30 Aug Why You Should Draft Trey Lance in Fantasy Football This Season

By Scott Engel, The Game Day

When you are a fantasy analyst/”expert,” there is a code of ethics to follow. You must practice what you preach, and draft the players you strongly back publicly. So, while I participate in several leagues, my most important draft was in the final weekend of August. I made sure to take my preferred upside quarterback play as a starter and was very satisfied to land Trey Lance. 

Lance has been my recommended difference-making fantasy quarterback this preseason, and you should target him as a starting quarterback this year. Savvy fantasy football players will wait to pick their starting quarterback, and taking Lance is a good risk/reward move for those who patiently approach the position.

The Strong Fantasy Football Case For Trey Lance As Your QB1

The most recent Average Draft Position reports at fantasypros.com have Lance being selected as the No. 13 quarterback off the boards. I have Lance ranked No. 13 at QB in my updated fantasy football rankings at The Game Day. He has the potential to finish as a top 5 fantasy quarterback in 2022. 

Lance did not perform as well as hoped in the final preseason game, but he has shown flashes of his promise in exhibition play. What fantasy football players very often want from quarterbacks is to provide good rushing production in addition to their passing stats. Dual-threat quarterbacks are very often among the most coveted fantasy producers at the position.

There have been widely reported concerns about how polished Lance is as a passer, and there is a chance that Jimmy Garoppolo could replace him if he struggles. But fantasy leaguers will live with any possible growing pains if Lance can significantly add to his statistical production with his rushing abilities while posting respectable passing totals and keeping the starting job. In 2021, Jalen Hurts ranked 26^th in the NFL in completion percentage, yet he averaged 21.4 fantasy points per game, which ranked fourth at quarterback.

We can check a lot of boxes to further confirm Lance as a prime fantasy football quarterback target. His rushing prowess is obviously most prominent, yet he also has a strong supporting cast. Deebo Samuel is the best yardage after the catch receiver in the NFL, and he is a top asset for a young quarterback. 

George Kittle is one of the best tight ends in the game, and Brandon Aiyuk’s star should continue to rise in 2022. The Niners have good depth at receiver with Jauan Jennings and Danny Gray. There is also good support from the running game to take pressure off Lance and ensure he can keep defenses off balance with RPO looks.

The 49ers seemed to be taking a risk to some onlookers by handing the offense over to Lance and not sticking with the seasoned Garoppolo, who has taken the team on two very deep playoff runs. But if the team’s front office and brain trust was ready to make the move to Lance, then we must heed that as a signal that Lance is potentially capable of leading the offense in 2022. You just have to take a backup QB of note in the later rounds as insurance if Lance does not quite live up to expectations.

The best approach to building your fantasy football team in the first six rounds or so is to focus mainly on running backs and wide receivers, because you can start up to three at each position in many leagues. Quarterback is a much deeper position and you usually have to start only one.

 You can wait until the ninth or 10th round to likely draft Lance instead of reaching for Josh Allen or Justin Herbert several rounds earlier. The frequently recommended approach is to wait on quarterback, and when you do, Lance is a good value upside selection.

Many fantasy players are also now participating in superflex leagues, which feature a second spot where you can start a second quarterback. In those leagues, Lance should be taken late in the second round. 

The flow of many superflex drafts vary, though, and if you can actually land Lance as your second quarterback, the pair of starting quarterbacks is going to look better than most others in the league.

We don’t recommend drafting with your heart, so you should not be gunning to get Lance just because of allegiance to the 49ers. But he has a lot of fantasy promise for 2022, and the fantasy experience will be a lot more fun if he does end up on your roster and reaches his potential this season. It’s a risk/reward play to make. 

Rooting for a favorite team while also winning a league can make the Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays more joyful.