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The September international window has now concluded, and as such, players from the U.S. men’s national team have headed back to their clubs. Now the sprint to hit top form ahead of October’s window can begin.

For some players, that means making the most of a change of clubs. For others, it’s about solidifying their spots in the starting lineup. Then there are those who are on the outside looking in, trying to do anything they can to get steady playing time.

Regardless of which camp they fall into, the past week has proven eventful for several USMNT players.

Throughout the season, ESPN will be monitoring the progress of the U.S. player pool, delivering insights into those whose form or fitness has made them particularly intriguing. We call it the USMNT’s countdown to the World Cup.

ESPN will count down to June 11 every week so that way, when the U.S. team is announced for this highly anticipated World Cup on home soil, no names on that 26-man roster will come as a surprise.

Welcome to the USMNT’s countdown to the World Cup. Only 267 days to go.

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– USMNT 2026 World Cup Big Board 2.0: Balogun, Zendejas rise
– Carlisle: Zendejas’ starring role has come at the right time for USMNT
– O’Hanlon: Top 50 USMNT players, ranked by club form

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2025-26 minutes: 216
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.2

The race for the No. 9 shirt is wide open

It was a week of highs and lows for Pepi. On Saturday, he made his long-awaited return to the PSV starting lineup and made the most of his chance, scoring goals either side of halftime — one with his right foot, another with his head — to lead PSV to a 5-3 victory over NEC Nijmegen. On Tuesday against Union Saint-Gilloise in the UEFA Champions League, he conceded a penalty in a 3-1 defeat.

In terms of the bigger picture, at least Pepi is now reestablishing himself in the starting XI. That will need to continue given how the competition for the starting forward spot had heated up thanks to Folarin Balogun‘s performance during the September international window. The coming weeks will be about establishing consistency ahead of the October international window.

2025-26 minutes: 319
2025-26 FotMob rating: 6.9

Responding to the pressure for places

Much of the buzz at the end of September window was about the performance of Alejandro Zendejas and how his goal against Japan had seen him make a play for more playing time, possibly at the expense of Weah. So what did Weah do? He merely went out and scored against Real Madrid, at the Estadio Bernabeu no less, with his clever run allowing teammate Mason Greenwood to put Weah in the clear and fire home past Thibaut Courtois.

It was Weah’s first goal for his new club after arriving from Juventus over the summer, and while OM ultimately fell 2-1, Weah showed he’s not going to give up his spot in the USMNT starting lineup without a fight.

2025-26 minutes: 74
2025-26 FotMob rating: 7.0

The comeback is on?

Reyna made his official debut for Gladbach last weekend. For the team, it was a match to forget, as Werder Bremen handed the Foals a heavy 4-0 home defeat, one that cost manager Gerardo Seoane his job. For Reyna personally, his 74-minute stint had some positive vibes to it.

While he completed only 21 of 31 passes, he was involved in Gladbach’s best moves and should have had an assist when he created an opening for Robin Hack, who missed the target from 12 yards. Reyna even had a team-high seven ball recoveries. Reyna will no doubt have preferred a better team performance, but for him it’s a start, one that he’ll be hoping to build on, even with a new manager in charge.

The in-form XI

Among the storylines emerging from the international window for the USMNT was the deployment of the three-man backline. It’s a formation that suits the personnel in a lot of ways.

Defensively, it provides a bit more cover for outside backs Sergiño Dest and Max Arfsten, the better for them to play to their strengths in the attacking half. There’s less space for Ream to have to cover. Who takes the third center back spot is a coin flip at the moment between Mark McKenzie and Cameron Carter-Vickers. Do you take the player who plays in a top-five league, even though his form has faded a bit in recent weeks, or a player on the dominant team in Scotland? I’ll go with McKenzie for now, given his ceiling is higher.

As such, this week’s in-form XI uses that formation.

Arfsten’s inclusion is down to two factors. One, he excelled in that role during the September window, assisting on Zendejas’ goal, and he plays in that position for his club, the Columbus Crew. The other is that Antonee Robinson continues to be brought along slowly at Fulham. He was an unused substitute in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Leeds United. There’s little doubt that Robinson will reclaim his spot once his fitness improves. He certainly has the attacking chops in terms of delivery from the wing to excel as a wingback. Until then, though, Arfsten gets the nod.

The goalkeeper position continues to bear watching. Matt Turner‘s form has dipped a bit — his goals prevented per 90 minutes has sunk to -0.2 — following the New Club Bounce that occurred upon his return to the New England Revolution. And given Matt Freese‘s solid showing during the recent international window, as well as with New York City FC, he’s in this week’s in-form XI.

Probably the biggest question mark is who plays alongside Tyler Adams in the center of midfield. You can count Johnny Cardoso, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Cristian Roldan among the candidates. Tessmann is getting the most playing time in a top-five league, so he keeps his place for now.

Big Board 2.0 update

ESPN’s USMNT Big Board 2.0 went live earlier this month, and each Big Board will provide the foundation for weekly player updates. Below are the minutes and player ratings for each of those 37 players.

Matt Turner, goalkeeper, New England Revolution: 540 minutes in 2025; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025.

Matt Freese, goalkeeper, New York City FC: 2,520 minutes in 2025; 7.1 FotMob rating in 2025.

Zack Steffen, goalkeeper, Colorado Rapids: 2,070 minutes in 2025; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025.

Patrick Schulte, goalkeeper, Columbus Crew: 2,250 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.

Chris Richards, center back, Crystal Palace: 569 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tim Ream, center back, Charlotte FC: 2,072 minutes in 2025; 6.6 FotMob rating in 2025.

Ream continues to turn back the clock with his performances for Charlotte. The Crown have won nine games in a row, conceding just four goals in that time, with Ream completing 93.1% of his passes and winning 60% of his duels in that span.

Mark McKenzie, center back, Toulouse: 360 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, center back, Celtic: 570 minutes in 2025-26; 7.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Miles Robinson, center back, FC Cincinnati: 2,348 minutes in 2025; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025.

Auston Trusty, center back, Celtic: 152 minutes in 2025-26; 6.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tristan Blackmon, center back, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,880 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.

Sergiño Dest, fullback, PSV Eindhoven: 622 minutes in 2025-26; 7.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Antonee Robinson, fullback, Fulham: 51 minutes in 2025-26; 6.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Joe Scally, fullback, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 265 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Caleb Wiley, fullback, Watford: 0 minutes in 2025-26; 0.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

The on-loan Chelsea defender has reportedly been dealing with back and adductor injuries, but returned to partial training last week. The hope is that he can return to first-team action with Watford soon.

Max Arfsten, fullback, Columbus Crew: 2,502 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Alex Freeman, fullback, Orlando City SC: 2,712 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tyler Adams, midfielder, AFC Bournemouth: 374 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Weston McKennie, midfielder, Juventus: 141 minutes in 2025-26; 6.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Count McKennie as the latest USMNT player to log minutes as a wingback, joining the likes of Musah and Weah who have been deployed in that spot recently. It’s not McKennie’s preferred position, but it just might be the path forward for him to not only get consistent playing time with Juve, but also secure a call-up in October with the USMNT.

Johnny Cardoso, midfielder, Atlético Madrid: 185 minutes in 2025-26; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Luca de la Torre, midfielder, San Diego FC: 2,237 minutes in 2025; 6.8 FotMob rating in 2025.

Tanner Tessmann, midfielder, Lyon: 360 minutes in 2025-26; 7.3 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Yunus Musah, midfielder, Atalanta: 203 minutes in 2025-26; 6.3 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Following Musah’s late move to Atalanta, he made his debut in a 4-1 win over Lecce, not only logging 14 minutes, but also doing so in his preferred central midfield role. He went 75 minutes in the 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

Sebastian Berhalter, midfielder, Vancouver Whitecaps: 2,650 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Cristian Roldan, midfielder, Seattle Sounders FC: 3,335 minutes in 2025; 7.5 FotMob rating in 2025.

