By: Brandon Carr
1.) Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson is coming off of an MVP season in his second year in the NFL. Jackson last season threw for 3,127 passing yards for 36 passing touchdowns on 6 ints. Jackson also was super productive on the ground as he ran for 1,206 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns. Jackson’s incredible 2019 campaign led to him finishing the season as the QB1 on the season with 421.68 fantasy points.
Positives
Jackson and the Ravens are poised to again be one of the best teams in the NFL. Between the weapons they have in Hollywood Brown, Mark Andrews, and Mark Ingram, the Ravens have a system that perfectly complements Jackson’s skill set and talent. The Ravens in the NFL draft also drafted 5 offensive players. The Ravens drafted 2 wide receivers, 2 offensive linemen, and 1 running back, which shows that they are committed to making the Ravens offense even better and surrounding their quarterback with more talent. Jackson’s offensive line this past season protected him very well. According to Pro Football Reference, Jackson was tied for 2nd in the NFL in time allowed in the pocket with an average of 2.6 seconds. Jackson also ranked last in the number of times he was hurried as he was only hurried 31 times all season long. The Ravens may have lost team captain Marshall Yanda to retirement, but they still come into the season with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL with two pro bowl offensive tackles in Orlando Brown and Ronnie Staley who also was first team all-pro last season.
Negatives
Lamar Jackson as everyone knows is an unbelievable quarterback who is also super gifted with the ability to run with the football. Jackson’s 1,206 rushing yards are the most in a season all-time by a quarterback and this rushing ability is a huge asset for fantasy football. There was a quote that was interesting to take note of. Jackson recently on ProFootballTalk mentioned that he envisions himself rushing less than he did last season. Jackson said, “I doubt if I’m going to be carrying the ball a lot going on in the future.” Jackson last season carried the ball 176 times which was an NFL record for most rushing attempts by a quarterback in a season. Now, this is something that we have to see when the season starts but even if Jackson’s carries this season gets cut down, the Ravens won’t be cutting them down dramatically so Jackson’s very safe floor he brings with rushing will remain the same. The Ravens ran the ball the most in the NFL this past season with 596 attempts which was 98 more than the second-place team.
Overall
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are not going to be going away anytime soon and Jackson will once again be the first quarterback to be drafted in a lot of leagues and he, in my opinion, going to be looking at another season where he likely finishes as the QB1 on the year. Jackson’s current ADP is the 2.05 in half PPR leagues.
2.) Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes is coming off of a dominant 3 game playoff stretch capped off by a Super Bowl victory against the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Mahomes’ regular-season was also dominant in the games he played in. Mahomes threw for 4,031 yards for 26 touchdowns and 5 interceptions in 14 games played. Mahomes finished the season as the QB8 with 292.04 fantasy points.
Positives
Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL and he is on an offense that possesses a lot of speed and talent that works perfectly with his arm. The Chiefs clicked at the perfect time in the playoffs and you saw just how explosive they really are. Mahomes during the regular season suffered a patella dislocation in week 7 against the Broncos. This caused Mahomes to miss 2 games and up until that point Mahomes was the QB5 on the season. For Mahomes to finish the season as the QB8 which was ahead of Carson Wentz, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady, it shows how great of a player Mahomes is. He comes into this season with the same Super Bowl team they just had that added another weapon out of the backfield with Clyde Edwards-Helaire who caught 55 passes with LSU last year. Mahomes also showcased something that he doesn’t do a whole lot of in the playoffs and that was his rushing ability. Mahomes in the 3 playoff games, averaged 45 rushing yards a game and I remember the 27-yard run he had in the Titans game and I hadn’t seen him do something like that before, so I wonder if he decides to pull back and run more when he has to this season. If we see Mahomes hit career highs in rushing yards that makes him even better for fantasy than he already is.
Negatives
There aren’t any negatives when it comes to a quarterback of Mahomes’ caliber. This season especially when there haven’t been any major changes to the Chiefs offense and coaching staff that would expect anything less for Mahomes. With a now healthy Tyreek Hill who was injured to start the season last year, with Travis Kelce still being there and Sammy Watkins restructuring his contract to stay, there is no reason why Mahomes isn’t a top quarterback this season for fantasy.
Overall
Mahomes I believe will return back to MVP form this season for the Chiefs. He is on top of the football world right now and for fantasy, he will be a huge contributor once again. If you are playing in a 6pt passing touchdown league, then Mahomes would be ahead of Lamar Jackson for me in the rankings. Mahomes for standard passing leagues will slot in as my QB2. Mahomes’ current ADP is 2.12 in half PPR leagues.
3.) Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott enjoyed the best season of his NFL career this past season. Prescott last season posted career highs of 4,902 passing yards which ranked 2nd in the NFL and 30 touchdown passes which ranked 4th in the NFL. Prescott’s season had him finish as the QB2 on the season with 348.78 fantasy points.
