Fantasy football is about starting your best possible lineup and scoring more points than your opponent. While streaming options to start players at their peak may work for some of your starting positions, you need to balance it out with players you can feel good about week in and week out. Players that can give you consistent points is the key to winning a fantasy championship. If you did not come away with your league’s top prize, take notes, because these were the most consistent players in fantasy this season.
All of the points below take standard scoring into account, so we are only looking at yards and touchdowns. What qualifies as a “poor”, “quality” and “great” performance differs depending on the position, but they will be defined on the top of the tables. All of the players listed recorded at least three performances of a “quality” or better start this season. If you do not see a player on the list, clearly they are not consistent, whether that be because of their on-field performance or their inability to stay on the field.
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Quarterbacks
Rk
|
Player
|
Poor | Quality | Great | Quality + Great | ||||
less than 15.3 pts | 15.3 to 23 pts | more than 23 pts | more than 15.3 pts | ||||||
1 | Lamar Jackson | 1 | 7% | 3 | 20% | 11 | 73% | 14 | 93% |
2 | Dak Prescott | 3 | 19% | 5 | 31% | 8 | 50% | 13 | 81% |
3 | Josh Allen | 3 | 19% | 10 | 63% | 3 | 19% | 13 | 81% |
4 | Matt Ryan | 3 | 20% | 9 | 60% | 3 | 20% | 12 | 80% |
5 | Patrick Mahomes | 3 | 21% | 5 | 36% | 6 | 43% | 11 | 79% |
6 | Russell Wilson | 4 | 25% | 7 | 44% | 5 | 31% | 12 | 75% |
7 | Jameis Winston | 4 | 25% | 7 | 44% | 5 | 31% | 12 | 75% |
8 | Ryan Tannehill | 3 | 25% | 4 | 33% | 5 | 42% | 9 | 75% |
9 | Jeff Driskel | 1 | 25% | 2 | 50% | 1 | 25% | 3 | 75% |
10 | Matthew Stafford | 2 | 25% | 1 | 13% | 5 | 63% | 6 | 75% |
11 | Deshaun Watson | 4 | 27% | 4 | 27% | 7 | 47% | 11 | 73% |
12 | Drew Brees | 3 | 27% | 4 | 36% | 4 | 36% | 8 | 73% |
13 | Jared Goff | 5 | 31% | 7 | 44% | 4 | 25% | 11 | 69% |
14 | Gardner Minshew | 5 | 36% | 7 | 50% | 2 | 14% | 9 | 64% |
15 | Kyler Murray | 6 | 38% | 5 | 31% | 5 | 31% | 10 | 63% |
16 | Carson Wentz | 6 | 38% | 8 | 50% | 2 | 13% | 10 | 63% |
17 | Andy Dalton | 5 | 38% | 7 | 54% | 1 | 8% | 8 | 62% |
18 | Tom Brady | 7 | 44% | 5 | 31% | 4 | 25% | 9 | 56% |
19 | Baker Mayfield | 7 | 44% | 7 | 44% | 2 | 13% | 9 | 56% |
20 | Philip Rivers | 7 | 44% | 7 | 44% | 2 | 13% | 9 | 56% |
21 | Derek Carr | 7 | 44% | 8 | 50% | 1 | 6% | 9 | 56% |
22 | Sam Darnold | 6 | 46% | 5 | 38% | 2 | 15% | 7 | 54% |
23 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 7 | 47% | 3 | 20% | 5 | 33% | 8 | 53% |
24 | Kirk Cousins | 8 | 53% | 5 | 33% | 2 | 13% | 7 | 47% |
25 | Mitch Trubisky | 8 | 53% | 5 | 33% | 2 | 13% | 7 | 47% |
26 | Jacoby Brissett | 8 | 53% | 5 | 33% | 2 | 13% | 7 | 47% |
27 | Kyle Allen | 8 | 57% | 3 | 21% | 3 | 21% | 6 | 43% |
28 | Marcus Mariota | 4 | 57% | 1 | 14% | 2 | 29% | 3 | 43% |
29 | Case Keenum | 6 | 60% | 3 | 30% | 1 | 10% | 4 | 40% |
30 | Aaron Rodgers | 10 | 63% | 2 | 13% | 4 | 25% | 6 | 38% |
31 | Daniel Jones | 8 | 62% | 1 | 8% | 4 | 31% | 5 | 38% |
32 | Jimmy Garoppolo | 11 | 69% | 1 | 6% | 4 | 25% | 5 | 31% |
33 | Teddy Bridgewater | 7 | 70% | 2 | 20% | 1 | 10% | 3 | 30% |
34 | Mason Rudolph | 7 | 70% | 3 | 30% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 30% |
Notable Takeaways:
- These consistency rankings prove the argument that QB is the deepest position in fantasy football. There were 23 players that had a quality or great start (quality+) in over half of their games, while 11 different QBs recorded at least 10 games of quality+ starts.
- Preseason ADP did not equate to consistency. Of the first 10 QBs off the board, on average, only three were in the top-10 in consistency (Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson).
- New offense, new Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, the new Rodgers was incredibly inconsistent. He ranked 30th in consistency, with four great starts, but 10 poor starts.
- I think we can officially say the NFL has new faces of the league when looking at the top of the chart. Of the top-5 guys, Matt Ryan is the only veteran, while three others are in their second season as an NFL starter.
- What is there to say about Lamar Jackson that hasn’t already been said? He had just one poor start this season, so I guess I’m sorry if that was the week you decided to pay up for him in DFS, but he was a quality+ start every other time he stepped on the field.
Running Backs
Rk
|
Player
|
Poor | Quality | Great | Quality + Great | ||||
less than 10.4 pts | 10.4 to 17.5 pts | more than 17.5 pts | more than 10.4 pts | ||||||
1 | Dalvin Cook | 1 | 7% | 6 | 43% | 7 | 50% | 13 | 93% |
2 | Christian McCaffrey | 2 | 13% | 3 | 19% | 11 | 69% | 14 | 88% |
3 | Ezekiel Elliott | 2 | 13% | 8 | 50% | 6 | 38% | 14 | 88% |
4 | Derrick Henry | 3 | 20% | 5 | 33% | 7 | 47% | 12 | 80% |
5 | Aaron Jones | 5 | 31% | 5 | 31% | 6 | 38% | 11 | 69% |
6 | Josh Jacobs | 4 | 31% | 6 | 46% | 3 | 23% | 9 | 69% |
7 | Todd Gurley | 5 | 33% | 7 | 47% | 3 | 20% | 10 | 67% |
8 | Saquon Barkley | 5 | 38% | 3 | 23% | 5 | 38% | 8 | 62% |
9 | Mark Ingram | 6 | 40% | 4 | 27% | 5 | 33% | 9 | 60% |
10 | James Conner | 4 | 40% | 3 | 30% | 3 | 30% | 6 | 60% |
11 | Chris Carson | 6 | 40% | 5 | 33% | 4 | 27% | 9 | 60% |
12 | Joe Mixon | 7 | 44% | 7 | 44% | 2 | 13% | 9 | 56% |
13 | Nick Chubb | 8 | 50% | 4 | 25% | 4 | 25% | 8 | 50% |
14 | Melvin Gordon | 6 | 50% | 3 | 25% | 3 | 25% | 6 | 50% |
15 | Marlon Mack | 7 | 50% | 5 | 36% | 2 | 14% | 7 | 50% |
16 | Austin Ekeler | 8 | 50% | 4 | 25% | 4 | 25% | 8 | 50% |
17 | Devin Singletary | 6 | 50% | 5 | 42% | 1 | 8% | 6 | 50% |
18 | Kerryon Johnson | 4 | 50% | 4 | 50% | 0 | 0% | 4 | 50% |
19 | Leonard Fournette | 8 | 53% | 4 | 27% | 3 | 20% | 7 | 47% |
20 | Le’Veon Bell | 8 | 53% | 7 | 47% | 0 | 0% | 7 | 47% |
21 | David Johnson | 7 | 54% | 4 | 31% | 2 | 15% | 6 | 46% |
22 | Raheem Mostert | 9 | 56% | 3 | 19% | 4 | 25% | 7 | 44% |
23 | Alvin Kamara | 8 | 57% | 3 | 21% | 3 | 21% | 6 | 43% |
24 | Jordan Howard | 6 | 60% | 3 | 30% | 1 | 10% | 4 | 40% |
25 | Phillip Lindsay | 10 | 63% | 3 | 19% | 3 | 19% | 6 | 38% |
26 | Miles Sanders | 10 | 63% | 3 | 19% | 3 | 19% | 6 | 38% |
27 | Adrian Peterson | 10 | 63% | 6 | 38% | 0 | 0% | 6 | 38% |
28 | Ronald Jones II | 10 | 63% | 6 | 38% | 0 | 0% | 6 | 38% |
29 | Damien Williams | 7 | 64% | 2 | 18% | 2 | 18% | 4 | 36% |
30 | Kareem Hunt | 6 | 67% | 3 | 33% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 33% |
31 | David Montgomery | 11 | 69% | 3 | 19% | 2 | 13% | 5 | 31% |
32 | Sony Michel | 11 | 69% | 3 | 19% | 2 | 13% | 5 | 31% |
33 | Carlos Hyde | 11 | 69% | 5 | 31% | 0 | 0% | 5 | 31% |
34 | Rashaad Penny | 7 | 70% | 1 | 10% | 2 | 20% | 3 | 30% |
35 | Devonta Freeman | 10 | 71% | 2 | 14% | 2 | 14% | 4 | 29% |
36 | Kenyan Drake | 10 | 71% | 1 | 7% | 3 | 21% | 4 | 29% |
37 | Tevin Coleman | 10 | 71% | 3 | 21% | 1 | 7% | 4 | 29% |
38 | Latavius Murray | 12 | 75% | 2 | 13% | 2 | 13% | 4 | 25% |
39 | Duke Johnson | 12 | 75% | 4 | 25% | 0 | 0% | 4 | 25% |
40 | LeSean McCoy | 10 | 77% | 2 | 15% | 1 | 8% | 3 | 23% |
41 | Rex Burkhead | 10 | 77% | 3 | 23% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 23% |
42 | Chase Edmonds | 10 | 77% | 2 | 15% | 1 | 8% | 3 | 23% |
43 | Jamaal Williams | 11 | 79% | 2 | 14% | 1 | 7% | 3 | 21% |
44 | James White | 12 | 80% | 2 | 13% | 1 | 7% | 3 | 20% |
45 | Tony Pollard | 12 | 80% | 1 | 7% | 2 | 13% | 3 | 20% |
46 | Frank Gore | 13 | 81% | 3 | 19% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 19% |
47 | Peyton Barber | 13 | 81% | 2 | 13% | 1 | 6% | 3 | 19% |
48 | DeAndre Washington | 13 | 81% | 3 | 19% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 19% |
Notable Takeaways:
- While Christian McCaffrey dominated the RB headlines, it was Dalvin Cook who was the most consistent RB in fantasy, though he missed games due to injury.
- Four RBs had 80 percent or higher quality+ starts, making them true locks whenever they were active.
- Josh Jacobs was the most consistent rookie runner, ranking sixth.
- Despite a down, frustrating year for Todd Gurley owners, where he looked noticeably worse, he was still the seventh-most consistent RB.
- Buckle up for this. Alvin Kamara was less consistent than David Johnson.
- Le’Veon Bell failed to produce a “great” performance in his first season with the Jets.
Wide Receivers
Rk
|
Player
|
Poor | Quality | Great | Quality + Great | ||||
less than 8 pts | 8 to 13.7 pts | more than 13.7 pts | more than 8 pts | ||||||
1 | Michael Thomas | 2 | 13% | 6 | 38% | 8 | 50% | 14 | 88% |
2 | D.J. Moore | 4 | 27% | 10 | 67% | 1 | 7% | 11 | 73% |
3 | Golden Tate | 3 | 27% | 6 | 55% | 2 | 18% | 8 | 73% |
4 | Calvin Ridley | 4 | 31% | 5 | 38% | 4 | 31% | 9 | 69% |
5 | DeAndre Hopkins | 5 | 33% | 6 | 40% | 4 | 27% | 10 | 67% |
6 | Davante Adams | 4 | 33% | 4 | 33% | 4 | 33% | 8 | 67% |
7 | Chris Godwin | 5 | 36% | 4 | 29% | 5 | 36% | 9 | 64% |
8 | Amari Cooper | 6 | 38% | 4 | 25% | 6 | 38% | 10 | 63% |
9 | Julian Edelman | 6 | 38% | 6 | 38% | 4 | 25% | 10 | 63% |
10 | Cooper Kupp | 6 | 38% | 5 | 31% | 5 | 31% | 10 | 63% |
11 | Kenny Golladay | 6 | 38% | 5 | 31% | 5 | 31% | 10 | 63% |
12 | DeVante Parker | 6 | 38% | 6 | 38% | 4 | 25% | 10 | 63% |
13 | Julio Jones | 6 | 40% | 4 | 27% | 5 | 33% | 9 | 60% |
14 | Stefon Diggs | 6 | 40% | 6 | 40% | 3 | 20% | 9 | 60% |
15 | Robert Woods | 6 | 40% | 6 | 40% | 3 | 20% | 9 | 60% |
16 | Deebo Samuel | 6 | 40% | 7 | 47% | 2 | 13% | 9 | 60% |
17 | Michael Gallup | 6 | 43% | 4 | 29% | 4 | 29% | 8 | 57% |
18 | Tyrell Williams | 6 | 43% | 6 | 43% | 2 | 14% | 8 | 57% |
19 | Keenan Allen | 7 | 44% | 6 | 38% | 3 | 19% | 9 | 56% |
20 | Mike Evans | 6 | 46% | 3 | 23% | 4 | 31% | 7 | 54% |
21 | Allen Robinson | 8 | 50% | 3 | 19% | 5 | 31% | 8 | 50% |
22 | Tyler Lockett | 8 | 50% | 5 | 31% | 3 | 19% | 8 | 50% |
23 | Courtland Sutton | 8 | 50% | 4 | 25% | 4 | 25% | 8 | 50% |
24 | A.J. Brown | 8 | 50% | 2 | 13% | 6 | 38% | 8 | 50% |
25 | Terry McLaurin | 7 | 50% | 4 | 29% | 3 | 21% | 7 | 50% |
26 | Tyreek Hill | 6 | 50% | 2 | 17% | 4 | 33% | 6 | 50% |
27 | Adam Thielen | 5 | 50% | 3 | 30% | 2 | 20% | 5 | 50% |
28 | Sterling Shepard | 5 | 50% | 4 | 40% | 1 | 10% | 5 | 50% |
29 | D.K. Metcalf | 9 | 56% | 5 | 31% | 2 | 13% | 7 | 44% |
30 | Curtis Samuel | 9 | 56% | 6 | 38% | 1 | 6% | 7 | 44% |
31 | Robby Anderson | 9 | 56% | 4 | 25% | 3 | 19% | 7 | 44% |
32 | Jamison Crowder | 9 | 56% | 4 | 25% | 3 | 19% | 7 | 44% |
33 | Mecole Hardman | 9 | 56% | 6 | 38% | 1 | 6% | 7 | 44% |
34 | Marquise Brown | 8 | 57% | 3 | 21% | 3 | 21% | 6 | 43% |
35 | Darius Slayton | 8 | 57% | 3 | 21% | 3 | 21% | 6 | 43% |
36 | Breshad Perriman | 8 | 57% | 4 | 29% | 2 | 14% | 6 | 43% |
37 | John Brown | 9 | 60% | 3 | 20% | 3 | 20% | 6 | 40% |
38 | D.J. Chark | 9 | 60% | 2 | 13% | 4 | 27% | 6 | 40% |
39 | Cole Beasley | 9 | 60% | 5 | 33% | 1 | 7% | 6 | 40% |
40 | T.Y. Hilton | 6 | 60% | 3 | 30% | 1 | 10% | 4 | 40% |
41 | Alshon Jeffery | 6 | 60% | 2 | 20% | 2 | 20% | 4 | 40% |
42 | Odell Beckham Jr. | 10 | 63% | 3 | 19% | 3 | 19% | 6 | 38% |
