By: Jake Rajala

Week 5 was quite intense and even chaotic, to say the least. There was also more clarity of ability from countless figures in fantasy football. With that said, I’m going to take a sharp, unique angle by untwining five flex players to move on from entering Week 6.

Terry McLaurin

Terry simply hasn’t been scary as of late. Terry McLaurin inked a hefty contract extension this past off-season, but he has only notched 326 receiving yards & a mere one touchdown grab (which is really disappointing) in 2022. McLaurin ranks 31st in the league and second on the team (behind Curtis Samuel) in targets at this moment. In dynasty leagues, his situation with Carson Wentz and his 1-4 squad shouldn’t also be deemed sexy.

Michael Thomas

The injury-prone Michael Thomas can be a borderline 1,000+ yard WR, but I don’t love his ability to be an elite wideout with Chris Olave really climbing the ladder and his QB situation (with Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston) being a bit of a mess. Winston has only thrown four touchdowns to five interceptions & he’s missed each of the past two contests. It’s fair to elaborate that Thomas could be unreliable in chapters of this 2022 season, as he’s usually been MIA over the past two years.

David Montgomery

The Chicago Bears don’t have the most powerful offense led by Justin Fields. Although, they’ve witnessed star power from Khalil Herbert (328 rushing yds, 3 rushing TDs, and 5.8 YPC). Herbert’s rise to fame also means that Montgomery is more expendable. Montgomery has had a less-than-favorable 179 rushing yards (with nine catches for 100 yards). He’s also had injury issues already, too. It may be wise to ship out the Bears RB that hasn’t quite risen to become a Pro Bowl player.

Brandon Aiyuk

The San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk isn’t looking like he will catch up to the speed that Deebo Samuel yields with Jimmy G. Aiyuk is projected to have 806 yards and a mere three touchdowns by ESPN. He’s currently 50th in the league in targets. It may be worth shipping him away to a 49ers faithful, especially in a dynasty league.

Robbie Anderson

Matt Rhule was axed from his squad and it also might be time to give up on Robbie Anderson, too. Anderson has five catches in the past three games & a whopping one touchdown on the season. It’s clear that the once 1,000+ yard WR in Carolina is a shell of himself right now.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers officially traded for quarterback Baker Mayfield today. Per NFL.com, the Panthers are delivering a fifth-round draft pick in 2024 to the Browns for the big-arm QB. Mayfield is finally out of his personal Alcatraz (also known as Cleveland), while the underrated Panthers squad acquired a QB that should earn the keys to the offense in Week 1.

With that said, Mayfield (assuming he’s the starting QB) will be in full John Wick-mode in the Panthers contest against the Browns in Week 1. The Browns battle against the Panthers will be an exciting, dramatic, and competitive show-down.

With that enunciated, I’m going to simply untwine three winners and three losers from the blockbuster Mayfield trade.

Winner: Matt Rhule

The Panthers head coach, Matt Rhule, is walking on fewer eggshells after they upgraded the QB position — which previously featured Sam Darnold as the projected starter. Rhule will not only have Christian McCaffrey healthy, but he will have a talented quarterback that can utilize the weapons on a high level if he’s in sync and healthy. Rhule has a record of 10-23, but he should feel a lot more comfortable about the chance of having his first winning record in 2022 with the former Browns QB.

Loser: Sam Darnold

Darnold may express that he’s a “good” quarterback on “Bussin’ with the Boys”, but his 2021 performance was actually dreadful. The former USC stud threw 9 touchdowns to 13 interceptions while ousting a 4-7 record. Plus, the Panthers have a young, potentially better QB to couple with Baker in Matt Corral. Darnold, who is a FA in 2023, will likely be traded soon or looking for a new home after the 2022 season.

Winner: Robbie Anderson

Robby Anderson may not prefer Baker Mayfield in secrecy, but it’s obvious that Mayfield can help the deep threat more than Darnold. Anderson was one of the most under-utilized deep threats in 2021, so it’s time for the Mayfield-Anderson connection to thrive moving forward. Anderson recorded 15 YPC in 2018 and 2019, but he had a career-low (to say the least) 9.8 YPC in 2022.

Loser: New Orleans Saints

The Saints have a healthy QB-WR duo in Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas. Plus, they brought in the Honey Badger (who was All-Pro in 2020 and 2019). Although, they still have a brutal path in 2022 — seventh most challenging schedule. They may be really pushing for a wild-card spot next season, so it’s vital that they don’t cough up a loss against the Panthers.

Winner: Jacoby Brissett

Assuming Deshaun Watson missed at least a large chunk of 2022, Jacoby Brissett is guaranteed as the Browns temporary, starting QB. The 29-year-old QB has a golden opportunity to prove his worth with a Browns offense that features Nick Chubb, Amari Cooper, and Kareem Hunt. Perhaps Brissett can play well and earn an impressive contract with a team like the Jets in the 2023 off-season.

Loser: P.J. Walker

The Panthers 27-year-old quarterback, P.J. Walker, will have a brutal chance of making the Panthers roster with Mayfield onboard. The former XFL QB that threw a touchdown in a Panthers uniform last season will likely not be retained as a fourth-string QB. However, I trust that he will have another opportunity elsewhere at this stage in his career.

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