Takes are takes. There’s no guarantee, but this is something I have been thinking about for a while. I saw Geno Smith as last year’s Ryan Tannehill. What I mean by that is that he is someone who was written off but later turned into someone who became good in the NFL and for fantasy. Though this isn’t something that can be expected to happen every year, Baker Mayfield could do something similar. So is Baker Mayfield this year’s Geno Smith?

Similarities

They are both quarterbacks who had hopes to become franchise QBs. Geno wasn’t the first overall pick that Baker was. But he was taken early in the second round, which isn’t cheap either. After Mark Sanchez suffered an injury, the pathway was cleared for him to start for the New York Jets. He played well enough in that first season to warrant another year as a starter. There was some hope he could continue to develop. Unfortunately, his second year was disappointing and he lost his starting job.

Baker was a much better prospect and showed more upside for longer. But he ended up disappointing to the point where his fifth-year option was not picked up. Then the Browns let him walk. He had some stints in Carolina and Los Angeles after that, but none of those inspired enough confidence for those teams to keep him. Though he didn’t have the 6-year backup stint that Geno did, he still reached the point where he was nearly written off to the point where people weren’t sure he would start again.

Additionally, they both have great proven WR duos along with legs that help a lot with fantasy scoring. Though these might not have anything to do with passing talent, they make them more valuable for fantasy purposes.

The Case for Baker

Baker showed much more promise in college. He also showed enough potential to be a highly-ranked QB in dynasty leagues. He has shown flashes through his arm and his legs to show he has the physical traits to succeed. A big factor is the weapons. Chris Godwin just gets open quickly and Mike Evans muscles his way into vacuuming up balls that enter his vicinity. I don’t think the coach or team as a whole are as good as Geno’s, but if Baker has grown in his decision-making, his WR duo can help him put up a pretty good season.

Wrap-Up

It’s probably a stretch to say Baker Mayfield is comparable to Geno Smith because of how badly Geno was written off. But I do see a situation where Baker could surprise this season and end up getting an extension from the Buccaneers, which would give him dynasty appeal as well. So is Baker Mayfield this year’s Geno Smith? Though I am not confident in this, I could definitely see a case where that could be argued.

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