Our read
This is a depth chart note before it's anything else. Cole Payton sits fourth among PHI quarterbacks, behind Jalen Hurts, Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee, and that's the whole case against him. Hurts is one of the most productive fantasy QBs in the league and never leaves the field, so there's no path to snaps for a fifth-round rookie unless something goes badly wrong for this team. Sean Mannion is a new offensive play caller this year, which only tightens the grip on a settled offense with a healthy starter.
We project him for 43 points this season, with most outcomes landing between 16 and 69. Our availability number is the honest version: we expect around 4 games where he'd matter at all, and the realistic range runs from 0 to 11 once injury risk is in the math. That's not a knock on him as a prospect, it's just what the fourth QB spot on a contending roster is worth. His team's own Vegas win total is 10.5, so Philadelphia is planning to win now with its starter, not develop a rookie. Our board has him at QB46, and there are only 3 players left in his tier before a 3.5-point cliff, so the drop-off to nothing is right there on the sheet.
The call is simple: do not draft him, in any format, at any point. He has no ADP on file, which tells you the league agrees. His bye lands in week 10, a detail that only matters if a miracle happens first. If Hurts goes down, Payton is worth a waiver claim that week, and that's the only scenario where his name should appear on your roster.