I wrote tiers for the first time last season, and it was a fun exercise. I hope you enjoyed reading them, and I’m giving it another try for this year. So here we go.
These are my quarterback tiers prior to the start of training camp. These tiers can — and likely will — change prior to the end of August. But this is how I would draft these quarterbacks in the middle of July.
And for context, this is based on six points for passing touchdowns, one point for every 25 yards passing and minus-2 points for each interception, as well as one point for every 10 yards rushing. Hopefully, these tiers can help with any draft decisions you have to make this year.
Tier 1
I want to separate the first three quarterbacks and the last two, but all five of these guys have the potential to be QB1 this season — they are that good. In 2024, Jackson (30.1 PPG), Burrow (26.9), Allen (25.6) and Daniels (23.9) were four of the top five quarterbacks — along with Baker Mayfield (26.3) — and Hurts (23.4) was No. 7.
I’m counting on Jackson and Allen to maintain their stellar level of play this season, while Daniels should join them in the 25-point plus club. Burrow should also stay in that range, but his lack of rushing production keeps him at QB4 entering the season, even though he has the potential for 5,000-plus passing yards and 45 total touchdowns.
Hurts has been under 24 points per game in three of the past four seasons, but his rushing totals are so consistent with at least 605 yards and 13 touchdowns in three years in a row. And it wouldn’t shock me if he threw more this season since I’m worried about Saquon Barkley’s production coming down this year after a heavy workload in 2024.
Jackson, Allen and Daniels are worth drafting in Round 3 in one-quarterback leagues, and Burrow and Hurts should come off the board in Round 4. As great as these quarterbacks should be in 2025, they should not be drafted in the first two rounds in one-quarterback leagues.
Tier 2
Mahomes gets a tier to himself because he has to prove he belongs back in the upper echelon of Fantasy quarterbacks after two subpar years where he averaged fewer than 21 points per game. That said, he still offers more upside than most of the quarterbacks ranked behind him, especially with a revamped receiving corps.
If Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown and Travis Kelce can stay healthy, Mahomes might have the best collection of pass catchers in his career. And hopefully, those playmakers can help Mahomes return to averaging over 25 points per game, which would make him a steal in Round 5 or later.
Tier 3
Baker Mayfield
There should be a break between when Mahomes is drafted and the next quarterback off the board, which should be one of the three quarterbacks in this tier. The earliest I would draft Mayfield is Round 7, but you might be able to wait longer than that, especially if you value Nix and Prescott in a similar range.
It might be hard for Mayfield to replicate his production from 2024 when he set career highs in passing yards (4,500), touchdowns (41) and rushing yards (378), but he had a great offseason. Chris Godwin returned as a free agent, and the Buccaneers spent a first-round pick on receiver Emeka Egbuka. Mayfield has so many weapons that I love his potential to be a standout Fantasy quarterback once again this year.
Nix also got help this offseason with the addition of free agent tight end Evan Engram, and the Broncos added rookie receiver Pat Bryant and an upgraded backfield with R.J. Harvey and JK Dobbins, both of whom can excel in the passing game. Nix also ran for 430 yards and four touchdowns last season, and Sean Payton should continue to bring out the best in Nix this year.
As for Prescott, he missed nine games last season due to a hamstring injury, but he’s healthy now. And prior to 2024, he averaged at least 24.7 Fantasy points per game in four of the previous five seasons. Dallas added George Pickens this offseason, and Prescott could easily rebound as a top-five Fantasy quarterback in 2025.
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Tier 4
Quarterback is the easiest position to look for the most upside because of its depth, and that’s where we are with Tier 4. These three quarterbacks might slide to Round 10 or later, but all of them have top-five potential if things go right. They also have a low floor, but we’ll talk about your backup plan below.
Fields could lead all quarterbacks in rushing yards — he ran for 1,143 yards with Chicago in 2022 — and he has two seasons on his resume with at least 20.1 Fantasy points per game. He also averaged 24.5 Fantasy points per game in his final four starts in Pittsburgh last season.
Williams had arguably the best offseason of any quarterback with a new coach (Ben Johnson), a revamped offensive line (Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman) and two standout rookies (Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III) added to D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze. Williams was a mess as a rookie in 2024, but the former No. 1 overall pick could easily rebound in a big way.
Murray makes me the most nervous of the quarterbacks in this tier, but he’s averaged at least 20 Fantasy points in every season of his career, including two years with at least 24.8 points. He had 572 rushing yards and five touchdowns last year, and I still consider him among the best running quarterbacks in the NFL. It wouldn’t surprise me if Murray has 4,000 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns and 500-plus rushing yards this year, which is why I still rank him as a No. 1 quarterback in all leagues.
Tier 5
This is the first parachute tier of guys you can draft as rescue options, and they make for great backup plans to the quarterbacks in Tier 4. Goff (23.4 PPG) finished as QB6 last season, slightly ahead of Hurts, and Purdy had his second year in a row with at least 20.5 Fantasy points per game.
The reason Goff is in this tier is because I expect his stats to decline slightly in 2025 with changes to the offensive line and Ben Johnson gone, but he still offers top-10 upside. And Purdy’s production could easily rise. If everyone is healthy in San Francisco with Christian McCaffrey back and Brandon Aiyuk (knee) on the mend, Purdy could get back to averaging 22.4 Fantasy points per game like he did in 2023.
These are two quarterbacks to target in Round 10 or later, and both could be the only quarterback on your Fantasy roster. That said, I would prefer some other quarterbacks with more upside like the ones in Tier 4.
Tier 6
Speaking of upside, this is another trio of quarterbacks who could be in line for a breakout season, and all of them are worth a late-round flier. You can pair one of them with any of the “safe” quarterbacks in the first five tiers, especially Goff and Purdy.
For Lawrence, the addition of coach Liam Coen and first-round rookie receiver Travis Hunter are huge, and he’s healthy coming off last year’s shoulder injury. We’ve been waiting for Lawrence to live up to his potential since entering the NFL in 2021, and this might be his best chance to deliver on those lofty expectations.
Maye got significant upgrades this offseason with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and receivers in Stefon Diggs and Kyle Williams. And Maye was actually better than expected as a rookie in 2024. In 10 healthy starts, he scored at least 21.4 Fantasy points five times. He was also on pace for 632 rushing yards, which would have been third among quarterbacks behind only Jackson and Daniels.
McCarthy missed his rookie season in 2024 with a knee injury, but he’s ready to go now. And he should take advantage of Kevin O’Connell’s offense, which features elite weapons in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Sam Darnold averaged 22.2 Fantasy points per game for the Vikings last year, and hopefully McCarthy can do something similar this season.
Tier 7
This is the second parachute tier of fallback options who could still be worthwhile starters, and all of them are worth late-round fliers in one-quarterback leagues. Tagovailoa scored 20 or more Fantasy points in six of the 10 games he started and finished last year, and he led the NFL in passing yards in 2023, so he just needs to stay healthy.
Herbert ended last season with at least 26.2 Fantasy points in three of his final four games, including the playoffs, and the Chargers added receivers Tre Harris and Mike Williams this offseason. Of course, they also added Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris to beef up the backfield, which could mean more running and less throwing. That’s the only reason Herbert is ranked this low.
Love and Stroud were amazing in 2023 when both averaged at least 21.5 Fantasy points per game. Then came 2024, and both were below 19 points per game. There’s bounce-back potential for both quarterbacks, but don’t reach for either one on Draft Day. Instead, let them surprise you like they did when expectations were low just two seasons ago.
Stafford is 37 and coming off a down season when he averaged just 15.9 Fantasy points per game. But the addition of Davante Adams, along with a healthy Puka Nacua, gives Stafford the chance to rebound to his 2023 production when he was at 19.4 points per game.
Tier 8
We’re into another tier where young quarterbacks have the chance to be successful, but most of these guys won’t be drafted in one-quarterback leagues. However, don’t be surprised when the quarterbacks in this tier are hot commodities off the waiver wire.
The one exception could be Richardson if his shoulder is OK and he beats out Daniel Jones for the starting job. When healthy, especially with the addition of Tyler Warren, Richardson could be among the best running quarterbacks, and hopefully his accuracy improves after spending time this offseason with Josh Allen’s former throwing coach.
Penix started three games as a rookie in 2024, and his final outing was 28.9 Fantasy points against Carolina in Week 18. Hopefully, he can build off that performance heading into this year.
Young ended last season with three games in a row with at least 20.9 Fantasy points, including two outings over that span with at least 31.1 points. And he got a nice upgrade at receiver with rookie Tetairoa McMillan.
As for Ward, he’s a mystery as a Fantasy quarterback in his rookie campaign, and recent No. 1 overall picks like Caleb Williams and Young haven’t fared well in their first season. Ward also doesn’t have elite weapons in Tennessee. But at this point in the draft, you’re hoping for upside, and Ward could deliver with minimal expectations.
Tier 9
Sam Darnold
Daniel Jones
This is the AARP tier with Rodgers (41), Flacco (40), Wilson (36) and Smith (34), and hopefully all of these veterans can provide Fantasy value this season if needed. Jones, if he wins the starting job in Indianapolis, has the most upside of this group, and he will move up a tier and replace Richardson if the Colts make that decision.
I’m hopeful that Smith will benefit with his move to the Raiders, and he averaged 21.4 Fantasy points per game in his first season as the starter for the Seahawks in 2022. I’m afraid that Darnold will regress with his move to the Seahawks from the Vikings, which is why he’s in this tier despite finishing as the No. 8 quarterback in 2024.
Rodgers has limited upside at his age, especially going to Pittsburgh in an Arthur Smith-led offense. And Wilson and Flacco could get benched during the season by rookies if their teams start to lose.
Tier 10
The New Orleans quarterback battle might be the worst in NFL history with Shough and Rattler the top two contenders for the job. Still, the winner of that competition will have value in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, so keep an eye on what happens in training camp.
Sanders and Dart could be starting sooner rather than later this season, and they could eventually be waiver wire options in deep, one-quarterback leagues. And Milroe has huge upside if he ever starts for Seattle given his rushing prowess since he ran for 726 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2024 at Alabama.
Cousins and Howell might never see the field this season, but they also could emerge as Fantasy options if given the chance to start. And some other backups who could be relevant this season include Joe Milton III, Zach Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo, but those guys will likely only matter if an injury occurs to the starter.
