Fantasy Football 2022: Five QBs You Can Wait To Draft And Still Find Value
Waiting to draft these quarterbacks could pay off
It’s all about picking the right moment to strike when selecting a quarterback in fantasy football drafts.
Strategies certainly differ with some preferring to use a high-level pick on a top-tier signal-caller while others don’t mind waiting around, stocking up at other positions, and drafting a quarterback that is more in the middle of the pack.
Even with Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes projected to be the first gunslingers off the board, don’t fret. There are still plenty of options to choose from at the position in the middle-to-late rounds that still hold value.
Let’s look at five quarterbacks you can wait on who could still make a big impact:
Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have a revamped offense that should surely benefit Carr. The 31-year-old now has one of the best receivers in the NFL to throw to in Davante Adams, and having former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as his head coach should provide a boost for Carr as well. Carr is ranked as the 14th best fantasy quarterback by ESPN, meaning it’s going to take a while for him to come off the board.
Carr seems poised to outperform that ranking, though, after throwing for 4,804 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. Fantasy owners will want more production than that, especially in the touchdown department, and Carr could be ready to deliver on their wishes this season.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
There might not be a more intriguing quarterback to take in the later rounds than Tagovailoa. The former first-round pick is a polarizing player due to his lack of production over his first two seasons, but if you think he could have a breakout campaign coming up, taking a flyer on him might not be a bad decision. The 24-year-old now has one of the best weapons in the league at his disposal in Tyreek Hill along with dynamic second-year wideout Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa also has a solid tight end to throw to in Mike Gesicki and a new running back in Chase Edmonds, who just might be an underrated PPR pick.
Who knows, maybe new head coach Mike McDaniel will sprinkle some fairy dust on Tagovailoa to get him to take a gigantic leap in play this season. Crazier things have happened.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
It’s weird seeing the reigning two-time NFL MVP on this list, right? But prognosticators are down on Rodgers after losing his top target in Adams. He’s ranked as the 15th best quarterback on Yahoo, behind someone like Trey Lance, who hasn’t even proven himself in the league yet. But Rodgers has shown throughout his career he can lift up an underwhelming supporting cast. Sure, his numbers might slide a little bit, but in a pass-happy league, the 38-year-old shouldn’t fall off a cliff this season. So fantasy owners might not be able to bank on Rodgers throwing for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns like he did a season ago, but he shouldn’t be far off.
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Picking Cousins is kind of like choosing vanilla ice cream at Dairy Queen. It won’t win any popularity contests, but it will still get the job done. The good news about this? Nobody is waiting around for vanilla ice cream. Cousins is ranked as the 15th best quarterback by ESPN, but his numbers really aren’t that drastically different from what Rodgers put together last season. Cousins passed for more yards (4,221) while throwing four fewer touchdowns (33) and three more interceptions (7). Those certainly aren’t bad statistics for a quarterback that will undoubtedly go in the later rounds.
Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
Wilson will probably get drafted before any other quarterback on this list, but you shouldn’t have to splurge a high-end pick on him, either. He’s ranked at No. 10 on ESPN’s list of fantasy quarterbacks, but a change of scenery by going from Seattle to Denver might rejuvenate the 33-year-old. In his final season with the Seahawks, Wilson threw for the least amount of passing yards in his career while playing 14 games. Health is obviously a big factor with Wilson and if he can stay healthy, he can be a fantasy difference-maker. It was just two seasons ago that Wilson threw for 40 touchdowns, and if he can regain some of that form with the Broncos, he will be a steal of a pick.
