The quarterback landscape for fantasy football this week is anything but straightforward, and that uncertainty is precisely what makes it fun. Between veterans trying to squeeze out one more big run and young passers still figuring out who they are, there’s a lot more volatility than box scores might suggest.
Some of these profiles look great for real-life football but leave you nervous when you stare at your fantasy football lineup on Sunday morning. The names may feel familiar, but the roles and ceilings are shifting just enough to keep you guessing all the way through the playoffs.
Aaron Rodgers | PIT (vs MIA)
The glory days of Aaron Rodgers are obviously behind us, but I think you’re lying if you say that watching him drop the ball in the bucket a few times on Sunday in the upset win over the Ravens didn’t give you a nice feeling.
On his way to 284 passing yards, his first with 250+ this season, Rodgers was a perfect four-of-four on balls thrown 20+ yards downfield. That may not sound like much, but if you’ve watched any amount of Steelers football this season, you understand.
- Weeks 1-13: 7-of-29 when throwing 20+ yards downfield
This is too late in the season to mean anything. I guess you could leverage this performance to give you a little more confidence in DK Metcalf for the final few weeks, but Rodgers himself isn’t a viable option (his last multi-pass TD game came in Week 8).
The fantasy point total looks better than you’d expect given the pass line because Rodgers recorded his first rushing score since leaving the land of cheese back in 2022. If you had the stones to play him in a DFS situation, hat tip to you, but the nice box score is nothing but a flash in the pan.
Bo Nix | DEN (vs GB)
This is the old less-is-more routine, and with it working for the Broncos, what motivation do they have to put more on the plate of their second-year QB?
Bo Nix has one touchdown over his past three games, as Denver looks to minimize his risk. It’s hard to average under seven yards per competition against a Raiders defense that struggles to tackle, but with quick/predictable throws, that was the case on Sunday.
I think the offense they are running has staying power, and I’m more sold on it now than I was a month ago. Nix completed 11-of-12 passes against the blitz last week, continuing a growth pattern that is optimal for team success.
Denver’s team success doesn’t require our fantasy mouths to be fed, and in a tough matchup where Green Bay can create chaos without pulling from their second level, Nix isn’t in the QB1 conversation this week.
Brock Purdy | SF (vs TEN)
Brock Purdy has 14 completions to his teammates 15+ yards down the field this season, and seven to players wearing a different colored jersey.
We had become accustomed to him being one of the more efficient QBs in the league, but that ship seems to have sailed. He hasn’t thrown for more than 200 yards in any of his three starts back from injury, and while he ran for a score in Cleveland before the bye, 43 rushing yards across five starts isn’t exactly moving the needle.
I still want to believe in this system and the skill around Purdy, but at this point, I need a proof-of-concept before putting my season in his hands. Next up is the Colts on Monday night, followed by a home game against the Bears. I’m sitting Purdy this week, but if he can show improvement coming off the bye, there’s a world in which he hits his fantasy stride when we need him most.
But he’s lost the benefit of the doubt.
Bryce Young | CAR (at NO)
Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes (two on fourth downs) against the Rams in Week 13, his fourth game with a TD hat trick through the air this season.
We love that, but it’s impossible to overlook the floor when we are talking about the highest scoring position in our game. Those three-touchdown efforts have been more than offset by seven games with one or fewer TD tosses, and the rushing production isn’t nearly consistent enough to put him anywhere close to our radar in one-QB formats.
The progression here is slow. Young looked better last year than his rookie season, and I think there have been strides taken this year, but not nearly enough in this era of highly consistent signal callers.
There is talent on this roster, and that’ll keep Young on the QB2 radar (this week, the rest of this season, and next season), but that’s the extent of my interest in the 24-year-old.
C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs ARI)
In a similar vein to Nix with Denver, C.J. Stroud isn’t being asked to do fantasy-friendly things as Houston makes their move.
I thought he made every play he needed to on Sunday night against the Chiefs. He got rid of the ball when nothing was there, extended plays to give his receivers a chance, and avoided the back-breaking error.
By all accounts, the Texans were thrilled with the performance their QB put on. Fantasy managers? Not even remotely interested in a sub-50% completion effort that totaled just 203 yards (99 on two big Nico Collins plays early) and one touchdown with essentially no rushing equity.
They closed out the reigning AFC champs with their QB completing three passes in the second half. For fantasy, I want my desires to match up with what the team needs, and that couldn’t be less true in Houston. This matchup doesn’t scare me, and if Jacoby Brissett can put a few points on the board, maybe Stroud is pushed to need his fourth multi-pass TD game of the season, but the floor is more impactful than the ceiling at this point, and that has me streaming elsewhere if possible.
Caleb Williams | CHI (vs CLE)
The on-field development is clear, and I don’t doubt that it’ll bear fantasy fruit with time, but I’m not sold that we see it this week (or next, for that matter in a rematch with the Packers.
Caleb Williams has completed 17-of-27 third-down passes over the past three weeks with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. His athleticism is on display weekly, and while it can look reckless if you’re new to watching him play, he’s been playing that way for his entire life and has a contained chaos feel to him (the INT last week was more in a spot of required aggression than any issue with Williams directly).
I love that fantasy profile. His 26-yard completion down the right sideline to Cole Kmet last week was a snapshot of what is possible: he was running with his hair on first and put perfect touch on a precise throw.
His best days are in the future. He’s as athletic as you’ll see a QB without a 10-yard run in three straight games. He also doesn’t have a 30+ yard completion in five consecutive contests.
The upside is inside of him, and Ben Johnson will unlock it with time, but a cold spot against the Browns isn’t really the spot to bank on it.
Only one QB (MVP favorite Drake Maye) has reached 14.5 fantasy points against the Browns since their Week 9 bye, and Williams would do well to reach that threshold. I’ve got him sitting just outside of my top 15 this week, putting him outside of the QB1 conversation (ranking behind Marcus Mariota and Trevor Lawrence).
Cameron Ward | TEN (at SF)
Cam Ward posted the first multi-TD pass game of his career and earned the victory over draftmate Shedeur Sanders on Sunday, but he wasn’t clean (he threw an interception, something he didn’t do in November) and averaged just 4.2 yards per pass.
The scripted first drive was impressive against a strong defense (4-for-4 for 48 yards and a 14-yard touchdown to fellow rookie Elic Ayoumanor), but he managed just 69 passing yards after that possession, finishing shy of 200 yards for the fourth time in five games.
His Titans won the game, but Sanders looked like the QB closer to holding fantasy relevance.
Dak Prescott | DAL (vs MIN)
CeeDee Lamb is coming off a concussion, and that needs to be monitored.
Dak Prescott’s WR1 was dominating Detroit before the injury, and that helped fuel a third straight game with 320+ passing yards. I think the volume will probably be there, no matter the status of Lamb (23+ completions in five straight), but the scoring equity dips, and we know the type of low floor that comes into play for a QB like this (five games with 0-1 TD passes).
I’ve got Prescott on the fringe of QB1 status, and that’s assuming we get a reasonable version of Lamb in this offense. He’s not a terrible play, but I’m not making excuses to roster him. Both pocket passers in the Lions/Rams game rank higher for me, and the Sam Darnold case is easy to make if he has his standout WR and Prescott doesn’t.
Daniel Jones | IND (at SEA)
Daniel Jones was the story of the first half of the fantasy season, but he entered Week 14 having come upon tough production times, with his last finish better than QB12 coming in Week 8.
Even with him trending in the wrong direction, he was on the fringes of our interest due to the consistency of the offense (multiple TD passes in Weeks 12-13 despite struggling). This profile is versatile, and while the rushing was more misses than hits of late, it was still another avenue for him to give us points.
