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Chip Bayless FEATURED Football Latest 

2024 Fantasy Rankings: Top 10 QBs

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By Chip Bayless (click Howie for more Chip)

 

 

 

1) Josh Allen

Josh Allen proved last season that he deserves to be the undisputed to fantasy quarterback heading into 2024, topping the fantasy charts in both fantasy PPG and total fantasy points among last season’s quarterbacks.

Allen’s pure arm talent is insane to watch sometimes, as his ability to unleash a perfect 60+ yard arm punt is right up there with Patrick Mahomes. Allen also runs in space like he’s Cam Newton, bullying defenders and showing surprising quickness.

Adding value both on the ground and through the air, Josh Allen ranked (among 2023 QBs):

  • 1st in fantasy PPG and total points
  • Tied for 1st in rushing TDs with Hurts
  • 3rd in QBR (per ESPN)
  • 4th in passing yards
  • 4th in rushing yards & carries
  • 5th in passing success rate (per Pro Football Reference)
  • 6th in passing TDs
  • 6th in completions
  • Tied for 9th in completion % above expected (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 10th in average intended air yards (per Next Gen Stats)

Much like Jalen Hurts, much of Josh Allen’s fantasy value comes from using his legs and how his team tailors the offense to fit his skillset. Hurts and Allen were the only QBs last season to account for at least 30% of their team’s red zone rushing attempts, and in 2023 nearly a third (32.7%) of all Bills red zone rushing attempts were Josh Allen rushes (per Pro Football Reference).


As maybe the best deep-ball thrower in the league playing in one of the top-5 and most pass-heavy offenses in the NFL, Allen’s 2024 potential is virtually limitless, even without Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Last season the Bills ranked among the top-6 teams in both yards per play and scoring percentage (per Pro Football Reference).

It helps that he is always looking for the deep ball and the touchdown in an offense with talented playmakers and ample passing attempts. Last season Allen ranked third in intended air yards per pass attempt (per Pro Football Reference).

The Bills also finally have not just a competent starting RB, but an elite one in James Cook, so for once in his career Allen is shouldering nearly the entire offensive load.

For those concerned about Allen’s high INT rate that trailed only Mac Jones and Sam Howell (per Pro Football Reference), he proved last season it doesn’t matter whatsoever as he led the NFL in fantasy PPG and ended the season as QB1 in PRK.

 

 

2) Jalen Hurts

As long as Jalen Hurts’ legs remain intact, he will be a top-3 fantasy quarterback. Throw in a top-10 WR in A.J. Brown, another top-20 WR in DeVonta Smith, and a top-10 RB in Saquon Barkley, and you’ll forget Jason Kelce retired and Swift went to Chicago.

Hurts is already set up for success from a fantasy perspective even without offseason changes making a significant difference, as the Eagles ranked 4th in rush yards before contact and 5th in scoring percentage in 2023 (per Pro Football Reference).

Despite how much his detractors would like to disbelieve it, Hurts is both an elite passer and elite rusher at the quarterback position. Hurts has the passing proficiency to hit any throw in the playbook, no matter how deep or short. Add in his mobility, and quite literally every and any play and offensive scheme is possible, which has to be mouth-watering from a coaches’ perspective.

It’s noteworthy that Kellen Moore is now the Eagles Offensive Coordinator as well, as Philadelphia’s play calling, creativity, and balance was clearly inconsistent towards the end of the season. Moore, the former architect of the Chargers’ and Cowboys’ successful systems, has shown his ability to put his playmakers in position for success as the Chargers and Cowboys were ripe with offensive playmakers showing off their respective talents (Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, Zeke, Pollard, Lamb, Gallup to name a few).

Moore should put Hurts and the rest of the Eagles playmakers in better positions for success than they were place into down the stretch of 2023.

As far as Hurts is concerned, the main takeaway from last season is he’s a lock-it-in elite fantasy QB as long as the Eagles keep Tush Pushing, regardless of anything short of a meteor striking the Linc.

Hurts and Josh Allen were the only two QBs last season to account for at least 30% of their team’s red zone rushing attempts, and it showed up on the stat sheet.

Among last year’s QBs, Jalen Hurts achieved the following marks:

Much like Allen and the top-6 QBs on this list, it helps his case that he plays in such a potent, high-scoring offense that gives him ample opportunities to be a playmaker. Hurts did lead all QBs in rush attempts just last season.

Even if one or both of Brown or Smith goes down, or even if Saquon misses significant time, Hurts should finish as a top-3 QB once again in 2024 via an improved offensive coordinator and Hurts’ role as the Eagles goal-line back.

Hurts led all QBs in red zone rush percentage with 41% last season, while no other QB broke 33% (per Pro Football Reference).

 

 

3) C.J. Stroud

With the addition of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon over the offseason, this Houston Texans offense looks absolutely unstoppable on paper. And it is the addition of Diggs that gives Stroud the slightest edge over the Lamar Jackson for the 3rd spot on this year’s list.

Stroud proved last season that he was the best quarterback in the draft class, and will likely be a franchise quarterback for the next decade or so. Good thing the Panthers were impressed with Bryce Young’s ability to

Stroud’s ability to uncork perfect deep balls at will is insanely fun to watch, as it seems like he’s constantly hitting Tank Dell or Nico Collins for beautiful deep shots.

In just his first NFL season (and despite missing two games), among last year’s QBs, Stroud ranked:

  • 9th in fantasy PPG and total points
  • 2nd in yards per completion (per Pro Football Reference)
  • 3rd in passing YPG
  • 3rd in average completed air yards (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 5th in YPA (per ESPN)
  • 7th in passer rating (per ESPN)
  • 8th in passing yards

He doesn’t use it often, but Stroud also has elite mobility, athleticism, and creativity for the position.

There are sometimes where it seems like Stroud is truly magician in the pocket, breaking tackles and leaving you wondering how he seemingly just hit the center of a dart board with the football.

He also rarely makes mistakes and is insanely cerebral and aware for a rookie. In 2023, Stroud had the lowest INT% in the NFL (per Pro Football Reference).

 

 

4) Lamar Jackson

Last season’s NFL MVP, it’s impossible to rank Lamar Jackson outside of 2024’s top-5 QBs, fantasy or otherwise.

As the top rushing quarterback in arguably the best rushing offense in the NFL, Jackson finds the end zone frequently and often finds himself dancing around defenders in space. Jackson’s playmaking ability is a perfect fit for this Ravens offense that led the league in rush yards per game, often with Lamar as their leading rusher or ball-carrier.

With Zay Flowers as a dangerous outside threat and the Ravens’ dominant offensive linemen, it’s no surprise the team also allowed the 3rd-lowest pressure % (per Pro Football Reference), ranked 4th in points per game, and 4th in yards per play (per Pro Football Reference).


Jackson also added some noticeable bulk last offseason, and it helped him tremendously from a durability perspective as 2023 was arguably the healthiest season of his career.

Among 2023’s QB crop, Lamar managed the following marks:

  • 3rd in fantasy PPG & 4th in total points
  • 1st in rushing yards
  • 1st in yards after contact & broken tackles (per Pro Football Reference)
  • 4th in QBR (per ESPN)
  • Tied for 4th in rushing TDs
  • 6th in yards per attempt (per ESPN)
  • 6th in passing TD% (per Pro Football Reference)
  • 12th in passing TDs

Jackson is a superstar that can swing the momentum of a game at any time. At his peak, he is a video game come to life on the football field, as evidenced by the fact that he was 2nd among 2023 QBs in yards per touch, and ranked 16th among all NFL players regardless of position (per Pro Football Reference). He possesses the accuracy and velocity to hit any throw in the playbook, and his skills as a runner rival most starting NFL RBs as Jackson’s jukes and spins constantly crumple defenders.

Moreover, for all of the “he’s a running back” and “he can’t throw” detractors, he was efficient and elite purely from a passing standpoint last season, and the stats back him up. In 2023 Jackson finished tied for the 3rd lowest INT% while notching the 6th-highest TD% and ranking 7th in passing success rate (per Pro Football Reference).

We truly have not seen a quarterback as dynamic as Lamar since Michael Vick, and its difficult not to root for Jackson and the Ravens sometimes simply due to how fun and creative Jackson and their offense can be.

