Kirk Cousins Isn't Exciting But He'll Deliver Again in Fantasy Football

Quarterbacks and their value in fantasy football over the last decade has been an absolute rollercoaster, with 2023 drafts being no different.

Many of the elite quarterbacks are being prioritized again, as the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts are going at the end of the second and into the third round.

However, some people still choose to wait in favor of loading up the remainder of their roster. That's where Kirk Cousins enters into the conversation... yet again.

Here's a look at Cousins' fantasy football projections and outlook for the season.

Kirk Cousins Fantasy Football Projection

(All projections via numberFire.com)

Fantasy Points Projection: 285 points
Positional Ranking: QB16
Projected Stats:

• 4,450.9 passing yards
• 31.7 passing TDs
• 13.4 interceptions
• 23 rushes
• 94.7 rushing yards
• 0.9 rushing TDs

Kirk Cousins Fantasy Football Outlook

Another Quality Season

Kirk Cousins may not be exciting. He may not be dynamic. But he gets the job done and has for a long time -- in real football and fantasy.

In his first season under head coach Kevin O'Connell and their new offensive mindset, Cousins excelled with another quality season under center.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback finished with 4,547 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He's limited on the ground, as we know, only running for 91 yards, but he did add two touchdowns (he's had at least one every season since 2015).

He threw the ball 643 times, the fourth-most of anyone in the league. That won't be changing any time soon. And with Dalvin Cook gone, the pass-first offense will only embody that mindset even more.

Those numbers were good enough for a QB8 finish with 291.6 fantasy points (17.2 points per game) -- a quality season, especially for where he was being selected. Heading into 2022, he was selected as the QB15 with an average draft position (ADP) of 126.0. In the majority of standard leagues, he was going undrafted or as a backup at most yet finished in the top 10.

For a quarterback who has weapons like Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and rookie Jordan Addison at his disposal, he's still going under the radar after all these seasons of consistency.

It's time that changes.

Captain Consistency

The Vikings' signal-caller has been getting the job done ever since becoming a full-time starting quarterback in 2015.

While he's only ever been a top-five quarterback in fantasy football once, he's shown a level of consistency that few can match over the past decade.

Cousins has shown fantasy managers what type of player he is, which makes selecting him (or not selecting him) one of the easier decisions each and every year.

Cousins is entering his age-35 season, and after what he and Jefferson were able to do last season as a connection, it's hard to doubt him playing to his usual level -- if not better. Eclipsing 300 points is possible again, which was only done by five quarterbacks a season ago.

The 11-year veteran doesn't have the rushing upside that many of the top quarterbacks have. That gives him a limited ceiling. But if you're one to wait on the quarterback position to fill out the rest of your roster, or you play in a 2QB/Superflex league, then Cousins is the prime option for you.

Final Verdict: A Good Fallback Option

Cousins isn't going to be anyone's top option entering drafts. The ceiling of being a top-five quarterback is likely out the door at this stage. But being a top-10 quarterback was achieved last season and can happen again -- making him the best fallback option heading into drafts.

Having an elite wide receiver and being able to feed that receiver is why a guy like Cousins is so valuable. That's not only for someone like Jefferson, who is going as the No. 1 pick in the majority of drafts, but for Cousins, as well. Getting the ball to someone like Jefferson is what gives Cousins such a good floor from week to week.

In 17 games, Cousins finished with 10 weeks of 17-plus points, and six of those exceeding 20 points. He can have his downs in certain matchups, but he's a guy you can bench for a streamer from time to time. You're not going to spend much draft capital on selecting Cousins, which is what makes him valuable -- especially with the right matchups.

numberFire has Cousins finishing in his wheelhouse points-wise, projecting him for 285 points and a QB16 finish. That feels low because he's never been lower than QB15 in his career. He's scored over 290 points in three straight seasons, as well.

There's optimism for players who were hurt or underperformed last season to break out, but with the consistency of Cousins, it's hard to doubt him that much in my opinion.

FantasyPros' ADP date favors Cousins' potential a bit more than numberFire, as he comes in as the QB14 and an 110.3 ADP. For a player who may very well go undrafted in your league, he's a steal if you wait.

In FanDuel best ball leagues, the Vikings' quarterback is going slightly earlier as the QB12 off the board with a 146.3 ADP.

As we noted from the start, there's very little excitement that travels with Cousins outside of his gameday attire and legendary quotes ("You like that?"), but sometimes you don't need excitement in fantasy football. You just need points.

And Cousins is going to give you those points time and time again. There's limited risk here. Oh, and if you pair him with JJettas then you have one of the more enjoyable stacks in football.

Cousins is the ultimate fallback plan -- and a good one at that.

While you wait for Week 1's daily fantasy football slates to lock, you can get in on some best-ball fantasy football drafts on FanDuel, as well. Just draft your team and watch the points pile up throughout the season.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.