Three NFL OTA No-Shows To Monitor

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter:

OTAs kicked off in full yesterday, but a few players were not in attendance.

Technically, these “organized team activities” are voluntary … but it’s much more fun to read between the lines of what an absence means.

Here are three notable no-shows and what they could potentially mean …

James Cook - This one is easy. Cook is seeking a new deal as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. He wants to get paid to the tune of $15M per year, which would make him the third- or fourth-highest paid back in the league.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Bills are willing to play ball at those lofty prices. It will be even more interesting to see if Cook will show up for mandatory minicamp on June 10 if he doesn’t have a deal. Ray Davis remains a very relevant insurance policy for both the Bills and fantasy drafters.

Kirk Cousins - This one is a little spicier. There are some rumors floating out there that he could be traded to the Steelers. The issue is that Cousins comes with an absolute albatross contract ($27.5M base/$40M cap hit/$75M dead cap value), and another team would need to offset some of those costs for Atlanta.

Between Aaron Rodgers and this Cousins situation, the Steelers have pulled off the impressive feat of getting entangled in two different QB hostage situations.

Kyle Pitts - I’m sorry, but Pitts has not earned the luxury of skipping an optional team activity. This man needs every rep he can get, even if he’s also entering the last year of his rookie contract. Kyle, if you are reading this, I’m begging you to cash the $10.78M in checks you will receive this year and try to earn a second contract. As someone who has drafted you in three straight seasons, I’ll be the first to say that you have zero leverage right now.

⏰ It’s Time To Catch Up

Tired: It’s May 28, no wonder you haven’t made fantasy football a priority.

Wired: It’s May 28, and there are 99 days until kickoff. Fantasy football is now a priority!

If you wait any longer, you’ll only have less and less time to dominate your leaguemates. Luckily, we’ve put together everything you need to feel like you’ve been preparing for the 2025 draft season since 2024.

In need of positional rankings? We’ve got you covered.

Looking to make an offseason splash in your dynasty league? You got it.

Sleepers? You guessed it, we’ve got ‘em.

Leave no stone unturned and show up to your drafts in August a level above your leaguemates. Catch up on everything you need to dominate on the Fantasy Life YouTube page. ⬇️

📺 DOMINATE YOUR LEAGUE HERE 📺

The Wide Receiver Position Runs Through Cincinnati

We’re onto Week 3 of breaking down the top-12 players at each of the skill positions. If you need to catch up, see below:

We’re onto the wide receiver position, which no team has down like the Cincinnati Bengals …

Bengal, duh
*hits griddy*
Jerryworld Loyalty Member
Oh snap 👀
New target competition, no problem
Sophomore surge 🚀
Consistently Underappreciated
The Sun God
Former college basketball player
Host of the neighborhood book club
Another rookie?!
Ohhh, now the title of this segment makes sense

Think you guessed them all? ⬇️

OH BABY … WR4?!

Is J.J. McCarthy Kevin O'Connell's Next Great Fantasy QB?

I promise this is coming from Ian Hartitz and not Thor Nystrom, but the former may be onto something …

Let's take a quick trip down memory lane regarding KOC's history of enabling high-end fantasy QBs in Minnesota before diving into what makes J.J. McCarthy tick:

2022: Kirk Cousins sets a new career high with 4,547 passing yards and finishes as the QB12 in fantasy points per game.
2023: Cousins works as the QB6 before tearing his Achilles. Then, pastronaut Josh Dobbs ripped off three top-nine finishes before the wheels fell off. After that? Nick Mullens posted QB14, QB11, and QB5 finishes in his only three starts.
2024: Long considered a monster bust, Sam Darnold accounts for 36 touchdowns on his way to working as the QB9 in fantasy points per game.

So, why can’t McCarthy follow suit?!

Yes, betting heavily on McCarthy before he's played a regular-season snap carries some risk.

Also, yes, some of the draft community's sharpest analysts believe McCarthy would have been the first QB off the board in this year's draft ahead of Cam Ward and company. Throw that sort of talent inside an offense that has made a habit of supplying a top-tier supporting cast, and upside is brewing…

DOES THIS MAKE THE VIKINGS WRs PRIORITIES?