If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times: Fantasy Football never sleeps. We are months away from Week 1, yet you clearly need your fix since you checked my quarterback tiers article in early June.
My rankings, once complete, will be released for standard, PPR and even half-point PPR all on Fantrax. You will be able to filter through the scoring format you want, as well as positions, etc! Make sure to continue to check back here for when they are released! But, as I work on them, I decided to give you all a peak behind the curtain. Here are my current quarterback tiers, with an explanation of the thinking behind the groupings!
Can’t wait for fantasy football season? You don’t have to! 2019 leagues are now forming at Fantrax.com!
2019 Quarterback Tiers
Tier 1
1 Patrick Mahomes, KC
Yes, I wrote an article earlier this offseason stating that Mahomes would regress. But he still scored more fantasy points last year than any QB has before. Given the depth of the QB position I will likely never be the first one drafting a QB, but if you want too, Mahomes is still the guy.
Tier 2
2 Andrew Luck, IND
3 Deshaun Watson, HOU
4 Aaron Rodgers, GB
I loved Andrew Luck last season and not much has changed. In fact, I like the weapons he has this year even more than last. I am considering bumping him up in my quarterback tiers along with Mahomes and perhaps even as high as number 1 overall. Watson had an up and down season last year, but he still possesses the rare ability to be able to put up big numbers both through the air and on the ground. Plus, if his receivers can stay healthy he has a ton of weapons at his disposal. Rodgers is old reliable who still ran effectively despite a knee injury. With Mike McCarthy gone and Matt LaFleur in, Rodgers could be in for his best season in quite some time.
Tier 3
5 Baker Mayfield, CLE
6 Russell Wilson, SEA
I love me some Baker Mayfield. I wrote earlier this offseason that you should be taking him off the board as a Top 5 QB and that is exactly where I have him ranked. Russell Wilson has the upside to finish as the QB1, given the fact that he is both one of the best rushing and passing QBs in the league. If only his team didn’t call plays like it was 1985.
Tier 4
7 Matt Ryan, ATL
8 Jared Goff, LAR,
9 Cam Newton, CAR
10 Drew Brees, NO
11 Jameis Winston, TB
12 Philip Rivers, LAC
13 Carson Wentz, PHI
This section of my quarterback tiers is made up of the best of the rest of the QB1s. Ryan is a tough one to figure out for me, because he always plays poorly in the first year with a new OC, but Dirk Koetter was Ryan’s OC from 2013-2014. Goff has a great coach calling the plays, tremendous weapons to throw too, and a running back filled with questions. I think he is a very safe QB1 who may be asked to throw even more this year. Newton has the upside to finish as the QB1 if his shoulder is okay, but we have little evidence of that right now. He is throwing a football, but we need to see more than that. His ranking is sure to change as we learn more. Brees is consistent, but aging and his offenses have been more run heavy in recent years. Winston, Rivers and Wentz will all be asked to throw a good amount and all are loaded with weapons. I originally had Rivers lower, but I do love that offense.
Tier 5
14 Kyler Murray, ARI
15 Josh Allen, BUF
16 Lamar Jackson, BAL
17 Mitch Trubisky, CHI
This tier is definitely going to be the most controversial of the bunch. I know many will ask me how I have Kyler Murray, who has yet to play a game at the NFL, or the throwing-challenged Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen ahead of Ben Roethlisberger, who led the NFL in passing yards last year. But the QB position is just sooo deep this season, that I think you should be chasing the upside of these running QBs. Each of these QBs possesses the ability to finish as a QB1, simply due to their running ability. You could take a safe veteran who will be much more predictable than any of these four, but there are going to be similar QBs on the waiver wire in one-QB leagues. I am a believer in taking a shot on the highest possible ceiling at this position, and that is clearly with the QBs who can add big point values with their legs. Murray, I believe is the best passer of the bunch, as well as a tremendous runner, which is why I have him the highest. Both Allen and Jackson have OC’s building a playbook around their strengths this season. I put Allen higher because I believe he is a better passer than Jackson, but if you want to flip them I cannot really argue. I have Trubisky last because he did not run last year after he hurt his shoulder and I have concerns if the Bears will limit his rushing this season.
Tier 6
18 Ben Roethlisberger
19 Dak Prescott, DAL
20 Kirk Cousins, MIN
21 Jimmy Garoppolo, SF
22 Tom Brady, NE,
This is basically the best of the rest. I would be okay starting any of these guys if it came down to it. That is how deep the quarterback tiers are. Many of these names were going off the board in the Top-10 at the position a year ago. Am I overreacting by having Tom Brady this low? Perhaps, but he is old and that team looks set to run the ball a ton.
Tier 7
23 Sam Darnold, NYJ
24 Andy Dalton, CIN
25 Derek Carr, OAK
26 Matthew Stafford, DET
27 Marcus Mariota, TEN
28 Dwayne Haskins, WAS
These are the fallback options. This is the first tier where I would not want my starting QB to come from. However, Darnold has a ton of upside and has improved weapons around him in year two. Let’s see if Adam Gase really is a QB whisperer. Dalton, Carr, Stafford, and Mariota all have the ability to blossom into fantasy viable QBs, and have been valued as such in recent years. Haskins is unproven and maybe for that should be in the next tier, but I still think he has upside, given that I can see him being used like Cam Newton near the goal line.
Tier 8
29 Nick Foles, JAC
30 Josh Rosen, MIA
31 Joe Flacco, DEN
32 Eli Manning, NYG
This is the last of the quarterback tiers with projected starters. You do not want your starter to come from here at all. Ideally, these would strictly be backups in super flex or two-QB leagues.
Tier 9
33 Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA
34 Drew Lock, DEN
35 Daniel Jones, NYG
36 Case Keenum, WAS
37 Colt McCoy, WAS
38 Will Grier, CAR
39 Ryan Tannehill
This tier is simply backups that could end up starting in Week 1, whether it be due to winning the job or the current starter is a heal risk (Grier). These are merely backup picks in super flex or two-QB leagues.
If you want to debate these rankings, hit me up on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio.
Are you down with Michael’s quarterback tiers? If so get more great analysis and check out his full archive.
Michael Florio is the winner of the 2018 FSWA Baseball Article of the Year and was a finalist for the 2017 Fantasy Football Writer of the Year. He has hosted video/radio shows, written for a number of print and web publications including the AP, NY Daily News and much more!
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