2021 QB Range of Outcome Projections: Justin Herbert Is a Star
Image Credit: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire. Pictured: Justin Herbert.

Dave Caban considers 2021 quarterback projections built by the RotoViz Range of Outcomes app.

The Range of Outcomes app (ROO) is one of my favorite tools we have at RotoViz. No joke, I actually get butterflies in my stomach when I roll it forward each year and get a first glimpse of the results. Last year, I wrote an in-depth article that details what the app is all about, how it’s built, and the usefulness of its results. In a nutshell, the app uses historical data to build a realistic expectation of what a player could achieve in the coming season. These expectations are charted in a distribution that helps users to better understand a player’s range of outcomes. If a regular offseason in Tampa Bay makes Tom Brady fire on all cylinders in 2021, what might that look like? If he falls off, how bad could it be? The ROO paints an optimistic picture. In general, players that produced stat lines similar to the one created by Brady in 2019 and 2020, tend to score more than 20 points per game (PPG) the following season. In fact, 66% of his comps did so.

The ROO doesn’t consider changes in a player’s situation. For example, it’s unaware that Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, and Carson Wentz will be in new uniforms when the season kicks off in September. Tampa Bay might not bring back Chris Godwin. This could significantly impact Brady but the ROO will not account for this change.[1]

Reaction

  • Dak Prescott owns the most favorable overall projection, which is unsurprising given his monstrous opening to the 2020 season.
    • Prescott averaged 32 points in these five games — the highest average ever produced by a quarterback — despite playing the third most difficult QB schedule in that time frame.
    • This pace figures to be unsustainable, but this regression is accounted for in the Year N+1 output of his comps.
  • Aaron Rodgers, like Brady, is expected to put together another year of solid production.
    • It’s worth noting that there is some level of bias built into the ranges of outcomes of players with an abundance of experience.
      • They tend to be matched with more experienced players, and these players have to be strong producers to sustain such long careers.
      • This could lead to a more favorable set of comps than otherwise would be the case.
  • Justin Herbert’s rookie campaign was strong enough to solidify his place among the QB position’s elite.
    • Herbert comps with a number of perennial superstars like Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Andrew Luck.
    • Currently, he and Watson are being drafted approximately 20 picks behind Josh Allen and other sought-after passers.

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Except insofar as similar historical players may have also lost important receivers.

Please subscribe For Full Access to all RotoViz content and tools!

 

What’s included in your subscription??

  • Exclusive Access to RotoViz Study Hall
    • A treasure trove of our most insightful articles that will teach you the metrics that matter, time-tested winning strategies, the approaches that will give you an edge, and teach you how to be an effective fantasy manager.
  • Revolutionary Tools
    • Including the NFL Stat Explorer, Weekly GLSP Projections, NCAA Prospect Box Score Scout, Combine Explorer, Range of Outcomes App, DFS Lineup Optimizer, Best Ball Suite,and many, many, more.
  • Groundbreaking Articles
    • RotoViz is home of the original Zero-RB article and continues to push fantasy gamers forward as the go-to destination for evidence-based analysis and strategic advantages.
  • Weekly Projections
    • Built using RotoViz’s unique GLSP approach.
  • Expert Rankings
  • And a whole lot more…

Dave Caban

Senior Fantasy Analyst, app developer, hosts the RotoViz Radio Flagship, auction draft enthusiast.

Using Regression Tree Analysis To Better Understand WR Prospects, Predict Where They Will Be Drafted, And Project The 2024 WR Class

Heading into the 2021 draft, Ja’Marr Chase was lauded by many as one of the best wide receiver prospects to enter the NFL in a decade. He was the highest-ranked prospect in our Rookie Guide that season and sat inside our top-20 dynasty rankings before the NFL Draft. Why were we, and many others, so optimistic about his future? It was pretty simple. He projected…...

Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Using A Historical Context to Evaluate the 2024 Rookie QB Class

Playing quarterback in the NFL is hard. Doing it well might be one of the most difficult things in all of sports. Predicting the players that will do so could be an equally challenging task. What can fantasy managers do to combat this and make the most of their rookie draft picks? Dave Caban reviews the relationship between collegiate production and NFL fantasy scoring to…...

Going Deep: Week 17 Passing Matchups Preview, Part 3

Welcome to Going Deep! This weekly article will make use of charting data, advanced metrics, and other RotoViz tools — specifically the newly released Passing Game Matchup Rater — to help readers better understand the challenges facing wide receivers and tight ends in the coming week. As my process makes heavy use of the Matchup Rater, I’d highly recommend that you set aside half an…...

Using Regression Tree Analysis To Better Understand WR Prospects, Predict Where They Will Be Drafted, And Project The 2024 WR Class

Heading into the 2021 draft, Ja’Marr Chase was lauded by many as one of the best wide receiver prospects to enter the NFL in a decade. He was the highest-ranked prospect in our Rookie Guide that season and sat inside our top-20 dynasty rankings before the NFL Draft. Why were we, and many others, so optimistic about his future? It was pretty simple. He projected…...

Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Using A Historical Context to Evaluate the 2024 Rookie QB Class

Playing quarterback in the NFL is hard. Doing it well might be one of the most difficult things in all of sports. Predicting the players that will do so could be an equally challenging task. What can fantasy managers do to combat this and make the most of their rookie draft picks? Dave Caban reviews the relationship between collegiate production and NFL fantasy scoring to…...

Going Deep: Week 17 Passing Matchups Preview, Part 3

Welcome to Going Deep! This weekly article will make use of charting data, advanced metrics, and other RotoViz tools — specifically the newly released Passing Game Matchup Rater — to help readers better understand the challenges facing wide receivers and tight ends in the coming week. As my process makes heavy use of the Matchup Rater, I’d highly recommend that you set aside half an…...

The Blitz

Connect
Support

rotovizmain@gmail.com

Sign-up today for our free Premium Email subscription!

Data provided by

© 2021 RotoViz. All rights Reserved.

Welcome Back to RotoViz...

– IF YOU HAVE ISSUES LOGGING IN PLEASE CONTACT ROTOVIZMAIN@GMAIL.COM

– PLEASE NOTE THAT ROTOVIZ USES WORDPRESS FOR ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT. IF RESETTING YOUR PASSWORD YOU MAY BE FOWARDED TO A WORDPRESS PAGE.