Positives
Prescott is entering the 2020 season being the starting quarterback of one of the best offensive personnel groupings in the NFL. Prescott is going to in my opinion have a real shot at leading the NFL in passing yards this season under Mike McCarthy’s heavy passing offense. Prescott has weapons like Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb, and Ezekiel Elliott in this offense that will elevate Prescott’s game to another level. The Cowboys happen to be in a weak division that will give him the opportunities to be successful once again. Prescott according to FantasyPros has the 6th easiest quarterback schedule in the NFL which gives him even more of a higher ceiling heading into this season. Prescott is a quarterback who also provides a solid rushing floor as last season, he ran for 277 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.
Negatives
The only negative I can potentially see for Prescott is what if they don’t get a contract extension done with him this off-season and he is forced to play under the franchise tag? The most recent piece of news on this situation is that both sides have been in talks and they have been “positive” talks. Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones also said recently on 105.3 The Fan that he is confident that they will get a deal done. “Dak is the quarterback of our franchise now, and for many years to come. We’ve gotta get his contract — we’ve gotta get over that hurdle. But we’ll do it, it’ll ultimately get done.” There haven’t been any confirmed reports that Prescott would hold out this season but this is a situation to closely monitor. I don’t believe that he will and he will be Dallas’ starting quarterback in Week 1 of the season.
Overall
Dak Prescott is in one of the best situations out of any quarterback in the NFL. He has a plethora of weapons at his disposal and he will have a chance to throw the football this year at a high rate being in this offense which is why he is so high for me. Prescott’s current ADP is the 5.01 in half PPR formats.
4.) Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson is coming off of playing his 8th season in the NFL and he again showed that he is still an elite quarterback in the NFL and for fantasy. Wilson this past season threw for 4,110 yards for 31 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. Wilson finished the season as the QB4 with 333.60 fantasy points.
Positives
Wilson consistently has been one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Every season he has been in the league, Wilson has finished as a QB1 for fantasy and has had a top 10 finish over the past 3 seasons. He is as sure of a bet as it comes and is always a very safe fantasy option for owners. Wilson enters his 9th season with a Seahawks offense that comes in with the same offensive weapons from last season but added tight end Greg Olsen which will provide Wilson with a solid safety blanket. D.K. Metcalf is someone who I believe will take another step forward in his sophomore season and Tyler Lockett is always a great fantasy option who has a really good rapport with Wilson. Wilson is another quarterback who can provide fantasy owners a nice floor with his rushing ability. Wilson also according to FantasyPros has the 7th easiest quarterback schedule for fantasy for the upcoming season. It also helps that Wilson is one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL as he has never missed a game in his career.
Negatives
There are not many negatives to say about Russell Wilson and his fantasy outlook. Is he getting older? Yes, he is but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. There will be a day where Wilson is not one of the most elite quarterbacks in the NFL and I don’t believe it will be anytime soon. What is something to watch is if his offensive line can protect him better. According to Pro Football Reference, Wilson was tied for first in the NFL in times sacked (48), first in the NFL in times hurried (71), and was 4th in the number of times he was hit this season (57). This hasn’t stopped Wilson from producing at an elite level but if there were any concerns about his longevity it would be the punishment he has taken.
Overall
Wilson is once again going to insert him in the discussion for a top 5 finish at the quarterback position for fantasy and I believe he does this season once again. Wilson’s current ADP is the 5.03.
5.) Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray is coming off his rookie year in the NFL where he won the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year award. Murray last season threw for 3,772 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions along with 544 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. Murray finished this past season as QB7 for fantasy with 297.28 fantasy points.
Positives
Kyler Murray had a very solid rookie season in the league. He now goes into this season with a year under his belt under Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and he now has one of the best receivers in the NFL in DeAndre Hopkins to throw the ball to. The Cardinals are going to run a lot of 4 receiver sets this season with Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Larry Fitzgerald, and whether it is Keyshawn Johnson, Andy Isabella, or Hakeem Butler manning the 4th spot. The Cardinals figure to be one of the most improved offenses in the NFL this season. Murray I am predicting takes that second-year leap. Murray will also be among the top of the NFL in rushing yards by a quarterback because of how athletically gifted he is which again provides a safe floor for him in fantasy.
Negatives
The Cardinals have done very little to help protect Murray which is something that can be concerning. They did re-sign D.J. Humphries and drafted tackle Josh Jones in the third round but you would’ve liked to see them boost his fantasy outlook by selecting a tackle in the first round of the NFL draft. According to Pro Football Reference, Murray was tied for 1st in the NFL in the number of times sacked (48) and was tied for last in the NFL in time allowed to throw in the pocket with only 2.3 seconds on average. This is something to keep an eye on for Murray in the 2020 season along with him having the 25th easiest schedule for quarterbacks according to FantasyPros.
Overall
I believe that Kyler Murray in his young NFL career is poised to take a second-year jump with a true alpha wide receiver he can rely on with the other weapons he has on his offense combined with the athletic gifts he possesses. Murray’s current ADP is 4.11 in half PPR leagues.
Brandon's Breakdowns 
No love for my main man Minshew
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