2024 Fantasy Season: Quarterbacks
Somehow, someway, we made it all the way back. August is here, and with that we know what that means. Yes, fantasy football is in the god damn drivers seat. We all know that everyone reading this piece is a fantasy fiend. And we get it, we are too. Normally we would wait to put out fantasy rankings, however, with the fact that almost no starters play pre-season anymore, we figured why the hell not. So we start with the quarterback position. A position that is ever growing in fantasy worlds. More and more do I see leagues where passing touchdowns are six points and no longer four points. Bonuses for 40+ yard touchdowns is a thing. Pass completions and pass attempts (yes) is a new thing. We are crawling to a world where the QB position becomes more valuable than the running back position in fantasy. And then there is the age old question: do you draft a dual-threat QB who has a higher risk of injury? Or do you take the pocket quarterback who you need to rely on his arm? If you drafted Anthony Richardson last year, you may be hesitant. But same goes for if you drafted Joe Burrow. Our rankings are based off 2024 projections, instinct, schedule difficulty and the eye test. Lets get to it.
Tier 1 - Boss Level
Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills (Bye: 12) - Josh Allen is a fantasy god. You can live with the turnovers when he throws for 30+ and runs for 10. Yes, Diggs and Davis are gone. But year two of Dalton Kincaid is going to be a thing, and let’s not give up on Khalil Shakir either. And yes, second round rookie Keon Coleman will have an impact. Allen is one of those QB’s where it doesn’t matter who is on the field. If you remember last year, Diggs wasn’t really a factor in December, and Allen was still putting up numbers. I’m not worried that he’s gone. Allen will battle for QB1 yet again.
Lamar Jackson - Baltimore Ravens (Bye: 14) - This may be a bit contentious with the arrival of Derrick Henry, but Lamar Jackson is now a two time MVP. The Ravens offense won’t magically run through an aging Henry. Lamar will still get his. And with that, Zay Flowers enters year two with Jackson. That should reap benefits. And all of the sudden, the Ravens may have the best 1-2 Tight End punch in the NFL with Andrews and Likely. One can argue that this is Jackson’s best pass catching group of his career. Lamar may not have as many rushing touchdowns in the red zone, but his impact will be felt.
Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs (Bye: 6) - The best player in the world has a better receiving core than he did last year. Hollywood Brown is his deep threat. Rashee Rice is good. Xavier Worthy was drafted. That’s a better group than last year. You will look up at the end of the season and Mahomes will be a top three fantasy QB.
Tier 2 - Slingers
4. Joe Burrow - Cincinnati Bengals (Bye: 12) - Coming off another injury riddled season, people are starting to fade Burrow. Don't. When this dude is healthy, he’s a beast. Both Chase and Higgins are back (for at least one more season) and the Bengals drafted another receiver from Alabama, Jermaine Burton. But, and this is me giving away one of my sleepers - Andrei Iosivas is gonna be a guy. Mark my words. Iosivas steps in to the Tyler Boyd role this year, and he has a chance to make a major impact. He was an interesting prospect out of Princeton last year and went on Day 3. But even Burrow has highlighted him. And oh, Chase Brown is in the backfield now - a guy screams Austin Ekeler but with better running ability.
5. CJ Stroud - Houston Texans (Bye: 14) - First off, I will say this: Stroud might have the best receiver room in the NFL. Diggs, Collins, Dell, Schultz, Brown, Woods, Metchie, etc. Even if someone goes down, plenty of people can step up. And we know Stroud can sling it. He’s got one of the prettiest deep balls in the NFL and isn’t afraid to take shots. One note here though. Stroud and the Texans go from playing a last place schedule to a first place schedule. That isn’t nothing. and the AFC South has gone from doormat in recent years to one of the most competitive divisions in the entire league.
6. Jared Goff - Detroit Lions (Bye: 5) - Goff will eat, again. The Lions have an array of players around them who can make plays. And outside of one year with the Rams, Goff has been the leader of insane offenses for years now. Don’t get fooled. Jared Goff will be a Top 10 fantasy QB easy, and could be a Top 3 when all set and done.
7. Dak Prescott - Dallas Cowboys (Bye: 7) - Listen, I am off the Cowboy train when it comes to non-fantasy stuff. But if you think Prescott is going to take a major step back fantasy wise, you’re nuts. The Boys are pretty much trotting out the same offense they did last season. Tony Pollard wasn’t the same back last year, and he’s gone. Zeke is back (whatever) and Dallas added Brandin Cooks. Expect an uptick from tight end Jake Ferguson and more highlight plays from Ceedee Lamb. Hell, the Cowboys may be trailing in a decent amount of their games, which may incline Prescott to throw the ball more.
Tier 3 - Which Way Does the Pendulum Swing?
8. Jordan Love - Green Bay Packers (Bye: 10) - Love had the second most passing touchdowns in the NFL last year. That was shocking. Even the Love truthers couldn’t predict that. Now, there is a target on his back. People know what to expect. Now, is there a second year regression in store. Possibly. But the pack did a pretty good job of giving Love a good amount of players. Enter Josh Jacobs and Marshawn Lloyd. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are all back. That’s a ton of options. I don’t think Love will be second in the league again in touchdowns. I do think he remains a low-end QB1 though.
9. Jalen Hurts - Philadelphia Eagles (Bye: 5) - Hurts is an interesting case. For whatever reason, he didn’t run as much last year. But the tush push gave Hurts a crazy amount of rushing touchdowns. Seemingly, if the tush push can be stopped, Hurts numbers go down significantly, and thus, his fantasy stock. But will it be? Teams have now had a full off-season to try and get prepared for it. But will Hurts go back to running more? Saquon Barkley is in the backfield now, so the easy answer is no. BUT there is no denying the Eagles offense was way better in 2022 when Hurts was a real threat to run. It will be interesting to see what happens in 24.
10. Matthew Stafford - LA Rams (Bye: 6) - Is this Stafford’s last hurrah? The revised contract might say that. And if so, expect this gunslinger to sling the crap out of the ball. Cooper Kupp is seemingly healthy for the first time since 2021, and rookie sensation Puka Nacua displays a wild 1-2 tandem. Add Sean McVay and his seemingly “always open” offense, and Stafford can put up big numbers. If you’re targeting Stafford, make sure you pick a viable backup in case he gets hurt.
11. Brock Purdy - San Francisco 49ers (Bye: 9) - Question this kid all you want. All he does is put up numbers. Purdy finished as QB6 last year. six. And everyone is back. The Niners go into 2024 with maybe the most potent offense in the league. And until Brandon Aiyuk is traded, Purdy remains a QB1.
12. Anthony Richardson - Indianapolis Colts (Bye: 14) - The curious case of Benja….Anthony Richardson. One of the schticks coming out of school was Richardsons injury history, and in his 3 weeks of starting, he got injured twice. With the last one ending his season. But according to Shane Steichen, that won’t stop A-Rich from being himself. Expect him to throw deep and run often. That’s music to your ears if you are a fantasy owner who likes Richardson. The injury concern is real though, and you have to wonder how much of the offense Jonathan Taylor will command.
Tier 4 - Just Because You Can Be Great…Doesn’t Mean You Are Great.
13. Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars (Bye: 12) - Trevor Lawrence wasn’t as good as he was in 2022. Fact. The Jaguars led the NFL in dropped Touchdown passes in 23. Fact. Lawrence was never fully healthy from Week 5 on. Fact. T-Law needs to cut down on his turnovers in the red zone. Fact. All these things come together and Lawrence is a sure fire fantasy QB1. The question is…will they?
14. Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins (Bye: 6) - Why do we have Tua in the fringe QB1 status? Call it a hunch. Yes, Tua got a new deal this offseason and is a happy camper. The fins also added OBJ to the mix as the WR3 they were missing last year. However, I think the Dolphins found something in the running game last year with Achane and Mostert. And I wasn’t super impressed with Jaylen Waddle last year. Maybe Jonnu Smith does something for that offense in the TE spot where Miami has been lost for a few years.
