Ringo's 2024 QB Sleepers and Busts
Ringo’s 2024 QB Sleepers/Picks
*Note some of these calls aren’t sleepers just players I think could have a good year. It’s difficult to find a true sleeper in today’s fantasy football landscape, but I’ll do my best to uncover some longshots in larger leagues or leagues with deeper rosters.
Anthony Richardson (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 6 Ringo’s ranking QB 5) Last year, this is what I wrote about Anthony Richardson. “Richardson is a raw prospect. Scouts said he should have stayed in school for another year. However, out of all of the QBs who came out, he's the one with the most upside. Richardson is absolutely electric on the field. He's big (6'4" 232 lbs.) and fast (4.43 forty). When Richardson steps on the field, few can match his athleticism. He has a cannon for an arm too. The concerns are his accuracy and inexperience. Richardson can miss easy throws. Despite those concerns, few QBs possess the fantasy upside that Richardson has. With a current ADP at QB 17, if you want to take a home run swing at QB, Richardson is the guy imo”.
Well, it looks like the cat is out of the bag folks. Or maybe I should say the horse has left the barn since this is the Colts we’re talking about haha! Anyway, the bargain basement price for Richardson is long gone. Damn inflation! Had Richardson not gotten hurt, he was well on his way to easily outperforming last year’s ADP. Richardson current consensus ranking is QB 6. This year, he’s priced about right at fair value. Richardson can be the next Cam Newton. He’ll run in a bunch of TDs and gain a bunch of points from his rushing yards. My only concern, can Anthony Richardson stay healthy? If he can, Richardson has a good shot at finishing as a top 5 QB in 2024.
Caleb Williams (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 15 Ringo’s ranking QB 4) Anthony Richardson might be ranked higher by many fantasy analysts in 2024, but it’s Caleb Williams who is more heralded by scouts and NFL execs coming out of college. Williams is one of the most heralded QBs to come out since Joe Burrow and Andrew Luck. How good is Williams? Some scouts have made the comp to Williams being the next Patrick Mahomes. Look, my eyes are wide open here. If any team can screw up Williams’ development, it’s the Bears. That said, the additions of Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and Rome Odunze along with D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet give Caleb Williams some talent to do some fantasy damage. Keep an eye to see how Williams does in the preseason, but right now his consensus ranking at QB 15 seems cheap given the talent and potential Caleb Williams has.
Kirk Cousins (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 17 Ringo’s ranking QB 7) The Falcons ponied up for arguably the best free agent QB on the market when they gave Captain Kirk the bag to command their offense. For reasons unknown to me, they used their first round pick (another top ten pick mind you) on a player who doesn‘t figure to see much playing time the next two years- rookie QB Michael Penix. This sounds like a Geico commercial. If you’re the Falcons, you draft really talented offensive players high in the first round and then don’t use them. That’s what you do haha! Anyway, maybe this is some kind of test for Captain Kirk when he goes to Falcons training camp. Kind of like when James Kirk went to StarFleet Academy to take the Kobayshi Maru Test (see below). The pieces are there for Cousins to do well. An argument can be made that he has more weapons than in Minnesota to succeed and Kirk did pretty well in the Twin Cities. Despite the Falcons’ curious decision making, Cousins is in a prime spot to have a monster year.
Will Levis (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 24 Ringo’s ranking QB 21) Longshot Pick Larger Leagues/Superflex Leagues If you’re looking for a true sleeper QB that few analysts are talking about, Will Levis certainly fits the bill. The Titans cleaned house and new head coach Bill Callahan brings with him a pass-first offense. The Titans also added Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to the WR core. The offensive line got a boost when Tennessee drafted highly regarded OT J.C. Latham with its first pick. The line is still a work in progress, but every little bit helps. The cumulative effect of these moves could translate into Levis taking a huge step forward. And keep in mind, the Titans’ defense isn’t the best, which will force Levis to keep the foot on the pedal with regards to the passing attack. That said, this is far from a sure thing. There’s a reason I listed Levis as a longshot pick. If Levis performs poorly, he could get demoted to second string and I’ll get thrown out quicker by my readers than Jazz in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, but if things break right, Levis has the weapons to pull off a Brock Purdy type of season into fantasy relevance. Will “The Fresh Prince of Nashville” Levis with DeAndre Hip Hop in the house! Actually, I get thrown out after I tell my awful jokes. I know that look. You’re not getting any younger. This isn’t good for your back. Haha!
