It’s Labor Day weekend! The sun will be shining, the beers will be flowing, and the drafts will be rolling!
As we enter the final week of the offseason before the NFL season kicks off, this is one of the busiest stretches for fantasy football drafts and auctions on the calendar.
Here’s your final cram session ahead of your late drafts. Print this article and bring it with you to your draft as a helpful guide for ranking and organizing your 2025 fantasy football options.
The Elite Fantasy Quarterbacks
The quarterbacks in this tier are the best of the best. They are worth grabbing at their ADP if you’re looking for a consistent, weekly high point total from your quarterback position. You’ll be slightly weaker at other positions, though.
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens): Jackson’s elite rushing floor, combined with his continued growth as a passer, gives him a high-end combination of rushing and passing production that few other quarterbacks can match.
Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills): Allen’s dual-threat ability is highlighted by his consistent red-zone rushing, making him a perennial top-tier fantasy option with one of the safest floors and highest ceilings.
Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders): As a rookie sensation, Daniels showcased his incredible rushing upside, posting elite fantasy numbers on the ground and establishing himself as a league-winner due to his dual-threat potential.
Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles): Hurts provides a weekly fantasy advantage with his elite rushing touchdowns, particularly from the “tush push” play, giving him a unique and reliable source of scoring.
Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals): Burrow is an elite option due to his immense passing volume, high efficiency, and the stacked receiving talent around him, which allows him to rack up yardage and touchdowns through the air.
The Sturdy, Reliable Fantasy Quarterbacks
If you’re looking for a solid and reliable fantasy quarterback but don’t want to pay the premium price for a player from the elite tier, you can snag one of these quarterbacks after you get a few solid RBs or WRs.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs): Despite a statistical dip in recent seasons, Mahomes remains a reliable fantasy option due to his elite passing talent, strong supporting cast of weapons, and a system built around his success.
Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Mayfield is a sturdy fantasy QB because he operates in a pass-heavy offense with a strong supporting cast of receivers and a stable system, which provides him with high passing volume and a solid floor.
Bo Nix (Denver Broncos): Nix offers a reliable fantasy floor due to his dual-threat ability, and his rushing production, combined with the stability of a Sean Payton-led offense and a returning offensive line, makes him a consistent performer.
The High-Upside Fantasy Quarterbacks
The following players are going later in drafts, in the late-middle rounds. They are guys that have QB1 upside despite paying a lower price for them.
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): Prescott is a high-upside option because he plays in a pass-centric offense with a stacked receiving corps and could return to his elite fantasy form if he can stay healthy.
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals): Murray’s high-upside comes from his potent combination of rushing production and a potential breakout with a full offseason to build chemistry with an elite wide receiver.
Justin Fields (New York Jets): Fields has a sky-high fantasy ceiling due to his elite rushing ability and the potential for a new offensive system to unlock his passing game, making him a true dual-threat weapon.
The Wily, Safe Fantasy Quarterbacks
The players in this tier are strong veteran quarterbacks who have shown the ability to put up spike weeks. They will not make a run at the premium quarterback territory, but you can depend on them for safe, consistent weeks.
Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers): Herbert is a safe and dependable fantasy option because his elite passing talent and new playmakers on offense provide a solid floor, despite a more run-heavy scheme under Jim Harbaugh.
Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers): Purdy is a reliable fantasy quarterback due to his incredibly efficient passing in a system designed for success and surrounded by elite skill players, including Christian McCaffrey, who provides both rushing and receiving production.
Jared Goff (Detroit Lions): Goff’s dependability comes from his high-volume passing in a stable, pass-heavy offense, supported by an elite offensive line and a star-studded receiving corps that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
The Ready to Break Out Quarterbacks
These quarterbacks are just waiting to break out this season if all goes well. They will have their hurdles to clear, of course. But there are enough weapons and infrastructure around them to push for that backend QB1 production.
Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears): Williams is poised for a breakout due to the Bears’ revamped offense, which now features an upgraded offensive line and new head coach Ben Johnson, a system that helped a strong fantasy finish for Jared Goff.
Drake Maye (New England Patriots): Maye is set up for a breakout season with an improved supporting cast, including an upgraded offensive line and new weapons like Stefon Diggs, complementing his already impressive rushing upside from his rookie year.
The Back in Business Quarterbacks
These are some of my favorite quarterback values in drafts. They are being selected as QB2s, but they have the talent and surrounding support to have bounce-back seasons and push for QB1 production.
Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers): Love is a strong candidate for a rebound season after a 2024 dip in production, as he is poised to benefit from new weapons which should help increase his passing volume and efficiency.
C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans): Stroud is ready for a strong rebound because the Texans have retooled their offensive line and added new weapons, addressing the protection and injury issues that plagued his disappointing 2024 campaign.
Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars): Lawrence is set for a bounce-back year under a new head coach, Liam Coen, who is known for revitalizing quarterbacks and providing a scheme that will better utilize Lawrence’s high-end passing talent and rushing ability.
The Talent-Surrounded Quarterbacks
These are not my favorite quarterbacks in terms of arm talent (or age, in the case of Stafford). But given the surrounding talent, and the high fantasy expectations for those players, it should elevate these players into good QB2 options.
J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings): McCarthy is set up for fantasy success thanks to a strong offensive line and elite weapons like Justin Jefferson, providing him with the talent needed to excel as a starting quarterback.
Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins): Tagovailoa’s fantasy value is significantly boosted by an explosive offense featuring elite speedsters Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who turn short passes into long touchdowns, giving him a safe floor and a high ceiling.
Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams): Stafford is a good fantasy quarterback because he plays in a pass-heavy, high-powered offense with top-tier receivers in Davante Adams and Puka Nacua and a proven running back in Kyren Williams, who provides both rushing and receiving production.
The Young Guns
While clearly each of these players has his deficiencies, they also have incredible talent and the potential to post high-end QB2 seasons under the right circumstances.
Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers): Young is an intriguing fantasy option because he showed significant improvement late in the 2024 season, and with an upgraded receiving corps, he has the potential for a breakout year.
Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons): Penix is an intriguing fantasy option because he will be the starting quarterback in a dynamic Falcons offense loaded with offensive weapons, including Bijan Robinson and Drake London, who can maximize his elite passing ability.
Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans): Ward is an intriguing fantasy option because he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and his dual-threat ability and aggressive, pass-heavy offensive scheme could translate to big fantasy production.
The Unexciting Starters
These are the rest of the NFL starters. Unless you’re in a very big league with either a bunch of teams or deep benches, there is no need to draft these players.
Geno Smith (Las Vegas Raiders): Smith is a solid backup option because he has a proven track record of a high completion percentage and a new, fast-paced offensive system under Chip Kelly that could lead to reliable passing volume.
Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks): Darnold is a serviceable backup fantasy option because he is a starting quarterback in a system that is expected to provide him with high passing volume, which gives him a decent floor despite some instability.
Aaron Rodgers (Pittsburgh Steelers): Rodgers, as a starting quarterback in a run-heavy Steelers offense, is a viable backup fantasy option due to his veteran leadership and a talented receiving corps, but his age and new system present a risk.
Russell Wilson (New York Giants): Wilson is an acceptable backup fantasy option because as a starting quarterback, his ability to extend plays offer a safe, albeit low-ceiling, option for superflex or 2QB leagues.
Daniel Jones (Indianapolis Colts): Jones is a fantasy backup because he offers rushing production, but his fantasy upside is limited due to a run-heavy offense and potential competition from Anthony Richardson.
Joe Flacco (Cleveland Browns): Flacco is a useful backup due to his experience and aggressive passing style, which could lead to high-volume games and fantasy production.
Spencer Rattler (New Orleans Saints): Rattler is a fine backup option as a starting quarterback who brings dual-threat potential, giving him enough upside to be a decent option in deeper leagues.
