Somebody in your superflex league is going to throw most of their waiver budget at Gardner Minshew this week, and I'd let them. The Cardinals quarterback I want out of Monday's news is the one Mike LaFleur moved up to backup, rookie Carson Beck.
I'm not knocking what Minshew did in Dallas. He replaced Jacoby Brissett with 1:35 left in the third quarter of a game Arizona trailed 24-10 early in the fourth, the Cardinals scored touchdowns on all four drives he ran in regulation, and his overtime drive set up Chad Ryland's 42-yarder to win it 33-30. He went 17 for 23 for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Ian Rapoport's reaction on X was "Minshew Mania once again," and honestly, fair.
Listen to how LaFleur explained it, though. He called it a gut decision because the team "needed a spark," and he said Sunday's problems were "not all on" Brissett, who'd started all eight games. That's a coach telling you the job went to a hot hand on the strength of one half. Yes, he also said, "Moving forward, we'll go with Gardner." I've heard "moving forward" in plenty of rooms. It tends to last until the next bad Sunday, and the next Sunday is at Seattle.
The Beck move is the part with a future in it. He's a third-round pick who's been inactive for all eight games and has dealt with back spasms. Arizona didn't have to put him ahead of Brissett to win at Seattle. LaFleur did it anyway, called it "the right thing to do" for the rookie's development and said Beck is "feeling really good right now." That's a 3-5 team saying the word development out loud in November, and when a coach does that, I start looking at who's next in line.
So split this into two questions, because they aren't the same one. Minshew is a this-week question. In superflex and 2QB leagues he's a fine bye-week or injury fill-in, worth a modest bid and nothing that touches the budget you'll want in December. Beck is a contract question. A rookie nobody has watched play is about the cheapest way there is to own a quarterback before anyone knows whether he's any good, and his price will never be lower than it is right now, before his first active Sunday.
If you own Brissett, I'm sorry. He went from starting every game to the emergency spot in a day. The trade deadline is Nov. 10 and nobody has reported a deal, but a trade is the only road back to a start, so in a deep league I'd hold him until that date passes. Anywhere else, that roster spot is worth more as Beck.