Christian Pulisic, attacker, AC Milan: 194 minutes in 2025-26; 7.6 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Tim Weah, attacker, Marseille: 319 minutes in 2025-26; 6.9 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Malik Tillman, attacker, Bayer Leverkusen: 123 minutes in 2025-26; 7.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Diego Luna, attacker, Real Salt Lake: 2,167 minutes in 2025; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025.

Alejandro Zendejas, attacker, América: 641 minutes in 2025-26; 7.3 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Giovanni Reyna, attacker, Borussia Mönchengladbach: 74 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Folarin Balogun, forward, AS Monaco: 243 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Ricardo Pepi, forward, PSV Eindhoven: 216 minutes in 2025-26; 7.2 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Josh Sargent, forward, Norwich City: 491 minutes in 2025-26; 7.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Patrick Agyemang, forward, Derby County: 21 minutes in 2025-26; 7.0 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Haji Wright, forward, Coventry City: 456 minutes in 2025-26; 7.7 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Wright’s late equalizer against Norwich City didn’t necessarily dazzle the eye, but his tap-in from two yards earned the Sky Blues a point, and saw the U.S. forward join Sargent atop the goal-scoring charts in the English Championship.

Damion Downs, forward, Southampton: 170 minutes in 2025-26; 6.4 FotMob rating in 2025-26.

Guy Sebastian reliving a painful chapter of his music career; Richard Roxburgh pondering his dying wish; Julia Morris sharing her struggles with ADHD – these are just some of the moments that stopped time for Leigh Sales while she was filming the second season of The Assembly, in which she mentors neurodivergent journalism students.

“Neurodivergent people look at the world in a different way, and so they come up with some unique questions,” says Australian Story presenter. “There’s no agenda. They’re just genuinely curious. The person at the receiving end of the question understands that. They feel safe knowing that someone’s not trying to ‘get’ them, so that helps them to relax, and it can be quite an emotional rollercoaster.”

Building on the success of the first season, which was inspired by a French concept, this time there are 20 participants, up from 15. Hailing from more regional locations, they range in age from 18 to 57. Among them are aspiring actor Ciannan, 35, from Perth; Oliver, 27, a musical theatre creator from Bribie Island, Queensland; and 22-year-old north-west Sydney musician, Soph, who is non-verbal. Several of the original cast are behind the scenes, as camera and audio crew, and in post-production. Two are now broadcasters: Angus Hamill at Triple J and Abbey Faulkner at ABC Sport.

“It’s been fantastic to see the way that [the series] has helped with people’s confidence, and some of the opportunities that have come their way,” says Sales. “For example, [season one participant] Anastasia [Revelos] was working as a camera assistant with the clapperboard, and just to see her stand in the centre of the room and then wait for the director to say, ‘OK, Anastasia, we’re good to go’, and the fact that she was confident to do that. I remember when she walked in for the first time, there’s just no way you could have said to her, ‘You’ll be as part of the crew standing in front of everyone.’”

Sales recalls a telling question that season one participant Dylan Lamb had for Delta Goodrem. “He had a very robotic way of speaking and he said, ‘I would like to ask Delta, “What does it feel like to be confident?“’ It absolutely smashed me.”

Ray MartinSteve Waugh and Maggie Beer are also in the hot seat. Not every guest cries, but all are led into dark territory, in a manner Sales finds refreshingly different.

“If I was interviewing a person about something awful, I would build up to that,” she says. “I wouldn’t open with that as question one. And when they got talking about that, I wouldn’t then interrupt them and ask what their favourite flavour of ice-cream was, whereas on The Assemblyone second you’re being asked a really philosophical question, and then the next person stands up, and they ask, ‘Have you ever ridden a camel on the beach at sunset?’ Sometimes the manner in which the questions are asked can either elicit real emotion unexpectedly, or it can be really funny.”

The studio, at Sydney’s Macquarie University, uses natural light and a soft colour palette. A “super flattering” light diffuser replaces the glare of a regular television set. There are fidget aids, and it is not uncommon for participants to spend time in sensory rooms.

