HOW’ ABOUT THAT
Fair-weather option during quarterback storm
NO ONE loves weather in the mid-40s and cloudy. It’s bland, depressing and not completely comfortable — not quite cold enough to bundle up, not warm enough to avoid some layering. And it is just a few degrees either way from requiring significantly different attire.
Yet, it isn’t awful. You’re not shivering or sweating. It doesn’t take a lot of preparation to go from inside to outside. It normally doesn’t lend itself to the worst of weather.
So as fall brings its brisker climate to the East Coast, it is a good time for fantasy managers to get comfortable with mid-40s-and-cloudy quarterback option Sam Howell.
The Week 9 quarterback forecast was already ugly just based on the schedule — with Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Russell Wilson and Brock Purdy all on byes.
Then some unfortunate events have brought more turbulence to this week’s outlook. The big fantasy blow was Kirk Cousins being lost for the season with a torn Achilles. But other deep-league options have some issues as well.
Joshua Dobbs was traded from Arizona to the Vikings to replace Cousins. But this week it will be Jaren Hall under center for Minnesota while Dobbs gets coached up on the system. Replacing Dobbs in Arizona will be Clayton Tune, at least until Kyler Murray returns from last season’s ACL injury. The fantasy forecast for both those options is polar-vortextype chilling.
The fantasy outlook isn’t quite as cold in Atlanta, where Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder was benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke. Maybe the wind chill isn’t as severe, but Heinicke is still an uncomfortable option.
Matthew Stafford is dealing with a thumb injury. That makes the fantasy Doppler go a bit haywire. A QB with a bad thumb, or backup Brett Rypien? Either way, it sounds like some sloppy fantasy weather when the Rams visit Green Bay.
Daniel Jones returns this week, but he hasn’t provided habitable fantasy environment when healthy. Zach Wilson, Bryce Young, Baker Mayfield, they all are the Fargo, N.D., of the fantasy world.
Maybe Derek Carr this week against the terrible Bears defense? I mean, it’s sort of like sailing to Alaska during the warmer months expecting to get a tan, but at least it isn’t a bonechilling option.
But wouldn’t it give you fewer shivers to find a more comfortable landing spot? Something in the mid-40s, even if cloudy?
The weather hasn’t always been calm for Howell. He had two brutal games — Week 7 against the Giants and vs. the Bills in Week 3. In the other six, he has averaged 21.8 fantasy points — that would be in the realm of Justin Herbert. Now, we can’t pretend the two duds didn’t happen, but we’re battling some QB climate change this week, and there are no soothing tropical options.
Now, the Patriots aren’t a bask-in-the-sun-by-the-pool matchup, but we also don’t think they’re good enough to send Howell to the fantasy desert.
In a tough QB week, we can get cozy with an option like Howell, who provides at least a degree of warmth.