The fine folks over at FantasyPros have a neat little tool where they compile the rankings of around 100 fantasy football experts to make one big consensus position ranking list.

We can learn a lot from this list. One thing being, there are a ton of potentially stellar fantasy football quarterbacks waiting in the wings this season.

The big names like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Kyler Murray are obvious and are bound to fly off draft boards early. But some of the names further down the list, the players being ranked as fringe backups, could be nearly as good as the biggest names at the position– despite the gap in draft status between them.

So this draft season, load up on your position players, focus on the skill groups, and put your faith in one of these three quarterbacks to carry your team to the finish line as late round draft picks.

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (FantasyPros Consensus Ranking — #11)

You’re telling me Ryan Tannehill, the guy who finished seventh in quarterback fantasy points last year on the NFL’s second run-heaviest offense and now has Julio Jones playing as a WR2, that Ryan Tannehill, is being drafted as a backup in 10-team fantasy leagues?

Scoop him up in your draft and prepare to be rewarded for it.

The disrespect on Tannehill’s production is nothing new– same as his ability to shatter that dated perception on the field. Before his overall QB7 run last season, Tannehill finished as the overall QB3 in 2019 from Week 7 to the end of the year, the stretch of time when the Titans’ quarterback was promoted from bench duty to starter.

Now, Tennessee will be introducing a new offensive coordinator, one with a background in coaching quarterbacks, and will be introducing one of the most talented receivers of a generation to a wide receiver group that already included AJ Brown.

With a change in offensive philosophy and an influx of pass-catching talent, expect the run-heavy Titans to rely a slight bit more on the arm of Tannehill than they did last year. With more of a chance to shine, the Titans’ quarterback might jump back to his QB3 ways over the course of 2021– or at least pretty close to it.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (FantasyPros Consensus Ranking — #12)

How Matthew Stafford’s fantasy stock has dropped all the way to QB12, I will never know.

Stafford has made the move from the desolate, depressing wasteland of success and offensive talent known as the Detroit Lions to the sunny shore of Los Angeles, where the waiting hands of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp await, and the offensive genius of head coach Sean McVay is standing at the gates of SoFi Stadium waiting to greet him in.

Despite worse talent around him and worse coaching on the sidelines, Stafford still flashed talent as a legitimate real-life football asset, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 26 touchdowns in the midst of a lost 2020 season.

With the boost in supporting cast, Stafford could build on what was a strong season and shine as a solid starting quarterback for your fantasy team, all for the cost of a Round 10-12 draft pick.

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (FantasyPros Consensus Ranking — #13)

Here’s a secret about Joe Burrow, one that might have been lost in a season derailed by injuries and overshadowed by the surprise stardom of another rookie quarterback in Justin Herbert.

Joe Burrow is really good at football– and proved it last year before the eventual leg injury heard around the streets of Ohio.

FantasyPros consensus QB13 is currently being drafted like a high-to-mid tier backup, despite playing the 2020 season like a star in the making just waiting to blossom. The former LSU Tiger used a heavy amount of passing volume to put up chunks of passing yards in just about every game he played, peaking in Week 7 with a 406 yard, three passing touchdown performance where he also added one score on the ground as well.

And things looked promising for Burrow from that moment on, following up that stellar showing with another strong outing the following week, struggling a bit after the bye against a strong Steelers defense, and eventually seeing his season coming to an early end the next week against another great Washington Football Team defense.

But keep in mind who Burrow was in 2020. A rookie, on 2019’s worst football team, who was gifted heaps of passing volume and now has the benefit of experience working for him, as well as the addition of a rookie receiver in Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s former LSU teammate who finished with a 20 touchdown season in their last college run together.

Taking a young quarterback fresh off an injury could be a gamble, but one that could pay off handsomely in the case of Burrow.

The post Fantasy: 3 non-top 10 QBs that will shine in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Keith James

Down But Not Out

The NFL season is upon us and with that, we are aiming to improve our fantasy teams. In redraft, we are scrambling to make trades that will set us up for the current season. In dynasty leagues, managers should focus on setting up their teams for the next three years. No matter where a team is in the dynasty process, whether a team is rebuilding, in contention, or somewhere in between, there is always room to improve. In this article, I will give managers three sleeper quarterbacks to trade for in your dynasty league.

Jameis Winston

Now that Jameis Winston has won the quarterback job for the Saints, he is primed to revitalize his career. Winston of course was the top overall pick in 2016 and had an up and down career with the Bucs before leaving for New Orleans last year. Winston has the talent. There have always been questions about his character, his maturity level, and his leadership skills. There have also been questions about his turnover problem.

Winston is in the rare company becoming the first player to ever throw for 30 touchdowns and throw for 30 interceptions in one year. That is hard to do. Most quarterbacks would have been benched well before hitting 20 interceptions let alone 30 but Bruce Arians had few options other than play Winston and hope for the best. That lead to a 7-9 season and Winston was bounced from the Bay.

Going to New Orleans, Winston wanted to revitalize his career. Studying under Sean Payton and Drew Brees for a year, I believe Winston will once again show he is able to deliver. The Saints might have found gold. With reports that Jameis had eye surgery to correct his vision, paired with his big arm and his ability to move around in the pocket, Winston will be primed for fantasy gold once again. Remember, even though Winston threw 30 picks in 2019, he was still QB4 that year with over 5,000 yards passing and 33 touchdowns. Winston can play, the question is has he grown up? Can he hit deep shots and not turn the ball over? Can he lead an offense with suddenly few playmakers down in the bayou? I say yes.

Winston is worth a 2nd round pick in either 2022 or 2023. I would try to pair a player and a 2nd round pick for Winston and another player. Get Jameis on your squad and watch fantasy goodness for a cheap price for the next 3-5 years.

