The Only Quarterbacks You Need To Draft In 2024
Quarterbacks To Target In 2024 Fantasy Football
There are four stud quarterbacks at the top of fantasy drafts this year. We all know the names—Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes. We have to pay a premium price to get those guys. Is it worth it? Perhaps. But we have to consider the opportunity cost. There is still elite talent on the board at the RB, WR, and TE positions in the rounds that those four QBs are going. There is a significant edge to be had by waiting a little longer to snag your quarterback, especially if that quarterback can still score as a top-5 asset at the position.
I’ve mined through ADP data to identify the six quarterbacks worth drafting in 2024. So, if you’re like me and aren’t thrilled about using a top-50 pick on a quarterback, draft one of these guys instead and thank me later.
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Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray might be the most underrated quarterback in all of fantasy football. He is incredibly consistent year-over-year and now he’s a full year removed from the ACL injury that cost him the end of the 2022 season and the first half of 2023. Even coming off the injury, Murray performed well down the stretch. He scored as a top-12 quarterback five times, completed 66% of his passes, and ranked top-10 among quarterbacks in fantasy points per dropback. Murray’s legs looked healthy, too. He ran five or more times in seven-of-eight games and totaled 244 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He had the offense rolling, too, averaging 22.4 points per game in his eight starts. That would have slotted between the Texans at 22.7 and the Chiefs at 22.2 (FantasyAlarm).
We forget how good Kyler Murray has been in fantasy football during his career. It didn’t always look pretty in the dreadful Kliff Kingsbury offense, but Murray seemed to always get there for fantasy purposes. In his career, Murray has scored as the QB11 (rookie season), QB3, QB4, and QB7. Then upon his return from the ACL, he was the QB9 in fantasy points per game. Injury recovery aside, Murray was still playing in a brand new offense that he never practiced with prior to his return. He was rehabbing during the offseason installs and training camp.
Now, Murray has a full offseason and preseason to work with his teammates and coaches. He will also get to enjoy new weapons and a bolstered offensive line. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. will be a major difference maker on top of last year’s breakout star tight end Trey McBride.
Kyler Murray could break fantasy football in 2024. He has legitimate QB1 overall upside. He’s got his health, great weapons, an improved offensive line, and a bad defense on the other side that should keep him throwing (and running). The konami code factor could have him scoring among the elite players at the position. Yet, you can get him at a multi-round discount compared to Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Patrick Mahomes. Even Anthony Richardson, CJ Stroud, and Joe Burrow often go ahead of him in drafts. Kyler Murray will be one of my most drafted quarterbacks in 2024. I urge you to follow suit.
Anthony Richardson
Anthony Richardson’s rookie season seemed to end about as fast as it began. But, man, when he was on the field, he was electric. He started four games but only made it through two healthy. In those two games, he averaged more than 25 fantasy points and scored as the QB2 and QB4. A lot of that was due to his legs. He ran for 136 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in three of his four games. It was an extremely small sample, but Richardson ranked No. 5 among quarterbacks in rush attempts per game and No. 3 in red zone carries per game. That all culminated in 0.81 fantasy points per dropback which would have ranked best among all quarterbacks.
Now healthy heading into the 2024 season, Anthony Richardson holds as much upside as any quarterback in fantasy football. He will pair his incredible rushing ability with improved weaponry around him. Remember, Richardson only played about half a game with Jonathan Taylor in the backfield last season. It will be fun to see those two pair up for a lethal rushing attack. The team also brought back wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr who had a breakout campaign in 2023. They added Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the draft and are returning Josh Downs for his second season after an impressive first year.
That sets up the Colts as potentially one of the best offenses in the NFL. Led by rookie head coach Shane Steichen, the Indy offense impressed even with Gardner Minshew under center. Richardson’s skill set compared to Minshew’s opens up so many more possibilities down the field, in the red zone, and in the run game. Richardson will also benefit from the fast pace of Steichen’s play calling. In fact, the Colts were top-3 in pace of play in 2023. The faster an offense plays, the more plays they run, and the more opportunities to score fantasy points there are.
