- Patrick Mahomes
The 500 million dollar man is my number one QB for the 2020 fantasy season. Weirdly, this will be surprising to a lot of people. I picked Mahomes over Lamar Jackson because Mahomes just has IT. Mahomes is simply a winner; he is going to bring whatever his team needs from him. Also, I’ve seen Mahomes perform to near perfection while under pressure. Down by 10 in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl? No problem. Coming off an MVP season? He wins his first Championship. Mahomes just got a sip of victory for the first time. He’ll be going back for another taste this season.
- Lamar Jackson
Why is Patrick Mahomes number one over Lamar Jackson? Lamar Jackson has elite speed and plays in the top rushing offense in the league; that makes him an instant top-2 quarterback. However, unlike Mahomes, who has performed flawlessly in the face of adversity, Jackson has choked in two playoff games. As the former MVP, Jackson is going to have a target on his head, his back, his knees, his ankles, anywhere a defender can hit Jackson, that’s where the target will be. I think the weight of being the former MVP slows him down a bit this season, not a ton, seeing as I still have him as the QB2, but enough to where I think he has a significantly worse season than Patrick Mahomes.
- Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott was the number two quarterback in fantasy last season, and the Cowboys just handed him a brand new toy. Jerry Jones decided to give Prescott a little gift on draft night in the form of former University of Oklahoma receiver Ceedee Lamb. Lamb was the most physically gifted receiver in the draft and will be an instant impact player for the Cowboys. Now Dak has the following weapons to work with: Amari Cooper, a top route runner in the league, Michael Gallup, a big and physical presence on the outside, and Lamb, who will be virtually impossible to cover in the slot. Dak would have to be more blind than Jameis Winston to miss all of these guys. There isn’t a single team in the league talented enough to play man coverage against the Cowboys next season; it will be fun to watch.
- Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson wants another championship and he’s got the tools to do it. As long as Wilson is locked in, you can never count out the Hawks. But, when you throw Jamal Adams into the mix, that’s a whole different ball game. If you think the Adams trade won’t help Wilson then you don’t know football. The best offense is a good defense… But even apart from that, Russell Wilson is THE smartest and one of the most talented quarterbacks of this generation and it would be insulting to rank him outside the top 5. The only reason he’s not 2 or 3 is because of how run-heavy the Seahawks offense is.
- Deshaun Watson
Unfortunately, Deshaun Watson doesn’t have the weapons he once did. All the Brandin Cooks’ and Randal Cobbs in the world can’t make up for the loss of DeAndre Hopkins. I think the absence of his number one will definitely weigh on Watson, but not to the extent that many think it will. He reads coverages well and can fit the ball into extremely tight windows. Those abilities will be on display even more now that Hopkins isn’t there to school opposing corners on every play. Watson is still a top quarterback in the league, he just doesn’t have the weapons to exceed the likes of Dak Prescott or Russell Wilson.
- Carson Wentz
This is going to confuse and possibly annoy a lot of people. Carson Wentz was quarterback nine last season, but he had virtually no help. The Eagles receivers looked like the receiving corps at Santa Monica Community College last season and their secondary looked like a high school team. Finally, the front office caved and got Wentz some help in both areas. The secondary is taken care of with Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman. The receivers are also a highly efficient group; Desean Jackson and Jalen Reagor can both stretch the field with the best of them, Alshon Jeffrey is a fantastic red zone target, and you can’t forget about the tight ends. Not to mention, the Eagles have an elite offensive line even without Brandon Brooks. Wentz has a championship squad at his disposal; all he has to do is stay healthy.
- Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray has one thing that Watson doesn’t… and that’s DeAndre Hopkins. Unfortunately for Murray, that won’t make up for Watson’s far superior skill set. A lot of people have Kyler Murray ranked as high as 3 this year… that’s just preposterous. Murray’s feet are always moving quickly in the pocket but it seems like his mind isn’t moving at all. Murray is still a young quarterback and he needs to learn how to read coverages. The Seahawks and 49ers have two of the toughest defenses in the league and they are going to feast off of an inexperienced guy like Murray. Murray is a playmaker with great weapons around him, but he isn’t polished enough to compete with Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, or Carson Wentz.
- Drew Brees
He may not be the most politically correct quarterback in the league, but he’s still the all-time leading passer in NFL history. Brees threw 27 touchdowns and only four interceptions in just 11 games last season. That’s more touchdowns than Patrick Mahomes threw in 14 games. Brees would be an elite quarterback even without the weapons that he has. But, when you throw in Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Alvin Kamara, and Jared Cook… how are you going to tell me this guy isn’t a top-10 fantasy quarterback? He’s still a top quarterback in the NFL and has a top-5 offensive arsenal.