Mike White (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 53 Ringo’s ranking QB 41) Longshot Pick When given the chance Mike White showed flashes two years ago. And he might be given a chance in Miami a lot sooner than many folks realize. Tua took several nasty hits two years ago. He was thrown around like a rag doll. Several of them led to concussions. I'm afraid the next hit could be his last and force his retirement. And the Dolphins’ line isn’t the best. If Tua misses time, it's Mike White who will take over. At 6'5" 224 lbs White is big and has a rocket for an arm. He would be throwing to arguably the best WR core in the league- Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham Jr. and TW Jonnu Smith each of whom can flat out fly. Another factor to keep in mind, Miami’s defense has been gutted due to injuries and free agency. White could have a Brock Purdy-type of impact in 2024. Mr. White could help you in 2024.
Ringo's comp- Mike White reminds me of a less mobile version of Justin Herbert
You're a kite dancing in a hurricane Mr. Ringo. You have no idea who you are up against with this fantasy call.
Ringo’s 2024 QB Busts
I know some fantasy analysts preach that it’s best to wait on drafting a QB (looking at you J.J. Zacharison). I’m just kidding. J.J. seems like a good dude. Just make sure you don’t wait too long and that you draft a good one. Remember, not every Brady is a future Hall of Fame QB with pinpoint accuracy haha! Tom’s long-lost cousin, Peter, overthrew his intended WR by a country mile haha!
Lamar Jackson (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 3 Ringo’s ranking QB 8) This ranking is more about Lamar’s price than his talent. Anyone who watched him play, clearly saw how talented and athletic Lamar is. However, the Ravens used him less in 2023. They wisely saved him for the post season. Even though they fell short, he made it through the regular season unscathed. In 2022 he rushed for 764 yards in 12 games. But last year he rushed for 821 in 16 games. His best year was 2019 with 1,206 yards rushing. It wasn’t a typical Lamar season. Some of that can be attributed to the team learning a new offense under new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken. However, some of that could have been intentional, to save wear and tear on Lamar’s body. New addition Derrick Henry will open up some running lanes for Lamar, but conversely, could also steal TDs from him in the red zone. Bottom line- Lamar is too rich for me this year, especially given the declining rushing yardage under Todd Monken’s offense.
Jordan Love (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 10 Ringo’s ranking QB 17) Jordan Love has shown flashes, but I’m still not ready to rank him as a top ten fantasy QB like many of my peers. Last year, the Packers’ offense was up and down. They lack star power at WR outside of perhaps Christian Watson who can’t seem to stay on the field. Yes, they added RB Josh Jacobs, but they’ve also lost offensive linemen to injuries and free agency. TE Luke Musgrave showed flashes, but was injured last year and in college. If they had Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, JaMarr Chase, or a solid offensive line, etc. I could see the potential, but for now there are just too many question marks to rank Love as a starting fantasy QB in 2024.
Justin Herbert (Current Expert Consensus Ranking on Fantasy Pros- QB 13 Ringo’s ranking QB 19) Talent wise, few QBs are better than Justin Herbert imo. However, his situation is far from ideal from a fantasy perspective. New head coach, Jim Harbaugh, believes in running the ball. Just look at his last two stops: The University of Michigan and San Francisco 49’ers. Both were known for dominating in the trenches and establishing the run game. Heck, one of the reason J.J. McCarthy was considered a risk by scouts was because of his lack of passing attempts. He didn’t have many of them. This kind of reminds me when John Elway played for the late Dan Reeves. Elway’s numbers were suppressed because of Reeves’ run heavy offense. Herbert is an all-pro, but his fantasy outlook doesn’t look great with offensive coordinator Greg Romans (formerly of the run heavy Ravens) and Jim Harbaugh calling the plays. The only thing that could save him is the fact that the Chargers defense was so dreadful last year, he might have no choice but to pass in the 2nd half if L.A. is trailing. That said, the history and philosophy of Jim Harbaugh and Greg Romans is enough to scare me off of Justin Herbert, even though I’m a huge fan of his talent.