TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Three Quarterbacks Who Will Bounce Back to Top Tier Status in 2016

Everyone has been there at some point in a fantasy draft. You take the plunge and draft a quarterback a little early, thinking you've locked up the position for the entire season. Then you come to find out that you got the 2014 version of Cam Newton or 2015 Andrew Luck.

In this article we are going to take a look at three quarterbacks who underperformed in 2015, but are due for a bounce back campaign in 2016.

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through October. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

Luck was one of the biggest fantasy disappointments last season. The young signal caller was unanimously the first quarterback off the board in 2015 and had an ADP in the late first round. Part of Luck's issues in 2015 stems from him playing in just seven games before succumbing to shoulder and kidney injuries which held him out for the remainder of the season. Even before the injuries, Luck had been struggling to show the 2014 form which allowed him to become the top-scoring fantasy quarterback. Luck threw for 15 touchdowns in his seven games in 2015, but also did not take care of the ball, throwing 12 interceptions.

With all of this being said, there's reason to be excited about Luck's chances to return to greatness this season. He has a full complement of excellent weapons at his disposal. This includes T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Phillip Dorsett, and Dwayne Allen. Hilton is always a threat to go the distance any time he touches the ball and should be happy to see Luck back behind center this season. Moncrief was well on his way to a breakout last season before Luck went down and is a darkhorse candidate to put up WR1 numbers this season and outperform Hilton.

Dorsett, the team's first-round pick in 2015, is expected to see the field more as the Colts are going to run more three-receiver sets. Allen will finally get a chance to take on a full workload at tight end after Coby Fleener left for New Orleans in the offseason. All in all, if you were someone who took Luck in the first or second round last year, you should be thrilled to get him at a discount this season as he's generally going in the fourth round of drafts. There's no reason that Luck can't post the season this year that everyone expected in 2015 and in the process return to being an elite fantasy quarterback.

 

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers has been one of fantasy's most consistent producers at the quarterback position since taking over the job full-time in 2008. Last year, the veteran was the second quarterback off the board and his owner likely spent a second-round pick to acquire his services. Rodgers went on to finish seventh in fantasy points among quarterbacks last season. Not terrible numbers, but a far cry from what fantasy players expect they are going to get from Mr. Discount Doublecheck.

Rodgers' 31 passing touchdowns last year was his least since the 2009 season (outside of 2013 when he played in only nine games). Many of Green Bay's struggles can be traced back to the loss of field-stretcher and All-Pro wide receiver Jordy Nelson in the preseason. The Packers offense looked markedly different without Nelson, with Randall Cobb struggling as the team's number one receiver and Davante Adams failing to capitalize on the potential that made him a second-round draft pick in 2014. Perhaps overshadowed by the loss of Nelson, however, was the mountain of injuries suffered along the team's offensive line. The team entered the playoffs with just one of five starters active and healthy.

With Nelson and the offensive line fully healthy, things are looking up for Rodgers in 2016. Nelson being back should allow the offense to return to the elite production we have gotten used to seeing over the years. The team also added tight end Jared Cook, who has teased fantasy owners with his potential without ever putting it all together in past years. While it is hard to bank on Cook being productive this season, he is playing with the best quarterback of his NFL career. Rodgers is currently coming off the board as QB2 in the third round of fantasy drafts and has a legitimate shot at reclaiming his crown as the top fantasy quarterback this season.

 

Robert Griffin III, Cleveland Browns

Griffin has nowhere to go but up as he spent the entire 2015 season on Washington's bench, watching his former backup Kirk Cousins run the show out there. In Cleveland, RGIII has a second chance to prove that his amazing 2012 rookie season wasn't a fluke. In 2012, Griffin racked up 3,200 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns while adding 815 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

While those rushing numbers are likely to be unattainable for Griffin to repeat, he does have an outside chance to finish the year as a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2. It's reasonable to believe that Griffin will be able to improve on the passing numbers he posted in his rookie year as he will be playing with much better weapons than he had surrounding him in 2012. Once Josh Gordon comes off his suspension in Week 5, the Browns will have Gordon, Corey Coleman, and Terrelle Pryor as their top three receivers. All three are capable of creating mismatches all over the field.

Add in a dominant red zone force such as Gary Barnidge and elusive pass-catching back Duke Johnson, and Griffin could put up big numbers this season. One final factor that is cause for optimism for Griffin is new Browns head coach Hue Jackson. Jackson has enjoyed a good deal of success coaching offense in the NFL and can expected to put Griffin in the best possible situation to succeed. With Griffin coming off the board around the 14th round in fantasy drafts, he's worth targeting if you like to wait on quarterbacks.

 


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Isaiah Collier

Returning to Jazz Lineup Monday
Tage Thompson

Picks Up Four Points Against Lightning
Trent McDuffie

Signs Record Four-Year, $124 Million Extension With Rams
Moritz Seider

has Three-Point Performance on Sunday
De'Anthony Melton

Available Against Jazz
Moses Moody

to Remain Out Monday Night
Al Horford

Won't Play Against Jazz
Kristaps Porzingis

to Skip Monday's Game
Alex Caruso

Iffy for Monday
Collin Murray-Boyles

to Sit Out At Least Two More Games
Grayson Allen

Misses Meeting With Hornets
Tarik Skubal

Could Make Another Start in World Baseball Classic
Nelson Velázquez

Nelson Velazquez Could Get Increased Reps
Porter Hodge

to be Placed on Injured List
Jackson Chourio

Should Return to WBC Lineup on Monday
Dairon Blanco

Rangers Claim Dairon Blanco Off Waivers From Royals
Byron Buxton

"Fine" After Being Hit by Pitch
Kyle Higashioka

to Return on Monday
Travis Kelce

Appears "Motivated" to Return for a 14th NFL Season
Josh Giddey

is Returning on Sunday
Matas Buzelis

is Available on Sunday
Deni Avdija

Returns With Minutes Restriction
Ajay Mitchell

Set to Return on Monday
Kyle Kuzma

Misses Sunday's Action
Chet Holmgren

Questionable to Suit Up Monday
Isaiah Hartenstein

Won't Play Against Nuggets
Egor Demin

to Remain Sidelined on Monday
Jamal Murray

Considered Questionable for Monday
Michael Porter Jr.

Won't Suit up on Monday
VJ Edgecombe

Listed as Questionable for Monday
Jonathan Isaac

to Miss Third Straight Game
Anthony Black

Sits Out Sunday's Game
Andrew Abbott

Gets Opening Day Nod
Shane Smith

is Named Opening Day Starter
Merrill Kelly

Throws Batting Practice Session on Sunday
Gavin Lux

to Make Spring Debut on Tuesday
Cedric Mullins

Resumes Baseball Activities
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Remains Out with Hand Soreness
Zack Littell

Nationals Agree to a Deal
Bryce Miller

to Throw a Bullpen on Sunday
Emil Lilleberg

to Miss Two Weeks Due to Facial Fracture
Spencer Knight

Won't Play Sunday
John Carlson

Not Ready for Ducks Debut Sunday
Zach Whitecloud

Injured Saturday Night
Khalil Mack

Returning to the Chargers for 2026
Jaden Schwartz

Forced to Exit Early After Taking Skate Blade to Face
Jake Sanderson

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Versus Kraken
Ryan Blaney

is Always A Top Favorite to Compete for the Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Phoenix?
Christopher Bell

is Likely to have Another Solid Phoenix Run
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Could Dominate at Phoenix This Weekend
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Phoenix
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain

Has Found Speed Again at Phoenix
Josh Berry

a Solid Sleeper at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Skips Qualifying After Practice Crash at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Spins in Practice at Phoenix
William Byron

Should Be a Contender at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Is Always a Threat at Phoenix
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be Playable for Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Anthony Alfredo