- Ben Roethlisberger
Big Ben is back and he’s got Jesus on his side. The Steelers’ franchise quarterback missed all of last season due to injury and has recently admitted to past abuse of porn and alcohol. Roethlisberger says that his Christian faith has been at the forefront of his recovery and will be a driving force in his return to the NFL. Roethlisberger looks to be in the best shape of his career both mentally and physically, and it’s not like Mike Tomlin to pussyfoot around. Big Ben will be throwing the ball 35+ times a game as soon as he steps back on that field. The Steelers offense has very promising depth at the receiver position and their run blocking is devastatingly bad. There is no reason Big Ben shouldn’t be a top-12 fantasy quarterback.
- Josh Allen
Josh Allen should spend more time working on his accuracy downfield and less time playing a game of “who has a bigger unit” with Patrick Mahomes. Watching Allen throw the football is actually kind of painful sometimes. However, he’s the biggest QB vulture since prime Cam Newton and that’s where his fantasy value lies. Allen’s legs accounted for around 35% of his fantasy points last season. He had 9 rushing touchdowns, which led his division and ranked third in the entire AFC. There is no reason Allen should regress this year, but nonetheless, he’s dangerously dependent on rushing, which makes him a high-risk pick.
- Tom Brady
The Bucs are absolutely loaded with talent: Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, OJ Howard, Rob Gronkowski, Cameron Brate, Scotty Miller, Tyler Johnson. Every single one of those players can make an impact in the passing game at the NFL level. The weapons create a massive upside for Brady, but he also has some major baggage. Brady is a 43-year-old quarterback who has to learn a completely new playbook for the first time in his career, a playbook with a lot of deep shots, and a high volume of passing. So durability is definitely a concern. However, the Bucs’ pitiful run game creates even more opportunity for Brady. Any way you look at it, he will get plenty of volume, and his value depends on what he makes of that opportunity. I think he’ll do well enough to be somewhere between QB9 and QB13.
- Aaron Rodgers
He’s a baaaaaaaaaad man. Read that in Stephen A. Smith’s voice for me if you will. Unfortunately, the Packers’ depth at wide receiver is also bad, just not in a good way. This offseason the Packers basically just spat in Rodgers’ face. They didn’t get him any help and drafted his backup in the first round. Now, there are two ways this could affect Rodgers: He could take it personally, destroy every team he plays, and be a top-5 MVP candidate, or he could crumble under the weight of his own value because he now has no motivation to help the franchise win. As much as I believe in Rodgers’ mental toughness, it’s difficult for me to get past how little help he has. The numbers just don’t support him being a top-10 quarterback.
- Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones is primed for a big second season with the Giants. Obviously, they will be a run-first team with Saquon, but the Giants’ offensive weaponry is irrationally underrated. Evan Engram is probably the most athletic tight end in football, Golden Tate is the best YAC specialist in the league, Darius Slayton is a contested-catch machine, and Sterling Shephard creates massive separation with his pristine route running. Now, for the downside: The Giants offensive line is still pretty poor and Jones needs to learn how to read defenses before he can be considered a mid-tier starting quarterback. The bottom line is, Jones is a dynamic quarterback with great receivers and has upside with his legs. He is definitely a sleeper pick and a breakout candidate.
- Matt Ryan
What is there to say about Matt Ryan that hasn’t already been said? He’s going to throw for 4,500+ yards with a pretty poor TD-INT ratio just like he does every year. Ryan was QB 11 last year and I think he will do about as well this year as he did last season. He may sacrifice some yardage due to the signing of Todd Gurley, but a legitimate threat in the run game will open up a ton of opportunities downfield and may help him reduce his turnover total from last season. Ultimately, Ryan is still a borderline-elite quarterback in a pass-friendly offense and Julio Jones is still Waffle House: Open 24/7.
- Baker Mayfield
Kevin Stefanski is the Quarterback Whisperer. Look at what Stefanski’s offense did for Kirk Cousins: In the two seasons he played under Stefanski, Cousins had the two best TD-INT ratios of his career, he had two of the three highest QB rates of his career, and he made a Pro Bowl. Stefanski’s run-heavy, play-action-dependent offense is perfect for struggling quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield. Mayfield threw the third-most touchdowns off of play-action last season, so this offense fits him like Wrangler jeans fit Brett Farve. Mayfield clearly has bucketfuls of potential and his weapons are probably top-3 in the league. He has a chance to be a top-10 quarterback, but he’s disappointed before and he is immature with his decision-making, so I would still rather have the more-dependable Matt Ryan or Aaron Rodgers.