The 2019 NFL season has already come and gone. Hopefully, you had a successful fantasy football campaign, especially with online football betting. What better time than now to reflect on what has transpired. Here are the biggest Fantasy Football Surprises and Disappointments in 2019.
Top Surprises
Ryan Tannehill – QB TEN
After an unremarkable six-year spell in Miami, Ryan Tannehill started the 2019 season as a backup quarterback for the Titans. He didn’t exactly have the profile of a fantasy savior, but that is what he became for the last half of the 2019 season.
Tannehill took over from Marcus Mariota in week 7, working to become the second-best quarterback in fantasy football behind runaway MVP Lamar Jackson. Even better, Tannehill has achieved all that without trying 40+ passes all year long. By comparison, Jameis Winston is far more prone to take deep shots and produce interceptions as a result.
DeVante Parker – WR MIA
Tannehill’s former teammate in Miami didn’t need to transfer to South Florida for him to break out during his fifth season. DeVante Parker only needed to stay away from Adam Gase. As a result, Parker ended up being WR11 this year, and his season took off after the Dolphins brought back Ryan Fitzpatrick in week 6.
After Fitzpatrick’s return, Packer became WR5, and his fortunes took another significant turn after Preston Williams got IR in week 9. In fantasy points, Parker was behind only Michael Thomas in his last seven games. He also signed a huge extension to play in Miami and no one will be on his spot this season.
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Kenyan Drake – RB ARI
Kenyan Drake was RB17 in the 2018 season and was seeded as the best running back in Miami at the beginning of 2019. While the talent is there, he was only the 32nd running back chosen in the summer fantasy drafts. His value fell further in October following an awful performance with the Dolphins. However, things took a turn when he got traded to Arizona.
Drake was considered the short-term band-aid for the team while Chase Edmonds and David Johnson were hurt. That is until he blew up for 162 yards in his first Cardinals game. His next four matches seemed like a subpar performance, though he brought out his best in the most crucial games of the fantasy season.
Other Surprises
Jared Cook, Daniel Jones, and Breshad Perriman are among some unexpected players that could be expecting gift baskets from fantasy managers. They helped propel many to a commanding lead in many game titles alongside other fantasy heroes like Tyler Boyd and Devonta Freeman.
With Mike Boone being the last name in the 2019 fantasy football lore, he was a valuable addition in a year that lacked waiver wire pickups’ impact. Many fantasy football managers thew Boone in their startup lineup during the all-important fantasy championships. No one would have expected that, even halfway through the season.
Biggest Disappointments
Baker Mayfield – QB CLE
While Baker Mayfield started the season as the fourth quarterback in fantasy drafts, he was QB20 at the end of the season, behind players like Jacoby Brisset and Derek Carr. He only finished among the top 12 quarterbacks for only four times last season, despite throwing seven touchdowns in his first eight games. However, there’s still long-term hope for him despite his disappointing performance in 2019, though many changes must be done in Cleveland.
As a result of Mayfield’s poor fantasy performance, Odell Beckham failed to match his lofty pre-season expectations. While he had the occasional boom week, Beckham saw the fewest receptions, yards and TDs of his career (outside of 2017 when he only played in 4 games). Not the banner Browns year that was predicted.
JuJu Smith-Schuster – WR PIT
Alongside Odell Beckham, JuJu Smith-Schuster was arguably the most disappointing wide receiver during 2019. Both were fringe 1st-round pick in certain drafts. Fantasy managers were counting on both of them to be important parts of their teams. Unless those managers were able to find some impact waiver wires additions, wide receiver was likely a weakness. Drafting either likely meant that you were not winning a fantasy championship.
Accounting for the importance of the quarterback to an offense, it makes sense that Smith-Schuster disappointed. The Steelers had arguably the worst quarterback play in the entire league. Not something most receivers can overcome.
Thank you for reading Fantasy Football Surprises and Disappointments in 2019. Be sure to check out Full Press Coverage for more great fantasy football content.
– Kyle Senra is the managing editor for the Full Press Fantasy Sports. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @nyama_ks Follow @FPC_FF and Facebook.