Is A Favorable DFS Option In A Substitution Role At Phoenix
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Defeats the Maple Leafs on Saturday
Nikita Kucherov

Picks Up Four Assists
Romy Gonzalez

Could Require Surgery
Kyle Tucker

is Expected to Return on Sunday
Brandon Woodruff

Wants to be Ready for Opening Day
Orion Kerkering

Throws Successful Bullpen Session
Chandler Simpson

Rays Being Overly Cautious with Chandler Simpson
Roope Hintz

to Miss At Least a Couple of Weeks
Dylan Larkin

Ruled Out for Sunday
Adam Larsson

Ryan Lindgren Iffy for Saturday
Travis Konecny

Remains Out Saturday
Mikhail Sergachev

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Mason Marchment

Ready to Face Mammoth
Zach Werenski

Available Saturday
Brandon Woodruff

Making Cactus League Debut on Saturday
Andrei Kuzmenko

Done for Regular Season
Josh Morrissey

Activated From Injured Reserve
Jiri Kulich

Unlikely to Return This Season
Shayne Gostisbehere

Exits Early Friday
Maxx Crosby

Traded to Baltimore in Blockbuster Deal
Dalton Schultz

Texans, Dalton Schultz Agree on One-Year Extension
Joe Mixon

Texans Release Joe Mixon
Max Holloway

A Favorite At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Set For BMF Title Fight
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Prefer Not to Start Fernando Mendoza Immediately?
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Looks To Bounce Back
Caio Borralho

Set For UFC 326 Co-Main Event
Rob Font

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Raul Rosas Jr.

Looks For His Fifth Consecutive Win
Drew Dober

Returns At UFC 326
Michael Johnson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Geno Smith

Raiders Release Geno Smith
Danielle Hunter

Texans, Danielle Hunter Agree to One-Year, $40.1 Million Extension
DJ Moore

Bears Working to Finalize Deal to Send DJ Moore to Buffalo
Stefon Diggs

Patriots Releasing Stefon Diggs
Trent McDuffie

Chiefs Sending Trent McDuffie to Rams in Blockbuster Deal
Taylor Moore

Looking to Build on Cognizant Classic Finish
Robert MacIntyre

Brings Solid Form to Bay Hill
Scottie Scheffler

the Tournament Favorite at Bay Hill
Xander Schauffele

Trending Well Ahead of API
Si Woo Kim

Looking to Return to Top Form at Bay Hill
Ben Griffin

Looking to Return to Form at Arnold Palmer Invitational
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks to Build on Cognizant Classic Win at Arnold Palmer
Sam Burns

Searching for Consistency at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Daniel Berger

Offers Sneaky Upside at Bay Hill
Justin Thomas

Making Season Debut at API Following Lower-Back Surgery
NASCAR

Collin Morikawa Hopes To Better Last Year's Runner-Up Finish at API
Tommy Fleetwood

Isn't As Confident of a Start at Bay Hill as Previous Weeks
Kyler Murray

Will be Released
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Not Using the Franchise Tag on Trey Hendrickson
Daniel Jones

Colts Place Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Adam Scott

Might Endure Tough Times at Bay Hill
Aldrich Potgieter

Extremely Risky When it Comes to Bay Hill
PGA

Sungjae Im to Make Season Debut at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Jordan Spieth

an All-or-Nothing Option at Bay Hill
Harry Hall

Trying to Rebound After the Genesis Invitational
Ryan Gerard

Needs Better Start at Bay Hill
Kenneth Walker III

Won't Get the Franchise Tag
Patrick Cantlay

Still Plagued by Bad Putting Ahead of Arnold Palmer Invititational
Daniel Jones

Colts Expected to Use Transition Tag on Daniel Jones
Breece Hall

Jets Placing Franchise Tag on Breece Hall
CFB

Mark Stoops Joining Texas Coaching Staff
Jason Day

Attempts to Bounce Back from The Genesis Invitational
Jacob Bridgeman

Rolling into Arnold Palmer Invitational
Russell Henley

Looks to Defend Title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF