The Quarterback position is extremely fun heading into the 2021 season. We all know rushing equity can vault an inconsistent passer into the top-10 on regular basis, but the reliable touchdown throwers Pat Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady continue to make their presence felt in the first two tiers.
Russell Wilson gets the second spot here and while he faded down the stretch in 2020, we saw QB1 upside continually over the season’s first half. Dak Prescott sneaks into Tier 1, but his health remains a situation to monitor as the season approaches.
ADP Targets
With Rodgers ranked third on the board, his ADP as QB6 would seem attractive, but at 52 overall, that is still usually a but earlier than I’d like to dive in on a quarterback. Wilson is a similar case and while I can’t fault anyone for taking the plunge on Russ in round six, I’m likely trying to hang on just a little longer. If either slips into round seven, it’s time to pounce.
Ryan Tannehill (92.3) is a very solid target and a good bet to build off of a strong 2020 season in which he tossed 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and now adds Julio Jones to his set of targets… Jalen Hurts (95.8) put up together a run of useful fantasy games down the stretch despite the fact that he did not play particularly well. His status as the Eagles starter, rushing usage and week-winning upside–that 400+ total yard/4 TD, 37.8 point performance in Week 15 last year–make Hurts a target… Matt Ryan doesn’t get anyone too excited on draft day, but he’s 4,500 yards and 26 TDs in the bank… Trey Lance is the top rookie target here, even if he doesn’t get the starting job day one. The rushing ability and talent on that Kyle Shanahan offense is much easier to trust than anything you will see in Chicago or Jacksonville… Digging at the bottom of the barrel, Ben Roethlisberger (159.4) continues to put up numbers, Sam Darnold (200+) has some really nice targets, as does Teddy Bridgewater (200+) should he be able to hold off Drew Lock.
Top-40 Quarterback Rankings
| Rank | Name | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | ||
| 1 | Patrick Mahomes II | KC |
| 2 | Russell Wilson | SEA |
| 3 | Josh Allen | BUF |
| 4 | Aaron Rodgers | GB |
| 5 | Lamar Jackson | BAL |
| 6 | Kyler Murray | ARI |
| 7 | Dak Prescott | DAL |
| Tier 2 | ||
| 8 | Ryan Tannehill | TEN |
| 9 | Tom Brady | TB |
| 10 | Justin Herbert | LAC |
| 11 | Jalen Hurts | PHI |
| 12 | Matthew Stafford | LAR |
| 13 | Matt Ryan | ATL |
| Tier 3 | ||
| 14 | Joe Burrow | CIN |
| 15 | Jameis Winston | NO |
| 16 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | WAS |
| 17 | Trey Lance | SF |
| 18 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT |
| 19 | Baker Mayfield | CLE |
| 20 | Kirk Cousins | MIN |
| 21 | Trevor Lawrence | JAC |
| 22 | Derek Carr | LV |
| 23 | Sam Darnold | CAR |
| 24 | Teddy Bridgewater | DEN |
| Tier 4 | ||
| 25 | Carson Wentz | IND |
| 26 | Daniel Jones | NYG |
| 27 | Tua Tagovailoa | MIA |
| 28 | Justin Fields | CHI |
| 29 | Jared Goff | DET |
| 30 | Zach Wilson | NYJ |
| 31 | Cam Newton | NE |
| 32 | Jacob Eason | IND |
| 33 | Taysom Hill | NO |
| 34 | Jimmy Garoppolo | SF |
| 35 | Drew Lock | DEN |
| 36 | Deshaun Watson | HOU |
| 37 | Andy Dalton | CHI |
| 38 | Gardner Minshew II | JAC |
| 39 | Marcus Mariota | LV |
| 40 | Mac Jones | NE |
| 41 | Tyrod Taylor | HOU |