We are now officially entering the second half of the 2020 NFL season with Week 8 coming to a close on Monday night. So what does this mean for us avid Fantasy Football fans?
It means that trade deadlines are nearing and the time to acquire players you are interested in is imminent. At the same time, positioning your roster — if you’re having success — for the playoffs can pay dividends when the season is all said and done.
Even if you’re someone who’s on the cusp of making your league’s playoffs, then adding players who have favorable matchups can lead to a late-season surge. With all of that being said, let’s take a peek at some quarterbacks in fantasy football — using their strength of schedules and other statistics — to determine which ones are poised to be productive in the second half of the 2020 NFL campaign.
Tom Brady
Notable favorable matchups remaining: New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons (twice), Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions
There aren’t many offenses who are in a better rhythm than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady and company are beginning to hit their stride, with plenty of weapons involved in the offensive attack. While they’ve dealt with injuries at wide receiver, Antonio Brown will bring some depth to the position, forming an elite receiving corps with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Scotty Miller, and rookie Tyler Johnson.
Not to mention, he has Rob Gronkowski, Cameron Brate, Ronald Jones, and Leonard Fournette at his disposal as well. As he continues to prove that he’s an exception to Father Time, Brady will suit up against the Saints again, the Atlanta Falcons twice, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions in the last half of the season. Provided that, he’ll face teams who allow 20+ fantasy points to QBs, including the Falcons, who have conceded a league-worst 25.62 fantasy points per week through Week 8.
Carson Wentz
Notable favorable matchups remaining: New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys
Yes, I know, for the majority of the season, Carson Wentz has looked like a rookie quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. Turnovers have been a constant issue in 2020 and he was unable to perform well against the putrid defense of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, scoring just 8.62 fantasy points.
While some may avoid Wentz, there may be plenty of games for him to be fantasy relevant, especially in games where he could get some garbage time points. For the rest of the year, Wentz gets a chance to square off with the New York Giants again, the Cleveland Browns, the Seattle Seahawks, the Saints, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Dallas Cowboys once more. After his bye week in Week 9, six of his final eight games of the season will be against teams that give up 17+ fantasy points per week to QBs.
Justin Herbert
Notable favorable matchups remaining: Las Vegas Raiders (twice), New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos
No one, especially people who watched him play at Oregon, could have predicted the emergence of Justin Herbert in his rookie season with the Los Angeles Chargers. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has entered must-start territory in fantasy football. In five of his first six starts, Herbert has eclipsed 21+ fantasy points, giving him a solid floor each week.
It also helps that the Chargers constantly find themselves in games where Herbert is asked to put the ball in the air often. Plus, the cherry on top for Herbert the rest of the season is his favorable schedule. The gunslinging first-year quarterback will get a chance to go toe-to-toe with the Las Vegas Raiders twice, the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills, the Falcons, and the Denver Broncos again. All of those teams allow 19+ fantasy points per week to QBs.
Ben Roethlisberger
Notable favorable matchups remaining: Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals (twice), Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the only undefeated team remaining and they’re happy to have Ben Roethlisberger operating the offense again. While Roethlisberger doesn’t have the arm strength he once had, he’s playing efficiently in an offense with guys that can create with the ball in their hands. Following his tilt with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7, Roethlisberger now has three consecutive weeks of 15 or fewer fantasy points.
The good news is that the rest of his season is a cake walk for opposing QBs. His upcoming schedule is a favorable one, beginning with a showdown against a porous Cowboys defense in Week 9. Besides Dallas, the veteran signal-caller will have an opportunity to play against the Cincinnati Bengals twice, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bills, and the Browns again. There should be a few more weeks of Roethlisberger being a viable starter in fantasy football in 2020.
