Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is looking to take a step forward on the actual field in 2020… whenever games are played due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But the fantasy field is a whole different world.
In Allen’s second season in the NFL and first full one as the Bills’ No. 1 QB in 2019, he showed some improvements in leading Buffalo to the playoffs. In fantasy football, he did even better as Allen has become a touted dual-threat quarterback that’ll bring home some points each week.
Despite that, one ESPN analyst actually dubbed a big regression from Buffalo’s QB in 2020, which leads to a drop in his fantasy football value. Fantasy footbal analyst Tristan Cockcroft tabbed Allen as a potential fantasy football “bust” next season.
Here’s the breakdown on Allen:
Don’t mistake his rushing success for an all-around breakthrough. Allen scored 35% (101.0 of 288.6) of his fantasy points rushing, but his passing left plenty to be desired, as he finished last among qualified quarterbacks with 58.8% completion and 23.0% off-target passing rates. Yes, Stefon Diggs’ addition bolsters Allen’s receiving corps, but a so-so passer is a so-so passer. Prepare for regression: Of the previous 10 quarterbacks to score at least nine rushing touchdowns in a season, the group saw a 66% decline in the category for an average loss of 7.1 scores.
It looks like Allen has another naysayer to prove wrong in 2020. While not a finished product, Allen’s “so-so” passing did improve last season. His completion percentage you’d like to see higher, but facts are facts, it improved from 52.8 percent to 58.8 a year ago. A few more completions to Diggs and maybe a few less drops by a guy like Dawson Knox, who led NFL tight ends with 10 in 2019, could see Allen above 60 percent.
In fact, if Knox’s drops are cut in half just a year ago, Allen’s at that exact mark of 60 percent. Let alone considering a year of potential improvement from the QB, plus the addition of one of the league’s best wide receivers. Perhaps a bit harsh here to project Allen to be a “bust” in a year that has signs pointing to the positive.
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