That all ended in the second quarter with an Achilles tendon injury. If you play in a deeper league and were relying on Jones, this leaves you in a tough spot. Riley Leonard is his replacement, but that’s not worth the risk.
READ MORE: Colts’ Handling of Daniel Jones Dubbed ‘Organizational Malpractice’ After QB’s Season-Ending Injury
Tua Tagovailoa gets the Steelers this week in Pittsburgh, and that’s not great, but home meetings with the Bengals and Bucs present themselves after that.
On the other side of this coin, the Jaguars D/ST becomes more appealing. They get the Colts again in Week 17 in addition to the favorable home game this weekend against the Jets.
Drake Maye | NE (vs BUF)
That’s now 10 straight games in which Drake Maye has averaged over eight yards per pass, allowing him to overcome some underwhelming recent rushing numbers (zero rushing scores since September and 13.8 rushing yards per game over his past five).
In those five games, his weekly finish ceiling has been QB9, but he’s been worse than QB13 just once since the opener, and that’s been what has made him valuable in our game. In theory, if you’re going to get a ceiling effort from the second-year QB, this would be it.
He played one full game against Buffalo last season: multiple passing scores and 42 opportunities (pass-plus-rush attempts). Something like that could well be in the cards this week, and that has me ranking him as a very solid Tier 2 QB: you should trust him with your fantasy fate on the line.
Geno Smith | LV (at PHI)
If this is the end of Geno Smith’s career as a starting QB, it’s been a bumpy ride.
His foot injury entering Week 14 wasn’t enough to be mentioned on the final injury report. Still, he banged up his shoulder during the loss to Denver and is currently iffy moving forward.
It shouldn’t matter to you.
You’re playing Brock Bowers regardless of the QB play, and that’s not going to change. Smith has just two games with multiple passing scores since September and has been sacked more than three times per touchdown toss this season.
Things need to change in Vegas sooner rather than later if we are going to get value out of their two-star players, and maybe we get a peek into what is possible moving forward at the end of 2025.
J.J. McCarthy | MIN (at DAL)
J.J. McCarthy didn’t look overwhelmed last week against the Commanders, and that was great to see. The first-year starter showed the pose that we saw in the fourth quarter of the season opener for extended stretches, completing 16-of-23 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He took the four sacks rather than putting the ball in harm’s way, a minor sign of the kind of growth we want to see.
He’s still a long way away from mattering for fantasy, but games like this open up a sliver of hope for his receivers the rest of the way.
He was perfect on the first drive, and as he gets more comfortable with Kevin O’Connell’s scripts, maybe we see his efficiency bleed from the first drive into the entire first half, and eventually the entire game.
Let’s not put the horse before the carriage. This was a great matchup at home. This Dallas defense has had a mini-bye to rest and watch, making this a nice test. I don’t envision McCarthy being a fantasy asset in any sense for the rest of this season, but he can earn some 2026 equity if he can turn in a few average outings to close 2025.
Jacoby Brissett | ARI (at HOU)
There are no pictures in the stat sheet, so I don’t care that Jacoby Brissett has scored 65.5% of his points since Week 10 with the Cardinals down by double digits.
Doesn’t matter.
He’s run for over 15 yards in three straight, thrown 40+ passes in five straight, and has multiple TDs in seven of his last eight.
The rubber is at risk of meeting the road against this Texans team, however, and that’s why he sits outside of my top 15 at the position. The defense is as good as any in the league (four of the past five QBs have failed to get to 13.5 points, a run that includes both Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes), but that’s not what has me most worried.
It’s a factor, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not sure this offense has the potential to put Arizona in such a bind where they are forced to keep up. If the Texans dominate this game, it’s a 23-13 sort of deal where Arizona doesn’t get nearly the play volume they’ve benefited from over the past month.
If the Cardinals are more balanced and playing with caution, Brissett’s 40 attempts crash to 30, and his superpower is negated.
I’d rather play Caleb Williams in a tough spot this week against the Browns, and, to be honest, I’d sign up for C.J. Stroud on the other side of this game before I pencil in Brissett for a playoff matchup.
Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs LV)
Losing four fantasy points on a play is unheard of, but it’s not the first unique season in this Eagles season, and it probably won’t be the last.
As a passer, I was encouraged by Jalen Hurts funneling 81.6% of his targets to his three primary weapons (AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert); he just didn’t get the type of support he needed in the biggest spots.
We know the Tush Push equity is there for Hurts, and that’s here to stay (until next season), but without a 35-yard game on the ground since September, there’s extra fantasy pressure being put on him as a passer.
For the record, I thought Brown and Smith both looked engaged, and that’s a big part of why I think you’re starting Hurts this week. Well, that and the matchup. The Raiders are the seventh-worst defense in terms of goal-to-go efficiency and points per drive. They allow points on 42.2% of their drives, and if there’s a spot for the Birds to hit 30 points for the first time since their bye and second time since September, this is it.
It’s rarely pretty, but Hurts is my QB3 for Week 15.
Jared Goff | DET (at LAR)
How can you not love when these two teams meet?
Dueling QB revenge games, playoff seeding on the line, head coaches who love to play 4-D chess. This game could have it all!
Jared Goff has thrown for 250+ yards in six straight games and is coming off his eighth instance in which he’s completed at least 70% of his passes. Starting a QB without rush equity is scary in 2025, but both signal callers in this game are exceptions in that matter, and if they are pushing on another, this could turn into a fantasy bonanza in short order.
It needs to be noted that Goff hasn’t managed 12 fantasy points in either of his games against the Rams. An extended work week with a version of Amon-Ra St. Brown that we weren’t sure we’d be getting has Goff grading well for me, even in a tough matchup.
I prefer Matthew Stafford to Goff if we are looking at this game alone, but both are top-12 QBs that I’d be fine with playing with my season on the line.
Jaxson Dart | NYG (vs WAS)
Jaxson Dart returned from the concussion in Week 13, and while he showed no signs of fear, the 13.6-point performance was his worst as a starter (139 passing yards with a touchdown, 20 rushing yards).
That matchup (in New England) was a tough spot, and it was always going to be. Balance was going to be a problem, and with their ears pinned back, this was target practice more than anything. In his first start back, just 14.7% of his fantasy points came with his legs, a dramatic fall from the 43.5% rate he posted in his seven starts prior.
Are those limitations here to stay after he got lit up on the sideline for one of his four rush attempts? Even if you don’t believe that the Giants are going to curtail his game long-term, the 2-11 version of this team isn’t motivated to put their franchise signal caller in harm’s way.
The Commanders’ defense does not scare me in the least, and that opens up a nice upside projection for Dart. Still, if we are talking about what is most likely to happen, I think it’s that he falls outside of the top 10 at the position in a week where everyone is in action, most of them with more to gain.
Jayden Daniels | WAS (at NYG)
Jayden Daniels left Sunday’s blowout loss with a non-throwing elbow injury. Still, we had seen enough before the early departure (nine-of-20 for 78 yards and an interception) to know that this wasn’t set to be a good day at the office against the aggressive Vikings.
Should he take another snap this season?
My answer would be no, but I’m not making that call. I’d be surprised if he suited up this week, and my ranking of him down the stretch of 2025 will entirely hinge on just how healthy he appears to be.
In the long term, I still think we are looking at a player with Tier 1 potential, even if this season hasn’t done much to reinforce that view. He’ll be an interesting ADP dropper to track in August: I could see him projecting well at cost if there is lasting concern for his playing style and an increased desire to wait on the position after some of the big names have struggled to pay off their draft day price tags.
Joe Burrow | CIN (vs BAL)
We’ve got the Joe Burrow that we drafted back in August alive and well for the fantasy playoffs.
It’s glorious.
He had no issues with the elements last week in Upstate New York: six of seven on the first drive and four touchdowns for the day.
He had the bad Pick-6 that flipped the game in the fourth quarter, but for fantasy purposes, a turnover that ramps up the aggression the rest of the game isn’t the end of the world.
Burrow has cleared 260 yards through the air in both of his starts back and seems to be moving within the pocket without limitations. Most importantly, he’s not taking hits (two sacks on 82 dropbacks).
He could be without Tee Higgins this week, and that hurts after the big Week 14 performance, but as long as he’s playing in support of this porous defense, fantasy greatness is going to be demanded of him to keep Cincy competitive.
Lock him in.
Jordan Love | GB (at DEN)
Would you blindly back a “hot” three-point shooter?
Without any context, I hope not.
Jordan Love is a good quarterback and might well be enough to get the Packers where they want to go, but seven scores on 55 attempts over the past two weeks is a heater that isn’t going to be sustained for any extended period of time.
He put himself in a tough spot in the first drive of the win over the Bears, taking a sack to put Green Bay behind the chains and then throwing a pick as he tried to make up for the first mistake. That was his first INT in over a month: he’s largely shown growth on that front this season, and that’s what the team wants.
This is a Josh Jacobs-based offense that can pass. That’s probably optimal for on-field success, but for us, it’s prohibitive. Love has just four top-10 finishes this season and has failed to clear 30 pass attempts in each of his past four games. He needs the type of unsustainable efficiency we’ve seen of late just to threaten lineups, and this matchup is pretty clearly an issue to sustaining success at a league-average level, never mind the crazy recent rates.
Denver Defensive Rankings
- Touchdown Pass Rate: 1st
- Completion Percentage: 3rd
- Yards Per Pass: 4th
- Blitz Rate: 6th
- Pressure rate: 7th
I’m not comfortable starting Love anywhere this week, but let me be clear: DO NOT drop him. The Packers draw the Bears and Ravens in Weeks 16-17, matchups I anticipate having a top-8 grade for Love in.
Josh Allen | BUF (at NE)
I don’t know what to say about Josh Allen anymore.
The Bengals bottled him up in the first half on Sunday (96 pass yards and -1 rushing yard, one total touchdown), but what’s understood doesn’t have to be explained … he finishes with 251 passing yards, 78 on the ground, and four scores.
He’s a bull in a china shop running the ball (rush TD in consecutive games and nine over his past seven) while also a surgeon in the pocket (career pace in both CMP% and YPA).
I don’t know what would happen if this team found a WR1 for him to feature. As it is, he had seven teammates with multiple targets over the weekend and saw a pair of tight ends account for the majority of his passing yards.
The Pats kept Allen in check in Week 16 last season (5.3 yards per pass with “only” 30 rushing yards on six attempts), and maybe they are more equipped to do so by way of familiarity, but there isn’t a QB I’d rather go into battle with this week.
For those keeping track, yes, my top two QBs this week are playing each other.
Justin Herbert | LAC (at KC)
Justin Herbert doesn’t know how to go half speed, and that’s why he’s always on our radar. Less than a week after getting surgery on his non-throwing left hand, he took seven sacks and ran 10 times to get his team a big win over the Eagles on Monday night.
There are some hold-your-breath moments, and a game with 12 completions is never going to land him inside the top 12 at the position, but he certainly wasn’t scared.
All of his passing production essentially came on dumpoffs to running backs: Kimani Vidal picked up 60 yards on a little crossing route, and Omarion Hampton scored their only touchdown of the night on a nice design in close.
If there’s a week to go this direction, it’s next in Dallas. The Chiefs have held seven of their past nine opponents under their season average in QB PPG, and I expect that trend to reach eight of 10.
Herbert is a gamer, and maybe he can eliminate the big bad Chiefs this week. That’s possible, but I find it unlikely that he does it with a big fantasy total next to his name.
Lamar Jackson | BAL (at CIN)
October 30th.
What we’ve come to love about Lamar Jackson as a fantasy asset recently is his development as a passer. He came into the league with generational athleticism, and that was always going to be a calling card. But he molded himself into an elite weapon from inside the pocket, making him nearly impossible to cover.
