Week 16 vs. Chicago Bears
Nick Mullens showed a little moxie in a win over the Seahawks last week, completing 69 percent of his passes for 275 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. Mullens should be considered a super risky fantasy option and belongs on waivers in most leagues – especially this week against a relentless Chicago Bears defense – but if he plays half-decently to close out the season, dynasty owners may want to stash him in case he draws some trade interest from a quarterback-needy team.
Week 15 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Nick Mullens put up 332 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Broncos last week. He’s been mostly inconsistent this season, but he has shown a propensity to sling it from time to time and has built up a nice rapport with tight end George Kittle and rookie speedster Dante Pettis. While Mullens may have some streaming value in deep, two-quarterback leagues in the right matchups, a tough game against the Seahawks this week is probably not a good time to use him. He should remain on waivers this week.
Week 14 vs. Denver Broncos
Nick Mullens put up pretty big numbers last week, throwing for 414 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a blowout loss. Mullens also threw a pick, and while he’s shown some potential at times during his stint as a fill-in starter, he’s thrown four touchdowns to five interceptions since his breakout debut against the Raiders four games ago. This week, Mullens will face a tough Broncos pass rush. Mullens is a risky bet in any week, but he’s especially hard to trust in a bad matchup. He should be on waivers in most leagues.
Week 13 at Seattle Seahawks
Nick Mullens was very disappointing against an easy opponent last week, putting up only 221 yards, a touchdown and two picks against the Buccaneers. Mullens has looked less and less like a starting-caliber quarterback since he burst onto the scene against Oakland, making it hard to trust him in most league formats. Against a tough Seahawks defense this week, there’s no reason to have him in your lineup.
Week 12 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nick Mullens played better than his stat line would indicate against the Giants before the bye last week. He had 250 yards, a touchdown and a pair of picks, but both interceptions bounced out of the hands of 49ers pass-catchers, and Mullens kept the team competing until the final seconds. Mullens is far from a sure thing, but he’s injected some energy into the San Francisco offense.
This week, Mullens has some sneaky upside against a Buccaneers defense that has allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season. Mullens may have a high floor in a great matchup, making him a nice bye-week filler for Goff and Mahomes owners, or a starter in leagues that allow two quarterbacks.
Week 10 vs. New York Giants
Nick Mullens came out of nowhere last week to lead the 49ers to a 34-3 drubbing of the Oakland Raiders. He was efficient, tossing 16-of-22 passing for 262 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders defense is terrible, so Mullens may have trouble repeating such immediate success, but if he can be productive for the rest of this season, he’ll have a chance at winning a starting job somewhere next year.
This week, Mullens faces a Giants defense that is actually tied for fourth-least in the league by allowing only 11 touchdown passes so far this season. Mullens is an interesting watch-and-see option in all fantasy leagues, but outside of superflex and two-quarterback formats, he’s likely not worth starting this week.
Week 9 vs. Oakland Raiders
Even if Nick Mullens gets the start against a Raiders defense that has allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this year, he's still way too risky for fantasy owners to consider.
