The NFL has seen multiple veteran quarterbacks step in for struggling or injured starters. We asked our staff their thoughts on the shifts.
Out of this group, who would you seek to acquire on a Superflex contender?
Also, who has the best chance to start for a team in Week 1 of 2025?
Jason Wood: This one is easy: it’s Jameis Winston. The other options aren’t the team’s preferred choices and have no guaranteed job security for the rest of the season. On the other hand, Winston is by far the Browns’ best choice to start for the remainder of the year.
As for who will likely start in Week 1 of 2025, that’s a trickier question. Winston is playing on a one-year deal in Cleveland, and the Browns will still have Deshaun Watson’s contract to contend with next season unless Watson opts for medical retirement. If Winston performs well for the rest of this season, it’s unlikely he will stay with the Browns on a below-market contract. Another team would likely offer him at least $7 to $8 million to be their backup. I don’t think any of these quarterbacks will likely be starters in Week 1, but I’ll go with Malik Willis. He’s played surprisingly well in Jordan Love’s absence this year. He’s under contract for 2025, so the Packers will likely keep him as a safety valve, but there’s always the chance another team offers a mid-round draft pick for Willis' services.
Ryan Weisse: I'll bet on Jameis Winston for both parts of this question. Right now, he's a bit more expensive than last week, but still worth the add for teams that need a boost at quarterback in Superflex. He has a ton of upside, as shown by his 334 yards and three touchdowns this week. He was a top-10 quarterback in his first start. That is precisely the upside you want for your second or third quarterback.
As for 2025, he is the only proven starter in this bunch who is less than 40-plus years old. Sorry Flacco. If the Browns don't give him a shot at the job, some team will. Interstingly, he could be a good fit to replace Flacco and play ahead of Anthony Richardson in 2025. If you give Winston weapons like Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs and up-and-coming talents like Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell, he can be a top-10 fantasy option. We've already seen him do it.
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