Going into 2019, we know that Andrew Luck and Drew Brees are two of the league's elite quarterbacks, and I don't think anyone is going to dispute that.
Both guys put up big numbers and both of their respective teams should be in the running for a Super Bowl this year largely because of them.
But which quarterback will represent a better option in Fantasy Football going into this season?
It's getting to a point where Brees is clearly on the decline and Luck should be in his prime. Yes, Brees was outstanding this past season, but he also threw for under 4,000 yards for the first time since his final season with the Chargers all the way back in 2005, an indication that he is beginning to lose some arm strength.
Brees is still a master of short and intermediate throws, as evidenced by his completion percentage of 74.4 percent from 2018, but at 40 years old, you really have to wonder just how much he has left in the tank.
On the other hand, Luck still has a rocket and threw for 4,593 yards and 39 touchdowns this past year. Now, with deeper throws comes more interceptions, as Luck threw 15 as opposed to just five for Brees, so that is something we need to keep in mind.
That being said, with the Indianapolis Colts adding Devin Funchess, a big target for Luck to go along with T.Y. Hilton, Luck could very well see his interception total dip in 2019, as he now has two legitimate wide receivers to throw to instead of just one, not to mention monstrous tight end Eric Ebron, who had a terrific year in 2018.
With more weapons should come more production, so it's really hard not to love Luck in Fantasy heading into this season.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints added tight end Jared Cook, who should make a welcome addition to the passing game, but Brees still only has one truly reliable wideout in Michael Thomas.
Brees will likely rely on short and intermediate throws once again in 2019, but even those dink and dunk throws will become more difficult for the veteran as he begins to lose more arm strength.
As for Luck? He is just 29 years old, and his right arm looked fantastic this past year in spite of coming off all of those shoulder issues.
Luck is the type of guy who could end up throwing for 5,000 yards this coming season while also racking up 40 or more touchdowns. He has a cannon for an arm, he plays indoors and he is the head of an improving offense.
Brees will complete a ton of passes and will likely have a really good touchdown-to-interception ratio once again, but it surely won't be as good as the 32 touchdowns and five picks he totaled in 2018, and he may very well finish with under 4,000 yards for the second straight year.
So, while Brees has the more extensive track record, I really like Luck more than Brees going into 2019.
I'm not saying Luck will post Patrick Mahomes numbers, but look for him to have an MVP-caliber season and fill up the stat sheet week in and week out.
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