The 2023 Season is in the books. While there’s still some playoff football to help us see how players do in the clutch, for dynasty players, it’s a time to sit back, take stock, and see how players fared. Over the next couple of months, I’ll be looking back at the 2023, 2022, and 2021 classes by position. I’ll be evaluating if their stock rose, remained the same, or dropped during the course of the season. Now could be the time to sell high, buy low, or hold on to a winning hand. Today, I continue with the 2022 Quarterbacks.
Stock Up: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
About: Purdy was a great story as a rookie. He was the last pick taken in the draft, the QB3 on a good team who was forced into action and looked great. He went 5-0 as a regular-season starter and entered 2023 as the likely franchise guy. He built on that, going 12-4 for the 49ers in 2023 and getting the team to the Super Bowl. Purdy, for his career, is 17-4 in the regular season, completing nearly 69 percent of his passes with 44 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. People still don’t believe in him, but the 49ers have found their guy, it seems. He’s the one quarterback in this class that looks like a solid starter.
Stock Neutral: Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots
About: Zappe got a chance to start to end the 2023 season, but I suspect he’ll be what he’s been for the Patriots—a quality backup option. The Patriots have the third overall pick and a lot of options at the quarterback position. It’s unlikely they’ll just roll ahead with Mac Jones as the guy, but I suspect Zappe will remain with the team as a backup option. He’s not really a great option to hold a roster spot, but you could do worse in this class.
Stock Down: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
About: The lone first-round selection from this class, he didn’t light it up in his first full year as a starter. Injuries kept him off the field near the end of the season, but inefficiency plagued him throughout the year. He started 12 games yet again, going 7-5 but with a lower completion percentage, less yardage, and fewer touchdowns. In his two seasons, he’s just 14-10, with 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He’ll be learning a new offense from Arthur Smith, and it seems likely the Steelers will grab another option to at least provide competition. Pickett is a shaky hold on the dynasty at this point.
Stock Down: Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
About: Ridder got to start a majority of the season for the Falcons, but it didn’t go well. He was 6-7 as a starter with 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. The Falcons are bringing in a new coaching staff, and Ridder figures to remain on the roster. But it’s clear the Falcons will be looking for a new option to upgrade the position. Ridder is likely a backup option at best, which makes him something of a roster-clogger with no real trade value.
Stock Down: Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
About: Howell wasn’t terrible as a starter in terms of production in 2023. He finished with 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. But the team finished just 4-13, and he would have been benched near the end of the season if Jacoby Brissett was healthy enough to play. The Commanders own the second overall pick and are nearly a lock to draft a quarterback. That leaves Howell as likely following the Davis Mills path, meaning he might not see the field in 2024 at all. He’s a low-end roster hold for me as we see how the off-season plays out, but it’s feeling like the best case for him now is serving as a quarterback handcuff.
Stock Down: Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans
About: The Titans moved on from Ryan Tannehill during the 2023 season, but it wasn’t Willis who got the call. Instead, Will Levis was the one who got the start and appeared to be the future of the Titans. Where does that leave Willis? Well, the team has a new coach and a new system. Perhaps that will help Willis develop, but he appears to be a backup at best. I don’t think he’s worth having on a roster at this point.
Stock Down: Matt Corral, FA
About: Corral was once a Third Round Pick. In fact, some thought he might be the best prospect in the class. But it’s likely he’ll never play a down in the NFL. He got hurt and missed a shot with the Panthers. Corral was released during the pre-season and, for a time, landed on the Patriots’ roster. But he didn’t stick and doesn’t have much in the way of NFL prospects. He shouldn’t be rostered.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
