The excitement for the NFL trade deadline rarely matches the reality. Kirk Cousins was the biggest fantasy-relevant trade at this year's deadline, one of the few "makes too much sense not to" trades that actually happened. Aside from that, most teams stayed put, shuffling only some depth pieces and picks.
I often talk about the endowment effect in fantasy football, but NFL GMs are just as guilty as we fantasy footballers. Simply put, "endowment effect" is a cognitive bias in which people value things more once they own them.
You see it all the time in fantasy. As soon as someone drafts a player, that player's value goes up in their mind's eye. The waiver wire target you missed out on? He's probably a bust. But the bid you just won? He's going to lead you to a championship. It's a weird thing that our minds trick us into believing, and it impacts almost everyone.
It's easy for us to sit in our chairs at home and prognosticate about trades. I mean, why wouldn't the Colts trade Jonathan Taylor? They're tearing the roster down. They're 2-7 with no signs of improving. They traded away their two best linemen and their top two receivers. But for whatever reason, they couldn't move on from Taylor. Tom Pelissero reported that "multiple teams offered a second-round pick and more for Taylor," but a deal was never finalized.
Similarly, the Jaguars should have traded Brian Thomas Jr. And the Titans should have traded Tony Pollard. But they didn't.
And that guy in your league who is sitting below .500 and just lost Puka Nacua should trade him. But that doesn't mean he will.
The NFL can be just as illogical as your fantasy football league with your 11 half-drunk buddies. It's part of what makes this game so fascinating, so fun, and so frustrating.
As a reminder, all movers will be noted with a "+" or "-" showing the change from last week's rankings. Players with a "+" next to their name rose from last week, with a number showing how much they've risen. Players with a "-" are noted with their fall from last week's rankings. Significant movers will have a write-up explaining the change. New additions to the rankings will be marked as "New." Use these rankings to guide waiver wire moves and trade decisions. Target risers, cut fallers, and try to improve your roster where you can.
Rest-Of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings
Rest-Of-Season Quarterback Rankings
While it may have felt like a chaotic week for quarterbacks, most of the shuffling happened at the bottom of the rankings. The impact is mostly felt in positional rankings, since the bottom-of-the-barrel passers don't have much fantasy value. The Cardinals quarterback situation is in flux. The Browns might have a competition brewing. The Colts are standing behind Daniel Jones despite his struggles, but a change could be on the horizon. And the Kirk Cousins trade, while a massive blockbuster, doesn't change his outlook all that much. While these situations may feel like turmoil, most of them are pretty inconsequential for quarterback fantasy rankings.
- QB1 - Josh Allen
- QB2 - Brock Purdy (+1)
- QB3 - Joe Burrow (+2)
- QB4 - Drake Maye (-2)
- QB5 - Caleb Williams (-1)
- QB6 - Jayden Daniels
- QB7 - Jared Goff
- QB8 - Patrick Mahomes II
- QB9 - Dak Prescott
- QB10 - Jordan Love (+2)
- QB11 - Trevor Lawrence (-1)
- QB12 - C.J. Stroud (+5) - He's been a steady riser all year, and now Stroud officially cracks the QB1 tier. His 281.4 passing yards are third, behind only Joe Burrow and Jordan Love. His 5.7% touchdown rate and 0.16 EPA per pass attempt both rank sixth, and he's been white-hot to start the year. Stroud's lack of rushing is a bit frustrating. Despite his passing numbers, he's still just the QB10 per game. He'll need to maintain his volume and efficiency to keep this pace. But he can be relied on as a back-end QB1, with his ceiling evident in Week 9's performance.
- QB13 - Matthew Stafford (-2)
- QB14 - Bo Nix (-1)
- QB15 - Kirk Cousins (+3)
- QB16 - Bryce Young (-2)
- QB17 - Tyler Shough (-2)
- QB18 - Michael Penix Jr. (+1)
- QB19 - J.J. McCarthy (+2)
- QB20 - Aaron Rodgers (+2)
- QB21 - Deshaun Watson (-1)
- QB22 - Geno Smith (+2)
- QB23 - Justin Herbert (+2)
- QB24 - Fernando Mendoza (+12) - Following the Kirk Cousins trade, this year's first overall pick is projected to get his first start in Week 10 against the Seahawks. He'll have the Broncos and Browns after that, no easy feat for a young quarterback. But with an improved offensive line, an elite tight end duo, and an underrated group of receivers, Mendoza should find a path to fantasy relevance. It's too early to trust him in any Week 10 lineups, but the allure of the unknown makes him a must-stash in all formats.
- QB25 - Cam Ward (+2)
- QB26 - Jacoby Brissett (+13) - After the Cardinals benched Brissett, they traded him to the Ravens, where he'll have a chance to hold down the starting job until late in the season. Reports indicate that Lamar Jackson could return for a late-season push, but Brissett should return QB2 value until then.
- QB27 - Lamar Jackson (+1)
- QB28 - Kyle McCord (New)
- QB29 - Kyler Murray (-13) - The Vikings traded for Kirk Cousins at the deadline, essentially ending the Kyler Murray experience. An injury to Murray forced Carson Wentz into a primetime start against the Bills, where the Vikings embarrassingly dropped their second straight game. Murray will have some appeal if Cousins misses any time, but he's no longer rosterable in single-quarterback formats.
- QB30 - Malik Willis (-7) - Willis was a faller before the news broke that he landed on IR with a groin injury. He strung together a few decent games before unraveling against the Lions last week. He's droppable in most formats, while Kyle McCord is expected to start in his place.
- QB31 - Baker Mayfield (-2)
- QB32 - Sam Darnold (-6)
- QB33 - Daniel Jones (-1)
- QB34 - Anthony Richardson Sr. (-1)
- QB35 - Carson Beck
- QB36 - Joe Milton III (+1)
- QB37 - Drew Lock (+11)
- QB38 - Carson Wentz
- QB39 - Jameis Winston (+1)
- QB40 - Shedeur Sanders (+3)
- QB41 - Tanner McKee (-11)
- QB42 - DJ Uiagalelei (New)
- QB43 - Jalon Daniels (-2)
- QB44 - Justin Fields (-2)
- QB45 - Mac Jones (-1)
- QB46 - Ty Simpson
- QB47 - Tyson Bagent
- QB48 - Tua Tagovailoa (+1)
- QB49 - Marcus Mariota (+1)
- QB50 - Gardner Minshew II (-16)
- QB51 - Trey Lance (New)
- QB52 - Stetson Bennett IV (New)
- QB53 - Joe Flacco (+1)
- QB54 - Jalen Milroe (New)
- QB55 - Riley Leonard (-4)
- QB56 - Cade Klubnik
- QB57 - Case Keenum (-5)
- QB58 - Will Howard (-5)
- QB59 - Joe Fagnano (-14)
- QB60 - Athan Kaliakmanis (-5)