 

 

5) Patrick Mahomes

This may be the the least risky year to draft Mahomes since his run as the most talented quarterback in the NFL began considering how putrid the Kansas City offense looked at times last regular season (Mahomes’ receivers led the NFL with a 6.9% drop rate, per Pro Football Reference).

Speaking as someone who drafted Mahomes in two leagues last season, watching the Chiefs offensive inability at times was nothing short of infuriating. At times it felt like every Chiefs play that looked good was negated by either a holding call or one of the worst drops you’ve ever seen.

In the face of those drops and dismal offensive performances, it was obvious that it wasn’t Mahomes’ issue as he was still dancing around defenders and straight up hitting his receivers with the football, and it is obvious that Mahomes is still the best QB in the NFL, and arguably of all time.

Here’s how Mahomes ranked among 2023’s crop of QBs:

  • 14th in fantasy PPG and 8th in total points
  • 3rd in completions
  • 3rd in on-target throw % (per Pro Football Reference)
  • 6th in passing yards & rushing yards
  • 8th in TD passes
  • 8th in QBR
  • 8th in passing success rate (per Pro Football Reference)

If you draft a quarterback in one of the first three rounds (like Mahomes was last season), you expect them to be a stud for your team that scores around 20 points or more when they are healthy and playing well.

Mahomes finished with fewer than 17 fantasy points in his last five games of the season, which likely crushed many fantasy managers dependent on a 20+ point Mahomes performance during the fantasy playoffs.

After Mahomes’ 33-point season high in Week 7, he only broke the 20 point mark one time throughout the remainder of the season. Overall, Mahomes failed to score 20 or more fantasy points in 70% of his regular season games in 2023.

Despite those regular season struggles, Mahomes and the Chiefs found their groove in the playoffs and put up some nice numbers, giving many the confidence that Kansas City’s offense will be improved in 2024.

Among playoff QBs last season, Mahomes ranked 1st in QBR, 1st in passing yards, tied for 1st in passing TDs, and 3rd in completion percentage (per ESPN).

With the emergence of Rashee Rice and the addition of Hollywood Brown, things are looking up for this WR core. Additionally, Pacheco proved last season he’s a top-10 RB capable of taking the focus off of Mahomes, and Travis Kelce still exists. After Mahomes’ playoff performance, there’s no reason to believe he won’t return to elite fantasy QB status in 2024.

 

 

6) Brock Purdy

With Deebo, Kittle, Aiyuk, and CMC on his offense, it is impossible to rank Brock Purdy outside of this year’s top-10 QBs, and a strong argument could be made that he should be higher on this list.

Part of the reason Purdy remains underrated is he doesn’t make many “wow” plays that make the Monday morning highlights; however, Purdy relies on his top-notch accuracy, anticipation, and timing which are more than enough to attain borderline top-5 QB numbers when those well-timed throws are directed towards any of the aforementioned elite targets on the San Fran offense.

Purdy plays the game much like Tom Brady did, reading defenses as well as any QB in the league and surgically picking them apart. Check out this perfect back-shoulder TD from last season off his back foot with pressure right in his face:

Those skills resulted in Purdy attaining the following accolades amongst his peers at the position in 2023:

  • 8th in fantasy PPG and 6th in total points
  • 1st in QBR (per ESPN)
  • 1st in passing success rate (per Pro Football Reference)
  • 2nd in yards per attempt (per ESPN)
  • 3rd in passing TDs
  • 4th in average completed air yards (per Next Gen Stats)
  • 5th in completion % (per ESPN)
  • 5th in passing yards
  • 7th in completion % above expectation (per Next Gen Stats)

Whether you like it or not, Brock Purdy is a top-10 NFL quarterback, and statistically he actually makes an argument for the NFL’s best quarterback. In addition to leading all passers last season in QBR and numerous other stats, Purdy also impressively led the NFL in average air yards differential (per Next Gen Stats). For context, that stat relates to the average difference between Purdy’s intended air yards per attempt and his completed air yards per attempt.

He also finished 1st among all 2023 QBs in TD% (per Pro Football Reference), which is the percentage of touchdowns thrown when attempting a pass.

Additionally, even if the Purdy hate still runs through your veins, know that this ranking is as much about his insanely talented team as it is about Purdy’s own talent level.

The fact that Purdy comes into 2024 as the 49ers’ undisputed starting quarterback alone warrants top-10 status, as evidenced San Francisco’s impressive stats from last season including:

  • 1st in yards per play (per Pro Football Reference)
  • 2nd in yards per game to only the Dolphins
  • 3rd in points per game
  • 3rd-fewest sack yards lost

As long as even one of either CMC, Deebo Samuel, or Trent Williams is healthy, Purdy will be an elite QB in 2024 once again.

 

 

7) Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins is a lot like Purdy in the sense that his overall talent can be a polarizing topic of discussion, but regardless of whether you think he is elite or not, his role as the unquestioned started of an offense with so many talented weapons means Cousins is a top-10 lock for 2024.

Much like Purdy, some of the polarization around the Cousins discussion stems from the fact that he relies on his elite timing, awareness, anticipation, and accuracy more than any other skills and rarely adds value with his legs, which often doesn’t make for a particularly flashy playstyle.

Bijan Robinson is also arguably the most talented and most complete back Cousins has ever worked with, so it will be interesting to see what a truly balanced Atlanta offensive attack will look like next season.

Additionally, Cousins has two former top-10 picks as outside threats in Drake London and Kyle Pitts, buoying his fantasy stock. While the story of Kirk’s 2023 fantasy season was obviously his season-ending injury, when he did play he was impressive.

In 2023, Cousins finished:

Cousins is more than talented enough to distribute the ball to Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. And as the Falcons displayed last season despite Arthur Smith managing the offense like he was the former head of JFK’s security team,  getting the ball to these dynamic playmakers is all that is needed for offensive success.

Even with Ridder sending turf pellets flying with his impressively inaccurate passes most of the season the Falcons still demonstrated various key elements of offensive success that should translate into 2024 with an infinitely improved QB at the helm. Last season Atlanta managed to finish 8th in rush yards before contact and rush yards after contact, 9th in rush YPG, 9th in broken tackles, 9th in YAC per reception, and allowed the 10th-fewest QB hits (per Pro Football Reference).

 

 

8) Jordan Love

Jordan Love is one of the most promising, young, ascending quarterbacks in the league, and will likely be the franchise quarterback of the Packers for a decade. He has all the tools you can ask for from the ability to throw on the run and with different angles like Mahomes, to the mobility of a Josh Allen or C.J. Stroud combined with the overall arm talent of Aaron Rodgers.

Those skills resulted in these ranks among 2023 QBs:

  • 6th in fantasy PPG & 5th in PRK
  • 2nd in passing TDs to only Dak Prescott
  • 7th in passing yards
  • Tied for 7th in rushing TDs
  • 8th in completions
  • 9th in QBR
  • 11th in rushing yards

Love got much better as the season wore on, and he constantly answered questions about his true value despite a cast of mostly unproven rookies and second year players surrounding him at every skills position with the exception of Aaron Jones.

His elite play action skills and accuracy, no matter how off base the throw, was especially impressive for a rookie QB without a true #1 receiver. It’s noteworthy that in 2023, Jordan Love had the 5th-most on-target throws, and he threw for the 4th-most yards off play action (per Pro Football Reference).

In the playoffs, Love expertly dismantled the vaunted Dallas Cowboys defense and outplayed Dak Prescott, despite having no receivers that are close to matching CeeDee Lamb’s talent level.

Love only scored less than 10 fantasy points twice all season, and he scored 20+ fantasy points in five of his last eight weeks, during arguably the most critical portion of the fantasy football season.


If Jordan Love and the Packers want to continue the ascension in 2024, they will have to play like they did towards the second half of the season when the used creative play calls and combining a grinding running game with perfectly timed play action calls that get Love out of the pocket.

Due to that balanced offense and moving pocket, the Packers had the 8th-most passing yards off of play action and allowed the 10th-lowest pressure percentage (per Pro Football Reference).

 

 

9) Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott Is Playing His Best Football In Five Years. Here's How. - D Magazine

I’ll be honest, I kind of don’t like Dak. I’ve owned him before, and he has let me down in clutch situation and the fantasy playoffs, so know that this ranking is far from unbiased. Although, I unfortunately have to admit that Dak Prescott has at least above average accuracy, arm strength, and mobility and is a franchise quarterback.

