Did you want a winning fantasy quarterback this year? Think young, and look for those that run.
I ran through the top 26 quarterbacks drafted in Yahoo leagues from the summer, and we had the usual hits and misses. I graded eight of those QBs as hits (green light), 13 QBs as misses (red light) and five QBs as in the middle somewhere (yellow light).
There was also one green-light quarterback from outside the top 26: the magical Sam Darnold.
It was a good year to trend young at the position. Every right answer at quarterback was in his 20s when the season started (Jared Goff turned 30 in mid-October). Many of these QBs are proactive runners, while some of them were boosted by leaky defenses that bled into pinball games. Curiously, in a year where the older running backs were shockingly sturdy and productive, many veteran QBs let us down.
A bunch of career seasons came from the 20-something quarterbacks. Josh Allen just wrapped what was probably his first MVP season. Lamar Jackson might not win his third MVP, but he’s never been better. Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Goff all had career years. Darnold resurrected his career under the patient and creative tutelage of Kevin O’Connell. Jayden Daniels was a rookie delight.
Meanwhile, some of the old guys looked really freaking old. A nation is desperately trying to unsubscribe from the Aaron Rodgers experience. Kirk Cousins moved to Atlanta, but his arm strength didn’t make the trip. Geno Smith wasn’t terrible, but his red-zone efficiency was. Matthew Stafford had a middling season. Dak Prescott wasn’t great before ultimately getting hurt.
This isn’t to suggest that every younger quarterback came through. Jordan Love took a step back after a 2023 breakout. Tua Tagovailoa had early concussion problems and was mediocre upon return. Caleb Williams spent four months taking sacks and making curious throws. Anthony Richardson was one of the worst picks on the board.
Let’s break down some of the individual cases.
Lamar Jackson: He’s probably not going to win the MVP because of voter fatigue and a player like Josh Allen is due to win one sooner or later. But Jackson has never been better. He leads the league in rating, QBR, YPA and touchdown rate, he threw for a career-best 39 touchdowns against just four picks, all of his efficiency metrics are to the moon and, sheesh, he also ran for 852 yards. This was one of the best quarterback seasons I’ve ever seen.
Josh Allen: He kept up the Superman act with a mix of passing and rushing thrills, the latter especially needed because his pass-catchers were just so-so. Allen also cleaned up his interception rate, and his sack avoidance has never been better. He was more aggressive as a runner in the latter part of the season, to the delight of his fantasy managers.
Joe Burrow: It was all about carnival life for Burrow and the Bengals — no one could stop this offense, and the Cincinnati defense couldn’t stop anyone either. It’s a shame Burrow’s signature season probably won’t lead to a playoff berth unless a Week 18 miracle occurs. Burrow ran a highly-concentrated offense, which led to his three amigos (Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chase Brown) all being league-tilting players, too.
Sam Darnold: He finally landed in the right situation, with dynamic receivers and a brilliant play-caller. Darnold also reminded us why he was drafted so high in the first place, with keen pocket movement and the ability to make any big-boy throw from all sorts of platforms.
Jared Goff: He had everything you want — talented playmakers, a terrific line, a shrewd offensive coordinator. And by the end of the year, Goff was playing pinball, trying to offset what his injury-ravaged defense was giving up on the other side.
Jayden Daniels: It will never make sense why Daniels was drafted several rounds after Anthony Richardson, given that Daniels was an accomplished passer in college but Richardson was not (Richardson also hardly played during his rookie year). We love quarterbacks who run but that can’t be the only thing you do — and it’s certainly not with Daniels.
Baker Mayfield: I was nervous when OC Dave Canales left town but new OC Liam Coen might have been an upgrade. Mayfield didn’t lose his stride when his star receivers got hurt — he found a way to make it work with new options.
Jalen Hurts: The passing volume was way down in Philly but Hurts stayed afloat with 14 rushing touchdowns, including a silly 11 of them from the one-yard line.
Patrick Mahomes: He posted a couple of good scores late in the year when most of his fantasy managers were likely removed from the playoffs. Losing Rashee Rice in September didn’t help, and the tank is quickly emptying on Travis Kelce, too. A staunch Kansas City defense didn’t force Mahomes to get into many shootouts.
C.J. Stroud: A makeshift offensive line rattled Stroud and affected his confidence. His three primary wideouts got hurt, too. He deserves a mulligan next year.
Jordan Love: Given how gruesome his Week 1 knee injury looked, it’s a miracle he came back so soon and piloted a playoff-bound team. But the Packers shifted to a ground-oriented team, and no one in the Green Bay receiving room took a step forward.
Caleb Williams: Before the year we gushed over his receiving help, but the offensive line was awful and the play-calling was a problem too. Williams didn’t help himself much, holding the ball too long and ultimately deserving most of his 67 sacks.
Aaron Rodgers: It’s possible Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay days set unrealistic expectations for what a 40-something quarterback can do. The Jets did everything to accommodate Rodgers before and during the season; nothing was a lasting improvement.
Kirk Cousins: He no longer has the arm strength to threaten the entire field, and his lack of athleticism limited the Atlanta playbook. It’s too early to say what Michael Penix Jr. is, but at least he offers an upside that’s long gone with Cousins.
Kyler Murray: He showed limited chemistry with Marvin Harrison Jr. and somehow Trey McBride didn’t score a touchdown until Week 17. Murray’s lack of height requires a creative playbook that the Cardinals have yet to fully figure out.
Anthony Richardson: It’s wonderful when a fantasy quarterback runs. It can’t be the only thing he does. Richardson’s unsightly completion percentage belongs in a different era of the NFL, before rule changes made it so easy to throw. And maybe Shane Steichen isn’t the miracle worker he was made out to be.
1. Lamar Jackson
2. Josh Allen
3. Joe Burrow
4. Jayden Daniels
5. Jalen Hurts
6. Jared Goff
7. Baker Mayfield
8. Patrick Mahomes
9. Sam Darnold
10. Bo Nix
11. C.J. Stroud
12. Brock Purdy
