Andy Dalton, Skylar Thompson, and Malik Willis are new starting quarterbacks -- at least for this year as substitutes for injured and benched options who began the year as starters. What do they have to offer fantasy GMs?
Welcome to Week 3 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- New Starting Quarterbacks (see below)
- NFL Storylines to Follow
- Analyzing the Rams Passing Game
- Analyzing the Chiefs Backfield
Let's roll.
New Starting Quarterbacks
Matt Waldman: Currently, Andy Dalton, Skylar Thompson, and Malik Willis are starting NFL quarterbacks. Which one offers the most fantasy upside while he's playing? Which has the highest fantasy floor? Which one offers the lowest fantasy ceiling?
Dan Hindery: Skylar Thompson has the most upside simply due to the offense he is playing in and the weapons at his disposal. The job description in Miami calls for getting the ball into the hands of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De'Von Achane. It is unclear if Thompson can do so effectively, as evidenced by his career 57.1% completion percentage.
Andy Dalton has the highest floor of the trio. He is a proven low-level starting quarterback in the NFL. He simply does not have the weapons the other two quarterbacks on the list have.
Malik Willis has the rushing upside, but his passing ceiling is non-existent. He is averaging less than 100 passing yards per game in four career starts. He has also thrown just one touchdown in 106 career attempts.
Matt Montgomery: Andy Dalton provides us with both the most upside and the highest point floor in front of these quarterbacks. He is the best football player of this bunch and has the most in-game experience. Despite the playoff losses, he took a team to the playoffs 5 times, proving he could contribute in this league. He also supported many great fantasy seasons for players like A.J. Green, Marvin Jones Jr, and Tyler Boyd in the past, and has good weapons around him that will see an immediate boost in production.
Malik Willis has the lowest ceiling here, but it is carried by his ability to run the ball. Now that teams have this one game of tape to use, he will likely be a less-than-productive starter and depending on the severity of Love's injury, could even be replaced before the time comes for Love to return. I would avoid the Packers receiving options until Love returns and I wouldn't start Willis unless his matchup was against a bottom-tier defense.