Fantasy hockey is all about trends and timing, and one of the trickiest patterns to navigate is the mid-career or late-career slump. Understanding which dips are temporary versus true declines can make the difference between holding a player and cutting them too soon.

To explore this, we examined historical data going back to 2009-10 to identify players who dropped significantly in fantasy points per game (FPPG) but later returned to their career norms. The patterns reveal both cautionary tales for veterans and hope for younger players currently in a rut.

Jump to: Forwards | Defensemen

Forwards

For forwards, there have been 71 times since 2009-10 that a fantasy relevant player (career FPPG of 1.7 or better) has finished a season with an FPPG drop of at least 0.35, only to later recover to their career average in a subsequent season. That’s some solid precedent to offer hope to any player currently in a dip for production.

Not surprisingly, a whopping 15 of those bounce backs occurred in the 2021-22 season — almost as if something external forced more players to struggle during the 2021 season. The remainders are spread out across the remaining 16 seasons of data, ranging from eight bounce backs in each of 2017-18 and 2022-23, to one each in 2014-15 and 2016-17.

A new nickname option for Matt Duchene could be Capt. Yo-Yo, as he individually represents five of the 71 bounce back campaigns, with 0.35 FPPG dips only for a recovery in future seasons in: 2011-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2019-20 and 2022-23. Evgeni Malkin has four, but no other player is represented more than twice.

All of this is to say that the reasons for the dip and recovery are probably not the same for any of the 71 instances, even by the same player. Injury, linemates, deployments, team structure, coaching, comfort, focus, fatigue … the list of variables and combinations of them is endless.

But that doesn’t mean the data isn’t useful. Perhaps first and foremost, we can take the average age of the players in the season for which they managed to bounce back. It’s not good news for the veterans.

The average age in those seasons of recovery for forwards is 29 years, 68 days old. Which tells us that most of the fading stars aren’t in a dip, just a decline. Examples of current ruts for older players include:

• Steven Stamkos, Nashville Predators (age 35.6, career FPPG: 2.42, last season: 1.66)

• Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins (age 39.1, career FPPG: 2.26, last season: 1.67)

• Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings (age 36.8, career FPPG: 2.10, last season: 1.74)

• Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars (age 36.2, career FPPG: 2.01, last season: 1.47)

• Claude Giroux, Ottawa Senators (age 37.7, career FPPG: 1.90, last season: 1.42)

• Taylor Hall, Carolina Hurricanes (age 33.8, career FPPG: 1.88, last season: 1.35)

• Vladimir Tarasenko, Minnesota Wild (age 33.8, career FPPG: 1.85, last season: 1.06)

• Chris Kreider, Anaheim Ducks (age 34.4, career FPPG: 1.77, last season: 1.37)

• Corey Perry, Los Angeles Kings (age 40.3, career FPPG: 1.63, last season: 0.98)

• Ondrej Palat, New Jersey Devils (age 34.5, career FPPG: 1.61, last season: 1.25)

• David Perron, Senators (age 37.3, career FPPG: 1.56, last season: 1.09)

• Jeff Skinner, San Jose Sharks (age 33.3, career FPPG: 1.55, last season: 1.06)

• James van Riemsdyk, Red Wings (age 36.4, career FPPG: 1.47, last season: 1.02)

• Gustav Nyquist, Winnipeg Jets (age 36.0, career FPPG: 1.38, last season: 0.90)

All of these players are on the wrong side of 33. Maybe some of them, especially those in new homes with new coaches, can find the ingredients for a late-career boost, but odds are most of them won’t age like a fine Joe Pavelski.

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Bounce-back forwards

If we shift our focus to players closer to the average historical bounce-back age, we are more likely to actually find a success story or two.

Elias Pettersson, C, Vancouver Canucks (career FPPG: 2.27, last season FPPG: 1.95): Is there another player in the league with more pressure to bounce back than Pettersson? Has there been one with more pressure to do so in the last decade? Admittedly, offseason storylines tend to dissipate in memory quickly, but the pressure cooker is turned all the way up as the Canucks supposed superstar absolutely must get his groove back.

The Canucks didn’t do much to change the colleagues he will be working with, as Evander Kane is the only potential new addition to the top six. But Pettersson is the catalyst, not the coattail rider, so this is all about him. With the ceiling of a top 10 fantasy player and the floor not all that damaging to your overall roster, Pettersson can be argued as a second-round draft option to give you some superstar potential without reaching too far.

Verdict: It’s worth the risk so long as he doesn’t creep too far up draft lists.

Mathew Barzal, C, New York Islanders (career FPPG: 1.79, last season FPPG: 1.67): The Islanders tied for the fewest power-play goals in the league last season and the lack of Barzal for 52 games surely played a big part of that. In 2023-24, the Barzal managed 80 points for his first elite campaign since he was a rookie in 2017-18. He’s been used to Anders Lee and Brock Nelson as his partners in crime, but with the latter now in Colorado, Barzal will have to find new chemistry.

Verdict: He hasn’t been a target in drafts, with an average draft position (ADP) approaching 200 in ESPN drafts. Barzal is low risk, decent reward choice.

Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks (career FPPG: 1.79, last season FPPG: 1.65): A byproduct of the struggling team around him, Boeser’s goal scoring dried up last season, dropping from 40 to 25. He’ll be lined up with Pettersson, so whether Boeser can bounce back does rely somewhat on Pettersson doing the same. But with Quinn Hughes on the blue line for the power play and Boeser arguably the key shooter for the unit, he should get closer to 40 goals than 25.

Verdict: There’s a good chance Boeser outperforms your investment on draft day and outstrips the lows of last season.

Zach Hyman, RW, Edmonton Oilers (career FPPG: 1.71, last season FPPG: 1.58): We didn’t expect another 54 goals from Hyman last season after his output in 2023-24; But we didn’t expect half that total either. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. He’s still a lock for the Oilers power play, so the floor isn’t all that low.

Verdict: The highs were too high to bounce back to such levels, but Hyman wouldn’t be a shock in the top 50 forwards at the end of the season.

Carter Verhaeghe, LW, Florida Panthers (career FPPG: 1.64, last season FPPG: 1.59): From 42 in 2022-23, to 34 in 2023-24, to 20 last season, Verhaeghe’s goal total is trending the wrong direction. Did he get unlucky? His shots on goal were basically the same in each of the past two seasons, but he dropped from 13.8% shooting to 8.3%.

Verdict: He’s a better finisher than we saw last season and another campaign on the wing of Aleksander Barkov should result in a rebound back above 30 goals.

Viktor Arvidsson, RW, Boston Bruins (career FPPG: 1.64, last season FPPG: 1.10): It’s becoming increasingly difficult to make the case for Arvidsson. It was easy for a few years: He scored 34 goals in only 58 games with the Nashville Predators in 2018-19, but as time ticks on, that example of his sniping potential becomes less and less relevant. The argument to be made is that there is more runway with the Bruins for him to potentially carve out a top-line or power-play role, pushing his minutes back into respectable territory.

Verdict: There were more paths to fantasy success for Arvidsson with the Oilers last season and he didn’t find one of them. There’s no reason to roster him out of the gate here with the Bruins.

Andrei Kuzmenko, LW, Los Angeles Kings (career FPPG: 1.48, last season FPPG: 1.16): Traded three times over the past two seasons for a total of four franchises, it’s no wonder Kuzmenko has had a hard time mimicking his 39-goal debut in 2022-23 with the Canucks. He hasn’t done himself any favors by starting incredibly slow both seasons and only showing signs of life post-trade.

Verdict: The Kings are the perfect home for Kuzmenko to flash his offense with whichever 200-foot center he plays with. There’s also a power-play role available for him. He’s worth taking a chance on.

Andrew Mangiapane, RW, Edmonton Oilers (career FPPG: 1.24, last season FPPG: 0.94): His 35-goal explosion in 2021-22 clearly came under the perfect storm, having not eclipsed 18 goals before or since, but any winger able to display a knack for finishing is worth at least a look with the Oilers.

Verdict: Mangiapane probably isn’t first in line for a chance alongside Connor McDavid, but he may end up being the answer.

Defense

There are much fewer examples of players on the blue line bouncing back from a sharp decline.

Only 21 examples exist in the dataset since 2009-10 that show a drop of at least 0.35 FPPG for a fantasy-relevant defender and then a recovery to career norms. They range from when Dennis Wideman and Mark Giordano both had dips and recoveries with the Calgary Flames from 2013-14 to 2014-15, up to MacKenzie Weegar‘s lackluster debut with the Flames in 2022-23 only to explode for 20 goals the next season. (I promise not all 21 are with in Calgary).

Once again, however, even with a smaller sample, the average age of recovery remains under 30: 29 years, 228 days.

That means most of the players on the decline will stay that way if they are older, like:

• John Carlson, Washington Capitals (age 35.7, career FPPG: 2.22, last season: 1.90)

• Kris Letang, Penguins (age 38.4, career FPPG: 2.21, last season: 1.67)

• Erik Karlsson, Penguins (age 35.3, career FPPG: 2.14, last season: 1.71)

• Brent Burns, Colorado Avalanche (age 40.5, career FPPG: 2.08, last season: 1.27)

• Jeff Petry, Panthers (age 37.8, career FPPG: 1.72, last season: 1.28)

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Bounce-back defense

So let’s stick to younger players currently in a fantasy production dip.

Adam Fox, D, New York Rangers (career FPPG: 2.21, last season FPPG: 2.07): For what it’s worth, if he was anyone other than Adam Fox, last season’s totals would have been considered a success. For crying out loud, Fox was still on some Norris Trophy ballots! But the bar is incredibly high here.

Verdict: The Rangers still have the tools to replicate their 2023-24 success, so Fox is arguably a value pick at his current ADP as the No. 10 defender off the board.

Charlie McAvoy, D, Boston Bruins (career FPPG: 2.02, last season FPPG: 1.83): An injury at the 4 Nations Face-Off certainly threw a wrench into McAvoy’s season, but he was already having a down season by his standards. Whether he bounces back hinges a lot on whether the Bruins as a whole bounce back, or continue sinking toward a lottery pick.

Verdict: There is a very high ceiling for a rebound with how many minutes McAvoy can soak up with the top-heavy Bruins. He’s worth picking up anytime after the first 24 blueliners are gone.

Sean Durzi, D, Utah Mammoth (career FPPG: 1.92, last season FPPG: 1.58): Let’s just put a stop to this one right away: No, Durzi won’t be a fantasy factor with Mikhail Sergachev healthy. While Durzi had a window as the franchise’s power-play quarterback, it disappeared through a combination of injury and the acquisition of Sergachev last season.

Verdict: He’ll be the one to step up should Sergachev miss time, but won’t be bouncing back to his fantasy highs in the meantime.

Ivan Provorov, D, Columbus Blue Jackets (career FPPG: 1.81, last season FPPG: 1.45): The highs for Provorov’s career came when he was the guy; the No. 1 defender for his squad. That just won’t be the case with the Blue Jackets, even if injuries knock out his teammates higher on the depth chart.

Verdict: He’s a minutes-muncher now and won’t offer much for fantasy.

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild (career FPPG: 1.73, last season FPPG: 1.51): The alliteration of “sophomore slump” makes it seem like something that occurs more frequently than it does in practice, but Faber didn’t help the cause with his 2024-25 campaign. After setting the league ablaze with his rookie performance, the results were not there for fantasy managers last season. His 39 assists as a rookie were spiked by 13 power-play helpers. Does he still have a role on the advantage if Zeev Buium breaks through? That’s probably the key question to whether Faber is a No. 2 fantasy blueliner or a solid No. 3.

Verdict: You don’t have to overpay, but there is probably fantasy value here even without the power play. If he ends up as quarterback, the sky is the limit.

In the end, fantasy hockey is as much art as science. Historical trends offer a framework to identify which slumps are likely temporary and which are true declines, but context is key: age, team situation, coaching and role all matter. Younger players in a downturn may have a path back to their career norms, while veterans are far less likely to rebound. Using this data thoughtfully can help you make informed roster decisions and maybe even capitalize on the occasional mid-career comeback.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jaxson Dart‘s time these days is spent mimicking the way Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels runs or Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott executes his hard count. His current job at New York Giants practice is to operate the scout team, in between digesting the limited short-yardage package that coach Brian Daboll and assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have designed for him in each of the first two weeks of the NFL season.

These are just some of the things that keep the rookie first-round quarterback busy since he’s getting only one or two first-team reps each week with veteran Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback. Dart’s job entails staying after practice with third-string quarterback Jameis Winston and a bunch of the younger receivers (such as Jalin Hyatt and Beaux Collins) and running through the starters’ practice script.

Such is the life of a rookie quarterback who the Giants have decided is better to sit and learn behind a veteran. It’s the same approach the Chiefs took with Patrick Mahomes during his rookie year, a notable example given that Kafka was integral in his development. Kafka was the Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator during Mahomes rookie season.

Dart, who the Giants traded back into the first round to select with the 25th pick out of Ole Miss, served as the backup to Wilson these past two weeks — both losses to the Commanders and Cowboys. He got on the field for three snaps, all running plays, in Sunday’s 40-37 loss to Dallas. This week, he’ll pretend he is Mahomes, running the scout team in practice as the Giants (0-2) look for their first win of the season in their home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).

“It’s fun because I’m able to take time to watch those other quarterbacks around the league and kind of see the things that they do at a really high level,” Dart said.

Primarily, Dart’s role is to sit and learn behind Wilson. The Giants prefer to be patient and let Dart develop. That’s the preference but could potentially be derailed by necessity.

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IT’S A SIMILAR situation to what Mahomes experienced during the 2017 season, when he was a rookie backing up Alex Smith in Kansas City. Kafka, a former NFL quarterback, was the offensive quality control coach that season for the Chiefs. A large part of his duties was to monitor and manage Mahomes’ development.

Daboll, Kafka and Giants quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney are spending significant time this year tutoring and developing Dart while simultaneously playing to win with Wilson. It’s two forces with conflicting agendas pulling at one another.

But they have a plan for the rookie, with goals that Dart needs to hit before he becomes the team’s long-term starter, including the learning that comes from serving as the No. 2 quarterback.

“He’s got to see the game through the quarterback’s eyes on the sideline. He’s got to be involved in the communication. Each day we’re trying to groom him and when he has to play, he’ll be ready to play,” Daboll said. “As a young quarterback, there’s so many different things that you’re going to have to go through. There’ll be ups and downs, but in terms of the process that we’re doing with him, each day, he does a little bit better — meetings, protections, [scout] team, we’ll continue to do that.”

Wilson’s performance Sunday, when he threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys, seems to have silenced the noise and calls for Dart to start, at least temporarily. He will remain the starter … for now.

If Wilson plays well and the Giants start winning games, the QB setup will continue. Dart will get a chance to learn behind a proven veteran, just like Mahomes did his rookie season when his only start came in Week 17 as the Chiefs rested their starters before a playoff game.

Some might argue this will be best for Dart’s long-term development and future, especially with an offensive line that has allowed pressure at a 35% clip through two weeks. The Giants would prefer to wait until standout left tackle Andrew Thomas returns from a foot injury as well. He has missed the first two games.

“I think you want to wait as long as possible until Jaxson Dart is as ready as possible and has a chance of success,” Smith said this week on “Sunday NFL Countdown.” “The idea you’re going to go out there and cross your fingers and hope it goes well, it’s a farce.”

Smith believes the Giants should wait until at least Week 8 to insert Dart. Once upon a time, they waited until Week 11 for rookie Eli Manning to replace Kurt Warner in 2004. But Daniel Jones as a rookie eventually replaced Manning in Week 3 of the 2019 season.

