A lot of fantasy football managers will argue the QB position is irrelevant when it comes to the online frenzy. That you don’t need to reach for a QB and that you only really need to 1 on your roster.. yada yada yada. However, I say the QB position is what completes the team and is the icing on the cake for any championship caliber fantasy team. Sure you don’t need to draft one in the first couple of rounds to succeed, but for me it’s not about what round you draft one in, it’s about knowing the worth of each QB and getting the best value in the most convenient round possible. Whether you are in a 1-or-2 QB league, these rankings will allow you to get the best general idea of who to take and when come draft day:
- Josh Allen, BUF
- Justin Herbert, LAC
- Patrick Mahomes, KC
- Matthew Stafford, LAR
- Tom Brady, TB
- Joe Burrow, CIN
- Russell Wilson, DEN
- Kyler Murray, ARI
- Dak Prescott, DAL
- Aaron Rodgers, GB
- Jalen Hurts, PHI
- Lamar Jackson, BAL
- Derek Carr, LV
- Kirk Cousins, MIN
- Tua Tagovailoa, MIA
- Deshaun Watson, CLE
- Zach Wilson, NYJ
- Trevor Lawrence, JAX
- Matt Ryan, IND
- Trey Lance, SF
- Ryan Tannehill, TEN
- Baker Mayfield, CAR
- Jameis Winston, NO
- Jared Goff, DET
- Mac Jones, NE
- Justin Fields, CHI
- Mitch Trubisky, PIT
- Daniel Jones, NYG
- Carson Wentz, WSH
- Marcus Mariota, ATL
- Davis Mills, HOU
- Jimmy Garoppolo, SF
- Malik Willis, TEN
- Geno Smith, SEA
- Drew Lock, SEA
- Tyrod Taylor, NYG
- Tyler Huntley, BAL
- Jacoby Brissett, CLE
- Kenny Pickett, PIT
- Taysom Hill, NO
- Taylor Heinicke, WSH
- Sam Darnold, CAR
- Teddy Bridgewater, MIA
- Desmond Ridder, ATL
- Gardner Minshew II, PHI
In my opinion, the only time you draft a top QB “early” is if all can’t miss top skill positional players are off the board (ex. Tyreek Hill, Aaron Jones, Travis Kelce, etc.), or if your next player queued will likely still be available when your following pick comes around. If you are going to reach early, it might as well be a top-3 QB in the league. Oh, and don’t buy the “you only need 1 bs”… between the rate players get injured and not having to deal with added stress on bye weeks, it’s good to have 2 on your roster just in case. One strategy veterans will use is snagging 2 good QB’s in reasonable rounds and start based on matchups from week to week. The only exception I see to rostering 1-QB is if you’re in a 10-man 1-QB league, you can usually get away with sticking with one stud all year and just picking up a bye week fill in, but as always, one injury can derail that team real quick.
Although if you’re in a 2-QB league, the draft will be a little different and you almost have to pick a QB within the first 3-4 rounds just to compete. While drafting in a 2-QB league, the only way to figure out when to draft your first QB is to wait and see when other managers start taking theirs. As soon as the first couple QB’s fly off the board, you want to prepare to select at least one yourself. Don’t wait, its ok to reach in 2-QB leagues. It’s likely you’ll need 3 QB’s anyway so don’t be shy. QB’s hold extra value in these double position leagues as they will make up for the majority of points for your team each week. The last thing you want is getting stuck with the Ryan Tannehills, Daniel Jones’, and Matt Ryan’s of the world in your lineup every week.