-2019 NFL Schedule -Strength of Schedule
MOCK DRAFT
Ask the Commish.Com 2019 Draft Kit
With a full year of being the Steelers' third-string quarterback under his belt, Mason Rudolph will aim to earn the team's backup gig behind Ben Roethlisberger this preseason. He's got potential to be a serviceable starter whenever he finds regular playing time, but until that happens, Fantasy bosses won't consider him outside of the deepest of two-QB leagues.
Sam Darnold has the chance to be a sleeper Fantasy quarterback this season in his second year in the NFL. He's gets what should be an upgrade in his coach (Adam Gase) and his weapons (Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder), which should help him build off his rookie campaign. In 2018, Darnold only scored 20-plus Fantasy points in four of 13 games (he missed three due to a foot injury), but two of those came in the final three outings of the year. With Bell and Crowder joining Robby Anderson, Chris Herndon and Quincy Enunwa, Darnold should have reliable targets to help him improve. He's worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues, and he could be a surprise Fantasy option as the season goes along.
Mayfield was fantastic as a rookie. In his 13 starts he was on pace for 4,337 yards and 33 touchdowns. In the final eight games after Hue Jackson left, he was on pace for 4,508 yards and 38 touchdowns. You could make the argument he didn't need any type of boost at all. Then the Browns went out and got Odell Beckham. Mayfield is one of a handful of quarterbacks who has the upside to challenge Patrick Mahomes in 2019. It's still the Browns? Seriously, it's hard to find a bad thing to say about Mayfield right now. He does throw too many interceptions and there is some chance the league fares better against Kitchens offense with a half season of tape on it, but the talent the Browns have accumulated may make that a moot point.
Josh Allen should be considered a sleeper quarterback this season, one to target with a late-round pick in all leagues. As a rookie in 2018, Allen got off to a slow start, scoring more than 20 Fantasy points just once in his first six games. He then missed four games with an elbow injury, but returned to be a standout Fantasy quarterback to close the year. In his final six games, Allen scored at least 21 Fantasy points four times, while averaging 26.0 points over that span. A big reason for his breakout was his rushing prowess, as Allen had at least 95 rushing yards in four of those games, as well as five rushing touchdowns. It's hard to expect that kind of rushing production moving forward, but Buffalo did upgrade Allen's receiving corps this offseason with John Brown, Cole Beasley and Tyler Kroft, as well as better players on the offensive line. Allen has the potential to finish as a top-10 Fantasy quarterback this year.
Lamar Jackson will be one of a handful of quarterbacks Fantasy managers in typical leagues will draft specifically as a stash-worthy breakout, not as a Week 1 Fantasy starter. His potential is rich given his rushing prowess (50-plus rush yards in seven of his last eight games with five scores in all of 2018), but his passing leaves a lot to be desired. In eight games as the Ravens' starter, including the playoffs, Jackson completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 7.0 yards per attempt with eight touchdown tosses and four interceptions. Jackson also fumbled at least once in every start he made, losing 5 of 13 total bobbles. Baltimore's offensive approach is being tailored to Jackson's game -- they're going to be aggressive with the run and selective with the pass. It suggests Jackson will do his fair share of running, which is great for Fantasy, but his inaccurate passing to a receiving corps loaded with rookies will make for some disappointing results. Think of it this way: Jackson will have to run for 100 yards and find two total touchdowns every week just to compete with the other top-flight quarterbacks in Fantasy. If you think he can do it, you should target him late on Draft Day in single-QB leagues as well as with a top-80 pick in two-QB formats.
Nick Mullens will compete with C.J. Beathard to be the No. 2 quarterback in San Francisco this season now that Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to return at 100 percent. In 2018, with Garoppolo out with a torn ACL, Mullens started eight games, scoring at least 20 Fantasy points in four of them. However, Mullens didn't get a chance to play until Beathard suffered a hand injury prior to Week 9. You're obviously not going to draft Mullens in any leagues as long as Garoppolo is ready for Week 1, but he could turn into a quality waiver-wire addition if Garoppolo is out again for any reason. Just make sure Mullens beats out Beathard for the No. 2 job in training camp.
Josh Rosen had a terrible rookie campaign in 2018, but hopefully he can turn his Fantasy fortunes around this season going from Arizona to Miami. The Cardinals gave up on Rosen after one season when they drafted Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall, and Arizona traded Rosen for a second-round pick. In 13 starts for the Cardinals, Rosen scored more than 20 Fantasy points just once. In Miami, he still has a questionable offensive line and weapons, and the Dolphins are a rebuilding team. But Rosen should get the chance to start in Week 1 ahead of Ryan Fitzpatrick, and we'll see if he's a better Fantasy option in 2019. While we don't recommend drafting him in one-quarterback leagues, he is worth a late-round selection in two-quarterback formats.