The quarterback position in the NFL has undergone a lot of transformation over the years, which has led to its statistical dominance, especially over the past decade. maybe the The most notable skill-related shift in that spot has been the recent influx of quarterbacks onto mobile, tilting the position balance to the point where — at least in fantasy leagues that use ESPN’s individual rookie and point scoring settings — you’re now Need To get some mobility from your fantasy quarterback.
Well, if you’re planning on going with one starter, this is it.
The numbers confirm this. In just the past three seasons, the eight largest fantasy points by a quarterback have come from a group in which six attempted at least 60 rushing attempts and scored at least 60 fantasy points on those plays alone. Four of those six were 100-carry campaigns that contributed more than 100 fantasy points to the rush. Last season, the top 10 scoring quarterbacks averaged 89.5 rushing attempts; This is a significant increase from the 52.3 attempts that the top 10 quarterbacks averaged just 10 seasons in 2012.
In addition, four of the top six fantasy quarterbacks entering 2023 have solid reputations for mobility – Josh Allen, Galen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Fields – while Anthony Richardson, one of the top picks in the rookie class, is considered one of the most mobile prospects of this year. generation. our Projections page It reflects the strong association between mobility and imaginative success.
Cockcroft: Mobile QBs have much higher decks
Somewhat about the “individual starters” above, if you’re one of those fantasy football managers who resists grueling levels of homework that involves saving at the position and possibly broadcasting on multiple occasions in a season, then a portable midfielder is the way to go. With their rushing contributions, these antelopes are less likely to damage your team’s weekly score, thanks to the soft fantasy point base provided by their legs.
To illustrate, I’ve selected groups of the 12 most mobile and 12 seasoned pocket players from the past five seasons (2018-22). The 12 most mobile homers, all of whom averaged at least twice the league average for fantasy rushing points per game in at least two of those five seasons And For the collegiate five-year period, it includes Allen, Fields, Hurts, Jackson, Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Cam Newton, Ryan Tannehill, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson. 12 the least The Rangers, who have all averaged at best half the league average for fantasy points per game in at least two of those five seasons plus 2018-22 combined, include Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Andy Dalton and Jimmy Garoppolo, Jared Goff, Mack Jones, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford.
The mobile group has 10 percent Total The fantasy score was 8.8, while the tenth percentile for pocket passers was 6.8. Additionally, when the collegiate traveling QB faced one of the eight toughest encounters in a given season — that order determined by fantasy points allowed at the position in that particular year — fantasy totals averaged 16.8. By comparison, the pocket passers averaged 13.72 fantasy points when facing one of the eight toughest encounters.
Don’t confuse this as advice for selecting a moving midfielder and/or a “set it and forget it” positional strategy, as these days it is imperative to squeeze as much fantasy production out of the position as possible, preferably 20+ points per week.
In fact, the numbers are that a moving quarterback provides your crew with a solid, stable base from which to start each week, but when that individual faces a particularly tough defense, he has to sit on it even if a skilled pocket passer faces one of the weakest defenses in the league. The 12 are the aforementioned pocket bystanders, when fighting them off with one of the eight easier Matches in a given season, averaged 19.1 fantasy points, 2.3 (or 14%) more than 12 quarterbacks on mobile against their eight toughest encounters.
This would run counter to the earlier strategic angle of several years ago, when many believed that a portable, post-round, risk/reward quarterback would serve good complementary alignments for the rookie pocket passer. These days, you should start with the portable quarterback and supplement it with the match-oriented pocket pass. In other words, the Fields-Cousins combination makes a lot of sense.
Bowen: Prioritize mobile QBs in your strategy draft
I’m with you, Tristan. Here are some numbers that I think you will like. Now, call it the “25-25 Club” – quarterbacks who rush for at least 25 yards per game and attempt 25 passes per game. Over the past four seasons in the NFL, we’ve seen this a total of 17 times. During that span, eight of those quarterbacks finished as the top five scorers in terms of points per game, with 15 of the 17 finishing 11th or better.
