Regardless of the type of game you’re playing, whether it be head-to-heads, a guaranteed prize pool, or a satellite, consistency is key when it comes to finding success. If you can’t roster players who you can rely on to avoid laying an egg, while also finding those players with upside, then coming away in the green on a weekly basis may be tough to do.
The five most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL through nine weeks of action are listed below, and may surprise you a bit (consistency ratings in parentheses).
- Carson Palmer (100%)
- Jameis Winston (100%)
- Tyrod Taylor (100%)
- Cam Newton (83%)
- Ryan Fitzpatrick (72%)
When looking at the numbers, it’s incredible to see that Winston and Taylor rank ahead of Newton, while Fitzpatrick is probably the real surprise on the list. So the question is this: what sets these five players apart from the rest and helps make them the guys you want to target? Well, there are a few trends that these five players seem to have in common.
Quarterback Options That Won’t Break the Bank
Yes, Carson Palmer and Cam Newton are right at that $7,000 mark, but in comparison to Tom Brady, you’re saving a pretty penny even with those two strong options. With that said, each of the other five players aren’t going to break the bank. What’s even more interesting is the fact that two of the most consistent quarterbacks in the NFL are Winston and Taylor, who come in with sub-$5,500 price tags.
As you can see, Winston, Taylor and Fitzpatrick all qualify as “sleepers” at a cost of less than $5,500. As for Newton? You have to cough up another $1,500 to land him, and $1,600 more for Palmer. But if we’re talking purely consistent play, the value is really with Taylor and Winston because of their price tags. Really, it’s amazing that three of the five most consistent quarterbacks actually allow you to spend big elsewhere in your lineup, but that’s all part of the beauty when it comes to daily fantasy football.
Upside of 16% or Higher for All…Except One
Having an upside of 16% or higher places you in the top 11 at the quarterback position. While you can see below that Eli Manning, Carson Palmer, and Cam Newton have been the best in terms of consistency (25%), four of the five most consistent quarterbacks come in ranked somewhere in the top seven (including Palmer and Newton, obviously).
The one name missing from that list is obviously Famous Jameis. While Winston has played strong football over the past few weeks, the fact that he’s only thrown double- digit touchdowns three times in eight games is a bit of a turnoff. As you’ll find with many rookie quarterbacks, often the focus is to just avoid turnovers. While Winston can air it out from time to time, it’s no surprise that he doesn’t qualify as having much upside currently.
For the other four players, the upside is pretty obvious. Palmer is averaging 298.25 passing yards per game in 2015, and has thrown an impressive 20 touchdowns through eight games. Both Newton and Taylor can do a ton of damage with their legs, as Newton averages 9.13 carries and 42.88 yards per game, and has rushed for five scores through eight games. Taylor, on the other hand, averages 6.83 carries and 38.5 yards per game, with two rushing touchdowns through six games. And as for Fitzpatrick, in the seven full games he has played (not including the one he was injured early in), he’s thrown at least two touchdowns in six of those seven.
Impressive Plus/Minus Percentages
When evaluating the Plus/Minus percentages for these five players, you’ll find that Palmer, Taylor and Newton sit at numbers one through three respectively with impressive ratings of 7.0, 6.8 and 6.3. From there, number six is Winston at 4.5, then Fitzpatrick at number seven with a 4.4 rating. That’s pretty strong, considering that the five players who rank as the most consistent also qualify for having some of the strongest Plus/Minus percentages.
Essentially, no matter what the cost is for Palmer and Newton, it hasn’t been enough to give fantasy players any justification for not using them. Both players are far exceeding their costs, making them excellent DFS plays.
All five players are strong arguments for daily plays, but obviously the matchups will factor into which one you decide to use on a weekly basis.
