5 Early Season Fantasy Football League Winners
The NFL regular season is fully underway, and fantasy football continues to grab headlines. Which players are already looking like potential league winners?
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Some of the information below will depend on the format of your league and won’t necessarily apply. We’re focusing on standard PPR formats.
Kirk Cousins – Vikings (QB)
The Minnesota Vikings are off to a 0-2 start, but that hasn’t stopped Kirk Cousins from being a fantasy monster. The Vikings signal-caller has thrown for 708 yards and six touchdowns. The run game for Minnesota has been non-existent, and the team just acquired running back Cam Akers from the Los Angeles Rams to try and solidify it. Even with Akers in the mix, the Vikings are a pass-heavy operation, and Cousins stands out. Depending on your league, you could have landed Cousins in tier after the elite fantasy quarterbacks went, and he’s proving to have much more value through two starts.
Puka Nacua – Rams (WR)
When you’re a late-round draft pick in the NFL draft, it’s extremely rare for a player to come in immediately and contribute. The situation with the Los Angeles Rams lined up perfectly for wide receiver Puka Nacua. The Rams lost Cooper Kupp at the end of camp and placed him on the IR, leading to Nacua taking his spot as the team’s slot receiver. Nacua has dominated targets and has put up elite production, tallying 266 receiving yards through two games. We’ll see how Nacua manages once Kupp returns, but he’s certainly warranted a sizable role in this Rams offense.
Kyren Williams – Rams (RB)
The signs were indeed there for running back Kyren Williams to play a more significant role in the Rams offense than we initially projected. Akers was expected to be the lead back, but Williams was expected to carry the passing downs role. Instead, Williams has been the featured back through two games and has been the most relevant for fantasy purposes, ultimately leading to Akers getting shipped to Minnesota. Through two games, Williams has rushed for over 100 yards and has found the endzone three times, in addition to hauling in nine receptions. Williams has the makings of a PPR star and was someone you could have gotten very late in drafts or on waivers after Week 1.
Mike Evans – Buccaneers (WR)
In many formats, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans could have been had in Round 7 or 8. Evans has emerged as new Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield’s favorite target, and he’s backed that up with plenty of production. Through two games, Evans has caught 12 passes and registered 237 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Despite not being drafted as a potential WR1 on most teams, Evans has shown he still has that in his bag of tricks early on in 2023.
Brian Robinson – Commanders (RB)
There were some warranted question marks about which running back would lead the Washington Commanders backfield in 2023. Early on, Brian Robinson has taken the lead and has been dominant. Robinson has rushed for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns through two games. He’s proven to be the bell cow running back for Washington and is an even stronger draft pick in non-PPR formats. We expect Robinson to be a high-end RB2 or low-end RB1 for the remainder of the season.
