have led the league in single-season drops with 13.
- Since the year 2000, only 4 quarterbacks have thrown more than 25 interceptions in a single season. Can you name all four? (Need a hint? Their teams were CHI, NYG, GB, TB.)
- Everyone loves a good comeback! But which NFL team allowed the largest comeback in league history? (Need a hint? In the 3rd quarter, they were up 33-0, but they still managed to lose the game.)
- Which franchise holds the lead for the longest consecutive losing streak in the NFL (post-merger era)?
- Which team’s 19-game losing streak is the longest to span across three separate seasons (post-merger era)? (Need a hint? Their streak started at the end of 2007.)
Check your answers. ⬇️
This Flex Is Super Fun
Ah, the quarterback. The most important position in all of sports. Until you get into fantasy football, where RBs and WRs step to center stage, and the QBs battle it out with the TEs for the third spot in importance. What if we told you there was a way to juice up the value of passers in fantasy football? Meet superflex.
Matthew Freedman has created a beginner’s guide to superflex fantasy football that will help you not get faint at the thought of grabbing a quarterback in the first round. And maybe second round, too! You’ll learn about the Bullies, Beggars, and Boxers for different draft strategies. And maybe pick up some targets for your own drafts. So if you want to spice up your league, try this fun format that’s gaining in popularity. 👇🏼
MULTIPLE QBs COULD BE THE 1.01
Around the Watercooler
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds.
🥪 Top 5 Sandwich NFL Cities. People are mad in the comments.
🏴☠️ Yes, the Bucs and Baker Mayfield could regress, but the parts are still there.
🎮️ WR cheat codes in current drafts? Ian has a nice list.
🎯 32 teams. 32 targets.
💀 A dark feeling someone might have in June. Is the season here yet?
👀 Keep an eye on this rookie in Houston.
🤔 The latest on the Kirk Cousins situation. We are running out of starting jobs…
🌶️ One player to draft on every team. Spicy selections from Freedman.
