Sophomore Quarterbacks: 2014 Fantasy Football Outlooks

2013 was a hard year to be a rookie quarterback in the NFL. After the way the rookie quarterbacks performed in 2012, the bar was set high. Only three QB rookies were relevant last season, mostly getting added and dropped from the waiver wire, and all three faced far more struggles than their predecessors.

In this piece I will take a look at some NFL rookie quarterbacks from 2013, providing my player analysis including touching on their fantasy football potential and team outlooks for 2014. These QBs may be 2014 fantasy football sleepers or busts, but all should be considered and accounted for as part of your 2014 draft strategy.

3 Sophomore QBs - 2014 Fantasy Football Analysis

Geno Smith, QB - New York Jets

Smith started all 16 games for the Jets in 2013 as the only rookie quarterback to start a full season, walking away with 3,046 yards and an 8-8 record. His record is indicative of the type of play he produced – inconsistent and somewhat “Jekyll and Hyde” like. He showed flashes of brilliance at times, but amassed a whopping 21 interceptions, almost double the number of touchdown passes (12) he threw.

Geno was hard to count on from a fantasy football perspective as well, and scared off owners who wondered which version of Smith and the Jets would show up each Sunday. This season, Smith will have Michael Vick waiting on the bench, a not-so-subtle reminder that the job is his to lose. Smith will be well-served to continue taking advantage of his ability to run the ball as he works to reduce his throwing mistakes.

Possibly the best sign that Smith could improve in a big way this season is the Jets' acquisition of Eric Decker, Jace Amaro, and Chris Johnson. His offensive weapons have taken a huge leap forward, and there’s reason to believe that he can do the same. Like most NFL rookies, Geno made it clear last year that he wasn’t yet totally comfortable with the playbook. Another off-season will have served him well in that department, and he should be able to come back this season with much more confidence. Look for Geno Smith to reach fantasy relevance this season as a sleeper who has every opportunity to become a viable starter if he can get in sync with his new receivers.

EJ Manuel, QB - Buffalo Bills

Manuel also had an erratic season in 2013, marred by injury and inconsistency. Dealing with knee injuries throughout the year, he played just 10 games and finished with 11 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and 1,972 yards. His talents as a mobile quarterback are superior to his peers, but his inability to stay healthy made them hard to showcase last year.

He has the most potential of this 2013 rookie quarterback class and has a shot to have a much bigger sophomore season if he can put his knee issues behind him. Any questions regarding whether or not Manuel has the faith of the Bills organization were put to rest after the 2014 NFL draft. Some speculated they’d reach for a back-up behind Manuel, but they did nothing in the way of targeting another quarterback, instead putting their focus on bolstering their offense in other ways to give Manuel the best chance to succeed.

They added two new receivers in Mike Williams and Sammy Watkins, both of whom have the potential to be big play-makers for Manuel. Along with an overall stronger offense this year, he will also have another year of playbook mastery under his belt. Confidence in the abilities of Manuel is high within the Bills organization, as many signs point to a big leap forward for the young QB in his sophomore season. I expect Manuel's athletic talent and improved overall offense to help him make an impact on many fantasy football teams this season, especially those who play in 2 QB leagues and are willing to take a gamble on him earlier in the draft.

Mike Glennon, QB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Glennon finished the 2013 season with 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just 9 interceptions. The struggles of his team as a whole made it hard for him to truly impress, but he made a positive impact nonetheless. After taking over as QB for a winless team in Week 4, Glennon helped lead the Buccaneers to their only four wins of the season.

He was never more than a bye week fill-in option off the waiver wire for fantasy football owners last season, but he ended up surprising a few people when they were forced to take a gamble on him. He was the most composed and consistent of his rookie counterparts last season, but there’s a very good chance we won’t see much of Glennon at the helm in 2014.

Tampa Bay picked up the aging veteran Josh McCown from the Chicago Bears during the off-season, and have made it immediately clear that he will be the starter indefinitely. Despite the demotion for Glennon, new Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith has indicated that Glennon is the Tampa Bay “Quarterback of the Future.” In a league that is often filled with quarterback controversy, the McGowan/Glennon tandem seems to be void of it. Glennon might not see much action if McCown can stay healthy and maintain the level of play he showcased last season, but McCown’s experience and guidance should only help Glennon in the future. Despite his future NFL promise, even if McCown gets injured or struggles, I don't expect to see Glennon as a viable fantasy quarterback at any point this season.