Last Min Fantasy QB & TE Draft Help

Story by Yinzer Crazy Fantasy Football Expert Luke Ranalli

With most of my fantasy leagues drafting this coming weekend, I thought I'd do one last article on the QB's and TE's that you should be on the lookout for, and how long you should wait for them in your leagues.

QB's

1. Josh Allen - With 36 passing TD's last season, 6 rushing TD's, and well over 4k passing yards, Josh Allen is the no brainer when it comes to picking at QB1. The real question is how long you should wait to draft him. If you are drafting last or second to last in your snake draft, Allen could be a huge pickup in the third round. There are enough receivers this year that drafting one as late as the 4th or 5th round won't kill you, snatch up your RB1 with your first pick, maybe your RB2 or WR1 in the second round, and scoop Allen up in the third. I guarantee even if you don't draft quality receivers there is going to be plenty of opportunity on the waiver this year with the talent from this years draft class. 

2. Kyler Murray - This is going to be my unpopular opinion for the day but Kyler deserves some respect, regardless of his stature. Last season, Murray came close to 4k yards through the air, 423 with his legs, and a total of 29 TD's, all through 14 games! I know DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six games of the season, but Hollywood Brown is now there, and they still have Rondale Moore and the dinosaur AJ Green. Kyler is a playmaker and has something to prove this year after all the talk during the offseason. As long as he is healthy this entire season, Kyler should be in the top 5 no question.

3. Joe Burrow - I know Joe cool isn't sitting at the top of a lot of draft boards, but I really think he should be. Last season, Joe was able to put up over 4600 yards, and 34 TD's through the air and not to mention a few decent scampers on the ground. I put Ja'Marr Chase on my top 5 receivers because I think the connection between these two will be amazing this year again, not to mention the other weapons Joe has in Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals also acquired Hayden Hurst during the offseason which should give Joe even more options in the passing game. Don't sleep on Joe this year, he's a great QB and he's hungry, coming so close to winning it all last year is only going to make him work harder.

4. Lamar Jackson - I don't really trust Jackson year in and year out, and with the decline at the receiver position by trading Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin, it looks like this Ravens team is committed to a ground game. Now that's not necessarily a bad thing for Lamar, he is very much included in that ground game and he has proven he can put up points with his feet alone. Jackson had over 1k yards rushing in 2019 and 2020, those are better numbers than most RBs in the league. As long as Mark Andrews is still out there, and Lamar can stay healthy, he's going to put up numbers. The question that always remains though, is just how healthy can he stay when he runs as much as he does.

5. Patrick Mahomes - I was hesitant to include Mahomes in my top 5 but regardless of the receiver situation, it's still Mahomes. Without Tyreek Hill to bail him out, and Juju Smith-Schuster basically being the top dog in KC this year, you'll excuse me if I have my doubts. Mahomes has been able to spread the ball around since entering the league and aside from his rookie season, he has consistently thrown for over 4k yards. Let's not forget that he still has Travis Kelce, and if Marquez Valdes-Scantling can find their place, this could still be a lucrative season for Mahomes, I just have some doubts.

TE's

1. Mark Andrews - As mentioned when talking about Lamar, there is a lack of depth on this Ravens offense this year. Even if the Ravens are planning on more of a ground game this year, Andrews is still going to eat. Andrews outpaced Travis Kelce last year in yards and matched him for TD's, and the way this Ravens offense is going, Andrews could be even more productive. What I like even more about Andrews is that he seems to be a go to for no matter who is at QB. When Lamar went down last season, Andrews didn't miss a beat, and stepped up for this injury prone team. Andrews isn't exactly an ironman himself, but compared to the rest of this offense he might as well be.

2. Travis Kelce - Honestly, I hate putting Kelce this high. It may be because I drafted him way too early last year and he really didn't produce for me as much as I needed him to. This year should be different though, this year Kelce is the obvious go to man for Mahomes. Kelce should be the biggest benefactor of Hill being traded, and Juju or Valdes-Scantling decide they're going to have the career of their lives this year. Kelce is going to make up the difference. The best thing about Kelce is that he is one of the most consistent TE's in the league, so you shouldn't have to fret about missing games. 

3. Pat Freiermuth - Yes this is my token Steeler, but also there's good reason behind this, not just because I'm a Yinzer. Pat had a good rookie year, not great, but good. He didn't have stellar production in yards, amassing just under 500, but he did make up for that by notching 7 TD's. This year though the Steelers are without Big Ben, and there is nothing I love more than a good running back and tight end combo for a new QB to utilize. Pat might not put up the type of numbers as Andrews or Kelce this year, but he should at the very least be a consistent pickup for the position week in and week out. I have high hopes for Pat this season and I think regardless of your Yinzer affiliation, you should too.

4. Kyle Pitts - I question if the hype around Pitts right now is justifiable, not because of HIS production, but because of this Falcons team. I think Marcus Mariota looked good in preseason, but he hasn't proven himself a great starter yet. There isn't much complimenting Pitts down field, and most RedZone opportunities went to Cordarrelle Patterson last season. What did impress me is that Pitts had only 8 more receptions than Pat Freiermuth last season, but more than double his yards. Pitts has proved he can turn any reception into an opportunity for yards, but with the lack of trips to the endzone, change in QB, and lack of receivers to compliment him, I don't think this will be his breakout year. 

5. George Kittle - I was back and forth between Kittle and Darren Waller for this spot, and for the same reason, health concerns. If both Waller and Kittle stay healthy this season I think Kittle would end up on top, so that's why he got this spot. Kittle is more injury prone, but when he plays he always has the potential to blow up. The only season Kittle played 16 games he ended up with 1300 yds and 5 Td's. Last season in only 14 games he had 6 Td's and was close to 1k yards. Healthy is the name of the game for Kittle this season and if he can remain so he could be one of the best assets Trey Lance has at his disposal. Be careful with this one, but if you can snag him a bit later in your draft he could be a steal.