With Cam Ward, I see a couple of laser shots downfield in every game. I love the arm, and I like that he’s making some progress. His numbers are improving.
Ward averaged only 154 passing yards in his first four starts. But in his last four, he’s averaged 250, which is above the league average. He’s passed for over 255 yards in three of his last four. It will happen, I think – he’s going to fine.
For fantasy purposes, however, I notice that he doesn’t run at all. He’s got only 40 rushing yards in his first eight games. That’s a Flacco-Stafford type contribution in that regard. And if he’s not running, it will be tough for him to get much traction for our purposes.
Consider the following numbers. In the last 10 years, only 45 other quarterbacks have started at least half the season and put up rushing numbers even worse than what Ward is doing right now (using standard scoring, 1 for every 10 yards and 6 for each touchdowns). I’m talking about guys averaging a half point or less of rushing production.
Only nine of those guys finished with top-10 numbers (per-game numbers), and only another 12 even made the top 20. The vast majority of those guys are veterans, with a lot more ability than Ward to operate from the pocket.
If Ward isn’t running, I don’t think he can be viable as a fantasy option.
| QUARTERBACKS WITH MINIMAL RUN STATS (last 10 yrs) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | St | Pass | TDP | Run | TDR | Pts | Rk |
| 2015 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 15 | 324.7 | 2.13 | .9 | .07 | 25.3 | 4 |
| 2017 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 16 | 286.1 | 2.00 | 1.8 | .00 | 22.7 | 5 |
| 2015 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 11 | 323.5 | 1.64 | 2.8 | .00 | 24.3 | 6 |
| 2017 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 15 | 283.4 | 1.87 | 3.1 | .00 | 22.2 | 6 |
| 2016 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 16 | 274.1 | 2.06 | 2.2 | .00 | 22.2 | 8 |
| 2015 | Eli Manning, NYG | 16 | 277.3 | 2.19 | 3.8 | .00 | 23.0 | 8 |
| 2017 | Philip Rivers, LAC | 16 | 282.2 | 1.75 | -.1 | .00 | 21.1 | 9 |
| 2021 | Matthew Stafford, LAR | 17 | 287.4 | 2.41 | 2.5 | .00 | 24.3 | 9 |
| 2016 | Derek Carr, Oak. | 15 | 262.5 | 1.87 | 4.7 | .00 | 21.7 | 10 |
| 2015 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 16 | 299.5 | 1.81 | 1.8 | .00 | 22.7 | 13 |
| 2024 | Tua Tagovailoa, Mia. | 11 | 260.6 | 1.73 | 4.5 | .00 | 20.8 | 13 |
| 2023 | Tua Tagovailoa, Mia. | 17 | 272.0 | 1.71 | 4.4 | .00 | 20.9 | 14 |
| 2016 | Carson Palmer, Ariz. | 15 | 282.2 | 1.73 | 2.5 | .00 | 21.4 | 15 |
| 2022 | Jared Goff, Det. | 17 | 261.1 | 1.71 | 4.3 | .00 | 20.5 | 15 |
| 2023 | Matthew Stafford, LAR | 15 | 264.3 | 1.60 | 4.3 | .00 | 20.3 | 15 |
| 2020 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 15 | 253.5 | 2.20 | .7 | .00 | 21.8 | 16 |
| 2022 | Tom Brady, T.B. | 17 | 276.1 | 1.47 | -.1 | .06 | 20.3 | 16 |
| 2018 | Philip Rivers, LAC | 16 | 269.3 | 2.00 | .4 | .00 | 22.0 | 17 |
| 2018 | Nick Mullens, S.F. | 8 | 284.6 | 1.63 | -2.0 | .00 | 20.8 | 20 |
| 2019 | Philip Rivers, LAC | 16 | 288.4 | 1.44 | 1.8 | .00 | 20.5 | 20 |
| 2017 | Derek Carr, Oak. | 15 | 233.1 | 1.47 | 4.4 | .00 | 18.2 | 20 |
| 2018 | Eli Manning, NYG | 16 | 268.7 | 1.31 | 1.3 | .06 | 19.6 | 22 |
| 2016 | Eli Manning, NYG | 16 | 251.7 | 1.63 | -.6 | .00 | 19.0 | 23 |
| 2023 | Derek Carr, N.O. | 17 | 228.1 | 1.47 | 2.4 | .00 | 17.8 | 23 |
| 2015 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 16 | 286.9 | 1.31 | 3.9 | .00 | 20.1 | 23 |
| 2021 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 16 | 233.8 | 1.38 | .3 | .06 | 17.6 | 23 |
| 2018 | Joe Flacco, Balt. | 9 | 273.9 | 1.33 | 5.0 | .00 | 19.5 | 23 |
| 2020 | Philip Rivers, Ind. | 16 | 260.6 | 1.50 | -.5 | .00 | 19.1 | 25 |
| 2024 | Kirk Cousins, Atl. | 14 | 250.6 | 1.29 | .0 | .00 | 17.7 | 25 |
| 2021 | Davis Mills, Hou. | 11 | 228.5 | 1.36 | 3.1 | .00 | 17.4 | 25 |
| 2016 | Sam Bradford, Min. | 15 | 258.5 | 1.33 | 3.5 | .00 | 18.6 | 25 |
| 2016 | Trevor Siemian, Den. | 14 | 242.9 | 1.29 | 4.1 | .00 | 17.8 | 26 |
| 2015 | Brian Hoyer, Hou. | 10 | 237.4 | 1.70 | 4.4 | .00 | 19.1 | 26 |
| 2017 | Jay Cutler, Mia. | 14 | 190.4 | 1.36 | 2.3 | .00 | 15.2 | 27 |
| 2015 | Sam Bradford, Phil. | 14 | 266.1 | 1.36 | 2.8 | .00 | 19.0 | 27 |
| 2020 | Nick Mullens, S.F. | 8 | 266.0 | 1.25 | 1.3 | .00 | 18.7 | 28 |
| 2024 | Matthew Stafford, LAR | 16 | 235.1 | 1.25 | 2.6 | .00 | 17.0 | 28 |
| 2018 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 16 | 236.1 | 1.31 | 4.4 | .00 | 17.5 | 28 |
| 2015 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 9 | 249.9 | 1.00 | -.7 | .00 | 16.4 | 29 |
| 2022 | Andy Dalton, N.O. | 14 | 205.1 | 1.29 | 3.9 | .00 | 15.9 | 29 |
| 2019 | Mason Rudolph, Pitt. | 8 | 190.5 | 1.25 | 4.4 | .00 | 15.0 | 30 |
| 2015 | Matt Hasselbeck, Ind. | 8 | 211.3 | 1.13 | 1.9 | .00 | 15.3 | 31 |
| 2016 | Cody Kessler, Clev. | 8 | 171.1 | .75 | 2.3 | .00 | 12.0 | 31 |
| 2019 | Joe Flacco, Den. | 8 | 227.8 | .75 | 2.5 | .00 | 14.9 | 31 |
| 2019 | Case Keenum, Was. | 8 | 193.6 | 1.25 | 1.5 | .00 | 14.8 | 32 |
—Ian Allan