Early 2024 Fantasy Football Rankings And Analysis: Quarterbacks

Scott Engel provides his early fantasy football quarterback rankings for your 2024 drafts. He supplies analysis and outlooks on featured QBs to help you for drafts.

Fantasy football players are already looking ahead to their 2024 drafts. So, I have released some of my early 2024 seasonal rankings, along with those from the RotoBaller staff, which can be found here.

In this feature, I share some of my insights when building the 2024 quarterback rankings. The top shelf remains predictable, yet is followed by some young risers and proven veterans. There are some close calls to be made on draft day and value targets to consider, which are included in this rundown.

Below the QB rankings analysis, you will find my latest QB ranks, which are powered by FantasyPros. Other positions are featured and will be adjusted as I roll out these early rankings by position.

Early QB Ranking Thoughts

Josh Allen has earned his ranking, but should you aggressively move for him early? - It is hard to not rank Allen as the QB1, considering he has finished in the top two at the position in each of the last four seasons. Not having Stefon Diggs and also losing Gabe Davis only to see them replaced with a rookie and some less proven options does put him on shakier ground at the top of the position.

Ultimately, though, Allen was excellent again last season with Diggs slipping badly in production, so I can’t rank anyone else above him. Still, I might pass on Allen for a prime pick at another position this season when faced with a close call.

The Mahomes rebound - Despite winning another Super Bowl, Mahomes’ fantasy stats were disappointing overall in 2023 as his pass-catching crew just could not exceed expectations for a second consecutive season. Adding Marquise Brown and Xavier Worthy can give him the deepest WR group he’s ever worked with. Mahomes could possibly challenge to finish as QB1 in 2024.

Anthony Richardson or C.J. Stroud? - This is a very tight call between two ascending second-year players. Richardson is obviously the better runner, which gives him a perceived edge. But Stroud already showed tremendous promise as a rookie and now adds Diggs to his impressive pass-catching crew. My decision for now is to give Richardson the slight nod. Durability can be a concern, but his WR crew gets another key piece with the addition of Adonai Mitchell. If the Colts' potential star stays healthy, he has a possible ceiling of being a top-three fantasy QB.

Anthony Richardson constantly shows feel in the pocket and a willingness to keep his eyes downfield when moved off of his launch spot.

He displayed it in college and it translated right away to the NFL and it's what gives him the chance to excel. pic.twitter.com/1Td4m54EtB

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) May 22, 2024

Waiting on Love - If you don’t push for one of the very top QBs, Jordan Love can be a satisfactory pick to complement a strong WR/RB core. He finished as a top-nine fantasy QB in five of his last seven games during the 2023 fantasy season and demonstrated more potential during the NFL playoffs. Love has become comfortable with his playmakers and as an offensive general. He is a respectable pick at the end of the top 10 at QB.

Purdy please - In real life, the debate will always rage on whether Brock Purdy is just a product of his environment and system. My opinion is that he is a good quarterback in a great situation. But I don’t want to get sidetracked by those arguments here. In fantasy football, Purdy being a good QB in a terrific situation leads to some nice spike weeks.

Last season, the polarizing San Francisco passer finished as a top-six fantasy QB in five of six games beginning in Week 10. He will be even more comfortable over a full campaign in 2024 and should be a solid and sometimes spectacular fantasy option. Once the top 10 or so QBs are off the board, Purdy is one of my top targets.

Is Caleb Williams a QB1? - I have the Chicago rookie ranked just outside the top 12. He has the tools to make a quick splash right away with the Bears, yet I am just not comfortable taking a first-year starter as my clear No. 1 QB. Williams has a deep supporting cast around him and a lot of upside. But he could also start slowly or be inconsistent in the early weeks as he fully adjusts to the pros. If I don’t nab one of the top-12 QBs, I will take the shot on Williams, but will want another top 17 or so QB as a streaming alternative, too.

Will Kirk Cousins outperform his draft position? - For most of his Vikings tenure, Kirk Cousins was viewed as a higher-end QB2, and usually wasn’t a guy fantasy players ideally wanted to lock in as an every-week starter. Coming off a major injury and having Michael Penix Jr. lurking behind him should keep the ex-Viking out of the top 14 at QB in many drafts.

Cousins, however, will have two prime targets to work with in Drake London and Kyle Pitts, plus Bijan Robinson catching passes out of the backfield. He might push to be a top-10 QB or even top eight once he gets rolling in Atlanta, so Cousins is an alluring target if you can land him as a QB2.

I’m expecting Kyle Pitts to have his best year as a pro. One thing Kirk Cousins has proven is that he knows how to get the ball to his playmakers !!! Kyle Pitts 📈📈📈
pic.twitter.com/Z9qAHQhpzt

— Coach K | Keith Sanchez (@TheTalentCode) May 21, 2024

Justin Herbert too low? - I don’t have Justin Herbert in my top 15, and that just doesn’t feel natural after ranking him as top eight or better in every previous year. But yes, the receiving group is significantly thinner and his FantasyPros Expert Consensus ranking is 15^th. The Chargers may also be a run-heavy team in 2024. Herbert has the talent to outperform my rank and ECR, though, so he will be a viable QB2 target. Especially if I need a streaming alternative to guys like Williams or Tua Tagovailoa.

All Eyes on the Jet - I think I am already tired of reading and writing about Aaron Rodgers -- in May. I don’t think he will be a top-level QB anymore, as he may have lost some mobility and arm strength by this point of his career. He is, however, in a very good situation with a deeper supporting cast and a defense that can help to put him in favorable game scenarios. I have Rodgers ranked at No. 19, but he may have a top-10 ceiling.

Levis can be a value play - The Titans have apparently committed to Will Levis as their starter. We did see flashes of the upside last season. When a front office commits to a QB by clearly handing him the starting job and bolstering his receiving crew, I see that as a signal of much confidence in a second-year man. I have Levis ranked outside the top 20 because of the depth of the position, yet he is a very tempting QB2 target.

Geno not writing back again? - Geno Smith’s 2023 season was disappointing, and I attribute that to two primary factors, among others. One was defensive issues, which forced him to operate in comeback mode often. Offensive line injuries were another.

Smith is working with a new coaching staff, and will be pushed by the presence of Sam Howell and the desire to silence doubters again. He also has one of the best WR groups in the league when we are going three deep. Smith can bounce back to at least finish as a higher-end QB2, so consider him for sure after the top 20 are off the board in Superflex leagues.

The last stand for Daniel Jones - The Giants QB was a top-10 fantasy player two seasons ago, and now he finally has some promising prospects at WR to help him out more. Malik Nabers can quickly become the true No. 1 WR that the Giants have lacked, and I am expecting a second-year leap from downfield threat Jalin Hyatt. Jones has to succeed now in New Jersey and is a dual threat, so he can outperform where I have him ranked as QB24. If he fails again, Drew Lock is a deep sleeper who would enjoy gunning deeper shots to Nabers and Hyatt.

Will Nabers unlock Daniel Jones?

pic.twitter.com/rY7J0dF5aS

— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) May 21, 2024

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