X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Should I Drop Sam Howell in Dynasty Fantasy Football? 2024 Dynasty Outlook

Sam Howell - Fantasy Football Rankings, DFS Lineup Picks, NFL Injury News

When Eric Bieniemy took over as the Washington Commanders offensive coordinator in 2023, many had high hopes he could turn around a team that ranked 20th and 24th in total yards and points per game in 2022, respectively. This did not come to fruition as the Commanders took a step back in both categories.

Despite the team's statistical regression, the offensive strategy shifted to a more pass-heavy approach, with the total number of passes increasing from 554 to 636 from the season before. The primary beneficiary of the passing surplus was former Commanders quarterback Sam Howell. While the increased volume of passes propelled him to a top-12 quarterback finish in end-of-season fantasy rankings, his performance was marred by inefficiency. He averaged a meager 6.4 yards per attempt on his 612 passes, with a touchdown to interception ratio of 21:21.

In a surprising move, the Commanders opted to trade Howell to Seattle this offseason, receiving a pair of draft picks in return. This decision was made with the intention of having Howell serve as a backup to the incumbent starter, Geno Smith. As a result, the question arises -- should we consider dropping Howell in dynasty leagues?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Can I Drop Sam Howell in Dynasty Fantasy Football?

Sam Howell's status as a drop candidate is a complex decision. He might not offer much more in single-QB formats than being a roster-clogger and can comfortably be dropped if you have at least two decent starters. However, the situation becomes less clear in Superflex and best ball formats, where his potential value and the scarcity of starting quarterbacks could come into play.

In best ball, Howell's potential value can be considered if there are no other enticing options on the waiver wire. In 2023, there were 66 individual quarterbacks to start at least one game. While that number might seem high, it's actually down from 2022, when we saw 68.

Geno Smith is the projected starter and probably will be for the duration of the season unless he is injured or takes another step back in a new-look Ryan Grubb offense. Smith was excellent in 2022, but that was under the direction of Dave Canales, who is seemingly on a war path to resurrect quarterbacks' careers.

In 2023, Smith turned back into a pumpkin and was more of the player we remember from earlier in his career. The door might still be open for Howell to get his hands on the Seahawks offense, and he might provide some value in best ball if he can do so.

In Superflex, I'm absolutely holding Howell if I have space for him on my bench. While he underperformed in 2023, the former Tar Heel at least showed flashes of competency and wasn't a zero in the rushing category, either. Howell ranked in the top 10 amongst quarterbacks in rushing yards last season (263) and tied for third in rushing touchdowns with Lamar Jackson and Desmond Ridder (five).

Additionally, this is still a very young player at just 23 years old, while Smith will enter his 12th season in the NFL at 33. My expectations are low for Howell entering this season. Still, in Superflex formats, he could help you win a week or two if he cracks the starting lineup with a trio of wide receivers vastly more talented than his previous teammates in Washington. If you have the space, you're good to hold him -- for now, considering his age and potential in Superflex.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NASCAR28 mins ago

Bubba Wallace Wrecked at Las Vegas, but Showed Promising Speed
Alex Bowman30 mins ago

Recovered From Loose Wheel to Finish Seventh
Austin Cindric31 mins ago

Won Stage 1, but Loose Wheel Foiled Victory Bid
William Byron33 mins ago

Lost Las Vegas Race on Strategy, but Still Expanded Points Lead
Ryan Preece34 mins ago

Earned Best Career Non-Drafting Oval Finish at Las Vegas
Mookie Betts5 hours ago

Won't Play In Tokyo Series Against Cubs
Tee Higgins6 hours ago

Becomes Highest-Paid WR2 In NFL History
Ja'Marr Chase6 hours ago

Bengals Make Ja'Marr Chase The Highest-Paid Non-QB In NFL History
Brandin Podziemski6 hours ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Christian Braun6 hours ago

Tagged As Probable On Injury Report
Aaron Gordon6 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Jamal Murray7 hours ago

Iffy For Monday
Nikola Jokić7 hours ago

Nikola Jokic May Sit Out Meeting With Warriors
Quinten Post7 hours ago

Uncertain For Monday
Stephen Curry7 hours ago

Questionable To Play On Monday
Vince Williams Jr.8 hours ago

Returning On Monday
Coby White8 hours ago

Tagged As Probable For Monday
Josh Giddey8 hours ago

Doubtful For Monday
Gary Trent Jr.8 hours ago

Cleared For Sunday
Scotty Pippen Jr.9 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday
Ja Morant9 hours ago

Won't Play Monday
Aaron Nesmith9 hours ago

Questionable Versus Minnesota
Tyrese Haliburton9 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Monday Night
Michael Tonkin9 hours ago

