The dynasty debate series has made a triumphant return! The series works like this: We take two Dynasty Nerds writers and have them argue over two players at each position they prefer in a dynasty league format. In this article, Corey Easterday (@CoreyEasterday) and Mychal Warno (@DynastyDadMike) debate which QB you want on your dynasty roster moving forward, Justin Fields or Trevor Lawrence?
Justin Fields
Fields and Lawrence make for a great quarterback debate in Dynasty leagues. Both quarterbacks were top twelve draft picks in 2021 (Lawrence #1 /Fields #11) and are heading into their third season with arguably their best performances ahead. I like both quarterbacks, but for this article, I will give the edge to Fields. He has already shown tremendous improvement from Year 1 to Year 2. As he heads into his third season, there’s no reason he can’t make an even bigger leap into an elite-level talent.
Last year was his first under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, learning a new system with few weapons. Despite the questionable roster around him, Fields threw for 2,242 Yards and 17 TDs with an improved Passer Rating (85.18%). His best work came on the ground as he rushed for 1,143 Yards (Second most by a quarterback in one season only behind Lamar) and eight TDs on 160 attempts. Fields also saw his FFPTS/G jump to 19.7, while his overall FPTS (295.98) was almost identical to Lawrence’s (295.62). Not to mention he set the regular season single-game rushing record for a quarterback (178).
Everyone who watched the Bears last year was frustrated with Fields’ usage and the play-calling in the first half of the season. As the season progressed, it seemed the Bears finally started to figure out how to use Fields’ talent. The passing game is his biggest area for improvement. If the Bears can improve the offensive talent around Fields, it would go a long way to help his development. Fields maintaining his lethal rushing attack while improving in the passing game adds up to an elite-level quarterback.
The big question is what the Bears plan to do with Fields and the Number 1 pick this year. Will they stay at number one and draft some help? Will they trade the pick to a quarterback-needy team or trade Fields and draft a quarterback like Bryce Young? I would trust Field’s ability and ensure I’m doing everything to equip him for success. The game has evolved to favor quarterbacks with a skill set like Fields. He’s a quarterback worth building around in Dynasty leagues, no matter what the Bears decide. Fields has all the tools for lasting success in this league, and I want him on my Dynasty roster.
Thank you, Mychal, for another great debate! Be sure to follow me on Twitter @CoreyEasterday (DMs are open for all your FF questions!) and become a member of the #NerdHerd. Exclusive Content, Rankings, Dynasty GM, and more! USE PROMO CODE ‘EASTERDAY’ for 15% off ANY SUBSCRIPTION – CLICK HERE to sign up today. Dynasty Nerds has all the tools you need to dominate your league!
Trevor Lawrence
Thank you, Corey, for allowing me to participate in this debate series, as I look forward to another exciting article series with you. Much like Corey stated, I am a fan of both of these young signal callers. If you have either of them on your dynasty teams, your dynasty team is looking solid at the quarterback position for years to come.
Arguably, no player had a more significant leap from Year 1 to Year 2 than Lawrence. Jacksonville decided to end the Urban Meyer experiment after a disappointing 2-11 record and hired Doug Pederson to turn around their young stud quarterback for the 2022 NFL season. Pederson excelled in that task by doubling Lawrence’s touchdown passes and cutting Lawrence’sinterceptions in half. Lawrence improved his completion percentage from 59.6% to 66.3%, increasing his yards per attempt from 5.2 to 7.3. Lawrence finished the 2022 NFL season with 4,113 passing yards, 25 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions, leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to their first playoff appearance in five years.
Lawrence finished his sophomore season in the top 10 in passing yards, passing attempts, passing completions, and passing touchdowns. While a first-overall pick somewhat expects those passing numbers, Lawrence’s rushing numbers were not. Lawrence finished the season in the top 10 in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Lawrence finished with 291 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
The Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 season is looking extremely promising. So how can Lawrence improve those fantasy numbers going into his third year? How about adding a former 1,300 receiving-yard wide receiver in Calvin Ridley to bolster a receiving core that already includes Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Zay Jones, who are all coming off career highs in fantasy points. The weapons are there for Lawrence to continue his upward fantasy climb and enter the elite territory of fantasy quarterbacks.
Thank you, Corey, for another great debate. I hope readers enjoy this series as much as I enjoy debating it. Please follow me on Twitter @dynastydadmike, where I love to chat about all things football. Make sure you are signed up for the DynastyGM, which is becoming the #1 fantasy tool for all dynasty players! USE PROMO CODE “DYNASTYDAD15” to save 15% off your membership.
One Response
I agree with both of you that having either one of these players on your roster makes your dynasty team set at QB for the next decade. I do believe that Fields has the biggest room for improvement since the talent around him this past season was not as good as what Lawrence had this year. The Jaguars significantly improved the talent around Lawrence and it paid tremendous dividends. I expect that the Bears will do the same for Fields this coming season. If possible, the Bears should try to trade down multiple times in the draft to stockpile additional picks so they can acquire offensive talent to build around Fields.