2024 Fantasy Football Halloween Costumes: Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Jayden Daniels and More
Examining the masks some NFL players have been wearing heading into Halloween.
It’s Halloween: The most acceptable day of the year to dress up as something different. Comedian Lewis Black had a few bits about Halloween, one of which being that adults don’t need to wait for October 31 to dress up; you’re an adult, you can do as you please.
Some fantasy football players have been dressed up in costumes for the past two months (or longer). Let’s look at some of the early Halloween costumes guys have been wearing. It might seem confusing at first, but you’ll get it.
San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey
Costume: Freddy Krueger
Reason: He’s haunting the dreams of everyone who drafted him first overall
There was no reason to think McCaffrey would miss Week 1, let alone the first two months of the season (and counting). Every fantasy owner who chose the superstar back with their first pick wakes up in a cold sweat every time they dream about their 2-6 fantasy team.
Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Costume: Art the Clown
Reason: The new kid on the block showing that he belongs with the big boys right away
The classics are the classics for a reason: They’re the best. Freddy, Jason, Micheal Myers; they are the one who stand out. Then Art the Clown started appearing online, in short videos, and in his own franchise of popular movies: Terrifier.
It’s tough to say Art belongs with the best of the best, but his growth in pop culture has come fast. Daniels might not be on the same level as Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and the cream of the crop, but he’s not that far away after dominating for the first month-and-a-half.
A rib injury forced Daniels to miss most of Week 7, but he returned in Week 8 to throw for 326 yards against a ferocious Bears’ defense and run for 52 more. Daniels is QB3 despite not playing for most of the game against Carolina, one of the easiest matchups in the league.
Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry
Costume: Vampire
Reason: He will live forever and keep feasting on those who don’t believe in him
Henry was supposed to slow down. He reached 30 years old, and while he was still productive, the team that knew him best (Tennessee) chose to let him leave in free agency without much negotiation.
Then he went and signed with maybe the best running quarterback in football to form the league’s best rushing attack. And it’s not even close:
- Baltimore’s total rushing yards: 1,600; second-place Washington’s rushing yards: 1,326
- Baltimore’s yards per carry average: 6.2; second-place Washington and Arizona’s YPC: 5.2
The Ravens also have the best offensive DVOA by a wide margin. There’s not much reason to doubt Baltimore, and a big part of that is their 30-year-old running back who looks 22 again.
Henry has a few more years left in him; then again, he might never die.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
Costume: None – he’s the drunk guy who shows up without a costume but enjoys the party and has a good time
Reason: He’s there. He’s having a good time. He’s enjoying the things that he’s doing. He’s worth a few laughs. People like him. He’s not really helping anyone, though.
Mahomes is sitting at QB21 after finishing as QB8 last season. QB8 is fine; it’s better than most quarterbacks. He was drafted as a top-three guy, though, as early as the third round, and he severely underwhelmed by that measure.
Mahomes was again drafted as a top-five quarterback in fantasy this year, and he is outside the top 20. His team is winning. He’s having a good time. He’s not doing much to help his fantasy owners, though.
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff
Costume: Colin Robinson
Reason: He’s lulling us all to sleep as the Lions have become the new 49ers
If you haven’t seen What We Do in the Shadows, they just started the last season on FXX; go watch it from the beginning. It’s only 22-minute episodes, it goes fast. Colin Robinson is the day-walking energy vampire who feeds by draining people of their energy, essentially putting them to sleep but not killing them.
People still bad-mouth Brock Purdy and say it’s the team and not him pushing success, but I think we’ve mostly given up on that argument with Goff. He’s just doing his thing, showing no flash and draining defenses of their will to play.
The Lions are meticulous, they run the ball efficiently, and they convert third downs. It’s the type of offense that just sucks to play against because they keep beating you over and over. Goff is feeding off opposing defenses like Colin Robinson (and yes, you say his full name every time). He’s QB13 and has already had his bye already.
Goff was a top-10 fantasy quarterback each of the past two seasons and is on the way to doing it again. He was drafted outside the top 15 quarterbacks in many leagues. Goff is walking around with no one noticing him and performing like a weekly fantasy starter.
New York Jets WR Davante Adams
Costume: Slutty Nurse
Reason: He’s bouncing around, latching onto everyone, a little flaky, upset things aren’t going his way; he had a little fling with the guy from college, and now he’s back to the first guy he knew as a professional, when things were good.
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers
Costume: Your dad hanging out at the bar trying to be cool, but he’s just too old to do it like he used to
Reason: I mean…
At least he picked up the slutty nurse again before the end of the night.
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