~~In fantasy football, backup quarterback is seemingly as viable to the success of your team as a backup kicker. Sure rostering both “Kickalicious” and “Murderleg” would be fun for conversational purposes, but neither would have any effect on one’s fantasy fortunes.
This myth that backup quarterbacks are worthless must be put to rest, as one injury can take a championship-favorite to irrelevancy in as long as it takes you to say “planar fasciitis”. So which backups are ready to take the next leap to greatness should the starter on a given team fall by the wayside? Learn up, son.
Honorable Mentions
Either Brian Hoyer or Johnny Manziel would have made this list had we been able to visualize a clearer picture of the quarterback depth chart in Cleveland. Regardless, a lack of offensive talent will likely make these two irrelevant in terms of fantasy this year at least in terms of passing statistics.
Michael Vick
While last year’s first rounder Geno Smith will likely start the season under center, a contingency plan as good as Vick is a rarity in the NFL. Vick re-wrote the rules of the rushing quarterback in the early 2000’s bursting onto the scene with the Atlanta Falcons. While 2014 Vick is a far cry from the 2004 version, Vick at the helm of an offense boasting a rushing attack as formidable as New York’s will have fans across the nation reminiscing about the glory days of Warrick Dunn, T.J. Duckett, and Vick leading the league in rushing.
Kirk Cousins
Yes we have all discussed this narrative before, but what better chance will the former fourth-rounder ever have to play well with the weapons the Redskins have? Match that with the fact that the man ahead of Cousins on Washington’s depth chart, Robert Griffin III, is made of balsa-wood and bubblegum and you have a recipe for a big-impact fill in.
Blake Bortles
We all know Chad Henne is no Peyton Manning, but this Jaguars offense has potential. With top-level rookie talent at receiver in Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee to go along with already established veteran Cecil Shorts, Bortles’ arm strength could pay dividends late in your draft. Henne is no lock to play all 16 games as this is the guy once benched for Blaine Gabbert.
Teddy Bridgewater
The top quarterback on my board last draft season would have quite the arsenal to play with in Minnesota, should Matt Cassel (or god forbid Christian Ponder) move by the wayside. Bridgewater was by far the best all-around talent in the draft, and with a little polishing behind the established veteran Cassel, could flourish into a late-season boon for your fantasy squad.
Jordan Palmer
Be it Carson’s younger brother or one of the duo of rookie David Fales, or bust Jimmy Clausen, Bears’ backup gunslingers cannot be ignored due to Jay Cutler’s injury history or more importantly the season Josh McCown put together in 2013. As long as Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall are paired with Cutler in the windy city, this is a backup situation to monitor.