Early 2024 Quarterback Sleepers And Draft Targets For Fantasy Football

Which quarterbacks should you target in 2024 fantasy football drafts? Joey Pollizze looks at three quarterbacks you should draft in fantasy next year.

The quarterback landscape in fantasy has changed in recent years with more and more managers selecting one early. Last year, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Jalen Hurts all went in the first three rounds. That shouldn't change either in 2024 fantasy drafts, but the order of those quarterbacks might. 

After another QB1 finish, Allen should be the top quarterback off the board in 2024, and Hurts should follow him next. Then, Mahomes and Lamar Jackson will likely be the next two signal-callers taken between the third and fourth rounds. C.J. Stroud could also move way up in fantasy drafts next year and be the fifth quarterback taken.  

Those players will be the studs at the position in fantasy, but which quarterbacks could be value picks in 2024? Let's dive in and analyze which signal-callers could be sleepers and draft targets in fantasy football next season. 

Honorable Mention: Kirk Cousins

There's a chance Kirk Cousins will not return to the Minnesota Vikings next year. He is a free agent, and the Vikings might not want to sign the veteran to a long-term guaranteed deal. For the sake of this article, though, we're going to assume Cousins stays with Minnesota next year. 

Last season, Cousins was the 13th quarterback off the board in fantasy drafts. Due to all the young quarterbacks rising up draft boards, we could see the 35-year-old as the QB16 or QB17. That is an absolute bargain for a quarterback who was well on his way to a top-eight fantasy finish in 2023. 

The best place for Kirk Cousins is where he has been the last 6 years, Minnesota. Few teams that need a QB are closer to Super Bowl contention than the Vikings, Kirko Chains has familiarity with the personnel and was playing the best ball of his career before his injury. #skol pic.twitter.com/Q1llNJMWdG

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 21, 2024

Cousins only played in eight games last year due to an Achilles injury. However, before his injury, he averaged 19.3 fantasy points per game while finishing as a top-12 quarterback in six of eight weeks. That 19.3 average was also the seventh-most among all quarterbacks in 2023. If you want to wait for a quarterback in drafts in 2024, the Vikings signal-caller could be your go-to player. He finished as a top-12 fantasy option in six of eight seasons from 2015 to 2022. 

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars 

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will fall in fantasy drafts next season. Last year, he was the eighth or ninth quarterback off the board, but after finishing as the QB13, Lawrence should fall outside the top 12. On Underdog Fantasy, the 24-year-old is currently the QB15 in best ball drafts. 

There's no doubt Lawrence wasn't the best in fantasy in 2023. He averaged just 17.3 fantasy points per game behind a mediocre 4,016-yard, 21-touchdown, and 14-interception season. However, the Jaguars quarterback should be in store for a better year in 2024. 

The best place for Kirk Cousins is where he has been the last 6 years, Minnesota. Few teams that need a QB are closer to Super Bowl contention than the Vikings, Kirko Chains has familiarity with the personnel and was playing the best ball of his career before his injury. #skol pic.twitter.com/Q1llNJMWdG

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 21, 2024

For starters, he ended the year strongly with a top-12 fantasy finish in five of his final seven games. From Week 11 to Week 18, he averaged 21.1 fantasy points per game and was the QB7. Lawrence also missed a game during Week 17, so his 21.1 average was good for QB5 over the final eight weeks. He's a quarterback with a ton of upside in fantasy, making him a nice pick in the later rounds. 

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals 

It was hard to fully evaluate Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray in fantasy in 2023. He missed the first nine games of the year as he recovered from a torn ACL and made his season debut in Week 10. So, we only have an eight-game sample size from Murray last season. 

However, he still put up solid fantasy numbers. He averaged 18.9 PPR fantasy points per game while finishing as a top-12 quarterback in four of the eight games he played. The rushing was also a nice boost for Murray's fantasy value, as he totaled at least 30 rush yards in three of the final four contests. 

Even now in the dead of the offseason, Kyler Murray is at the Cardinals' facility every single day, GM Monti Ossenfort told @Bickley_Marotta.

"From the day I got here, I've been nothing but impressed with Kyler."

— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) February 22, 2024

Now, with Murray fully recovered from his ACL tear heading into next year, we should see him run more in 2024. That should help him finish as a top-10 quarterback in 2024. Excluding the past two seasons -- where he missed over six games -- he finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in all three of his prior full seasons from 2019 to 2021. The 26-year-old is currently going as the QB13 in best ball drafts, which is too low for a rushing quarterback who has top-seven fantasy potential. 

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson only played in four games last year, two of which were only full games. However, Richardson will be a hot name heading into the 2024 fantasy season. Despite missing the final 12 games of his rookie campaign with a shoulder injury, the 21-year-old showed his potential in just a limited sample size. 

In Week 1, he finished with 263 total yards (40 rushing) and two touchdowns behind a 21.9 fantasy point day. Then, in just 18 snaps in Week 2, Richardson had two rushing touchdowns before leaving with a concussion. After missing Week 3 with that concussion, he returned in Week 4 and totaled 256 yards (56 rushing) and three touchdowns to finish as the QB2 on the week. It might be a small sample size, but the young quarterback delivered big fantasy numbers in every game he played.

That will certainly help Richardson fly up draft boards in 2024. Health will be the biggest factor for the Colts quarterback in 2024. However, if he can stay healthy, he should finish as a top-five or top-six option. A Year 2 breakout is certainly attainable, which makes him one of the best quarterback draft targets next season. 

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