There is no reason why a healthy Anthony Richardson can’t be a top-5 quarterback in fantasy football. He has the skill set, the supporting cast, and a sharp offensive play caller putting him in position to succeed. He will challenge the likes of Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, and Josh Allen to be the top scoring quarterback in all of fantasy football. Yet, you can draft him multiple rounds after those guys come off the board. Anthony Richardson is the league-winning quarterback of 2024.
Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott continues to be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in fantasy football. He’s been a QB1 in fantasy points per game in five of his seven seasons, plus a QB13 finish. He was QB4 in points per game in 2023, yet he is oftentimes drafted outside the top-10. He’s coming off an incredible season where he was No. 3 in passing yards, No. 7 in yards per attempt, No. 2 in true passer rating, and No. 2 in EPA (PlayerProfiler.com). If the efficiency numbers weren’t impressive enough, how about the volume? He did all that with the fourth-most pass attempts. The offense was especially reliant on Prescott in the red zone. He led all quarterbacks in red zone pass attempts which helped fuel his league-leading 36 touchdown passes.
The volume will undoubtedly remain high again in 2024 as the Cowboys will continue to lean on their franchise quarterback. The running back room in Dallas is about as weak as it gets in the NFL. Tony Pollard is gone and it’s looking like it will be Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle show. That’s not exactly the formula for a run-heavy offense. That will only play in Dak’s favor as he will be near the top of the NFL in all volume-based metrics again in 2024. If he continues to be efficient as well, he will have another top-5 season. He is a great excuse to pass on the early-round quarterbacks.
Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels is expected to start right away for the Commanders. He is coming off a heisman trophy winning season after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards and scoring 50 total touchdowns at LSU. He also ran for over 1,100 yards. Daniels has the arm to make all the throws and his legs give him as high of a ceiling in fantasy football as anyone. He has plenty of experience and should be ready to play right away. Daniels will enjoy quality weaponry in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler, and Brian Robinson.
He will utilize his legs a ton as he adapts to the NFL game. That immediately gives him a high floor. So even if he experiences some rookie growing pains, he will still be a quality fantasy asset. The sky’s the limit, though, if he hits as a passer. That’s why we are drafting him so aggressively. He’s probably a top-12 quarterback by default just with baseline passing numbers, thanks to the rushing. Add in above average passing totals and we have ourselves a league-winner at the quarterback position. We could be looking at an RGIII level rookie season.
Brock Purdy
Brock Purdy was the QB6 in fantasy points per game in 2023, but you’re drafting him as the QB13 in 2024. It doesn’t make any sense. He still has a bunch of weapons—Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel. Oh, and they just used a first round pick on another wide receiver (Ricky Pearsall). He might not get there on volume, but he is incredibly efficient and lets his guys eat up all the yards after the catch. In 2023, Purdy led all quarterbacks in yards per attempt, passer rating, and EPA. Many think of him as a game manager—and he’s a damn good one—but he can make plays down the field with his arm as well. In fact, Purdy was No. 1 in deep ball completion rate and top-10 in air yards per attempt (PlayerProfiler.com).
Purdy, with some help from his friends, did an incredible job keeping the 49ers offense moving and in position to score points. That resulted in top-10 in red zone attempts which turned into top-3 in passing touchdowns. I could keep spitting numbers at you, but the point is, Brock Purdy is a fantastic quarterback. He’s efficient, he makes plays, and he scores fantasy points. If you’re going to take a pocket passer in fantasy drafts, Purdy should be the guy.
Matthew Stafford
Volume. Volume, volume, volume. Matthew Stafford may end up top-5 in pass attempts per game in 2024. And why not? He has a healthy Cooper Kupp. He has super-stud Puka Nacua. And he has one of the NFL’s worst defenses on the other side which will force the offense to be pedal-to-the medal for 60 minutes every week. Reminder, Aaron Donald is no longer on that defense. Opposing offenses are going to find it much easier to move up and down the field against the Rams than in years past. That’s going to keep the sense of urgency up on the offense and force Sean McVay to lean more on his quarterback to win games.
That’s great news for us as fantasy gamers, as a more aggressive offense means more fantasy points for everyone. If you’re drafting a quarterback late or need a QB2 in a superflex format, Stafford feels like a safe bet to outperform his QB19 ADP.
Which quarterbacks are you targeting in 2024 fantasy football drafts? Join us on Discord and let’s discuss!
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