Stop Drafting Quarterbacks Like An Idiot

JJ Zachariason groups Aaron Rodgers among late-round quarterbacks without league-winning upside. Zachariason explicitly states he does not want to end up with both Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers as his two quarterbacks, indicating a preference to avoid this pairing. Rodgers is presented as a back-stack option with Jeremy Bernard or Pat Freiermuth, offering late-round quarterback pairing flexibility, though the speaker does not express strong preference for these combinations. Rodgers was drafted as the third quarterback on a team that also has D.K. Metcalf; Zachariason questions whether Rodgers adds more value than Dylan Sampson would have, suggesting the quarterback selection was suboptimal relative to positional alternatives.

JJ Zachariason expresses a preference for Ashton Jeanty over Kenneth Walker in the draft spot where Walker was selected, suggesting Jeanty offers better value at that point in the draft.

JJ Zachariason passes on Bo Nix in his mock draft, opting instead for a later-round quarterback strategy with Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray.

JJ Zachariason mentions Brevyn Spann-Ford as a potential late-round tight end option to consider, suggesting he could be a viable pick at the end of a draft as an alternative to earlier tight end selections.

Brock Purdy is positioned in the elite tier of quarterbacks alongside Patrick Mahomes and Jackson Dart, with a significant gap separating this tier from the next tier (Nick Stafford, Kyler Murray, Jalen Goff, Jordan Love). Purdy was selected as one of three quarterbacks in a draft that also included Stroud and Rodgers.

JJ Zachariason argues there is little justification for Bryce Young being a 14th round pick given how likely he is to be benched at some point in the season. Young lacks league-winning upside as a late-round quarterback; while he will generate some rushing production, it will not be overwhelming, making him an unattractive late-round target compared to running quarterbacks or signal-callers paired with elite receivers. Zachariason further argues that drafting Young in round 12 is suboptimal compared to high-upside skill position players like Travis Hunter, Woody Marks, and Deebo Samuel who contribute weekly scores.

JJ Zachariason believes Bucky Irving has a better fantasy football profile than Judkins despite being on a similar trajectory, and averaged 14.5 fantasy points per game over a 10-game rookie stretch. Irving is ranked over Tua despite Zachariason being one of the biggest Tua and Burrow supporters on record. Irving is working his way back from a shoulder injury but shouldn't be surprising as the best running back in that backfield. Zachariason feels good about drafting him.

JJ Zachariason groups C.J. Stroud among a slate of late-round quarterbacks (Cam Ward, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Bryce Young, Aaron Rodgers, Geno Smith, Fernando Mendoza, Jacoby Brissett) that he would have a very hard time convincing himself have league-winning upside. Zachariason evaluates Stroud's draft price as part of his late-round quarterback strategy, questioning whether his cost is acceptable. Stroud was also selected as one of three quarterbacks in a draft that included Purdy and Rodgers, raising questions about whether the quarterback selections added optimal value compared to alternative positions.

Caleb Williams is part of the elite quarterback tier that has been drafted early and is no longer available in this draft.

Calvin Ridley is identified as one of Cam Ward's best available back-stack options, making him an attractive late-round pairing choice for correlation-based quarterback stacking strategies. Ridley is being stacked with Ward in draft construction, providing a same-offense QB-WR pairing.

JJ Zachariason groups Cam Ward among quarterbacks (alongside Sam Darnold, C.J. Stroud, Daniel Jones, Bryce Young, Aaron Rodgers, Geno Smith, Fernando Mendoza, and Jacoby Brissett) that he would have a very hard time convincing him have league-winning upside. Zachariason argues that drafting Cam Ward in round 12 is suboptimal compared to high-upside skill position players like Travis Hunter, Woody Marks, and Deebo Samuel who contribute weekly scores. However, Cam Ward is highlighted as having the best available back-stack options in the draft, specifically with Calvin Ridley and Gunner Helm, making him an attractive late-round quarterback choice for correlation-based stacking strategies.

JJ Zachariason groups Daniel Jones among late-round quarterbacks without league-winning upside. While Jones was one of the biggest advance rate superstars last year, he is coming off a torn Achilles, which raises durability and performance concerns heading into the new season. Zachariason notes Jones will generate some rushing production, though it will not be overwhelming, limiting his upside as a late-round quarterback target. Zachariason argues that drafting Daniel Jones in round 12 is suboptimal compared to high-upside skill position players like Travis Hunter, Woody Marks, and Deebo Samuel who contribute weekly scores. Additionally, Jones is explicitly noted as lacking a particularly strong back-stack option, making him a less attractive late-round quarterback choice compared to peers with better same-offense pass-catcher pairings.

