The Most Popular Guy on the Team, the Backup Quarterback

Back-Up Quarterbacks with QB1 Potential

Let’s start by stating the obvious, these men are backup quarterbacks for a reason. These are the top five backup quarterbacks who have the potential to usurp the named starter.  

These men also have the potential to make a reverberation in the fantasy landscape. 

5. Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders

Heinicke is now the backup quarterback to Carson Wentz.  While head coach Ron Rivera has stated that the team is looking to help Wentz by surrounding him with protection up front and offensive playmakers.  

Even so, it is no secret that Wentz has a tendency to come up short in high-pressure situations. 

Last season Heinicke started 15 games, he had 20 passing touchdowns and 15 interceptions.  He had 60 rushing attempts for 313 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.  

Heinicke averaged 13.9 fantasy points per game.  In five games he had 20 or more fantasy points in a game.  

Week 2 v NYG, 34-of-46, 336 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int, 20 fantasy points

Week 3 v Buffalo, 14-of-24, 212 yards, 2TD, 2Int, 1 rushing touchdown, 20.4 fantasy points

Week 4 v Atlanta, 23-of-33, 290 yards, 3TD, 43 rushing yards, 27.9 fantasy points

Week 7 v Green Bay, 25-of-37, 268 yards, 1TD, 1Int, 95 rushing yards, 20.2 fantasy points

Week 11 v Carolina, 16-of-22, 206 yards, 3TD, 29 rushing yards, 23.1 fantasy points

4. Joe Flacco, New York Jets

Zach Wilson is the face of the franchise.  He also takes an average of 4.17 seconds to throw his deep ball. That’s asking an awful lot of an offensive line. The hopes of course are that Wilson improves his release time and the #11^th offensive line holds up.  

If Wilson gets injured or becomes too much of a liability, veteran quarterback Flacco is his back-up.

Flacco played for the Jets last season and was in two games.  He finished with an average of 11.9 fantasy points for the two games, amassing the most fantasy points in Week 11 against Miami (17.9).

3. Teddy Bridgewater, Miami

Although the fantasy football community is skeptical about Tua Tagovailoa, the new regime appears to believe in him.  But in two years Tagovailoa has not played a full season. In 2020 he played in only 10 games; in 2021 he played in 13 of the 16 games. That doesn’t bode well and it doesn’t help that he will be playing behind PFF’s 32^nd ranked offensive line.  Last season his offensive line gave up 235 pressures (the most in the league) and had the worst pass-blocking efficiency.  

The chances of Tagovailoa playing a full season cannot be guaranteed.  

From playpickup.com: Over/Under 24.5 Tua Tagovailoa TD passes in 2022-2023

Bridgewater was acquired in free agency.  Miami is paying him $4.5 million fully guaranteed, $2 million signing bonus and the opportunity to make $3.5 million in incentives.  All this on a one-year deal.  

The chances of Bridgewater getting game time are real.  The chance of Bridgewater being fantasy Yahtzee when he enters depends.  Bridgewater had three games with 20+ fantasy points and four games with 15+ fantasy points.  

2. Gardner Minshew, Philadelphia

Is it Minshew Mania time?  Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts finished last year as QB6.  In the last two seasons, he has played 15 games, finishing last season with a 61.3% completion rate, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions.  He also had 139 rushing attempts, 784 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.  He averaged 20.8 fantasy points per game.  

Minshew is the victim of the laws of diminishing returns.  In 2019, with Jacksonville, he played 14 games, the next year nine.  Last year with the Eagles Minshew saw action in four games.  In two of those games, he had double-digit fantasy points.  Against the New York Jets he was 25-of-20 for 242 yards and two touchdowns.  He also ran for 11 yards.  Finishing with 18.78 fantasy points.  Two weeks later against Dallas he was 33-of-19 for 186 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.  He had 10 rushing yards and finished with 14.44 fantasy points. 

There is little chance that Minshew sees substantial time in Philadelphia.  But if Minshew does get on the field, he has the potential of being a fantasy Yahtzee.

1 Trey Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo

We really don’t know who is going to be under center in San Francisco, do we?  Right now either could be quarterback one or two, playing behind Pro Football Focus’ third-best offensive line. 

Either could be the backup with the best chance.

Caesar’s Sportsbook MVP Odds Trey Lance for 2022 season

Lance +7500 (after the Super Bowl his odds were +20000)

DraftKings Sportsbook has Lance’s odds at +5000 

Conclusion

They are like earlier stated, back-ups for a reason.  But in the NFL on any given Sunday. 

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