I've spent a lot of time over the last two months sharing my views on many players -- almost exclusively looking at those I believe to be great values.
You're not going to catch me making lists of players I'm avoiding.
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There will be no "Do Not Draft" list or "These Players Will Destroy Your Roster" discussion.
That's because I have a simple rule when it comes to drafting. The philosophy is this:
Every Player at the Right Price
I believe that, and I draft that way. But it doesn't mean I actually draft every player.
The whole "right price" thing makes it easy for me to pass on players in favor of others with the potential for high-end outcomes at better prices.
This has kept me from rostering a number of players with a ton of upside.
Yes, those last three words haunt me -- or at least have me revisiting some of them. Often, what feels like a sharp pick might be more of a blind spot.
The difference between a fantasy blind spot and smart drafting is whether new information changes a player's value relative to his price and alternatives -- and when it does, your draft behavior should change with it.
We got the ball rolling on Monday with running backs I've seen differently than the fantasy hive mind has. Tuesday, we did the same exercise at wide receiver. Today, we'll examine some blind spots at quarterback and tight end . . .
Dart Off Target
Jaxson Dart heads into his second season trying to emulate the success Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had in their second NFL seasons.
"That would be the goal. That would be ideal," general manager Joe Schoen said at the end of the 2025 season.
And let's not lose sight of how impressive Dart's inaugural season was. He made NFL history as a rookie quarterback and did it in just 12 games.
Jaxson Dart is the first rookie QB in NFL history to end the season with the following:
— SleeperGiants (@SleeperGiants) January 5, 2026
2,000+ passing yards
450+ rushing yards
15+ passing TD
9+ rushing TD's
5 INT's or less
Dart started 12 games this season…what a season 🔥
(via @WBG84) pic.twitter.com/iK1PELUINS
Dart had 2,740 total yards from scrimmage and a 74.3 percent adjusted completion rate in just 12 starts.
As a result, Dart was QB5 in points per game (20.3) from Week 4 on, including seven top-12 finishes in his final 11 games.
Factor in a supporting cast that will include Malik Nabers, whose return from a torn ACL appears to be on schedule, newly signed tight end Isaiah Likely, and running back Cam Skattebo, and there's a lot to like here.
Yet, when he's drafted at his QB11 Average Draft Position (ADP), I won't be the one making that pick.
Change is in the Air
According to The Athletic's Dan Duggan, the plan in New York this year was not to have Dart operating at his peak at the start of August.
It was understood that it was going to be a process as Dart acclimated to a new offense.
The expected growing pains have been evident in the first four practices of training camp.
Former coach Brian Daboll made Dart's transition to the NFL as comfortable as possible by importing many of the passing concepts from the Ole Miss playbook into the Giants' offense. That enabled Dart to enjoy success as a rookie, but there's a ceiling on a college-style offense in the NFL.
So, new coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy are going about things differently.
According to Duggan, that means an emphasis on playing under center to facilitate what's expected to be a run-heavy attack. That's a major adjustment for Dart, who was in the shotgun on 79.9 percent of his snaps as a rookie.
For comparison, Duggan notes that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was in the shotgun on 67.1 percent of his snaps last season.
Dart said he feels comfortable with the footwork changes he's had to make, but those aren't the only differences. He's turning his back to the defense more and going through more reads than in the RPO-heavy offense he ran last season.
As a result, the offense has looked disjointed early in camp.
But It's Not Just the New Scheme
Footballguy Matt Waldman hasn't been a fan of Dart, who he describes as a "decent scrambler and runner who can create off-script."
Waldman argues that while Dart has good shallow-range and intermediate accuracy, that accuracy diminishes when he throws more than 25 yards. Dart also lacks efficient movement inside the pocket to extend plays for receivers without forcing them to reroute.
Waldman doesn't expect those skills to improve this year, if at all.
Blind Spot or Smart Drafting?
I'm not as critical of Dart as Waldman is, but the changing scheme and the quarterback's aggressive style of play have me dialing back.
As our colleague Andy Hicks argues, until Dart reins in his recklessness, he's going to keep getting punished by opposing defenses. And miss games. Nine rushing touchdowns aided his fantasy totals last year. The new coaching group will want him to run, but they want him to be smarter about it.
It's not clear that he will.
Because of that, Footballguy Ryan Weisse believes it's hard to justify his ADP when you almost certainly have to add a second quarterback.
I'm on board with all of that.
Also, Dak Prescott (QB9) and Trevor Lawrence (QB10) are going just ahead of Dart.
Matthew Stafford (QB12), Brock Purdy (QB13), Patrick Mahomes II (QB14), Bo Nix (QB15), Jared Goff (QB16), and newly anointed Vikings starter Kyler Murray (QB17) are all available after him.
Passing on Dart isn't a blind spot. It's smart drafting.
At quarterback and tight end, you don't need to pay for uncertainty when comparable production is widely available -- but once the market discounts a player's risk enough, continued avoidance becomes the blind spot.
