X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

Baker Mayfield Madness - Top-Five Fantasy QB Already???

There has been so much buzz about the Cleveland Browns being the breakthrough team of 2019 this offseason. That is understandable, as the team won five of its final seven games and showed a lot of promise after a poor first half of the 2018 season. Adding Odell Beckham Jr. has only fueled more strong optimism.

Baker Mayfield started 13 games as a rookie, and the overall numbers certainly showed a lot of potential. He finished as just fantasy QB16, but he did have 27 TD passes and threw for 3,725 yards. But he also had 17 total turnovers.

Mayfield had four three TD games, all after Week 9. He also had three 300-yard outings. He also had five games with less than two TD passes and a pair of three-interception outings late in the season. Overall, Mayfield was undoubtedly promising, but he did make some mistakes and there is definitely going to be more challenges ahead. But some fantasy types are getting caught up in the maelstrom of incredible support for the Browns and it seems to be translating into inflated expectations for Mayfield as a Fantasy QB. Yeah, I like what I saw too last year, but the kid still has more to prove.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

Keeping It Real

If everyone else outside of the league is expecting a lot from Mayfield, don’t you think his opponents are? Opposing defensive coordinators, especially in his division, are spending a heavy chunk of their offseason dissecting film on Mayfield and preparing for him in 2019. Mayfield is going to be under more pressure to build on his rookie campaign at the outset of the new campaign.

Defenses will have adjusted some to Mayfield when the new season opens, and that will be a challenge for him. I am not saying he cannot successfully overcome the possible new challenges he will face, but this is just his second season in the NFL, and he has more to prove. Ranking him highly would seem to be assuming that he will flourish for sure in 2019. I can’t assume that early in his career. He has to earn a higher ranking, not just be handed it in the preseason. I need more convincing, he still hasn’t started a full season in the NFL yet.

If anyone wants to rank Mayfield as a back-end Top 12 Fantasy QB based on what they saw last season and the addition of Beckham I am not going to vehemently debate with them. I just don’t have him there, as he and Kyler Murray are just outside my early 2019 Top 12. They can’t just be handed a Fantasy QB starting slot in my eyes, though. It must be earned. That is the way I have always approached rookies and very alluring second-year players. Show me first, then get the higher rank. I have to reserve some skepticism when a young passer will naturally endure some bumps early in his career.

But some rankers will be less conservative than I am, and they will be more firm and insist Mayfield will arrive as a solid Fantasy starter in 2019. Of course, I respect that. We Fantasy analysts often disagree. If someone wants to rank Mayfield say, ninth, that’s not crazy to me.

High stakes players may also be more aggressive than me and I understand and respect that too. When you play in a high stakes format, you tend to be much bolder in pushing guys up on your board.

So, I certainly see and respect ranks that will be higher than mine. But when they get into a certain territory, I indeed am stunned. That is what is happening with Mayfield so far. In advance of the 2019 season, some experts I really respect are willing to put him into or near top-five territory at QB. That is just waaaaay too aggressive and bold.  If it’s not buying into the Browns hype, which it may not be, it’s a case of just overrating the kid too early in his career.

 

The Signs Are Everywhere

The first sign of Mayfield Madness came in a dynasty startup mock the RotoBaller crew recently took part in. Mayfield was the fourth quarterback taken, ahead of both Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Age was certainly a consideration there but Mayfield ahead of Rodgers? Then there was a recent two-QB mock where I participated, the first four QBs off the board were Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers. No surprises there yet in the first round. Deshaun Watson went early in Round Two. Matt Ryan next in the middle of the round. But then with the eighth pick of the second round, Mayfield was selected. Knowing the owner very well personally, I gave him a hard time in the chat room and on social media thereafter.

Mayfield over Russell Wilson? No way, the Seahawks QB is a consistent top-five contender at the position and a dual threat. Over Jared Goff, who can regain top form with Cooper Kupp back? No. I will also take a healthy Carson Wentz and an annually underrated Philip Rivers over Mayfield. Even Ben Roethlisberger without Antonio Brown should still be pretty darn good. All of those guys have already shown me more at a consistently high level than Mayfield. I prefer to rank more proven players higher. There’s much less dealing with the unknown.

Sure, we have to look ahead, and the addition of Beckham can be a significant boost. You could debate me that Mayfield could or should be Top 8 or 9. We all have unique perspectives. But as a professional Fantasy analyst, I have to make firm calls and stand behind them. A second-year QB who has not started a full season yet and can still be error-prone does not get my preference over more proven, solid QBs yet.

But then, in our now-in-progress early half PPR Rotoballer mock draft, things definitely got more out of hand. Mahomes was the first QB off the board in the fourth round, Andrew Luck went in the fifth, and then I took Aaron Rodgers in the sixth. Then, IT HAPPENED.

 

Mocking Mayfield's ADP

Baker Mayfield was the FOURTH QB selected in the Too Early Half-PPR Mock!

I reloaded the screen several times. It had to be a mistake.

But no, there was Mayfield going ahead of Deshaun Watson, another more versatile QB with a superstar WR who is better than Beckham. Watson could be Top 3 this year if his other WRs remain mostly reliable. He went ahead of Ryan, who was the No. 2 Fantasy QB last year and has no apparent reasons for a drop-off. Heck, Calvin Ridley should be even better this year and Ryan’s top two pass-catchers could be better than Mayfield’s. He also went ahead of Wilson and everyone else I mentioned, naturally in the previous draft.

I have all the professional respect for Richard King possible, and I welcome any rebuttal and a friendly debate. But to take Mayfield as the FOURTH QB off the board is a major and overly risky leap of faith in my eyes. There is no way that he has earned that sort of lofty draft positioning yet. NO WAY. It’s so stunning I am having trouble typing right now. There is just no reasonable explanations I can conceive why he would suddenly leap into the Fantasy elite this season. Going from No. 16 overall to No. 4 overall is significantly overrating the impact of Beckham, among other items.

If anyone else rates Mayfield that high, they are simply overrating him based on much of what we have seen yet. Maybe I am underrating him at No. 14, but to push him inside the Top 5 is inflating expectations way too much. I have seen it way too many times in pro football where a less experienced passer finishes a season strong and then struggles out of the gate the next year. Play it safe at QB. Take the superstar if he drops to say, the sixth round, or just wait until later and get a solid guy like Goff or Rivers. Don’t reach for an inexperienced guy who has more to prove when there are more established players at his position available and you can win with them.

Let’s just calm down about Cleveland. In real life, and Fantasy Football.

Too Early Mock? Too Early for Mayfield Mock should be the new title.

More Fantasy Football Analysis


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Brandin Podziemski17 mins ago

Limited On Monday Due To An Illness
Zack Moss24 mins ago

Expected To Miss The Rest Of The Season
Trae Young25 mins ago

Exits Early With Rib Injury
Jeremy Sochan31 mins ago

Suffers Thumb Injury On Monday
Anthony Davis37 mins ago

Has Been Dealing With Foot Issue Since Summer
Artturi Lehkonen49 mins ago

Will Make His Season Debut On Tuesday
Ilya Sorokin1 hour ago

Takes On Penguins Tuesday
Khalil Herbert1 hour ago

Bengals Acquiring Khalil Herbert From Bears
Jake Allen1 hour ago

Posts Second Shutout Of The Season
Jesper Bratt1 hour ago

Collects Two Points In Monday's Win
Adrian Kempe2 hours ago

Enjoys Another Multi-Point Outing
Darcy Kuemper2 hours ago

Continues Point Streak With A Shutout
Cade Otton10 hours ago

Leads Tampa In Receiving In Week 9 Loss On Monday
10 hours ago

Pete Alonso Receives Qualifying Offer From Mets
10 hours ago

Clayton Kershaw Declines 2025 Option
Will Levis11 hours ago

Titans Hopeful Will Levis Will Return In Week 10
Tony Pollard11 hours ago

Titans Looking To Reduce Tony Pollard's Workload?
Dallas Cowboys12 hours ago

Micah Parsons Expected To Play In Week 10
Dereck Lively II13 hours ago

A Late Scratch On Monday
Amari Cooper13 hours ago

Listed As Day-To-Day
Joe Flacco13 hours ago

Named Week 10 Starter
Robert Williams III13 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Jordan Hawkins13 hours ago

Out Versus The Blazers
Zion Williamson13 hours ago

Sidelined Again Versus Portland
Rudy Gobert14 hours ago

Available For Minnesota On Monday
Immanuel Quickley14 hours ago

Still Out On Monday
Jalen Smith14 hours ago

Available Against Jazz
Brandon Miller14 hours ago

Will Play Versus Minnesota
Josh Giddey14 hours ago

Suiting Up Monday
Lauri Markkanen14 hours ago

Sidelined Again On Monday Night
David Njoku14 hours ago

Browns "Highly Unlikely" To Trade David Njoku
John Konchar14 hours ago

Ruled Out Monday Versus Nets
Chase Brown14 hours ago

Appears To Be OK Despite Suffering Bruised Rib
Tee Higgins15 hours ago

Estimated As DNP On Monday
Jameson Williams15 hours ago

' Suspension Is Lifted
15 hours ago

Alex Bregman Given Qualifying Offer
Saquon Barkley15 hours ago

Will Be Ready For Week 10 Despite Back Soreness
15 hours ago

Juan Soto Receives Qualifying Offer
Anthony Davis15 hours ago

Available Monday Versus Detroit
A.J. Brown15 hours ago

Considered "Day-To-Day"
Austin Reaves15 hours ago

Suiting Up Monday
15 hours ago

Tyler O'Neill Not Given Qualifying Offer, Headed To Free Agency
Ryan Blaney15 hours ago

Wins At Martinsville And Has Chance To Earn Second Straight Championship
Bucky Irving15 hours ago

Officially Active Against Chiefs
Christopher Bell15 hours ago

Penalized At Martinsville, Removed From Championship Four
D'Angelo Russell15 hours ago

Available Monday
15 hours ago

Nick Pivetta Receives Qualifying Offer
15 hours ago

Colin Rea Heading To Free Agency
Casey Mize16 hours ago

Tigers Decline Casey Mize's 2025 Club Option
Drake London16 hours ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Dean Wade16 hours ago

Won’t Play Against The Bucks
Caris LeVert16 hours ago

Remains Out Versus Milwaukee
Noah Clowney16 hours ago

Won’t Suit Up Versus Memphis
Jake Allen16 hours ago

Faces Oilers On Monday
BOS16 hours ago

Tyler Johnson Signs One-Year Deal With Bruins
Zach Benson17 hours ago

Considered "A Possibility" For Tuesday's Game
Artem Zub17 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Monday
Bryan Rust17 hours ago

Will Join Penguins Road Trip
Marcell Ozuna17 hours ago

Braves Exercise Marcell Ozuna's 2025 Option
Juraj Slafkovsky17 hours ago

Practices On Monday
Macklin Celebrini17 hours ago

Ready To Return On Tuesday
David Fry17 hours ago

To Miss 6-8 Months After Having Elbow Surgery
Gerrit Cole17 hours ago

Yankees Agree To Stick Together
Samuel Ersson19 hours ago

Misses Monday Practice
Carolina Panthers19 hours ago

Panthers Haven't Decided Starting QB For Week 10
Connor McDavid19 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery
Jonathon Brooks19 hours ago

Panthers Optimistic Jonathon Brooks Will Debut In Week 10
Philip Broberg19 hours ago

Will Miss Several Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
Derek Carr19 hours ago

To Start In Week 10 For Saints
Valeri Nichushkin19 hours ago

Will Return When First Eligible
Nico Collins19 hours ago

Texans Non-Committal On Nico Collins For Week 10
Erick All Jr.19 hours ago

Officially Out For The Year With Knee Injury
Tyler Reddick20 hours ago

Not A Factor At Martinsville And Looks Ahead To Phoenix
Kyle Larson20 hours ago

Misses Advancing Through Playoffs Despite Top-Three Finish
Brad Keselowski20 hours ago

Has A Solid Top-10 Performance At Martinsville
Chase Elliott20 hours ago

Loses Out On Winning At Martinsville
21 hours ago

Nathan Eovaldi Declines His Player Option
Devin Williams21 hours ago

Brewers Decline Option On Devin Williams
Michael Wacha21 hours ago

Royals Agree To Three-Year Deal
Reynaldo López21 hours ago

Braves Sign Reynaldo Lopez To Three-Year Deal
Rose Namajunas1 day ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Erin Blanchfield1 day ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dustin Stoltzfus1 day ago

Gets First-Round Knockout At UFC Edmonton
Zach Hyman1 day ago

Records Two Points In Battle Of Alberta Win
Marc-Andre Barriault1 day ago

Knocked Out At UFC Edmonton
Matt Boldy1 day ago

Hits Overtime Winner Versus Toronto
Jared Spurgeon1 day ago

Delivers Two Assists In Sunday's Win
Trevin Giles1 day ago

Losses Third Fight In A Row
Alex Ovechkin1 day ago

Extends Goal Streak To Four Games
Mike Malott1 day ago

Wins Decision At UFC Edmonton
NASCAR1 day ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot At Winning
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
Shane Van Gisbergen1 day ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Tentatively In Championship 4 Pending Ruling On Manufacturer Orders
MMA2 days ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius2 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado2 days ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi2 days ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno2 days ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
Austin Barnes2 days ago

Returning To Los Angeles
2 days ago

David Robertson To Test Free Agency
Wilmer Flores2 days ago

Giants Exercise Club Option On Wilmer Flores
Owen Miller2 days ago

Shipped To Colorado
Merrill Kelly2 days ago

Staying In Arizona
2 days ago

Eloy Jimenez Headed To Free Agency
Daniel Suarez2 days ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith2 days ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick2 days ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano2 days ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski2 days ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar2 days ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs2 days ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric2 days ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron2 days ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher2 days ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman2 days ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Rose Namajunas4 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Erin Blanchfield4 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault4 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault4 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles4 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott4 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Brendson Ribeiro5 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado5 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz5 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Mike Gesicki - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

FAAB Waiver Wire Bidding - Fantasy Football Pickups to Target for Week 10 (2024)

We've now battled through nine weeks of fantasy football and most of you know whether you're cruising for the playoffs, battling hard for each week, or needing a win every week! Regardless of your needs, joining our famous waiver wire pickups list and our weekly fantasy football waiver wire columns by position, this column focuses on […]


Ray-Ray McCloud III - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Quentin Johnston, Jalen Tolbert, Ricky Pearsall, Ray Davis, Tyler Allgeier, Mike Gesicki

Week 10 will be here in a few days, and it's time to start bolstering those rosters for the fantasy football playoff push. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice to help build those fantasy rosters with our Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024. There were more crucial […]


Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE): Free Agent Adds Include Justin Herbert, Isaac Guerendo, Quentin Johnston, Demarcus Robinson, Taysom Hill

RotoBaller's Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire pickups article for 2024 will cover everyone you need to know that could help your team find replacements for injured players, fill in for players you want to drop, or even help you win a championship. Every week, new players are breaking out. From bench stashes in the […]


Los Angeles Chargers Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Khalil Mack Fantasy Football IDP

Week 10 Defense (DEF) Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our Week 10 fantasy football defense streamers and D/ST rankings for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, I'll go through the best and worst fantasy defenses. With four teams on bye (Browns, Raiders, Packers, and Seahawks) this week, I will be ranking fantasy defenses from No. 1 to No. 28.  It is unfortunate […]


Evan McPherson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Kicker Streamers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 10 Kicker Streamers and Starts - 2024 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings

It might be that point in the season where you are searching for a better kicker option than the one you have been rolling with. You may need coverage for a bye week. Lucky for you, there is a top kicker available on waivers who is currently ranked K2 in fantasy football, making him a […]


Khalil Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10: Top Free Agent Adds Include Ray Davis, Jaylen Warren, Tyler Allgeier, Khalil Herbert

As you read this week’s recommendations from the waiver wire, the planning process for Week 10 roster construction has begun. You have already navigated a collection of obstacles that have emerged through the first nine weeks of the regular season, and should now sustain your efforts to minimize the impact of additional injuries, underwhelming production, […]


Jalen Tolbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Top Fantasy Football WR Adds for Week 10 Include Jerry Jeudy, Quentin Johnston, DeMario Douglas, Jalen Tolbert

Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season is almost behind us. It was an exciting week of football, with a lot of games going down to the wire, including the afternoon slate ending with an overtime game between the Rams and Seahawks. Some of those games featured players on our Week 10 wide receiver fantasy […]


Hunter Henry - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Waiver Wire - Week 10 TE Pickups Including Mike Gesicki, Hunter Henry, Taysom Hill, Theo Johnson, Zach Ertz, Jonnu Smith

There are going to be millions of fantasy football general managers in need of a tight end for Week 10. The dreaded bye week will sideline Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, Cleveland’s David Njoku, and Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft, three TE1s that fantasy managers could certainly use as we cross the halfway point in the NFL […]


Justin Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Week 10 Quarterback Pickups - Best Fantasy QB Adds, Streamers Include Russell Wilson, Drake Maye, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Daniel Jones, more

It was not a banner week for the quarterback position in fantasy football. There wasn’t a single quarterback that surpassed 300 passing yards between Thursday and the main Sunday slate. We did get a five passing touchdown performance (Joe Burrow) and three quarterbacks with three passing touchdowns, but that was it. Four teams have a […]


Demarcus Robinson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Deeper-League Waiver Wire Adds for Week 10: Tyler Allgeier, Ray Davis, Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Legette, Quentin Johnston, Mike Gesicki, Drake Maye, Bo Nix

Most people searching for the top fantasy football waiver wire options in deep leagues already know the choices are slim by this point in the season. That said, whether you are leading your league's standings, right in the middle, or need to win out to make the playoffs, you should always be looking to improve […]


Adam Thielen - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Waiver Wire Express - Week 10 Lightning Round Including Quentin Johnston, Xavier Legette, Ray-Ray McCloud, Ray Davis, Jauan Jennings, Bo Nix, more

October is in the past and many of you are here with shifted clocks, seeking help at wide receiver. Amidst the usual chaos of Sunday's football, we absorbed several high-profile losses at wideout. We're all doing our best to stay hot in November with our fantasy football waiver wire pickups lightning round heading into Week […]


Titans Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Harold Landry Fantasy Football IDP

IDP Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 10 (2024)

Welcome back RotoBallers to another edition of our IDP waiver wire pickups and streamers. We’ve got a big IDP waiver wire article for Week 10. I have highlighted 21 players at linebacker, defensive lineman, and defensive back who will fill holes on your team over the second half of the season and carry you into […]


Sam Darnold - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS: First Look of Week 10 - Totals, Salaries, Slates, and more

The NFL season is chugging along and we have more action headed our way this Sunday. We're going ahead of the pack by diving into the data and see what direction it will point us in this week. This piece is intended to be a one-stop shop for readers to begin their DFS research for […]