Andrew Luck showed us why it’s not always a good move to invest heavily in a fantasy QB
In our Lessons Learned series, we’ll be providing feedback from our NFL News Desk Correspondents as to what they’ve learned following the 2015 season. They’ve shared their takes per position, and we’ll get started with the ever-important signal callers. Here’s a look at what lessons were learned about NFL quarterbacks in 2015.
Aaron Rodgers is human after all
After losing Jordy Nelson in the preseason, there was speculation on how it would affect Rodgers’ play. Green Bay’s offense dropped from No. 1 in 2014 to No. 13 this season, and Rodgers’ numbers overall suffered. He finished with under 20 fantasy points in five games in 2015. With a healthy Nelson in 2016, A-Rod should return to his MVP form.
Anthony Cervino – @theRealNFLguru
Cam Newton makes case for 2016’s top fantasy QB
Newton was not a popular preseason pick, but that won’t be the case heading into 2016. His numbers are extremely impressive, and that’s before factoring in the loss of Kelvin Benjamin to a torn ACL. With the 2014 first-round pick presumably returning healthy in training camp, it’s possible we’ve yet to see Cam’s best.
Derek Norton – @mdereknorton
Ryan Fitzpatrick is mid-round talent in 2016
Fitzpatrick has proven to be a quality fantasy starter in 2015. Fitzpatrick has done enough to earn himself a starting job in 2016 and if that proves to be true, he should be targeted as a mid-round quarterback in next season’s fantasy drafts. He has the weapons around him and a strong running game to help him put up even better numbers in seasons to come.
Anthony Cervino – @theRealNFLguru
Don’t invest in quarterbacks
In the preseason, the consensus top two quarterbacks were Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck. While Luck and Rodgers were mostly serviceable when available, tying an early-round pick to that position likely hamstrung you when it came to streaming production or scooping players off the waiver wire. There were stretches where Tyrod Taylor (preseason ECR QB27), Derek Carr (QB25), Jameis Winston (QB24) and even Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB30) were not only serviceable, but viable and quality options. This ignores Andy Dalton (QB21) and Blake Bortles (QB26) who evolved into set-and-forget top 10 quarterbacks by season’s end. Next season find a couple of mid-tier quarterbacks and ride them until you can’t, and let others spend money on guys like Rodgers and Luck.
Jeff Krisko – @jmkrisko
Blake Bortles will be a top five quarterback in 2016
Bortles has grown into a top 10 fantasy quarterback in 2015. Bortles showcased his ability by leading the Jaguars’ offense up and down the field while using all of his weapons. Target Bortles ahead of some of the big names we are used to seeing in 2016.
Anthony Cervino – @theRealNFLguru
Big jump in production for second-year starters
Quarterbacks who were in their second full season as a starting quarterback in the NFL this year were some of the best late-round draft picks. Blake Bortles and Derek Carr made big jumps in fantasy production this season in their second year. Teddy Bridgewater saw a small improvement in his production and Kirk Cousins who only had about one season worth of games under his belt coming into this season also made a big leap forward. Players that could fit into this profile for 2016 that you should keep in mind include Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor and Brock Osweiler.
Brad Richter – @rotopilot
