Biggest Fantasy Football QB Busts From 2024 Season

Which quarterbacks were fantasy football busts during the 2024-25 NFL season? Joey Pollizze looks at four quarterbacks who didn't have the best fantasy season.

When to take a quarterback in fantasy football drafts might be the hardest decision to make. Sometimes, spending a top pick on a quarterback like Josh Allen is worth it. Other times, waiting until the sixth round to take a quarterback might be the better move. 

During the 2024-25 season, though, there were plenty of quarterbacks who went early in drafts and winded up being fantasy busts. These quarterbacks did not live up to their preseason ADP and let down a ton of fantasy managers. 

So, which four quarterbacks were fantasy busts during the 2024-25 season? Let's dive in and find out what this might mean for them next year. 

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

QB Patrick Mahomes 

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was one of the biggest fantasy busts this past year. After going as the QB2 in drafts with a 30.7 ADP, Mahomes was not a strong quarterback option for most of the 2024-25 season. He finished as the QB11 on the year while averaging 18.3 fantasy points per game. 

Those who spent an early pick on Mahomes this past season were not happy with his fantasy production. He scored above 18 fantasy points in only four games and finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in just five of 16 contests. As a result, the two-time MVP was not a set-it-and-forget-it option for the majority of the season. 

Eyes on the prize.@PatrickMahomes | #SBLIX pic.twitter.com/8jseA30gju

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 3, 2025

Following that poor fantasy campaign, Mahomes' ADP will certainly drop heading into next year. He has finished outside the top seven at the quarterback position in back-to-back seasons, and his limited rushing makes him a riskier option at the top of drafts. Therefore, fantasy managers can expect the 29-year-old to go as the QB5 or QB6 in fantasy drafts in 2025. 

QB C.J. Stroud 

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud's ADP skyrocketed entering the 2024-25 season. He had one of the better rookie campaigns we have seen in recent memory and was coming off a year in which he threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns. Given that the Texans also traded for Stefon Diggs in the offseason, Stroud's QB5 ADP made a lot of sense. 

However, Stroud took a huge step back in his second season and was not startable in fantasy for most of the year. He finished as the QB18 while averaging just 13.7 fantasy points per game. That 13.7 fantasy point average was less than what Daniel Jones averaged in his 10 starts (14.2) and what Aaron Rodgers averaged in his age-40 season (15.7).

CJ Stroud on Deep Passes

- 2024: 58 att, 658 yds, 3 TD, 6 INT, 52.9 rating, 31% completion, 11.3 Y/A, -4.3 pass EPA, 31% success

-2023: 51 att, 1,057 yds, 8 TD, 0 INT, 142.8 rating, 58.8% completion, 20.7 Y/A, 66.3 pass EPA, 59% success

— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) February 4, 2025

It was not a strong fantasy season by any means for Stroud. He scored under 15 fantasy points in nine of the final 11 games of the season and finished as a top-12 fantasy quarterback in only three games in 2024. Therefore, Stroud is not going to be a top quarterback pick in fantasy drafts next season.

He might be more of a QB2 option in fantasy to start the year. We could see his ADP wind up around QB17 or QB18 in 2025, which is a big difference from where he was being drafted in 2024. Still, Stroud could be a value pick later in drafts, assuming he returns to that rookie-year form. 

QB Anthony Richardson 

Most fantasy managers were in on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson entering the year. While he only made four starts in his rookie season, Richardson's upside was surely on display in those games. He scored over 21 fantasy points in his only two full games in 2023, and his rushing potential gave him a higher floor and ceiling than most quarterbacks. 

But Richardson turned out to be one of the bigger fantasy busts at the quarterback position this year. He appeared in 11 games and averaged just 15.9 fantasy points per game in those contests. After going as the QB6 in most drafts this past summer, the Florida product was just too hard to trust in most weeks. 

It was encouraging that he scored above 20 fantasy points in three of his final five games of the year. That's the type of player fantasy managers drafted him as before the season started.

However, there will be a ton of uncertainty around Richardson entering the 2025 campaign. While he will likely have a high ceiling due to his rushing upside, his low floor will probably put him in more of the QB2 conversation this upcoming season. If he can figure it out through the air, though, the 22-year-old could wind up being one of the best picks in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. 

QB Jordan Love 

A lot of fantasy managers expected Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love to take that next step in 2024. He threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns in his first full season as a starter in 2023 and finished as the QB5 in fantasy. So, another top-5 fantasy quarterback finish was surely attainable for Love. 

Nonetheless, Love was not as strong of a fantasy option during the 2024-25 season. He finished as the QB17 this past year while averaging just 16.3 fantasy points per game. The Packers quarterback also scored under 18 fantasy points in seven of the final nine games of the season. So, he likely sat on most benches in fantasy during this stretch. 

Jordan Love's stats on true dropbacks this season, including today.

These are non-play action, non-RPO, non-screen pass attempts. Just drop back and rip it.

57.7% completions
15 TD
15 INT
7.5 YPA
77.6 rating

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) January 13, 2025

Now, Love wasn't going as high as the other quarterbacks on this list, as he had a QB10 ADP in drafts. However, he was still one of the more disappointing quarterback options this past season. That will surely play a factor in where the 26-year-old will be selected in drafts during the 2025-26 campaign. 

Chances are that Love's ADP won't fall a ton from where he was drafted in 2024, but expect him to be selected as a lower-end QB1 option this upcoming season. That's because the potential is there for him to finish as a top-5 fantasy quarterback once again. He's in a good offense with plenty of solid weapons to throw to in the passing game. 

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