On the latest FFT Podcast, Dave Richard unveiled Justin Fields as one of his Fantasy Winners after a season-high 20.4 Fantasy points in Week 3. The first two weeks, you could feel Fields getting his sea legs under him, and that he was simply trying to manage the game, and as a result, his Fantasy numbers were less-than-stellar. In Week 1, Fields put up just 11.9 Fantasy points in a win over the Falcons and only fared slightly better in a Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos with 13.4 Fantasy points.
In Week 3, Fields exploded for 20.4 Fantasy points in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and that may prove to be a Seminole moment for the former No. 11 overall pick. During the podcast, Dave stated that he believes Fields can “work his way back to being a top 15-ish Fantasy quarterback,” and I would argue that he is already that and could be a top-10 quarterback a season ago. Confidence is key for a young quarterback, and what allows Fields to be more decisive this year is his consistency with pre-snap recognition and quickly confirming his reads post-snap.
He sees where pressures are coming from and has answers for every testing defense has thrown at him so far this season. The more experience he gets this season, the more comfortable he will become. While Fields is still playing cautiously, evidenced by his 6.9 yards per pass, which is good for 24th in the NFLhis willingness to take control should be applauded. He was often criticized for holding the ball too long during his days in Chicago, and now he simply turns the ball over to his playmakers and allows them to make plays in space. As the old saying goes, you can’t break a profit, and Fields learned to control the ball and live to fight another day.
As Dave astutely pointed out during the podcast, Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa exited the game early with an injury, but it would be unwise to use Bosa’s early departure as a means to take credit away from Fields’ performance. He was calm and unflappable under pressure, and he seems to have found another playmaker on the opposite side of George Pickens in Calvin Austin III. Let’s not forget that Austin had the fifth-fastest 40 time at the 2022 NFL Combine, clocking 4.32 in the 40-yard dash. His quickness, coupled with his lateral quickness and releases from the line of scrimmage, allows him to gain separation early in his routes.
In cases where Pickens should encounter bracket coverage, Austin has the ability to win one-on-one matchups consistently. In addition to the emergence of Austin, Fields also has tight end Pat Freiermuth he can rely on underneath.
Fields was never as bad of a passer as widely reported, but the lack of talent in Chicago while playing in an offense that did not suit his ability contributed to the slow start to his career. He was always capable of what he is doing now. Now that he’s paired with an offensive coordinator who has adjusted to his quarterback as opposed to Fields having to adjust to the offensive coordinator, we’re seeing his confidence grow every week.
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Fields may have only rushed for six yards this week, but his legs and Pittsburgh’s running game will certainly be more of a factor as we head into the winter months. As it stands, Fields is listed in 46 percent of leagues and is the 22nd-ranked QB. And while he’s averaging just 14 fantasy points per game currently, he’s projected to hit 18.2 fantasy points in Week 4.
Fields arrow is definitely pointing up and now might be the perfect time to jump into the fields. At the very least, he’s a player you can keep that could eventually help you win your league. For more conversation on the Week 3 winners from Fields and Dave, be sure to check out the rest of the podcast for more Fantasy insights.
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