This isn't a recommendation of who you should target as a tandem, should you decide to go the mid-to-late round quarterback strategy. Rather, it's a look at how to use certain tools to your advantage.
Neither Sam Bradford nor Jameis Winston represent much value as a QB1 option. Of course, that's when you look at the two as a separate entity. This is also one of the reasons you need to go more in-depth with your planning prior to drafting. As a tandem, these two provide significantly more upside than if you were to go with a top-10 quarterback much earlier in the draft.
Both Bradford and Winston have favorable schedules when it comes to defenses who struggled against fantasy quarterbacks last season. Now add both later in the draft, and you have the makings of a fantasy dynamo—a dynamo that enables you to play matchups on a given week to have one of the softest schedules the NFL could offer a quarterback.
Note: The tables are simple to understand here. The first row represents the week. The second row represents each quarterback's opponent that week. And the third row represents that opponent's ranking against fantasy quarterbacks a season ago. The last table looks at the most-favorable matchup for the two quarterbacks on a given week. It will help you understand just who you'd be going up against if you "play the matchups."
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Here goes.
Sam Bradford (Philadelphia Eagles) and Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Bradford (ADP: QB19, 139th overall)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| ATL | DAL | NYJ | WAS | NO | NYG | CAR | BYE | DAL | MIA | TB | DET | NE | BUF | AZ | WAS | NYG |
| 23 | 18 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 17 | N/A | 18 | 9 | 19 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 22 | 32 | 26 |
With his first eight matchups against defenses that ranked in the bottom half of the NFL against fantasy quarterbacks last season, Bradford has an ideal early slate with his new team. Four divisional matchups against teams that finished in the bottom seven, including two against a Redskins squad that ranked dead last, also helps here. Heck, even Philadelphia's Week 13 matchup against the New England Patriots isn't as difficult with the top four corners from a season ago no longer on the roster.
Winston (ADP: QB18, 137th overall)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| TN | NO | HOU | CAR | JAX | BYE | WAS | ATL | NYG | DAL | PHI | IND | ATL | NO | STL | CHI | CAR |
| 20 | 29 | 8 | 17 | 15 | N/A | 32 | 23 | 26 | 18 | 30 | 13 | 23 | 29 | 10 | 31 | 17 |
Winston has a nice little two-game stretch against two of the weakest pass defenses in the NFL to start his career. Considering the weapons he has on offense, including Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, the rookie quarterback should find his groove early in the season. All said, he plays just two games against teams that ranked in the top 10 of the NFL against fantasy quarterbacks. In fact, he plays the three-worst defenses in this category from a season ago.
Play the Matchup | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| ATL | NO | NY (J) | WAS | NO | NY (G) | WAS | ATL | NY (G) | DAL | PHI | IND | ATL | NO | AZ | WAS | NY (G) |
| 23 | 29 | 28 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 32 | 23 | 26 | 18 | 30 | 13 | 23 | 29 | 22 | 32 | 26 |
In both Week 1 and Week 2, these quarterbacks go up against less-than-stellar competition. It's not until Week 3 where Winston finds himself up against a top-10 fantasy defense from a season ago. Fortunately for those of you who decide to go with this tandem, Bradford will find himself up against a New York Jets defense that yielded the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks last season. Though, it must be noted that the Jets did add both Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie as reinforcements in the secondary. In reality, Week 3 might not be a good fantasy outing for either quarterback.
Bradford then has a stretch of three games against some of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. He should be able to light up the likes of the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants during that span. The Week 6 matchup against the Giants comes when Winston and the Buccaneers are on a bye. Following the Buccaneers bye, Winston and company have three favorable matchups, including a Week 8 tilt against an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranked in the bottom 10 of the NFL against fantasy quarterbacks.
In standard 12-team leagues, the playoffs either start in Week 14 or Week 15. That's where this tandem will definitely come into play, especially after you have exhausted your early-round picks on upper-echelon players at other positions. Bradford will likely be a no-go in Week 14 against a Buffalo Bills team that yielded the second-fewest fantasy points last season. Though, you then would have the ability to play Winston against a Saints defense that was one of the worst in the NFL in this category.
Week 15 brings Bradford back to the NFC West against an Arizona Cardinals defense that struggled against the pass last season. Though, it's more likely than not that the likes of Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu will pick up their games from a season ago. That could very well be a difficult matchup for Philadelphia. If so, you are left trying out Winston against a very good St. Louis Rams' defense that boasts most of its talent in the front seven.
The real play here is Week 16—when most leagues host their championships. Go with the hot hand, because both Bradford and Winston are matching up against the two-worst fantasy defenses against this position from a season ago.