Jacoby Brissett Fantasy Outlook on Rise as Colts Starting QB After Andrew Luck's Sudden Retirement

Andrew Luck announced his retirement on Saturday night, sending shockwaves throughout the NFL and fantasy football leagues. An integral piece of the Indianapolis Colts' plans both in the short- and long-term, the news sent the Colts from 15-to-1 to win the Super Bowl to 60-to-1, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

If you're looking for something to be optimistic about in the situation, Jacoby Brissett now gets another chance to prove himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL, making him a viable fantasy option as well.

Brissett started 15 games when Luck missed the entire 2017 season, and while that year saw the Colts struggle to the tune of a 4-12 record, Brissett was somewhat useful from a fantasy perspective. He threw 13 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, and his 6.5 adjusted yards per attempt tied him for 20th among the 34 qualifying passers. He also added value on the ground with 63 carries for 260 yards and four more touchdowns.

That kind of serviceable production didn't exactly move the needle in fantasy football, but he did finish 20th in QB production that season. Since we can likely expect a better outlook for Brissett in 2019, he's a fantasy backup in one-QB leagues and a must-draft in two-QB formats.

Colts head coach Frank Reich isn't likely to hold Brissett back like the QB seemingly was in 2017 when the team attempted the 30th-most passes while finishing top-10 in rush attempts in that 2017 season. As head coach or offensive coordinator, Reich's offenses have finished in the top-10 in pass attempts in three of the last four seasons, and have never finished in the bottom half of the NFL across his five seasons in those roles. Reich's teams have also finished below average in rush attempts three times.

Considering 2017 was Brissett's first full season as a starter, his numbers really weren't all that bad — especially when you factor in that he was playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. This year, he's behind what could be one of the best.

It's hard to get too excited about an unproven QB when the position is incredibly deep in fantasy football, and this could also be bad news for the rest of the Colts' offense. But either way it makes Brissett fantasy relevant in 2019. If you're playing in a two-QB or deep league, he could be worth throwing a dart at late in drafts. And even in standard leagues, you should keep a close eye on Brissett as he could find himself in the discussion as a streaming option or bye-week replacement throughout the season.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.