20. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers
Garoppolo is another quarterback that’s tough to rank because we’ve yet to see him for a full season. In theory, he’s a guy that could rack up 300-plus yards in any given week. However, he only had seven touchdown passes in his six-game stint late in the 2017 season. He’s also been turnover prone during his time at San Francisco.
Equally concerning is a lack of competent receivers. Tight end George Kittle remains the most reliable pass-catcher the 49ers have. The hope is that Jordan Matthews can stay healthy and become a reliable receiver for Garoppolo. Finally, there are high hopes for youngsters like Dante Pettis, Deebo Samuel, and Jalen Hurd, but few guarantees that those guys will help Garoppolo reach his fantasy potential in 2019.
Top Target: Dante Pettis
Secondary Target: George Kittle
19. Tom Brady, Patriots
If you want to win a Super Bowl, Brady is your guy, but fantasy-wise, he’s not necessarily an elite option. To be fair, he’s probably a safer pick than some of the other quarterbacks who are higher than him on our list. But the upside isn’t necessarily there now that he’s in his 40s.
The bigger issue could be his receivers. Rob Gronkowski is no longer around, so outside of Julian Edelman and New England’s pass-catching backs, there are questions about who will be catching balls from Brady in 2019. Unless an outside receiver emerges, Brady will be lacking big plays down the field that yield high fantasy points in a single play.
Top Target: Julian Edelman
Secondary Target: Phillip Dorsett
18. Kyler Murray, Cardinals
What in the world are we to make of Murray in a fantasy sense? Will he end up doing more running than passing? Will Kliff Kingsbury’s air-raid offense work in the NFL? Can the undersized Murray stay healthy for 16 games?
There are no easy answers to these questions, which is why it’s tough to rate his fantasy potential. However, he has a quality running back in David Johnson, a Hall of Fame receiver in Larry Fitzgerald, and unreal amounts of athleticism and arm strength. At a certain point in your fantasy draft, you have to take a chance on Murray on the off chance he takes the lead by storm as a rookie.
Top Target: Larry Fitzgerald
Secondary Target: Christian Kirk
17. Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Prescott’s passing is still a little too inconsistent to consider him an automatic starter in most fantasy leagues. He’ll do some damage as a runner, but he still had less than 4,000 yards passing last year. That means he’s prone to weeks when the fantasy points just don’t come.
In fairness, the Dallas offense picked up last season when Amari Cooper came aboard. The emergence of Michael Gallup, the addition of Randall Cobb, and return of Jason Witten also give Prescott a lot more options than he’s had in the past. It’s still hard to put complete faith in him, but he remains an intriguing fantasy option if you don’t mind taking a little bit of a risk.
Top Target: Amari Cooper
Secondary Target: Michael Gallup