Trashman’s Top 5 Rookie Quarterback Landing Spots in Dynasty AND Redraft Formats

 

Yes, there are only 5 QBs that are worth mentioning at all right now, but not all of them have equal outlooks, short and/or long term. This list starts with the best landing spot on down to the least appealing QB and team pairing.

 

Baker Mayfield to the Browns: Tyrod Taylor is the starter in Cleveland on paper, but the likelihood of him finishing the season under center is little to none. Baker Mayfield is virtually NFL ready, comparatively to other rookie QBs, and Taylor is going to have to depend on his aging legs to get it done with any real success – although, he is only 28. Coach Hue Jackson will probably resist using Mayfield too early, he learned his lesson with DeShone Kizer last year, but Taylor only has a year contract under his belt so he’ll be on a short leash. Expect Mayfield to make starts this season with an improved offensive situation in Cleveland.

 

Josh Rosen to the Cardinals: A malcontent if I’ve ever seen one, Rosen is still only a Sam Bradford knee injury away from fantasy relevance.  And Sam Bradford ALWAYS gets a knee injury at some point in the season. Rosen played in a pro-style offense at UCLA, and he’s a solid fit for OC Mike McCoy’s pass oriented offensive scheme. His stoic play and detached, though much more prickly, demeanor reminds me of Eli Manning in some ways, which probably bodes well for his success in the league – though that whole plank on his shoulder act might wear thin real quickly. The Cardinals are a little thin at WR, but Christian Kirk makes for a solid addition to the corps. 

 

Sam Darnold to the Jets: Sam Darnold has boom or bust written all over him, but anything can happen in New York regarding their starting QB situation, especially with Josh McCown being their best option to begin the NFL year. Darnold has a big arm and coach Todd Bowles has said it will be an open competition at QB, but at 20 Darnold would be the youngest QB to ever start the NFL season if he were to go under center in week one. It’s likely he’ll sit and learn from the outset though as Darnold turns the ball over more than he should (fits right in in New York) and needs to tighten up his footwork. Still, he’s got as high a ceiling as any QB coming out of the draft this year, so you can’t sleep on him. If McCown is really your stiffest competition, then you don’t have too far to go.

 

Lamar Jackson to the Ravens: Raw talent wise, Jackson is arguably the best QB to come out of the draft this year, but that doesn’t say much about his chances for productivity in the league. The Ravens offensive scheme is going to have to be built around him and not vice-versa. That shouldn’t be too difficult, as Ravens OC Marty Mornhingweg worked with Mike Vick during his time in Atlanta, but there’s a big Joe Flacco problem. Flacco is basically the polar opposite of Jackson athletically, and it’s still his offense so nothing is changing scheme wise anytime soon. It is likely that Baltimore will part ways with Flacco after this season though, so we should see Jackson start next season off if he can develop like we think he can.

 

Josh Allen to the Bills: Allen has stellar arm strength and excellent mobility, but he threw almost half as many interceptions as TDs in college, and he was among college’s worst QBs when under pressure. He’ll be under imminent pressure at all times as a Bill, so that doesn’t seem to bode well for him. Buffalo has one of the most underwhelming offenses in the league right now, so it’s probably best that Allen sits for awhile, but their starter is A.J. McCarron who we’ve only really seen in fits and starts in the NFL, so Allen may see the field sooner than we expect or want. The real winner here is LeSean McCoy, who will be fed the ball early and often all season long.