JJ Zachariason highlights Deebo Samuel as a high-upside option in round 12 that should be prioritized over early quarterback selections. Zachariason added him to his roster as wide receiver five, expressing fantastic confidence in his wide receiver group. He specifically values Deebo for adding floor to a receiving room counting on Matthew Golden and Jordan Tyson, who have more uncertain floors. Zachariason views Deebo as a player who will contribute weekly scores and should be drafted ahead of early quarterback investments.

JJ Zachariason indicates that adding Deshaun Watson would only be necessary if in 'quarterback jail'—i.e., if the draft had gone poorly at the position; not needed in his current late-round QB strategy.

DK Metcalf is stacked with Aaron Rodgers on a draft team, indicating a QB-WR stack pairing strategy.

Drake Maye is part of the elite quarterback tier that has been drafted early and is no longer available in this draft.

JJ Zachariason suggests Dylan Sampson would have been a better draft selection than Aaron Rodgers as a third quarterback, implying Sampson offers superior value relative to the quarterback position and roster construction.

JJ Zachariason groups Fernando Mendoza among late-round quarterbacks that he would have a very hard time convincing himself have league-winning upside in the current landscape.

JJ Zachariason selected Garrett Wilson because he pairs well with Kyler Murray and Geno Smith at appropriate prices for a three-quarterback stack build strategy. Zachariason feels good about the selection and includes Wilson in his tier of preferred draft options alongside Justin Herbert, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne Jr., Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Tyson.

Geno Smith is available at an appropriate price for stacking purposes in a three-quarterback build strategy, making him a viable secondary quarterback option. Geno Smith is expected to be available at ADP and can be stacked with Garrett Wilson at an appropriate price as part of a three-quarterback build strategy. Geno Smith is available at ADP and should be considered as part of the value quarterback tier alongside Tyler Shuck and Kyler Murray. However, Zachariason also groups Geno Smith among late-round quarterbacks without league-winning upside, and identifies him as a target in later rounds, evaluating his draft price as part of a strategy to avoid early quarterback selection. Geno Smith is mentioned as a back-stack option with Adam Trautman Mitchell, providing a late-round quarterback pairing choice.

JJ Zachariason selects Greg Dulcich as a tight end stack option with Justin Herbert in a well-designed overall fantasy football team; the pairing is described as 'basically fine' and allows for maintaining quarterback stacking flexibility while accomplishing draft objectives. Dulcich is also stacked with Malik Willis as a tertiary quarterback pairing for correlated upside.

Gunner Helm is identified as one of Cam Ward's best available back-stack options, providing a late-round tight end pairing choice for correlation-based quarterback stacking strategies. Per JJ Zachariason, Ward has the best available back stacks with Calvin Ridley and Gunner Helm.

Gunner Olszewski (Gunner Helm) is stacked with a quarterback in a draft context, indicating he is being paired with a QB in a stack strategy.

JJ Zachariason groups Jacoby Brissett among late-round quarterbacks that he would have a very hard time convincing himself have league-winning upside in the current landscape.

JJ Zachariason notes that Jahan Dotson was not healthy and active for much of the season, which clearly negatively impacted his fantasy performance. Despite Dotson looking good when healthy, his injury issues limited his upside. Zachariason expressed interest in Dotson as a draft target, but the injury concern remains a significant constraint on his fantasy value.

Jalen Hurts is part of the elite quarterback tier that has been drafted early and is no longer available in this draft.

Jaylen McMillan is positioned as a functionally equivalent alternative to Romeo Doubs, available approximately 40 picks later, supporting Zachariason's argument against early-round wide receiver investment. McMillan provides equivalent production to Doubs while going 40 picks later in drafts, making him a superior value target.

Javonte Williams was selected in the mock draft, affecting the available wide receiver options for the next pick. Javonte Williams was selected in the draft, influencing the next pick strategy toward wide receiver options.

JJ Zachariason identifies Jayden Blue as a late-round running back pick that makes sense in this draft construction, viewing him alongside Demond Clayborn and Kalen Black as sensible late-round options despite broader fantasy community skepticism about such late running back selections.

JJ Zachariason selects Jerry Jeudy as a sturdy veteran wide receiver piece to add floor to his roster, specifically to complement the uncertain floors of Matthew Golden and Jordan Tyson in the receiving room. Jeudy is valued for his consistency and safety profile in draft construction.

Joe Burrow was selected in this mock draft. JJ Zachariason notes he is one of the biggest Burrow supporters on record, which contextualizes his draft strategy and quarterback selection philosophy around Burrow's availability and positioning relative to other QB options.

JJ Zachariason ranks Jonathan Brooks as a top running back option by his rankings, positioning him as a high-value target in the draft.

