The experienced fantasy football manager started this dichotomy many years ago. In the real-life NFL, quarterback is everything. In the fantasy world we navigate, the quarterback is at least in the Standard League.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
Consider the current Yahoo League ADP board. Superstars Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts all fell outside the top 20. Quarterbacks are big tickets in the real world, but you can do it well at almost any price point for fantasy purposes.
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I like to compare Fantasy QB shopping with the public transportation system in New York City. If you missed the train, it's no big deal – a few minutes later, another car arrived. Essentially, this is my QB spirit. Of course, I will have preferences and goals – but if a train does not leave without me, I will have no pressure to know that another person is coming.
Of course, evaluating quarterbacks for fantasy purposes is much more than pure talent. You have to consider playing games and catching people on the roster. It's better to draft one and run some QB – forever cheat code. You may want to consider the schedule, as well as the indoor or weather safety game that players face. And your fantasy QB may win glory, partly because his defense is terrible and forces high scoring differences almost every week. Joe Burrow could be great in any case, but Crummy Cincinnati's defense forced him to raise volume once a week in 2024.
We like that. Bangladeshis may set the same settings in 2025. Get your popcorn ready.
Due to the depth of the position, I may attack it reflexively. If one of the vanity QBs slips in a round or two, I might spin towards them – but I might focus on my RB/WR building in the early rounds. After that, I'm thinking about the upside and probably want to draft two QBs that they can easily jump off the floor if things are just right. For me, this is the last person to enter the QB combination, but take the second option as early as possible.
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2025 Fantasy QB Board (think the top five are in their own level)
Around 2025 QB Target
Dak Prescott, Cowboy: I know the new OC Brian Schottenheimer has never encountered a running race he doesn't want to dial, but the 2025 Cowboys may not allow him to play that way. The Cowboys have uncertainty in the defending position, with or without the defensive holes of Micah Parsons. It's easy to see Dallas become one of the Carnival teams of the year, with Prescott demanding a weekly burden. The WR room has been lifted with the arrival of George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson production usually increases when Prescott has Prescott. Don't forget Prescott has QB2, QB3, QB6 and QB7 seasons on his resume – he is a legal MVP candidate two years ago.
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Drake Maye, Patriot: Maye had hardly helped last year, and it was a miracle. Now the entire room has been repainted. Mike Vrabel is obviously a head coach's advancement, don't sleep in Josh McDaniels' retraining – McDaniels failed, but has a great resume as a game designer. The leaked offensive line has been improved, and the skills around Maye are better.
The second-year QB has sneaky athletic ability and wit, and may run around 500 yards. New England was a bad four-win team last year. It looks like it's a legitimate playoff contender this season (its total wins of 8.5, healthy than last year). So many arrows pointing here.
Justin Fields, Jets: As a passer, he might be unstable and his sack avoidance must improve, but at least the field is finally in a team, leaving him alone. Tyrod Taylor is a senior backup, and the threat to the starting job is not a threat. Fields didn't throw it into a deep WR room, but he did spend two years in college with Garrett Wilson, which was important. And if Field could stay healthy throughout the season, he could run 1,000 yards. Smart fantasy managers need to mind the gap between real life and fantasy values, and Fields is the signature participant in the concept this year.
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About 2025 QB fades out
Kyler Murray, Cardinal: His running back and forth may depend on how his body felt at that time. His efforts to execute in the red area may be related to Murray's unqualified height at the position. OK, guess what, gamers, Murray won't get bigger. When I saw Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. directing the high draft pick, I doubt it would be better with Murray or the Cardinals better understand how to play for this offense has a better feel. It all seemed like a wish to me.
Baker Mayfield, Pirates: History tells us that people feel suspicious when someone’s career deep in the NFL running. That's the case with Mayfield, who brought things together during his 29-year-old season. Mayfield even stabbed his hasty statistics, no one saw it.
But now, Mayfield has to do it without the offensive wizard Liam Coen. Mike Evans is in his 30s. And we don't know when Chris Goldwin is ready to play. There are a lot of moving parts here. Even with the addition of elegant rookie Emeka Egbuka, Mayfield may be able to give back many of the juicy stats from last season.
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About 2025 QB sleeper
Trevor Lawrence of Jaguar: Lawrence’s nickname is being referenced in football, and everyone can see: “The promised prince.” Is this a year since the prophecy actually came true? Lawrence has dealt with outdated coaches for most of his career – Doug Pederson didn't help much, and Urban Meyer was a disaster. Now Coen comes to town and makes his mark and curates with Baker Mayfield’s glorious career year. The Jaguars should have an end to the players, with sophomore hotster Brian Thomas Jr. now joined by college star Travis Hunter. Just as Lawrence's career is sometimes disappointing, his resume does have QB7 and QB12 completions. Maybe Coen can take him back to that noble area.
Michael Penix Jr., Falcon: Although Atlanta was a losing team last year, it wasn't the offensive fault – the Falcons ranked sixth in yards and 13th in scoring. The arrow will likely point to Penix taking over Kirk Cousins, a limited veteran who can't run the entire script. Pennex has a schedule with indoor scheduling, good skilled talent and Atlanta's defense may be below average. The Falcon in 2025 will definitely have certain carnival potential.