Jaxson Dart might look as if he just emerged from the “High School Musical” cinematic universe — a tenacious rebounder for the East High Wildcats and loyal friend to Zac Efron — but he is actually one of the central characters in the 2025 fantasy season. He’s been a revelation amid difficult circumstances.
Dart has averaged 22.35 fantasy points per game in his six starts for the Giants. Here’s where that ranks among all quarterbacks so far this season:
- Lamar Jackson, 23.78
- Josh Allen, 23.16
- Patrick Mahomes, 22.94
- Jaxson Dart, 22.35
- Jalen Hurts, 21.73
Basically, that’s the entire preseason top-tier at QB, plus Dart. He’s a party crasher. By any definition, he’s an elite fantasy option. Dart has emerged as the primary reason we did not need to prioritize quarterback in this year’s drafts.
These are his weekly fantasy finishes since taking over as New York’s starter: QB11, QB16, QB3, QB3, QB13, QB7.
One of the many wild aspects to Dart’s six-game binge is the fact that he’s faced so many quality defenses — including the Chargers, Eagles (twice), Broncos and Niners — and he’s delivered multiple touchdowns each week. He’s the rare rookie with a high floor. The fewest fantasy points Dart has produced as a rusher in any start is 5.5. He never misses.
Dart’s schedule finally takes a friendly turn on Sunday with a trip to Chicago to face a truly abysmal defense. The Bears allow a league-worst 6.4 yards per play. Joe Flacco just cooked them for 470 yards and four touchdowns. The list of quarterbacks who have thrown multiple TD passes against Chicago includes such luminaries as J.J. McCarthy, Geno Smith and Spencer Rattler.
Just in case it isn’t already clear: Dart is headed for a monster fantasy week. Possible supernova-level performance incoming. Dart doesn’t have any stay-away matchups remaining on his schedule (not that such a thing exists for him), and he has multiple green-light spots beyond Chicago, including a date with Washington in Week 15.
If you didn’t land Dart in any season-long leagues, please understand that the trade window is about to close. Also, you are strongly encouraged to build a DFS lineup around him while he’s still so curiously affordable.
Let us never speak of that Thursday night game again
The Broncos beat the Raiders in a terrible slapfight on Thursday, a contest featuring more penalties (22) than total points (17). The game’s leading receiver was Tyler Lockett, who finished with 44 yards. Bo Nix and Geno Smith combined for one touchdown pass and three interceptions while averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. Nix reminded us that a very thin line separates fun-bad from bad-bad. Courtland Sutton was somehow sacked. Kenny Pickett threw a pass (not completed). Brock Bowers was barely a rumor.
It was truly a throwback to another era of Thursday Night Football. We must erase any mention of the game from the official record and never reference it again.
Jakobi Meyers urgently needed in Jacksonville
Under normal conditions, you’d expect a wide receiver arriving via mid-season trade to be eased into the mix, slowly and deliberately. But the current conditions in Jacksonville are decidedly not normal.
Travis Hunter was placed on IR a week ago with a knee issue, and Brian Thomas isn’t practicing after suffering a high-ankle sprain, so Meyers could be peppered with targets in his Jaguars debut. His best traits as a receiver are exactly what the team desperately needed.
Meyers is a versatile player, dangerous from any alignment, and — unlike everyone else in Jacksonville’s receiving room — he is a reliable catcher of footballs. Among all receivers to see 30 or more targets this season, Thomas has the third-highest drop rate in the league according to PFF (18.9%). Dyami Brown has the fifth-highest (17.4%) and Parker Washington the eighth (13.8%). The team already has 30 drops on the season.
Whatever else you think of Meyers, his hands have never been a concern. He is not a drive-killer in the tradition of recent Jaguars receivers. Jakobi may not have been a flashy addition, but the trade was a smart and necessary move.
Brock Purdy and his terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad toe
The good news on Purdy is that he seems to be making slow, stuttering progress in his recovery from turf toe.
Shanahan said the plan this week is to give Purdy more first-team repetitions than he had last week.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) November 5, 2025
The bad news is … well, there’s a lot of it. Purdy is still only a limited participant in practices. He isn’t expected to be fully healthy at any point in 2025. Kyle Shanahan won’t put a date on Purdy’s return, but, hey, he’s “pretty confident” it will eventually happen.
And so we wait. It’s been brutal rostering both Purdy and Mac Jones in Superflex formats, but this is the life we chose.
TreVeyon Henderson is headed for another shot at the featured role
With Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) sidelined last week, Henderson played 75% of the snaps for New England, converting 18 touches into a respectable 87 yards. He also ran a route on 73% of the team’s dropbacks. It was promising usage, even if it didn’t yield matchup-winning results.
Stevenson hasn’t yet returned to practice, so we’re likely to get another look at Henderson in something like a featured role against Tampa Bay. The Bucs defense has been solid against the run, but they’ve also given up the most receiving yards to opposing running backs through nine weeks. If Henderson is to make noise on Sunday (which we are not guaranteeing), it will probably happen through the air.
Chicago’s backfield should be fully operational
D’Andre Swift (groin) and Kyle Monangai (ankle) each put in full practices on Thursday, so we’re about to learn if the rookie earned any additional opportunities for himself after detonating in Cincinnati. Monangai doesn’t have impressive timed speed (4.60 in the 40), but he can change direction without downshifting, and he’s a punishing finisher. He shamed every level of the Bengals’ defense last week while rushing for 176 yards.
Unleash Kyle Monangai 😤
CHIvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/YLQ3cT70sT
— NFL (@NFL) November 2, 2025
Of course, Swift has reached the end zone in each of his last four games; he’s averaging 5.6 yards per touch, and he’s responsible for one of the signature moments in Chicago’s season. He’s not merely some replacement-level vet. The guess here is that Swift retains the starting role and a slight edge in touches, but Monangai continues to play roughly 45% of the offensive snaps.
When Chicago’s coaches discuss Monangai, they inevitably describe him as a prototypical goal-line runner. His cleanest path to rest-of-season value involves ownership of the goal-to-go carries.
Declan Doyle said of Kyle Monangai: “That physicality, that dimension of being able to drop his pads and run through somebody, is really what we’ve enjoyed about having him here.”
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) November 6, 2025
Both backs certainly deserve starting status in fantasy this week against a Giants defense that allows 5.5 yards per carry, ranking last in the league. Ben Johnson has already shown this season that he’s willing to go extremely run-heavy when the game flow and matchup allow it.
Philadelphia’s playmakers are back in the game
Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown were full participants in Philly’s first practice of the week, so we can assume both will be good to go on Monday night against Green Bay. Barkley erupted for 150 yards two weeks ago against the aforementioned horrendous Giants run defense, but he exited with a minor groin injury. Brown has battled hamstring issues and attention cravings throughout the season, but he’s still unguardable when he’s right.
It should be a huge relief to everyone that all rumor-mongering about Brown is now on pause until spring. The Eagles’ offense has been glitchy to this point, but this team has a history of timing its peak very well.
