X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Every Quarterback With Overall QB1 Upside for Fantasy Football - Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, more

C.J. Stroud - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Justin looks at every fantasy football QB who can finish as the overall QB1 in 2024. Should you target these fantasy football quarterbacks in all drafts?

The most important position on the football field is quarterback, but that isn't always true about fantasy football. Quarterback is important, but not everyone is clamoring to take the top guy every year.

Part of that is because of the strength of the position around the NFL. You don't have to use a first- or second-round pick to end up with the top-scoring quarterback in fantasy. There are usually a good number of players each year who could lead fantasy football in scoring, making it easier to pick and choose when you go with a QB.

Below are the eight quarterbacks with overall fantasy QB1 upside and the case for each player.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Last season, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes saw a dip in his numbers, throwing for a career-low 261.4 yards per game. That was a sizable drop from his league-best 308.8 yards per game in 2022. One of the biggest explanations for the regression is that Mahomes didn't have the same numbers over the top. His intended air yards per pass attempt fell to 6.5, the lowest of his career, due to a combination of defenses guarding the deep ball and Mahomes lacking a go-to weapon in the deep passing game.

While I can't speak to how defenses will guard Mahomes in 2024, we do have a response from Kansas City to that second issue, as the team brought in Marquise Brown to provide a deep target for Mahomes. Although Brown's injury status is unclear, his shoulder does not require surgery, so hopefully, he won't miss too much time. Even if he misses time, rookie speedster Xavier Worthy will provide plenty of downfield speed. After suffering through a year where it felt like every bomb was dropped, we might get to see some of that Mahomes arm strength magic once again in 2024.

That alone makes him a candidate to finish as the top fantasy quarterback. In 2022, Mahomes led the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, so if his 2024 version can look close to that 2022 version, Mahomes can deliver some big results.

2023 was also the first year as a starter that Mahomes failed to record a rushing touchdown, though he had a career-high 389 rushing yards. Add a couple of rushing scores into the mix and that's a small but potentially significant boost to his overall numbers.

 

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

I'm not a math expert, but let me try something here. A passing touchdown is worth four points in most formats and a rushing touchdown is worth six points. Six is a bigger number than four, therefore a quarterback who can get you rushing scores is valuable. The math checks out, right?

Lamar Jackson scored five rushing touchdowns in 2023 and added 821 yards on the ground, adding immense fantasy value through that part of his game.

Jackson also ended the year on a strong run, averaging 27.8 fantasy points over his last four games. From Week 14 to Week 17, no quarterback scored more total fantasy points, and it wasn't even close. Jackson had 111.1 in that span. Second was Joe Flacco with 91.7.

 

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Last year's overall QB1 was Buffalo Bills passer Josh Allen, who scored 385.6 total fantasy points and averaged 24.1 fantasy points per game. He threw for 4,306 yards, the fourth year in a row that Allen had over 4,000 passing yards. He also scored an absurd 15 rushing touchdowns.

If Allen maintains that level of production, he'll run away with the overall QB1 mantle again, but there's reason to believe he will take a step back in 2024.

For one, his receiving group took a big hit as his top-2 receivers are now playing elsewhere. As we saw with Patrick Mahomes last year, the lack of a true No. 1 receiver can lead to a drop in production. You can have the best arm in the world, but the guy on the other side of the pass has to catch it.

Likewise, he could see a drop in rushing scores as well. The 15 touchdowns were six more than his previous career high and more than double his 2022 number. It's realistic to think he drops back down to the high single digits.

Still, Allen has proved before he can be the overall QB1, so don't count him out.

 

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts was second in the league in fantasy points per game last season, scoring 15 rushing touchdowns to boost his fantasy scoring.

Now, I don't want to sound like a hypocrite here after what I said about Josh Allen's 15 touchdowns not being sustainable, but I do think Hurts can approach that number again. Sure, it was his career high, but it was also the third season in a row that he scored 10-plus touchdowns on the ground. And with the NFL not banning the Tush Push play, Hurts should continue to see heavy rushing usage near the goal line, though the departure of center Jason Kelce could impact the effectiveness of the play.

As far as his passing ability goes, Hurts has a solid arm, though there was a notable uptick in his interceptions last season. If he can get that number down from 15 and back into the single digits, then his passing numbers should be good enough for him to challenge for the overall QB1 spot.

 

C.J. Stroud - Houston Texans

As a rookie, C.J. Stroud was very good, throwing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to just five interceptions. He also added three rushing touchdowns to the tally. His ability to protect the ball and hit his receivers down the field was incredibly impressive, and now he gets to add another top weapon in Stefon Diggs.

The only thing keeping Stroud from contending for the overall QB1 spot might be play-calling. Despite Stroud being as good as he was, the Texans ranked near the middle of the league in pass rate at 61%, which put the team 14th.

With Stroud not adding a ton of value on the ground, his path to being the overall QB1 is about maintaining his passing efficiency on a larger volume, so the Texans will need to throw the ball closer to a top-5 rate to ensure he gets that volume. The addition of Joe Mixon at running back suggests that the balance may not change much, though.

 

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

The case for Anthony Richardson finishing as the overall QB1 is more speculative than the case for other players, but it's within the realm of possibilities.

Richardson played in just four games as a rookie, completing 59.5% of his passes for 577 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also added four rushing touchdowns.

For Richardson to finish as the overall QB1, he needs to stay healthy. Then, he needs to keep doing his thing with his legs, as his athleticism makes him dangerous when he gets out and runs.

Those two things are realistic. The third thing he needs, though, is to greatly improve his passing accuracy. Richardson has a rocket for an arm, but it can be tough to hone that rocket. If he comes back from this offseason and can be in the top half of the league in accuracy, he can post monster numbers. But will he be able to do that?

 

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

The Packers made Jordan Love the highest-paid QB in NFL history after just one season as a starter. He threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns. Love threw 11 interceptions, though none of those came over the final four games. Just one interception came after Week 10.

If Love's ability to not turn the ball over continues in 2024, he has the arm to be among the NFL's most productive quarterbacks. It might take an injury or two from other star QBs for Love to challenge for the overall QB1 spot, but if he continues his progression from 2023, then he's a top-5 fantasy quarterback.

 

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Considering Dak Prescott was the overall QB3 last year, he has to be mentioned here, though he feels like a long shot to hit those numbers this year. CeeDee Lamb is a dominant receiver, but the lack of a high-end second weapon hurts his upside.

Still, Prescott led the NFL in touchdown passes last season with 36, and his 410 completions led the NFL as well. The problem is that those numbers feel like the ceiling for Prescott, and all they netted him was that QB3 finish. His drop in rushing production over the last four years has made him reliant on his arm as far as fantasy scoring goes. So while I felt I had to mention Prescott here, he probably needs a lot of luck (and injuries to other star QBs) to get to the overall QB1 spot. It's possible, but it's not something I'd bet on.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Jauan Jennings

Seeking New Deal or Trade From 49ers
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Wan'Dale Robinson

Wants More Downfield Opportunities this Season
Quinshon Judkins

Arrested on Saturday for Battery and Domestic Violence
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF