The quarterback position is ridiculously deep this season, which means it’s full of exciting sleepers for the upcoming season.
My list of sleepers ranges from guys I think are being overlooked to guys who are just being straight up disrespected. Here are my four sleepers at quarterback based on our Expert Consensus Rankings and our Consensus ADP tool.
Deshaun Watson (QB – HOU) ECR QB6, No. 4 QB in ADP
Watson’s ranking as the QB6 isn’t egregious. But I think he’s being slept on when compared to the other top-tier quarterbacks.
The primary reason for the pessimism surrounding Watson is probably because his head coach, Bill O’Brien, is apparently a self-saboteur. Okay, not really. But that’s sure what it felt like when O’Brien shipped out Watson’s top weapon, DeAndre Hopkins, to Arizona for David Johnson.
The quarterback position is ridiculously deep this season, which means it’s full of exciting sleepers for the upcoming season.
My list of sleepers ranges from guys I think are being overlooked to guys who are just being straight up disrespected. Here are my four sleepers at quarterback based on our Expert Consensus Rankings and our Consensus ADP tool.
Deshaun Watson (QB – HOU) ECR QB6, No. 4 QB in ADP
Watson’s ranking as the QB6 isn’t egregious. But I think he’s being slept on when compared to the other top-tier quarterbacks.
The primary reason for the pessimism surrounding Watson is probably because his head coach, Bill O’Brien, is apparently a self-saboteur. Okay, not really. But that’s sure what it felt like when O’Brien shipped out Watson’s top weapon, DeAndre Hopkins, to Arizona for David Johnson.
We won’t dwell on Hopkins’ departure too much, but it hurts. However, I’m confident Watson can put up big numbers even without “Nuk,” in his huddle. I actually liked O’Brien’s decision to buy low on Brandin Cooks, who is an extremely productive receiver who constantly gets no respect. And we’ve seen what Watson and Will Fuller can do together when the speedy wideout is on the field.
The change in weaponry definitely generates uncertainty. But I’d still rather take Watson over Dak Prescott and the unproven Kyler Murray.
Aaron Rodgers (QB – GB) ECR QB13, No. 11 QB in ADP
The market is really, really down on Aaron Rodgers. And it’s understandable. Rodgers posted his lowest full-season passing yardage total since 2008, his first full season as a starter. And the Packers did nothing to help him besides draft a mid-range tight end. Oh, and they’ve apparently chosen Jordan Love as the heir apparent.
But I still believe in the future Hall of Famer because he’s still among the league’s best passers. And I have a very strong feeling that some of Aaron Jones’ 16 rushing touchdowns from 2019 will turn into Rodgers passing touchdowns in 2020. His weapons are lackluster, but he’s still got Davante Adams and Jones to throw to out of the backfield. Allen Lazard taking a step forward will only help too.
Rodgers was still the QB10 last season despite it all. He would’ve been the QB6 with four more passing touchdowns. I’m willing to bet on a rebound season and would take Rodgers over Matthew Stafford, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees.
Jared Goff (QB – LAR) ECR QB17, No. 17 QB in ADP
Jared Goff finished 2019 as the QB13, yet the fantasy world treats him as if he finished outside the top 20. Everything kind of went haywire for the Rams offense. The offensive line was miserable, the running game wasn’t nearly as effective and Goff’s play suffered drastically when he was forced off script and was under duress.
And there lies my concern for Goff in 2020. One would think L.A.’s offensive line couldn’t get any worse this season. But will it be good enough to keep Goff on schedule and in rhythm? I’m going to bet yes.
I’m also keeping the faith in Sean McVay, who many wanted to anoint as the second-best coach in the NFL behind Bill Belichick not too long ago. Goff is also due for some touchdown regression after throwing only 22 TDs in 2019. Goff has averaged a touchdown percentage of 5.8 percent, so I’m treating his paltry 3.5 percent touchdown percentage as an anomaly.
The Rams are still a high-volume offense and Goff has two high-end pass catchers in Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. Does he have elite upside at the position? Most likely no. But he’s a better bet to finish among the top 12 quarterbacks than Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, and Daniel Jones.
Teddy Bridgewater (QB – CAR) ECR QB26, No. 26 QB in ADP
It’s insulting that Bridgewater is both ranked and being drafted behind Gardner Minshew. I’m excited to see what Bridgewater can do after proving his worth and completing his comeback from a gruesome injury in relief of Drew Brees in New Orleans.
And if we’re being honest, the situation in Carolina isn’t much worse. He has Christian McCaffrey alongside him in the backfield and will get to throw to D.J. Moore, a dynamic talent who should mesh perfectly with Bridgewater’s short-field tendencies. Curtis Samuel should work also well with Bridgewater as a horizontal weapon. Plus, Robby Anderson joins the Panthers to serve as another speedy field stretcher.
Maybe Bridgewater was only brought in as a bridge quarterback. But he has the ability to surprise us all this season in what should be an exciting offense led by new offensive coordinator Joe Brady. I rank Bridgewater inside my top 20 quarterbacks and would gladly take him as a backup in a 1QB format, or as a high-upside starter in Superflex leagues.
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Matt Barbato is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Matt, check out his archive and follow him @RealMattBarbato.
