We're officially past a third of the regular season, and there's a clear hierarchy forming at the top of the league. The differentiation between a true contender and merely a playoff team is worth a discussion, however, and correctly identifying the through-marker could be a lucrative endeavor, as we've done in previous weeks.
Brock Purdy Continues to Dominate
Mike Evans left midway through Monday's win after aggravating an Achilles injury. It's been an all-too-common theme for anyone following the 49ers this year, as Evans' injury would become the eighth pass catcher out at minimum one game in 2026. The team as a whole has opted not to place players on injured reserve because they're outright running out of spots, and we're not even to Halloween yet.
That sheer level of attrition would cripple most franchises, yet San Francisco remains unbeaten in large part because of Brock Purdy's heroics. The fifth-year quarterback has blossomed into one of the league's best quarterbacks, posting a sterling 15:2 touchdown-to-turnover mark to go along with 1,460 passing yards, plus the third-best completion percentage (69.6) and yards-per-completion mark (8.5) among QBs who played at least four games.
It's something we talked about following Week 2, when Purdy's market was up 15 percent, and his rookie 2022 Prizm Silver PSA 10 was selling for $750. His market has doubled since that point with his flagship rookie now selling for nearly $1,000 a dozen times over.
More importantly, it's unclear when the good times will end. It seems unfathomable for San Francisco not to eventually slip up given the excessive number of injuries, but games against the Falcons, Raiders, and Cowboys in the coming weeks should see the NFC West team favored in each bout. It might not be until November 29, when the 49ers take on the Seahawks at home, that we'll see them matched against an even opponent in that regard, so Purdy's market might be due to climb even higher.
Houston... Doesn't Have a Problem Anymore
It's still an uphill climb, but one of my favorite quarterbacks entering the preseason, C.J. Stroud, could quickly become a hot prospect.
The Texans currently sit at 2-4 after a last-second win in London over the Jaguars, but the dismal record certainly can't be pinned on the 2023 No. 2 overall pick. Stroud has thrown for over 300 yards in two of the past three contests, and he's only committed one turnover through six games after a disastrous 2025 postseason, which saw him commit seven.
The acquisition of Marvin Harrison Jr. last week has quietly made Houston's collection of pass catchers, what was a defined weakness following Jayden Higgins' season-ending ACL tear during the preseason, into a verifiable strength. The statement is, of course, reliant on the perilous health of star wideout Nico Collins, but with Harrison Jr., Jaylin Noel, Kayshon Boutte, and the returning Tank Dell, Houston has never been deeper at the wide receiver position.
That's important, namely because the rushing attack is beyond putrid. The Texans have the eighth-worst rushing attack in the NFL currently, but their efficiency numbers are even worse. That dismal effort has forced the offense to run entirely through Stroud, who is on pace to attempt more passes than he did in his Rookie of the Year campaign. With games against the Giants, Chargers, Browns and Colts on the horizon, Stroud should be able to compile some wins to go along with those gaudy stats, and that could reflect in his card market. We're still a ways away from his preseason highs, but a strong end to the month could mean something entirely different for his market and the Texans as a whole.
Nothing Warding Away the Titans
The Titans secured their first win since December 21, 2025, but it had little to do with Cam Ward's heroics and everything to do with the ineptitude of Indianapolis' special teams. Ward joined Bo Nix (107 against the Seahawks) and Jameis Winston (118 against the Titans) as the only QBs to win a game this year while throwing for under 120 passing yards.
The dubious honor underscores a season-long issue for the 2025 No. 1 overall pick. Sales for Ward's Silver Prizm PSA 10 rookie hovered around $700 before the season, but he's since sold multiple times at or below $425. That's carried over to Carnell Tate's depressed market in the initial Topps NFL product, although that could change somewhat with Topps Chrome on the horizon.
More concerning is that there doesn't seem to be an obvious solution for improvement. Tennessee is only missing one projected starting offensive lineman from the beginning of the season due to injury, and free-agent investments like Wan'Dale Robinson and Daniel Bellinger have done little to juice up an offense that was statistically one of the worst across the board in 2025.
If Sunday's win affords a window for Ward investors to sell, the quality of play over the past 18 games almost necessitates an exit point as quickly as possible.
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