3 late round quarterbacks to target in your draft

 

The Quarterback is the leader on the NFL football field and the leader of the fantasy football team. At least he is in terms of points. The QB is the highest scoring position in fantasy and in most leagues you are only starting one. Outside of your QB bye week, it is largely a position of art it and forget it.

So why doesn’t every fantasy manager draft one with their first pick? The reason is that while they are the highest scoring, there are usually enough good options for every team to have at least one good one. Because of this reality, many prefer to wait to draft a quarterback. If you like to wait, this article is for you. Here are 3 quarterbacks outside the top 12 that are going to be worth the wait.

 

DEREK CARR (ADP 108)

 

 

For 2 straight seasons, Derek Carr has finished as the QB13. This year he is being drafted as the QB14 and quite frankly that is stunning to me. How anyone can think the addition of DAVANTE ADAMS will do nothing to his fantasy finish is just wrong. With DEMARCUS ROBINSON joining to be the effective BRYAN EDWARDS backup WR, Adams essentially replaces ZAY JONES in the Raiders starting lineup. The touchdown ability of Adams alone should be enough to turn heads. Adams had 29 touchdowns in the last 2 years with the Packers. By comparison, Jones had 2 in two years with the Raiders.

 

Here’s a look back at Carr’s 2021 numbers that landed him as the QB13. He finished with 4,804 passing yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. It is Carr’s low TD count that held him back and it is this one area that the presence of Adams will have a significant impact. At a minimum, Adams should be able to add another 10 scores to Carr’s touchdown total. Another 10 scores added to last season’s stats would place Carr as QB7. I absolutely love his upside for 2022 and think he will be a steal in fantasy drafts.

 

 

 

TUA TAGOVAILOA (ADP 122)

 

 

This is a critical year for the Tua. The #5 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft has yet to live up to his draft capital. And putting him on this short list takes a leap of faith that he will blow away his pedestrian 2600 yard 16 touchdown 2021 season. The Dolphins have made a massive investment into the offense to ensure he gets every chance to do just that in his 3rd season.

TYREEK HILL changes the game for this offense. The blockbuster deal that sent one of the game’s most explosive player to South Beach now makes JAYLEN WADDLE a very dangerous #2 receiver opposite Hill. In the shadows of the blockbuster acquisition of Hill, the Dolphins also signed CEDRIC WILSON away from the Cowboys. Wilson proved last year to be a high quality #3 receiver which makes this year’s Miami receiver room vastly improved from even a year ago. MIKE GESICKI is still manning the tight end position to give Tua the most talented group of pass catchers he has seen in the NFL. While the Dolphins made big upgrades to the vertical game, the run game has gone through an overhaul as well.

CHASE EDMONDS headlines a completely new look backfield group. RAHEEM MOSTERT was also added as a veteran who is very familiar with new head coach Mike McDaniel’s run scheme. My view is that the 30 year old Mostert will play a change of pace role as I expect the quiet addition of SONY MICHEL to be the Edmonds complement. The newly acquired trio of runners will keep defenses honest against the run. That in turn will open up a passing game that has been largely absent from Miami since Tua arrived. Not to be dismissed, Edmonds has a receiving skillset that should play well into the overall improved passing game expected in Miami.

Finally, the Dolphins worked to reshape their middling offensive line, signing pro bowl left tackle TERRAN ARMSTEAD as well as the productive pass blocking CONNER WILLIAMS to play along the interior (notably switching from guard to center) of the offensive line. Extra protection for a quarterback that has struggled to get time in the pocket will be a game changer as well.

The table has been set for a dramatic turnaround for the Dolphins offense. A lot hinges on Tua to make the machine run. If he can, his double digit round ADP will prove a steal for 2022.

 

 

 

TREVOR LAWRENCE (ADP 131)

 

 

After watching his college tape, I said to myself “now this kid is the real deal”. He has the potential to be a transcendent quarterback in the NFL. Playing for the Jaguars it was hard to see that turning into championships and playing last year with the disaster known as the Urban Meyer era, Lawrence was given no chance to succeed in year one. Yet Lawrence still had some brilliant plays showing why he was the top pick in the draft. New coaching staff and improvements to the offensive can make Lawrence a fantasy set. This offseason the Jaguars did exactly that.

 

At Clemson Lawrence excelled with throws under coverage utilizing TRAVIS ETIENNE and slot WRs like HUNTER RENFROW & AMARI ROGERS. Last year, the receiver room lacked a true receiver capable of making plays in the slot. One thing Meyer’s administration did right was drafting Trevor’s #1 Clemson weapon and after missing his entire rookie year Etienne is expected to be ready to roll when the season starts. The acquisition of CHRISTIAN KIRK was extremely expensive but might also be brilliant considering the lack of quality slot play in 2021. Last year Kirk finished with the second most receiving yards from the slot among all wide receivers. Jacksonville also added tight end EVAN ENGRAM and holdover DAN ARNOLD shouldn’t be dismissed as another pass catching weapon. As the only reliable underneath coverage option last year for Lawrence, Arnold had 40 targets in 6 games after being traded from Carolina.

 

In another costly acquisition, the Jaguars overpaid ZAY JONES to stretch the field and while I have my doubts this will be a significant asset for Lawrence, the holdover 3rd year receiver LAVISKA SHENAULT and savvy veteran MARVIN JONES can provide ample production on the outside to complement the other improvements expected in the Jacksonville vertical game. The Jaguars also bolstered their offensive line, headlined by the acquisition of pro bowl guard BRANDON SCHERFF. They retained tackle CAM ROBINSON and drafted another interior lineman at the top of the 3rd round.

There’s a lot of changes in Big Cat Country and it could take a few weeks to see it all come together. However, those upgrades along with a soft schedule makes Lawrence an intriguing candidate to target as a QB2 with QB1 upside, especially at his highly affordable ADP.

 

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