When you wake up on a crisp fall Sunday morning and all you can think about is football, there’s no better feeling than setting your final fantasy football lineup and watching the games to see how your team performs.

Believe it or not, the football season is already halfway over and it flew by. Regardless, here are some standout fantasy football players from this half of the year and some players to watch for the next half.

If You Have This Guy, You’re Probably at the Top of the Standings:

Jalen Hurts

If you have Jalen Hurts on your roster then you’re probably at the top of the standings in your league. With Hurts’ dynamic running and passing ability, he is an elite quarterback that can make plays anywhere on the field. His explosive offensive threats AJ Brown and Devonta Smith really bring a concern to defenses in the passing game and when he’s not passing he can keep it on the ground and run. As one of the best mobile quarterbacks in the league he is really a game changer. – Matt

Stefon Diggs

Any team with Stefon Diggs has to be at least in the top three of most leagues. Being Josh Allen’s WR1 sure comes with its benefits. As of week 10, he’s third in the league in yards, receptions, and touchdowns. Going into the draft he was considered among the top receivers this year and he has surely not disappointed. – Jack

Saquon Barkley

Many people doubted whether or not we’d see Barkely return to his dominant form after averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and scoring only 2 touchdowns in 2021 after returning from an ACL tear that kept him out most of the 2020 season. Well, that question has certainly been answered. Barkley’s renewed power, speed, and agility have resulted in his being the overall fantasy football RB3 and the Giants having a 7-2 record. – Mr. Augello

Biggest Bust:

Najee Harris

My biggest bust so far this season has to be Najee Harris. His highest performance was 10 points and he hasn’t been putting up nearly the numbers that he was projected and was going to be considered an x factor for this season’s Steelers team. – Matt

Kyle Pitts

My biggest bust of the first half of the year would be Kyle Pitts. Going into the draft, he was considered a top 5 TE to draft by almost all outlets, but his output is usually in the single digits each week. This sharp decline in expectation to reality can mainly be attributed to the Falcons current playbook focusing on the run game and ruling him as an unimportant presence on the field. – Jack

AJ Dillon

I don’t think anyone expected AJ Dillon to take the league by storm, but with an average draft position around the fifth round, fantasy football owners (myself included) were likely expecting more than ONE touchdown from this power back. The overall failure of the Green Bay Packers once potent offense has plummeted any value AJ Dillon once had. – Mr. Augello

Surprise Sleeper:

Tyreek Hill

Tyreek Hill was definitely the surprise sleeper the first half. Everyone was saying that Tyreek Hill is not going to be as dominant without Patrick Mahomes, but he proved everyone wrong and has had a breakout season. Tyreek Hill showed this by having an amazing performance the second week of the season by scoring 42 points and consistently scores 14 fantasy points or better. – Matt

Justin Fields

A surprise sleeper this half of the season had to be Justin Fields, who has only increased in fantasy points since week 3. At that time, most leagues had him available on waivers and owners condemned him to be a terrible QB option. Now, he has since blossomed into what many are considering fantasy QB1 of the league. – Jack

Kenneth Walker III

The Seahawks are one of the surprise sleepers of the NFL and Kenneth Walker is easily the surprise sleeper of this fantasy football season. Though highly touted coming out of Michigan State, this rookie’s expectations for the 2022 season were modest as he was coming off a preseason surgery and entering into a timeshare, but once he got his opportunity, he never looked back. He has become an every down back for the Seahawks and a fantasy football asset for anyone fortunate enough to pick him up on waivers. – Mr. Augello

Player Poised to Break Out in the Second Half:

DeAndre Hopkins

Deandre Hopkins had an impressive showing in his debut after getting suspended and I don’t expect him to slow down. His chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray was on display immediately, and when Murray got injured, he still succeeded when backup Colt McCoy came into the game.  – Matt

Christian Kirk

Christian Kirk is definitely set to break out in the second half of the season. His major role in the game against the Chiefs marked a breaking point for the much easier second half schedule of his year. Considering the fact that he produced 31 pts in a PPR league against a formidable defensive squad, the second half of the season should allow him to put up career highs in fantasy points. – Jack

Rachaad White

Remember the name Rachaad White. If he’s out there on the waiver wire, pick him up and thank me later. Even before the injury to Leonard Fournette, White was getting more and more playing time each week. This all came to a head when he carried the ball 22 times this past weekend against the Seahawks. This rookie third round pick is set up to carry the load and support old man Tom Brady for the Bucs as they fight for the NFC South crown. – Mr. Augello