Free Agency Check - Fantasy Football Quarterback ADP Risers and Fallers

April 11, 2024

Which quarterbacks had the best and worst landing spots in free agency this offseason for fantasy football? Joey Pollizze looks at which quarterbacks had their ADP rise and fall in free agency.

It's not often that a Pro Bowl quarterback finds himself as a free agent. That was the case this offseason with Kirk Cousins. Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, was set to test the open market after spending the last six years with the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran then agreed to a multiyear deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

Cousins' departure from Minnesota shocked many around the league, but it was only the start of a wild offseason at the quarterback position. Many quarterbacks found new homes in free agency, and some were even traded like Justin Fields.

So, which quarterbacks saw their ADP rise or fall this offseason based on their landing spot? Let's dive in and find out.

Quarterback ADP Risers

Gardner Minshew: Las Vegas Raiders 

Quarterback Gardner Minshew was a solid QB2 option in fantasy last year after Anthony Richardson (shoulder) went down with a season-ending injury. Minshew scored at least 15 fantasy points in six of his 13 starts for the Colts, including two top-seven fantasy finishes in Week 7 (28.1 fantasy points) and Week 15 (20.6 fantasy points).

Now, Minshew is likely headed for another starting role in 2024 following his two-year, $25 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason. The 27-year-old signal-caller will have to battle with Aidan O'Connell for the starting quarterback job out of training camp, but he should be the favorite to start Week 1. He led the Colts to a 7-6 record with him under center, and Indianapolis was just one game away from making the playoffs.

UNDERRATED #Raiders new QB Gardner Minshew vs #Jaguars former #1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. pic.twitter.com/4lMrBdg0No

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) April 3, 2024

With Minshew also receiving $12.5 million annually from the Raiders, he could be the veteran to get the team over the hump. He won't be a high fantasy pick in drafts this offseason, though, he can be a solid QB2 option for those fantasy managers in Superflex leagues. Las Vegas was the perfect landing spot for the five-year veteran, and he'll have the chance to start right away.

Sam Darnold: Minnesota Vikings

It's been a rough couple of years for quarterback Sam Darnold to begin his NFL career. The former third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft struggled as a rookie with the New York Jets, throwing for just 2,865 yards and 17 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. Those struggles continued over the next two seasons in New York before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021.

Darnold didn't show much promise with the Panthers in those years and eventually signed as a backup to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in 2023. However, his fantasy draft stock is certainly trending up heading into the 2024 season following his one-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

With Cousins leaving for Atlanta, it appears that Darnold is in line to start for the team in 2024 -- assuming they don't trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. That will make him an interesting selection in the later rounds of Superflex formats. He'll also have a solid supporting cast (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones) to help him in the passing game.

Darnold has gotten off to a slow start in his career, but he could succeed in the right spot. That spot could be in Minnesota. He'll have reliable weapons in the passing game and arguably the best wide receiver in the game in Jefferson. There's a chance we could see a solid year from the 26-year-old.

Quarterback ADP Fallers

Justin Fields: Pittsburgh Steelers

Heading into the 2024 offseason, the Chicago Bears likely expected a big market for quarterback Justin Fields. However, that wasn't the case by any means. The Bears waited and waited to trade Fields, and before they knew it, there weren't many teams that really needed a starting quarterback.

As a result, they winded up trading him to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2025 sixth-round pick that could turn into a fourth-round pick if Fields plays 51% of the Steelers' offensive snaps in 2024. With Russell Wilson signing a one-year deal only days before the deal, it's pretty apparent that the young quarterback will be the backup in Pittsburgh this upcoming season. That certainly hurts his fantasy value, especially after finishing as the QB7 only two years ago.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth says QB Russell Wilson "starting to build that connection" with receivershttps://t.co/Q5Lfg2vpYT pic.twitter.com/4lx4Q2YlsU

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) April 9, 2024

Fields' landing spot to Pittsburgh almost kills his fantasy value in 2024. He won't be the starter -- as confirmed by various reports -- and will likely only see playing time if Wilson struggles or gets hurt. If either of those two things does happen, though, the 25-year-old would be a steal on the waiver wire, given his rushing upside.

Joe Flacco: Indianapolis Colts

Quarterback Joe Flacco came out of nowhere in 2023, signed with the Cleveland Browns, and delivered one of the most surprising fantasy stretches of the season. From Week 13 to Week 17, Flacco averaged 21.8 fantasy points per game while throwing for at least 300 passing yards in four of those five contests. The veteran also finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in four of those five weeks, including a QB1 finish in Week 16 against the Houston Texans (26.8 points).

While there might have been some hope that Flacco could be a full-time starter again in the NFL, his landing spot with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason was not the best for his fantasy value. He'll be the backup to Richardson and will only see playing time if the young quarterback gets hurt.

Flacco was a surprise waiver wire pickup last year, but he will go undrafted in every fantasy league this upcoming season. If he landed with a team like the Raiders, Patriots, or Vikings, we could have been talking about the 39-year-old differently. Nonetheless, going to Indianapolis drops his fantasy value big-time after a successful 2023 campaign in which he won NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

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