Fantasy analysts have a tendency to copy and paste results from the previous year into their rankings the following season. But we have to be mindful of players who are candidates for bounce-back seasons.
Finding the right players who are primed for bounce-back seasons but who are still being ranked based on the previous year’s results can make all the difference in your fantasy fortunes.
Here are eight bounce-back quarterback candidates for the 2024 season.
Justin Herbert, QB/Los Angeles Chargers
Yeah, I know. Jim Harbaugh is back in the league and wants to bring his brand of hard-nosed football to the Chargers and they’re going to want to pound the rock. But Herbert is also the best quarterback he’s had since Andrew Luck at Stanford. The Chargers were an awful team last year, but you can’t keep a good quarterback down for too long. I expect a rather quick turnaround for the Bolts, and Harbaugh and Herbert will be the reason why.
Geno Smith, QB/Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks had a host of issues along the offensive line and that’s going to affect any quarterback. We run into an issue now trying to figure out if Smith was a one-year wonder or if he truly “figured it out” since spending many years as a backup. I’m expecting the latter, and I think he’s due for a bounce-back season. Maybe not Top 5 like in 2022, but certainly better than QB20. With the receivers he has in place, if Smith does not put up high-end QB2 numbers, they — and all of their fantasy owners — are screwed.
Bryce Young, QB/Carolina Panthers
It’s hard to call a second-year quarterback a bounce-back candidate because there’s nothing to bounce back to, at least on the professional level. But Young was a great college quarterback and there’s hope for him at the pro level. He certainly got a raw deal his rookie year, all compliments to an inept organization that gave up too much to get him in the first place. This offseason the organization added some extra weapons around him and he has nowhere to go but up.
Kirk Cousins, QB/Atlanta Falcons
By the mere fact that he was hurt last year, Cousins will bounce back this season. But he’s also headed to a very nice situation in Atlanta with a young, up-and-coming wide receiver, an impressive specimen at tight end, and a running back that will not only keep defenses honest but will give him another outlet to throw to.
Joe Burrow, QB/Cincinnati Bengals
With the injuries he’s undergone, I see Burrow slipping down far too many draft boards. The guy is still one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL with one of the best receivers in the league, who is also part of a dynamic duo at the position. He’s still got Top 7 written all over him, pending health of course.
Kyler Murray, QB/Arizona Cardinals
That Cardinals team was a disorganized mess last year but there’s cause for optimism this season. Murray missed the first half of the season recovering from knee surgery and now he has a new weapon in Marvin Harrison Jr. to go with an explosive tight end in Trey McBride. The WR2 spot is a little up in the air, but they ought to have a strong run game to give Murray support. Murray should be back in mid-QB1 conversation.
Anthony Richardson, QB/Indianapolis Colts
Much like Young, it’s hard to call Richardson a bounce-back candidate because he hasn’t been a successful quarterback for a full NFL season yet. But Richardson’s career start looked a lot more promising than Young’s full season. Richardson’s explosive playmaking with his legs, paired with his rocket arm and an array of offensive weapons, has some dreaming of a QB1 overall season. Assuming health, I think that’s in the realm of possibilities, with a Top 6 finish being the floor if he gets a full season in.
Daniel Jones, QB/New York Giants
I’ll be honest: I don’t like Jones as a QB prospect. I think he can make plays with his legs and is adequate at leading an NFL offense but he’s not going to be confused with the stud quarterbacks of the league. Still, because he missed half the season with a torn knee, he’s due for a bounce-back season. He has an array of — some kind of talented weapons. Adding Malik Nabers is really going to help his production and make him at least a high-end QB2.