Zach Wilson

I will be the first to admit, I was not a Zach Wilson fan. I didn’t think he could play outside of the MAC where BYU was able to dominate. When I watched Wilson, I saw a talented kid that had all day to throw. He was fairly exposed by Coastal Carolina in the one game where BYU played top-level competition and he looked extraordinarily ordinary.

Wilson has the arm talent to succeed in the NFL. Chris Simms is right, he can throw from any platform and he throws a beautiful deep ball. I was fairly biased in my evaluation and not knowing the kid personally, I thought a rich kid from Utah would struggle in the big apple. I was wrong.

Wilson will not be dominant out of the gates but I love the coaching staff with the Jets. They hit a home run with coach Saleh and I think Mike LaFleur will be able to maximize Wilson’s talents. He will not wow folks in the beginning and this is when you strike. Most fantasy teams were able to get Wilson as a low-round first-round pick or a high second-round pick so he is not seen as a top-level asset. Wait until Wilson struggles a bit out of the gates and then offer a player and a 2nd round pick for Wilson. He may even be worth a later first-round pick if you believe your team is in contention. The kid can play and he will be worth investing a lower-valued asset in exchange for a franchise QB, able to put up big numbers by year two or three in NYC.

Jordan Love

As a Bears fan, it pains me to say this but Jordan Love isn’t bad. He may not be Favre or Rodgers good, but Jordan Love has talent. He reminds me a lot of Trey Lance. Both players are big, strong, lanky QB’s that can throw the ball a mile. Love is raw but comes next year, he could be a top 15 fantasy asset.

The game is changing. Running QB’s are indeed a Konami cheat code. If a QB can pick up 400 yards on the ground that is a 35 point advantage they have over passing QBs. That means that passing QB’s would have to throw either 6 more touchdowns than the running QB or 800 yards more passing than a running QB. Or some combination of the two. The point is more would have to go right for passing QB’s to be successful in fantasy than for running QB’s. This is where Jordan Love’s skillset makes sense.

He is all but forgotten about and he can definitely be an asset to your team. He shouldn’t cost much these days. There isn’t a lot of hype around Jordan Love. Dynasty players know he is playing next year when Aaron Rodgers inevitably leaves but the talk around the NFL is that Love is far from ready. This means it’s time to pounce. By acquiring Love now for a 2nd round pick, a fantasy manager can lock up a starting NFL QB for the next 2-3 years minimum. Love would still have an offense with Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, and Robert Tonyan and a great offensive line. Matt LaFleur is a solid NFL coach and he will put together a scheme for Love to succeed.

Love having the luxury of sitting for two years and learning from one of the best QB’s to ever play the game in Aaron Rodgers will absolutely allow Jordan Love to thrive day one under center in 2022. This is where patience in dynasty leagues plays out. For a struggling team, you may be able to offer a 2nd round pick as they load up on picks for their rookie drafts next year and steal away a potential top 12-15 NFL QB that gives you downfield passing and the ability to chew up yardage on the ground. Go get yourself some love and love your dynasty team!

The post 3 sleeper QBs to trade for in Dynasty appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Daniel Racz @Danny___Dimes 

Introduction

Despite the quarterback position making a minimal impact in most fantasy football leagues, taking a quarterback at any point does not have to be a fruitless endeavor. Navigating the position correctly can give you an edge that few other league-mates possess. Last year, targeting players in the middle rounds like Josh Allen (and fading players like Drew Brees) gave you a leg up on your competition. 

This year, there are a few tight ends that you should not be drafting at their current average draft positions, including some familiar faces from prior years. If you can properly fade the quarterbacks that will disappoint, you are in a good place.

Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes stands the best chance to finish as the top quarterback in fantasy football in 2021. However, he is currently drafted over one round ahead of any other quarterback. Drafting Mahomes is a significant, and unnecessary investment. When you draft anyone as the top player at their position, the only way they can meet expectations is by finishing as such. Taking a gamble on Mahomes as the QB1 instead of a better wide receiver or running back will likely set your team(s) back. 

The Chiefs rebuilt their offensive line, which should help the overall dynamism of the offense. Mahomes will have more time to throw to his elite weapons Tyreek Hill and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. However, the better offensive line could shift red-zone play-calling to favor giving goal-line carries to running backs as opposed to opportunities for Mahomes.

Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow is the easiest fade at the quarterback position right now. Burrow is drafted ahead of Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, and Ryan Tannehill. The addition of college teammate Ja’Marr Chase is keeping Burrow’s ADP high. Burrow has perhaps the best wide receiver trio in the national football league, but he also plays behind a poor offensive line and is coming off a torn ACL injury.

As a rookie, Joe Burrow met expectations. He did not do anything extraordinary like Justin Herbert, but he proved that he was fit to lead Cincinnati for the next decade. Then, all of the sudden, Burrow lost the second half of the year to a torn ACL. Burrow’s injury will likely make him less mobile. The consequences of Burrow’s reduced movement will be fewer rushing yards, a major disappointment to fantasy owners. Though Burrow offers a tad more rushing upside than Stafford and Brady, he is on an inferior offense and should be faded at his current cost.  

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield is not going as a top 16 QB, but an average draft position of QB19 still feels rich. Given the rushing upside that Carson Wentz and Daniel Jones offer, it seems foolish to take Baker ahead of those two dual threats. If Baker Mayfield plays the entire season, he will almost certainly finish as a QB2 in terms of total points and likely points per game. That said, the QB19 is not winning you any titles.

Baker is still on a run-first team due to the Browns’ elite offensive line and stud running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, hurting his upside. If Baker does end up slightly outproducing his ADP, will you be happy with him as your backup quarterback? Unless the answer is a resounding yes, stay away from Mayfield.

The post Fantasy Football: 3 Quarterbacks to avoid in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.