Quarterback Fantasy Football Rankings - Tiered Ranks and Draft Analysis

July 31, 2022

Updated 2022 fantasy football quarterback rankings. Anderson evaluates fantasy football QBs in each tier to determine fantasy football draft targets and avoids.

Quarterback is such a special position in fantasy football. In fact, leagues are often categorized by how many quarterbacks each team can start. In 1QB leagues, managers must decide whether they want to take a premier player early or focus on the other positions and wait until the later rounds for a signal-caller. In 2QB and Superflex leagues, a premium is placed on the position to a point where it becomes almost essential to snag one of the big names.

In order to win in fantasy football, managers must gather all the information that they can on each quarterback. Not only should you know how much talent a quarterback has, but you must understand what his team looks like. Will they run the ball a lot? Can the offense stay on the field? Does the quarterback have weapons in the passing game that can bail him out?

RotoBaller has ranked quarterbacks for the 2022 NFL season, giving fantasy managers an invaluable opportunity to get a head start on their Draft Day prep. Here is a look at RotoBaller’s 2022 quarterback back fantasy football rankings, complete with tiered analysis.

Fantasy Football Rankings - Quarterback

Tier 1 - Quarterback Rankings

Allen used his phenomenal talents on the football field to secure his second consecutive finish as the overall QB1 in fantasy. Although his interception total reached a career-high, he still tossed 36 touchdowns and ran for six more.

This coming season, he'll throw passes to elite receiver Stefon Diggs while also benefitting from the presence of guys like impending breakout Gabriel Davis and up-and-coming tight end Dawson Knox.

The Buffalo running back corps might also be in its best state since before Allen was drafted. Devin Singletary finished 2021 on a strong note before the team brought in rookie James Cook, giving the team a phenomenal pass-catching option out of the backfield. Allen has the talent needed to finish as the QB1 once again, and the strong supporting cast around him is merely icing on the cake.

Mahomes is one of the most interesting cases to explore. He's more than three years removed from the lone QB1 finish of his career, and he hasn't finished inside the top three since then. Yet, there's an argument to be made that he might have the best pure skills of any player ever. For that reason alone, he has enough upside to be ranked inside the top tier.

It's also exciting to see the state of the AFC West drastically improve because that means that the Chiefs will be in competitive games and Mahomes will have to throw more than ever.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the departure of Tyreek Hill, who was traded to Miami. Travis Kelce still remains in Kansas City as the top option in the passing game, but there is a steep dropoff to a wide receiver room headlined by JuJu Smith-Schuster and Skyy Moore. It's fair to have some questions about Mahomes' projection for 2022.

Next up on the list is Herbert, who finished as the QB2 last season. Not only does he play in a competitive division and have a great arm, but he also has enough mobility to extend plays and find receivers for big gains. After all, he's got quite the supporting cast in Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler.

Tier 2 - Quarterback Rankings

Jackson spent a large chunk of 2021 on the inactive list, which was a new occurrence after he missed just two games over his first three seasons. The 25-year-old remains the best running quarterback in the league, consistently closing in on 1,000 yards on the ground.

His rushing ability gives him tremendous fantasy upside, but his passing skills drop him to the second tier. He posted a career-worst 16-to-13 TD-to-INT ratio last season, and offseason murmurs have indicated that the Ravens will ask Jackson to throw a lot less in 2022.

He does still have top tight end Mark Andrews at his disposal, but the trade of Marquise Brown limits Jackson's options in the passing game. The Ravens are also getting J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards back from injuries this season, so expect them to eat into Jackson's usage on the ground.

Hurts has steadily crept up fantasy rankings and reached the second tier. If anyone is going to challenge Jackson for the quarterback rushing title, it's Hurts. He took big strides last year, finishing as the QB9 thanks to his 784 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

He needs to improve his passing accuracy in order to take another big step forward, but there's no denying that his strong arm and the Eagles' addition of A.J. Brown both bode quite well for Hurts' fantasy outlook.

Murray rounds out the tier. He has been the topic of discussion lately after it was revealed that his mammoth extension included a clause requiring him to commit to four hours of independent study each week. The clause was since removed, and hopefully, the drama is in the past as the season approaches.

Murray has been a top-10 fantasy QB in each of his three seasons, including the 2021 campaign in which he missed three games. Murray's rushing production declined last season, but he continued to be a solid passer, moving the Cardinals down the field against some tricky NFC West defenses.

He'll be without DeAndre Hopkins for the first six weeks of 2022 due to suspension, but the addition of his college teammate, Marquise Brown, keeps Murray in the second tier of quarterbacks.

Tier 3 - Quarterback Rankings

Brady finally retired this offseason, passing the baton to the new era of young quarterbacks. And then, after what felt like six whole seconds, he came back. The greatest of all time won't have Chris Godwin (ACL) to open the season, but perhaps the bigger concern is an offensive line that lost Alex Cappa to free agency, Ali Marpet to retirement, and Ryan Jensen to a season-ending knee injury.

Plus, there's fear that the Buccaneers could take a step back with Todd Bowles at the helm. Brady will do all that he can to succeed, and he should still thrive with Mike Evans, Julio Jones, and Russell Gage at his disposal. However, Tampa Bay might not be the threat that it was over the last two seasons.

Next up is Burrow, who is currently recovering from surgery to remove his appendix. He'll be ready for Week 1, and there's no doubt that he's in for a big year with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon all at his disposal.

He finished as the QB7 last season while posting a solid 34-to-14 TD-to-INT ratio. The Bengals also added La'el Collins and the aforementioned Cappa to their offensive line, giving Burrow more protection and extra time to make a play.

Prescott rounds out the third tier. He was the QB8 last season, posting 4,449 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in an offense that did a good job spreading the ball around.

Dallas did lose Amari Cooper this offseason, but it still has a great core in place. Prescott doesn't have overall QB1 upside, but it feels like a safe bet to assume he'll finish inside the top-10 again this year.

Tier 4 - Quarterback Rankings

Stafford enjoyed a much-needed change of scenery in 2021, leading the Rams to a rewarding Super Bowl victory over the Bengals. It certainly helped that he had Cooper Kupp at his disposal, a weapon he'll once again enjoy in 2022.

Los Angeles also expects big years from up-and-comers Cam Akers and Van Jefferson. Between Kupp, Jefferson, and newcomer Allen Robinson, Stafford has the weapons he needs in order to thrive once again this season.

All eyes are on Wilson in his first year with the Broncos. The subject of one of the biggest offseason trades, the former Seattle quarterback will enjoy a barrage of weapons as he embarks on the next chapter of his career. The biggest question for Wilson will be whether he can find some consistency. After all, he posted single-digit fantasy points in three of his 14 games.

Next up is Rodgers, another quarterback who finds himself in the spotlight. The Packers legend and future Hall of Famer faces a big challenge after the team said goodbye to Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Can Rodgers post strong fantasy numbers without a true alpha wide receiver?

Perhaps his best choice is to incorporate Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon into the passing game. Time will tell whether or not he succeeds, but if anyone can do it, it's Rodgers.

Carr welcomed Adams to his Raiders this offseason, reuniting with one of his favorite college teammates. Adams joins a scary passing attack that also features Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow. Carr lacks mobility and this puts a cap on his upside, but his strong veteran presence and exciting group of surrounding weapons give him low-end QB1 appeal.

The final puzzle piece in this tier is Cousins, aka Mr. Consistency. The veteran has been a QB1 in five of his last seven seasons, and he did a great job supporting the fantasy success of Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook last season.

Not only does he have a great supporting cast, but Cousins' decision-making took a step forward in 2021 as he tossed just two interceptions through the first 11 weeks. If you want safe, steady production at an affordable price, Cousins is your guy.

Tier 5 - Quarterback Rankings

This is the tier of young quarterbacks looking to prove themselves. We open with Lance, the 49ers' No. 3 pick in 2021 who wasn't handed the keys to the offense until this offseason. He did see some reps last season when Jimmy Garoppolo was injured, completing 40 passes for 598 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions through two-and-a-half games.

Lance's rushing ability is what makes him most exciting, though he certainly has a strong and accurate arm, too. A talented supporting cast of Deebo Samuel and George Kittle will help to make Lance's transition to the NFL as seamless as possible.

Tagovailoa is arguably entering a prove-it season. He has the weapons to succeed in Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Mike Gesicki. Now, it's up to him. Tagoviloa has been praised for his deep-ball accuracy, and we all know that he has impressive rushing upside. Combined, these two factors give him fantasy appeal, even if you're not rolling him out as your starter in Week 1.

The tier wraps up with Fields, who endured ups and downs as a rookie last season. His receiving corps lost Allen Robinson, meaning Darnell Mooney is now the team's clear-cut top pass-catcher.

There's not a lot of depth behind Mooney, but perhaps Fields can make up for that with his rushing ability. Hopefully, the much-needed firing of Matt Nagy and hiring of Matt Eberflus allows the Ohio State product to take a step forward.

Tier 6 and Lower - Quarterback Rankings

The remaining tiers consist of a smorgasbord of players. The name that stands out most is Watson, fresh off his holdout and subsequent trade to Cleveland. A long-term suspension lingers, but there's the potential that Watson has high-end fantasy value as soon as October.

The question, though, is when should fantasy managers draft him? If his status remains unclear by the day of your draft, it would be wise to wait until the later rounds or simply avoid him altogether.

Some of the remaining players are veterans with steady floors but minimal upside. Matt Ryan, Jared Goff, Ryan Tannehill, and Carson Wentz fit that description perfectly. All three have impressive weapons at their disposal and have proven themselves in the past, but you're certainly not scrambling to get them on your roster.

They're bye-week fill-ins who offer depth and can be added off the waiver wire in single-quarterback leagues. You could say the same about Baker Mayfield and Jameis Winston, both of whom offer a bit more youth.

We also have last year's rookies to consider. Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, Zach Wilson, and Davis Mills all have a year of experience to their name but failed to assert themselves as weekly fantasy starters.

It will be interesting to see how this group shakes out and if one player separates themselves from the rest early on. It's hard to ignore Wilson, who has the most rushing upside of the bunch and also has a phenomenal group of weapons around him.

Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota, and Mitchell Trubisky are all players in unstable situations, whether it be due to job security, a simple lack of talent, or both. The same can be said about Drew Lock and Geno Smith. Both are fighting for the starting job in Seattle, but regardless of who wins, neither has any fantasy appeal.

We'll close out with Jimmy Garoppolo, who lost his job as the 49ers' starter but has still proven to be a more-than-capable quarterback in the NFL. He was the QB17 in fantasy football last season, totaling 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 picks through 15 games.

He's expected to be cut or traded soon. His fantasy value will rise when he joins a new team, but it might not be enough to justify rostering him.

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