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

Biggest Surprises of 2017 - Quarterbacks

Quarterbacks tend to be some of the more undervalued commodities in fantasy football. For years owners have been punting the quarterback position in their redraft leagues. Dynasty leagues have owners moving breakout stars around when their value blows up, just to roll with a guy like Philip Rivers week in and week out. It makes sense, it’s common knowledge anymore, and it’s something that will continue to be done.

This year was a very interesting year at the quarterback position. From young, breakout stars, to the surprising breakout of some backup quarterbacks, this year was full of surprises. Not to mention the exhilarating matchup of the two backup quarterbacks in the NFC Championship game this year.

It’s safe to say, there were some big-time surprises at the quarterback position.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Surprise Quarterbacks of 2017

Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans – QB26

The biggest surprise of this season was none other than the rookie Texans quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Not only was Watson a major surprise this year, there were realistic talks about this guy being in the running for MVP. Not just rookie of the year… NFL MVP. Week after week there were talks about this unsustainable TD rate he was at, and he just continued to produce. In a few of my redraft leagues this year, I was lucky enough to grab Watson off the waiver wire early. One league in particular, I had Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Lamar Miller fired up into my starting lineup every week, and the wins kept coming. This Texans offense fell off hard when Watson went down, except for the main man ‘Nuk’ Hopkins of course. Anyone who was lucky enough to grab Watson knows just how good it felt to throw him out there every week, and the guy is the real deal. From traveling into Seattle and getting major props from some of the best defensive players in the league, to putting up four TDs or more on multiple occasions. You’re talking a guy that is giving each of the top-five dynasty QBs a run for their money, and rightfully so.

Deshaun Watson was on pace to finish inside the top 2-3 this year for QBs, depending how Carson Wentz would’ve finished had he played the whole season, those two guys were looking like they’d finish as the top two QBs in fantasy. It’s such a shame to see anyone go out the way Watson did, especially someone doing this in their first season in the league. If you grabbed Deshaun Watson in your dynasty drafts last season, congratulations. You just landed yourself a guy that’s giving Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson a run for their money in dynasty league rankings. Best of luck to Deshaun and his recovery this off-season, NFL fans and fantasy fans alike cannot wait to see him back on the field.

Josh McCown, New York Jets – QB21

Josh McCown takes a close second place here on my list of surprises at the quarterback position. Heading into the season, per usual, there were countless questions up in the air. New coaches, new faces in different cities, new rookies, and many other uncertainties. Despite all these uncertainties, there was one thing that we knew for sure. The Jets would be terrible. This wasn’t even up for discussion. Every other article you saw, ever other podcast you listened to, people were talking about the Jets not winning a game this year. Josh McCown carrying the Jets this year has got to be one of the most underrated storylines of the year.

Josh McCown wasn’t someone that you were waiting late for in your Redraft leagues. He wasn’t even on your radar. If he was, props to you, because everyone in the fantasy world wasn’t even considering McCown. Through Week 13, McCown was the QB7 in fantasy. He was making plays with his feet and turning Robby Anderson into a must-start WR. In fact, in those 13 weeks, Anderson was the WR14 in PPR leagues. The emotion that came out of McCown after his injury showed us all just how much this season meant to him. Against all odds, and largely with the help of so many teams with a mediocre record, the Jets were legit and had a shot at the playoffs for a while. McCown was one of the biggest surprises this year, and was on track to be a QB1 had he played the whole season.

Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles – QB5

Next up is Carson Wentz. Similar to Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz came into this year and absolutely shocked the fantasy world. Many fantasy owners were banking on Carson to take a step forward in his second year, but not like this. In the first seven weeks, Wentz was the number two QB in fantasy, second to none other than Alex Smith. Another on this list that I’ll get too. Wentz looks good. Really good. When you look at how the Eagles offense and team as a whole has turned things around this year, it’s tough not to imagine this team being contenders for years to come. Wentz ended the season with 3,296 yards, 33 TDs and just seven interceptions.

When it comes to dynasty league football, the value of a guy like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees tends to get overlooked to an extent. We all know, the stud WRs and bell cow RBs are the ones we want to build our teams around, but having one of those stud QBs for years can keep you competitive year in and year out. That’s what I see when I watch Carson Wentz play. A stud QB set up for success in an excellent position. The offense looks great, Wentz looks poised, comfortable in the pocket, and the relationships he’s built with Zach Ertz and his receiving core appears to be one that will be long lasting. Wentz has moved up in dynasty QB rankings like crazy this year, don’t be surprised when you see him as the top QB in dynasty rankings this off-season.

Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs – QB4

Alex Smith did have a very surprising season, but he also was the only one on this list to play an entire season. He wasn’t putting up crazy numbers and then abruptly get stopped due to an injury, he just fell off. Along with the entire offense for a good chunk of the season. The entire Chiefs offense this season was a bit of a surprise. Kareem Hunt came out and was absolutely on fire, finishing the season as the No. 4 RB in PPR. Tyreek Hill, despite his lack of targets, ended the season as a WR1. Travis Kelce did what was expected, and then some, finishing the season as the number one TE in PPR. This offense was on fire, and Alex Smith was the one leading the way. In Week 8 against the Denver Broncos, Smith began to fall off slightly, and the Chiefs lost four straight games. Had he been able to be more consistent with these high end QB1 numbers, he’d be higher on this list.

Alex Smith finished the season with over 4,000 yards, 26 TDs, and 5 interceptions, completing 67.5% of his passes. Whether it was Andy Reid giving Smith the reigns to air it out, or make some decisions on his own, whatever it was, it was working. Whatever the reason was for this resurgence out of Alex Smith this year, it doesn’t sound like he will be in Kansas City next year. The Chiefs rookie QB Patrick Mahomes looks great and appears to be the Chiefs answer at the QB position moving forward. Smith was a very nice surprise for fantasy owners this year, offering excellent return on draft position, or even as a waiver wire pick up.

Case Keenum, Minnesota Vikings – QB14

Last, but not least, we have Case Keenum. Keenum was another QB this year who was a surprise for fantasy owners, as well as NFL fans in general. The Minnesota Vikings had an excellent season this year, and Keenum deserves a lot of the credit. He finished the season as the number 14 QB, while producing the WR8 in PPR in Adam Thielen, and the number WR19 in Stefon Diggs. Not to mention, he just was a very solid game manager, which was perfect to pair with that stellar defense. Improvements to this offensive line greatly helped the run game this season, despite losing rookie Dalvin Cook early on. Who would’ve predicted this battle of the backup quarterbacks in the NFC Championship? Despite the loss to the Eagles, there is no doubt that Keenum was a major surprise this year, but do the Vikings believe he is their long-term answer at the QB position?

 

More Year In Review Columns




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

Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Sunday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Scratched on Monday
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Edward Cabrera

Heading to Injured List With Elbow Sprain
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Harry Ford

Called Up for Major-League Debut
Victor Scott II

Activated From Injured List
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Dealing With Hamstring Tightness, Expects to Play Monday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Agrees to a One-Year Contract with Milwaukee
Kyrie Irving

"Healing Up Great"
Dante Exum

Mavs Agree on a One-Year Deal
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs, Trent McDuffie Not Expected to Finalize Extension
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Dameon Pierce

Ahead of Schedule, Ready for Season
Jordan Love

May Wear Thumb Brace During Season
Chicago Bears

Bears Head Coach Admits Offense Could Face Learning Curve
Matt Chapman

Leaves Early on Sunday, Expects to Play Monday
A.J. Brown

Says He'll Be Active For Season Opener
Luis Garcia

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Max Scherzer

Exits Due to Back Tightness
Taylor Ward

Exits Early After Collison
Sal Stewart

Reds Promoting Sal Stewart to Majors
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic to Miss the Rest of EuroBasket
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington
Aroldis Chapman

Agrees to Contract Extension
Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper Waived by the Mavs
Lauri Markkanen

Dominant in Win Over Great Britain
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Leads Serbia to a Win
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Shines Versus Portugal
Jose Alvarado

"Good" After Recent Fall
Lauri Markkanen

Torches Sweden
Neemias Queta

Dominates in EuroBasket Opener
Kawhi Leonard

Clippers Not Allowing Kawhi Leonard to Play Back-to-Backs

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP