Prime-Time Props — Thursday Night Football, Week 1
Prop God
The NFL season is getting closer as we begin to approach the start of training camp. This is a critical point in the offseason with new information continuing to cycle throughout the next couple weeks. It’s important to differentiate news from noise during this period while paying attention to what teams are telling us based on their actions. My primary focus for fantasy football will be on tracking positional and depth chart battles, starting with quarterback.
Arizona Cardinals: Colt McCoy vs. The Field
With Kyler Murray unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, the quarterback competition is wide open in Arizona, featuring a group of journeyman backups and a fifth-round rookie. Colt McCoy was the preferred backup last season and started three games in Murray’s absence. He went 1-1 in his first two starts before suffering a head injury in Week 15, sidelining him for the rest of the season. The Cardinals’ third-string quarterback, Trace McSorley (who is no longer with the team) started the following week before suffering the same fate as his predecessor, out with a concussion in Week 16. As the fourth man up, David Blough started the last two games of the regular season and re-signed with the team this offseason, despite getting benched mid-game in Week 18. The Cardinals continued adding depth at the position, signing Jeff Driskel in free agency and spending a Day 3 pick on Clayton Tune. Tune started 13 games for Houston in 2022, passing for a career-high 4,012 yards and 40 touchdowns. He was also productive as a rusher, handling 128 carries for 544 yards and five scores.
Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Ridder vs. Taylor Heinicke
It wasn’t until Week 15 last year that the Falcons finally moved away from Marcus Mariota and opted to start their third rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder. Ridder started the last four games of the regular season, with a 2-2 record to end the year. Despite playing in a limited sample, there were glaring flaws to Ridder’s game — he finished 41st out of 47 in yards per attempt among all signal callers that attempted at least 100 passes (6.2). He was shut out of the end zone in three of four games, with both touchdown passes coming against a Buccaneers team that pulled their starters mid-game. After letting Mariota walk in free agency, the Falcons signed Taylor Heinicke to a multi-year deal worth up to $20 million. Initially listed as the backup to open the 2022 season, Heinicke overtook the starting job in Week 7, nearly leading the Commanders to a playoff berth.
San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy vs. Trey Lance vs. Sam Darnold
The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy was anything but irrelevant, leading San Francisco to a 7-0 run as the starter and one game away from making the Super Bowl. After taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13, Purdy ranked second in the league in yards per attempt (8.4), throwing 16 touchdown passes to just three interceptions. When it seemed like the 49ers finally found a stable option at quarterback, injuries came back to haunt them as Purdy suffered a torn UCL in the NFC Conference Championship, ultimately ending their season. After undergoing surgery in the offseason, Purdy has progressed well through the rehab with a shot to suit up in Week 1. If he isn’t ready by the start of the season, two former first-round quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold, will compete for the job. Over the past two seasons, Lance has started in just two games, while Darnold has been rotating in and out of the lineup.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield vs. Kyle Trask
After Tom Brady announced his second retirement, the Buccaneers went out in free agency and signed former 2018 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to compete for a starting job. Mayfield was traded to the Panthers last season and was released by the team before joining the Rams to close out the year. Now Mayfield gets a shot at revitalizing his career with Kyle Trask as his primary competition for the Week 1 starting job. Trask was a second-round selection by Tampa Bay in 2021 but has yet to see the field in a meaningful game. He was often listed as inactive on game days last season, third on the depth chart. However, Trask has spent the last two seasons developing under Brady and has the most familiarity playing within the team.
Tennessee Titans: Ryan Tannehill vs. Will Levis vs. Malik Willis
The Titans drafted a second-round quarterback once again this offseason, selecting Will Levis with the 33rd pick. He’ll join Ryan Tannehill, who has been the team’s starter the last four seasons, as well as 2022 second-round quarterback Malik Willis. Willis started three games last season when Tannehill went down but didn’t surpass 100 passing yards in a single outing. In a must-win game with a shot at the playoffs on the line, Tennessee opted to bench Willis in favor of Joshua Dobbs signed off the street. Early reports indicate that Willis may not make the final 53-man roster, which could provide more clarity at quarterback.
Washington Commanders: Sam Howell vs. Jacoby Brissett
2022 fifth-round quarterback Sam Howell made his first start in the final game of the regular season, once the Commanders were already out of playoff contention. He fared well in his lone start, defeating the Cowboys 26-6 at home and completing 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. During the offseason, Washington added a veteran presence to the quarterback room, signing Jacoby Brissett to a one-year, $8 million contract in free agency. Brissett started 11 games in Cleveland last season and finished as PFF’s sixth-highest-graded player at the position (82.6) and the 12th-highest-graded passer (75.2). With the shortest odds for the first coach to be fired in 2023, Ron Rivera is on the hot seat and has to put his team in the best position to win early and often.
