There is always plenty of excitement with NFL free agency season, but in 2017, the quarterback portion of the proceedings was pretty uneventful. There were no blockbuster moves at the position to turn the 2017 fantasy season on its ear, as the names that moved across the league are almost all consigned to fantasy backup status, or waiver-wire fodder. Still, for at least one quarterback on the move, there is a chance to re-emerge from obscurity to earn legit sleeper status in upcoming drafts. Here’s a look at the 2017 fantasy football implications of free agency at the quarterback position.
Brian Hoyer – San Francisco 49ers
Fantasy drafts are all about recognizing value and getting players late that, come season’s end, should have gone early. On the surface, a seemingly washed-up Brian Hoyer starting for a seemingly dysfunctional 49ers franchise is going to plummet Hoyer very deep into most, if not all, serious drafts. Good. Hoyer actually finds himself in a position to succeed in San Francisco, as new general manager John Lynch has already added a pair of legit receiving options in Pierre Garcon and Marquis Goodwin. Hoyer also reunites with head coach Kyle Shanahan, and that is significant, as Shanahan, as Browns offensive coordinator in 2014, coaxed some of the best performances of Hoyer’s journeyman career. Hoyer will not carry your team by any stretch, but he is going to put up some numbers, and can probably be had as a final-round flier, or even an early-season waiver pickup that could pay a huge dividend as the season wears on.
Brock Osweiler – Cleveland Browns
It sounds increasingly as though Cleveland is not the final stop on Osweiler’s offseason journey, as the Browns are expected to trade Osweiler in advance of the NFL Draft. Wherever the Brock Star winds up, he has to better than his nightmare 2016 season in Houston. Or maybe not. In all likelihood, Osweiler will not be an NFL starting quarterback in September, barring an injury on whatever team he winds up with. And if he stays with the Browns and does start? No change. He is not a draft-worthy player.
Mike Glennon – Chicago Bears
He is not a sexy name and he’s going to a team that was already a mess when the season ended and just lost its best receiving option in Alshon Jeffery to the Eagles. That said, Mike Glennon is a guy who is going to get a major opportunity, and he’s shown to anyone paying attention that he can make the most of it. When given the ball in Tampa, Glennon did good things, with a 2-to-1 touchdown/interception ratio. He’s not going to win games on the field, but he should be worthy of a bench spot as bye-week spot starter.
Josh McCown – New York Jets
You would think leaving the Browns and having a chance to start for another team would be a career upgrade. You would think that. But Josh McCown went to the Jets, who just lost Brandon Marshall. If you want him as a backup, he will be available late in drafts. But do you really?