Fantasy football is all about points. The more you score, the better chance you have to win.
It ain't rocket science, folks.
While the final scoring leaders offer a look at how well a player performed in the stat sheets, it fails to offer us a complete picture of how good the player really was for fantasy fans. So, let's take a deeper look into the numbers to see how our gridiron heroes performed when the football was in their hands. In the case of the quarterbacks, here's the position's top 12 players (minimum eight games) ranked based on a combination of completed passes, rush attempts and total touchdowns and the positive fantasy points that resulted.
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (0.94): No surprise here, as Jackson produced one of the two best fantasy seasons ever among quarterbacks. He put up 158.6 fantasy points as a runner, which was 55.6 more points than the second-best total (Josh Allen). Even more impressive is that Jackson led the position in points per completion (0.97) as well. So much for being one-dimensional.
2. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (0.93): Tannehill was an absolute stud as the starter in Tennessee, as he just missed tying Jackson for the top spot (three fewer games). The veteran was also second in fantasy points per pass completion, and his 40.5 points as a runner ranked ninth among quarterbacks. If he remains with the Titans, Tannehill will be a high-end No. 2 option in 2020.
3. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (0.82): Injuries cost Stafford the final eight games of last season, but he was damn good in the first half. Only Jackson and Tannehill had more fantasy points per pass completion (0.89), and he was also fourth at the position in points per pass attempt (0.57). Stafford, who will be back with the Lions in 2020, could be a tremendous draft bargain.
T-4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (0.80): Mahomes, last year's top quarterback in this department, saw a slight decline but was still among the league's top performers. He ranked fifth in points per pass completion (0.81) and finished with an average of 0.79 fantasy points per rushing attempt. A locked and loaded top-2 fantasy signal-caller for 2020, Mahomes will be a top-50 choice.
T-4. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (0.80): Wilson did struggle in the stat sheets down the stretch last season, but he still ranked in the top four in points per touch among eligible quarterbacks. He was an impressive fourth in points per completion (0.82) and fifth in points from rushing attempts (52.2). Wilson figures to be a top-5 fantasy quarterback in most 2020 drafts.
6. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (0.78): Brees was one of just seven quarterbacks to average more than 20 fantasy points per game a season ago, so it's no surprise that he was a top performer in points per touch average. While he did next to nothing as a runner (5.6 total fantasy points), the future Hall of Famer tied for sixth in fantasy points per completion (0.78) a season ago.
T-7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (0.77): Prescott produced his best fantasy season in 2019, averaging 21.1 points per game. He was strong as both a passer and runner, ranking tied for eighth in points per pass completion (0.76) and eighth alone in points via rushing attempts (43.7). At what is an extremely deep position, Prescott could be a steal in the middle rounds of drafts.
T-7. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (0.77): Speaking of draft steals, Allen ranked 10th in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks who played in eight or more games last season. Not surprisingly, he ranked tied with Tannehill for fourth at the position in points per rushing attempt (0.94). If he can improve on his points per completion total (271), Allen could be a superstar in 2020.
9. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans (0.76): Watson, who ranked second at the position in points per game (21.3), produced the most fantasy points per rushing attempt (0.99) among quarterbacks with at least 80 carries (Jackson was at 0.90). Watson wasn't as effective as a passer, however, ranking 13th in terms of points per pass completion (0.71). He'll be a top-60 pick in 2020 drafts.
10. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (0.73): Cousins had a slow start to last season, but he did produce some strong numbers afterwards. While he did next to nothing as a runner (0.27 points per rushing attempt), Cousins tied Brees for the sixth-most points per pass completion (0.78). He also tied Wilson for the fifth-most points per pass attempt. Cousins will be a late-rounder in 2020.
11. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (0.72): A potential sleeper/breakout candidate next season, Jones finished tied with Ryan Fitzpatrick for eighth among quarterbacks in fantasy points per rushing attempt (0.89). If he can improve on his rank as a passer (0.69; 15th in points per pass completion), Jones could wind up being one of the better bargains in 2020 fantasy football drafts.
12. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (0.71): Rodgers is coming off a disappointing fantasy campaign, but he actually averaged more points per touch than he had in 2019 (0.67). He ranked 11th in points per pass completion but was just 19th in points scored via rushing attempts (24.3). While he should be a top-12 fantasy quarterback in 2020, Rodgers' stock has clearly taken a hit.
Notes:Taysom Hill finished ahead of Jones and Rodgers in terms of his fantasy points per touch average (0.73), but he barely played in a traditional quarterback role and was left off this list. ... Jameis Winston finished just behind Rodgers at 0.70, and he was 10th in terms of points per pass completion. He accomplished that mark even with his league-high 30 interceptions. ... Running quarterbacks are ultra-valuable in fantasy football. Among the field generals who had at least 40 carries, the top scorers just as runners include Jackson, Allen, Watson, Kyler Murray, Wilson, Fitzpatrick, Jacoby Brissett, Prescott, Tannehill and Jones. ... Jimmy Garoppolo ranked eighth among eligible quarterbacks in points per pass attempt (0.51) and ninth in points per completion (0.75), but his lack of total completions and attempts on the season kept him out of the top 15 in this research. He also averaged just 0.27 points per rushing attempt.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTubeand Instagramfor the latest fantasy football news and analysis!
