2020 has been everything but predictable, and the fantasy football season will surely look the same. Here are six under-the-radar quarterbacks who could pull of surprisingly good showings in 2020.
Drew Lock | Denver Broncos
Lock is poised for a breakout 2020 after emerging as a talented starter last season. The quarterback of the future in Denver, Lock was rewarded with a surplus of weapons this offseason. In 2020, he will deliver touches to running backs Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay, wide receivers Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, KJ Hamler, and Jerry Jeudy, as well as tight end Noah Fant.
While Lock isn’t on the level of Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, it is worth noting that both of those quarterbacks played limited games in their rookie years before emerging as stars in their second seasons, both winning MVP.
The high-energy youngster will be fortunate enough to spend 2020 in an offense constructed around him, which is a huge bonus and sign of faith for a relatively inexperienced quarterback. Make sure to pursue Lock if he is available in the second half of your upcoming draft.
Daniel Jones | New York Giants
Like Lock, Jones is also heading into his sophomore season as the team’s No. 1 quarterback. Jones will benefit from a backfield security blanket in Saquon Barkley while utilizing wide receivers Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, and Darius Slayton. Look out for tight end Evan Engram to also contribute in 2020 despite questionable showings in recent years.
The Giants are in a unique division without a clear front-runner. While the Giants aren’t up for much playoff consideration, they could make things interesting late in the year. They’ll likely be in several close games this season, giving their signal-caller a chance to shine and rack up late-game fantasy points.
All in all, Jones is a reliable choice for bench quarterback with more than enough trust to slot it in at starter if the QB1 is dealing with an injury or bye week. Of course, with that said, do not be surprised if Jones elevates to QB1 status after the first four-to-six weeks of the season.
Jones is definitely a player that you will want to take a chance on in the latter portion of the draft.
Sam Darnold | New York Jets
Contract talks loom for Darnold and his head coach, Adam Gase. The two will face pressure in 2020 as team brass, media, and the public continues to call for an organizational turnaround. While that is something that’s been begged of since before Darnold was drafted, the displeasure of fans has continued, much to the dismay of players.
Losing Robby Anderson was surely painful for Darnold but the addition of Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims, coupled with Le’Veon Bell‘s promise to improve in 2020, should restore some fantasy owners’ faith in Darnold, who was woefully inconsistent in 2019 from a fantasy standpoint.
In a tough AFC East division, the Jets are already projected to finish fourth with little-to-no playoff aspirations. If Darnold wants to cement his status in New York and secure a contract extension, he will need to blow the New York brass away by executing perfect plays and game-calls.
Teddy Bridgewater | Carolina Panthers
The Panthers made a huge upgrade this offseason by signing Teddy Bridgewater to replace Kyle Allen. At the same time, cutting ties with Cam Newton after an impressive run was halted by an injury. Bridgewater had a thrilling 2019 season, going 5-0 with New Orleans while Drew Brees recovered from an injury.
Bridgewater should slot in nicely in a Carolina offense that has solid potential. Christian McCaffrey is clearly the top offensive weapon but the Panthers also went out and signed Robby Anderson to complement DJ Moore. If rookie head coach Matt Rhule can tailor the offensive plan to align with Bridgewater’s style, 2020 could be a huge year for the team.
As for Bridgewater’s fantasy potential, having McCaffrey as a reliable passing target is a huge bonus, as could the addition of Anderson. Expect Bridgewater to flourish into a reliable fantasy starter by midseason.
Baker Mayfield | Cleveland Browns
This is a peculiar case because Mayfield is vastly overrated from a league standpoint. However, he has become so overrated in the NFL that he is underrated from a fantasy football perspective. By being doubted by so many people in a huge market, his fantasy value has taken a hit and thus he should fall further than he deserves in upcoming drafts.
The fact that Mayfield had so many great weapons at his disposal in 2019 and still failed to perform is worrisome, but those fears can be reversed. In Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr., Mayfield has two Pro Bowl-caliber receivers at his disposal. Running back Nick Chubb also made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and is bound to have another great year. Cleveland also went out and signed tight end Austin Hooper, who was selected to the last two Pro Bowls. He joins underrated pass-catcher David Njoku in an exciting tight end unit.
With four Pro Bowlers at the ready, it is difficult to expect Mayfield to struggle again in 2020. While he’s been disappointing in recent years, he has also shown several flashes of potential and will be a reliable fantasy football option in 2020.
Matthew Stafford | Detroit Lions
Stafford missed time in 2019 because of injury but is expected to be healthy when he returns. As a result, fans and fantasy owners should be excited about his 2020 potential. Stafford and the Lions are in a tough position where many players on the team are reliable but the coaching staff has hurt the team’s outcome.
Stafford will be welcomed back to the field by Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr., who are two of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL. At tight end, T.J. Hockenson will claim the starting job after his promising 2019 season was interrupted by injuries. In the backfield, Stafford will have talented speedster Kerryon Johnson and impressive rookie D’Andre Swift at his disposal.
Stafford is always a reliable fantasy football quarterback, yet still gets overlooked in drafts every year. The same should be expected in 2020, and Stafford can be counted on to exceed expectations yet again.
