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Fantasy Football Sleepers 2016: Top 5 Undervalued QBs

By Zachary Thompson

Jul 30, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) talks in the huddle during training camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 30, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) talks in the huddle during training camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 14, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws a pass during minicamp workouts at Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 14, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws a pass during minicamp workouts at Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports /

Blake Bortles-Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have been the worst team in the NFL since 2010 going a combined 27-69 and edging out the Browns by one game for the bottom spot in the standings.  It’s no fluke either, since their average margin of defeat (8.1 points) is over two points per game higher than any other team’s during that stretch.  However, fear not Jaguars fans–all three of you left–there could be hope on the horizon for one of the NFL’s most perennially downtrodden teams.

Last season, things started to look up overall for the Jags, and there is reason to think it will continue this year.  As the team improves, so will the chances given to their young quarterback who showed some start potential of his own last year.

Bortles threw for 4,428 yards last season which was good enough for seventh in the NFL.  His 35 touchdown passes were good enough to tie him for second in the NFL just one behind Tom Brady and even with Cam Newton, Eli Manning, and Carson Palmer. He ended up with the fourth-most fantasy points in ESPN standard scoring finishing ahead of Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and even the renaissance season of Carson Palmer.

Surely, some of that production was due to the Jaguars constantly playing from behind and lacking a dependable running game.  This offseason, Jacksonville has taken steps to improve both of this aspects of their team which should result in less pressure on Bortles to carry the weight of the offense. He may not match his monster numbers which sometimes came in late comebacks, but he has a fully stocked arsenal of weapons to deploy in the offense.

Jacksonville returns the Both Allens at WR–Allen Robinson had 80 catches for 1,400 years and 14 touchdowns (all team highs). Second on the team in all those categories was Allen Hurns who had 64 catches for 1,031 yards and ten touchdowns.  Last season’s free agent acquisition Julius Thomas fit in nicely as a complementary option once he returned from an early season injury and T.J. Yeldon was a decent receiving threat out of the backfield. All his weapons are back, so Bortles should be able to progress as he continues his development.

While I’m not sure Bortles is a top-5 fantasy QB this year (like he was last year), I do think you’re getting great value if you can get him as the tenth QB off the board. Right now, Bortles is typically being ranked in the 10-15 range heading into the season, and heading into the preseason I think he’s the player consistently ranked outside the top ten with the most chance of finishing as a starting QB in most single-QB leagues.

Next: A more established but still underrated option

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