The NFL season is just around the corner, and along with it comes sweet, glorious fantasy football season. What better way to enjoy weekly NFL action that by creating your own fantasy team and going head-to-head against your friends and foes alike, right?
Among the most vital positions in the game is the quarterback slot. Sure, you got your eyes set on the top dogs such as Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees for your optimal pick at QB, but what if you’re one of the less fortunate guys that failed to nab a top-tier gunslinger?
We’ve listed down the top ten best quarterback candidates than have high sleeper value. Whether you missed out on your shot at Andrew Luck, or are looking for a viable QB2 option before Tom Brady comes back from his early season suspension, we’ve got you covered.
And of course, the football action never stops even during the offseason. Stay up to date on the latest developments in the collegiate circuit with our early preview of the 2015-16 NCAA Football season, as well as our feature on the five breakout players this coming NFL season (with one player from that list also featured on our countdown below).
[sc:Football ]Top 10 NFL Fantasy Quarterback Sleepers for 2015-16
10. Sam Bradford (Philadelphia Eagles)
We’re going to go out on a limb here and say that Sam Bradford’s injury-plagued days are over. From the leaky offensive line to the lack of actual offensive threats, Bradford had little to work with during his ill-fated stint with the St. Louis Rams.
This season, Chip Kelly threw Bradford a bone by handpicking the former Heisman Trophy winner to lead a potent Philadelphia Eagles offense that averaged almost 30 points per game last season.
If Bradford can relive his 2012 season where he went for 3,702 yards with 21 touchdowns and had a decent QB rating of 82.6, just imagine what he can do with the weapons at his disposal in Philly. Keep your fingers crossed, though, and pray that Bradford isn’t dealt another major injury. You definitely don’t want his backup Mark Sanchez as your fall back plan.
9. Derek Carr (Oakland Raiders)
Finally some good news for the Raider Nation: Derek Carr looks legit, and he’s here to save the Silver and Black.
[sc:NFL240banner ]The sophomore out of Fresno State showed flashes of promise during his rookie season last year by throwing for 3,270 yards and 21 TDs to just 12 picks and 24 sacks. Oh, and he did all that without any real playmakers on the wings or in the backfield.
This time around, the Raiders picked up a couple of wideouts in rookie standout Amari Cooper with the fourth overall pick in the draft, and Michael Crabtree from free agency. However, Carr still needs to work on his accuracy (a mere 58.1 percent completion rate last season) the soonest as to not be labeled as a bust early in his professional career and face the same fate as his older brother.
8. Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans)
Between the top two quarterbacks that were drafted in this year’s NFL draft, we’re more inclined to go with Marcus Mariota over Jameis Winston for fantasy purposes simply because Mariota has some treads to go along with his arm.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner didn’t just have a phenomenal senior year by passing for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns and just four interceptions, he was also very mobile on the ground game. In his three years playing for the Ducks, Mariota accumulated 2,237 yards rushing at 6.6 yards per carry along with 29 rushing TDs.
Only time will tell if his run-and-gun style of play from Oregon will have a smooth transition to the pros. If the modern NFL trend of having agile quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick is any indication, then Mariota will certainly be making waves in the league sooner than we think. But for now, consider him as a mid-QB2 option, and a definite pickup for keeper leagues.
7. Alex Smith (Kansas City Chiefs)
Call us crazy, but Alex Smith might just have his actual breakout season in his 11th year in the league.
Smith has always been tagged as a “game manager” rather than a true quarterback. He doesn’t put up gaudy numbers, but is highly efficient nonetheless. Smith hasn’t thrown more than seven picks in each of the past four seasons, and has even thrown for over 3,000 yards in three of those four seasons. However, his “game manager” tendencies show in his scoring stats, as he only averaged a little over 17 touchdowns per season within that same four-year span.
Things might change for the better this upcoming season, as the Kansas City Chiefs got wide receiver Jeremy Maclin from the Eagles to help out with the aerial attack alongside emerging tight end Travis Kelce and a healthy Jamaal Charles in the backfield.
6. Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens)
It’s that time of the year again to write-off Joe Flacco as a good but not great quarterback. But wait… he just posted career-best numbers in yardage (3,986) and touchdowns (27) last season. And did we mention that his main targets then were the Smiths, Steve and Torrey?
Sure, Torrey Smith is capable of producing big numbers, but he is not one of the elite receivers in the league, and he’s gone now. And while Steve Smith Sr. is still on the roster, it’s highly unlikely that the 36-year old will have another 1,000 yard season like his renaissance of an outing last year.
Still, Flacco makes the most out of the offensive weapons that has year-in and year-out, as the Ravens are more defensive-oriented by nature. On the flipside, the lack of options downfield contributes to Flacco’s own inconsistency and harsh criticism, even with a Super Bowl MVP and championship trophy in his resume.
Consider Flacco to have another great but not superb season, with first-round pick Breshad Perriman as his new go-to guy in the aerial attack.
