Four staff members from FanSided Fantasy combined to bring readers our personal Tiers for the quarterback position for fantasy football draft season!
A group at FanSided Fantasy decided that with draft season right around the corner, that we wanted to share our personal tiers and give some insight into why we think this way. We broke this up into fantasy football quarterback tiers so you know where you are with quarterbacks in your draft.
As we come out with all the positions, the goal is to create what amounts to a mini draft kit to help you navigate a draft board. The three gentleman joining me in this endeavor are Dan Everhart, Dan Palyo(Thunder Dan henceforth) and Joe Metz.
As you dig into the fantasy football quarterbacks, we’re aiming to have running backs out later this week. Please join in the conversation on Twitter(mine is @bucn4life) and @fantasyCPR to let us know what you agree with or what you think we got wrong. It’s just about the most wonderful time of the fantasy football year!
Fantasy Football Quarterback – Tier One
Dan
Patrick Mahomes – I have to imagine he’s going to be everyone’s top quarterback after the insane year he had last year. The kid is unbelievable.
He can run, he throws lasers, and he has my favorite walrus for a coach in Reid. It’s an unfortunate situation (in my opinion with somewhat limited information) that Tyreek Hill isn’t facing a suspension. However, that is a boon to Mahomes.
He also has Kelce and Watkins. The main fear I have here is their running game and how it doesn’t seem to be situated with Damien Williams not playing yet. We shall see how that breaks down but either way you slice it, Mahomes is number one.
Aaron Rodgers – Probably second now talent wise behind Mahomes is A-a-Ron. The guy is obviously incredible and is coming off of a “down” year last year where his leg was basically broken.
I’m looking for him to bounce back this year and keep slinging it although we have some question marks to answer regarding a new coaching staff and the wide receivers. He’s good enough to make anything work and that qualifies Rodgers as a tier one quarterback easily.
Drew Brees – I don’t really know why but Drew Brees is often the fourth or fifth quarterback taken (sometimes later) but all the guy does is put up points.
If you have the opportunity to get him in a stack with Michael Thomas or Jared Cook, which I touched on in my stacks article, definitely go for it. I’m expecting Brees to keep cooking the way he has been the last few years.
Joe
Patrick Mahomes – This should be a no brainer here, but the affirmation that he won’t miss Tyreek Hill at all early in the ceiling cements this ranking. While he will expectedly regress after last season, he still threw 580 times with a 50:12 TD:INT ratio. If RB Damien Williams’ hamstring injury is serious, that could only increase his already massive volume.
Deshaun Watson – The passing/rushing combo here is off the charts and Watson finished as the QB4 in a season where Will Fuller and Keke Coutee were injured for the vast majority. Coming into 2019 with a healthy wide receiver core and the consistency of DeAndre Hopkins should allow Watson to challenge the QB1 spot on the season.
Aaron Rodgers – Imagine this – a quarterback’s down year is finishing as the QB6 with 25 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions while playing on one leg the entire year.
He’ll return to the field with potential WR1 Davante Adams, young guns Geronimo Allison and Marques Valdez-Scantling, as well as a reliable running back in Aaron Jones. Should everyone remain healthy, we should see another vintage Rodgers season in 2019.
Andrew Luck – I originally had Luck in Tier 2, but that didn’t sit right with me. He tossed 39 touchdowns last season and enters this year with Jack Doyle healthy, the returns of T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron, and the addition of 6’4” Devin Funchess.
His receiving/tight end core is locked in and with two versatile backs (Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines), Luck will have no shortage of firepower this season.
Thunder Dan
Patrick Mahomes – No reason to think that this uber-talented kid can’t at least come close to matching what he did last year in Andy Reid’s sytem with the weapons he has around him. He almost needs a tier of his own, the dude is a special player.
Deshaun Watson – I’m really high on Watson this season. He has unmatched athleticism at the position and he showed last year that his rookie season was no fluke, improving his completion percentage and throwing for 26 TDs while running for 5 more.
Aaron Rodgers – It’s crazy to think that last year was a “down year” for A-Rod considering he threw 25 TDs and only 2 picks. He is poised to bounce back this year with a new coach and coordinator.
Adam
Patrick Mahomes – Even with some natural regression baked in, he’s still fighting for overall QB1 with 35-40 touchdown passes.
Deshaun Watson – If it were strictly ranks, I think a strong case can be made for Watson as the first quarterback off the board due to his rushing upside. Only two quarterbacks rushed for more yards and touchdowns than Watson did in 2018.
Aaron Rodgers – He finished seventh in a season that he threw 25 touchdowns. You can practically guarantee a top five finish this season and it should surprise nobody if he was QB1.