How to fake it: Why everyone's talking about Brock Purdy

• The last pick in the draft, or "Mr. Irrelevant," had never thrown a regular season touchdown before Purdy. They are often not heard from again.
• But since being drafted, Purdy has gone 10-0 in regular season starts, lead the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl contention and become a dark horse MVP candidate this season.

So if you find yourself watching Sunday's 49ers game with Cyclones fans, let us help you get up to speed on why everyone's talking about the former Iowa State quarterback.

State of play: According to sports betting site DraftKings, Purdy now has the third-best odds in the 2023 MVP race, at +650 (meaning a $100 bet on Purdy would pay out $650 if he wins MVP).

• He's behind Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (+450) and Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa (+475).

Plus, he's become one of the league's most talked-about players.

Pick a side: Fans are debating whether Purdy the next Tom Brady or if he's benefiting from a strong team and the coaching prowess of Kyle Shanahan.

• A well-timed, "I knew he'd go big since 2018" will go far.

• But if you're talking to a more skeptical crowd, you could say Purdy has been performing as expected within San Francisco's elite offense.

Between the lines: If you really want to dazzle, throw in totally unrelated Purdy fun facts, like that he has nearly 11,000 unread emails or that he's an "Outer Banks" fan.

Of note: You'll also get bonus points for mentioning that former Iowa star Sam LaPorta is having one of the best rookie tight end seasons ever for the Detroit Lions.

What's next: The 49ers play the Cleveland Browns at noon Sunday.

Go deeper: Read more about Purdy's journey in The Wall Street Journal.