He knows how to expertly distribute the ball to his playmakers, and the Cowboys offense has one of the best in the NFL in that department in CeeDee Lamb.

Dak’s stats from last season can’t be ignored from a fantasy perspective, and here’s how he ranked against his counterparts at the position in 2023:

  • 5th in fantasy PPG and 3rd in PRK
  • 1st in passing TDs
  • 1st in completions
  • 2nd in QBR
  • 3rd in passer rating
  • 3rd in passing yards
  • 3rd in completion % (per ESPN)
  • 9th in YPA (per ESPN)
  • 13th in rushing yards

Dak Prescott ranked top-3 in the majority of offensive stats last season, and there’s no reason to suggest a significant fall off. The Cowboys still have Brandin Cooks, Jake Ferguson, two stud offensive lineman in Tyler Smith and Zach Martin, and CeeDee Lamb who happens to be one of the top-5 WRs in the league.

After the Cowboys’ bye week, Prescott really turned it on from a fantasy perspective and likely cemented his 2024 draft stock as an undisputed top-10 fantasy QB (some would argue top-5).

After Dallas’ bye in Week 7, Dak scored double-digit fantasy points in every single game except for Week 15 against the Bills, a game in which the entire team fell apart. Throughout that stretch, he scored 20+ fantasy points in 70% of his weeks, including five 28+ point performances.

Prescott’s efficiency and production with his snaps was impressive last season, and it showed up from an advanced analytics perspective.

Among last year’s passers, Dak also finished 1st in on-target throw % (per Pro Football Reference), 2nd in TD% and passing success % to only Brock Purdy (per Pro Football Reference), 2nd in completion % above expected (per Next Gen Stats), 7th in average completed air yards (per Next Gen Stats), 7th in average air yard differential (per Next Gen Stats), and had the 6th-lowest INT% (per Pro Football Reference).

Those skills and stats were evident on this absolute dime to Cooks from last season:

 

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A post shared by Chris Halling (@dallascowboyssquad)

Additionally, much like Brock Purdy, regardless of your personal feelings regarding Dak, his role as the unquestioned starter in one of the most high-scoring offenses in the NFL alone makes him a lock-it-in QB1 heading into this fantasy season.

 

 

10) Anthony Richardson

Anthony Richardson barely played in 2024 relatively speaking, but what we saw when he was on the field was simply too dynamic too ignore, and frankly he looks like Cam Newton 2.0.

Richardson has the size, the arm strength, the mobility, and the running savvy to succeed in the NFL and be an elite fantasy quarterback. There are times where he simply overwhelms defenders with his combination of strength and explosiveness, often bowling over linebackers and defensive lineman alike while running right by defensive backs – especially near the red zone.

Although he only played three full games, Richardson did score at least 17+ fantasy points in every healthy game (including scoring 20+ points in two of three of those contests), and he rushed for at least 35 yards and at least one TD in each of those three games.

Richardson’s rushing floor is what makes him a QB1 heading into 2023, but it is also his crux, the reason he barely played his rookie season, and is what makes him one of the most polarizing fantasy quarterbacks of 2024.

While his vision, athleticism, and strength leads to highlight-reel trucks and spin moves ending in yards after contact and fantasy points, those traits often result in injury (as we witnessed last season) due to the fact that Richardson is such a competitive and physical player that he seemingly relishes contact.

Check out this play from 2023 where Richardson demonstrated some spectacular acceleration, becoming a scary downhill runner in the blink of an eye and dashing almost untouched to the end zone:

Furthermore, Richardson finished 11th in fantasy PPG among QBs and was tied for 7th in rushing TDs.

Despite his highlight reel plays and scoring at least 17 fantasy points in every full game he played, Richardson ranks at the bottom of this year’s list because of accuracy concerns (didn’t rank inside the top-20 QBs in passing YPG, QBR, passer rating, completion percentage, or the majority of passing averages) and durability issues as he did miss basically the entire season in 2023.

However, Richardson’s supposed 17-point floor makes him a QB1 headed into 2024, and he should play even better without Gardner Minshew’s mullet breathing down his neck (as long as Jim Irsay doesn’t slip him his favorite cocktail).

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