Consistency is always the ONLY answer to winning in Fantasy Football! Sometimes, it’s revenge – PLAYER REVENGE! This brings us to five fantasy football players with an AX to GRIND!
I was a therapist with a Master’s degree in psychology. That’s why I love to focus my drafts on players with an ax to grind. Angry players show their displeasure with their team in two ways. They can pout, sit out, and have dubious injuries, or they can bust their butts to have an outstanding year that gets them paid or validates their injured pride after they got traded. Those are the kind of guys I like to have on my teams. A player that is already consistent is one thing. A good, consistent player that wants a contract or is pissed they got traded is the source of some fantastic fantasy football seasons. This article is just 5 fantasy football players with an ax to grind. Two more articles are coming before the season starts.
Baker Mayfield: Baker’s contract is up this season, and he wasn’t thrilled with the Buccaneers’ previous offers in combination with what other QB’s have gotten in recent years. Baker is a fiery guy who loves to compete. But beyond his emotional investment in games, he is also one of the most consistent QBs in the league. Last season, Baker was QB3 in fantasy points. He ranked 82% in clutch games, behind only Lamar Jackson. If he’s that good and you’re focused on how fiery he’s been, that can only lead to good things on your fantasy team, especially if you stack him with a WR for a nice stack.
A.J. Brown: He falls into the category of players who are really mad at their last team for trading him. But he is also an angry guy who, at times, looked like he was quitting on the Eagles. As a wide receiver, he has game-changing talent, but his game challenge also influences a game when he’s not getting the targets he wants. In 2024, he was wide receiver 8 in consistency with an 85% clutch rate. If he brings that to the Patriots this season, both he and Drake Maye are going to have very good seasons.
Kyler Murray: He is one of the most frustrating NFL quarterbacks. In his last real season, 2024, his clutch rate was 53%, which was 11th among QB’s. Last season was a lost season. This year, if he has any pride, he will be determined to renew his career. Let’s face it, if he doesn’t put up some good numbers, he’ll be a backup on his next contract. That’s where “QB whisperer” HC Kevin O’Connell comes in. He made Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold into very good NFL QB’s. If O’Connell is smart, he’ll give Kyler a clean slate and coach him up with respect. I think part of Kyler’s slide in Arizona started when he got the $230 million contract. It had the clause about studying and not playing Call of Duty in the huddle. If Kyler is healthy for the whole season and Kevin O’Connell works his magic, this could be a very good season for Kyler and Justin Jefferson. I like Kyler as my #2 QB and Justin Jefferson drafted anywhere after #6 in the first round.
David Montgomery: He’s never going to be the sexiest running back in your draft. He has been the league representative for consistency, averaging over 4 yards per carry regardless of the situation. He’s always been that guy we settled for as our #3 RB in the draft. Now he is the big dog in the Texans RB room. In both Chicago and Detroit, he seemed disrespected by having to share the backfields. He is not better than Jahmyr Gibbs, but in Chicago he was clearly the best RB they had. He was insulted each week with Cordarelle Patterson, Tarik Cohen, and Khalil Herbert getting touches that he could do more with. Woody Marks in Houston does not seem to be a threat to steal the impact touches, and I think David Montgomery is going to run away with this opportunity.
Sam LaPorta: With the exception of his injury last year, Sam LaPorta has been the epitome of consistency. In his first two seasons, he was Jared Goff‘s security blanket. In his first two healthy seasons, he averaged over 12 yards per catch. Last season, that dropped to over 10 yards per catch as he played injured. He’s not getting Brock Bowers/Trey McBride numbers, but if you don’t want to pay big for a one-size-fits-all position, LaPorta is one of the better choices if you wait on tight end. He hasn’t yet received an extension on his rookie contract, so I can see him putting his head down and getting another great season to earn a contract renewal or a raise with another team.
Football players are people too, and they get mad and feel disrespected at work just like we do. Fortunately for them, if they decide to kick but at work, it may mean several million more than our jobs. If you work hard for their raises, at least we can benefit from it on our fantasy team.
