My ways of approaching fantasy football drafts are changing
For most of my fantasy football playing days, I’ve never been afraid of drafting a quarterback in the first round.
I know other fantasy football analysts tend to frown on this process (but I’ve also learned to zag when everyone else zigs).
After some struggles this past season, I’m leaning more the way of drafting a hero RB and WRs for the first 4 to 5 rounds in my 2022 drafts (except in super flex where drafting QBs early are a necessity).
But my tune has changed after recently completing my consistency charts on the four big positions in fantasy.
And the numbers don’t lie on waiting later in drafts for a QB.
The top 12 quarterbacks each scored 2.00 or more in my chart’s system with six of the top 10 QB rushing leaders among my top 12. Only the top 7 in each the RB and WR ratings scored above 2.00, while only two TEs were above that mark.
(My consistency charts can be found here: https://thefantasyfbguru.wixsite.com/fantasyfootballguru/post/ffg2-consistency-charts)
The top 3 in my consistency QB chart were Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Kyle Murray. Allen was 3rd in rushing among QBs, followed by Murray. Herbert was 10th in QB rushing.
After the top 3, pocket passers Aaron Rodgers and the retired Tom Brady were No. 4 and 5.
Rodgers rode his 40-TD, 4-turnover season for a top 5 finish, while Brady finished in top 12 in each of the five of the six categories I used for the ratings.
Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes II, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins rounded out my consistency chart Top 12.
DON’T SLEEP ON LAMAR: Jackson hasn’t been able to produce the same numbers from his 2019 NFL MVP season, but he was trending in the right direction this season.
Despite a career-high in turnovers (13 interceptions and 3 fumbles lost), he finished 10th in the ratings.
He was only able to play in 12 games in the 2021 season and if you take away his injury-shortened game vs. Cleveland in Week 14, his rating would have put him above Rodgers.
It also appeared Jackson may be coming into his own as an NFL passer in 2021.
Despite his shortened season, he has thrown the ball 382 times, just falling short of the 401 he threw in his MVP season. He also averaged a career-high 240.2 yards passing a game last season.
Along with his rushing prowess (he still had more than 700 yards rushing last season), Jackson will remain an elite QB for fantasy.
WHAT ABOUT MAHOMES?: Since his 50-passing TD season in 2018, the Kansas City signal caller has yet to eclipse the 40-passing TDs mark.
This year the KC offense had to evolve as teams began taking away the Chiefs’ big play ability.
The first 8 games of the season Mahomes threw for more than 260 yards in seven of those games. In the final 9 games, he was held under that mark in 5 games.
Despite those numbers, the Chiefs were still able to earn the AFC’s top seed with its upstart defense and the dink-and-dunk approach by the offense.
Is Mahomes still a QB1 in fantasy standards? Yes.
Is he worthy of a top 5 ranking? Maybe not.
With the emergence of Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow the last two seasons, Mahomes may not even be a Top 3 fantasy quarterback in the AFC going into the 2022 season.
- Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog (IT’S FREE) to stay up to date on new stories, new rankings and other information I will provide during the season and the offseason.
Comments