The consensus top 5 fantasy football QB in PPR leagues for the upcoming 2019 NFL season are Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay), DeShaun Watson (Houston), Baker Mayfield (Cleveland), and Carson Wentz (Philadelphia).
Mahomes is coming off a sensational MVP-worthy season where he tossed 50 touchdowns. Rodgers is fresh off a bad breakup with ex-head coach Mike McCarthy. Watson is healthy after struggling with multiple injuries last season in Houston. Wentz is healthy after missing another postseason with a late-season injury.
TOP 5 FANTASY FOOTBALL QBs:
Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
DeShaun Watson (Texans)
Baker Mayfield (Browns)
Carson Wentz (Eagles)
The consensus ratings are a compilation of PPR ratings from major fantasy football hosts and sites such as ESPN, CBS Sports, and Fantasy Pros.
Big Dog, Upcoming Dog
Who doesn’t love Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes is at the top of every Top 5 fantasy football QB list. The big question this year is can he have a better season that last year? And if he struggles, how far will he slide?
Mahomes posted an 80.3 QBR, top in the league. He also led the NFL with 50 touchdowns. Mahomes threw 3 scores in the AFC Championship game, but the Chiefs lost to the New England Patriots in overtime. Mahomes never got a chance in overtime after Tom Brady led the Pats to a touchdown and trip to the Super Bowl.
Everyone is expecting Mahomes to have another sensational year. Kansas City is one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl this year with 8/1 odds.
The Cleveland Browns are a popular futures bet. The Browns might not be ready for a Super Bowl berth, but they have an exciting team with the addition of WR Odell Beckham.
Former Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield is ready to show the world what he can do in his first full season with the Browns. He’s the biggest and only surprise in the Top 5. Mayfield (27 TD, 14 INT) played well in the second half of last season. Critics will say it’s only a small sample size. Everyone on the Mayfield Bandwagon will point out it was only an indication of what is to come.
Rodgers, Watson and Wentz
That header sounds like a law firm. The way things got in Green Bay, they needed a divorce lawyer more than anything else.
After a highly-publicized split between Mike McCarthy and the Packers, they opted for Matt LaFleur to take over the team. If Aaron Rodgers can get on the same page as LaFleur, then fantasy owners will be thrilled to see their beloved Rodgers boost their numbers. The big catch is “if” Rodgers and LaFleur can sustain the honeymoon period through the entire season.
DeShaun Watson (26 TD, 9 INT) played 16 games despite a punctured lung at one point last season. He’s fully recovered and still has one of the Top 5 WR in the game with DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins has 24 touchdowns over his last two seasons.
Carson Wentz blew out his ACL two seasons ago and missed the march to the Super Bowl. He sill threw 33 scores in 13 games. Last season, Wentz played only 11 games after missing the first two weeks recovering from ACL surgery. In Week 14, Wentz fractured his vertebrae and missed the rest of the season and postseason. Both times, Nick Foles bailed out the Eagles and worked his magic. Now that Foles bounced for Jacksonville, it’s up to Wentz to stay healthy. You’re gambling on Wentz’s durability once again. Then again, you do that with any fantasy football player.
Bubbles and Top 10 Candidates
Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson, and Drew Brees round out the Top 10. Three of them play in the NFC South.
A couple of QBs were on the bubble including Cam Newton (24 TD, 13 INT) and Matt Ryan (35 TD, 7 INT). Both QBs from the NFC South led their teams to a Super Bowl berth in recent memory, but neither could bring home to Lombardi Trophy. Will either be able to return to old form while guiding their teams back to the postseason? Or do they put up great stats while playing for mediocre teams?
Andrew Luck (39 TD, 15 INT) is another QB that’s on many Top 10 lists, but just missed the Top 5. The Indy Colts shut down Luck for the rest of the preseason. They want to rest him while he heals up from a calf/ankle injury. Luck remained relatively healthy the last two season. If he can play a full load, he’s definitely worthy of his spot in the Top 10.
Russell Wilson continues to put up good numbers (35 TD, 7 INT) despite the fact he really does not have a lot of help around him (weak O-line and lack of playmakers). Plus, the Seahawks went with an old-school approach with a run-first offense, which goes against the grain in the modern pass-happy NFL.
Drew Brees is old reliable (35 TD, 5 INT). The Saints QB joined the 500 TD Club last year and posted the second best QBR in the league behind Mahomes. Brees turned 40-years old, but these days it’s hip to play into your 40s. Tom Brady is still ticking and shows no signs of stopping for a couple of more seasons. The Saints are one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl at 10/1 odds. Only the LA Rams out of the NFC have better Super Bowl odds.