To no one's surprise, Joe Burrow was the Bengals' choice at the top of the 2020 NFL Draft.
And it wouldn't be a surprise if he broke the franchise's 4,293-yard single-season record in one of his first few seasons. Maybe even this year. Burrow might even flirt with the team's 33-touchdown record, too.
That would be a heck of a way to begin a tenure as a Fantasy quarterback, wouldn't it?
Granted, most people wouldn't even suggest such a thing about a rookie. But all things are possible with Burrow, the glowing prospect with NFL-ready accuracy, footwork and poise. He's coming off a record-breaking season at LSU where he threw for 60 touchdowns in 15 games with 5,671 yards, tacking on another 368 yards and five scores on the ground. Unlike many of the past first-year, first-day starters entering the NFL, Burrow proved he can maneuver around a pass rush, keep his eyes downfield and deliver strike after strike with dreamy velocity.
He grades out as the best rookie quarterback to enter the league since Andrew Luck.
Let that sink in for a second.
Now, think about how Luck finished as the 10th best quarterback in his rookie year -- and wasn't even the best rookie quarterback in Fantasy that season.
Let THAT sink in.
And now, think about the situation Burrow has fallen into: He's the starting quarterback of a Bengals offense with three capable receivers (A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross), a quality pass-catching running back (Joe Mixon), and an improved offensive line that includes last year's first-round pick, left tackle Jonah Williams. And their defense is getting older and hasn't played well for some time.
Burrow could be on the brink of a busy, stat-busting year.
I'm gonna need an extra second here to let this all sink in.
A big key will be how much the Bengals coaching staff assimilates from Burrow's LSU offense. If they stick with spread formations and give Burrow the autonomy to out-wit defenses before the snap -- and they should if they're taking him at No. 1 overall -- then his learning curve would be pretty flat and he can be impactful quickly.
The other big key? How willing and able A.J. Green is to play football. Green missed all of last year with an ankle injury but should be OK for the start of training camp. If he's his old self, watch out If he's not, the Burrow bandwagon won't be quite as crowded.
If everything's right, Burrow will be worth drafting in every single format. Seasonal redraft? Speculative late-round pick and a potential Week 1 streamer depending on the matchup. Dynasty startups and keeper leagues? Round 6 might be too late. Rookie-only drafts? Not a top-five pick because of the depth of his position, but anywhere in the back half of Round 1 will work.
If Burrow is like Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton, he'll be in for a long stay. Hopefully he'll have better numbers, for the sake of the Bengals and for Fantasy managers who put their faith in him.
