Fantasy Football Rankings 2017: Post-Free Agency Quarterbacks

Stay on top of all the offseason movement with the most comprehensive quarterback rankings out there.

Tier Three – Lower-Floor QB1s

Any of these guys are capable of monster seasons, but the floors are certainly questionable. As such, I’m likely taking two back-to-back to ensure at least one hits, and playing matchups if both do.  This is  the group where I usually dig the Wolf Paws in around Round 8 or 9, as I love many names here (ordering them was very difficult). With 15 QB1 options, depth is again at an all-time high, making QB a position to wait on. 

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11. Philip Rivers (LAC)?

Rivers makes the IDEAL acquisition for owners chasing Cam Newton, Marcus Mariota, or Russell Wilson’s ceilings.  At minimum, the grizzled vet is throwing for 4,300 yards and as always, he should be locked in to 25+ TDs. Additionally, with health, Rivers will be throwing to a more refined Hunter Henry and Tyrell Williams, while welcoming back the veteran beastliness of Keenan Allen and Stevie Johnson — if Johnson re-signs with the team. Stir in deep ball artist Travis Benjamin and this may just be Rivers’ most stacked cast… if they can all remain on the field.

That’s one of the major risks with Rivers — his top option (Keenan) and many others can seemingly never stay healthy. Also working against Rivers is head coach Anthony Lynn’s run heavy tendencies. Then again, a strong play action game will feed right into Rivers “down the seams” strengths.  There’s a really sneaky ceiling here that no one will acknowledge because, well, it’s Rivers.  The initial glance couldn’t be unsexier, but he’s got the set up for a monster season.

12. Russell Wilson (SEA)?

Russell wasn’t quite as disappointing as Newton in 2016, but The (Former) Celibate left plenty of investors flaccid with a highly sub-par campaign. Though Wilson and this offense flashed glimpses of 2015’s dominant second half aerial attack, no consistency was ever found.  The season was essentially lost, as Wilson was equally likely to be on the fantasy bench for his huge games, only to be in lineups for his many duds.

Still, also similar to Newton, plenty of hope exists for a 2017 rebound. First and foremost, this line will need some major upgrades, as Wilson was under constant duress all season.  Additionally, Ciara’s whipping boy will need to prove he’s fully over the shoulder injury that plagued him for much of 2016.  Both of those to-do’s should be checked come minicamp, making Wilson another low-cost, huge ceiling addition to rosters.  But an early backup is a must here.

13. Jameis Winston (TB)↗ (Previously QB15)

Stock Up Update: DeSean Jackson was the PERFECT addition to this offense.  Before 2016, head coach Dirk Koetter and offensive coordinator Todd Monken gushed over Winston’s arm and bringing more “big plays” to the offense, stating:

How can we be explosive? That’s what the game is about, man. People like big plays. I like big plays. So how do we figure out how to get big plays? In football trick plays are fun. I mean, what isn’t fun about explosive plays and throwing it down the field and guys making plays?’

 Unfortunately, with the much-ballyhooed Adam Humphries as the second wideout, an attacking, vertical scheme was impossible. 

Enter Jackson. Still one of the NFL’s most pure deep-threats, Jackson led the NFL in yards per catch (17.9) in 2016, and has averaged over 15 yards per catch in eight straight years. He was tailor-made to bring “big plays” to an offense, and hand-selected by coaches intent on stretching the defense. This elevates Winston’s ceiling significantly, and ascends him into the clear-cut QB1 picture.

Previous Assessment: Winston didn’t quite take the step forward many, including us, expected.  Sure, his yardage and passing TDs marginally increased, but Winston’s rushing stats declined tremendously while he tossed three more interceptions. Still, plenty of reason for optimism exists for 2017.  The Bucs are frequently connected to big-name free agents Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson, and giving Winston a legitimate complement to Mike Evans would be a huge booster (considering Harvard’s Cameron Brate was the second most dangerous threat last year).  At minimum, Tampa’s committed to improving Winston’s cast, and the third-year signal caller, with his strong work ethic, should take a step forward in his own development.  They also square off with the nonexistent defenses of Atlanta, New Orleans, and Carolina six times a year, which should be point factory games.

DeSean Jackson’s arrival sends Jameis Winston’s fantasy value soaring

14. Tyrod Taylor (BUF)

Stock Up Update:  Now locked into Buffalo for at least the upcoming season, Taylor’s floor is far sturdier than when his ultimate destination was unclear. Even more promising, new head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Rich Dennison are thrilled to keep Taylor and plan to feature his mobility:

But McDermott did his best to provide a summary of the many aspects of Taylor’s quarterbacking skills that he expected Dennison to utilize to the fullest.

“The movement,” McDermott said, choosing the obvious starting point.  “That just opens up the play-action game with the play faking and getting Tyrod on the edge of the defense….the system that Rick Dennison’s bringing to Buffalo, it’s a nice fit for him”

This system fit should keep Taylor as a pinch-QB1 all season, with the upside for far greater.

Previous Assessment: If I asked you to guess 2016’s QB8, how long would it take to nail down Taylor? Despite playing in only 15 games, Taylor bested the likes of the highly-touted Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, while outscoring “breakouts” like Marcus Mariota and Derek Carr. Much of this can be attributed to his league-leading 580 rushing yards and 6 TDs, and Taylor’s athleticism remains a major fantasy draw.

Where exactly he’ll be, however, remains the question. The Bills have flip flopped on Taylor’s status all offseason, with the latest reports suggest new OC Rich Dennison wants to keep Taylor given their history on the Ravens together.  With a strong zone-blocking run game used to set up boot legs and play action with chunk plays in mind, Dennison’s system fits Taylor’s skills like a glove, and could set him up for another top-10 campaign. We just need to make sure he’s even back there.

Continue on to Page Four as we wrap up our quarterback rankings with our High and Low End QB2s

Author

  • Founder of Roto Street Journal. Lover of workhorse backs, target hog wideouts, and Game of Thrones. Aspiring to be the "Brady" and "Leo" of the fantasy universe.

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