PlayerProfiler is home to award winning dynasty rankings and tools. Our Dynasty Deluxe package includes complete Dynasty Rankings, Rookie Rankings, Trade Analyzer, Draft Planner, Mock Drafts, and more. Check it out. Below, Seth Diewold highlights of the best quarterbacks and tight ends to target in Dynasty Superflex drafts.
Quarterbacks
Justin Herbert
While it’s true that Justin Herbert has lost more offensive weapons than just about any quarterback in the NFL, his value has gone down far too much. Even in a Greg Roman, run-first offense that the Chargers project to run, Herbert is going to have his opportunities to throw the ball. Let’s also examine the weapons he lost for a moment.
Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Gerald Everett, and Austin Ekeler are now playing elsewhere. Williams was hurt for a good portion of the time that he played with Herbert. Ekeler looked like he aged quite a bit last season, and the team has replaced him with three viable options in Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, and Kimani Vidal. One could argue this unit has been improved overall. The Chargers also added Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst to replace Gerald Everett. The loss of Keenan Allen does hurt. However, the Chargers addressed that need in the NFL Draft by selecting Ladd McConkey early in Round 2. Overall, the downgrade of the weapons in Los Angeles is being overblown especially when considering that Herbert is one of the better talents at the QB position.
Now that we have established the weapons aren’t as bad as the general public seems to think, let’s examine Herbert’s production as a player. Since he was drafted in 2020, Herbert has never finished below QB15 in fantasy points per game. He also has a QB2 in fantasy points per game on his resume in 2021. Currently, Herbert is ranked as the QB10 according to Keep Trade Cut, and the player No. 16 overall. Herbert is ranked just behind Jordan Love. I would trade Love for Herbert all day long.
Trevor Lawrence
There is nothing wrong with consistency, and that is exactly what Trevor Lawrence has given fantasy gamers the past two seasons. The problem with that consistent production is that it hasn’t been at the level that many expected. Many fantasy and Dynasty gamers expected and drafted Lawrence to be a top five to eight QB in fantasy football. The past two seasons, Lawrence has finished as the QB12 and QB13, respectively, in fantasy points per game.
However, there are some signs Lawrence could be a lot more productive in the future. The first is the amount of volume Lawrence is going to dish out from a passing perspective. Last season, Lawrence threw the ball 564 times (No. 8 amongst quarterbacks), he threw 71 deep balls (No. 5 amongst quarterbacks), and the Jaguars ran their offense at warp speed, ranking No. 2 amongst all NFL teams in Pace of Play. Lawrence is also a quarterback that provides a rushing floor. Last season, he ranked No. 9 amongst quarterbacks in carries, No. 9 in rushing yards, and No. 7 in rushing touchdowns amongst quarterbacks.
The Jaguars added Brian Thomas Jr. in Round 1 of the NFL Draft and signed Gabriel Davis to go with Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Travis Etienne as the primary offensive weapons. This tells me that the Jaguars want to be a team that stretches the field with those two burners (Thomas Jr., and Davis) on the outside of three wide receiver sets. At the speed the Jaguars play on offense, that is going to be a good thing for fantasy football. Currently, Lawrence is QB13 and player No. 28 overall according to Keep Trade Cut. At that price, he is being drafted at his floor.
Brock Purdy
Draft capital is the only thing that is holding back Brock Purdy. In reality, Purdy should be closer to a first round startup pick than a third round startup pick. Last season, Purdy ranked as the QB6 overall and the QB6 in fantasy points per game. Purdy also ranked highly in many of the QB metrics we care about. Last season, Purdy ranked No. 1 in Yards Per Attempt, No. 3 in Fantasy Points Per Dropback, No. 1 in Deep Ball Completion Percentage, No. 1 in True Passer Rating, No. 1 in QBR, and No. 1 in Expected Points Added.
Efficiency
The only hang up for Purdy is the efficiency within the 49ers offense, which at times could lead to a lack of passing volume. Last season, Purdy ranked No. 20 in pass attempts and No. 22 in deep ball attempts. The 49ers also ranked No. 32 in team pass plays per game and No. 31 in Pace of Play amongst NFL teams. The critical question is: Will the 49ers offense crank up the passing game in 2024?