Will Open Season On Injured List
Aaron Wiggins9 hours ago

Returns To Action Against Bucks
Michel Otañez9 hours ago

Michel Otanez Shut Down From Throwing
Myles Turner9 hours ago

Questionable Against Minnesota
Kyle Kuzma9 hours ago

Ready To Play Sunday
Pascal Siakam10 hours ago

Won't Play On Monday
Damian Lillard10 hours ago

Good To Go Sunday
Giannis Antetokounmpo10 hours ago

Available Against OKC
Brandon Marsh10 hours ago

Exits Early Sunday
Royce Lewis10 hours ago

Expected To Begin 2025 On Injured List
Miami Dolphins10 hours ago

Ryan Stonehouse Signs With Dolphins
Sam Darnold10 hours ago

Could Opt Out After One Season
Mark Andrews10 hours ago

Unlikely To Be Cut
Igor Shesterkin11 hours ago

Remains In Rangers Crease Sunday
John Gibson11 hours ago

Still Out On Sunday
Nick Bjugstad12 hours ago

Returns For Utah Sunday
Filip Chytil12 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jiri Kulich12 hours ago

In Concussion Protocol
Adam Pelech12 hours ago

Out On Sunday
Zach Hyman12 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Sunday
Bailey Falter12 hours ago

Ready To Go For Monday
Yu Darvish12 hours ago

Dealing With Fatigue
Clarke Schmidt12 hours ago

Won't Start On Monday
Mark Leiter Jr.13 hours ago

Should Be Ready For Opening Day
David Bednar13 hours ago

Not Officially Named Closer
Yoán Moncada13 hours ago

Yoan Moncada Could Land On Injured List
Atlanta Falcons13 hours ago

Keith Taylor Signs With Falcons
Atlanta Falcons14 hours ago

Storm Norton Back With Atlanta
Ronnie Rivers14 hours ago

Re-Ups With Rams
Mason Adams15 hours ago

Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Joey Gallo15 hours ago

White Sox Release Joey Gallo
Sean Burke15 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Jung Hoo Lee15 hours ago

Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
Max Kepler15 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday After Collision
Eiberson Castellano15 hours ago

Could Win Bullpen Job
Kyle Freeland15 hours ago

Rockies Name Kyle Freeland Their Starter For Opening Day
Royce Lewis15 hours ago

Exits Early On Sunday
Ramón Urías15 hours ago

Ramon Urias Expected To Return On Thursday
Emmanuel Rivera16 hours ago

Dealing With Sore Shoulder
New York Jets17 hours ago

Derrick Nnadi Signing With Jets
Washington Commanders17 hours ago

Eddie Goldman Joins Commanders On One-Year Deal
Cooper Rush17 hours ago

Agrees On Two-Year Deal With Ravens
Baltimore Ravens19 hours ago

Ben Cleveland Remaining With Ravens
Seattle Seahawks20 hours ago

Shemar Jean-Charles Signing With Seahawks
Velus Jones Jr.20 hours ago

Signs With Saints
Christopher Bell21 hours ago

Quest For Four Wins In A Row Just Got More Difficult
Kyle Larson21 hours ago

Should Contend For Another Win At Las Vegas
Ryan Blaney21 hours ago

Once Again The Chalk DFS Pick At Las Vegas
Ross Chastain21 hours ago

Fastest In Practice At Las Vegas
Chris Buescher21 hours ago

Has Sneaky Upside This Weekend
Quinton Byfield22 hours ago

Scores In Sixth Straight Contest
Chase Elliott22 hours ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin22 hours ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov22 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Flyers On Saturday
William Byron22 hours ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick22 hours ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli22 hours ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin22 hours ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin22 hours ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar22 hours ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR22 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski22 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones23 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez23 hours ago

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar23 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece23 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano24 hours ago

Likely To Lead At Las Vegas, But Will He Lead Enough For DFS Consideration?
Jordan Mason1 day ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
Dee Eskridge1 day ago

Sticking With Dolphins
JuJu Smith-Schuster1 day ago

Returning To Chiefs
Tennessee Titans1 day ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Parris Campbell1 day ago

Headed To Dallas
Jiri Kulich1 day ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tyler Myers1 day ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov1 day ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov1 day ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Joel Armia1 day ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk1 day ago

Available Saturday
Adam Fox1 day ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Philadelphia Eagles2 days ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Los Angeles Rams2 days ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Eeli Tolvanen2 days ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Roman Dolidze3 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani3 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos3 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez3 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson3 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro3 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay3 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA3 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos3 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman5 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard5 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips5 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith5 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick5 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler5 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter5 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim5 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy5 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa5 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre5 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth5 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young5 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim5 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas5 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele5 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy5 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA5 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF