Week 11 NFL Moneyline Underdogs
Mike Randle
The new rookie class around the NFL gets all the attention over the summer. They’re the flashy new pieces for fantasy football, and of course they can be anything.
But last year’s rookies aren’t fully formed yet. The players entering their second season aren’t the fancy new thing anymore. That can open up some value in fantasy drafts for players still due to break out, and it can lead to fantasy mistakes for players who had a good first season that turns out to be a mirage. Everyone knows Year 1 to Year 2 is one of the biggest jumps an NFL player can make, but this still happens.
To try to head this off, over the course of the summer we’re going to revisit last year’s rookie class in our Second-Year Scouting Report series, looking at the incoming sophomore NFL players to see what went right in their rookie season, what went wrong, and what we can expect from them going forward.
Tommy DeVito, QB, New York Giants
From the ashes of the Giants dumpster fire season rose a chicken-cutlet-loving phoenix who would take the sports world by storm, the likes of which we’ve not seen since February 2012, otherwise known as Linsanity. Tommy DeVito found himself under center as the Giants QB1 Week 9 after Daniel Jones suffered a torn ACL and backup Tyrod Taylor’s Week 8 rib injury that forced him to the IR.
What Went Wrong
DeVito’s meaningless three-game winning streak cost the Giants a chance to draft Marvin Harrison Jr. An undrafted free agent out of Illinois, DeVito threw eight touchdowns in nine games, with five coming over a two-game stretch versus Dallas and Washington. He threw for over 200 yards once, just short of cracking 250 passing yards in Week 11 versus the Commanders. Things came crashing down after his “breakout” game versus Washington, with DeVito throwing just two more total touchdowns and eventually getting benched for Taylor in Week 16.
What Went Right
The legend of Tommy Cutlets was established more from his Rocky-esque underdog story than his play on the field. Still, he was a savior to superflex managers in an unprecedented season for quarterback injuries. It was ugly, but DeVito was a serviceable QB2 in Weeks 10-14 and chipped in some production on the ground, with games of 41 and 71 rushing yards mixed in.
Prognosis Entering 2024
Despite DeVito’s magical run of adequate at best play, New York signed Drew Lock and claimed former CFL quarterback Nathan Rourke off waivers. With the three of them battling for two roster spots, DeVito is no sure thing to make the roster. Even if he’s with the Giants in 2024, there’s little to no fantasy value outside the deepest superflex leagues.
Dynasty Outlook
It wouldn’t be shocking if DeVito never made another start in his NFL career. His ceiling is a career backup, and even that’s far from a sure thing. He has more long-term value in memes than he does fantasy football.
Here’s to Tommy Cutlets, though.
