5 NFL Veterans Who Remain Reliable Options in 2019 Fantasy Football

A new wave of players have taken the NFL by storm in recent years. Whether it's Patrick Mahomes putting up Madden-like numbers or Baker Mayfield almost single-handedly turning the Cleveland Browns around, the crop of young players are seemingly stealing all the NFL headlines.

But we can't forget about the grizzled veterans that continue to perform each week on the field, and in fantasy football. With that in mind, here are five veteran players that remain reliable fantasy options this coming NFL season.

5. Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Jason Witten is set to return to the Cowboys after spending a single season in "retirement" in the Monday Night Football booth. Throughout the tight end's career, he has been one of the most consistent and reliable players in the league, missing just one game, which came during his rookie season. In 2017 (his last season), he played 98.4 percent of the offensive snaps for the Cowboys and finished as the ninth-ranked tight end in fantasy in PPR formats. The 37-year-old figures to return to his starting role with Dallas, making him a back-end TE1 in 2019.

4. Jared Cook, Tight End, New Orleans Saints

Jared Cook joined the Saints this offseason, which means he gets to play with another player on this list, Drew Brees. Cook put up career highs in receptions (68), yards (896) and touchdowns (6) last season, proving he can still compete at a high level. The 32-year-old finished as the fifth-ranked tight end in 2018, and despite having more competition for targets in New Orleans, Cook should be expected to finish in the top 10 at the tight end position.

3. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Well, this one shouldn't come as a surprise. Turning 42 in August, Tom Brady is the oldest non-kicker in the NFL. And while his skills have seemingly declined a bit, he's certainly still a reliable option as a QB1 in fantasy as well as for Bill Belichick and the Patriots. Brady was QB14 in fantasy last season, but with a new face or two in his receiving corps, Brady could end up back in the top 10 in 2019. He will undoubtedly put together another solid statistical season, as he and New England compete to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

2. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald is quite possibly the most universally liked player in the NFL, and he's also one of the most consistent receivers in history. Despite playing hurt much of last season, he finished as WR25, and that was with rookie Josh Rosen throwing him the ball. Fitz will turn 36 before the season begins, but expect 2019 Rookie of the Year favorite Kyler Murray to pepper him with passes, giving him a great shot to finish with his 10th NFL season with 1,000 receiving yards.

1. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees isn't passing as much as he used to – he had the 16th-most pass attempts last season – but he is so efficient that it really doesn't matter. Brees has the highest completion percentage in each of the past two seasons, including his record-breaking 74.4 percent on completions in 2018. Brees finished as QB8 while playing in only 15 games last season, and with the receiving corps the Saints have built for him this season, the 40-year-old will be a must-start QB1 each and every week again in 2019.

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