Fantasy Football 2020: Updated Mock Draft and Top QB Streaming Prospects

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

In today's NFL, the quarterback position is unquestionably the game's most important. Few fans or analysts will debate it. In fantasy football, however, the quarterback is more of an afterthought—at least when it comes to drafting.

It all depends on the scoring format, of course, but wide receivers and running backs are typically the centerpieces of a championship fantasy roster. With quarterbacks, two or three elite prospects typically stand at the top with a wide middle tier of serviceable starters below. This is why streaming quarterbacks can be an effective strategy.

Landing a high-end fantasy quarterback is great, but getting a Lamar Jackson or a Patrick Mahomes requires an early investment on draft day. This means passing on a starting-caliber running back or receiver, and if another manager pulls the trigger before you do, there's not a lot that can be done.

Instead of over-drafting a quarterback, it's often smart to fill out the rest of a starting lineup before grabbing a couple of mid-tier starters and then playing the best matchup each week. Mahomes, for example, has an average draft position (ADP) of 24th overall, according to FantasyPros. Carson Wentz has an ADP of 91st.

Their stat totals in 2019? Mahomes passed for 4,031 yards with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 218 yards and two scores. Wentz passed for 4,039 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He rushed for 243 yards and a score.

Yes, Mahomes played in two fewer games, but in fantasy, that's not exactly a positive. Wentz is a tremendous streaming option for the 2020 season, and here we will examine a few more. First, a four-round mock draft to showcase the sort of talent that could be passed over to chase a top quarterback.

4-Round 2020 Fantasy Mock

1.01: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers

1.02: Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

1.03: Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

1.04: Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

1.05: Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

1.06: Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings

1.07: Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

1.08: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

1.09: Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

1.10: Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons

2.01: DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Arizona Cardinals

2.02: Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

2.03: Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

2.04: Tyreek Hill, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

2.05: Nick Chubb, RB, Cleveland Browns

2.06: Chris Godwin, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2.07: Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

2.08: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

2.09: Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

2.10: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

3.01: Kenyan Drake, RB, Arizona Cardinals

3.02: Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3.03: George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

3.04: Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

3.05: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

3.06: Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams

3.07: Kenny Golladay, WR, Detroit Lions

3.08: Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

3.09: Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

3.10: Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

4.01: Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles

4.02: Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings

4.03: Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Cleveland Browns

4.04: T.Y.Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

4.05: D.J. Moore, WR, Carolina Panthers

4.06: JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

4.07: Todd Gurley, RB, Atlanta Falcons

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4.08: Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

4.09: Leonard Fournette, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars

4.10: Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

John Hefti/Associated Press

Health will play a role with Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who missed eight games in 2019 because of injury. In the eight games he did play, though, Stafford passed for 2,499 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions.

This means that Stafford was on pace for a 4,998-yard, 38-touchdown season with just 10 interceptions. While these numbers might be a bit unrealistic for 2020, they do showcase the ceiling Stafford could have this season.

Stafford has an ADP of 114th, meaning he's trending as a 12th-round pick in 10-team formats.

Again, his health will be a concern. However, the last time Stafford missed a game before 2019 was in 2010, so it's not like he's an injury-prone player. In Round 12, Stafford is worth picking up and starting in all favorable matchups.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is another signal-caller with some injury concerns. He missed the vast majority of 2019 with an elbow injury that required surgery. The good news is that he appears to be at or close to pre-injury form.

“You're getting a version that we all expect that he will be at. He's back,” Steelers wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster recently said on Good Morning Football (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook).

Roethlisberger's current ADP sits ad 134th overall. At that point, his upside makes him too hard to pass up.

This is a boom-or-bust pick because the 38-year-old might not be the same player he was two years ago. However, in 2018, he led the NFL with 5,129 passing yards to go with 34 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Roethlisberger is worth scooping up as a streaming option, though it might be worth sitting him the first couple of weeks—against the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers—to see whether he has returned to form.

Other Streaming QBs to Consider

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Drew Lock, Denver Broncos

Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers

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