With the fantasy football playoffs upon us, it’s time to take a look back at the biggest hits and misses from each position.
Today we start with the position that is usually our highest weekly scorer: quarterback. It was certainly the deepest position but was still one where you needed to avoid land mines.
As part of a series for LastWordOnProFootball, I will take a look at each fantasy position to appreciate who got us to the playoffs and who didn’t.
(All draft position data from FantasyPros).
Fantasy Football Quarterbacks: Hits and Misses in 2020
Hits
Justin Herbert
Draft Position: Not drafted
Fantasy PPG: 22.6
Current Rank: QB7
Herbert was expected to be the Los Angeles Chargers backup to Tyrod Taylor, with the potential of maybe starting in the second half of the season. After a team doctor accidentally punctured Taylor’s lung right before Week 2, Herbert got his chance to start and never looked back. He finished as a QB1 in that first game against the Kansas City Chiefs with 311 passing yards, two total touchdowns, and one interception. Herbert had a streak of seven consecutive weeks as a Top 12 fantasy quarterback including the overall top performance in Week 7 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has tallied four overall QB4 or better games and ranks fifth in passing attempts despite missing the first game. The rookie has added three rushing touchdowns and a sneaky 16.8 rushing yards per game. If you took him late in a two-quarterback league or nabbed him on the waiver wire, you have enjoyed the biggest quarterback hit of the fantasy regular season.
Ryan Tannehill
Draft Position: QB21
Fantasy PPG: 20.8
Current Rank: QB9
Many fantasy drafters failed to believe Tannehill’s 2019 revival could continue this season. From Week 12-16, he produced four overall QB6 or better stat lines. As a result of the doubt, his preseason ADP fell to QB21, behind signal-callers such as Jimmy Garoppolo, Jared Goff, and even rookie Joe Burrow. Late-round quarterback zealots were rewarded with four games of four total touchdowns, and seven Top 12 fantasy quarterback performances. The last three weeks of the fantasy regular season were even better with eight total touchdowns, only two interceptions, and the overall QB2 performances last week. His overall rank in fantasy points per game at the position in only ninth, but the spike weeks make him one of the best hits at the quarterback position.
Josh Allen
Draft Position: QB9
Fantasy PPG: 24.6
Current Rank: QB4
No quarterback was more polarizing in the preseason than Buffalo’s Josh Allen. Those that touted his potential MVP candidacy have been handsomely rewarded, with Allen ranking fourth at the position with 24.6 fantasy points per game. Allen has 29 total touchdowns (including three rushing), and his weekly rushing ability secures a high fantasy floor. He has five games of 30 or more rushing yards, three games of four or more touchdowns, and five games as the overall QB3 or better. With a QB9 ADP, Allen has been one of the best hits at the fantasy quarterback position.
Misses
Matt Ryan
Draft Position: QB10
Fantasy PPG: 17.7
Current Rank: QB21
Matt Ryan entered the fantasy season as Mr. Consistent with 26 or more touchdown passes in eight of the prior ten seasons. However, the 2020 season has been a massive disappointment as Ryan ranks just 21st in fantasy points per game with just 18 touchdown passes. Ryan generates minimal rushing production, placing an even larger spotlight on his lack of passing value. Atlanta’s 0-5 start forced a head coaching change from Dan Quinn to Raheem Morris, which has coincided with a drop in Ryan’s passing yardage total. He has failed to eclipse 300 passing yards in any of the past five weeks, after three such performances in the Falcons’ first seven games. It appears “Matty Ice” is no longer an elite fantasy quarterback option.
Daniel Jones
Draft Position: QB15
Fantasy PPG: 14.3
Current Rank: QB26
There were high hopes for a second-year leap for Daniel Jones, but that all came crashing down when Saquon Barkley was lost for the season in Week 2. The Duke-product had four games in 2019 with an overall QB3 or better stat line, including a four-touchdown, overall QB1 performance against the Detroit Lions. However, Jones has failed to even approach his preseason ADP of QB15, currently sitting as the QB27 with just 14 fantasy points per game. Jones still ranks fourth at the position with 36.6 rushing yards per game, but his 13 turnovers with just nine total touchdowns are nauseating. Maybe Jones can rebound with a healthy Barkley in 2021, but for this season he remains a huge fantasy miss.
Carson Wentz
Draft Position: QB11
Fantasy PPG: 17.8
Current Rank: QB20
It’s hard to believe Carson Wentz was actually drafted as a QB1 in the preseason. Fantasy owners still hung on to false hope from his injury-shortened 2017 season, where Wentz was actually the MVP frontrunner. In just 13 games that season, Wentz had 33 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. This season, he has just 16 touchdowns with 19 turnovers, including four lost fumbles. Philadelphia head coach Doug Pederson has announced that Wentz will be benched this week in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts. With eight performances as the overall QB15 or worse this season, it’s hard to argue why. If you drafted Wentz as your late-round quarterback, he has likely been benched or dropped.
