Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) scrambles in the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
• The late-round quarterback strategy has taken a hit in recent years due to more top quarterbacks adding rushing production, but every team can’t draft a top player at the position.
• Instead of reaching for a mid-round quarterback with limited upside, waiting on a potential league winner, such as the Chicago Bears‘ Justin Fields or Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence, could be the right move this fantasy season.
I believe in the late-round QB strategy, though the dynamic of the position has changed some due to a handful of top options supplying passing and rushing upside. If fantasy managers don’t get one of the top options, I’ve identified three quarterbacks who are currently available in the double-digit rounds and offer league-winning potential.
It’s fair to be skeptical of Fields’ likelihood of success, but the hate has gone too far. Fields’ recent positional ADP is QB19, lower than a year ago when he was a rookie and not even the named starter going into the season. All the arguments for drafting Fields last year still exist, but he has a better chance of a high-end outcome in his second NFL season.
The Bears haven’t built a team to maximize success in terms of wins and losses, but Fields can still win fantasy football leagues due to his deep passing and rushing prowess. From Week 6 on last season in games Fields finished, he averaged over 50 rushing yards per game and scored enough fantasy points per game to make him QB13 on the season, better than Russell Wilson and Derek Carr‘s per-game averages. If using betting market player totals as the baseline expectation for Fields’ production next season, he would have been QB12 last season, meaning none of his upside is baked into his ADP.
At the very least, there’s no risk in drafting Fields to be your second quarterback and seeing how he and the Bears offense look the first couple weeks before deciding to start him or send him to waivers. Either way, you won’t be reaching for Fields, as all of his risks have been steadily priced into his ADP over the offseason.
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