The NFL preseason has officially started, and you know what that means — it’s time for fantasy football! Whether you’re playing for lump sums of money or simply bragging rights, fantasy football is a really big deal. And since it’s so important, it is even more imperative that you master the art form that is the fantasy football strategy. Over the course of the next couple weeks, I will be putting together a survival guide for the 2018-19 fantasy football season. This by no means is the end all be all, but something to point you in the right direction. We’ll kick things off talking about the quarterbacks.
The Elites: Aaron Rodgers, Packers; Tom Brady, Patriots; Russell Wilson, Seahawks
When it comes to the quarterback position, the term “elite” gets thrown around often, even though it shouldn’t be. There are only three names that should be grouped in that category heading into the 2018 season. Aaron Rodgers is coming off a season marred by injury, but when healthy, he is the best quarterback in football. Tom Brady is really up there in age, but his level of play has not experienced a decline yet, so he should still be one of the first quarterbacks taken off the board. Russell Wilson’s dual-threat nature has him in the top-tier, especially since the Seahawks offense relies on him so heavily.
The Sleepers: Kirk Cousins, Vikings; Philip Rivers, Chargers; Andrew Luck, Colts
Kirk Cousins was a solid player in Washington, despite him facing loads of criticism. In Minnesota, he should really thrive given the amount of talent at the skill positions. Rivers is an elite talent, but can be erratic at times. But, for fantasy purposes, he should be given serious consideration as the Chargers love to air it out. He’ll have plenty opportunities to rack up points as long as he can keep the turnovers down. Luck is coming back from injury, so it is uncertain what we can expect from him this season. If he can regain his old form, he’ll make a lot of fantasy owners happy they took a chance on him.
The Breakouts: Deshaun Watson, Texans; Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers; Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
The Texans may have truly found their guy in Deshaun Watson. Before he got hurt last year, he averaged just over 28 fantasy points per game. I fully expect him to pick up where he left off due to his duality as a quarterback. Jimmy G hasn’t lost yet and there’s a reason for that. He’s the real deal and the 49ers are going to let him loose in 2018. His first full season as the starter is going to be a big one. Mahomes is the new signal-caller in Kansas City and the expectations are high. He does have big shoes to fill in Alex Smith’s, but he appears to be up for the challenge and will have plenty weapons at his disposal.
The Busts: Dak Prescott, Cowboys; Case Keenum, Broncos; Jared Goff, Rams
Dak Prescott’s numbers regressed from his rookie season and I don’t expect him to get back to that same level of play yet again in 2018. Ezekiel Elliott is going to be their bread and butter, so there will be a cap to how high Prescott’s ceiling is. Case Keenum was one of the breakout stars of 2017. He earned a big pay day with the Broncos and he should still be solid this season, but I’m predicting he falls off a little bit because the offensive situation in Denver isn’t as clear cut as it was in Minnesota. Goff is another guy who came on strong last season. The addition of Brandin Cooks was major, but still Goff is unlikely to duplicate the fantasy production that he enjoyed a season ago.
Big Board (Top 20)
- Aaron Rodgers, Packers
- Tom Brady, Patriots
- Russell Wilson, Seahawks
- Deshaun Watson, Texans
- Cam Newton, Panthers
- Drew Brees, Saints
- Carson Wentz, Eagles
- Kirk Cousins, Redskins
- Philip Rivers, Chargers
- Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
- Matthew Stafford, Lions
- Andrew Luck, Colts
- Matt Ryan, Falcons
- Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers
- Jared Goff, Rams
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
- Marcus Mariota, Titans
- Alex Smith, Redskins
- Dak Prescott, Cowboys
- Derek Carr, Raiders
You might also like
More from Sports
Rosebar Royalty: The Soap Opera of the Washington Wizards and What They Should Do Next
*Disclaimer: The Washington Wizards have won five of their last nine games* The Washington Wizards are in an interesting spot right …
TDT Staff’s 2018 NFL Midseason Awards
Preseason predictions rarely ever pan out. Injuries happen, players get traded, some grow up right before our very eyes. That's …
Roman Reigns Has Leukemia, And That Shit Hurts
If you haven't heard by now, Roman Reigns (real name Leati Joseph Anoaʻi) revealed on last night's episode of Monday …