15. Kyler Murray - Arizona Cardinals (Bye: 11) - I’m going to make this super simple. If the Cardinals offensive line can hold up, Murray has a chance to be a Top 5 fantasy QB. Do yourself a favor and look at how he finished 2023. And they added Marvin Harrison Jr.
16. Aaron Rodgers - NY Jets (Bye: 12) - A 41 year old pocket passing quarterback coming off an achilles injury? Yes, I need to see it first. Rodgers is definitely worthy of drafting and can go on a heater, but I am not drafting him to be my QB1 this year in fantasy.
17. Caleb Williams - Chicago Bears (Bye: 7) - Will go in the first three rounds in dynasty drafts. As a redraft, he has insane upside, but a new offensive system for the whole offense, not just him, bears patience.
18. Kirk Cousins - Atlanta Falcons (Bye: 12) - Cousins going to Atlanta has all the Kyle Pitts fan club ablaze. And rightly so, as Kirk is a fantasy goldmine for receivers. In terms of Cousins himself though, the one thing that he has in Atlanta he didn’t have in Minnesota is a game changing running back. Bijan Robinson will probably have the highest usage of any back in the league this season. Expect a regression in terms of attempts both in the red zone and overall for Cousins.
19. Justin Herbert - LA Chargers (Bye: 5) - Already with a plantar fasciitis injury sidelining him pretty much all of pre-season, there are a lot of things working against Herbert this season. New OC Greg Roman is a running game fiend, and he brought his buddies from Baltimore over as well. The Chargers got rid of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler and Gerald Everett, so it’s a true overhaul. The WR room consists of Joshua Palmer, DJ Chart, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. Herbert himself is amazing, but I think he may be a product of the environment.
Tier 5 - Backups with a Sprinkle of Pixie Dust
20. Baker Mayfield - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Bye: 11) - The start of Tier 5 are the sure fire backup quarterbacks in terms of fantasy in 2024. Baker Mayfield is coming off quite possibly the best season of his career. It’s hard to imagine that will be repeated. It’s even harder when you find out his OC, Dave Canales, is now the Head Coach in Carolina. We have no reason to that Mayfield will be bad, but finishing as QB10 last season was the best he’s ever done. His other finishes? 29,25,17,19 and 16. Expect some sort of regression to the teens.
21. DeShaun Watson - Cleveland Browns (Bye: 10) - The fall from grace for Watson is quite astonishing. From 2018-2020, Watson was QB5 three years in a row. He hasn’t been above QB35 since. Now, a full healthy season, I expect better than a QB35 finish. But I think the days are gone of Watson being a top flight quarterback. The Browns love to run the football. No, Jerry Jeudy won’t make the passing offense elite. I actually think this offense is going to struggle with the absence of Nick Chubb for the first slew of games. Watson will be a part of that. Consider this ranking of 21 as a ceiling.
22. Will Levis - Tennessee Titans (Bye: 5) - Levis intrigues me. He’s got an array of weapons on that offense this year. Hop, Ridley, Boyd, Spears and Pollard. Those aren’t nobodies. And yet, we have doubts because Levis is so up and down. Last season we saw him have great games, and then have games where he probably wasn’t a viable starter. Unfortunately for Levis, I think this is his prove it year. There is probably an uneasy amount of pressure on him and that may contribute to some lackluster performances.
23. Russell Wilson/Justin Fields - Pittsburgh Steelers (Bye: 9) - They said Russ is starting, but we aren’t taking it for granted. Whoever does start though has one anchor holding them down. His name is Arthur Smith. Look at how he did Bijan last year. Enough said.
24. Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders (Bye: 14) - Out of everyone on this list, Daniels has the ability to skyrocket. I believe that in year one, Daniels will be the most successful rookie. A true dual threat quarterback with a live arm, Daniels gives the Commanders something at the position they haven’t had since RG3. And the last time that happened, the Commanders won the NFC East. Daniels can flirt with a 3200, 800 season in terms of passing and rushing yards if things go right. I can see him with 25-30 total touchdowns, making him a viable fantasy backup with upside.
