Justin Fields Offers Elite Upside as the QB10

Justin Fields has proven to be one of the highest-ceiling fantasy options at the quarterback position, and with a clear path to a full year of starting in New York, can he hold onto the position and outperform his QB10 ADP?

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2024 Year in Review

Fields was traded to the Steelers and had the starting job for the first six weeks of the season while Russell Wilson was getting healthy. The Steelers went 4-2 in his six starts, and Fields had three QB1 weeks, including the QB1 overall in Week 4. He also had a fourth start right on the cusp of a QB1 week.

After the season, Pittsburgh attempted to keep Fields, knowing that Russell Wilson was leaving, but he opted to head to the Jets with a much cleaner path to a starting job.

While Fields will never be the passer he was billed as coming out of college, he has proven he can maintain a very solid fantasy floor and elite ceiling with his rushing ability. His rushing ability is certainly something to take advantage of in 4-point passing touchdown leagues, but in leagues with 6-point passing touchdowns, he’ll have slightly lower value.

New Offensive System

So we don’t know what new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s offense is going to look like, but we can assume it will be run-heavy with Aaron Glenn as the head coach. Engstrand was the passing game coordinator with the Lions for the last two seasons. When Ben Johnson left to become the head coach with the Bears, the Lions chose John Morton, who was the passing game coordinator in Denver, over their own passing game coordinator, Engstrand.

While Morton had previously worked with the Lions as their senior offensive assistant before leaving for Denver in 2023, it was a bit notable that Morton was chosen over Engstrand. The next day, he joined Aaron Glenn’s staff in New York.

His only experience as an offensive coordinator was with the 2020 XFL DC Defenders and with the University of San Diego from 2011-2017. It’s hard to take anything away from the 2020 DC Defenders because the quarterback play was just abysmal with Cardale Jones and now-Tight End Tyree Jackson, but of note, they were more run-heavy, just barely, in a league that was quite run-heavy. The stats from his San Diego stints are tough to come by, but San Diego had a very good-to-great offense during his time and consistently won the Pioneer Football League.

The 2018 season is all I can find stats for, and his QB, Anthony Lawrence, had 4112 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. His offense really force-fed WR Michael Bandy with 88 receptions for 1698 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns. A familiar name, TE Dalton Kincaid, started as a freshman and finished tied for 3rd on the team with 24 receptions. The offense seemed to focus on an elite receiver, running back, and tight end in the passing game. Sounds like that could bode well for Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, and Mason Taylor. Fields has proven he can feed a star wide receiver and tight end and keep them fantasy relevant, so that’s at least good news for them.

Can Fields Hold The Starting Job?

I can’t say spring standout Adrian Martinez or rookie Brady Cook will really contest Fields at all for the starting spot, and I’m honestly not even sure Tyrod Taylor is good enough to even force the issue at all should things go wrong with Fields.

It seems like everything is there for Fields to hold onto the starting job all season long, barring injury or bottoming out. With Fields holding onto the job all season and his ability to run, he presents an elite ceiling that few options out of the top 5 quarterbacks can offer.

While there will be some floor weeks, Fields’s ceiling is one to target if you pass on the elite options earlier in drafts. He has shown he can finish QB1 overall on any given week and can also carry a few elite options with him for stacking purposes in best ball. I wouldn’t stack more than one option in most builds, as it seems likely Garrett Wilson by himself could be the only guy you need, but I could see adding Taylor as a late tight end.

The Bottom Line

• Fields offers an elite rushing floor at the quarterback position.

• It appears Fields has little competition this year, unlike last year, and should hold onto the starting job all season.

• For best ball, a naked Fields is a solid option, and stacking with Garrett Wilson also makes sense, but isn’t necessary.

• Fields is one of the few quarterbacks outside of the top 5 that offers QB1 ceiling on a given week.

• At QB10, Fields is a solid value and someone I’m targeting in all formats.