Well, October 30th was the date of his last TD pass from the pocket. He had five deep touchdown passes in September and has just one since. It’s a bit of a chicken/egg thing when it comes to his struggles through the air and the lack of big play equity with his legs (he doesn’t have a 20-yard run this season), but I don’t really care what is to blame for these monumental fantasy flops.
Figure it out, or your team is going home early.
I liked seeing the majority of his targets last week funnel to either Zay Flowers or Isaiah Likely, so that’s a start, but we need more, and we need it in a hurry. I thought there were glimpses of the vintage version last week, and in facing the third-worst defense against fantasy QBs, that’s enough to land inside of my top 10.
We can address what to make of Jackson in Weeks 16-17 (vs. NE, at GB) when we get there, but those tough spots won’t matter if he continues to underwhelm and your team gets bounced this week.
I’m playing him over all of the hotter options that you may have picked up at some point during this season. Fingers crossed!
Marcus Mariota | WAS (at NYG)
It’s easy to forget that Marcus Mariota has been a top-12 QB in each of his past three, but that’s exactly why I’m here!
He ran for 126 yards across those games (opponents: Lions, Dolphins, and Broncos) and hit for a 35+ yard play with either his legs or his arm in each of them. The opposing starting QB has surpassed his season average in terms of fantasy points in six of their past seven games, a trend that, if sustained, puts Mariota in the low-end QB1 discussion, even without Zach Ertz.
I’ve got him as my QB13 this week and would advise going this direction if you’re currently betting on Caleb Williams (vs. CLE), Justin Herbert (at KC), or Jordan Love (at DEN).
Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs DET)
He’s back; that didn’t take long.
After the Panthers tied him in knots, Matthew Stafford was back to his efficient ways on Sunday in the desert, burning the Cardinals for 281 yards and three scores on his 22 completions. That gives him seven straight with multiple touchdown passes and seven 3+ TD and 0 INT efforts in his last 10.
Week 14 was the seventh time this season that he averaged north of eight yards per pass, and that’s exactly what it takes to produce QB1 numbers with this profile. He’s a top-5 option at the position for me against a defense that has allowed 18+ QB points in three straight and in five of six following their Week 8 bye.
Patrick Mahomes | KC (vs LAC)
The six dropped passes last week against the Texans obviously didn’t help the cause, but this version of Patrick Mahomes isn’t the consistent threat that we’ve seen in the past.
Yes, he’s reached 30 rushing yards in three straight and eight times this season, a production path that should have him posting monster fantasy numbers on a regular basis.
But, with multiple TD passes in just one of his past five games, the ceiling instances have been largely absent during the second half of the fantasy season.
If we’ve learned anything from this dynastic era in Kansas City, it’s that Andy Reid is happy to have his fate in the hands of #15. They need to win out even to have a prayer at the playoffs, so another game with 48+ opportunities (pass + rush attempts), a total he’s hit three of his past four games, is very much in play, if not expected.
If you’ve qualified for the playoffs with Mahomes, I think you’re sticking with him, even after the primetime dud. This matchup isn’t great, but at least it’s a familiar opponent that is on a short week. I’ve got the former MVP ranked as my QB9 this week.
Philip Rivers | IND (at SEA)
It’s a cute story, but if he starts, this isn’t a Joe Flacco situation in the making.
They just beat up a pocket-locked Kirk Cousins, and we saw them do the same thing earlier in the year to Aaron Rodgers and, more recently, to Matthew Stafford.
This is a defense with Super Bowl aspirations playing against, potentially, a QB whose last game featured Jack Doyle leading his team in catches and Cole Beasley leading the opposition.
Rivers is a professional and might be their best bet this week, but that doesn’t mean you drop everything and consider him for even a moment this week.
For those Super Flexers out there, there are 70 flex players I’d rank ahead of Rivers, so I hope that you have other options.
Sam Darnold | SEA (vs IND)
Sam Darnold is going to do what is asked of him and is likely to do it at a high level.
A week ago, I had a strong projection on him for this game because I thought the Colts had a chance to push the Seahawks a bit, but with the rash of QB injuries in Indy, that’s less likely, thus positioning Darnold for another low-volume game.
He can get there in such spots (twice since November has he had 3+ TD passes on no more than 30 passes), but a low attempt count naturally carries downsides. He’s QB17 this season among the quarterbacks that will start this week, and that’s where I have him slotted for Week 15.
Shedeur Sanders | CLE (at CHI)
He wasn’t perfect, but putting up counting numbers in a spot where you’re supposed to put up counting numbers is certainly a good start.
Shedeur Sanders threw for 364 yards and three scores against the Titans on Sunday (first two career starts, total: 358 yards and two touchdowns), adding a highlight seven-yard run that showcased his spatial awareness and competitive fire.
All great things. Also encouraging was the touch shown on the one-yard TD pass to David Njoku in the second quarter and his numbers against the blitz, a scheme he’s likely to see with regularity until he beats it consistently (5-of-8 for 59 yards and two touchdowns).
READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 15 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game
I’m not sold that there is value to chase on the ground, and I’m not sure the surrounding talent is enough to make him an option even in 2026 for our purposes. That said, I’m not here to knock progress, and he certainly looked more comfortable on Sunday than we’ve seen anyone at the position wearing this uniform in 2025.
Trevor Lawrence | JAX (vs NYJ)
This is an interesting matchup that features two sides that feel a bit underappreciated.
The Jets defense has been better against QBs than you might assume (forget a low-volume Tua Tagovailoa last week, but in the past month, they’ve held Lamar Jackson and Drake Maye in check), and Trevor Lawrence has worked himself closer to the version of him that we’ve been begging to see.
Jakobi Meyers debuted for this team in Week 10, and Lawrence’s aDOT has increased every week since. He’s averaged north of eight yards per pass in three straight, and even more impressive than the raw numbers is the confidence that is allowing the best version of himself to come out.
Lawrence is scrambling and throwing with accuracy, an asset we believed would be his calling card coming out of school. He’s cleared 15 rushing yards in three straight, and if the Meyers effect is unlocking that portion of this profile, then my QB14 ranking is going to prove to be too conservative this week.
Enjoy it this week, but I’d be careful about getting too excited: a trip to Denver looms in Week 16
Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at PIT)
“Game manager” gets mentioned in a negative light, but if it’s keeping you in those goofy “in the hunt” playoff graphics, who in the building is going to complain?
The ‘Fins have won four straight, and Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t cleared 15 completions or 23 attempts in any of them. It doesn’t sound like the De’Von Achane (ribs) injury is anything to fear, and I’m not the least bit scared of the Steelers scoring at such a level that Miami is pressed into an aggressive scheme.
The Dolphins don’t want Tagovailoa to dictate outcomes and I don’t think he’ll be asked to do so this week.
Tyler Shough | NO (vs CAR)
I’m not sure if Tyler Shough is the future of the position in New Orleans, but this kid plays how I think all of us assume we would if we were physically gifted enough to be in such a position. He scraps, grinds, and dives.
He was very clearly one of those kids who was told that if his jersey wasn’t dirty after a game, he didn’t play hard enough.
Shough isn’t ready for the speed of the pro game as a passer (five TDs and five INTs on his 184 attempts this season), but with 20 rush attempts over the past three weeks and multiple TD passes in his first meeting with the Panthers, there’s a non-zero chance for him to be a top-15 option at the position.
I don’t have him ranked as such, but he is certainly in the same tier as bigger names in tough spots (Jacoby Brissett, Justin Herbert, and both QBs in Packers/Broncos) for Week 15. If you need to roll the dice and/or want some correlation on your Chris Olave investment in an effort to pull off an upset, a plug-and-play option is there.
