The 2021 NFL season is less than two weeks away.
Coaches and team executives must be having headaches nowadays because the hardest cuts are about to happen.
From about 85 men still in the running, they must now trim their squad to 53 people.
There will be shocking departures before the league-mandated deadline for the final roster.
But as NFL teams build by subtraction, fantasy football players are forming their squads the other way around.
It’s that time of the year again when friendships are tested depending on which player the previous person selected.
Once the name is called, either laughter or frustration erupts from the participants.
The same reactions come out, be it during online or face-to-face draft day.
That’s the result of countless hours of studying stats, projections, and injury considerations.
Be it actual or fantasy football, quarterback remains one of the most valuable positions.
Get it right and you can win either the Super Bowl or the pot money of your league.
There are several quarterbacks to choose from and each one can have a monster game any time.
However, here are play-callers that you must stay away from if you don’t want your buddies to ridicule you.
3. Andy Dalton
The Red Rocket sure had his prime in Cincinnati and held his ground in Dallas last season.
But Andy Dalton hasn’t done anything convincing to strengthen his claim on the Chicago Bears’ starting quarterback role.
He is two or three bad games away from being benched for Justin Fields.
Therefore, there is tremendous pressure for him to produce, especially when Bears fans boo him already.
Matt Nagy named Andy Dalton the Week 1 starter…pic.twitter.com/02bzjP7yHB
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 30, 2021
Even if he does have some modest success, Dalton must heavily rely on David Montgomery for the ground game.
Dalton isn’t a scrambler which makes him useless in that department.
As for their aerial attack, Allen Robinson II remains the lone bright spot and they haven’t done much to upgrade their receivers.
If they face a potent pass rush, Dalton may have fewer than 200 pass yards plus an interception or two.
2. Teddy Bridgewater
Teddy Bridgewater edged out Drew Lock as starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos.
But that triumph makes it easy to forget that he will be suiting up for his fourth NFL team in seven seasons.
He’s not a bad option but he’s not dazzling either.
He can get the job done as an efficient game manager but without piling the big stats.
If Teddy Bridgwater is in fact starter, I’ll root for him. He’s an easy guy to root for and has stepped into a situation making the most of it with consistent play.
Name on the front. Not the name on the back.#BroncosCountry is behind you. pic.twitter.com/Fob794emcH
— ᴄᴀᴍᴇʀᴏɴ ᴘᴀʀᴋᴇʀ (@CameronParkerPO) August 23, 2021
That’s his ceiling and the Broncos would rather go with him because he’s not as erratic as Lock.
In terms of yards, he will not be a consistent 300-yard passer.
So far, he is yet to have a season with at least 4,000 yards and 20 touchdowns.
However, he can bump up his stats if he can connect with his talented receivers KJ Hamler, Jerry Jeudy, and Courtland Sutton.
That’s a big if.
1. Ryan Fitzpatrick
Much like Bridgewater, Ryan Fitzpatrick is more comfortable in making sure that his team stays within the game.
The points may trickle because he’d rather work the long drive than the quick, deep throw.
Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for the WFT in Week 1, per @RapSheet
Fitzmagic QB1 is a beautiful thing 🪄 pic.twitter.com/CEnZV8sIMf
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) August 29, 2021
Now that he’s the starting quarterback for the Washington Football Team, his same attributes will come into play.
He’s more comfortable as a backup.
As a starter, he will make sure that the Washington offense will play to not lose instead of taking risks.
Like Dalton, he must play heads up football or Taylor Heinicke may take his place.
