Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile | Anthony Richardson

Each week I’ll be breaking down a dynasty fantasy football rookie profile. This week I selected one of the hottest players on the market, the 21-year-old phenom Anthony Richardson. Richardson is the ultimate boom-bust prospect, but his ceiling is simply massive. If he hits as I believe he will, we are looking at a league-winning quarterback for many years to come.

Background and Production

Anthony Richardson entered the University of Florida as a 4-star recruit from Eastside High School in Gainesville. In his first couple of years, Richardson barely saw the field. Some of this involved a hamstring injury and a meniscal tear that required surgery. He did have some opportunity as a redshirt freshman in 2021, as he appeared in seven games but did not make any starts. In his junior year of 2022, the full-time starter role was completely there for him. He started 12 games and struggled mightily at times, but his film also had some massive bright spots.

*Source: Player Profiler

Overall, the offense for Florida in 2022 was anemic and devoid of talent. Florida lost its most dynamic playmakers, Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney, to the 2021 NFL draft. Richardson quickly was the most outstanding playmaker for the Gators, and they knew it. His struggles as a passer are evident in the stat sheet and on film, but his stunning athleticism and rushing ability are simply off the charts.

Strengths

Initially, what stands out is Richardson’s physique and frame. The guy is built like a Greek god. He checks in as 6-foot-4, 244 pounds, 10.5″ hands. Anthony is the epitome of the new-era uber-athletic mobile QB in the NFL. He broke the NFL combine in April, turning in a “perfect ten” Relative Athletic Score (RAS) and posting tremendous numbers in the 40-yard dash (4.43), vertical jump (40.5″) and broad jump (10.9″).

These metrics earned Richardson the most athletic QB prospect in NFL combine history. Anthony is built like a linebacker, has the speed of a wide receiver, and can break tackles like a fullback. He is an elite runner who is also very effective at throwing on the run. In his junior year alone, he notched many lengthy touchdown runs that showcased his supernatural abilities. Look no further for a stand-out highlight reel than his 81-yard house call against LSU last year. 

Athleticism and Character

As a passer, it’s very apparent that he has a cannon for an arm, arguably the most significant arm in this draft class. There is no throw that he cannot make, also shows a quick release and good touch at the intermediate level of the field. He can potentially be a Lamar Jackson-Cam Newton hybrid QB with his size, speed, arm, and power. This exclusive blend also mitigates QB sacks as he is so elusive and powerful.

His character is another trait that will never show up on any stat sheet but is highly revered. Post NFL draft day one, Anthony insisted on and stayed behind to clean the room following the draft celebration. When NFL Vice President of Operations Troy Vincent explained that it was unnecessary, Richardson replied: “We left this room in an unacceptable condition, and it’s not right for us to expect the staff to clean it all up.”

Ultimately, he stayed behind and finished the cleaning with no motive of media optics or praise. My takeaway from his actions: humility, leadership, coachability, integrity, work ethic, and responsibility. These qualities scream, “I want this guy on my NFL team.”

Weaknesses

The most significant overarching “flaw” in Richardson’s profile is inexperience. He simply did not get enough playing time at Florida. There was a shared perspective in draft circles that he may have been better off staying at Florida to play through his senior year to acquire more meaningful snaps before entering the NFL draft. 

Several defects jumped out at me in my comprehensive analysis of Richardson. His mechanics could be more consistent, his footwork is a mess, and his shoulders are always uneven. 

Passing Concerns

Another key takeaway is his processing or lack thereof. Plenty of evidence exists that Richardson struggles with interpreting coverages versus utilizing leverage. I point to this fact as a large portion of the blame towards his inaccuracy issues. Oddly, his accuracy is better when driving the ball downfield, and he suffers when he is not. He also misses plenty of reads and needs to improve his anticipation.

Lastly, Richardson must improve on developing when and where to “move” his eyes. I saw several instances on film where he “stared down” his receiver and failed to even attempt to “look off” only a single high safety. He wants to make the big splash touchdown play, which is super fun and exciting. But, in the NFL, you cannot just live in “the big play world.” 

Team Ecosystem

The Indianapolis Colts selected Richardson with the fourth overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft. Many of us dynasty aficionados presumed he would go in the top 15-20 picks, but a top-five NFL draft pick was an amazing team investment from the Colts. If you know me at all, you are aware that I’ve been all in on Richardson for a long time, but this draft capital further solidified that sentiment.

This draft capital ensures he will start and see the field early and often. I do not see any scenario in Indianapolis where we have a Trey Lance-type of situation on our hands.

Anthony steps onto the field with a solid offensive line, an elite running back in Johnathan Taylor, a very sound receiver room, and a brilliant offensive-minded head coach. The offensive line is not as elite as in recent years, but pff.com still has them inside their top ten. Starting receivers Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, Isaiah McKenzie, Josh Downs and Jelani Woods provide plenty of weaponry to support a rookie QB with a capable arm. 

Lastly, the most substantial of all of the team specific fits lands within Shane Steichen as head coach. Steichen is a first-time head coach but boasts an illustrious offensive play-calling resume. In 2021-2022 he helped develop Jalen Hurts into one of the NFL’s top QBs, coordinated an offense with two 1,000-yard receivers, and Philadelphia was the number three scoring offense in the league. In 2020 Steichen was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers and guided Justin Herbert in rookie records for completions (396) and TDs (31).

Prospect Projection

Anthony Richardson certainly checks almost all the boxes for me as a prospect while acknowledging some glaring defects in his profile. He needs to be coached up appropriately, and I believe he will be under Steichen’s careful attention. He will struggle, and he will have moments of brilliance. I would absolutely love to see the technique evolve to match the arm and athleticism. His rushing upside makes him a total cheat code in fantasy: the Konami Code QB (Credit Rich Hribar).

I drafted Richardson at 4.01 in a startup draft in February. He is currently going around 2.01-2.02. He is locked in as the consensus 1.02 in super-flex rookie drafts, although I am entirely okay with taking him 1.01 over Bijan Robinson. His ceiling is limitless, and I genuinely believe in Richardson’s future. Where do you stand on his outlook?