Especially with the rise of Superflex leagues in dynasty football, quarterbacks dominate the landscape. They score more points than any other position. They have the best longevity. Injury risk is minimal. Typically, you'll see quarterbacks going off the board quickly in startup drafts. And even league-average quarterbacks will pull a future first-round pick in trades. They are the safest and most valuable assets you can acquire in dynasty. And for this top tier, they're probably near untouchable in trades unless you're giving up a package of young quarterbacks and future first-round picks.
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As always, this article isn't meant to serve as a flat list of rankings. Players are grouped with others of similar ages and scoring profiles and ranked accordingly. Not every dynasty manager should target the same players, and this article serves to help you compartmentalize these quarterbacks. This first tier is typically the group you'll see going off the board in drafts before people are even looking at other positions. Regardless of your build, you should target these guys.
Elite Fantasy QB1s
Since taking over as starters, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts have done nothing but churn out top-12 fantasy seasons. Jayden Daniels, in his first NFL season, logged a top-five fantasy finish. All of these quarterbacks possess a unique blend of rushing and passing abilities that makes their season-long projections tight.
Allen, coming off his first MVP, has averaged 4,254 passing yards and 600 rushing yards over the last five seasons. He's been a top-two fantasy finisher in each of those years, including three years atop the rankings. Jackson, while known for his rushing prowess, has quietly increased his per-game passing yardage in three consecutive seasons. Allen's durability is the only thing that makes him more desirable, as Jackson has missed 12 games over the last five seasons. Hurts certainly benefits from the system he's in and his supporting cast, but the production is impossible to ignore. His 52 rushing touchdowns since 2021 lead the NFL (yes, the entire NFL). Daniels leading this list might be a surprise to some. But his rookie-season production and consistency paint a clear picture of his future upside. He scored double digits in all but two games and 20-plus points in 65% of his outings.
Being two years younger than anyone else on this list and with potentially untapped upside, Daniels has the brightest long-term outlook. Allen will be 29 this year, Jackson will be 28, and Hurts will be 26. While that's entirely too early to panic, rushing production typically slips as quarterbacks age. Jackson has offset his dip in rushing with a boost in passing. Allen has taken better care of the ball as he's aged, making his regression in rushing easier to stomach without the interceptions. Good quarterbacks find ways to age gracefully. However, it is the rushing that makes these players so valuable in fantasy. Daniels will likely maintain or improve his rushing over the next few seasons, while the others may see a decline.
Prolific Passers
This is a tier I'm mostly ok skipping in dynasty startups. I'll trade back for guys with more upside. These are great NFL players. And if the touchdown variance is in their favor, they can have a high-end fantasy finish. But the lack of rushing upside lowers both their floor and ceiling. Of course, different leagues have different settings. And in six-point passing touchdown leagues, these quarterbacks will get a bump in rankings. But in four-point passing touchdown leagues, these players can have dangerous weekly floors.
Joe Burrow, playing with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, is the safest of the bunch. A poor defense sets up for frequent shootouts. But what happens if he loses those receivers or the defense improves? Well, we can look at Patrick Mahomes II as an example. Early in his career, with prime Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, he had a record-breaking season in 2018 and finished as the overall QB1 in fantasy. And he did it again in 2022. But aside from those seasons, he was the per-game QB8, QB3, QB5, QB12, and QB13. While none of those seasons were terrible, there is some downside. Justin Herbert's career has been similar, finishing as high as QB2 and as low as QB16.
Simply put, these are volatile quarterbacks. If they stumble into a season where they have 40-plus passing touchdowns, you can bank on an elite finish. But if they don't, the passing volume alone won't prop up their production the way the rushing will for the guys in Tier 1. Where I can, I'll trade back from this bucket and target the guys in the next one…
Young and Mobile Enough
These players might not have the elite rushing upside of the guys atop the list of dynasty quarterback rankings. But they rush enough that it pads their floor and elevates their ceiling. Slightly-above-average passing output should be enough for top-12 finishes. As a bonus, all of these quarterbacks are young enough to grow their value quickly.
Caleb Williams may not have lived up to his lofty expectations as a rookie. But he looked good enough, ran the ball well, and walks into 2025 with a much-improved situation. Drake Maye surprised a lot of people with his 32.4 rushing yards per game as a rookie. Much like Williams, the team has focused on building around him this offseason with hopes of continued development. Brock Purdy, fresh off a mega-extension, now has the security needed to move him up the rankings. Bo Nix progressed immensely as a passer throughout his rookie season and has rushing upside that could launch his value up the boards in Year 2. Cam Ward is often overlooked in dynasty for some reason. However, the job security a number one overall pick receives, coupled with his athleticism, makes him a great target in startups, rookie drafts, and trades. And J.J. McCarthy will hope to regain his mobility after last year's knee injury. But faith in Kevin O'Connell's system and the supporting cast in Minnesota makes it easy to put a chip on McCarthy.
All of these quarterbacks are young, athletic, have strong profiles, and won't cost you as much as the tier above. Especially in Superflex, these players won't come cheap. But the upside of landing a long-term high-end QB1 makes them all worthwhile targets.
Pay Up For In Superflex
This, like the Prolific Passer bucket, is one I'm content to skip over in single-quarterback leagues. Kyler Murray is the only one of the bunch with any rushing upside, but that has slowed down over the last couple of seasons. A run-first offensive philosophy puts a cap on his ceiling as a passer. C.J. Stroud, while undoubtedly a good NFL quarterback, hasn't been great in fantasy. A QB11 rookie season was followed up with a QB18 sophomore campaign, pouring some cold water on his long-term outlooks. Trevor Lawrence hasn't fulfilled his prophecy as the next great NFL quarterback. But with an improved coaching staff and front office, there's still hope he can get on track. And Jordan Love's inconsistencies have some questioning whether he's the long-term option for the Packers. The fantasy production is inconsistent, but he has a high weekly ceiling.
These quarterbacks make for a great secondary option alongside a guy listed above. And in Superflex, you'll like having a high-end QB2. But these probably aren't guys you want to count on as your QB1 in any format.
The Justin Fields Tier
There aren't many players as difficult to place as Justin Fields in dynasty quarterback rankings. When he plays, he's a surefire QB1. His rushing upside is comparable to that of elite-tier quarterbacks, albeit with significantly less passing upside. But the start to his NFL career has been rough. He had to learn multiple systems during his time in Chicago and was benched in lieu of Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh, despite winning some early games.
Now, he'll get his third shot with a new team, the Jets. And looking at the contract and depth chart, it appears they'll give him an honest shot this year. He's guaranteed $30M, and Tyrod Taylor is behind him on the depth chart. He's reunited with Garrett Wilson, his WR1 from his time at Ohio State. The short-term outlook for Justin Fields is great. He'll be a starter in the NFL and could flirt with 1,000 rushing yards. If he plays well this year, he could secure a long-term deal and shoot into the elite tier of dynasty quarterbacks. If he flounders, it could be the end of the road.
Given his suppressed cost in dynasty leagues, I'm taking a shot. The upside is immense, and you can get him for relatively cheap. At worst, you're getting a year of startable play from Fields in fantasy. At best, you're buying low on a guy who will churn out elite seasons for the next half-decade.
Young, Potentially Limited Upside
I like both of these quarterbacks quite a bit. But like some of the other buckets, these quarterbacks will be limited by their lack of rushing. Of course, they can run hot and provide elite finishes. Just last year, for example, Bryce Young was the top-scoring quarterback over the final month of the season. But the odds of him doing that for an entire season, let alone multiple seasons, are very unlikely. Michael Penix Jr. is set up for success in Atlanta. And while he probably has the athleticism to rush based on his Combine metrics, it's never really been a part of his game. While you can make a Joe Burrow ceiling argument, you could also make a Kenny Pickett floor argument. These are quarterbacks worth targeting, simply because of how cheap they are. While they'll probably never crack the elite tier of dynasty quarterbacks, they could serve as above-average QB2s for a long time.
Veteran Passers
It's tough for me to advocate acquiring depreciating assets in dynasty, and that's what all of these players are. With Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, and Dak Prescott, you can probably still expect a handful of productive seasons. With Geno Smith and Matthew Stafford, the floor could quickly fall out at any time. But for contenders in need of a QB2 or bye-week fill-in, these veterans are great short-term targets. But know that you're acquiring them strictly for their current and near-future contributions. It's unlikely that these players will ever gain value at the respective points in their careers.
Rookies Who Should Start Some Games
The allure of the unknown always makes rookies fun dynasty targets. With Jaxson Dart, it's hard not to look at his skill set and daydream about what Brian Daboll did with Josh Allen. Dart is a bit smaller, but he's got a big arm and athleticism that should translate to the pros. And trading up into the first round to get Dart should signal how the Giants feel about him.
Tyler Shough fell into Round 2. But an unexpected retirement from Derek Carr clears the path for him to be the Week 1 starter. On a team with Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed, it's easy to envision the upside. He doesn't have the high-end athleticism ever to be an elite rusher, but he's toolsy enough to pad his numbers with a bit of scrambling.
Starting Quarterbacks In 2025
These players project to start most, if not all, of their teams' games in 2025. But beyond this year, things can begin to look bleak. Tua Tagovailoa was recently given a large contract extension; however, the team has included an out clause for after the 2026 season. And if they're thinking about exercising that option, they might look elsewhere in 2026, shortening his shelf life. Sam Darnold has an out in his contract after this year. And if he proves to be more of a product of Minnesota's system and less of a franchise quarterback, his days as a starter could be numbered. Early reports out of Indianapolis are that Daniel Jones has the edge over Anthony Richardson in the quarterback competition. But given what we've seen from Jones, it's tough to imagine a team settling down with him as a long-term option.
Of course, there's an upside case to be made for all of these players as well. Tagovailoa, Darnold, and Jones could all play well and lock in some security beyond this season. But this is a tier that scares me. And Jones, given his extremely cheap cost, is the only one I'm interested in acquiring.
Arbitrage Justin Fields
These are all young players with skill sets similar to Justin Fields. If given a full season as a starter, they would all have 1,000 rushing yards within reach. That upside makes them great players to stash in dynasty.
Jalen Milroe is currently behind Sam Darnold on Seattle's depth chart. But a promising camp from Milroe or a bumpy start to the season from Darnold could turn the tide. Milroe is one of the best rushers in this class, and his weekly upside would be immense. We've seen huge spike weeks from Anthony Richardson, predominantly from his output as a rusher. If he's starting, he's in your lineup. Last year, Malik Willis got two starts. His 25.4 points in one of those games were sixth-best of the week, portraying his upside as a fantasy option. And in the one start we saw from Joe Milton III last year, he proved that he isn't afraid to run, logging ten carries. Whether he finds his foot with the Cowboys or gets a handful of spot starts due to injury, his weekly upside makes him worth a bench stash.
All of these players are relatively cheap compared to the upside they possess. Richardson is likely the most expensive of the bunch. But the other three make for great players to stash on your bench. Whether an injury pushes them to weekly usability or a team gives them a chance to win the starting job, the only thing keeping them from being fantasy QB1s is opportunity. And those situations can quickly change. I'd rather have these guys stashed now than pay up for them when their opportunity arises.
Browns Quarterbacks
It's hard to have faith in any of these quarterbacks. Kenny Pickett is a reclamation project after Pittsburgh and Philadelphia both struggled to find consistent play from him. The Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in Round 3 and 5, where teams are rarely looking for starting quarterbacks. Joe Flacco is 40. Don't be shocked to see all of these quarterbacks get some playing time this year. And that alone is worthy of roster consideration in deeper Superflex leagues. But the Browns will likely look at quarterback early in next year's draft, putting a looming expiration date on all of these players.
Once Upon A Superstar
Aaron Rodgers may enter his own Tampa Bay Tom Brady era and win a couple of Super Bowls with a new team over the next few years. Russell Wilson might find his footing in New York and rewind the clock. Kirk Cousins could get traded to a quarterback-needy team and leave his Achilles injury in the past. Maybe Deshaun Watson remembers how to play football. At one point, all of these players were elite fantasy scorers. But we might never see them play again. Buyer beware.
Above-Average Backups
While not starters at the moment, these players have all shown intermittent success throughout their careers. Not every backup quarterback needs to be rostered, even in Superflex leagues. But these are the ones I'd be tempted to target late in startup drafts or off the waiver wire.
Lotto Tickets
- Riley Leonard
- Trey Lance
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- Will Howard
- Will Levis
- Quinn Ewers
- Kyle McCord
- Drew Lock
- Aidan O'Connell
- Sam Howell
These guys probably aren't worth roster consideration outside of the deepest of leagues. They might never start. They might stumble into an unexpected role. I ranked them in order of the upside they'd possess if that opportunity arises. Riley Leonard, Trey Lance, and Doian Thompson-Robinson, for instance, all provide athleticism and rushing profiles that could make them exciting fill-ins.
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