X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Give Up on Jared Goff Before It's Too Late

Antonio Losada analyzes Jared Goff's underwhelming season, and provides alternative fantasy football quarterbacks with higher upside to consider trading for.

Not long ago, we were discussing the quarterback stable for the 2019 season in preparation for our season-long drafts. Two months and change, that is. Back in September, there were just a couple quarterbacks deemed as locks to be drafted inside the first three or four rounds: Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, and only for those with a strong heart maybe Aaron Rodgers. That's it. I think I would not be alone in saying all of those were probably reaches at the time. No quarterback is a season-to-season lock, truth be told, so I'd rather pick an RB/WR that early.

Anyways, at the bottom of the first tier of quarterbacks (in 12-team leagues) we had Jared Goff. In fact, Goff entered the season with an ADP of QB10 and an overall 91st draft position. That's not bad. Not many quarterbacks can say they are considered weekly starters and Goff looked like one given his exploits in 2018. But so far, with more than half the season gone and the fantasy playoffs closer than ever, Goff has been good at best, mediocre at worst. But fear nothing! There is still time to make amends and fix your quarterback position in order to give a final boost to your team, reach the playoffs, and win your league.

Let's take a look at Goff and how to replace his middling performances and outcomes.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

So Jared Goff Was a QB1 in the Draft Season... How Come!?

Yes. Yes, he was. As I said in the intro to this article, Goff's ADP was that of a 91st draftee in 12-team leagues. That means Goff was being picked around the seventh round. That also means that prior to the start of the season, we fantasy nuts had Goff above quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Jameis Winston, and... Lamar Jackson. Ugh.

To be fair, Goff's 2018 season was good enough to fool our brains and make us believe he will be a good bet and play to have in our teams.

The numbers speak for themselves, and Goff was atop many of the most important fantasy categories last season. In fact, barring the completion rate he ranked as a QB1 in every one of the categories shown in the image above. His passing yardage was excellent, as were his touchdowns, and we know those two categories highly correlate with fantasy outcomes. Speaking of fantasy scores, Goff was able to finish the year playing at a QB1 level (top-12 in QB points in a week) seven times, and at QB2 level in another seven games. He had a couple of horrid games against Denver and Chicago, but those bumps were minimal.

All in all, at the end of the year Goff finished as the 18th-best player in PPR-format leagues and as the QB7. He scored 310 fantasy points, virtually on par with Aaron Rodgers (313), and he did so by throwing for 4,688 yards (fourth-most), 32 touchdowns (sixth), and 12 interceptions (10th). More than enough to make him a more than capable player at the position and a sure thing for fantasy GMs entering 2019.

Now, through Week 10 of the 2019 season, this is how Goff is looking:

The difference is notable and the chart makes it clearer than I could ever put in words. Getting straight to the point of interest: Goff is currently the QB18 in total points and the QB19 in points per game, which is to say, Goff is a middle-of-the-pack QB2 this season. That means Goff is--sorry to tell you the truth if you own him and consider him your QB1--a weekly reserve just playable in favorable matchups. And someone far from an every-week starter at the position.

Goff is throwing more passes than you can even count, and that has helped him rank eighth in completions. By "that" I mean the incredible volume of balls he's throwing weekly. If it weren't for his huge number of passing attempts he'd be definitely a mediocre player (just look at his rank among QBs in completion rate, 37th). The same goes for his passing yardage, but not to such a great extent in terms of passing touchdowns. That is definitely one of the things killing Goff this season: He just can't find players in the end zone.

Goff's 3.1 TD% ranks 32nd among 34 qualified quarterbacks this season. He's only been better than Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco at scoring. To make matters worse, Goff has thrown nine interceptions in nine games. He's holding a 2.5 INT%, which ranks 12th in the league, and his 11:9 TD:INT ratio is kinda ugly, to say the least. You know volume is key in anything fantasy. I know it is. We all know it is. But the kind of volume Goff is generating isn't going too far nor helping him a lot.

