Sometimes, fantasy point totals can deceive.
Case in point. Aaron Rodgers finished ninth in points among quarterbacks this past season. That seems decent, right? Well, he was a top-10 fantasy quarterback in just 31.2 percent of his starts. What's more, he scored 44.7 percent of his points in just four games. That's a much bigger factoid than his overall finish.
So, who were the best players when it came to putting up monster totals on a regular basis, and who was more name than numbers? Here's a look at the quarterbacks who finished in the top 10 in fantasy points most often last season (minimum eight games), along with some interesting notes on players to watch in 2020.
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (80) percent): As you would have likely guessed, Jackson was a beast in the stats sheets and the most consistent quarterback by a wide margin. He was a top-five quarterback 10 times (no other signal-caller hit the mark more than seven times), and he ranked in the top 14 in all but one (Week 5) of his 15 games. Jackson will be a top-25 pick in most 2020 fantasy drafts.
2. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (66.7 percent): Surprise! Tannehill didn't take over as the Titans' starting quarterback until Week 7, but he ranked as a top-10 field general in 80 percent of his starts (tying Jackson for games started in the top 10). Now the ball is in the Titans court ... will the team place the franchise tag on Tannehill or let him test free agency? Stay tuned, folks.
3. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (63.6 percent): Brees missed five games due to an injured thumb, but he was reliable while under center. He was an absolute stud down the stretch, too, as Brees scored 21-plus fantasy points in all but one of his final six starts. Brees also averaged 30.4 points in the fantasy postseason. He is slated to become a free agent, but he appears likely to stay in New Orleans.
4. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions (62.5 percent): Stafford missed half the season with a back ailment, but he was surprisingly reliable while under center. In fact, he finished as a top-10 quarterback five times and was in the top 5 in four of those games. Stafford also scored 20-plus fantasy points in 62.5 percent of his starts, which is a pretty solid total. He could be a late draft bargain in 2020.
5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (56.3 percent): Prescott finished the year as the QB2 in fantasy land, and he ranked as a top-10 quarterback nine times. Only Jackson had more top-10 finishes. Prescott also had five top-5 finishes, which tied for the fourth-most at the position. Prescott is scheduled to become a free agent, but chances are pretty good he'll remain with the Cowboys in 2020 and beyond.
T-6. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans (46.7 percent): Watson was a top-10 quarterback five times, and all of those finishes came in the top five. He was all or nothing much of the time though, as he scored fewer than 17 fantasy points six times during the fantasy season (or in 37.5 percent of his starts). Regardless, Watson will be the third quarterback off the board in most 2020 fantasy drafts.
T-6. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins (46.7 percent): This might be a surprise to some, but Fitzpatrick also ranked in the 10 in terms of consistency among quarterbacks in 2018. He produced seven top-10 finishes (13 starts) this past season, and he scored 20-plus fantasy points in five of his last six games. With a starting job in Miami looking likely in 2020, Fitzpatrick is worth a late rounder.
T-8. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (43.8 percent): It was a tale of two seasons for Wilson ... he scored 24-plus fantasy points in five of his first nine games, including two games with 39-plus, but he scored fewer than 17 points in all but one of his final seven games of the fantasy season. So while Wilson did end up third in fantasy points among quarterbacks, he did hurt owners down the stretch.
T-8. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (43.8 percent): Allen finished in the top-10 in fantasy points seven times, and he ranked in the top 15 in 11 of his 16 starts. He did a lot of his fantasy damage as a runner, ranking third in rushing yards (510) and first in rushing touchdowns (9). It's that skill that makes him such a strong asset in fantasy leagues and a locked and loaded top-10 field general in 2020.
T-8. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (43.8 percent): Goff was a top-10 field general seven times in 2020, which might be a surprise when you consider how poorly he played at times. The problem with Goff was that when he was bad, he was really bad ... in fact, he finished outside of the top-20 quarterbacks in six of his 16 starts. He'll be a late-round , No. 2 signal-caller in 2020 drafts.
11. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (42.9 percent): This one is a real surprise. Mahomes was a top-10 fantasy quarterback six times (all top-five finishes) last season, but he also had five games with 18 or fewer points (including Week 17). Mahomes should be a lot better next season, though, as the Super Bowl LIV MVP should be one of the first two quarterbacks (Jackson) picked in 2020 fantasy drafts.
T-12. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (40 percent): Ryan averaged a respectable 18 fantasy points per game, but he was hardly reliable. From Week 7-17, the veteran failed to score 17 fantasy points in seven games. He also hit the 20-point mark once during that time (he scored 20-plus points in three of his first six starts. Ryan will remain a borderline No. 1/2 quarterback, but his worth just a late rounder.
T-12. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (40 percent): Cousins was brutal to start the season, failing to score even 15 fantasy points in each of his first four games. He got hot afterward, though, ripping off 19-plus points in five of his next six games. So, after Week 4, Cousins did become one of the more reliable fantasy options at the position until his numbers tumbled again in the final four weeks.
Notes: Jackson was the top-scoring fantasy quarterback four times. No one else hit that mark more than twice. He also scored 20-plus fantasy points 13 times, which was three more than Prescott, who ranked second with 10. ... Jackson also led the position in games with 30-plus points (7). The quarterback who finished second? Daniel Jones. ... Jones ranked in the top 5 in fantasy points among quarterbacks four times. Only Jackson, Watson, Mahomes, Wilson, Prescott and Winston did it more. ... Fellow rookie Kyler Murray was a top-10 fantasy quarterback five times, including three top-5 finishes. ... Gardner Minshew had more top-5 finishes (2) than Tom Brady (1). Minshew wasn't drafted in most leagues. ... Brady did finish with six games of 20-plus points, but he also scored fewer than 15 points in eight of his 16 games. ... Wilson finished between 16th-20th in fantasy points among quarterbacks six times. That's the most of any signal-caller with at least 13 starts. ... Murray and Derek Carr finished tied for second in 16-20 finishes at the position.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on **Twitter**, **Facebook**, **YouTube** and **Instagram** for the latest fantasy football news and analysis!
