If you’re reading this article from FantasyPros with the word, “Primer” in the headline, you might automatically assume that Mike Tagliere is writing this piece. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Tags is currently out of the office recovering from an illness, so I’ve stepped in to highlight one of the more important articles you’ll read heading into your draft season.
Everything you need to know about the QB position this season can be found here. There are player notes for every single QB that is either fantasy-relevant – or has the potential to be – in 2021 with the hopes of educating you before you head into your upcoming draft.
If you haven’t been following fantasy football in-depth throughout the off-season, that’s alright! It’s hard to keep up with all the moving pieces in the NFL off-season and how that could impact a player that you’ve loved drafting to your roster in years past. This article will serve as a quick guide for you to determine whether or not it’s still a wise investment or if there’s someone else you should pivot to in your draft!
If you play in a Superflex league, this should have extra value for you. It’s so crucial to nail the QB position in those leagues and to understand who’s worth selecting as even a QB3 for your roster. If you play in just a 1QB format though, there’s still plenty of information here for you to get the position right when you’re on the clock.
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Let’s dive in.
Arizona Cardinals
Kyler Murray (ECR – QB3): It’s hard not to fall in love with Murray’s upside for fantasy football this year. We know what he can do with his legs and it’s quite possible that we see him amass 4,000 passing yards to pair with over 1,000 rushing yards this season with the 17-game slate. He has a restocked cupboard of receiving weapons that are going to help make life easier on him with AJ Green and Rondale Moore entering the fold and he’s always a threat around the goal line. Murray totaled 25 carries inside the red zone last season and it could have been a lot more if he hadn’t gotten banged up. Murray offers legitimate QB1 upside and he’s absolutely worth considering as a top-3 QB off the board this season.
Colt McCoy (ECR – QB60): McCoy doesn’t offer much upside for fantasy football if Murray were to go down with an injury. He can remain on your waiver wire in Superflex leagues unless you’re completely in a pinch.
Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan (ECR – QB15): While Ryan has been extremely consistent for fantasy over the past several years, he’s been doing this on the back of ridiculous volume and having Julio Jones to throw to in Atlanta. Fast forward to 2021 and Ryan might not have either of those things. Julio is now in Tennessee and the passing volume could come crashing down with Arthur Smith now in town. With a bare cupboard of receiving options after Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts, the upside really isn’t present for Ryan this season. He’ll be a fine streaming QB in plus matchups, but I’d very hesitant to go into this year with Ryan as my locked-in QB1. His ADP has settled around QB15 – so you might not have to – but don’t assume that he’s going to be as consistent for your lineup as he has in previous seasons.
AJ McCarron (ECR – QB66): If Ryan misses time with an injury, McCarron should still remain on your bench in a Superflex league unless you’re desperate.
Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson (ECR – QB4): Last year was a disappointing season for Lamar and the Ravens offense, but the team has been very intentional this off-season on fixing the receiving corps to give Jackson some support. While I don’t believe that we’re going to see a complete offensive transformation here like what Buffalo did in 2020, we could see Baltimore lean on their passing game a little bit more to open things up. We’ve seen the upside with Jackson before when he hit 36 passing touchdowns in 2019 to go along with his 1,206 rushing yards. While I’m not banking on him hitting those historic numbers in 2021, there’s a world in which he gets back to dominating for fantasy football with the new additions around him. The only concern is that Jackson has been vocal about his hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine, which puts him at a higher risk to miss game action this season due to an exposure, etc. This shouldn’t be used as a method to completely write him off for fantasy football, but if you’re torn between him and another QB that you know has received the vaccine, that could be a useful tiebreaker. Otherwise, he’s a top-5 QB for 2021.
Trace McSorley (ECR – QB59): We got a taste of what this offense looks like with McSorley at QB in Week 1 of the pre-season and it…wasn’t great. There might not be a backup QB to roster here in Baltimore.
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen (ECR – QB2): It was near impossible to try and forecast the type of transformation the Buffalo offense went through in 2020, but we’re all glad it did! Allen came out and set the fantasy football landscape on fire with his increased passing volume and efficiency. He took major strides forward as a passer last season and he still maintained his presence as a runner around the goal line. Allen has now finished with 25 rushing touchdowns over the past three seasons, which puts him at the 9th highest mark in the entire NFL over that time span. For comparison, Christian McCaffrey has 27. The advantage he brings because of his mobility cannot be overstated and he’s in the running – pun intended – for QB1 in all of fantasy football again this year.
