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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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Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) walks on the field before the start of the game against the St. Louis Rams at Levi
Jan 3, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) walks on the field before the start of the game against the St. Louis Rams at Levi /

Colin Kaepernick-San Francisco 49ers

Just a few years ago, Kaepernick was in every fantasy football pundits top ten.  Last year, though, was a totally unmitigated disaster for the Niners’ QB who ultimately fell out of favor in San Francisco to the point that he was benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert.

As he looks to resurrect his career, Kaepernick will have to contend with Gabbert for the starting job under new head coach Chip Kelly.  Kelly’s offense was once viewed to be an ideal fit for a QB like Kaepernick, but he had his own disastrous 2015 season which resulted in him getting ousted in Philadelphia.

As Kelly returns to the West Coast and tries to turn his own career around, will he also give Kaepernick a chance at redemption? So far in camps, the work has been evenly split between Gabbert and Kaepernick, and with the release of Kelly’s former QB Nick Foles there’s a new threat to contend with.  The 49ers haven’t signed Foles yet, and Kaepernick should be able to fend off Gabbert with a strong preseason.

After surgeries to his shoulder, knee, and thumb since last November, Kaepernick should be healthy and ready to roll. He has the natural talent to be one of the list passers in the league, but he’ll have to erase last year’s struggles as he works with a team that has a lot of question marks on offense.

At WR, the 49ers still have Torrey Smith on one side after signing him from Baltimore last year.  The starter on the other side is more of a competition, though between Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington. Ellington has the right skill set for a Chip Kelly attack, but he has only hauled in 19 catches in his firs two NFL seasons.

Kaepernick is a late-round flier at this point, but I see him as having way more upside than RG3, Sam Bradford, Jared Goff, Josh McCown, or even Jimmy Garroppolo who are all being drafted ahead of him.  He does need to secure the job over Gabbert, but he could be a steal if he can bounce back and save his and Kelly’s reputation with a big season by the Bay.  He has top-10 upside when he’s at his best, but he is a total swing-for-the-fences risk that shouldn’t be taken until late in your draft even though he is being undervalued making him one of my Fantasy Football Sleepers 2016.

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