Lamar Jackson is the best QB in the NFL & Fantasy

[Ice]

I have watched about every game Tech has played the last few decades.

That spread / Spacing offense is as easy as it gets and a big reason there was concern if Mahomes could make the transition and actually read a defense.

The Wonderlic test is considered by many to be inherently culturally biased. No need to go into the detail but look up QB scores over time.

Basically it confirms a player can read. If it really mattered he wouldn’t have been drafted.

No idea if Jackson will be really good or a flash in the pan and neither does anyone else after 7 friggen games.

At this point, I will side with the Ravens brain trust that not only drafted him high but see him everyday.

If they didn’t think he could develop they most likely wouldn’t have given him so many weapons.

Jackson doesn’t have any major mechanical issues throwing the ball. No question he has to tighten up his footwork but he can make all the throws needed at this level. His ability to run like the wind is an added bonus but Jackson does throw from and climb the pocket.

He is a work in progress that plays on a team with a very good coaching staff.

We will learn much more about this players growth or lack thereof by the end of this season.

[Blueboy]

One of the biggest reasons I believe Lamar Jackson is not a good passer is that the Ravens changed their entire offense to suit his running and limit his passing to a couple reads and half of the field. They ran the ball more than any other team once Jackson was the starter.

Yeah, he can change and get better, but more running QBs don't become good passers than do. This is not being a hater or naive, it's playing the odds.

It seems more likely to me that he wasn't yet ready to run a full NFL offense in all its complexity (which iirc was the primary concern around him coming out). All the arm talent in the world doesn't matter at the pro level if you can't accurately read opposing defenses. If he's not passing more and managing a much larger chunk of the offense after a full offseason of prep, I'll be concerned.

[Jigga94]

Jackson certainly has a long way to go as a passer, and no know really knows whether or not he will develop into a good or maybe even great passer. Go with your gut.

If you think he'll become a good passer, then you should be buying everywhere because a QB who can throw with his running and athleticism will be a top-5 fantasy QB for years to come.

If you don't think he'll develop into a better passer, then you should be selling everywhere because sooner or later a run-heavy gimmicky offense will get him hurt.

This is really all that needs to be said

[ajmyk]

Or you cannot run an NFL offense when an aged Crabtree, John Brown & Willie Snead are your top three guys.

I feel that as a young QB it's easier to pass the football to these experimented decent guys than to raw young rookies. Maybe Brown or Boykin will be a good receiving core some day, but for now, his situation got worse for his 2nd season.

[Patsfan86]

I always find it funny that the dynasty community is so quick to say people suck but give other guys who suck (Ahem Devante Parker among sooo many other examples) chance after chance after chance to "develop" it is quite honestly the most annoying thing I see in my life. I hate this community with a passion because of stuff like this, and im part of this community lol lol lol. The dude had 7 games, and guess what he did in those 7 games that may not matter in fantasy but matters HUGE in real life? Took them to the playoffs. A rookie Qb taking his team to the playoffs is a BIG deal. Was getting to the playoffs mostly because his defense played great? Yes, but Lamar still deserves credit for this. Just the fact he did this and was a first round pick will give him leeway to develop. Give these guys a chance people, especially rookie Qbs.

[Phaded]

Honestly, anyone who says any rookie will never be something is just being naive.

There is this thing called player development..

This is also dynasty where owners have to make projections 3 years down the road on players. Everyone makes their own projections on players all the time. Some are writing off rookies before they have ever played a snap in the NFL. I don't see you or anybody making these comments in those threads, so why is Lamar off limits?

I continually echo this sentiment and it is not just regarding Lamar Jackson, so before you tell me I don't make those comments - you should probably pay more attention to what I say around here. I have said for years and many times on my history throughout this site that this community generally lacks patience and has more of a redraft "what have you done for me lately" mentality than a dynasty long-term one.

I just do not go around posting this in every single young player thread that pops up because I would probably need to do it in every thread around.

Now regarding LJax - he was not being prepared to start at all in year one, he was supposed to come in year one, learn and develop. He did not have an off-season, training camp or even practice session with the 1s until more than halfway through the season.

You can tell he did not with the type of offense that they ran when he did run with the ones. I think he dramatically exceeded expectations all things considered. Their offense was not a reflection of his passing ability but more that they were not prepared for him to be started; they switched up their entire offensive scheme mid-season to simplify it.

[Pac_Eddy]

Give these guys a chance people, especially rookie Qbs.

I think everyone IS giving him a chance. No one said he can't be a good passer, just that he isn't. People are just realistic about his chances based on what we've seen of him and similar players in the past, and are valuing him accordingly.

[Chwf3rd]

Honestly, anyone who says any rookie will never be something is just being naive.

There is this thing called player development..

This is also dynasty where owners have to make projections 3 years down the road on players. Everyone makes their own projections on players all the time. Some are writing off rookies before they have ever played a snap in the NFL. I don't see you or anybody making these comments in those threads, so why is Lamar off limits?