On top of all of that, the Rams have played a dead-average schedule so far for quarterbacks (in terms of strength of the defenses they've faced against the position, measured in fantasy points per game allowed to the QB). Things will be uglier from this point forward: From Weeks 11 to 13 (leading up to the fantasy playoffs), Los Angeles has the 18th-best schedule against QBs. From Weeks 14 to 16 they have the third-worst schedule of all teams (they will face Seattle, Dallas, and San Francisco).

It is time to move on from good old Jared Goff.

 

How to Replace Jared Goff for the Rest Of Season

Okay. If you are reading this, I probably have convinced you to stop playing Jared Goff and look for alternatives. I'm happy about it and I will definitely try to help you navigate this route.

First of all, you have to take into account that we're getting to the final games of the regular season and that your league probably even has a set trade deadline. That might make deals harder to complete and raise prices a little bit. In any case, here are some of the players that are currently being traded in exchange of Goff in Yahoo leagues:

Some of those are multi-player or dynasty-format deals, but you can get an idea of what would it take to get rid of Goff and what you can expect to get in return. Perhaps the most interesting trade of the list above is the last one. Jameis Winston is currently the QB8 in fantasy points per game and his profile is kind of similar to that of Goff. Both throw a lot of passes and amass big yardage every week, only Winston is making the most of it with more touchdowns and brings some rushing upside (aka free points) to the table weekly. I'd complete that trade with my eyes closed in no time, to be honest.

 

Other Potential Trade Targets

Other names, considering they wouldn't need a lot to trade for, are discussed below. If you're lucky you might even find them for free in the waiver wire (!), although if you play in any competitive league that shouldn't be the case.

  • Matt Ryan, ATL (94% owned in Yahoo): Ryan ranks QB7 in points per game this season. He's throwing a high volume of passes and he already has 17 TDs to his name. Ryan doesn't have any sort of rushing upside and will need to give you numbers through the passing game but Atlanta is one of the worst teams in the league and will need to throw the ball constantly to catch up with their rivals in every game. Plus Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley are one of the best one-two pairs of receivers in the league.
  • Kyler Murray, ARI (92%): Speaking of flame throwers... Slowly but surely rookie Kyler Murray is getting the grip of the NFL. He's thrown 12 touchdowns so far while limiting his errors to just five interceptions. Murray is second in both attempts and completions and ranks as the QB10 through Week 10. Not only is Arizona an average team that needs to throw the ball often, but Murray is able to combine that with a great game on the ground. So far Murray has rushed for 351 yards and two touchdowns, and only Lamar Jackson has more yards than him on the ground.
  • Josh Allen, BUF (83%): There is no safer play than Josh Allen in fantasy football this season. If you want a quarterback that constantly gives you good points, go after Allen. He is averaging 21.1 per game (QB12) but he has finished all of his games except two with between 19 and 24 fantasy points. Those two outliers went for 10 points (against New England, though) and for 28 in Week 10. Consider Allen the safest of your options. Not a high ceiling, but a floor as high as any other you can find out there and he also brings the rushing side of his game to the equation (275 rushing yards and six touchdowns already).
  • Derek Carr, OAK (67%): You might think Carr is worse than keeping Goff (his fantasy points per game average is lower at 17.9 compared to Goff's 18.9) but as happens with Josh Allen, Carr is much more consistent with his outcomes. Most of Carr's games have finished with the QB scoring between 17 and 22 points, and he's only fallen below 15 points two times in the season.

