Let’s face it. Dual threat quarterbacks are fantasy football aces. At one time, it was the running back who made the heart and soul of fantasy offenses but these days the dual threat quarterback is making a run.
Sure, running backs are often selected higher given the fact you find a higher drop off in fantasy production than you do quarterbacks. But you can’t deny the highest scorers in fantasy football are your dual threats.
If you look at any fantasy football magazine or read content on any fantasy football website, you get the same thing. The dual threat guys get the nod over the traditional pocket passer.
Even if those traditional passers put up adequate fantasy numbers, themselves.
Read on to discover why it makes so much more sense to start a dual threat quarterback each week in fantasy.
1 – Top of the List
As mentioned in the intro, your dual threats are always listed above the traditional passers in any given fantasy football draft board.
Looking back to Draft Engine Magazine, you saw Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, and Josh Allen comprise the top seven. In that order.
Not all of these are great football players in real life. Prescott, Watson, and Allen aren’t the quarterbacks you’d put faith into when it comes to leading a team to a Super Bowl title. But they’re among the best in fantasy football.
Kyler Murray, the starting QB of the Arizona Cardinals, is just 11-15-1 as a starter at the time of this writing, so the jury’s out if he’ll ever become a star. Also at this time, Lamar Jackson has yet to win a playoff game.
Only Patrick Mahomes has hoisted a Lombardi as of 2020.
But They All Have One Common Denominator:
They’re fantasy football studs. Every single one of them.
As the 2020s decade wears on, look for the dual threat quarterback to continue to take over the fantasy football rankings. You have up and coming talents like Daniel Jones, Joe Burrow, Gardner Minshew, and Tua Tagovailoa looking to break out sooner than later in the fantasy realm.
And as they become bigger threats in the passing game, you can’t ignore their numbers running the ball. And it will lead to a rise in the rankings.
Look for Minshew, Tua, Jones, and Burrow to become the next batch of fantasy studs and rise above the league’s other quarterbacks given their ability to run.
Even if they don’t become household names in real-life.
2 – Multiple Ways to Gain Positive Yardage
Obvious, right?
All of these guys can compile both passing and rushing yards. Even Jackson, who in 2019 put up just over 3,100 passing yards. One of the lowest numbers among starting quarterbacks. But his rushing and touchdown totals made him the best fantasy football option.
Each of the above quarterbacks rushed for at least 215 yards and each hit the 270 rushing yard mark except for Mahomes. And each tossed at least 20 touchdown passes. Outside of Murray and Allen, they tossed at least 26 touchdown passes each.
When quarterbacks can routinely rush for 300 or more yards and throw for at least 3,500 if not more, they will ace any fantasy football list. And it’s smart to go out and grab one of these guys.
But it’s also more than just what these players have done in the past. Mahomes didn’t have outstanding numbers running the ball and Jackson didn’t light it up through the air.
However, sometimes it isn’t what these guys have done thus far. But the fact they can threaten to run that makes the difference. Sure, Mahomes will throw between 4,000 and 5,000 yards per season.
But he can pick up positive yardage on the ground like Lamar Jackson.
No, neither Josh Allen nor Lamar Jackson will throw for 4,000 yards every season. But you can bet that the potential exists for each of them to do this along with their ability to run like a running back.
Especially if they had to. Something that both quarterbacks showed in Week 1 of the 2020 season.
Oh, and we also can’t forget about Superman either. New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton returned to the NFL with a bang when he rushed for 75 yards on 15 carries and 2 scores in Week 1 of 2020.
3 – Multiple Ways to Score
We know each of the above quarterbacks can threaten to score either through the air or on the ground. And while guys like Mahomes, Prescott, and Wilson didn’t light up the stat sheet running into the end zone, the threat to put up points on the ground remains.
In other words, if opposing defenses fail to account for them, they will light up your fantasy stat sheet.
The same goes for guys like Burrow, Minshew, Jones, and Tua.
Burrow proved his ability during his debut on Sunday on a 23-yard touchdown run.
We already covered what Newton has done and will probably continue to do in the New England offense given the fact Bill Belichick plays to his quarterbacks’ strengths. Since running and scoring are obvious strengths for Newton, expect continuity.
And while Minshew didn’t score a rushing touchdown in 2019, don’t think his rushing numbers will tank any time soon. He gained 344 yards and 5.1 yards per carry through the ground during his rookie campaign. He can light up your fantasy stat sheet on the ground.
Now that he’s a full-time starter in Jacksonville, expect him to enter dual threat territory and become one of the most sought after quarterbacks in fantasy because of his ability to threaten to run it into the end zone.
So, while it’s never a guarantee a dual threat quarterback scores often if at all through the ground, the possibility always exists that they will. The same can’t be said about traditional passers unless they find themselves calling their own number at the one-yard line.
4 – Stretch That Play
They can stretch plays and create something from nothing. For example, guys like Kyler Murray have enough speed to evade the pass rush, whereas guys like Matt Ryan or Tom Brady are among the least mobile in football and can’t do these things.
And Murray is at his best when he’s playing the league’s best defensive lines. It’s why he plays San Francisco and their monster pass rush so well. Units like the Washington Football Team and others will have a hard time stopping Murray because of his ability.
The same goes for quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson. If you watched the 2020 season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, Watson played the role of Houdini. The Chiefs’ pass rush invaded the backfield on seemingly every play.
But Watson continued to make something out of nothing, tossing for 253 yards, a touchdown, and a pick. Garbage time, I know, but hey, it still counts in fantasy football strategy. However, he still rushed for 27 yards and tacked on a touchdown, good for 8.7 fantasy points on the ground.
And good for 20.2 fantasy points all around for a solid day from Watson.
The same can be said for each of the above quarterbacks mentioned. So even if guys like Mahomes and Minshew don’t score their fantasy points on the ground, they’re artists at evading the rush, stretching the play, and finding open receivers downfield.
And that adds a lot of points to their fantasy numbers. Something traditional quarterbacks with the same experience levels can’t do.
You don’t see this often from guys like Derek Carr, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Jimmy Garoppolo, or Teddy Bridgewater. As a result, quarterbacks like those just mentioned will never maximize their fantasy output.
They’ll take sacks or unnecessary risks with the ball that often lead to second and third and longs or turnovers.
Your dual threats can either extend the play or they’ll call their own number to pick up the first down.
5 – Breakout Potential
Hopefully, you’re noticing a pattern here between your dual threat quarterbacks and traditional pocket passers. The younger generation, anyway.
That said, we’ll honor the Tom Bradys, Drew Brees’, Matthew Staffords, and Ben Roethlisbergers of the league as they’re all still viable quarterbacks and solid fantasy options.
However, with the younger generation, guys like Murray and Allen have the potential to break out and become household fantasy (and real-life) football names. Mahomes, Jackson, Prescott, Wilson, and Watson already experienced breakout successes.
Look for Burrow, Minshew, Tua, and Jones to join the names listed above and it will happen sooner than later. Sooner in terms of fantasy.
And your traditionalists like Mayfield, Darnold, Goff, Bridgewater, and Garoppolo are just average fantasy football options. Some, like Mayfield and Darnold, are beyond bleak. While others like Garoppolo are middle of the road and not weekly starters.
Conclusion
The NFL is evolving to the point where the dual threat quarterback is putting up ridiculous numbers week in and week out.
No, not all dual threat quarterbacks will put up stellar numbers on the ground or even score many rushing touchdowns. But the threat to do so always exists.
However, the dual threat passer is an artist at evading the pass rush, which can stretch plays where a traditional passer is often forced to get rid of the ball, take a sack, or toss one up into coverage.
For these reasons, it should come as no surprise as to why the dual threat quarterback is here to stay in the fantasy football realm, and by the end of the 2020s, look for them to become the preferred type of quarterback.
For those of you playing fantasy football, it means increased production each week.
What are your thoughts?
Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens has been researching and writing topics involving the gambling industry for well over a decade now and is considered an expert on all things casino and sports betting. Michael has been writing for GamblingSites.org since early 2016. …
