2025 fantasy soccer rankings – Quarterback tiers

It’s fascinating how much the quarterback position has changed in fantasy football over the past 20 years. Dual-threat quarterbacks who can put up points through the air and on the ground are much more common, and the position is deeper than ever. Still, one constant is that having the right signal-caller could be the difference between making the fantasy finals or watching from the sidelines.

It’s no coincidence that a high percentage of teams that made the finals in 2024 ESPN leagues sported dual-threat quarterbacks, led by Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (20.8%) and Washington’s Jayden Daniels (16.4%).

In fact, five quarterbacks averaged at least five rushing attempts per game last season: Jalen Hurts, Daniels, Jackson, Josh Allen and Bo Nix. This quintet averaged 21.6 fantasy points per game, reinforcing the idea that having a mobile starting quarterback provides a consistent week-to-week matchup advantage.

When preparing for your drafts, one of the best strategies is to put players at each position into tiers. That allows you to group players who are projected to have similar production together, with the drop-off between tiers representing a more significant expected points difference. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the QB tiers heading into the 2025 season.

Tier 1: High-end QB1s

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

These elite four offer consistency and high ceilings thanks to their rushing ability. Quarterbacks who ran the ball at least five times in a game last season scored 20-plus fantasy points in 43% of their starts. Allen has finished as a top-two fantasy QB in each of the past five seasons. Though his passing yards have declined in three of the past four seasons, he has boosted his fantasy value with 27 rushing touchdowns over the past two years. In 2024, Jackson set career highs in pass attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns while still generating significant fantasy points on the ground. Daniels (355.8 fantasy points), who is coming off the best rookie season by a quarterback since Cam Newton (370.3) in 2011, scored 24-plus in seven games. Hurts had a reduced passing workload last season, but he still boasts one of the league’s elite wide receiver tandems in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Hurts has led (or tied) all quarterbacks in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns for four straight seasons.

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Tier 2: Midrange QB1s

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

You can confidently start any of these quarterbacks in your fantasy lineup, though they don’t offer quite the same ceiling as the Tier 1 group. Burrow played in 17 games for the first time last season, leading the league in pass attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns as receiving target Ja’Marr Chase scored 40-plus fantasy points in three games. Nix had an impressive rookie year, finishing as fantasy QB7 and ranking sixth in pass attempts, completions and passing touchdowns, plus fifth among quarterbacks in rushing attempts. Mahomes hasn’t finished among the top six QBs in fantasy points per game since 2022, but has remained a top-12 rusher at his position over the past five seasons. Mayfield broke out in 2024, finishing as the QB4 with 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, a 71% completion rate and a career-high 378 rushing yards, setting him up for another strong campaign.

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Tier 3: Low-end QB1s

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Justin Fields, New York Jets
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

These quarterbacks are solid if you wait at the position. However, each comes with questions. Purdy was QB13 last season and boosted his rushing with career highs in multiple categories, but questions remain about Deebo Samuel’s absence (he’s now with the Commanders), Brandon Aiyuk’s health (he’s recovering from an ACL injury and will miss the start of the season) and Christian McCaffrey’s durability. Murray finished as the QB10 with a career-best 69% completion rate but struggled on deep throws. His rushing ability (572 yards, five TDs), strong playmakers and favorable schedule set him up well for 2025. Fields’ limitations as a passer (he has completed 61.1% of his passes for 7,780 yards in his career) remain the biggest question mark heading into this season, but his rushing upside and talented playmakers in Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall keep him on the QB1 radar. Prescott’s 2024 was cut short due to injuries, but in six full games he averaged 16.8 fantasy points. With a potentially weak rushing offense and top receivers such as CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, he’s set for a high-volume passing role, though he’s no longer much of a rushing threat. Herbert had one of his most efficient seasons in 2024, throwing for 3,870 yards, 23 TDs and just 3 interceptions, plus 306 rushing yards and 2 scores on the ground. The main question is whether Greg Roman’s offense will give him enough passing attempts.

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Tier 4: High-end QB2s

Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

We are now in superflex territory, where these players are ideal QB2 options. Maye, Williams and Lawrence have the most rushing upside in this tier. The one I want to highlight is Maye, who averaged 16.0 fantasy points in his starts for the Patriots last season and now has an improved offensive line and new playmakers such as Stefon Diggs and rookie third-rounder Kyle Williams. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is returning to New England for another tour of duty.

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Tier 5: Midrange and back-end QB2s

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

These players can work as your QB2 in superflex lineups but are better suited as a QB3 on your bench. Young stands out in this tier. The 2023 No. 1 NFL draft pick enters his third season following a strong finish to 2024 when he averaged 18.0 fantasy points from Week 8 on and showcased a major leap as a rusher. The Panthers have added rookie Tetairoa McMillan — the No. 8 pick in the 2025 NFL draft and the first receiver selected — and maintain continuity along the offensive line.

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Tier 6: Superflex QB3s or deep-league depth options

Cameron Ward, Tennessee Titans
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Russell Wilson, New York Giants
Kenny Pickett, Cleveland Browns
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints
Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints

You’ll want to take a wait-and-see approach with the quarterbacks in this tier, as they are mainly bye-week fill-ins in superflex formats and are best viewed as bench stashes. Ward and Sanders are the most intriguing options in this tier.