Fantasy Football: Fallout from Andrew Luck retirement
By Drew DeLuca
How does Andrew Luck’s unexpected retirement affect the 2019 fantasy football outlook of other Indianapolis Colts players?
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck took the football universe by surprise when he announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday night. Luck has endured a litany of injuries that would make a crash test dummy blush, as noted by The Athletic’s Zak Keefer.
Luck’s decision, while surprising in its timing, is completely understandable. What’s been harder for us all to discern is the fantasy football impact on the teammates he leaves behind on the sidelines.
In light of the multitude of knee-jerk reactions that flooded social media and sports radio airwaves last night, we take a position-by-position approach to help fantasy football owners prepare on short notice. We start with the man who’ll replace him.
Quarterback
Jacoby Brissett: Andrew Luck’s backup is a 2016 third-round selection by the New England Patriots, is in his third year with the Indianapolis Colts. He took nearly all first-team reps this preseason and has a full year of experience in Frank Reich’s system, one in which Nick Foles was quite productive as a backup quarterback two years ago.
Must Read. NFL Preseason: Rookie grades after three weeks. light
Brissett is far better prepared than he was in 2017 as a newly-acquired 23-year old, thrown to the wolves behind what was one of the league’s worst offensive line. By contrast, this year’s unit was ranked in the top five by the folks at Pro Football Focus last month.
Brissett’s skill position players were also upgraded over the past two seasons. Despite the doom and gloom projections, Brissett is a fringe starter in 2-QB leagues, with a surprisingly high floor supported by his scrambling ability. He makes a fine bench stash in larger leagues and is certainly a worthwhile addition to any team that must drop Andrew Luck.
Overall Ranking: QB24