Lance's 2021 Fantasy Sleepers: QB
Top: Kirk Cousins (Minnesota)
Am I crazy? Probably. Am I insane? Maybe a little. But that shouldn’t stop you from considering Cousins on your draft day. Despite all the negative attention he gets, he usually finishes just on the outskirts of being a QB1 in fantasy land. This year the Vikings have the potential to roll-out the best O-Line they’ve had since the late 2000’s. That’s a positive notch for Cousins who has been playing behind one of the worst pass blocking lines in the NFL. He’ll also have more of a rapport built with Jefferson, Irv Smith will have a more significant role, and he now has the added kick to prove the doubters wrong after the Kellen Mond selection. I think he pushes for a top ten fantasy QB spot.
3 Others: Jameis Winston (New Orleans), Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia), Teddy Bridgewater (Denver)
I believe Winston will win the job. All the talent is there, he just has to make better decisions, and I think Sean Payton can get him to do exactly that. He may not have Taysom Hill’s athletic ability, but he doesn’t need it to get the ball downfield to Michael Thomas. If he’s back to being a starter then 5,000 yard seasons with 30 touchdowns are back on the table, you just have to hope those 30 interceptions take a significant hit.
This one could go either way, but I choose to believe Hurts will grow. His accuracy was abysmal last season, and that’s going to need serious work, but unless you play in some sort of weird fantasy league, accuracy doesn’t affect you. The starting job is his, he’s got very good athleticism and will be a constant fantasy threat because of his legs. He’ll also have the added benefit of Devonta Smith joining the lineup. I’d use a QB2 selection on him, especially if you draft like I used to, which involves waiting to take your QB1 until after just about everyone already has theirs.
Bridgewater wasn’t a major factor in fantasy land last season, but he was, for the most part, reliable. This season he’ll upgrade from Robby Anderson/Curtis Samuel/D.J. Moore to Courtland Sutton/Jerry Jeudy/K.J. Hamler/Noah Fant. The boost in playmakers should help him have an even better statistical season. Two other things of note: No I didn’t list CMC, that’s because he was out for all but three games last year. And no, I don’t think Drew Lock wins the starting job, not unless he does a complete 180 from how he played in 2020.
Rookie: Trey Lance (San Francisco)
He’s got an awesome last name, but that’s not why I picked him as my rookie. I would be shocked if he started the season as QB1. However, I do think we could see him starting by the middle of the year. In two of his three seasons with San Fran, Garoppolo has missed 23 games. There’s a high chance he gets dinged up forcing Lance into the lineup and the Niners never end up swapping them back. When that happens you jump on the Lance train immediately cause this kid is incredibly athletic with a great arm and he’s smart with the ball! Plus, San Fran’s got a brilliant offensive mind calling the shots for the offense, and good playmakers around the QB.
Dark Horse: Tua Tagovailoa (Miami)
As an Alabama fan I love Tagovailoa, but don’t let that be the reason you stop reading right here. He’s my dark horse, meaning you probably shouldn’t draft him, but he should be added to your watch list. Unless of course his preseason is crazy good, then draft him. He’s now about a year and a half removed from his big hip injury. He’ll have had a full offseason of work put in with his pass catchers and despite my views on the Jaylen Waddle selection, he will have the benefit of a Receiver he’s already gotten to play with for a couple years. You can't discount the value of rapport. This should be a very different Tua than we saw last year.