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5. Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers)
Hate him or love him, you can’t deny the sheer athleticism and potential that Colin Kaepernick possesses. And while the San Francisco 49ers as a whole will suffer a regression in general due to the nuclear wasteland that was left of their roster this offseason, Kaepernick could very well be motivated this season to prove that he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Last season was a rough one for the bicep-smooching standout from Nevada. The Niners opted to veer away from the read-option calls that made him famous and prolific in the first place, but only to end up with subpar results. Kaepernick would only throw for 3,369 yards and 19 TDs with ten interceptions with his development in the passing game in focus.
And even though the running plays called and designed for Kap last year were limited, he still finished second only to Russell Wilson in rushing yards for a quarterback with 639 yards last season. With Frank Gore no longer in the lineup to carry the load for San Francisco’s run-heavy offense, Kaepernick could very well be the team’s best option on the running game, which means more numbers for him both on the ground and in the air.
His decision-making ability has got to improve, though, if he doesn’t want his fantasy owners to start bashing him again for all his knucklehead plays and other antics on social media. Consider Kap as a viable high to mid QB2 option.
4. Eli Manning (New York Giants)
After a dismal 2013 season, Eli Manning bounced back in 2014 by throwing for 4,410 yards to go with 30 touchdowns. And that was even considering that his receiving corps was not at full strength for certain stretches of last season.
Manning can always be counted on producing massive yardage yearly, as he has thrown for over 3,800 yards in each of the past six seasons. And save for that lost 2013 season, he’s tallied more than 25 TDs in five of those six seasons as well.
With exceptional receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz all healthy and ready for the start of the season, expect Manning to come out guns-blazing to put up huge numbers, and hopefully at a more efficient rate as well (his 63.1 percent completion rate from last season was a career-best).
The new season’s looking bright for the two-time Super Bowl MVP, and what better time to give his soon-to-retire head coach Tom Coughlin and fantasy owners looking to make him their QB1 option a lot to be happy about.
3. Teddy Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings)
After years of swinging and missing, the Minnesota Vikings may have finally found their franchise quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater. While his rookie campaign didn’t put up garish numbers (2,919 yards, 14 TDs, 12 INTs), his 64.4 completion rate – third-best in the league last season – was outstanding, all the more as a rookie.
Bridgewater saved his best performances for last, showing just how much upside he has entering the 2015 season. He had four multi-touchdown games in four out of his final six outings, and threw for over 250 yards in three of his last four games. Oh, and he did that without Adrian Peterson in the running game, a banged-up O-line, and Cordarrelle Patterson, Charles Johnson and Jarius Wright as his main targets.
This season, AP’s back to level out Minnesota’s running and passing games. Fleet-footed wide receiver Mike Wallace also looks to make an immediate impact in the air, while tight end Kyle Rudolph will be in tip-top shape. With the wealth of munitions at Bridgewater’s behest, expect him to exceed his 2014 numbers by a mile.
2. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)
Tony Romo has got to be sick and tired of being called out as a choke job. He certainly proved his doubters wrong last year, leading the Dallas Cowboys to their first division title since 2009 and the franchise’s first comeback victory after being down by over 10 points by halftime in the playoffs.
And yet as Cowboys fans rejoiced their team’s winning ways, his fantasy owners were less than thrilled in settling for less than 4,000 yards passing last season. His 3,705 output was by no means an underachievement, and so were those 34 touchdowns he put on the board. It seems that everybody will always have something negative to say about ol’ No. 9.
Everybody might be singing a livelier tune this year with DeMarco Murray being shipped to Philly. As such, Romo will have much more shots down the field with a relatively weaker running game. Throw in a stellar offensive line and a powerhouse trio of receivers (Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams and tight end Jason Witten), and now Romo and the Cowboys look to have a formidable aerial assault that’ll be even better than last year.
1. Ryan Tannehill (Miami Dolphins)
There’s no looking back now for the Miami Dolphins, as they’ve splashed the cash for Ryan Tannehill to be the team’s cornerstone for years to come.
Miami’s $96 million contract extension for the three-year pro out of Texas A&M comes off the heels of Tannehill’s banner season. His 4,045 yards, 392 completions, 66.4 percent completion rating, 92.8 QB rating and 27 touchdowns were all single-season career bests. His 12 interceptions last season were also a career low.
The Dolphins front office also did its best to surround him with prime targets during the offseason. They got receivers Greg Jennings and Kenny Stills from Minnesota and New Orleans respectively, as well as the Cleveland Browns’ coveted tight end in Jordan Cameron.
Now, it’s all just a matter of time before Tannehill finally breaks on through to the elite QB barrier, and what better opportunity than the present. One thing’s for certain though: if the Dolphins still fail to topple the Patriots off of the AFC East’s throne, and even if they fail to make the playoffs, many fantasy owners will still be glad that they got the most out of his stats as the best QB1 sleeper option on the draft board.
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