Don't be surprised if ... Drake Maye overtakes Patrick Mahomes as top QB

"Each week in the NFL is its own story -- full of surprises, both positive and negative -- and fantasy football managers must decide what to believe and what not to believe moving forward. Perhaps we can help. If any of these thoughts come true ... don't be surprised! NOTE: All mention of fantasy points is for PPR formats, unless otherwise mentioned."

"Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes enters Week 9 leading the position with nearly 200 points, and while it is nice to throw to Rashee Rice, Mahomes was thriving before Rice's season debut. Can anything stop the Chiefs now? Well, they just played the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders. Still to come are road games against the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos and home games with the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Broncos. This will be a challenge."

"Not to make this all about schedule, but this unconventional take has some merit. First, Maye is already third in PPR points among quarterbacks, a smidge behind Jalen Hurts at 21.7 points per game. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen average more points, but there is some risk with them. Jackson missed a bunch of games with a hamstring injury, and fear of reinjury is real, while Allen, efficient and effective as a passer despite less volume lately, remains, as with Hurts, reliant on rushing touchdowns."

Each NFL week brings unpredictability that requires fantasy managers to separate short-term noise from sustainable trends. Patrick Mahomes leads quarterbacks with nearly 200 PPR points and was productive even before Rashee Rice's debut, but a tougher remaining schedule including road games at Buffalo and Denver and home matchups against Colts, Texans, Chargers and Broncos could present challenges. Maye ranks third among quarterbacks in PPR scoring at about 21.7 points per game and has topped 20 points in five of seven games, providing steady fantasy value. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen offer higher ceilings but carry injury or rushing-touchdown dependency risks.

Read at ESPN.com