Remember, this is not the flat throw game you played against in the early 2000’s. Five- and seven-step drops. Empty sets, with the midfielder under center. Games on AstroTurf. Nah. These guys today can run and play off the schedule and create a steady struggle for defenses with their mobility, whether on determined rushes or on scrambled attempts.
The game has changed. This is how a quarterback is. And you need to join to enhance your fantasy lineup.
Just look at last season in the NFL. Eight of the top 10 fantasy scorers at quarterback—Mahomes, Allen, Hurts, Joe Burrow, Geno Smith, Trevor Lawrence, Fields, and Jones—all finished 13th or better in total rushing QB. And let’s add Lamar here, too. Jackson only played in 12 games in 2022, but he ranked second overall in rushing (764 yards) behind Fields. And an average of 19.67 fantasy points per game? That was good for the fifth best player in the league.
Now, Tristan, there’s a slight problem, because these mobile mids get ahead much earlier in fantasy drafts. Last year, the top three quarterbacks in fantasy points per game—Hurtz, Allen, and Mahomes—were drafted in the first six rounds. They were also among the first six quarterbacks to go off the plate. This is intertwined with current ADPs, as the top three, plus Burrow, Jackson, Fields, and Justin Herbert all record ADPs under 60.
My strategy draft has changed because of this, too. I can’t wait in position anymore, and I’ve settled on the pocket thrower in the 10th round (or later). No, I got in a bit earlier than mobile QBs this year, with the rushing totals and gross data telling us you need a drive in the position. This is free money in fantasy football.
Final thoughts
Cockcroft: I wholeheartedly agree, Matt, and the strategy of the previous fantasy draft reflects that rookie mobile quarterbacks bring you guarantees to pay a heavy price at the position, just as they did more than a decade ago.
Of the 20 quarterbacks from my portable group who have gone within the average first 50 draft picks of any ESPN fantasy draft in the past 10 seasons (2013-22), 12 finished that year with at least 300 fantasy points and averaged 20 on average. Lowest points per game. Narrowing the range down to just the past five seasons, 14 of the 15 quarterbacks have averaged 20-plus points, and eight of those 14 have finished with at least 350 points. In addition, the only quarterback not to average 20 points, Lamar Jackson, finished with an average of 19.7 points and was sixth in total fantasy points at the time he was injured in Week 13.
The earning potential found in these mobile midfielders – particularly relevant to those interested in Richardson’s skills – also makes them attractive late darts. Three of the top five seasons, going through total fantasy points and each producing at least 300 totals and averaging 20 points per game, that came from quarterbacks selected outside the first 10 rounds of the ESPN Draft from this group (Mahomes’ 2018, Jackson 2019 and Ryan Tannehill’s 2020). Herbert IV, meanwhile, rushed 55 times for 234 yards and five touchdowns in 2020 and was seen as a decent running quarterback by the time he entered the NFL.
Since I’ve been reluctant to pay quarterback fees over the years, I’m all in on these types for 2023.
Bowen: Let’s finish thinking about how you can deploy mobile back-end players to give you an edge in fantasy matches. Yes, you want the designer rush in your squad. Area reading, Q Power, Q Counter, Q Draw and more. You steal right there in the recording column.
Hurts led all quarterbacks last season with 99 designed rushes. Fields tallies with a determined 77 rushes, followed by Jackson (73), Allen (54), and Jones (51). Plus, these psychics are more than just “situational runners.” Instead, QB running is a core aspect of their offense, which also leads to RPOs and action play concepts.
Scramble attempts are also a determining factor in your quarterback fantasy profile. Fields led the league in rushing yards (640) this past season, with Allen, Jones, Mahomes, Hurts, Smith, Lawrence and Burrow all rounding out the top 10. With the ball carrier seeing to produce outside the structure as a runner.
And to recap, a quick look at our current top 10 QB rankings tells the story of what Tristan and I wrote here. High-profile, dual-threat quarterbacks are present, along with players with a heightened sense of mobility for their games. It’s truly a look at the modern quarterback position, which has been proven to create weekly fantasy production in your lineup.