RADIO
Quarterbacks are always the talk of the NFL Draft, although this year's crop pales in comparison to last year. Some may become long-term assets in dynasty, but for a true breakout QB you are better off looking at the existing field. Whether you are in a one-QB or two-QB dynasty fantasy football league, the bottom line is that you are not going to bring home a gold trophy and a wallet full of prize money unless you have solid signal callers on your roster.
In dynasty leagues particularly, hanging your fantasy helmet on a couple of quarterbacks in their primes or on the way to superstardom is one of the most effective ways to keep your squad among the perennial contenders year after year. You see it in the NFL all the time. Why have the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers had so much success over the past decade? Look no further than their franchise quarterbacks.
If you have franchise fantasy quarterbacks you can frame your team around, you are on your way to building a dynasty yourself! Here are three quarterbacks bound to break out in dynasty fantasy football leagues in 2019.
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Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers
2018 Stats: 718 passing yards, 5 touchdown passes, 3 interceptions
Jimmy G. should have had his breakout season last year, but an ill-advised ending to a fourth-quarter scramble cost him the remainder of 2018 only three games in. He was known more for being on the sidelines and in TMZ’s headlines than for anything he did on the field. Yet while some fantasy players might hold his torn ACL and his small sample size of solid stats against him, you have to account for his skill set and that five-game portion of the 2017 season where he threw for 1,542 yards and showed several flashes of a top-10 fantasy quarterback.
While Garoppolo has been rehabbing his knee, the 49ers front office has been rehabbing their roster. The Niners brass added Atlanta rusher Tevin Coleman to go along with Matt Breida and the returning Jerick McKinnon in the backfield, and they also signed veteran receiver Jordan Matthews to join a young receiving corps that should improve greatly with Garoppolo back under center.
Speedster Dante Pettis has a 1,000-yard year written all over him, and do not be surprised if San Fran adds another receiver via the draft. Meanwhile, the extraordinary George Kittle is coming off a record-breaking season where he piled up the most receiving yards for a tight end in the history of the NFL – and he did it with Garoppolo on the bench most of the time. Garoppolo is 27, on a team on the rise and has one of the best offensive minds in Kyle Shanahan guiding his offense. Look for Jimmy G. to have that 4,000-yard, 30-TD season we have all been waiting for.
Sam Darnold, New York Jets
2018 Stats: 2,865 passing yards, 17 touchdown passes, 15 interceptions
Darnold played like a combination of Browning Nagle and Mark Sanchez during the early part of his rookie campaign, but delete that from your memory banks. What should stand out to fantasy players heading into 2019 is how Darnold finished 2018m which included a three-game stretch during the most crucial time of the fantasy season (Weeks 15-17) where he threw for 764 yards and six touchdowns while only getting picked off one time. Fantasy tip No. 189: When a young player ends a season strong, that is usually a precursor to what he is going to do the following year.
The supporting cast surrounding Darnold will be much different and much more talented than it was in 2018. Just the signing of top tailback Le’Veon Bell alone will do wonders for Darnold’s fantasy value simply because Bell will open up passing lanes as defenses crowd the box to stop him, and because Bell is one of the best pass-catching running backs in the NFL. Throw Jamison Crowder (a ginormous upgrade at the slot receiver position) and new offensive-minded head coach Adam Gase on top of Bell and everything is falling perfectly into place for Darnold to become a dynasty dynamo for anybody who lived through his first-year failings and kept him for the upcoming season.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2018 Stats: 2,074 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions
Do not pay attention to the Johnny Manziel-like passing numbers Allen put up during his rookie season. What fantasy players need to focus on are the rushing numbers Allen racked up when he was not throwing dying quails at the feet of his receivers or into the arms of opposing cornerbacks. Allen galloped for 631 yards and scored eight touchdowns thanks to his frenetic feet and formidable frame, making him a fantasy force despite his subpar passing stats.
Buffalo’s receiving corps has gone from pitiful to passable with the offseason additions of speed demon John Brown, slick slot receiver Cole Beasley and tight end Tyler Kroft. Allen still lacks a No. 1 receiver, but all he needs to do is be a middle-of-the-road passer and to stay healthy to be a fantasy goldmine. And maybe Buffalo actually drafts a receiver in the first couple rounds to give Allen the missing piece of the puzzle he needs! Look for Allen to throw for 3,200 yards and 18 touchdowns to go along with 800 rushing yards and another eight scores during a breakout 2019 season that vaults him into the dynasty league stratosphere.
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