Why Malik Cunningham Isn’t Worth Adding In Fantasy Football — Yet
The dual-threat rookie is available in most leagues
All signs point toward the Patriots giving Malik Cunningham real work in Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. And the rookie’s role could increase going forward after he recently was signed to the 53-man roster.
But is Cunningham, a college quarterback who now focuses on receiver, worth targeting in your fantasy football leagues? Well, not quite yet — but he’s worth keeping an eye on.
First and foremost, Cunningham is listed as a quarterback both on the Patriots’ official website and on fantasy football sites, including ESPN’s, where he’s owned in under 1% of leagues. And until that changes, we simply can’t recommend rostering Cunningham.
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New England fans might want the Louisville product to replace Mac Jones and take over as the Patriots’ top quarterback. But that’s not going to happen, with veteran Will Grier reportedly in line to replace Jones if the third-year pro implodes again. Maybe Cunningham sees an uptick in real quarterback training next offseason, but at this juncture, he’s not someone who’ll see the kind of quarterback reps to warrant fantasy football consideration.
However, everything would change if Cunningham gets re-designated as a receiver.
The ultra-athletic Cunningham saw some work at quarterback during the preseason but mostly played wideout. And that’s continued in the regular season, according to offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. That said, O’Brien on Tuesday revealed that Cunningham mirrored Saints QB/tight end Taysom Hill during scout-team practice work as New England prepared to host New Orleans in Week 5.
Moreover, the Patriots reportedly developed a package for Cunningham ahead of Sunday’s matchup in Vegas. And ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted that Cunningham saw increased work at quarterback during practice this week.
Add it all up, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cunningham play a Taysom Hill-like for the Patriots on Sunday and beyond. And while he might not be quite as good of a passer as Hill, he makes up for it by being faster and more explosive in the running game. Cunningham also has a chance to be more dynamic as a wideout.
So, it remains to be seen if Cunningham will be a valuable fantasy football asset in 2023. As long as he remains listed as a quarterback, he should remain on your league’s waiver wire.
But his triple-threat abilities could make him an intriguing fantasy weapon if he gets relisted as a receiver.
