If you are a Round 5 pick as a quarterback, you don’t often get a chance to start as a rookie. If you do get a chance, you had better make the most of it. A chance is exactly what Shedeur Sanders gets this week, and it could lead to another.
Sanders, of course, isn’t exactly your typical rookie quarterback. A year ago, there was speculation he could be a top-three pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Regardless of why he fell, he did, and had to wait for Joe Flacco to get traded and Dillon Gabriel to get injured before he saw action with the first team in Cleveland. What he gets in Week 12 is a very interesting matchup.
On paper, the Raiders don’t look like a matchup that matters. They are right in the middle of the pack in Fantasy points allowed to QBs, even after giving up 32 to Dak Prescott in Week 11. But the one thing Browns QBs have struggled with is pressure, and that is one area where the Raiders are clearly bad. They rank 28th in the NFL in pressure rate, and they are tied for 24th in sacks. They only have six interceptions on the season. While their passing yardage allowed is actually low, they are giving up 245 yards per game to QBs who throw at least 30 times.
In other words, this is not a difficult matchup for Sanders and the Browns. This is a chance for him to show the ability that had people talking about him so much differently a year ago. If he takes advantage of that opportunity, I would expect him to get another…and I would expect his Fantasy value to rise.
This week was a one-man mailbag on Fantasy Football Today Dynasty. I had Jeff Blaylock from Footballguys on the talk, Dynasty Buys, Drake London’s value, and the Tampa Bay backfield. Check it out:
Sanders is currently my QB31 in Dynasty, which is six spots higher than his consensus Dynasty ranking on Fantasy Pros. The Browns have the 49ers, Titans, and Bears in their next three games, so it is actually a pretty decent runway for a rookie, if he is up to the challenge. There is room for Sanders to be a riser over the next month, and if the Browns have even a little success through the air, they could win a couple of football games. That defense is still incredibly good and would be even better if they weren’t on the field all game long.
Sanders isn’t the only rookie who could boost his value down the stretch. Fellow rookie QB Tyler Shough has a matchup against the banged-up Falcons, who just got dissected by Bryce Young. Shough is coming off an encouraging performance, and stacking another would bolster his believers. Other rookies like Luther Burden, Woody Marks, Bhayshul Tuten, Elic Ayomanor, Jayden Higgins, and Pat Bryant are all in position to potentially increase their value before the offseason.
Historically speaking, it would be a surprise if no rookies emerged in the last seven weeks of the season. It happens nearly every year. So it’s a pretty great time for rebuilding teams to see if they can find a disappointing rookie at a discount and then reap the rewards of their second-half breakout.
As always, you can get my weekly updated Dynasty Trade Charts over on SportsLine. There you’ll find trade values for both Superflex and One-QB trades to help you dominate your Dynasty league.
