Player: Kirk Cousins
Position: Quarterback
Team: Washington Redskins
2016 Statistics | Comp % | Yards | TD | INT | Points | Ranking |
| 67.0 | 4,917 | 29 | 12 | 336.28 | 5th |
2016 Review
Despite a horrendous season finale in a must-win game against the New York Giants in Week 17, Cousins had himself a stellar season. He put up a career high in passing yards, matched a career high in total touchdowns and finished as a top-five fantasy quarterback. You really can't ask for much more than that from someone many didn't view as a starter-caliber quarterback in the NFL.
Interestingly, Cousins' most-important attribute has to be considered consisistency. He's tallied over 4,000 passing yards, 25-plus touchdowns and a better than two-to-one TD/INT ratio in each of the past two seasons. He also finished in the top 10 among quarterbacks in fantasy consistency. All said, Cousins tallied 15-plus fantasy points in 75 percent of his starts this season.
Dynasty Outlook
It really depends on where Cousins ends up. He seems to be a tremendous fit in Jay Gruden's system with the Redskins. Though, there are definitely other teams out there who might represent a higher ceiling for his long-term fantasy outlook.
As an example, with Jordan Howard and potentially Alshon Jeffery in the mix, the Chicago Bears would definitely be an intriguing option for him from a fantasy perspective. The same thing can be said for the Buffalo Bills, who boast a plethora of weapons, including LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins.
As with every impending free agent, it's all about Cousins' situation. Should he remain in Washington, we're not too sure how the dynamic would look like here. DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are as good as gone.
The team struggled with consistency at running back with Rob Kelley and Matt Jones. Meanwhile, tight end Jordan Reed has continually proven himself to be injury plagued. In reality, another situation might suit Cousins' fantasy outlook better.
Free Agency Outlook
The expectation here has to be that Cousins will be thrown the franchise tag. That could have been put into question following his bad Week 17 performance, but the Redskins have to know they don't have any real options that are considered better than Cousins either on the free-agent or trade market.
Should Cousins somehow hit the open market, he'll definitely have a bunch of potential suitors. Simply put, he'd be the best possible option out there for the multitude of teams in need of an upgrade at this position.
Potential Suitors: Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears