Kirk Cousins was producing at an incredible pace last year with the Vikings prior to his injury that saw him miss the last nine games of the season. He then signed a free agent contract for four years with the Falcons who were desperate for a quarterback. In a new environment, what can Cousins do for Atlanta?
2024 Fantasy Football Profile: Kirk Cousins
2023 in Review
Cousins produced just under 155 fantasy points last season in eight games played. He was on pace to produce approximately 310 fantasy points which would have seen him finish as the QB6 ahead of players like Jordan Love and Jared Goff. In the eight games he did play in, Cousins averaged 19 points per game and finished with 15 points or more in 75% of his appearances.
The Vikings didn’t have much of a run game, but they could move the ball quite well with Cousins under center. Those two games where he didn’t produce at least 15 fantasy points were also the same two weeks he didn’t throw for over 250 yards. He wasn’t just consistent, but he was also consistently good despite being 35 years old.
Kirk Cousins THREADS it across the field to the side, to hit Darnell Mooney! pic.twitter.com/rqPn5IPZO9
— Sizzle (@SizzleHybrid) August 2, 2024
2024 Projection
Cousins is going to have some work to do this year. Not only is he coming back from an Achilles injury, he’s learning a new offense in Atlanta. While Cousins is a pro’s pro, growing pains in a new offense are to be expected. He has talented pass catchers in Drake London and Kyle Pitts who will see a major increase in fantasy value this year and for the remainder of Cousins’ time with the Falcons.
He was on pace last year to set a new career-high in touchdowns with 36 prior to his injury and had a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 3.6/1 showing his ability to take care of the ball. Cousins may not throw close to 40 touchdowns this season, but it’s reasonable to expect at least 25-30 with 3,500+ yards to his name.
Kirk Cousins Fantasy Football ADP
Cousins has an ADP right of 127 on FantasyPros that sees him going as early as 82 and as late as 128. That ADP has him going in rounds 10-12 depending upon the number of teams in the league. It’s a bit unusual to see his ADP sit just one pick before the latest he has ever gone, and it shows he’s being taken there as a value pick.
He may not be a starting quarterback in fantasy anymore unless your team is stacked at wide receiver and running back. Those days seem to be over for Cousins, but he still provides promising numbers off the bench. He will make you question which quarterback to play each week unless your starter is one of the elites.
It’s about value for Cousins in this spot as he enters a new system. He produced incredible numbers in his first year with the Vikings and may do the same in Atlanta. Taking Cousins as your starting quarterback is a solid gamble, but consider drafting another player of his caliber in the next round. Options like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert or Baker Mayfield would do the trick.
Main Photo Courtesy of Sam Navarro – USA Today Sports
