Fantasy football season is quickly approaching, and while the allure of a top-tier quarterback is undeniable, the 2025 landscape presents a unique challenge for evaluators.
Unlike other positions, quarterback rankings are heavily influenced by a complex interplay of talent, offensive scheme, surrounding cast, injury history, and even coaching philosophy.
This year, a fascinating group of signal-callers stands out as particularly difficult to project, offering both immense upside and significant question marks. From promising sophomores to established veterans in new situations, understanding the nuanced factors behind their fantasy value will be key to dominating your draft.
Here are 7 quarterbacks I’m finding difficult to rank.
Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears): Williams enters his sophomore season in 2025 as a tricky evaluation. While he showed flashes of his elite talent in his rookie year, the overall passing production wasn’t consistently at a high fantasy level. The Bears have invested heavily around him, including a big boost with new offensive guru Ben Johnson, and continued bolstering of his supporting cast — adding Colston Loveland and Luther Burden to D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet. The difficulty lies in predicting his second-year leap. Will he significantly improve his efficiency and touchdown rate while maintaining his valuable rushing upside? Or will the growing pains of a young QB, even with improved weapons, still lead to some inconsistency? His high ceiling is undeniable, but the floor remains somewhat uncertain.
Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers): Herbert’s 2025 fantasy outlook is clouded by the continued influence of Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offensive philosophy. While Herbert is an immensely talented pure passer, his fantasy value is heavily tied to passing volume and touchdowns. If the Chargers maintain a slower pace of play and emphasize the ground game, his opportunities for big fantasy weeks could be limited, regardless of his talent. He’s a safe bet for efficiency, but whether the overall scheme allows him to reach his fantasy ceiling is the primary ranking challenge.
C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans): Stroud set an incredibly high bar in his 2023 rookie season, but followed it up with a dud of a sophomore season, making his 2025 ranking difficult due to questions of consistency. He has been remarkably efficient and has showcased deep-ball accuracy. While the Texans have continued to add weapons, including Christian Kirk and a pair of rookie receivers, the challenge for Stroud will be getting back to that elite level of play, particularly in terms of touchdown production, without significant rushing upside. Any slight dip in efficiency or an increase in turnovers could significantly impact his fantasy output. He’s clearly talented and in a good situation, but which Stroud is more likely to appear in 2025?
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals): Murray remains a fantasy football enigma due to his dual-threat ability, which provides immense upside, contrasted with persistent injury concerns and a history of sometimes inconsistent passing. While his return from injury in 2023 and into 2024 showed flashes of his elite rushing and improvisational skills, the Cardinals’ overall offensive identity is still evolving. The presence of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride is a huge positive, but Murray’s ability to stay healthy for a full 17 games and consistently deliver high-end passing statistics alongside his rushing output will dictate his 2025 fantasy success. He’s a potentially high-ceiling candidate who could be a league-winner or frustratingly inconsistent.
J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings): McCarthy is an intriguing, yet highly speculative, fantasy pick for 2025. He’s stepping into a fantastic situation with elite receiving talent (Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, among others) and a creative offensive coach in Kevin O’Connell. The difficulty in ranking him comes from his limited collegiate passing volume and his redshirt rookie season due to injury. We haven’t seen him consistently operate a pro-style offense at a high volume. While the surrounding talent and coaching staff give him a high ceiling, his lack of NFL experience and unproven passing consistency make him a true dart throw. He could be a breakout star or experience significant “rookie” struggles.
Justin Fields (New York Jets): Fields’ 2025 fantasy ranking is fraught with uncertainty following his arrival to the New York Jets. His elite rushing ability provides a strong fantasy floor, but his passing development has been a lingering question mark throughout his career. With the Jets, he’s in a new offensive system and has new weapons like Garrett Wilson. The challenge is projecting how the Jets will utilize him – will they lean into his rushing, or will they prioritize a more traditional passing game? His fantasy ceiling is tied directly to a significant leap in his passing efficiency and decision-making, while his floor is buoyed by his legs.
Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams): Stafford presents a ranking challenge due to his age, injury history, and pure pocket-passing style in 2025. His fantasy value is almost exclusively tied to passing yards and touchdowns, as he offers virtually no rushing upside. While he benefits from elite receivers in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, concerns about his durability for a full season and potential age-related decline are valid. He can still deliver high-volume passing weeks, but the risk of missed games or a dip in performance due to accumulating hits makes him a volatile, yet potentially valuable, later-round option.
