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This list was hard to create. Hence why it is a short one.
Most of the quarterbacks who were great like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Josh Allen were already stars and therefore not breakouts. Even other stars like Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, and Lamar Jackson took steps backward. This left a minimal number of quarterbacks to actually choose from.
Unlike the running backs and wide receivers, the rookies also underperformed. None of them deserve a spot on this list. And they did not get one out of pity. So, after a long struggle and a lot of debate, here are a few fantasy quarterbacks who did manage to break out in the 2021 season.
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Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
2021 Stats: 16 Games, 4,611 Yards, 34 TD, 14 INT
The other member of this list did most of his damage on the ground. Coming back from a devastating knee injury, Joe Burrow did not. With only 118 rush yards and two touchdowns on 40 carries, Burrow used his talented receivers to pass all over opposing defenses in 2021.
2021 was a remarkable season. Not only for Joe Burrow but for the Cincinnati Bengals. A team who, despite being just two years removed from four wins and the number one draft pick, was able to win their division and make it to the Super Bowl. Burrow was the reason this happened.
Despite being sacked a league-high 51 times during the regular season and another 19 times in the postseason, Burrow was able to find rookie Ja’Marr Chase along with Tyler Boyd and second-year breakout Tee Higgins to the tune of 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns. On top of this and possibly even more important, RB Joe Mixon finally stayed healthy and came through with a season we all expected from him since entering the league.
With 1,205 yards and 13 touchdowns on 292 rushes and 314 yards and three more touchdowns on 42 catches, Mixon proved himself worthy of his new contract. At least for one season. His ability out of the backfield made it difficult for opposing defenses to concentrate only on the talented trio of wide receivers. This allowed the Cincinnati Bengals' offense to continue to move the ball. This allowed Mixon to finish as the RB3 for fantasy leagues in 2021. All this despite having one of the worst offensive lines in the entire NFL.
With Joe Burrow running for his life, it was key for his weapons to make plays for him. And they did. With all of these weapons under contract for at least one more year, more than one year in most cases, Burrow and the Bengals will be set to outperform their 2021 numbers in 2022. This offense will do damage in the AFC North, and it could lead the Cincinnati Bengals back to the division title and another Super Bowl.
Joe Burrow ended up as QB8 on the 2021 season. One spot ahead of the other member of this breakout list. This happened despite his rushing being hampered most of the season by his recovery. We saw in the playoffs the ability Burrow can have in the run game. He was able to get away from Chris Jones and scramble for multiple first downs in the Bengals' comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game. This will become a greater part of his game in 2022. Especially if the Bengals use some of their $66 million in cap space to upgrade the offensive line. This, along with an even greater connection with his wide receivers and running backs, will catapult Burrow into the discussion as a top-five fantasy quarterback in 2022 and possibly for many more years after that.
This is just the start for Burrow. He has weapons, talent, and yes, a bit of arrogance needed to be successful. Look for him to only get better and he should be considered as one of the quarterbacks to take early.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
2021 Stats: 15 Games, 3,144 Yards, 16TD, 9 INT, 139 Rushes, 785 Yards, 10 TD
Unlike Burrow, Jalen Hurts did not have a great season if you look at the stat sheet.
With less than 3,500 pass yards and only 16 touchdowns, he would have barely cracked the top-25 if it were not for his rush ability. But this is the key.
In 19 games as a starting quarterback, Hurts has eclipsed 13 fantasy points on the ground five separate times. In those 19 games total, he averages 8.2 ppg on the ground to add to any points he garners in the passing game. The only player with a higher career average at the position is Lamar Jackson (8.6). This says a lot for the value added to a quarterback who can run as Hurts and Jackson can.
Before the ankle injury which sidelined him, Hurts was on pace for more than 900 rush yards in 2021. If he is able to come back healthy in 2022, he could easily reach this number. Miles Sanders has not busted, but he has been a bit disappointing thus far. The Eagles finally showed in the second half of the 2021 season that they do remember how to run the ball. Much of this could fall on Jalen Hurts. Thus far in his career, he has been up to the challenge. With another season of work with Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith, the passing game can also get moving in the right direction. This will also allow Hurts more success both in the run game when the defenses concentrate on the wide receivers and in the passing game as his legs will also keep opposing teams honest.
Jalen Hurts may never be a top-five quarterback in real football. But this is not real football. It is fantasy football. Meaning it is far more important. And for fantasy football, with his legs and running ability, he can be top-five. Just look at Lamar Jackson. And even better than Jackson, Hurts will likely be the eighth or ninth quarterback off the board in drafts. Far better than taking Jackson as the third or fourth quarterback much earlier.
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