There are a handful of teams that could be looking to address the QB position this offseason; with Pittsburgh, Washington, and Denver are the main three. Ben Roethlisberger is likely retiring, Ryan Fitzpatrick is a free agent (and Taylor Heinicke isn’t the answer), and Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock have had enough chances to prove themselves.
New Orleans, Carolina, Detroit, Atlanta and Houston would be possible landing spots for QBs, but keep in mind Taysom Hill, Sam Darnold, Jared Goff, Matt Ryan and Davis Mills are all under contract for those teams. Whether they have performed up to par is debatable, but nonetheless, they are still being paid.
The other names to keep in mind to fill vacant spots are these trade candidates:
- Deshaun Watson
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Aaron Rodgers
- Russell Wilson.
Trey Lance would take over in San Francisco, Jordan Love would be given a chance in Green Bay, and Davis Mills has shown enough to get the start in 2022 in Houston. The Seahawks would need a QB if they traded Wilson away.
I will break down the year of the free agent QB and give you my opinion on their upside for fantasy football next year and beyond, based on where they could end up.
*All rankings and point totals are based on fantasy football 4-point passing TDs, unless stated otherwise stated
The Upside Starter
Jameis Winston
I wrote about Winston in the NFC South Buy, Sell & Hold series earlier this year. Of course he got hurt the week after I told everyone to buy – sorry!
Jameis Winston is the only free agent QB that really stands out as a true starter. It is likely he returns to the Saints, as they were 4-2 before his Week 8 injury. Under Sean Payton he had learned to limit his turnovers, having only 3 interceptions and 1 lost fumble in six games.
The Saints have a messy cap situation, but could bring Winston back on a one or two year deal; similar to the one he signed last offseason. Honestly, this would be the safe floor option for Winston. He could go there and be a QB2 for your fantasy football team, but his upside would be capped as Payton sheltered him behind Kamara.
There is a chance however, that either the Steelers or Washington pays up for Winston. My favorite scenario is the Steelers. I am not saying Winston is the caliber of Ben Roethlisberger, but they are built similarly and have the gunslinger mentality. The Steelers don’t want to wait for a rookie QB to develop. They can bring Winston in without missing a beat. They can spend draft capital on improving an offensive line that needs desperate help.
With the Steelers, Winston would have weapons similar to his fantasy football QB4 year in 2019. Not saying Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool are Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, but they are similar in playing style and builds. Add in Pat Friermuth and Najee Harris, and I think his upside would be top-10 potential easily.
Winston is a guy I am still looking to buy in dynasty, especially fantasy football super flex leagues. He can be bought very cheap, but could return great fantasy value if the landing spot is right.
The Bridge
Teddy Bridgewater
Teddy Bridgewater’s name fits perfectly with what he has become and will forever be – a bridge QB. He has done enough and is still young enough (29) that a team could give him another chance; either as they develop one of these 2022 rookie QBs or wait another year to draft one. I think Washington makes a lot of sense for Bridgewater.
Depending on their draft position, they could draft a QB early. That would allow the rookie to develop while Bridgewater keeps them competitive. Bridgewater isn’t a risk taker, so pairing him up with what could be a stout defense may work well.
For fantasy football purposes this wouldn’t be too bad. He would have an alpha WR in McLaurin, a checkdown option in Gibson, as well as a safety blanket in Logan Thomas. An added bonus, he has worked with Curtis Samuel before.
This year Teddy Bridgewater ranked as the fantasy football QB17 between Weeks 1-14. He sustained a concussion in Week 15 and it is unclear whether he will return for the final game of the season. His average points per game is down this year at 15.75, compared to last year’s 17.61.
Much like his real life role, Bridgewater is not the answer for your fantasy football team. He can bridge the gap in your fantasy lineup for a week or two when injuries and bye weeks arise, but his upside is limited.
The Wild Cards
Mitch Trubinsky
Mitchell Trubinsky was the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft; taken ahead of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. In his rookie year he started 12 games and averaged 11.46 fantasy football points.
In 2018 Trubisnky finished as the QB14 in only 13 games. He averaged 19.45 points a game. This was his best fantasy football season to date. In 2019 his production dropped significantly, averaging only 14.75 points per game.
Halfway through the 2020 season he lost his starting job with the Bears. This season he has been Josh Allen’s backup in Buffalo.
His name has been floating around as a potential starter, however there aren’t a whole lot of job openings. Was it Matt Nagy’s system that led to Trubinsky downfall or was he never really that good? In fantasy football super flex leagues I am willing to stash him, just to see what happens. He offers the dual-threat ability that makes him fantasy relevant, but I am not getting my hopes up. I am no NFL GM, but why not bring him into either Cleveland or the Giants to help push Baker Mayfield or Daniel Jones?
Marcus Mariota
We have only seen Marcus Mariota start once since the start of the 2019 season. Last year he took over for an injured Carr in Week 15 against the LA Chargers. He scored 24.84 fantasy points. His dual capabilities were on display as he ran 9 times for 88 yards and TD. He threw for 226 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int.
Mariota’s first three years with the Titans were his most productive. His finishes in fantasy football during those years were QB22 (17.50 points per game) in 12 games, QB12 (17.38) in 15 games, and QB18 (14.03) in 15 games. In his final full year with the Titans he played in 14 games, but his production dropped off to 12.49 points per game.
The following year he played in only seven games before losing his job to Ryan Tannehill.
After being drafted 2nd overall in the 2015, Mariota hasn’t had any consistency in his career. He dealt with three different head coaches and four offensive coordinators in his five years with the Titans. Injuries have also caused him to miss time each year.
Mariota is only 28 years old, but there are only so many starting jobs opening up. The Seahawks would make sense. Pete Carrol could have his run-heavy offense with a QB who has similar athletic ability as Russell Wilson to work with; either as a backup or the starter if Wilson gets traded. Another option would be for Matt LaFleur to bring him in to push Jordan Love if Aaron Rodgers leaves Green Bay. The two are familiar with one another from their time together in 2018.
The Twilight Years
Nick Foles, Cam Newton, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton, Tyrod Taylor and Jacoby Brisset round out a few of the other noteworthy names. Due to age, inconsistent play, etc., they will not find themselves in a starting position without an injury. Is it worth it to hold Newton? Sure, but the rest (minus perhaps Taylor) are on your waivers and it will stay that way.
Sheldon Hand
Sheldon Hand is an elementary school teacher. He started writing in 2019, and started working with The League Winners in 2021. He has been playing fantasy football for fifteen years, got into dynasty seven years ago and have become a bit obsessed.