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Fantasy Football Player Notes

Week 1 Rankings

Brock Purdy Note
Brock Purdy photo 23. Brock Purdy (at PIT)
It's hard to tell what to make of Purdy's fantasy outlook for 2023. He was the steady hand the 49ers needed at quarterback last season after Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance went down with injuries, throwing two or more TD passes in each of the Niners' last six regular-season games. But Purdy also benefited from a pillowy-soft schedule. He didn't face a defense that ranked better than 13th in DVOA against the pass after taking over at QB. Then he ran into a good Cowboys defense in the playoffs and had 214 passing yards and zero touchdowns. Statistically, the Pittsburgh defense was average vs. the pass last year, but it got better as the season went on, particularly after edge rusher extraordinaire T.J. Watt returned from an injury at midseason. One other concern for Purdy is that TE George Kittle, who's exceptional as both a pass catcher and blocker, is dealing with a groin injury that has him questionable for Week 1. Fade Purdy this week in fantasy.
27 weeks ago
Joshua Dobbs Note
Joshua Dobbs photo 32. Joshua Dobbs (at PIT)
The team drafted Houston's Clayton Tune in Round 5, as a potential stop-gap option while Kyler Murray rehabs from his torn ACL. Tune was super accurate last season, posting Sports Info Solutions' highest on-target percentage (78%) among the 2023 QB Draft Class. He also led the class in passing yards per game (313) and touchdowns per game (3.5). Wouldn't surprise me at all if the 6-foot-3 and 220-pound quarterback starts games in 2023 as the Cardinals look to lock up next year's No. 1 overall pick. The team already released Colt McCoy earlier this offseason, and they acquired Joshua Dobbs on August 24. Dobbs started two games for the Titans last season, finishing 0-2 with the league's 8th-worst passer rating. Jonathan Gannon had originally remained hush-hush on who would start at QB, maintaining his stance on "competitive advantage." But Arizona finally announced it would be Dobbs drawing the start, after spending time with Petzing in Cleveland. But Dobbs starting probably won't matter versus PFF's 3rd-ranked defensive line with a secondary that looks improved from last year. Don't overthink the 7-point home favorite Commanders (as the highest projected scoring DST in Week 1), believing the Cardinals can make this a legitimate back-and-forth contest.
27 weeks ago