Now that the 2018 NFL season has arrived, football fans and collectors alike have shifted their focus from projections and “What could be” to realizations and “What is” as their favorite team’s rookies and veterans start delivering performances on the field. That shift in philosophy from preseason excitement to regular season reality is certainly reflected in the newest NFLPA Panini Trading Card Index for the third quarter of 2018.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley remains atop the rookie rankings in the new Index, which began in 2016 as a way to rank the top-performing football players (15 rookies, 15 veterans) in the licensed trading card industry. Once a quarter, the NFLPA Panini Trading Card Index ranks players based on several key factors, including secondary-market transactions, overall trading volume and collectibility based on on-field performance and expectations (e.g., rookie hype and collector speculation). New York Jets QB Sam Darnold lands at the No. 2 spot this quarter (up from No. 3 previously) while Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Arizona Cardinals QB Josh Rosen round out the rookie top five.

https://blog.paniniamerica.net/2018/...x/#more-224263