Latest news with #Quarterbacks
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football: Geno Smith headlines sleeper candidates at the QB position for 2025
Fantasy football managers are smarter than ever, so finding a player who's actually being slept on can be difficult. With that in mind, we're shifting our focus to late-round targets who could drastically outproduce their ADP in 2025. Over the next week, I'll shine the spotlight on my favorite sleeper candidates at every key fantasy position — starting with quarterbacks. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Fantasy Sleepers Quarterbacks Running Backs (Aug. 6) Wide Receivers (Aug. 7) Tight Ends (Aug. 8) Geno Smith, Raiders Smith is an underrated NFL quarterback and unfortunately that perception bleeds over into the fantasy world. It's true that his fantasy stats have taken a step back since his breakout campaign with the Seahawks in 2022, where he finished with the fifth most points at his position and was a top-10 QB in fantasy points per game (18.5). That year, he was eighth in passing yards, fourth in passing touchdowns and first in completion percentage. There's no denying his 2023 season was more of a struggle, but injuries to Seattle's offensive line — including both starting tackles going down in the opener — increased the degree of difficulty. He stumbled to a QB25 result (15.7 fppg). In 2024, Smith's numbers bounced back and he ended the year among the top-five in passing yards and completion percentage. He even graded out as Pro Football Focus' eighth best passer. Fantasy-wise, that made him the QB17 on a per game basis (16.5 fppg). But the 34-year-old posted eight top-12 weekly performances, including six in the first half of the season before Tyler Lockett's performance declined. The Raiders liked what they saw and traded for Smith, believing he can be their solution under center. Now, he's reunited with his coach during that career year — Pete Carroll. They're joined by Chip Kelly, who is bringing his uptempo attack to Vegas, which should keep Smith's arm busy. You could also argue the supporting cast in the desert rivals the talent Smith had in the Pacific Northwest. Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty and Jakobi Meyers form the core, which will combine with a group of intriguing young wideouts vying for the No. 2 receiver job. Remember when Jared Goff only had to play outdoors three times last year and it helped him deliver QB8 fantasy production? Well, Smith gets that cheat code this year, with 12 indoor games and just four outside. In addition, he gets the eighth easiest slate in my fantasy strength of schedule matrix. So, while he might be coming off two down years, it's hard to justify Smith going off the board after the top-20 quarterbacks in ADP. He's already proved he can be a low-end fantasy QB1 and at worst his situation in Vegas is setting him up to push for a high-end QB2 output. Anthony Richardson Sr., Colts Things weren't looking good for Richardson following an injury-plagued and inconsistent season, low-lighted by him taking himself out of a game to catch his breath. It seemed to get even worse, when he missed time in OTAs with a shoulder issue. Thankfully, he was a full go for training camp and has earned a good amount of praise from those around the team for his recent performances in practice. As we know, Richardson just needs to get on the field in order to instantly be considered a fantasy starter. The 23-year-old has only played the majority of the Colts' snaps 12 times over the last two seasons, but has eclipsed 20 fantasy points in 50% of those outings. The main reason for that is his rushing production. Even in an up-and-down campaign, Richardson still averaged over 45 rushing yards per contest — which was third-best in 2024, behind only Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels. Indy has also assembled a great collection of talent at the skill positions, including Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell and first-round rookie tight end Tyler Warren, who apparently has been flashing a real connection with Richardson so far. Despite being locked in a camp battle with Daniel Jones, Richardson is still someone worth taking a chance on as an extreme upside swing in the later rounds. Michael Penix Jr., Falcons Penix is a bit of a forgotten man, overshadowed by the massive fantasy potential of the other five quarterbacks taken in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. After being forced to wait his turn behind veteran Kirk Cousins last season, Penix finally slid into the starting lineup in Week 16 and showed improvement in each subsequent appearance. He was the QB24 in fppg during that stretch, mostly on the back of a strong Week 18 performance when he threw for 312 yards and two scores, while adding another touchdown on the ground. Rushing production will be limited from a pocket passer like Penix, but he finds himself in the kind of offensive environment where he could thrive. Bijan Robinson is arguably the best all-around running back in the league, Drake London announced his presence as a true No. 1 receiver last year, Darnell Mooney (when healthy) is an above-average second option and tight end Kyle Pitts has clearly formed a bond with Penix, who told reporters KP will be getting targeted often this year. Penix will also benefit from a top-10 offensive line, a solid play-caller in Zac Robinson and the 10th friendliest fantasy schedule among quarterbacks. Though Penix might not have the same fantasy ceiling as some other young QBs due to his lack of rushing stats, he can still far outproduce his current ADP of QB25. Cam Ward, Titans I would normally never put a first-round pick in a sleeper column, but has there ever been a quarterback taken first overall who received less hype than Ward entering their rookie season? Fantasy managers don't seem intrigued at all by the 23-year-old and no one's making the case that he could surprise and be fantasy relevant in Year 1. While that's still a long shot, let me remind everyone what Titans head coach Brian Callahan did when Joe Burrow went down for the last seven weeks of the 2023 season. Over that span, Callahan helped backup Jake Browning turn into a top-seven fantasy QB. Though it helps when you're throwing to the Bengals dynamic duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. To their credit, the Titans have made positive strides to improve their pass-catching corps — bringing in rookies Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, Xavier Restrepo and maybe they can get something early in the season out out of fading veteran Tyler Lockett. That new group will join star Calvin Ridley and promising tight end Chig Okonkwo. Tennessee also has two backs who are very capable in the passing game in Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears. The Titans have even gone to great lengths to upgrade their offensive line, investing multiple first-round picks and many free-agent dollars in their blocking over the last couple offseasons. Whether that's enough for Ward to find success as a rookie remains to be seen. He does have the confidence and arm talent required to be a franchise quarterback. And while he's not the biggest threat as a runner, his pocket awareness allows him to buy time to make plays. For fantasy, that might max him out as a mid-range QB2. However, that would make him a value where he's going now as the QB23. Fantasy Sleepers Quarterbacks Running Backs (Aug. 6) Wide Receivers (Aug. 7) Tight Ends (Aug. 8)
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Browns don't count out keeping four quarterbacks into regular season
Quarterbacks are the obvious hot topic as the Cleveland Browns begin their 2025 training camp. Early and often, reporters have quizzed Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry about the four-man race at quarterback. When asked whether Berry could see the possibility of keeping all four quarterbacks on the final 53-man roster, he had a very simple answer: 'I do.' The Browns' general manager has proven over the years that he is not afraid to keep trying new faces at quarterback, and he reinforced that reputation this offseason. Berry brought in an entirely new quarterback room, starting with a one-year deal for 2024 fan favorite Joe Flacco. After acquiring Kenny Pickett via trade from the Eagles, most of the fan base assumed the team would add just one rookie quarterback in the NFL Draft. Instead, Berry drafted two— a head-scratching move for many. Despite this, it's hard to imagine these players being released before they've had an opportunity in Cleveland's offense. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has stated that he plans to give equal opportunities to each of his quarterbacks in training camp, regardless of their NFL experience. Stefanski has followed that plan through the first few days of practice, but it's too early to tell whether the final roster will include all four quarterbacks. This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns don't count out keeping four quarterbacks into regular season
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bengals' Joe Burrow Goes Off on Teammates and Coach in Profanity-Filled Rant
Bengals' Joe Burrow Goes Off on Teammates and Coach in Profanity-Filled Rant originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cincinnati Bengals begin training camp in 13 days. The team will gather for the first eight practices on July 23 at the Kettering Health Practice Fields. Advertisement Coming off a 9-8 season where the team failed to make the playoffs, coach Zac Taylor hopes to make improvements this offseason, with a focus on eliminating unforced errors and mistakes, particularly on offense. The Bengals were guilty of 19 false start penalties last season according to – well below the league average of 22.09. But some of those came at the most inopportune times for the team. At one point, quarterback Joe Burrow had had enough. As featured on the latest episode of "Quarterbacks" on Netflix, the former LSU Tiger and 2019 Heisman Trophy Award winner lost his "stuff" in a game against the Tennessee Titans last season. Advertisement Video and microphones caught the moment Burrow went off on his teammates and coach Taylor on the sideline, as posted by Tyler Dunne. "What in the [expletive] are we doing, man," Burrow shouted as he walked off the field following a penalty. "[Expletive] wake up! [Expletive] mental mistakes all [expletive] day." Coach Taylor wasn't immune to Burrow's wrath, either. "Embarassing performance by us," Burrow continued. "[Expletive] embarrassing. [Expletive] that. [Expletive] that. We sucked today. That was embarrassing. We jumped offsides [expletive] eight times." "Sometimes I walk into an emotional moment, and I know I'm walking into an emotional moment, and it becomes a really emotional moment," Taylor commented later. "It can be viewed as conflict, but it's really just passion for the game." Advertisement "I understand that we won the game and we want to be happy that we won the game, but, at the same time, when things aren't good enough, I'm not going to act like they were," Burrow later added. The Bengals won that road matchup against the Titans 37-27, but it was far from a perfect game. Burrow threw for 271 yards on 26-of-37 passing, and threw three touchdowns and two interceptions. Related: Bengals' Joe Burrow Unhappily Updates 'Batmobile' News After $300,000 Robbery Related: 49ers Urged to Trade for Trey Hendrickson in Potential Super Bowl Move This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bengals QB Joe Burrow has the wildest fascination with fossils
Everyone knows Joe Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks alive. But very few would've known one of Burrow's favorite hobbies if not for what Netflix's Quarterbacks series revealed about the Cincinnati Bengals superstar QB. Advertisement Burrow loves fossils. "When aren't fossils on your mind?" Burrow asks rhetorically. "They go back millions of years. That's sick." There Burrow is, talking about specific fossil names and the scientific evidence they provide. MORE: How good was LeBron at football? NBA legend would have been 'one of the best' in NFL Burrow is a fossil nerd at heart. He also dissects defenses and throws dimes like almost no one else. It's not obvious whether there has ever been an NFL quarterback before who was a fossil nut. Burrow appears glad to uphold that banner. MORE NFL NEWS:
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 Fantasy Football Rankings — Justin Boone's Top Quarterbacks
Yahoo Sports' Justin Boone won the FantasyPros Most Accurate Expert Award in 2019 and has eight top-10 finishes in the competition. Follow the links below to see his latest redraft rankings at every position. Advertisement Aaron Rodgers, Steelers - While Rodgers' arrival in Pittsburgh is good news for DK Metcalf's outlook, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer isn't a weekly fantasy option any longer. Don't get nostalgic during your drafts, Rodgers will only be a bye-week streamer in Arthur Smith's offense. Daniel Jones/Anthony Richardson, Colts - Several beat writers believe Jones has taken a sizable lead over Richardson in Indy's QB competition, after the latter missed OTAs due to a shoulder issue. Richardson still has the higher fantasy ceiling between the two, but he'll need to rally in training camp if he's going to be the Week 1 starter. Both passers will likely see the field this year, but I've moved Jones ahead of Richardson with the expectation he'll get the first crack at the job. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] 2025 Fantasy Rankings QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 300 Quarterbacks 2025 Fantasy Rankings QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 300
