How ironic that the most important position on the football field could be the least important in fantasy football. Yes folks, this is the list for those of you wise enough to bolster other areas on your roster, while waiting to find value at the quarterback position later on.
Go ahead and roll the dice—you’ll thank me for it later.
Quarterback might be a touchy subject for those that pulled an OJ Simpson and made the mistake of drafting Andrew Luck. Firstly, blame your commissioner for making your draft day way too early, and secondly, there is plenty of value to be found on the waiver wire to put a Band-Aid on what could have been a catastrophic situation.
Here are five sleepers at quarterback that could potentially help take your team to the fantasy promised land.
Jared Goff, Rams
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff’s Super Bowl LIII loss could be your gain headed into a season where he’s being talked about like someone’s neglected step-child. He wasn’t spectacular in the playoffs, and he was even worse in the Super Bowl.
So what?
Unless you’re brave enough to poke out your chest and hold the fantasy playoffs during the actual playoffs, which most of you aren’t doing (let’s be honest), there is no reason to be concerned about what Goff did or didn’t do when the season was on the line. Not having to worry about what happens in the actual playoffs is the luxury of being an armchair general manager.
But during the actual 2018 season, Goff had the Rams offense looking like a present-day rendition of “The Greatest Show on Turf.” He completed 364 passes for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. That high-flying offense won’t miss a beat in 2019 with Goff’s arsenal remaining intact—complete with the much-anticipated return of standout receiver Cooper Kupp, who was on pace for a 1,000-yard season before having his year cut short due to a knee injury.
After being grounded in the Super Bowl, Goff and his loaded receiving corps should be doing aerials that would make Maverick Mitchell jealous in 2019.
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers
Even after what most considered to be a bad trade, Jimmy Garoppolo is still making Patriots coach Bill Belichick look good.
The 27-year-old quarterback was traded to the San Francisco 49ers from the Patriots for a second-round draft pick, which was initially perceived as a Dollar Tree discount for the supposed heir of Tom Brady. So far the 49ers haven’t seen much in return for their five-year, $137.5 million investment.
Garoppolo didn’t look spectacular in 2018 before going down with a season-ending knee injury. Then there was the infamous training camp practice when he threw five interceptions on five consecutive passes. Those are enough red flags to push him six-feet deep into sleeper territory.
However, Garoppolo quietly redeemed himself by going 14-of-20 for 188 yards and one touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3 of the preseason.
He has shown flashes of elite playmaking abilities when he’s healthy and taking care of the football. Some have already forgotten his magical 5-0 run behind center for the 49ers in late 2017.
It would be wise to stash him on your rosters early to see if that version of “Jimmy G” shows up again.
Derek Carr, Raiders
If I told you Derek Carr threw for a career-high 4,049 passing yards last season, would you believe me?
Well, that’s exactly what happened during a transitional period of a new coach with few offensive weapons. Unfortunately for Carr, however, his performance was dwarfed by how bad the Raiders stunk last season. A 4-12 finish isn’t going to exactly turn heads in a quarterback’s direction. Not to mention Carr was already coming off a disappointing 2017 season, which had him producing numbers in the same ballpark of his rookie year.
Enter All-Pro wideout Antonio Brown, along with rookie running back Josh Jacobs and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow.
Carr finally has the talent around him to get back to the young gunslinger we saw in 2016, when he turned the Raiders into a playoff contender and made a case for league MVP. Of course, that’s assuming Brown finds the helmet he likes and doesn’t take anymore random sabbaticals during the season.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings
It amazes me how often Kirk Cousins is overlooked, particularly in smaller leagues. He’s usually a slam dunk option for those willing to wait on a quarterback and load up at other positions on the board. For some of you, he’s sitting on the waiver wire right now waiting for you to roll the dice on him.
It wouldn’t be much of a gamble considering he has one of the best receiving corps in football with Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and Laquon Treadwell, assuming he sticks around. Cousins will also have double trouble at tight end with Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr.
That kind of firepower is well worth the gamble for a quarterback that has thrown for over 4,000 yards in the last four consecutive seasons. A second year in the Vikings offense could end with Cousins reaching career-high numbers and you face-palming for missing out on him.
Jacoby Brissett, Colts
The shocking retirement of Andrew Luck has the Indianapolis Colts fan base in mourning. Most have already thrown in the towel before the start of the 2019 season. Yes, they’re pulling a Tony “Duke” Evers before the Apollo Creed beating.
Of course, those individuals probably haven’t been paying attention to the strong training camp Brissett had this year. They probably didn’t care to watch when he was stepping into his throws and driving the ball downfield into tight windows against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the preseason, either. Go ahead and hang your hat on him struggling during the 2017 season, when he essentially stepped in as a starter a week after being traded to a Colts team with an atrocious offensive line.
The sleeper potential here is astounding considering Brissett is a dual-threat quarterback playing in an offense loaded with receiving talent and behind what should be a top-10 offensive line.
Keep sleeping on him, and you might Rip Van Winkle yourself to the playoffs with him helping someone else’s roster.