Finally, here are some waiver wire additions to consider streaming ROS instead of playing Jared Goff weekly:

  • Nick Foles, JAX (30%) / Gardner Minshew, JAX (16%): Any of the two quarterbacks in Jacksonville looks like a great addition and streaming option to my eyes, and if you have enough room you can get both to save yourself the trouble of picking the wrong one (Foles should play ROS but who knows what can happen). Minshew has been benched while being the QB14 in points per game, which is something I don't really understand but that is for another day. The rookie had been able to score 13 TDs while only throwing four interceptions, and also rushed for 235 yards in nine games. Foles will be thrust into the starting position to improve on those numbers, so with such a low ownership ratio he should be easy to get for free and the expectations should be those of a first-tier quarterback.
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA (10%): Don't get fooled by the raw numbers you'll read in Fitzpatrick's average points per game column. Fitzpatrick is only the QB40 by that mark (13 points per game), but what you might not know is that the calculation includes the first three games of the season in which he played backup to Josh Rosen. Removing those performances from the equation, Fitzpatrick is averaging 18.2 fantasy points from Weeks 6 to 10. He's a little bit of a boom-or-bust player, as he's gone from 11 to 23, 15, 27, and 15 fantasy points in his last five games, but he is not worse than Goff by any means and Miami will undoubtedly keep allowing him to take any risks he wants to (as if he had any problem with that, to begin with).

 

Fantasy Verdict

To sum up, Jared Goff has been more than disappointing through the ten games already played this season. What turned him into a QB1 last season is not helping him even reach mid-QB2 levels in 2019, which has frustrated more than one of his fantasy owners.

With an average of 18.9 points per game, Goff is the QB20 in the year and more than a replaceable piece in your lineup. The name might make you have doubts about moving on from him, but you know what happened to those who waited and waited (and kept waiting for some reason...) for players like O.J. Howard or even Joe Mixon to explode. The game, though, tells another story: that of an underperforming quarterback doing less than enough to get your weekly benefit.

It is time to move Goff off of your team, or at least consider benching him. If you have a good backup at the position you can try and play him ROS and move Goff for another position player while getting some other QB for free through waivers. Pairing Goff with other players (see some multi-player trades above) can net you a bounty including the likes of Prescott, Mahomes, or even Lamar Jackson. As a last resort, you can always find good streaming options on the waiver wire weekly, and some of the players that fall there each week are completely overlooked while they are providing better fantasy outcomes than Jared Goff this season.

One-liner: trade Goff away if you still can, and reap the rewards.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Austin Riley

Leaves Game Early on Friday With Abdominal Tightness
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Rafael Devers

Dealing With Back Inflammation
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Returning on Friday
Sauce Gardner

Wants to be Highest-Paid Cornerback
Rhamondre Stevenson

Heading into an Important Season
Minnesota Vikings

Josh Metellus, Vikings Have Mutual Interest in Extension
Tua Tagovailoa

2025 Could be Tua Tagovailoa's Last Season in Miami
Rashawn Slater

has "Full Confidence" a Deal Will Get Done
Byron Buxton

Returns on Friday
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Jake Meyers

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Calf Strain
Brandon Lowe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Tightness
Kodai Senga

Reinstated to Start on Friday
Alex Bregman

Officially Activated and Starting on Friday
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Chicago Bears

Bears Extend General Manager Ryan Poles
Dalton Knecht

Avoids Serious Injury
MarShawn Lloyd

in a "Much Better Spot" Heading Into Training Camp
Javon Small

Signs Two-Way Deal
Dustin Hopkins

Browns Still Counting on Dustin Hopkins
Demarcus Robinson

Sentenced to Three Years of Probation
Jalen Nailor

In Line for WR3 Role in Minnesota
Andrew Thomas

Could Miss Start of 2025 Season
Alex Bregman

Expected to Return on Friday
Julio Rodríguez

Julio Rodriguez Won't Suit Up for Midsummer Classic
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Expected to Work Out Long-Term Extension
Bernhard Raimann

a Candidate for an Extension This Summer
C.J. Stroud

Could Sign Multi-Year Deal Before 2026 Season
Kyle Juszczyk

Says Christian McCaffrey Looks Healthy, Explosive
Kyren Williams

Showing Improved Explosiveness
Christian Barmore

"Dominant" this Spring
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF