With two teams kicking off training camp this coming weekend -- rookies report in Seattle on Friday and San Francisco on Saturday -- the NFL's annual late-June/early-July break is almost over.
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But for fantasy managers who take their preparation seriously, there is no downtime. That's why the Fantasy Notebook has been using this time to roll out a position-by-position series on underrated players.
Three weeks ago, it was Underrated Running Backs. Two weeks ago, we covered Underrated Wide Receivers. Last week, we plumbed the depths of Underrated Tight Ends.
Now, we'll close out the series with Underrated Quarterbacks just in time to get back to our regular coverage as training camps open. It started Monday with Discounts Despite Big 2025 Finishes. Today, we'll discuss rushing upside and . . .
Leveraging Cheap Cheat Code QBs
Fantasy managers have long understood the value of mobile quarterbacks. Yet every draft season, rushing upside still slips farther down the board than it should. Fantasy football analyst Rich Hribar coined the term "Konami Code" in discussing rushing quarterbacks. The contention is that drafting a quarterback who runs gives your team an unfair advantage, much like a video game cheat code. Here are two players who qualify . . .
Proven Value as a Runner
We all know how important rushing equity can be for quarterbacks. According to Rotowire's Ian Hartitz, since 2014, 31 out of 34 quarterbacks -- more than 90 percent -- who reached 100 or more rushing attempts in a season finished as a top-12 fantasy QB on a points-per-game basis.
Kyler Murray, heading into his first season with the Vikings after signing as a free agent in March, is one of five players in NFL history to throw for more than 20,000 yards and run for more than 3,000 yards in his seven seasons.
Before last season, Murray had finished each of his first six NFL seasons as a top-12 fantasy QB on a points-per-game basis.
He's thrown for 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions in seven seasons.
The former Cardinals QB also has 32 rushing touchdowns.
In the five seasons he's played more than eight games, Murray has averaged 91.8 carries a year. He's also averaged just over 456 rushing yards and 4.5 touchdowns on the ground per season.
But his QB2 2020 campaign (he ran for 891 yards and 11 touchdowns on 133 carries) demonstrates how high his rushing ceiling could be.
Murray is available as QB17 in Round 9.
That's Not Without Reason
Murray appears to be the frontrunner in the competition with J.J. McCarthy for the team's starting quarterback position.
According to ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert, Murray is believed to have a slight edge because of that elite running ability and the capability of varying the speeds and trajectories of his passes.
However, both players split reps with the first-team offense at OTAs, and McCarthy has demonstrated a firmer grasp of the Vikings' complex offensive scheme in recent weeks.
Reports indicate that head coach Kevin O'Connell will not take the entirety of camp and the preseason to make his decision.
If the season began today, multiple observers have told me that Murray would likely be the starter. We'll see if McCarthy can change that.
Assuming he beats out McCarthy, Murray will have the luxury of working with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and T.J. Hockenson. Add that to his rushing ability, and the 29-year-old certainly could find his way into the weekly QB1 mix.
My QB17 ranking for Murray reflects his ADP. But as we gain clarity on the starting assignment this summer, expect my ranking to rise.