It’s that time of the year again when most NFL fans are in the middle of preseason fantasy team-building madness. QBs, as always, are the hottest commodities among the NFL fantasy players, but choosing among them is also a headache. The consensus also dictates that fantasy players have a hard time picking a favorite between Aaron Rodgers and Tua Tagovailoa. Luckily for them, NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah have done all the hard work with their rankings.
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On the latest edition of the “Move The Sticks Podcast”, the ace fantasy analysts provided their rankings for quarterbacks from the AFC East, a division stacked with QB options and high-profile names. Daniel Jeremiah, aka DJ, started off the proceedings by ranking Josh Allen at the undisputed number one position, Tua Tagovailoa at two, Rodgers at three, and Jacoby Brissett at four.
The decision to rank a player of Rodgers’ stature at three was certainly bold. But DJ backed it with apt reasoning. As per the veteran journalist, Tua edges past Rodgers, considering the latter’s health concerns, age, and how well Tua fits into the Dolphins’ system.
“l’ve got Josh Allen one, I’ve got Tua two, I’ve got Aaron Rodgers three, l’ve got Jacoby Brissett four, which to me we can all agree. Allen’s one, Brissett is four… the conversation and debate is Tua versus Aaron and when you factor into health and recent performance and expectations of where they are… I respect Aaron and what he’s done and accomplished but I couldn’t put him down over to it based off of recent history,” Daniel said.
Fellow analyst and former Bills player Bucky Brooks agreed to DJ’s assessment and argued that placing Rodgers at two would have been like giving him a “Lifetime Achievement Award”. Brooks argued that, despite A-Rod’s ability to maximize his resources and pedigree, he is past his prime and isn’t at the level that he once was.
“Yes it’s hard… I mean you’ve [to be giving him] a Lifetime Achievement Award. I mean two… his numbers are what they are and his production and performance on the field certainly merits him being in that conversation. [But] is he an all-timer is he a top five quarterback in this league? I would say no but it’s hard to dispute what he’s been able to do with the weapons around him,” Brooks added.
It’s hard to argue against the duo with their very valid concerns around Rodgers. However, if there’s one thing that most people do wrong, it’s counting out the elite talents from contention before the season itself.
While there would be a lot of anticipation about how Rodgers performs this season, there’s another veteran talent like him in Russell Wilson who has a lot to prove this season. He finds himself in undeniably the toughest QB grouping in the AFC North, along with the likes of Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Deshaun Watson.
However, much to the surprise of Wilson, who is going into the 2024 season on the back of a horrid two-year stint with the Broncos, he isn’t placed last in the AFC North QB rankings.
$46 Million Earning Deshaun Watson Can’t Outrank Russell Wilson
It isn’t quite surprising that the AFC North’s first two positions in the fantasy QB rankings are occupied by Burrow and Jackson. But the real surprise came when Jeremiah and Brooks ranked a seemingly washed-up Russell Wilson over Deshaun Watson.
Both DJ and Bucky betting on Wilson over Watson was eyebrow-raising, but like the Rodgers ranking, they had an apt reasoning. Bucky, for instance, was extremely disappointed by Deshaun Watson’s exploits for the Browns last season and believed that his less than 60% pass completion percentage doesn’t instill confidence in him to be ranked over Wilson.
“When you look at the numbers DJ, he’s played 12 games for the Browns [and] he’s completed less than 60% of his passes… [along with] a 14 to 9 touchdown interception ratio…that’s significant,” Bucky said.
Similarly, DJ agreed with the former NFL veteran and argued that Wilson, who is currently on the cusp of retirement, has a better chance for a standout showing this season than Watson, no thanks to the latter’s disastrous campaign for the Browns last year.
“Russell Wilson at his Peak was an “A” right? I feel more confident that Russell Wilson can get back to being a “B” – “B+” player, whereas I’m not as confident that Deshawn Watson can get anywhere close to the same. He doesn’t resemble himself. It doesn’t look anything like what he looked like when he was at his Apex,” Jeremiah argued.
That said, if rankings were based solely on last season, it’s difficult not to place Watson at fourth, considering Russell had a strong end to his Broncos stint despite his struggles. It will certainly be intriguing to see how these dynamics unfold as the 2024 season inches closer.