If Wilson or this Giants team continues to stumble, Dart will inevitably become the starter as the pressure builds on Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. He’s already given them enough confidence to make him the No. 2 quarterback, ahead of Winston.

This would provide Dart an opportunity to gain invaluable game experience and learn on the fly, similar to Josh Allen when Daboll was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo. Allen became the starter in the middle of Week 1 when Nathan Peterman was injured. He has remained the starter since.

All these experiences with Allen and Mahomes apply to Dart.

“When we did get Jaxson, the first meetings were a blend of those two things that [Kafka] did with Pat, what [Daboll] did with Josh,” Tierney said. “And what are the best ways to implement it now.”

At this point, there’s the sit and learn vs. play and learn on the fly strategy. It’s two varying approaches, with different benefits to each. For now, Dart appears to be traveling the Mahomes route.

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IN THE 21ST century, 18 of the 25 Super Bowls have been won by a quarterback who didn’t start early in his rookie season. Some of the best — Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers — either didn’t play much or at all. Matthew Stafford is the last quarterback to start right away and eventually win a Super Bowl, and he did it for a different team than the one that drafted him. Peyton Manning is the most recent quarterback to start on Day 1 for his team, the Indianapolis Colts, and lead them to a Super Bowl victory.

The Giants seem to prefer the sit and learn route for Dart. Players in the locker room also seem to think it’s best.

Kafka told ESPN that Mahomes benefited greatly from observing Smith and that it was way more than just watching him on the field. Mahomes had the benefit of watching Smith’s routine, from how he digested the game plan to adjustments he made during the week to how he watched film to how he took care of his body, then modified that to his liking.

Dart has Wilson and Winston with a combined 288 starts under their belt to consult.

“He doesn’t know how lucky he is,” Kafka said of having both veterans as mentors.

There also is a benefit to being on the sideline during games, watching the adjustments that the coaching staff and Wilson are making on the fly. Dart takes this all in, listening to every playcall as well.

It’s a different perspective than he’s used to. He’s almost always been the starting quarterback and when he was younger played linebacker as well.

“There’s just a lot of things that I’m breaking down,” Dart said. “I’m able to stand back and see the whole defense. A lot of times, as a quarterback, you’re only able to see so many things going on, especially at the line of scrimmage. So being able to have that perspective, I think that it’s going to help me learn a lot. It’s definitely helped me prepare, because now I’m able to see adjustments that we can make every time we come off the field. See what adjustments the defense is making. So, I kind of see it through a coaching lens almost, of just being able to see the full picture.”

These are the kind of things Dart would be learning if he were the starter early in the season. With that inevitably comes rough moments. He noted Peyton Manning’s struggles his rookie year when he threw 28 interceptions. Indianapolis went 3-13.

In the end, it worked out just fine for Manning and the Colts. But Daboll and Schoen aren’t in a position where they can afford those results this season. It complicates things.

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FOR NOW, DART waits his turn. His teammates seem to think it’s the right move. They have confidence in Wilson, with Sunday offering evidence he can still play at a high level. However, they believe being patient with their future soon-to-be franchise quarterback is best for the team and his future.

“I see a huge value [in sitting] because yeah, I mean in today’s culture it’s all about win-now. What can we do now?” said Giants defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who was a member of the 2017 Chiefs during Mahomes’ rookie season. “But for the longevity of the franchise or for the longevity of his career, for the longevity of his success, I feel like development is the best way to go.”

Dart sees the merits of both approaches. He knows it didn’t come immediately for players such as Mahomes and Rodgers. But he’s also seen it work the other way. Manning had a Hall of Fame career, Allen is doing well and Daniels had an incredible rookie year.

This all makes it that much harder for Dart, even if he looks across the field Sunday and sees how it turned out for Mahomes, a two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion.

“As a competitor, I don’t have a blast watching from the sideline,” Dart said. “But it’s just the way that it is. My job is just to do what I can control and when I’m sitting there, I’m itching. You just want to compete. You want to be out there.”