The Shuffle Up series begins. Today we’re going to attack the quarterback. We appreciate the extraordinary gap between fantasy quarterbacks and real-life quarterbacks. The NFL is all about the quarterback and the quest for the Holy Grail. But solid fantasy quarterbacks aren’t usually that difficult to find.
Salary is unscientific and is meant to explain where I believe value lies. Everything up to this point was an audition. I’m now ranking and ranking them as if I were drafting them from scratch. Remember the golden rule. Players do not gain or lose any extra value just because you register them.
big ticket
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$35 Lamar Jackson
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$33 Jalen Hurts
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$31 Josh Allen
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$28 Jayden Daniels
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$27 Joe Burrow
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$25 *Jordan Love
Jackson’s accuracy is better than ever and the Ravens definitely didn’t need help in the receiver room, but the addition of Diontae Johnson made a strong group stronger. Jackson also notes career bests in several other areas, including interception rate, YPA (a juicy 8.9) and quarterback rating. It’s scary to think this could be his best season when he already has two MVPS.
While the Eagles are still calling Hurts’ number at the goal line (seven rushing touchdowns), the Bills have a close lead on Allen (three rushing touchdowns), so Hurts is getting the nod over Allen. Allen is the better passer of the two, but Hurts will likely get more help at the position, at least with his top two receivers.
Love is clearly tainted at the moment and the intercept rate is worrying. But he’s been working with an insane amount of receiving talent, and his touchdown rate has jumped to a league-high 7.5%. Some people may look at these numbers and cry, “This is degeneration!” But given the supporting cast and the genius of Matt LaFleur, I’m willing to bet that Love maintains most of its ratings.
legitimate building blocks
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$23 Kyler Murray
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$23 Brock Purdy
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$21 Jared Goff
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$20 CJ Stroud
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$18 Sam Darnold
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$17 Patrick Mahomes
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$16 Matthew Stafford
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$15 Tua Tagovailoa
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$14 Caleb Williams
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$14 Kirk Cousins
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$14 Dak Prescott
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$14 Baker Mayfield
Purdy’s work in the red zone has had its ups and downs, but things seem to have resolved recently with the unlocking of George Kittle. And while I would hate to see Brandon Aiyuk sidelined for the season, San Francisco has plenty of receiver depth after him. Purdy also proved to be a resourceful runner, especially against man coverage when the defender’s back was turned.
Once I see it, I’ll believe in Mahomes’ fantastic comeback. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 in any match since Thanksgiving week in 2023, which was an incredible 11 months ago. Kansas City’s defense is also keeping Mahomes in check. There’s little need for the Chiefs to play in the shootout.
Stafford reached his potential in Week 8 (four touchdowns) with the return of two superstar receivers. Cooper Kupp doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. The Rams know they can take over the vast NFC West.
Nothing Prescott has done thus far justifies his ranking here, but last week the Cowboys turned the wheel all the way to CeeDee Lamb, and it’s interesting to see how this duo will be a force to be reckoned with in the second half of 2023. I can’t forget what I did. It’s time for the Cowboys to shine. Lamb is their best player, and even if the team doesn’t go anywhere, Lamb can drag Prescott into fantasy relevance.
discuss or discuss
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$13 Geno Smith
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$13 Bo Nix
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$13 Joe Flacco*
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$11 James Winston
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$10 aaron rodgers
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$10 Russell Wilson
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$8 Justin Herbert
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$8 Trevor Lawrence
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$8 Derek Carr
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$7 Drake May
Nix seems to be getting a little better as a passer every week, and he also does something as a runner almost every Sunday. Sean Payton would pick him again. I’m also interested in the possibility of a buy-low for Cortland Sutton, whose expected fantasy return is much higher than it actually is.
I’m wondering why Flacco has an asterisk. Coach Shane Steichen has promised Flacco “moving forward,” but whether that will be for the rest of the season remains to be seen. But there’s always a chance the Colts try Anthony Richardson again and play with the big picture in mind. In the meantime, dial up Indy’s receivers whenever possible, especially Josh Downs.
The Jets still play at a horribly slow pace, and Rodgers no longer has the running chops. He’s a low-upside QB2 in super-flex leagues, a player you wouldn’t even consider starting in a league that only requires one Phil. Tom Brady’s endgame probably set unrealistic expectations for future quarterbacks in their 40s.
Switching to Wilson was the right move for Pittsburgh, and he has a growing relationship with WR George Pickens. However, the Steelers always aim to win with controlled offense and strong defense, and Wilson no longer has the ability to be a scrambler. He makes some decent depth plays, but don’t dream of an upside that probably doesn’t exist.
bargain bin
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$5 Daniel Jones
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$4 Gardner Minshew
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$2 Justin Fields
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$2 Andy Dalton
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$2 Mason Rudolph
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$1 Bryce Young
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$1 Anthony Richardson
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$1 Will Levis
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$1 Malik Willis
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$1 Michael Penix
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$1 Jacoby Brissett
