Fantasy football QB rankings: Does Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson top position?

USA Today

5 days ago

Quarterbacks may not carry the same value in fantasy football as they do in real life, but it's still important for owners to find the right fit at the position.
Increasingly, quarterbacks are moving up fantasy draft boards. Top signal-callers in 2025 are seeing their average draft position (ADP) climb into the low-20s, putting a handful in the second- and third-round range of draft boards.
The age-old question for fantasy owners is whether to take a top-tier quarterback early or wait until the middle rounds to address the position. Is it better to pay the piper for Josh Allen, or can you load up on running backs and receivers while targeting a high-upside mid-rounder like Dak Prescott or Justin Fields?
Each owner will decide on their draft strategy, but their respective goals will be identical: to land either a high-volume passer or a dual-threat quarterback who can be a lineup anchor for a championship fantasy team.
Who are the best fantasy football quarterbacks in 2025? Here's a look at USA TODAY's preseason fantasy QB rankings.
Fantasy football rankings: QB
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills. The Bills generated 6,105 total yards and 62 offensive touchdowns during the 2024 NFL season. Allen was responsible for 4,262 of those yards (69.8%) and 40 of those touchdowns (64.5%). He should continue to be the driving force behind Buffalo's offense in 2025 and could end up leading quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns.
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens. Jackson outproduced Allen in terms of total yardage (5,087) and touchdowns (45) last season. He could do so again in 2025, but he finds himself just behind the Bills signal-caller because of Derrick Henry's presence. Jackson had just four rushing scores last season because of the bruising back's presence.
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow led the NFL in pass attempts, completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2024, a season during which Cincinnati often played from behind thanks to a leaky defense. The Bengals didn't markedly improve that side of the ball during the offseason, so Burrow should once again be asked to serve as a high-volume passer in an offense featuring one of the best one-two receiver punches (Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins) in the NFL.
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles. As long as the "Tush Push" remains legal, Hurts will have a clear path to leading quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns. That gives him as high a floor as any signal-caller, even playing for a Philadelphia offense that ranked dead-last in pass attempts per game last season (25.7).
5. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders. Daniels was electric as a rookie, throwing for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding an impressive 891 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. His combination of mobility and arm talent could eventually make him the No. 1 fantasy quarterback, but fantasy owners will want to see the second-year pro avoid a sophomore slump before tiering him with the likes of Allen and Jackson.
6. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes is becoming a bit Tom Brady-like in that he might be a better real-life quarterback than a fantasy asset. Still, Mahomes has logged multiple seasons of 5,000-plus passing yards and 40-plus passing touchdowns, giving him a great ceiling. His averages of 4,403 yards and 27.5 total touchdowns over the last two seasons haven't been bad either.
7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys. Is this a little high for Prescott? Maybe, but Dallas had the third-worst rushing offense in the league last season in terms of EPA per play (-0.12) and didn't discernibly upgrade its talent at the running back position. Prescott could end up being a high-volume passer as a result and will now work with George Pickens at receiver in addition to CeeDee Lamb. So long as his hamstring is back to full strength, Prescott should have a big year.
8. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mayfield is set to work with yet another new offensive coordinator in 2025. He handled the transition from Dave Canales to Liam Coen with ease and hopes to enjoy the same success with Josh Grizzard. Mayfield once again gets to work with a loaded receiving corps, highlighted by Mike Evans, and will look to log a third consecutive 4,000-yard season for the Buccaneers.
9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals. Murray started all 17 of Arizona's games last season and posted his best numbers since 2020, the last season during which he didn't miss time due to injury. If he continues to increase his rushing attempts as he gets further removed from his 2022 ACL injury, he should be able to cement himself as a top-10 fantasy quarterback.
10. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos. Nix averaged 258.1 passing yards, 2.7 passing touchdowns, 0.9 interceptions and 20 rushing yards across the final seven games of his rookie regular season. If the second-year pro can continue producing at that clip as he continues to acclimate to the NFL, he should end up being a solid, do-it-all fantasy starter akin to Brock Purdy.
11. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers. Speaking of Purdy, he and Nix should be neck-and-neck in any fantasy rankings. The 49ers signal-caller may not be overly exciting for fantasy owners, but after averaging 29 total touchdowns across the last two seasons, he is a steady starting option. The only question is whether he can continue to thrive with Brandon Aiyuk injured and Deebo Samuel gone.
12. Justin Fields, New York Jets. Fields racked up five touchdowns across his six starts with the Steelers last season and is one of just three quarterbacks in NFL history, along with Lamar Jackson and Michael Vick, to rush for 1,000-plus yards in a season. Fields has never thrown for more than 17 touchdowns in a single season, but his rushing upside should make him a strong streamer as long as he's starting.
13. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions. Goff has posted three consecutive seasons with at least 4,438 yards and had a career-best 37 passing touchdowns last season. However, the Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Bears during the offseason, which has cast some doubt about whether Goff can continue his success.
14. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers. Love didn't take the big leap forward many fantasy owners had hoped for during the 2025 season. He ranked just 17th in fantasy points per game (FPPG) while struggling through an early-season MCL sprain. The big-armed quarterback is still just 26 and could jump into the starter ranks with a healthy season.
15. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers. Herbert was efficient for the Chargers last season, racking up 3,870 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions in his first year under Jim Harbaugh's tutelage. That said, Herbert isn't likely to be a high-volume passer since Los Angeles wants to utilize a run-heavy approach under Greg Roman. The team had the 10th-highest run play percentage last season and may see that rise again after it added Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton during the offseason.
16. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears. Williams is emerging as a sleeper darling as he prepares for his first season in Ben Johnson's offense. Johnson led Jared Goff to three consecutive seasons as a top-10 fantasy quarterback. He could do the same with Williams, especially if the second-year pro can improve behind an upgraded offensive line.
17. Drake Maye, New England Patriots. Maye completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a rookie despite having one of the league's worst receiver rooms. The presence of Stefon Diggs and new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should give Maye significant upside, especially after he ran for 421 yards on a 7.8 yards per carry average last season.
18. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans. Stroud did not take the step forward many were hoping for in his second season, totaling just 20 touchdowns across 17 starts. He remains a quality matchup-based streamer with low-end QB1 upside for the whole season, but it could take him time to hit his stride behind Houston's remodeled offensive line and receiving corps.
19. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa is a hyper-efficient passer who led the NFL with a 72.9% completion rate last season, but he has a lengthy injury history. Miami's explosive playmakers will make him a viable starter most weeks he is healthy, but he has started more than 13 games just once during his career.
20. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars. Lawrence made just 10 starts last season and threw a career-low 11 touchdown passes. He posted consecutive 4,000-yard seasons in the previous two campaigns and could bounce back in Liam Coen's offense.
21. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams. Stafford made 16 starts for the Rams last season. He recorded multiple touchdowns in just six of those games. Perhaps that will change with Davante Adams in tow, but Stafford looks more like a solid QB2 than a true fantasy starter at this stage in his career.
22. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers. Since the start of the 2022 NFL season, Rodgers has thrown for more than 300 yards in a game just once. That will limit the 41-year-old's fantasy upside in a Pittsburgh offense that had the fifth-highest run-play percentage (48.31%) in the NFL last season.
23. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders. Smith ranked fourth in the league last season in passing attempts (578), yet ranked just 17th in FPPG. That was largely thanks to his 3.6% touchdown percentage, which ranked 30th among 36 qualifiers for the stat. Playing in what figures to be a run-heavy offense under Pete Carroll in Las Vegas may further limit Smith's upside.
24. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts. Richardson's rushing upside makes him a potential boom pick, as he has averaged 42.3 rushing yards over 15 career starts with 10 rushing touchdowns. But Richardson could bust just as easily after completing a league-worst 47.7% of his passes last season and struggling with injury. He should probably be left to the waiver wire outside of SuperFlex leagues.
25. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings. Kevin O'Connell just extracted a career-best season out of Sam Darnold, who proved to be a strong fantasy quarterback. Could he do the same with McCarthy? The 2024 first-round pick looked good in limited preseason action last year but is coming off multiple knee surgeries. Minnesota may begin the year as a more ground-dominant offense to ease McCarthy into NFL action.
26. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers. The main draw for Young is his solid mobility, as he had six rushing touchdowns in 12 starts last season. That said, he only averaged 20.1 rushing yards per start. That, plus his modest passing numbers, won't give him enough of a ceiling to start in fantasy most weeks.
27. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans. Ward figures to win the Titans job out of the chute with Will Levis out for the season. The 2025 NFL Draft's No. 1 pick will have Calvin Ridley at his disposal, but that may not be enough to make him fantasy-relevant in the early stages of his career.
28. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks. Darnold's average time to throw last season was 3.08 seconds, good for the third-longest in the NFL behind only Lamar Jackson (3.14) and Jalen Hurts (3.13). That won't play as well behind a Seattle line that only gave Geno Smith an average of 2.4 seconds of pocket time last season.
29. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons. Penix improved across each of his three starts last season and plays in an offense with plenty of weapons. But with Kirk Cousins lurking on the sidelines, Penix will have little room for error as a starter. The Falcons may also lean on Bijan Robinson in the red-zone, which could limit Penix's touchdown upside.
30. Russell Wilson, New York Giants. Wilson was a viable streamer at times with the Steelers but also had his share of fantasy clunkers. It's hard to imagine him finding a lot of consistent success in New York, even with a top target like Malik Nabers at his disposal.
31. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns. Flacco has made 11 starts over the last two seasons, totaling 3,377 yards, 25 touchdowns and 15 interceptions across those contests. His gunslinger mentality could make him a decent stream on occasion, but the 40-year-old may not win Cleveland's wide-open quarterback competition.
32. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints. Shough, a second-round rookie, is in line to start for the Saints. The 25-year-old rookie has seven years of college experience but will have a tough task posting strong results in an aging New Orleans offense.
33. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons. Cousins' track record as a solid NFL quarterback gives him the best chance among backup quarterbacks to get on the field. He struggled at times last season, his first in Atlanta, but had a couple of four-touchdown games when healthy.
34. Jameis Winston, New York Giants. Winston throws a lot of interceptions, but he also makes a lot of explosive plays. He could end up being a matchup-based streamer if he supplants Wilson as the Giants' starter.
35. Kenny Pickett, Cleveland Browns. Pickett could end up starting over Flacco if he beats the 40-year-old in Cleveland's wide-open quarterback competition. Either way, this is a situation fantasy owners will want to avoid.