If you are wondering if there are any quarterbacks out of the 2018 draft class that you should be considering in situational DFS matchups, there are a couple of young stars that might step into the spotlight soon. A couple of weeks ago, the answer would have been a resounding no, but new things come to light each week; and that is the glorious thing about football.
Josh Allen (BUF)
Next game Chargers at Bills: NFL Odds, L.A. Chargers -7.5
We might as well start here. Nathan Peterman shined in camp, but he did exactly what Nathan Peterman does: throw interceptions. This is exactly what happened his last time around. He looked good enough to start, then failed utterly. Granted, Coach Sean McDermott pulled Peterman before he could do ‘The Peterman Five’ another time and put in the herky-jerky rookie.
It was one of the worst starts ever. He went 5/18 for just 24 yards and two interceptions. And over 31 plays, achieved only one first down. The wheels on the Peterman bus fell off completely, and the vehicle came to a screeching halt at the intersection of Infamy Av. and Career-Ending Blvd.
Josh Allen struggled as well. In fact, it was pretty ugly. But he didn’t toss up any picks, and his 15 attempts went down the field for a total of 74 passing yards, which is markedly better than Nathan Peterman’s showing. But will he be a viable choice for Fantasy Football in Week 2? The answer is not likely. Â
The Bolts gave up the 3rd fewest points last season and they return this year with a fantastic secondary. Pro Football Focus ranked the Chargers as having the 2nd best secondary in the league and were rated by USA Today as having the 6th best defense in the League overall. This isn’t a formula for success, given Allen’s frenetic play. Any time the Las Vegas odds reach out beyond a touchdown in the NFL it is a big number. The weird thing is, the Chargers opened as 9-point favorites and despite the horrible offensive display by the Buffalo Bills and over 64% of the wagers going towards Los Angeles, the number is dropping. A couple of places even have the Chargers at just -7. This discrepancy brings up all sorts of red flags, and you would be best advised to avoid this game for survivor pools, betting, and definitely fantasy markets for both QBs … especially Josh Allen.
Josh Rosen (ARI)
Next Game Cardinals at Rams: NFL Odds LA Rams -11
Rosen isn’t a starter for the Cardinals yet, but we should be keeping an eye on him. The horrible performance laid out by the Arizona offense wasn’t all Sam Bradford’s fault, but the unit was not gelling at all. If they can’t come together, Josh Rosen is likely to get the start in the near future. This will happen sooner rather than later if 65% of Bradford’s passes continue to hit the ground.
Will Josh Rosen come out hot? That remains to be seen. But he is much more ‘NFL-Ready’ than Josh Allen so that we could see some decent production from him right out of the gates. That said, he’s likely to be still riding the bench when the Cardinals visit the Rams in Week 2.
Baker Mayfield (CLE)
Next Game Browns at Saints: NFL Odds New Orleans -8.5
Baker Mayfield isn’t likely to see the football field anytime soon. Not with Tyrod Taylor somehow managing to keep it together even while going 15 for 40. He still scored a TD through the air and one on the ground to tie the Steelers in Pittsburgh 21-21.  The Browns seem committed to bringing Baker Mayfield up slowly so he should be a non-factor for DFS unless Taylor falls flat on his face.
Sam Darnold (NYJ)
The Jets play the Lions on Monday Night Football, so we’ll have to see how the USC prodigy does. Broadway Joe has faith in Darnold, so maybe we should too. Depending on how he does against the Lions, he could be a nice pickup against the Dolphins in Week 2, who have the 27th ranked defense in the league.  Keep an eye in Sam Darnold this Monday Night.
Update: Sam Darnold is pretty good