Jordan Love is positioned in the second tier of quarterbacks below the elite tier of Mahomes, Purdy, and Dart, with another gap separating this tier from the next tier. JJ Zachariason expresses indifference between Love and Kyler Murray, treating them as interchangeable options in mid-round quarterback selection. Zachariason passed on Love in his mock draft, opting instead for a later-round quarterback strategy with Justin Herbert and Kyler Murray.

JJ Zachariason selected Jordan Tyson to set up a three-quarterback build with Tyler Shuck, Geno Smith, and Kyler Murray, all expected to be available at ADP. Tyson is included in Zachariason's tier of preferred draft options, grouped with Justin Herbert, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne Jr., Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Justin Jefferson, and Garrett Wilson as players he feels good about drafting. Tyson is part of the wide receiver room but has a more uncertain floor compared to other options; Zachariason notes he has Tyson on his roster, which gives him the option to add a third quarterback like Tyler Shuck, but he chooses not to because it would sacrifice too much at tight end.

Josh Allen went at pick 29, ahead of his average draft position, indicating he was overdrafted in this mock draft. JJ Zachariason notes he didn't face the decision on Allen because the quarterback was taken before his turn. Zachariason also flags that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson being on the same team creates a stacking dynamic that should be monitored; this team composition means more teams will be without a quarterback and more teams will pursue three-quarterback strategies.

Justin Herbert is JJ Zachariason's preferred late-round quarterback with multiple back-stack options available. Gadston is the most common pairing, with QJ and Brennan Thompson also available in late rounds, providing flexibility without early-round QB investment. Herbert is drafted nine spots ahead of ADP and is essential to team construction for week 17 stacking; pairing him with Gadston is described as "basically fine" and part of a well-designed overall fantasy football team. Herbert-Gadston stack is acceptable for playoff positioning despite uncertain expected value.

JJ Zachariason opens his best ball draft with Justin Jefferson as the opening pick, establishing him as foundational value. Jefferson is grouped in Zachariason's tier of preferred draft options alongside Justin Herbert, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne Jr., Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Garrett Wilson, and Jordan Tyson—players he feels good about drafting. Zachariason also stacks Jefferson with Kyler Murray as a premium back-stack target, viewing the pairing as offering same-offense correlation value for late-round quarterback selection strategies.

JJ Zachariason identifies Keaton Mitchell as the end of a tier at running back, with a giant gap between Mitchell and the next tier (Woody Marks).

JJ Zachariason is not as scared of Kenneth Gainwell as most drafters and would draft him, suggesting he's undervalued relative to market sentiment.

Kenneth Walker is selected in the draft as part of Zachariason's opening strategy, though Zachariason expresses regret about the pick, noting he would have preferred Ashton Jeanty instead; Walker is part of what Zachariason describes as a 'certified sloppy start' alongside Jefferson. However, Walker is later grouped in Zachariason's tier of preferred draft options alongside Justin Herbert, Travis Etienne Jr., Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Justin Jefferson, Garrett Wilson, and Jordan Tyson—players he feels good about drafting.

JJ Zachariason targets Kyler Murray as part of a late-round quarterback strategy, pairing him with Justin Herbert to create an acceptable quarterback room without early-round investment. He secured Murray at what he considers a good price as part of a three-quarterback team construction strategy. Murray is available at ADP around picks 106-111 and can be stacked with Justin Jefferson for correlated upside.

Lamar Jackson was selected at pick 53 in this mock draft, which was early enough to influence the strategy toward a three-quarterback build. Zachariason notes that Jackson and Josh Allen being on the same team creates a dynamic where more teams will be without a quarterback and more teams will pursue three-quarterback strategies; he advises being cognizant of this when making quarterback selections.

JJ Zachariason explicitly skipped Luther Burden in favor of Garrett Wilson in this draft scenario, indicating a preference for Wilson over Burden at that draft position.

JJ Zachariason identifies Malik Willis as the most obvious example of a late-round quarterback with strong fantasy potential; Willis is ranked 118 with an ADP of 130, suggesting undervaluation relative to his profile strength. Willis is the only late-round quarterback among the discussed options with running quarterback upside, positioning him as a potential league-winner in late rounds. Willis fell to pick 154 despite an ADP of 130, representing a significant value opportunity; Zachariason likes him as a fantasy option and secured him at a great price. Zachariason notes he was able to push Willis around later in drafts, gaining extra value that 90% of opponents in a given Best Ball contest have not been able to capture. Willis is viewed as a good fantasy football option in round 12 and beyond; Zachariason considers him a solid fantasy collect who could add value to a roster.

JJ Zachariason targets Mark Andrews as a tier-break tight end, believing he and Travis Kelce are the only elite tier with a giant gap to the next group; Andrews is one of the few guys in fantasy football who can easily rip off a league-winning season playing with Lamar Jackson.

JJ Zachariason targets Matthew Golden as a strategic pick to set up roster flexibility, allowing him to defer the Kyler Murray vs. Jordan Love decision to a later round while maintaining positional depth. Golden is part of the Cardinals' wide receiver room but has a more uncertain floor compared to other options; Zachariason uses him as a positional anchor to optimize late-round quarterback selection.

JJ Zachariason stacks Oronde Gadsden with Justin Herbert, indicating he views Gadsden as a strategic pairing with his primary quarterback for correlated upside in late-round quarterback stacking strategies.

JJ Zachariason adds Pat Bryant as a late-round pick (18th round range), noting he had 49 targets and 59 fantasy points last season, positioning him as a value target with solid target volume and production.

Quentin Johnston was considered as a draft option but was selected before the speaker could draft him. Quentin Johnston was considered as a draft option but was already selected before JJ Zachariason could take him, indicating he was drafted earlier than expected in this draft.

Rashee Rice went at the 2-3 turn in a mock draft despite being released from jail, illustrating that his legal situation was not priced into draft markets even though his release date was known in advance. This demonstrates a broader market inefficiency where definite, finite events are not reflected in draft pricing.

JJ Zachariason expresses zero interest in Romeo Doubs, viewing him as functionally equivalent to Jaylen McMillan who goes 40 picks later, making Doubs an inefficient draft pick at his ADP. The value proposition does not justify the earlier selection.

JJ Zachariason groups Sam Darnold among quarterbacks that he would have a very hard time convincing him have league-winning upside in the context of late-round quarterback evaluation. Zachariason argues that taking Sam Darnold in round 12, particularly without a stack, is suboptimal compared to high-upside skill position players; suggests the quarterback is being drafted too early relative to available alternatives.

JJ Zachariason considers Sean Tucker fine as a draft option, grouping him with other mid-tier running back options like Kenneth Gainwell and Judkins.

Tank Bigsby was acquired at a great price in this draft. Zachariason secured him alongside Tony Pollard and Travis Etienne, with each running back providing bye week diversity to the roster. The three backs have different bye weeks, allowing Zachariason to avoid concentration risk at the position.

Terrace Marshall is among the available wide receiver options being considered in the mock draft after Javonte Williams was selected. Terrace Marshall was considered as a wide receiver option in this draft scenario but was not selected.

Tony Pollard represents significant ADP value with approximately a 10-spot gap between his ADP and actual draft position in this mock, indicating he is being undervalued relative to his tier placement. JJ Zachariason acquired him at a great price and notes he has a different bye week from Walker, Etienne, and Bucky, providing bye week diversity in the running back room.

Travis Etienne would be quite a strong pick in the mock draft scenario being discussed, indicating solid value at his draft position. Etienne Jr. is included in Zachariason's tier of preferred draft options, grouped with Justin Herbert, Kenneth Walker, Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Justin Jefferson, Garrett Wilson, and Jordan Tyson as players he feels good about drafting. Etienne was acquired at a great price in this draft; he has a different bye week from Walker, Pollard, and Bucky, providing bye week diversity in the running back room.

JJ Zachariason highlights Travis Hunter as a high-upside option in round 12 that should be prioritized over early quarterback selections; positions him as a player who will contribute weekly scores.

Trevor Lawrence is positioned in the elite tier of quarterbacks and has been drafted, no longer available in the current draft scenario.

JJ Zachariason ranks Bucky Irving over Tua Tagovailoa despite being one of the biggest Tua and Burrow supporters on record, indicating strong conviction in Irving's upside as a running back over the quarterback position.

JJ Zachariason expresses concern about a draft team that took three quarterbacks (Purdy, Stroud, Rodgers) and also selected Ty Johnson, suggesting the roster construction is suboptimal with excessive quarterback investment limiting positional depth.

JJ Zachariason dismisses Wan'Dale Robinson as a 'PPR scam,' grouping him with other inflated PPR-format receivers like Jeremy Bernard and Zach Charbonnet as functionally equivalent players at different ADPs. Inflated PPR scoring masks underlying value concerns.

JJ Zachariason highlights Woody Marks as a high-upside option in round 12 that should be prioritized over early quarterback selections. Zachariason positions him as a player who will contribute weekly scores and should be drafted ahead of early quarterback investments like Cam Ward, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Bryce Young. While Zachariason notes there is a giant gap between Keaton Mitchell and Woody Marks at the running back tier, he still views Marks as a valuable skill-position target in that draft spot.

JJ Zachariason views Zach Charbonnet as interchangeable value with Jeremy Bernard and Wan'Dale Robinson; not giving up much by passing on him in favor of other positions; part of his broader skepticism of PPR-inflated receivers.