Quarterback Rankings #13-25 for Fantasy Football Drafts - Kenny Pickett, Bryce Young, Derek Carr, Jared Goff, more

August 12, 2023

Ellis' fantasy football quarterback rankings #13-25 for 2023. Use his fantasy football QB rankings and QB analysis to draft winning fantasy football teams.

You have a choice to start, bench, and cut the following quarterbacks: Jared Goff, Russell Wilson, and Geno Smith. If you view those names like I do, that’s not a fun question to answer. As a result, I decided to release a rankings article that outlines my response.

Earlier this week, I shared my top 12 QBs for this season and now, we get to the fun part. In this article, I present my rankings from QB13 to QB25. These quarterbacks can make or break your season in Superflex leagues.

Now that the fantasy community has shifted to a late-round QB draft strategy, this group of quarterbacks has become more popular to target in recent years. Since this approach has created a shift in quarterback values, it makes hitting on late-round gems even more critical. Hopefully, my rankings and player breakdowns below will help you find that late QB who can take you to the promised land. For more of my fantasy content, check out my video player profiles on TikTok @FiresideFantasy_FF.

25. Kenny Pickett, PIT

If you listen carefully, you can hear a steady beat for Kenny Pickett this season. There has quietly been excitement about him all offseason. Pickett managed to impress in his rookie season but never passed for more than one touchdown in any of his 13 games played.

He will need to find the end zone more frequently to be relevant in fantasy. His supporting cast of Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and George Pickens could help get him there.

24. Bryce Young, CAR

Bryce Young is a winner, and that's a fact. All he has done is find success, and he will hopefully rejuvenate an overlooked Panthers team. In a division primed for the taking, Young is paired with a youthful defense and an offense catered to his play style. This team managed to find success on the ground at the end of last season and went out and signed Miles Sanders.

With a consistent ground game, Young should be able to focus on his presence as a pocket passer. However, without Young's rushing upside, it'll be tough for the rookie to lift himself to fantasy relevance. I still believe big things are ahead for the 2021 Heisman winner, though.

23. Derek Carr, NO

Coming off a season where Derek Carr was 30th in completion percentage, it's tough to see much upside for the Saints' signal-caller. To put it in perspective, Carr's 60.8% completion percentage last season was lower than Davis Mills, Marcus Mariota, and Carson Wentz.

He now gets to throw to a very uncertain group consisting of Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Rashid Shaheed, and rookie Kendre Miller. Of course, his one stable option is Chris Olave, but we just saw Carr struggle last season while throwing to Davante Adams. I'm avoiding every part of this offense in 2023, despite Olave showcasing elite upside in his rookie season.

22. Kyler Murray, ARI

Right now, there is no timetable for when Kyler Murray will return from his torn ACL. The Cardinals are well on their way to being the worst team in the league, and there is a chance they don't risk playing their franchise QB if the season is long gone before he's healthy.

However, Murray's career average of 20.1 fantasy points per game is very intriguing. Despite having an abundance of data saying that players lose some ability the first year after a torn ACL, Murray could have league-winning upside. However, unless there is positive news or you have an IR spot, I wouldn't sacrifice a bench spot for Murray in 2023.

21. Jordan Love, GB

The two biggest wildcards this fantasy season have to be Trey Lance and Jordan Love. Both of these former first-round QBs have had multiple years in the league and have yet to start more than four games. For the first time in multiple decades, a QB not named Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers will begin the season commanding the Packers' offense.

We have no idea what Love will do, but he was projected to be a high-upside raw talent who has grown under Rodgers' guidance. With multiple unproven talents on offense, betting on Love's success doesn't only mean you have faith in his ability. It also means faith in his two sophomore WRs, his two rookie TEs, and his rookie slot receiver.

20. Matthew Stafford, LAR

Matthew Stafford is no stranger to returning from injury. After a magical Super Bowl run in 2021, his 2022 season was riddled with rib, thumb, and brain injuries. Thankfully, all signs point to a healthy 15th season in the NFL. The biggest question is if head coach Sean McVay can get this offense back on track.

