Sports Cards: Top 5 QBs to Target Based On 2020 NFL Schedule
Before we get into our targets for the week I just wanted to remind everyone that we will be giving away 10 2019-2020 Panini Prizm Basketball packs live this Thursday, May 14th at 5:30pm ET on our Sports Card Grinders show. We will be opening 9 packs live for those who have subscribed to SportsCardInvestor.com’s Market Movers using our promo code ROTOGRINDERS. That code also gets you 20% off your 1st payment on any subscription. The cutoff for the contest will be Wednesday, May 13th at 9pm ET. We’ll also be doing a trivia question in our Discord SportsCard channel where we will give away an additional pack so make sure you’re in that channel when we go live.
As we move closer towards the return of sports, the NFL has released the 2020 schedule. This gives us an opportunity to evaluate which teams have the best chance to succeed. We will target QBs as they stand to benefit the most out of skill positions from positive investor sentiment. We’ll give you the obvious cards to target along with some that may be overlooked. I’m going to reference Warren Sharp’s Strength Of Schedule for this article.
We will generally target Panini brands for NFL as they own exclusive rights for sports cards. Just like DFS, be sure to manage your bankroll and don’t spend more than what your budget allows. Make sure you pay attention to the grading when looking at targets. Grading makes a huge difference in price, so price targets will be based on grading. An ungraded card is referred to as “raw”. We’ll use SportsCardInvestor’s Market Movers data to evaluate current-market price targets based on what people have been paying most recently. Go above/below that market rate based on your convictions and confidence levels by player.
Top 5 QBs to Target Based On The 2020 NFL Schedule
Company Disclaimer: We may be compensated by the company links provided on this page
5) Mitchell Trubisky – Man it’s tough to type that name, especially after the Foles signing but hear me out. This is definitely a speculative buy but if we look at the Bears, they have the 6th-easiest schedule according to Warren Sharp’s chart. Last year it was the reverse as they had the 3rd-worst which helps, in part, to explain why Trubisky was so bad. Trubisky has shown flashes of upside in the past so it’s not inconceivable that he could have a breakout year. I’ve seen blurbs calling Foles the “odds-on favorite to start” but I’m not really buying that. Lets not forget Jacksonville benched Foles for Gardner Minshew after starting a couple disastrous games and they were paying him $20mil. Regardless it might be a good idea to hedge your bet with some Nick Foles rookie cards if you want to bet on Chicago success as opposed to Trubisky himself.
Cards To Target:
2017 Mitchell Trubisky Donruss Optic Holo PSA 10 – Target Under $40
2017 Mitchell Trubisky Panini Prizm Rookies Silver #209 PSA 10 – Target Under $50
2017 Mitchell Trubisky Panini National Treasures #179 RC Patch Autograph RPA BGS 9.5 – Target Under $600 Note: Target is for 3-color patch like in the image below. Don’t overpay… some listings are way too high and it’s Mitchell Trubisky FFS.
4) Ben Roethlisberger – I was debating between Ben and Phillip Rivers for this spot. The Colts have the easiest schedule this year and I already have 2 other AFC North QBs on this list. But Ben’s upside is just better IMO. The Steelers are set up with the 7th-easiest schedule. Ben Roethlisberger is coming back from an injury that took him out for almost all the 2019 season. He’s got weapons in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson who emerged last season as potential breakout star. Everything is aligned for Ben to have a big comeback year and his cards have pretty much been forgotten about, or are being ignored. This is a good opportunity to scoop up a future hall-of-famer with little downside risk. I’ve only got one card to target here due to low volume on his other rookie cards.
Cards To Target:
2004 Ben Roethlisberger Topps Chrome ROOKIE RC #166 PSA 10 – Target Under $270
3) Russell Wilson – Russell Wilson makes an interesting target because his offense hasn’t really catered to his skill set for a few years leading to some underwhelming seasons. With a coaching staff that inexplicably favors the run and holds Wilson back from reaching his potential, it’s difficult to trust Wilson. But we saw him gel with DK Metcalf last season and he’s also got Tyler Lockett so we know what their offense is capable of. We’re targeting him because there aren’t a lot of great sneaky buys in the top half of 2020’s favorable schedule. Seattle is right in the middle which means Wilson has the potential to carry the team to success, and he is one of the rare players whose card prices have remained reasonable. Plus he’s a HOF-level QB so there is little downside risk and plenty of upside.
Cards To Target:
Chart Courtesy of SportsCardInvestor.com
2012 Russell Wilson Panini Contenders Blue Jersey Autograph #225 PSA 10 – Target Under $1,200
2012 Russell Wilson Panini Contenders Blue Jersey Autograph #225 BGS 9.5 – Target Under $900
2012 Russell Wilson Panini Prizm Towel Down #230 RC PSA 10 – Target Under $500
2) Lamar Jackson – Jackson follows up his MVP season with the league’s 4th-easiest schedule which means he’s set up for another strong performance. The Ravens added weapons in the draft which can help their offensive explosiveness along with existing chemistry developed between Jackson and 2nd-year wideout Marquise Brown. All signs are pointing up for Jackson, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves when it comes to buying his cards which are already up significantly since February. Here are the prices I would target based on recent market performance.
Cards To Target:
Chart Courtesy of SportsCardInvestor.com
2018 Lamar Jackson Donruss Optic Holo PSA 10 – Target Under $700
2018 Lamar Jackson Immaculate Rookie Patch Autograph /99 – Target Under $500
2018 LAMAR JACKSON PANINI CONTENDERS OPTIC RED AUTOGRAPH Raw – Target Under $750
1) Baker Mayfield – We featured Baker Mayfield a couple weeks ago after the draft and this week we are doubling down. As we mentioned back then, the coaching and front office has moved in a new direction and we’re going to bet on them managing this talented team towards success. With the 3rd-easiest schedule for the 2020 season (according to Warren Sharps Strength of Schedule chart), I’m predicting a comeback season for Mayfield and would look to target these cards:
Cards to Target:
2018 Panini Contenders #101a Baker Mayfield RC Autograph BGS 9.5 – Target Under $650
2018 Panini Prizm Silver Baker Mayfield Autograph PSA 10 – Target Under $500
2018 Panini Prizm Silver Baker Mayfield Autograph Raw – Target Under $250