I continually echo this sentiment and it is not just regarding Lamar Jackson, so before you tell me I don't make those comments - you should probably pay more attention to what I say around here. I have said for years and many times on my history throughout this site that this community generally lacks patience and has more of a redraft "what have you done for me lately" mentality than a dynasty long-term one.

I just do not go around posting this in every single young player thread that pops up because I would probably need to do it in every thread around.

Now regarding LJax - he was not being prepared to start at all in year one, he was supposed to come in year one, learn and develop. He did not have an off-season, training camp or even practice session with the 1s until more than halfway through the season.

You can tell he did not with the type of offense that they ran when he did run with the ones. I think he dramatically exceeded expectations all things considered. Their offense was not a reflection of his passing ability but more that they were not prepared for him to be started; they switched up their entire offensive scheme mid-season to simplify it.

I really disagree with this. He was with the team the entire offseason and training camp and had the exact same playbook/offense to study and learn. Most rookie QBs play with the 2nd team during training camp - the only rookie QB last year to actually start week 1 was Sam Darnold. While maybe BAL was less inclined to start LJax than CLE, BUF, or ARZ, he was still a 1st round QB and knew that it was a strong possibility. The idea that the offensive scheme was not a reflection of his passing ability is ludicrous. They knew his ability as a runner and passer and decided that the best way for them to win games was to rely on a ball control offense in conjunction with an elite defense, taking advantage of LJax's running ability and minimizing his deficiencies as a passer.

Maybe he'll develop as a passer but the offensive scheme last year completely reflected what BAL thought of his passing ability (or lack thereof).

[Phaded]

The plays that Lamar Jackson were learning were the random gimmick plays with Flacco lined up as receiver or where he was lined up on the field in random spots. There was never the plan that Jackson would be the starting QB.

The entire playcalling and playbook clearly changed the moment Jackson was the guy; let's not act like this was the same offensive playbook that Flacco was running and if you think that - you're being pretty naive.

[Chwf3rd]

The plays that Lamar Jackson were learning were the random gimmick plays with Flacco lined up as receiver or where he was lined up on the field in random spots. There was never the plan that Jackson would be the starting QB.

The entire playcalling and playbook clearly changed the moment Jackson was the guy; let's not act like this was the same offensive playbook that Flacco was running and if you think that - you're being pretty naive.

He was a 1st Round QB and had access to the entire playbook. If he wasn't prepared that's on him.

Yes, the entire playcalling and playbook did clearly change the moment he was the guy. However, the reason why it changed was most likely because they knew Jackson's limitations as a passer and thus they couldn't be successful with Jackson running a standard offense.

[honcho55]

I’m not going to particularly plant my flag yet on the topic, but I gotta say, as a football fan? I’m really interested to see where this goes.

I will say as college prospects I had mayfield and Jackson neck and neck. Both quite a way ahead of darnold and the joshes. However I don’t trust my College QB eye so I’m not invested anywhere. Anyhow.

I agree with the folks saying “wait a minute, what if he gets better?” Or maybe more accurately: “what if they develop and offense that uses him perfectly?” (And how big a piece of that is Hollywood?) accuracy seems to be the least ‘coachable’ attribute, but I think there just may be a place in fantasy relevance for Jackson if he gets moderately better rather than tons better, and does other things extraordinarily well.

[Jigga94]

The plays that Lamar Jackson were learning were the random gimmick plays with Flacco lined up as receiver or where he was lined up on the field in random spots. There was never the plan that Jackson would be the starting QB.

The entire playcalling and playbook clearly changed the moment Jackson was the guy; let's not act like this was the same offensive playbook that Flacco was running and if you think that - you're being pretty naive.

He was a 1st Round QB and had access to the entire playbook. If he wasn't prepared that's on him.

Yes, the entire playcalling and playbook did clearly change the moment he was the guy. However, the reason why it changed was most likely because they knew Jackson's limitations as a passer and thus they couldn't be successful with Jackson running a standard offense.

General thought, not @ anyone in particular: Maybe they wanted to play to his strength as a runner??? Not saying he wasn't a bad passer, he was. Its both... But that would be like if Jackson got hurt and Flacco was back in, they would change up to more passing plays and traditional runs. Flacco no run good, so why make offense bad?

I guess there's 2 ways to look at it. 1. You are playing to the strengths of your players. 2. You are mitigating the bad traits of your players.

Seems like a glass half full/empty situation. I would think coaches would be in the mindset of #1 in order to instill confidence, win games, make playoffs, etc because that's what actually matters. Not passing yards or attempts per game. Lamar only had 1 loss (OT to KC!) in the regular season as a rookie QB. The Ravens we're not supposed to make the playoffs last year.

As for the passing, I have my doubts but as a Ravens fan... We haven't had this talented of a QB. Ever.

[Shoreline Steamers]

The plays that Lamar Jackson were learning were the random gimmick plays with Flacco lined up as receiver or where he was lined up on the field in random spots. There was never the plan that Jackson would be the starting QB.

The entire playcalling and playbook clearly changed the moment Jackson was the guy; let's not act like this was the same offensive playbook that Flacco was running and if you think that - you're being pretty naive.

He was a 1st Round QB and had access to the entire playbook. If he wasn't prepared that's on him.

Yes, the entire playcalling and playbook did clearly change the moment he was the guy. However, the reason why it changed was most likely because they knew Jackson's limitations as a passer and thus they couldn't be successful with Jackson running a standard offense.

Just to comment on this line of reasoning. Yes, Jackson was in possession of the playbook and able to study it. He even would have attended film sessions and watched as the team prepared Flacco to start and run their offense. What he did not get to do however was work with the 1's and run the offense himself. Big difference. Especially as a rookie new to the league, and his team.

If you think just because Jackson was in the film room, and watching from the sideline as the Ravens readied themselves for 2018 he should have been ready to start and excel I think you're underestimating a rookie's learning curve at the position.

That's not even taking into account the skills Jackson does possess that Flacco doesn't. Namely, mobility. It's more likely the Ravens changed their offense because Jackson brought a new dimension to the team and they wanted to take advantage of that. And Flacco hasn't been any great shakes throwing the ball the last few years either.

If he had been, Jackson wouldn't have started any games in 2018. But Joe's lackluster play forced Harbaugh to give the rookie a shot to try and preserve his position of head coach. I'd give Jackson a shot with an actual offseason as the starter, some new offensive weapons, and a playbook to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses before I decide what he can or can't be at the NFL level.

[Chwf3rd]

The plays that Lamar Jackson were learning were the random gimmick plays with Flacco lined up as receiver or where he was lined up on the field in random spots. There was never the plan that Jackson would be the starting QB.

The entire playcalling and playbook clearly changed the moment Jackson was the guy; let's not act like this was the same offensive playbook that Flacco was running and if you think that - you're being pretty naive.

He was a 1st Round QB and had access to the entire playbook. If he wasn't prepared that's on him.

Yes, the entire playcalling and playbook did clearly change the moment he was the guy. However, the reason why it changed was most likely because they knew Jackson's limitations as a passer and thus they couldn't be successful with Jackson running a standard offense.

Just to comment on this line of reasoning. Yes, Jackson was in possession of the playbook and able to study it. He even would have attended film sessions and watched as the team prepared Flacco to start and run their offense. What he did not get to do however was work with the 1's and run the offense himself. Big difference. Especially as a rookie new to the league, and his team.

If you think just because Jackson was in the film room, and watching from the sideline as the Ravens readied themselves for 2018 he should have been ready to start and excel I think you're underestimating a rookie's learning curve at the position.

That's not even taking into account the skills Jackson does possess that Flacco doesn't. Namely, mobility. It's more likely the Ravens changed their offense because Jackson brought a new dimension to the team and they wanted to take advantage of that. And Flacco hasn't been any great shakes throwing the ball the last few years either.

If he had been, Jackson wouldn't have started any games in 2018. But Joe's lackluster play forced Harbaugh to give the rookie a shot to try and preserve his position of head coach. I'd give Jackson a shot with an actual offseason as the starter, some new offensive weapons, and a playbook to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses before I decide what he can or can't be at the NFL level.

The only rookie QB to start week 1 last year was Darnold. Sure, maybe Jackson had less of a reason to expect to start than Baker, Rosen, or Allen but I would bet those guys didnt get the majority of their training camp snaps with the first team offense either. Regardless do you not think the 2nd team offense practices? I'm not saying that he can't develop into a better passer but I really think the "no snaps with the 1st team" if a poor excuse.

[FantasyFreak]

The plays that Lamar Jackson were learning were the random gimmick plays with Flacco lined up as receiver or where he was lined up on the field in random spots. There was never the plan that Jackson would be the starting QB.

The entire playcalling and playbook clearly changed the moment Jackson was the guy; let's not act like this was the same offensive playbook that Flacco was running and if you think that - you're being pretty naive.

He was a 1st Round QB and had access to the entire playbook. If he wasn't prepared that's on him.

Yes, the entire playcalling and playbook did clearly change the moment he was the guy. However, the reason why it changed was most likely because they knew Jackson's limitations as a passer and thus they couldn't be successful with Jackson running a standard offense.

General thought, not @ anyone in particular: Maybe they wanted to play to his strength as a runner??? Not saying he wasn't a bad passer, he was. Its both... But that would be like if Jackson got hurt and Flacco was back in, they would change up to more passing plays and traditional runs. Flacco no run good, so why make offense bad?

I guess there's 2 ways to look at it. 1. You are playing to the strengths of your players. 2. You are mitigating the bad traits of your players.

Seems like a glass half full/empty situation. I would think coaches would be in the mindset of #1 in order to instill confidence, win games, make playoffs, etc because that's what actually matters. Not passing yards or attempts per game. Lamar only had 1 loss (OT to KC!) in the regular season as a rookie QB. The Ravens we're not supposed to make the playoffs last year.

As for the passing, I have my doubts but as a Ravens fan... We haven't had this talented of a QB. Ever.

I basically agree. It's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. I don't think anyone should be excited if they own a WR on the Ravens in non best ball formats, but to own Jackson, with his strength as a runner and better weapons, it's encouraging. If they keep running him as much as they did, he will break, though.