The 49ers drafted Ricky Pearsall in Round 1 of the NFL Draft, signaling they might trade one of Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. However, to this point, both Samuel and Aiyuk remain on the roster. The 49ers also still have George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey still on the roster who are excellent pass catchers themselves. If the 49ers elect to keep both Samuel and Aiyuk in 2024, it means they will have to run more three wide receiver sets to get their first round draft pick on the field. This should mean increased passing volume for one of the league’s most efficient offenses. Currently, Purdy is the QB14 and player No. 32 according to Keep, Trade, Cut. At that price, Purdy is a player you must target in Dynasty Superflex Drafts
Michael Penix Jr.
Drafting Michael Penix Jr. is like drafting a 2025 1st Round Pick. It comes down to that. Likely, Penix Jr. is not going to play in 2024, and perhaps, the Falcons will stick with Kirk Cousins much in the same way the Packers stuck with Aaron Rodgers. However, Penix has the draft capital and the college production to be a solid NFL quarterback. Now, he gets a chance to learn from an established veteran before he is rushed out onto the field. Penix is currently the QB23 and player No. 91 overall in Keep Trade Cut’s rankings. That puts him in Round 8, and like I said before, there aren’t many Dynasty assets that are going to keep their value the way Penix will as the years roll on. He is a perfect pick for a Year 1 punt/productive struggle strategy.
Tight Ends
Evan Engram
Last season, Engram ranked as the TE2 overall and the TE4 in fantasy points per game. He earned a career high 143 targets, which ranked No. 1 amongst tight ends, and if he would have caught more than four touchdowns, he could have been the TE1 overall. Engram could finish as the TE1 overall in 2024. He has that kind of upside in an offense that is going to be good with Trevor Lawrence running the show. As mentioned above, the Jaguars lost Calvin Ridley and decided to replace him with Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. Those outside threats should open up the middle of the field for Christian Kirk and Engram. All of it adds up to Engram smashing again for fantasy football.
Currently, Engram is he TE10 and player No. 118 overall, according to KTC. This is no doubt because Engram is closing in on 30 years old, but receiving tight ends like Engram age differently. Because of this fact, this price seems a little ageist. Engram likely has two to three good years of production left in an offense that ranked No. 6 in Team Pass Plays Per Game and No. 2 in Pace of Play amongst NFL teams. Also, Engram has played in all 17 games in back-to-back seasons, showing the injury concerns are a thing of the past.
Luke Musgrave
This is as simple as wanting cheap exposure to the Green Back Packers offense. In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Packers used a second round pick on Musgrave. Musgrave battled through multiple injuries in the 2023 season, and mostly played through them until a lacerated kidney sidelined him in Week 11. Certainly Tucker Kraft, who the Packers drafted in Round 3 of the same draft class, will get opportunities to play. But Musgrave has the athleticism we want in an offense we want to target.
Additionally, albeit in a small sample size, Musgrave ranked No. 1 in target separation amongst tight ends according to PlayerProfiler. Jordan Love ranked No. 5 amongst quarterbacks in pass attempts last season, and the Packers offense ranked No. 16 in Pace of Play with Love under center. It wouldn’t shock me if the Packers decide to crank up the pace in Love’s second full year as the starter, which will mean more targets for players like Musgrave. Currently, Musgrave is the TE17 overall and the player No. 158 according to KTC. At that price, I’m in.
Noah Fant
Gone is Shane Waldron and his many, many tight ends. Enter Noah Fant onto the stage alone with only Pharaoh Brown, newly drafted A.J. Barner (Round 4) and Brady Russell behind him on the depth chart. I’d wager Fant is the unquestioned No. 1 tight end in Seattle now. To this point, Fant has been a colossal disappointment, especially for fantasy gamers who bought into the hype when he was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos. However, there is value to be gained by capitalizing on that spurned energy.
Fant is still just 26 years old and possesses one of the more impressive athletic profiles for a tight end. Sure, he is going to have to compete against D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba for targets, but Fant could provide spike weeks on an offense that did rank No. 4 in Pace of Play last year when Geno Smith was healthy.
See Seth’s RBs to target in startups here: Top Dynasty RBs to Target in 2024 Startups
