A major part of fantasy draft prep is identifying potential value picks for your particular format and coming up with a plan. You’re going to read multiple versions of that advice over the next month or so as we head into the heart of the draft season. One of the ways to find potential value is to identify “bounce-back” candidates at various positions who might fall in drafts or who just might not go as high they should because of what happened the year before. Here, we’re going to take a look at a handful of bounce-back quarterbacks to target in drafts.

Have questions or just want to talk football? Feel free to reach out on Twitter @mikeMaher with questions or feedback anytime.

Average Draft Position (ADP) referenced is FantasyPros consensus ADP.

Practice fast mock drafts with our free Mock Draft Simulator

Joe Burrow (CIN) ADP: QB12

Even before his season-ending injury, Joe Burrow’s 2020 was meh. Sure, he was on pace to throw for more than 4,000 yards, but that isn’t the accomplishment it used to be, especially from a fantasy perspective. In 10 games, Burrow completed 264 of his 404 pass attempts for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing 37 times for 142 yards and three more touchdowns. Fantasy managers didn’t draft Burrow for 1.3 passing touchdowns per game or 6.7 yards per attempt. Then, a torn ACL in his 10th game turned a mildly disappointing season into a disaster.

At his current ADP of QB12 and ECR of QB13, Burrow is drafted as a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 in early drafts. I’m not banking on Burrow as my QB1, but I am intrigued by the improved Cincinnati offensive line and the addition of Ja’Marr Chase. My guess is Burrow’s early ADP is tied to expert and high-end leagues and will fall in the coming weeks, especially if news starts to come out in training camp that he is limited. That’s when I’ll become more interested because I’ll be able to get someone I believe will be a high-end QB2 as a mid-round QB2 who is getting drafted after Matt Ryan, Trevor Lawrence, Kirk Cousins, and Baker Mayfield.

Carson Wentz (IND) ADP: QB22

Did anyone have a more forgettable 2020 than Carson Wentz? The Eagles were an absolute dumpster fire, and Wentz was in the middle of it. Was Wentz good in 2020? No, not even close. But he was in an impossible situation in Philadelphia. They started 14 different offensive line combinations in 16 games, and his already lackluster receiving corps dealt with injuries throughout the season. Doug Pederson looked lost just a couple of seasons after winning a Super Bowl, and the Eagles moved on from both Pederson and Wentz.

Now, Wentz is in Indianapolis with Frank Reich and, more importantly, stability. The Colts should once again have one of the better offensive lines in football, and I believe Wentz will thrive in an offense that will take a more balanced approach. T.Y. Hilton, Michael Pittman Jr., and Parris Campbell are clear upgrades over what Wentz had in Philadelphia. The Colts have a clear RB1 in Jonathan Taylor and legitimate rotational backs in Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines.

Wentz is going as a low-end QB2, according to his current ADP. If that number sticks in the coming weeks, I’ll have shares in most of my leagues.

Taking their price/ADP into consideration, who do you like more as a bounce-back candidate this season?

— mike Maher. (@mikeMaher) July 12, 2021

Dak Prescott (DAL) ADP: QB5

This one is all about Dak Prescott coming back healthy in 2021. After a mediocre Week 1 against the Rams to kick off the 2020 season, Prescott went on to throw for 450 or more yards in three straight games while combining for 11 total touchdowns over that span before suffering a gruesome injury in Week 5 against the Giants. With the Dallas defense in shambles, it looked early on like Prescott might put up 40 fantasy points a week just to keep his team in games.

While the debate about whether or not Prescott is an “elite” NFL quarterback rages on, there’s no denying his value in fantasy formats. The questions for 2021 will be his overall health and his willingness (or perhaps the team’s willingness) to run. However, Prescott can be one of the most valuable quarterbacks in fantasy, even if he doesn’t run the ball. In Week 2 last year, he rushed for three touchdowns but only ran for 18 total yards. In Week 4, he threw for over 500 yards and four touchdowns and only rushed for seven yards.

Prescott doesn’t necessarily need to run the ball to put up big numbers with the weapons and offensive line the Cowboys have. Some may fade him slightly because of injury or running concerns, but most won’t. Unlike some of the other names here, there isn’t likely to be a discount for Prescott on draft day. He is going as the QB5 right now but has obvious QB1-2 overall upside in this offense.

Sam Darnold (CAR) ADP: QB29

Sam Darnold escapes Adam Gase. Do we need to dig any deeper than that for reasons why he is a bounce-back candidate? Ok, we’ll go a little bit deeper than that. Darnold is with the Panthers in a much better situation this year. On offense, he has Christian McCaffrey to lean on and legitimate weapons in Robby Anderson, DJ Moore, Terrace Marshall, and David Moore.

The important thing here is the price. At his current ADP of QB29, Darnold is essentially free and may even go undrafted in standard leagues. His ECR is a bit higher at QB25, putting him at the tail-end of QB2 status. And if he starts to turn heads in training camp and/or the preseason, those numbers will start to creep up into solid QB2 territory.

Darnold is being drafted after Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovailoa, and Daniel Jones in standard formats. Still, I’d much rather roll the dice on Darnold with a late-round pick while using the much more valuable mid-round pick on another position.

Start your early draft prep with our Mock Draft Simulator

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio

Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you prepare for your draft this season. From our free mock Draft Simulator – which allows you to mock draft against realistic opponents – to our Draft Assistant – that optimizes your picks with expert advice – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football draft season.

Mike Maher is an editor and featured writer at FantasyPros and BettingPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive, follow him on Twitter @MikeMaher, and visit his Philadelphia Eagles blog, The Birds Blitz.