What has happened to the quarterback position in fantasy football these last couple of years?
Quarterbacks are getting pushed further and further down the draft board each passing year, and this year that trend has hit an all time high (or low, depending on your point of view).
The position was a mess last season due to major injuries to some of the top QBs (Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck) and then general ineffectiveness (Matt Ryan, Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota). It all led to a down year at the position, yet takes us into this upcoming fantasy season with the most depth I can ever remember at QB.
Let’s all assume that we are playing in 12 team leagues, for the sake of the article. I know a lot of you out there reading this play in four-point passing TD leagues; I prefer six-point passing touchdown leagues, where the QB position is not an afterthought, but I also play in enough four-point passing TD high stakes leagues to know that each type of format has a very different feel to it.
Until this upcoming year, that is.
Even in the six-point passing high stakes leagues (National Fantasy Football Championships), many of the big-name quarterbacks (we’ll get to them below) we got used to seeing come off the draft board early in years past all have ADPs of 100 or higher — and that’s not including the likes of Cam Newton, Drew Brees, and Carson Wentz, whose ADPs are slightly ahead, all in the 90s. So why is it that all of these quarterbacks can be had so late this year in drafts after you have built your team base at other positions? To me the answer is simple: depth.
Let’s say you held tight until hearing the three quarterbacks I mentioned earlier (Newton, Brees, Wentz) go off the board. You are now at the point of the draft where you’re one of four or five teams without a signal caller.Should you be worried? Maybe in past years you would’ve been, but not in 2018. While most of your leaguemates have already selected a quarterback with one of their top eight-round draft picks, you were busy drafting that nice fourth wide receiver, or one of those mid-round running backs with upside that you feel can play a significant role out of your flex spot on a weekly basis.
So what does your patience reward you with if you wait out your leaguemates until they have all selected their quarterback and the game of QB chicken has come to an end?
Currently the QB12 in NFFC ADP is Big Ben Roethlisberger, who only has the best wide receiver in fantasy football (Antonio Brown) and a budding superstar in JuJu Smith-Schuster at his disposal to throw to.
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Roethlisberger comes in a couple spots after good ol’ reliable Matt Stafford, who at this point of the draft is exactly the type of QB your loaded roster is looking for — a safe one.
Speaking of ol’ reliables, Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan are next up, and lead offenses loaded with talent all over the field. Each QB has a bigtime WR1 talent, in Julio Jones and Keenan Allen; they haveyoung, up-and-coming first-round draft picks in Calvin Ridley and Mike Williams; and they boast great pass-catching running backs out of the backfield in Devonta Freeman and Melvin Gordon. These two quarterbacks can lead my fantasy team any day of the week and I’ll sleep like a baby at night.
Maybe you like a little risk in your life, though, and want to go for some big-time upside at this point of the draft, and roll the dice on a couple young gunners? Let me introduce you to the new kid on the block, Pat Mahomes. He’s 6’3 with a cannon for an arm out of Texas Tech and can take off and use his legs when a play breaks down. He now has the keys to the car and is in charge of an Andy Reid offense loaded with talent, after bringing in Sammy Watkins this offseason, to add to an already dangerous offense.
Another young quarterback who arrived last year and is poised to take another step this season — in my opinion — is Jared Goff. Under the guidance of one of the league’s best play-callers, Sean McVay, who has vowed to open up the playbook even more this year and, supposedly, added more wrinkles to an offense that scored the most points in the NFL last season, Goff has potential top-five fantasy quarterback written all over him. Oh, did I forget to mention the Rams went out this offseason and added Brandin Cooks to take the top off of the defense and give Goff one of the best deep threats in all of football?
All of these quarterbacks have ADPs of 125 or greater, but all of them could wind up being a major key to winning a fantasy title for you this year. And that, my friends, is why waiting on QB is a thing this year, more than any other year in the past.
Also, check out our new podcast, “The Beta Test,” and let us know what you think:
(Top photo:Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports)
Chris Vaccaro has over 15 years of experience playing fantasy football in the high stakes industry including six figure winnings and a National Championship in 2013. He was inducted into the fantasy football high stakes Hall of Fame in 2015. Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisVaccaroGST
