QB rankings for your 2024 fantasy football drafts
23/08/2024 14:00
Kate Magdziuk ranks the best quarterbacks in the NFL for the 2024 fantasy football season. She looks at the rookies to keep an eye on, and breaks down the QBs she thinks are over- and under-valued.
The 2024 NFL season is right around the season, and the quarterback position is as deep as it has ever been with several top-end pocket passers and high-upside rushers at the position. Regardless of your preferred quarterback archetype, there are plenty of options heading into fantasy football drafts with upside. To help guide your decision-making in this year's fantasy drafts, here's a look at my quarterback rankings for 2024.
Quarterback position preview
Expectations for the 2024 rookie class
The 2024 NFL Draft class was one for the record books at the quarterback position, including the most quarterbacks ever drafted in the top eight picks (4), as well as tying the record for most quarterbacks ever drafted in the first round (6) with the 1983 draft class. There are only two worth drafting in most single quarterback redraft leagues at the time of this writing, however.
- Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears): The No. 1 overall pick has already dropped plenty of highlight plays in the NFL preseason, and it shouldn't be much of a surprise. Williams finds himself in one of the best situations a rookie could ever find himself in, with a solid offensive line and what is arguably one of the best receiving corps in the league between newly-extended D.J. Moore, trade acquisition Keenan Allen, and No. 9 overall pick Rome Odunze. Williams' options in the passing game (including more-than-capable TEs Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett) paired with his mobility outside of the pocket make him a fringe QB1 as a rookie.
- Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders): There isn't a single quarterback I've drafted more shares of in 2024 fantasy drafts than Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft. Daniels offers significant upside as a runner, leading all FBS quarterbacks with 1,250 rushing yards and 10.4 yards per carry in his final season at LSU. Pair that with his upside as a passer, leading that same cohort in PFF passing grade (92.7), ranking fifth in that cohort with 3,811 passing yards and second with 40 passing touchdowns, you've got yourself a rookie quarterback with legitimate upside as the overall QB1.
QBs I like more than consensus
- Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders): See above. Daniels is my QB7 on the year in comparison to his QB12 value in both expert consensus ranks and average draft position (ADP).
- Jared Goff (Detroit Lions): Jared Goff isn't among the flashiest of quarterbacks, but I do still see him as a value in 2024, currently ranked as the consensus QB15 in pre-draft rankings. Goff has his ups and downs (particularly on the road and outside of domes), but luckily, he's got a pretty favorable schedule, playing 14 of the team's first 15 games indoors this year.
QBs I like less than consensus
- C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans): Stroud is one of my absolute favorite NFL quarterbacks, but his ADP in Round 3-4 of fantasy drafts is a hard one to stomach given his lack of rushing upside, regardless of how skilled his receiving corps is. Stroud has never posted a 200+ rushing yard season, even dating back to high school, which means Stroud will have to post an MVP season (which I admit isn't outside of the realm of possibilities) if he expects to return that kind of value.
- Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals): I'm not devastatingly low on Joe Burrow in comparison to his standing as QB8 in FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings; I have him installed as my QB11 this year. I'll full-on admit that I could be eating my words come end of season, but continued health concerns paired with question marks about Ja'Marr Chase and his contract dispute have me pumping the brakes for on a quarterback that was already limited in rushing upside.
2024 QB rankings
2024 Draft Rankings
| # | Player (Team/Bye) | vs. ECR | vs. ADP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | |||
| 1 | Jalen Hurts PHI (5) | +1 | +2 |
| 2 | Josh Allen BUF (12) | -1 | -1 |
| 3 | Lamar Jackson BAL (14) | +1 | +1 |
| 4 | Patrick Mahomes II KC (6) | -1 | -2 |
| Tier 2 | |||
| 5 | Anthony Richardson IND (14) | 0 | +1 |
| 6 | Kyler Murray ARI (11) | +1 | +2 |
| 7 | Jayden Daniels WAS (14) | +5 | +7 |
| Tier 3 | |||
| 8 | Dak Prescott DAL (7) | +1 | +2 |
| 9 | C.J. Stroud HOU (14) | -3 | -4 |
| 10 | Joe Burrow CIN (12) | -2 | -3 |
| 11 | Brock Purdy SF (9) | 0 | 0 |
| Tier 4 | |||
| 12 | Caleb Williams CHI (7) | +2 | +3 |
| 13 | Jordan Love GB (10) | -3 | -4 |
| 14 | Jared Goff DET (5) | +1 | -2 |
| Tier 5 | |||
| 15 | Trevor Lawrence JAC (12) | +1 | +1 |
| 16 | Tua Tagovailoa MIA (6) | -3 | -3 |
| 17 | Justin Herbert LAC (5) | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Kirk Cousins ATL (12) | 0 | +1 |
| Tier 6 | |||
| 19 | Matthew Stafford LAR (6) | 0 | +1 |
| 20 | Will Levis TEN (5) | +4 | +3 |
| 21 | Deshaun Watson CLE (10) | 0 | +1 |
| Tier 7 | |||
| 22 | Baker Mayfield TB (11) | +1 | -1 |
| 23 | Russell Wilson PIT (9) | +6 | +4 |
| 24 | J.J. McCarthy MIN (6) | ||
| 25 | Justin Fields PIT (9) | +6 | +1 |
| 26 | Aaron Rodgers NYJ (12) | -6 | -8 |
| 27 | Bo Nix DEN (14) | +3 | -3 |
| 28 | Geno Smith SEA (10) | -6 | -3 |
| Tier 8 | |||
| 29 | Drake Maye NE (14) | +3 | +1 |
| 30 | Daniel Jones NYG (11) | -5 | +1 |
| 31 | Jacoby Brissett NE (14) | +4 | +8 |
| 32 | Gardner Minshew II LV (10) | +1 | +2 |
| 33 | Derek Carr NO (12) | -7 | -5 |
| 34 | Aidan O'Connell LV (10) | 0 | +1 |
| 35 | Bryce Young CAR (11) | -8 | -6 |
| Tier 9 | |||
| 36 | Sam Howell SEA (10) | +1 | +5 |
| 37 | Sam Darnold MIN (6) | -9 | -5 |
| 38 | Michael Penix Jr. ATL (12) | -2 | -5 |
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation's exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