25. Geno Smith - Seattle Seahawks (Bye: 10) - We officially enter the territory of “should you be drafted”. Geno is fine. New Head Coach in Mike Macdonald. New OC as Waldron is gone. The Seahawks may be one of the more boring teams of 2024, and that includes Smith. You can probably find more exciting backups with upside behind him on this list, but if you want someone who has the ability to throw for 300 and two touchdowns for a couple of weeks, Geno can do that.
26. Bo Nix - Denver Broncos (Bye: 14) - I am trusting Sean Payton here. Payton wanted Nix, and it looks like he will be starting Week 1. Courtland Sutton is still there, and the Broncos drafted Nix’s favorite target in college, Troy Franklin. Nix will struggle at times, but I can also see him lighting it up on certain weeks. This is a true “trust the process” situation.
Tier 6 - Late Season Bloomers, Potentially
27. Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers (Bye: 11) - No matter how you feel about Bryce, it’s impossible to put him hire with the season he had last year. That being said, the opportunity for upside is there. Canales is the new HC after he revived Baker. Enter Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette. Enter Jonathan Brooks and Ja’Tavion Sanders. Skill players are coming in. The division is again, weak. The chance is there for Bryce to improve in a big way.
28. Drake Maye - New England Patriots (Bye: 14) - Rookie head coach, rookie quarterback, rookie wide receivers. There will be growing pains. In a dynasty league, I can see the appeal of taking him over a Jayden Daniels as a wait and see approach, but in a redraft its impossible to draft him - unless you have a deep, deep bench.
29. JJ McCarthy - Minnesota Vikings (Bye: 6) - I expect the Vikings to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. And while McCarthy won’t start, when they are 2-8/3-7 by Week 11, O’Connell will give the keys to the rookie.
Tier 7 - When You Need to go to Gamestop to Trade-In Madden 14
30. Derek Carr - New Orleans Saints (Bye: 12) - I can think of 20 reasons not to draft Carr. I can’t think of one to draft him.
31. Gardner Minshew - Las Vegas Raiders (Bye: 10) - while Minshew was excellent last season, his fantasy numbers didn’t stand out at all. Couple that with the fact that he’s going from the Colts to the Raiders, and Minshew becomes a waiver wire pickup in a dire need situation.
32. Daniel Jones - New York Giants (Bye: 11) - I truly believe this is the last season we see Daniel Jones as a starting quarterback in the NFL. With the players the New York Giants brought in, you can’t sit here and tell me that Drew Lock isn’t a better option for this offense. He is.
33. Sam Darnold - Minnesota Vikings (Bye: 6) - Sam is the new Tyrod Taylor. He can very easily win a week 1 game and get hype around the team. He will flounder by week 5. If you’re drafting Darnold you are insanely desperate.
34. Jacoby Brissett - New England Patriots (Bye: 14) - Brissett may start the year at QB, but that doesn’t mean you should draft him.
35. Sam Howell - Seattle Seahawks (Bye: 10) - We know he can sling it, and this offense has guys that can go get it. Problem is he won’t start unless Geno severely struggles.
36. Jimmy Garoppolo - LA Rams (Bye: 6) - If Jimmy is starting in LA, the season has gone awry. And McVay would retire mid-season if he saw how Jimmy ran games.
Tier 8 - The Backups Backup
37. Aidan O’Connell - Las Vegas Raiders (Bye: 10) - No. Just no.
38. Kenny Pickett - Philadelphia Eagles (Bye: 5) - The only reason he is here is because Hurts can possibly get hurt.
39. Tyrod Taylor - New York Jets (Bye: 12) - Taylor flies up these rankings if something serious happens to Rodgers. If Rodgers is healthy though, you and I can hold a clipboard just as good as Taylor.
40. Drew Lock - New York Giants (Bye: 11) - Better suited for the NYG offense than the guy in front of him. The guy in front of him is also making $46 million dollars.