In 2022, Stafford was on pace to average his third-lowest yards per game of his career. This may not be surprising since outside of superstar WR Cooper Kupp, this team possesses middling offensive talent or unproven players. From Cam Akers to Van Jefferson, it'll be a big ask for Stafford to come through for fantasy purposes.

19. Brock Purdy, SF

As a Trey Lance truther, Purdy's come-up stung. However, if someone is going to crush your fantasy football dreams, I don't think there is a better person or player. Purdy was truly remarkable last season, passing for two or more touchdowns in each of his regular season starts. His performance was so impressive, that even after a complete UCL tear, the team said he was the starter before he was able to throw a football in camp.

Additionally, his recovery has reportedly gone perfectly and he should be back and starting Week One. Although part of me is worried that he may regress, I am very confident in this team and system to ensure he finds success. He is being slightly disrespected in drafts as there is perceived to be uncertainty around him being the starter. Read any reports from the team and you will quickly see this is surprisingly one of the most locked-in starters in the league.

18. Cleveland Browns, QB

The Cleveland Browns starting QB has some people optimistic that he will fix his on-field issues from last season. Off the field, the QB settled 25 of his 26 sexual misconduct cases filed against him. The Browns' offense has enough weapons around him to efficiently move the chains while leaning on the run game and a talented defense.

Considering the last time he was on the field he averaged barely over a TD per game and just under an INT per game, it's a big ask for him to return to the top of the position. I don't want to take that risk.

17. Geno Smith, SEA

One of the best rebound careers in recent years is Geno Smith III. For the sake of both the person and fantasy implications, I hope last season was not an outlier. After starting the 2022 season competing with Drew Lock, Smith won the starting job and didn't look back.

Now, the team has added first-round rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba and rookie pass-catching RB Zach Charbonnet to help Smith repeat his success. The Seahawks have quietly put together an abundance of offensive talent. Everything is there for Smith to have another great season, even though his league-leading 70% completion percentage from last year will likely regress.

16. Russell Wilson, DEN

Please let Russell Wilson be good this year. Let's not mention the Denver dumpster fire of 2022 and hope that Sean Payton, their new head coach, can right the ship. This team has lots of talent, a shutdown defense, and a supposed star at QB.

The only issue is that they may be in the toughest division in the league. Wilson will need to try and keep up with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes if he wants to find success and that means he'll need to produce for fantasy. Whether you think he will or not is up to you to decide.

15. Dak Prescott, DAL

Despite only playing 12 games last season, Dak Prescott managed to lead the league in interceptions with 15. This turnover bug also led to an early exit in the playoffs. Thankfully for fantasy football, turnovers aren't the worst. Prescott has lost the shine of potentially being a top QB in this league; however, he is definitely above average.

He is also throwing to a top-five WR in CeeDee Lamb, in addition to Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup. In 2022, Prescott averaged just under two passing TDs per game. If he continues this and adds more than one touchdown on the ground, he should be a high-end QB2 option.

14. Jared Goff, DET

Not a lot has changed from Jared Goff's QB10 performance last season. The only reason he falls in my rankings is that it is difficult to see very much upside in him. Many argue that since the Lions were so efficient running the ball on the goal line last year, Goff will likely see a rise in passing TDs in 2023.

Detroit does seem like the perfect team for fantasy, as they have a horrible defense and potent playmakers on offense. Goff is a very consistent option at the position and averaged the eighth-most passing yards per game in 2022. It's hard to draft him in single-QB leagues, but he is one of the best QB2 options to target in Superflex.

13. Anthony Richardson, IND

I am so excited to see Anthony Richardson in action. He is the most athletic QB to enter the league and is now teamed up with one of the most consistent and well-run organizations. Last season, this offensive line was a mess. However, they still have all the pieces to function among the best in the league.

Richardson is now matched with a great RB in Jonathan Taylor (for now), as well as a trio of WRs in Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, and Josh Downs. He can explode onto the scene early and can be a top-10 option in fantasy. If you are looking at late-round QBs that have top-five upside, Richardson might be the only one with enough juice to pull it off.

Thank you for reading. Please check out all my other positional rankings that will be released this month!

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