Mitchell Trubisky (ECR – QB44): We’ve seen Trubisky have his valuable moments for fantasy football in the past. If Allen misses time with an injury, Trubisky could step in and keep your fantasy team afloat. He’s worth rostering in super deep Superflex leagues.
Carolina Panthers
Sam Darnold (ECR – QB25): Since 2018, Darnold is top-4 in the NFL in terms of Interception Rate with 3.20%. He’s behind only Jameis Winston, Nick Mullens, and Ryan Fitzpatrick in this category, which is a place that you never want to be. We can all acknowledge that Darnold hasn’t exactly been great over the past few seasons, but we collectively need to give him a second chance to operate out from underneath Adam Gase. Turning the page, he’s absolutely set up to succeed here in Carolina with a bevy of talented receiving weapons and he could show us the talent that made him the No. 3 overall pick back in 2018. While he’s not someone that I want to rely on as a QB1 in my fantasy leagues this year, he’s a perfectly competent QB2 in Superflex leagues. In some drafts, you might be able to secure him as your QB3 with his current ADP being where it’s at. If that’s the case, he’s worth the investment at that point.
PJ Walker (ECR – QB51): Walker’s shown some flashes of his athleticism when he’s gotten his chance on the NFL field previously. With a loaded receiving corps around him, he could provide value if he’s asked to step in as the starter for a game or two. Keep him on your radar in Superflex leagues.
Chicago Bears
Andy Dalton (ECR – QB38): Dalton’s job in Chicago is to step in as the starter until Fields is ready and simply keep the offense on track. In the first preseason game, we saw how quickly Dalton processes information and gets the ball out to his receivers. He might not push the ball deep downfield a ton or make splashy plays, but he’s exactly what this offense has needed for so long that Trubisky or Foles simply couldn’t provide. He’ll be worth looking at as a streaming QB off of the waiver wire in plus matchups while he’s the starter, but he shouldn’t be drafted this year. We simply don’t know how long he’s going to be holding down this job before Fields is ready to take over.
Justin Fields (ECR – QB21): The hype on Fields is now on takeoff mode and it shows no signs of coming back down to earth any time soon. Fields showed us exactly who he is and what he can be for fantasy football in the first preseason game and he has the potential to be something special. We’re unsure of when exactly we’re going to get to see him on the field as a starter, so if you do draft him at the bottom of your bench, you’re going to have to be patient. Once he does take over though, we could be talking about a top-12 fantasy QB.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow (ECR – QB13): We got a taste of what Burrow can do for fantasy football in 2020 before his devastating knee injury. While I believe that he’s going to come back strong this season, he might get off to a slow start based off the reports coming out of training camp. He’ll need to learn to trust his knee again to get back to form and that might take some time, unfortunately. With that in mind, it’s probably best to view Burrow as a high-end QB2 in 1QB formats versus someone that you should draft and feel confident starting as your QB in week one. He’s a fine target to stash as your second QB if you go that route, but otherwise there’s a strong possibility that you’ll be able to pick Burrow up off of waivers by week two or three if he does get off to the slow start that many are predicting.
Brandon Allen (ECR – QB55): Allen has had his moments of relevancy previously and he could be someone you plug into your lineup if you’re in a pinch in Superflex leagues if Burrow were to miss time with an injury.
Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield (ECR – QB17): It took a little while last season for everything to click under the new offensive structure, but Mayfield was the QB11 in all of fantasy football from Weeks 11-17. He’s being completely written off currently with his current ADP, but he’ll absolutely have his moments of relevancy throughout the 2021 campaign. Keep an eye on Mayfield as a streaming option as we move into the regular season and he’s a perfectly competent QB2 for your Superflex rosters.
Case Keenum (ECR – QB62): We know that Keenum can get the job done for fantasy football when he’s given the opportunity. In a scheme that he has plenty of familiarity with, plus the receiving options around him, Keenum could absolutely be on the streaming radar if Mayfield were to miss time.
Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott (ECR – QB5): Prescott was on pace to shatter records last season before his gruesome injury and it’s going to be fun to see what he can do again this year. With a litany of receiving weapons at his disposal, Prescott should consistently put up big numbers and we know that the passing volume is going to be there. While he’s currently dealing with a shoulder strain, we should see him out on the field in week one. If you can get him at a bit of a discount because of this injury, you should be doing cartwheels. He has overall QB1 upside this year.
Garrett Gilbert (ECR – QB58): Gilbert’s not on the redraft radar.
Denver Broncos
Teddy Bridgewater (ECR – QB34): Bridgewater has now been named the starting QB here in Denver, which is good news for the receiving options for the Broncos. Bridgewater’s incredibly accurate and poised and he should feature guys like Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler underneath. However, this is unlikely to translate to consistent production for fantasy football for Bridgewater specifically. He’s a solid low-end QB2 in Superflex leagues – and he’ll have some moments as a streaming option this year – but we shouldn’t be viewing him as anything more than that.
Drew Lock (ECR – QB32): Lock has all the arm talent in the world, but he’s struggled to master the finer nuances of the position. This has now led to the Broncos naming Bridgewater as their starting QB and Lock is now going to be relegated to a backup role. He can be dropped in all redraft formats.
Detroit Lions
Jared Goff (ECR – QB27): Over the past two seasons – with Sean McVay as his play-caller – Goff has only totaled 42 passing touchdowns to 29 interceptions. He severely limited the offense’s capabilities and now he finds himself in Detroit with a lackluster receiving corps. Goff’s not going to be able to get much done this year as a passer with these receivers and he doesn’t come with any rushing upside. Goff’s best left on your waiver wire in every format.
Tim Boyle (ECR – QB71): Even if Goff struggles mightily and Boyle steps in as the starter, he’s not going to enter into the streaming conversation with the state of this offense.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers (ECR – QB7): Rodgers had a ridiculously high TD rate last year of 9.1%, which was up from 4.6% in 2019. While it’s natural to expect that average to come down this season, it’s still the same supporting cast and system that Rodgers had last year. He still has Davante Adams to throw to in the red zone and Robert Tonyan emerged as a reliable receiving option as well. While we shouldn’t expect 48 touchdowns from him again this season, he could easily eclipse 35 touchdowns in 2021. If that’s the case, he’s a fine investment at his price point.
Jordan Love (ECR – QB42): Love showed that he’s made significant progress in his time as a backup during the first game of the preseason, but he’s unlikely to see any playing time this year unless something were to happen to Rodgers. He could push his way into the QB2 conversation if that were to happen, but he’s merely just a bench stash in deep Superflex leagues for the moment.
Houston Texans
Tyrod Taylor (ECR – QB36): Is Watson going to suit up for this team in Houston this season? While all logic points to the answer to that question being no, nothing has happened to provide clarity to that situation yet. The most likely scenario is that Taylor is the starting QB for Houston in week one, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s someone we should be excited to plug into our fantasy football lineups. Taylor can take care of the football and he can execute an offense, but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen him play consecutive games in the NFL as a starter. He’s a low-upside option to have in Superflex leagues right now.
Deshaun Watson (ECR – QB35): Off-the-field issues aside, Watson seems like he could be someone we end up talking about for fantasy football this year. He’s avoided the commissioner’s exempt list for now and he’s showing up to Texans practices. While he still seems intent on not playing for Houston this season – which could throw a potential wrench in the gears – we might actually see Watson on the field in 2021. If that’s the case, he has the talent to obviously be a force for fantasy football. It’s a complete gamble to add him to your roster and there will be some managers who completely object based on his reported off-field behavior. If you do feel comfortable with it though, Watson shouldn’t be drafted as anything more than a QB3 for your Superflex roster.
Indianapolis Colts
Carson Wentz (ECR – QB28): Wentz had everything going his way to signal that he could bounce back in a big way for fantasy football this year. He’s reunited with his former OC Frank Reich in Indianapolis, he has a rock-solid OL in front of him, and he has some very talented weapons surrounding him. Unfortunately, Wentz suffered an injury in training camp that has now put his week one status in doubt. While it’s still unclear when he’s officially coming back, Wentz wasn’t someone that you were drafting in your 1QB leagues to be your starter anyway. He’s coming at a discount now because of the uncertainty with the injury and he’s a perfect player to take a shot on as your QB3 in a Superflex league if you can get him there. His upside far outweighs the risk.
Jacob Eason (ECR – QB39): It’s expected that Eason will step in as the starting option if Wentz does miss time at the beginning of the season, but he’s still not someone that we should be starting in fantasy leagues unless we’re truly in a pinch.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence (ECR – QB14): Lawrence has all the hype in the world coming into the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He brings a very high IQ as a passer – which means good things for the receiving options in this offense – and he also brings the rushing upside that fantasy managers love. While the coaching is a bit of a concern with Lawrence for his long-term development, we could see him become a streaming QB option almost immediately. He’s the perfect QB to snag in 2QB formats due to his upside.
Gardner Minshew (ECR – QB41): Minshew might be better than a handful of starters around the NFL, but we probably won’t get to see him in action again this season. He’s worth holding onto as a backup in deep Superflex leagues, but otherwise we shouldn’t be holding out hope that he’ll be traded, etc.
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes (ECR – QB1): From 2018-2020, only two QBs have thrown for more than 100 passing touchdowns. One of those QBs is Mahomes with 114 touchdowns to only 23 interceptions. He’s an absolute cheat code at the position for fantasy football and he’s the captain of the league’s best offense. You’re obviously going to have to pay a premium for him, but selecting Mahomes in the 3rd round of your draft this year isn’t a bad strategy.
Chad Henne (ECR – QB56): Henne shouldn’t be looked at for fantasy football unless you’re absolutely desperate for a plug-and-play option, assuming that Mahomes misses time with an injury.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert (ECR – QB8): How good was Herbert’s rookie season, really? Well, he finished with the most passing touchdowns in NFL history by a rookie QB ever with 31. He also finished with the second most passing yards in NFL history for a rookie QB – only behind Andrew Luck – with 4,336. Those are truly insane numbers for a player that was thrust into the starting job right before game two of the season and who was viewed as a bit of a developmental player coming out of Oregon. Heading into year two, Herbert has a new HC and OC above him and we’re not exactly sure what to expect from him with this change. The track record for QBs entering year two and encountering a system change isn’t exactly sparkling, but is Herbert just that good that it might not matter much for him? With the receiving weapons he has around him, we shouldn’t be too concerned. He’s still worth drafting as a top-10 QB in 2021.
Chase Daniel (ECR – QB63): Daniel’s a journeyman backup. Even with a good receiving corps, he shouldn’t be someone we talk about in the streaming conversation for 2021.
Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford (ECR – QB12): There’s truly no downplaying how underrated Stafford is and how we haven’t been able to see it on full display due to him playing on some bad teams in Detroit. The Rams weren’t satisfied with Goff and his tendency to keep things close to the line of scrimmage, so they sent away significant draft capital this off-season to go bring in Stafford into their building. With Sean McVay’s play-calling, which might be the best Stafford’s ever had in his NFL career, we could be in line for a career year for the dynamic passer. 5,000 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns is not out of the realm of possibilities with the receiving weapons he has at his disposal too. If that’s the case, Stafford’s a fantastic QB1 for your roster, despite the fact that he doesn’t have the same rushing upside that many of the other options in his range of ADP do.
John Wolford (ECR – QB57): Wolford showed that he can execute the Rams offense last year when he stepped in, but he’d merely be a low-end streaming option if he does end up seeing playing time again in 2021.
Las Vegas Raiders
Derek Carr (ECR – QB23): Carr’s coming off one of his better seasons in the NFL, but a lot has changed over this off-season in Las Vegas. Carr watched his dominant offensive line be dismantled and shipped off to other teams, while the defense didn’t exactly do much to dramatically improve year over year. He’s an incredibly efficient passer and he takes care of the football, but this offensive situation surrounding him isn’t exactly ideal. As a QB2 for your Superflex rosters, he’s a good option to have on your team. However, trusting him as anything more than that is a risky game to play this season.
Marcus Mariota (ECR – QB45): Mariota stepped in in relief of Carr last season and actually put together a solid performance. He could have value in SF leagues if he does end up being a starter at some point in 2021.
Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa (ECR – QB18): It was a perfect storm for Tua last year that caused people to question his abilities. Tua was still coming off of a brutal injury, it was a shortened off-season, his receiving corps was underwhelming and dealing with injury, and Justin Herbert outperforming him certainly didn’t help. Heading into year two, Tua now has a revamped receiving corps to throw to that fits his skillset perfectly and he’s had the full off-season to prepare as the starter. We’re not at the point where we can rely on Tua as a weekly starter, but let’s not forget what Tua can do when he’s healthy and has a solid arsenal of receiving weapons. He’s certainly on the streaming radar as we head into 2021.
Jacoby Brissett (ECR – QB46): Brissett is a perfectly acceptable backup QB in today’s NFL. He’ll be able to execute the offense if something were to happen to Tua, but it’s unlikely that that translates to streaming consideration.
Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins (ECR – QB16): Cousins has now finished each of the past three seasons as the QB18 or better. He’s an extremely safe option that gives you a solid floor week in and week out, but he’s capped by the overall offense and how it’s structured. With the Vikings being so committed to the run, their overall pass attempts will never reach the point where Cousins is able to crack the top-8 at the QB position. He’s a solid streaming option yet again this season and a very sturdy QB2 in Superflex leagues, but we shouldn’t be viewing him as anything more than that.
Kellen Mond (ECR – QB47): Mond isn’t on the redraft radar.
New England Patriots
Cam Newton (ECR – QB29): Newton has been released from the New England Patriots.
Mac Jones (ECR – QB37): Jones looked good in his first preseason action and showed that there’s plenty there to build off of moving forward. Because of that, the Patriots felt comfortable moving on from Newton and Jones is now the starting QB for New England! While this move doesn’t necessarily have much of an impact on Jones – he’s still a low-end QB2/high-end QB3 – it has a dramatic ripple effect throughout the rest of the roster. The overall pass attempts tick up, which leads to more opportunity for the pass-catchers in town. Ultimately, Jones doesn’t skyrocket up rankings with this news, but he can still be a valuable QB3 in Superflex formats.
New Orleans Saints
Jameis Winston (ECR – QB31): Winston has now been named the starter in New Orleans and this is great news for those who have him stashed at the bottom of their Superflex rosters. Winston looked great in the second pre-season game and he’s going to elevate the rest of the receiving options on this roster. While it’s still a bit of a lackluster receiving corps without Michael Thomas, Winston should be able to do enough to be on the streaming radar at the very least in 1QB formats.
Taysom Hill (ECR – QB30): Hill’s now the backup in New Orleans, but he’ll still see some work in his typical “gadget player” fashion. However, he’s now off the redraft radar. He’s someone to monitor on the waiver wire in case Winston were to miss time with an injury, but if you’ve been holding onto him in your traditional redraft leagues, you can drop him now.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones (ECR – QB22): Jones had 11 touchdowns last season and 10 interceptions. Yikes. While his receiving corps was in and out of the lineup with injuries, those numbers simply are not acceptable for a NFL QB. Heading into 2021, Jones now has a loaded arsenal of receiving weapons that should help take the pressure off, but we simply have no idea whether or not Jones can rise to the occasion. As a QB2 in Superflex formats, he’s fine to take a shot on to see if the receiving corps helps. However, he should not be viewed as anything more than a streaming QB that you can roll out only in plus matchups.
Mike Glennon (ECR – QB67): Glennon isn’t on the redraft radar.
New York Jets
Zach Wilson (ECR – QB26): Wilson has the draft capital to his name and he’s got a pretty solid receiving corps surrounding him, but we need to see how he adjusts to the NFL game before we feel completely confident in rolling him into our starting lineups. He’s worth drafting as a low-end QB2/high-end QB3 in Superflex formats this year that has some upside if he can progress as the season goes along, but we shouldn’t be looking his way during our 1QB drafts.
James Morgan (ECR – QB64): Morgan’s not on the redraft radar.
Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts (ECR – QB11): While Hurts was a solid addition to fantasy rosters off of the waiver wire last year due to his rushing ability, he didn’t necessarily shine as a passer. With just a 52% completion rate and a 6:4 TD to INT ratio, Hurts is going to have to be sensational as a mobile QB this season to justify the hype that he’s getting. While he has the talent to be very good on the ground and pick up rushing yards, NFL defenses are now going to be able to game plan for Hurts’ skillset with an entire off-season to study tape. If defenses can work to limit his mobility and force him to beat them from the pocket, we could see his fantasy output take a hit. As a streaming QB, Hurts is worth taking the shot on to see if he can overcome these potential obstacles. His ADP has fluctuated throughout the off-season and it’s settled around QB12 right now because of the Deshaun Watson news. This is a perfectly fine spot to take a shot on Hurts in your drafts to see if he can rise to the occasion as a passer. If he does – which is a strong leap of faith – then he has top-5 upside.
Joe Flacco (ECR – QB54): Flacco’s not on the redraft radar.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger (ECR – QB20): While Big Ben threw 33 touchdowns in 2020, it didn’t exactly lead to top-tier fantasy relevance. Big Ben finished as the overall QB14 and he fell out of the streaming conversation towards the end of the year as the offense took a major step backwards. With Najee Harris now in town, it’s likely that we see the Steelers attempt to get back to a more balanced attack on offense, which will limit Big Ben’s overall pass attempts. In order for Ben to be consistently in the streaming conversation, he’s going to have to get back to slinging the ball downfield for a high YPA and have a solid TD rate. With so many other options at QB now that bring a safe floor with their rushing ability, Big Ben’s purely just an option to roll out in plus matchups at this point of his career.
Mason Rudolph (ECR – QB53): Rudolph’s not on the redraft radar.
San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo (ECR – QB33): At this point, it seems like only a matter of time before we see Jimmy G either traded or released. Lance is the future in San Francisco and he’s bound to start sooner than later, which means that Jimmy G is a streaming QB at best this season. It’s probably best to let him fall to the waiver wire.
Trey Lance (ECR – QB24): Right now, Lance’s ADP is simply lying in wait and ready to catapult. After seeing Lance on the field with this offense in week one of the preseason, his ADP is ready to skyrocket. The one thing that could hold it back though is the uncertainty regarding how long Jimmy G will remain the starter in SF. The bye week is the most likely outcome for when we see Kyle Shanahan switch things over to Lance, but there’s still a strong possibility that we see Lance on the field as early as Week one of the regular season. If he is the starter at the beginning of the season against Detroit, he should be a borderline top-10 option right from the onset. He’s a perfect option to draft as a second QB in 1QB formats for the pure upside.
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson (ECR – QB6): From Weeks 1-8 last season, Russ was the QB1 in all of fantasy football. However, from Weeks 9-16, Wilson fell all the way to the QB12. As the offense was figured out by opposing defenses, Russ wasn’t able to sustain the success that they had seen in the first part of the season and he was an inconsistent fantasy asset over that time period. Moving into 2021, the Seahawks have made a change at OC that should help relieve some of the pressure off of Russ to carry the entire offense, which can only mean good things for fantasy football. Fantasy managers became frustrated with Wilson’s performance over the back half of last year and that’s playing a role in their perception of him now, but he should get right back to performing at a very high level again in 2021. He’s worth drafting as a top-6 option again with overall QB1 upside.
Geno Smith (ECR – QB69): Smith’s not on the redraft radar.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady (ECR – QB10): Heading into 2020, the consensus thought was that there was no way Bruce Arians would air the ball out as much with Tom Brady as he did with Jameis Winston. Well, Arians did just that and it led to fantasy production across the board in Tampa Bay. The Bucs went from 630 pass attempts in 2019 to 626 in 2020 and it’s hard to see that number drastically decreasing in 2021. While the ground game could take a step forward for the Bucs this season, there’s still a lot of inconsistency on this roster that could lead to Brady airing it out all over the yard yet again. Obviously, Brady doesn’t come with rushing upside at all, but with his high passing volume and plethora of talented receiving weapons, he should push to be in the top-12 again. As a safe option that’s going to give you an incredibly high floor each week, Brady’s a great selection in fantasy yet again this season.
Blaine Gabbert (ECR – QB70): Gabbert’s not on the redraft radar.
Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill (ECR – QB9): Did you know that Tannehill had seven rushing touchdowns last season? With Tannehill’s incredible efficiency – due in large part to AJ Brown – plus his rushing potential, he comes with a very safe floor every single week. The passing volume – or lack thereof – holds him back from being a true top-5 option at the QB position for fantasy football, but it’s hard to find a more consistent option week after week. Heading into 2021, Tannehill lost Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith, but he replaced them with Julio Jones. Arthur Smith has also left Tennessee as the OC to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, which does leave some concern for how this offense will look under Todd Downing. Any argument that is brought up against Tannehill though is nitpicking. He’s an extremely safe option and he does come with some weekly upside due to that rushing potential around the goal line. He can be viewed as a low-end QB1 this season with upside if the passing volume ticks up a bit.
Matt Barkley (ECR – QB86): Barkley’s not on the redraft radar.
Washington Football Team
Ryan Fitzpatrick (ECR – QB19): It’s been a while since we’ve seen Fitz firmly in the QB1 seat for an offense and it appears like it’s going to be a ton of fun to watch. With a very solid receiving nucleus around him, Fitz could actually end up making a significant impact for fantasy football this season. He has the tendency to run hot-and-cold, so he might be a bit volatile for your lineup as a streaming option, but he’s going to provide some week-winning performances throughout the year. If you end up deploying a late-round QB strategy, Fitzpatrick is a fine target with your last pick.
Taylor Heinicke (ECR – QB43): Heinicke was exciting to watch in the playoffs against Tampa Bay, but we shouldn’t be expecting him to take over this job from Fitzpatrick at any point throughout the season.
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Kyle Yates is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @KyleYNFL.