43 | Jarvis Landry | 10 | 63% | 2 | 13% | 4 | 25% | 6 | 38% |
44 | Tyler Boyd | 10 | 63% | 3 | 19% | 3 | 19% | 6 | 38% |
45 | Kenny Stills | 8 | 62% | 4 | 31% | 1 | 8% | 5 | 38% |
46 | Marvin Jones | 8 | 62% | 1 | 8% | 4 | 31% | 5 | 38% |
47 | John Ross | 5 | 63% | 1 | 13% | 2 | 25% | 3 | 38% |
48 | Tre’Quan Smith | 7 | 64% | 4 | 36% | 0 | 0% | 4 | 36% |
49 | Emmanuel Sanders | 11 | 65% | 2 | 12% | 4 | 24% | 6 | 35% |
50 | Mike Williams | 10 | 67% | 5 | 33% | 0 | 0% | 5 | 33% |
51 | Dede Westbrook | 10 | 67% | 3 | 20% | 2 | 13% | 5 | 33% |
52 | Randall Cobb | 10 | 67% | 3 | 20% | 2 | 13% | 5 | 33% |
53 | JuJu Smith-Schuster | 8 | 67% | 2 | 17% | 2 | 17% | 4 | 33% |
54 | Zach Pascal | 11 | 69% | 3 | 19% | 2 | 13% | 5 | 31% |
55 | Diontae Johnson | 11 | 69% | 2 | 13% | 3 | 19% | 5 | 31% |
56 | Chris Conley | 11 | 69% | 2 | 13% | 3 | 19% | 5 | 31% |
57 | Christian Kirk | 9 | 69% | 3 | 23% | 1 | 8% | 4 | 31% |
58 | Hunter Renfrow | 9 | 69% | 1 | 8% | 3 | 23% | 4 | 31% |
59 | Phillip Dorsett | 10 | 71% | 3 | 21% | 1 | 7% | 4 | 29% |
60 | James Washington | 11 | 73% | 2 | 13% | 2 | 13% | 4 | 27% |
61 | Danny Amendola | 11 | 73% | 3 | 20% | 1 | 7% | 4 | 27% |
62 | Larry Fitzgerald | 12 | 75% | 3 | 19% | 1 | 6% | 4 | 25% |
63 | Steven Sims | 12 | 75% | 3 | 19% | 1 | 6% | 4 | 25% |
64 | Brandin Cooks | 11 | 79% | 3 | 21% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 21% |
65 | Mohamed Sanu | 12 | 80% | 2 | 13% | 1 | 7% | 3 | 20% |
66 | Anthony Miller | 13 | 81% | 1 | 6% | 2 | 13% | 3 | 19% |
67 | Allen Lazard | 13 | 81% | 2 | 13% | 1 | 6% | 3 | 19% |
68 | Demarcus Robinson | 13 | 81% | 2 | 13% | 1 | 6% | 3 | 19% |
69 | Kendrick Bourne | 13 | 81% | 2 | 13% | 1 | 6% | 3 | 19% |
70 | Willie Snead | 13 | 81% | 3 | 19% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 19% |
Notable Takeaways:
- Possibly the most surprising name on the list, Golden Tate was the third-most consistent WR, despite playing on a struggling team and having two different QBs this season.
- Given their team and the QB passing two him, D.J. Moore may have had the most impressive season, ranking as the second-most consistent WR.
- The most consistent rookie WR was Deebo Samuel, who turned it on following the team’s acquisition of Emmanuel Sanders.
- Despite often being characterized as a big-play WR, Mike Williams didn’t make many big plays this season, never totaling a “great” game.
- Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry suffered due to the offense’s inconsistencies, ranking as 42 and 43, respectively, in the consistency rankings.
- A.J. Brown and Tyreek Hill were the most “boom-or-bust” WRs, totaling “quality” starts less than 20 percent of the time. However, many of Brown’s poor showings came early in the year.
Tight Ends
Rk
|
Player
|
Poor | Quality | Great | Quality + Great | ||||
less than 6.5 pts | 6.5 to 11 pts | more than 11 pts | more than 6.5 pts | ||||||
1 | Travis Kelce | 4 | 25% | 5 | 31% | 7 | 44% | 12 | 75% |
2 | Austin Hooper | 4 | 31% | 5 | 38% | 4 | 31% | 9 | 69% |
3 | Will Dissly | 2 | 33% | 1 | 17% | 3 | 50% | 4 | 67% |
4 | George Kittle | 5 | 36% | 3 | 21% | 6 | 43% | 9 | 64% |
5 | Jared Cook | 5 | 36% | 6 | 43% | 3 | 21% | 9 | 64% |
6 | Mark Andrews | 6 | 40% | 2 | 13% | 7 | 47% | 9 | 60% |
7 | Hunter Henry | 5 | 42% | 6 | 50% | 1 | 8% | 7 | 58% |
8 | Zach Ertz | 7 | 47% | 3 | 20% | 5 | 33% | 8 | 53% |
9 | Darren Waller | 8 | 50% | 5 | 31% | 3 | 19% | 8 | 50% |
10 | Dallas Goedert | 8 | 53% | 6 | 40% | 1 | 7% | 7 | 47% |
11 | Kaden Smith | 5 | 56% | 3 | 33% | 1 | 11% | 4 | 44% |
12 | Tyler Higbee | 9 | 60% | 2 | 13% | 4 | 27% | 6 | 40% |
13 | Evan Engram | 5 | 63% | 1 | 13% | 2 | 25% | 3 | 38% |
14 | Kyle Rudolph | 11 | 69% | 1 | 6% | 4 | 25% | 5 | 31% |
15 | Mike Gesicki | 11 | 69% | 3 | 19% | 2 | 13% | 5 | 31% |
16 | Gerald Everett | 9 | 69% | 2 | 15% | 2 | 15% | 4 | 31% |
17 | Darren Fells | 11 | 69% | 3 | 19% | 2 | 13% | 5 | 31% |
18 | Foster Moreau | 9 | 69% | 4 | 31% | 0 | 0% | 4 | 31% |
19 | Ryan Griffin | 9 | 69% | 2 | 15% | 2 | 15% | 4 | 31% |
20 | Eric Ebron | 8 | 73% | 2 | 18% | 1 | 9% | 3 | 27% |
21 | Jack Doyle | 12 | 75% | 3 | 19% | 1 | 6% | 4 | 25% |
22 | Jason Witten | 12 | 75% | 3 | 19% | 1 | 6% | 4 | 25% |
23 | Jonnu Smith | 12 | 75% | 1 | 6% | 3 | 19% | 4 | 25% |
24 | Tyler Eifert | 12 | 75% | 3 | 19% | 1 | 6% | 4 | 25% |
25 | Cameron Brate | 12 | 75% | 4 | 25% | 0 | 0% | 4 | 25% |
26 | O.J. Howard | 11 | 79% | 3 | 21% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 21% |
27 | Greg Olsen | 11 | 79% | 1 | 7% | 2 | 14% | 3 | 21% |
28 | Ricky Seals-Jones | 11 | 79% | 1 | 7% | 2 | 14% | 3 | 21% |
29 | Noah Fant | 13 | 81% | 1 | 6% | 2 | 13% | 3 | 19% |
30 | Jimmy Graham | 13 | 81% | 1 | 6% | 2 | 13% | 3 | 19% |
31 | C.J. Uzomah | 13 | 81% | 3 | 19% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 19% |
32 | Nick Boyle | 13 | 81% | 3 | 19% | 0 | 0% | 3 | 19% |
Notable Takeaways:
- Only nine players had quality+ starts in over half their games, and only a few of them stayed healthy throughout the season.
- TE is the most volatile position in fantasy football, shown by the most consistent player (Travis Kelce) still putting up poor performances a quarter of the time.
- Players typically had more great performances than quality performances, likely linked to the position being more touchdown-dependent than any other.
- Despite missing four games and having just one “great” performance, Hunter Henry still finished as TE8 in scoring.
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Zach Brunner is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Zach, follow him @fantasyflurry.