Why QB depth charts are vital in NFL preseason

A team-by-team look at the QBs playing for all 32 teams to help with your handicapping

The NFL preseason is always an interesting time for fans and bettors.

For fans, it’s exciting because it signals that after the long wait from the Super Bowl mid-February, the regular season is finally mere weeks away.

For bettors, it represents a time of great potential profitability because of variance and uncertainty about how long starters will be playing and the race to gather information. Casual fans will see the Jacksonville Jaguars favored at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday and rush to play Kansas City; in the preseason, bettors need to do their research by listening to beat reporters on the ground and gleaning nuggets from coach press conferences to learn about how they’ll treat certain games.

In the preseason, every game is a little different and every coach approaches them slightly differently. Is their starting QB well established or a rookie? Are their veterans coming off an injury and they would prefer rest? How long do they want their starting offensive line to play? Etc.

That’s why knowing the depth of rosters is vital to preseason wagering success — especially at the QB position. In the regular season, you’re betting on Patrick Mahomes when you put your money on the Chiefs; in the preseason, you’re betting on Carson Wentz, Chris Oladokun and Ian Book.

Be sure to monitor line movement as well, as preseason games will have odds shift far more rapidly than regular-season matchups due to the announcement of which QBs will play — and for how long — and for the duration of game that starters elsewhere will be in.

To aid in your handicapping, here is a look at the QB depth chart rotation for all 32 NFL teams, courtesy of OurLads, grouped by team and division:

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AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, Shane Buechele

Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson