Will inconsistency or a potentially improved division prevent Marcus Mariota from breaking out in his second year?
There are three second-year quarterbacks in 2016 that have the potential to make a big fantasy impact this year and can be had for a late round pick. I wouldn’t suggest drafting any of these guys as your starter in redraft leagues, but if you want to take a chance with a late round pick, these three guys could be fantasy gold.
Start preparing for your league now with our NFL Draft Simulator
Jameis Winston (TB)
Winston is the obvious choice when it comes to second-year QBs. He has some pretty good offensive weapons surrounding him in wide receiver’s Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, running back Doug Martin, and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
If he can remain healthy. Winston had an up and down rookie season but ultimately ended the season as the No. 12 overall QB in fantasy with over 4,000 passing yards and 22 TDs. If he can cut back on his 15 interceptions while increasing his touchdown totals, I could easily see Winston as a top 10 QB in 2016.
Marcus Mariota (TEN)
The other fairly obvious choice for second-year QBs is Mariota, who burst onto the fantasy scene in 2015 with a four-touchdown Week 1 performance. Mariota was the ultimate feast of famine quarterback last year with four games of 25 or more fantasy points — including a 42 point effort against their division rival Jaguars — but also had four games with 15 or less (not including Week 17 in which he only attempted six passes).
Looking at the glass half full, Mariota plays in a division that is traditionally not very good with the Texans winning the division in 2015 at a mere 9-7. The half empty side will tell you that the Texans have one of the best defenses in the entire league, and the Jaguars took major strides to improve their defense, meaning things may not be so easy for the young signal caller from Oregon. He is worth a late-round flier and nothing more, but he could pay off handsomely if things fall into place with their retooled offense.
Trevor Siemian (DEN)
Siemian is a dark-horse candidate. He is the least likely QB to win the starting job in Denver, but Gary Kubiak has not ruled him out as the starter — as first reported by ESPN. If he were to win the job, he would take over a Super Bowl winning team that boasts some pretty good offensive weapons and an opportunistic defense that can force turnovers, setting the offense up in a good position to score. Siemian may only be a dynasty option or a late round flier in a very deep redraft at this point, but a good showing in preseason to win the starting job would put him on the fantasy radar.
Geoff Lambert is a correspondent at FantasyPros. You can read more from Geoff by visiting his site GoingFor2.com or follow him on Twitter @GeoffLambert77.