Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes? It's a question that will be debated in fantasy football circles (and real-life football circles) for years to come, and heading into the 2020 season, we side with Lamar, placing him atop our QB rankings. But it's not as if Jackson and Mahomes are the only quarterbacks destined to put up big stats this year. Plenty of other studs, sleepers, and potential breakouts dot the various tiers of our QB rankings, and you can bet at least a few will challenge for the top spot.
Last season, Mahomes actually finished eighth among QBs. He missed a few games due to a knee injury, but his TD and yardage pace were already noticeably down from 2018 before being sidelined. This isn't meant as a jab at the Super Bowl MVP, but it just shows that the likes of Dak Prescott (No. 2 last season), Russell Wilson (4), Deshaun Watson (5), Josh Allen (6), and Kyler Murray (7) all have viable claims to be placed in the top tier. (The No. 3 QB last year is someone slated to start this season as a backup -- Jameis Winston.)
2020 STANDARD FANTASY RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker | Superflex | Top 200
You'll notice these same QBs make up our top seven heading into this season, which means we expect remarkable consistency or that we're remarkably uncreative. Perhaps it's a little of both. While these seven QBs could all put up QB1-worthy numbers, odds are someone else will crash the party and jump ahead of at least a few of them. We can never count out a big yardage/touchdown seasons from classic pocket QBs like Drew Brady, Tom Brady, or Matt Ryan, but the biggest fantasy QB seasons often come with at least a little rushing juice, so players like Carson Wentz (243 rushing yards last year), Daniel Jones (279), Joe Burrow (368 yards last year at LSU), and Cam Newton (488 yards in 2018) are higher-ceiling candidates even if their floors might be lower because of injury/experience concerns.
2020 FANTASY SLEEPERS:
6 QBs | 16 RBs | 14 WRs | 10 TEs | 5 D/STs | One from each team
The bottom line is that there is no shortage of high-quality QBs, both in terms of floor and ceiling. "Waiting on QB" has become cliche draft advice from fantasy experts, but it makes sense in single-QB leagues. Sure, it would be nice to have Jackson or Mahomes, but you only have to play against them maybe once or twice a season, so you can get by with whoever you pick as your starter. And if you don't get a top-five guy, don't hesitate to draft a high-upside backup relatively early to maximize your chances at this year's big breakout.
2020 PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Superflex | Top 200
We'll continue to update our QB rankings throughout the preseason. Check back for the latest player movement, as well as analysis of individual players.
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: Ultimate 2020 cheat sheet
2020 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
Scoring based on four-point passing TD leagues. Individual player analysis by Billy Heyen.
DRAFT STRATEGY AND RANKINGS TIERS:
Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Lamar Jackson, Ravens. You can read more about this in our QB draft strategy, but it's as obvious as it seems: Jackson's main difference in fantasy points over Mahomes comes from his rushing. After a historic 2019, Jackson should be able to replicate most of his numbers in 2020, which means his rushing probably once again keeps him slightly above Mahomes. |
| 2 | Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is now very, very rich. He's a partial owner of the Kansas City Royals, too. Those are both cool and all, but they won't impact that God-given arm talent that Mahomes has. If you want to reach on your starting fantasy QB, taking Mahomes at the turn of the second and third rounds is pretty safe. |
| 3 | Russell Wilson, Seahawks. It doesn't seem to matter what weapons Wilson has around him -- he ends up with a solid fantasy season regardless. But now he also has two strong wideouts in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. That's plenty to make him, as his Twitter handle calls him, "DangeRussWilson." |
| 4 | Kyler Murray, Cardinals. Murray was freed on the ground down the stretch of last season and showed just how dynamic he could be. Add in DeAndre Hopkins and assume Kliff Kingsbury hands Murray the full reins from Week 1 this time around, and you have as explosive a fantasy QB this side of Jackson and Mahomes. |
| 5 | Deshaun Watson, Texans. If you can snag Watson as the fifth QB off the board, as he's going according to FantasyPros, that could be a steal. It was Watson who finished second in fantasy points per game last season, albeit well behind Jackson. And yeah, he lost Hopkins. But the addition of Brandin Cooks should help offset that, and David Johnson might help in the passing game, too. |
| 6 | Dak Prescott, Cowboys. Everyone's high on Dak this season, and for good reason: He finished last year third in fantasy points per game among quarterbacks. Our ranking has him lower than his QB3 ADP, due in part to potential regression in a run-based offense. Prescott will still have a good season, but if you agree with our rankings, he likely won't end up on your team. |
| 7 | Josh Allen, Bills. Whether Allen is a great real-life quarterback is still up for debate, but he's definitely a great fantasy quarterback. Only Jackson and Murray rushed for more yards than Allen a year ago, and no QB had more rushing touchdowns than Allen. Maybe that means regression is coming, but it also speaks to a fantasy-friendly play style. And now he's got Stefon Diggs on his team, too! |
| 8 | Matt Ryan, Falcons. This is the portion of the rankings where you start to feel good about what you'll get: Consistent week-to-week production from veterans. Ryan delivered a QB1 season last year and should do so again in 2020. |
| 9 | Carson Wentz, Eagles. That one final leap many hoped Wentz would make as a fantasy quarterback isn't likely to ever come with his decrease in rushing the last few years. Now, he's just a rock-solid quarterback that you can put in your lineup every week comfortably. |
| 10 | Drew Brees, Saints. As long as Brees can lift his right arm above his shoulder and have Michael Thomas running routes, he'll be a useful fantasy quarterback. Any solid connection with Emmanuel Sanders will be a bonus that will keep the NFL's all-time passing yardage leader piling up the numbers at least one more season. |
| 11 | Aaron Rodgers, Packers. Rodgers was a bit of an enigma last season: He'd have a quiet week or two followed up by a big one. His 26-to-four touchdown-to-interception ratio shows he's still got all the skills that will have him entering the Hall of Fame someday. The biggest worry in Green Bay is that a talented RB group could make Rodgers more obsolete than his fantasy owners would like. |
| 12 | Tom Brady, Buccaneers. Is there some mystery with what to expect from Brady in his first team outside New England? Sure. But he's got Bruce Arians dialing up pass after pass to the likes of Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and even old friend Rob Gronkowski. The volume and scoring upside here is enormous. |
| 13 | Daniel Jones, Giants. Jones finished tied with Brady in fantasy points per game in 2019, which is quite impressive for a rookie that was drafted higher out of Duke than most expected. But Jones has a fantasy-friendly game, displaying some streaky arm talent and strong rushing ability. Any small improvements in year two have him on the brink of an every-week fantasy starter. |
| 14 | Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers. Roethlisberger's 2019 season consisted of two games. So '20 will be the first time we get a full glimpse of how he performs without Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger's a 38-year-old quarterback who's never shied away from contact, and so among the veterans, he probably has the most risk. |
| 15 | Baker Mayfield, Browns. Even Mayfield's haters probably didn't expect the clunker that was his 2019 season. It ranked him 28th among quarterbacks in fantasy points per game. The weapons are still there, bolstered by the addition of Austin Hooper. Maybe last season will have taught Cleveland something and let Mayfield's talent shine through this time around. |
| 16 | Jared Goff, Rams. It never makes me feel great about Goff when I accidentally type his name as 'goof.' But if Goff can cut down on his interceptions from a career-high 16 last year, you're looking at a guy that has the ability to have huge games, like the 524-yard outburst he had early last season. Sean McVay should let that happen more often given the Rams' glut of receiving talent. You can have Goff at a backup fantasy QB price, making him a real value pick. |
| 17 | Matthew Stafford, Lions. Maybe Stafford's back is finally healthy. He seems to outperform rankings in recent seasons as we expect the aging regression that hasn't yet come. He still slings it as well as anyone, and with a still-improving Kenny Golladay, reliable big-play machine Marvin Jones, and now-healthy T.J. Hockenson, Stafford is one of the highest-upside backup picks you can make this year. |
| 18 | Cam Newton, Patriots. Newton's fantasy value will come down to if he can run the football. His arm is too scattershot to put up numbers if he remains in the pocket (especially with New England's questionable array of receivers). Early last season, Newton wouldn't even scramble before throwing, let alone scramble to pick up yards. A mobile Newton is a good one, and he's a risky selection, but you can still dream on the upside that we used to know with Cam if you get him in the late rounds of your draft. |
| 19 | Joe Burrow, Bengals. It's likely the Bengals lean heavily on Joe Mixon at times this year to ease Burrow in, but the Heisman Trophy winner and national champion is as NFL-ready as we've seen a quarterback in a while. The Bengals almost have too many receivers who, at one point , have produced in the NFL or have a high-upside pedigree. Hopefully Burrow can make use of a few. He falls into the Newton category of a high-upside backup with risk. |
| 20 | Ryan Tannehill, Titans. Even if you believe wholeheartedly in Tannehill's 2019, the Titans' run-heavy scheme caps his upside. A career-high completion percentage and career-best touchdown-to-interception ratio show that Tannehill has grown as a passer, and you can trust him as your fantasy backup. |
| 21 | Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers. It would be nice for San Francisco to loosen the reins on Garoppolo and let him put up big numbers instead of the relatively paltry numbers that their run-heavy attack calls allots him. He still threw for 27 touchdowns last year, and a cut down on his 13 interceptions would mean more chances to score. Garoppolo is going off the board as one of the last few backups in most leagues, so the opportunity cost of betting on a Jimmy G. breakout is low. |
| 22 | Kirk Cousins, Vikings. Cousins falls in the safe backup category, only in an offense with more running and down a proven weapons in Stefon Diggs. That won't stop Cousins from being useful in a bye week, but he's not a player likely to leapfrog into the top-12 at the position at any point this year. |
| 23 | Drew Lock, Broncos. If you select a safe starter, someone like Lock might be worth a try as a backup. He has a big arm and even ran 18 times in five starts last year. The receivers around him are young and talented, and the starter's job is unquestionably his. At the point in the draft you're taking him, Lock is an easy drop if he flops early on. |
| 24 | Tyrod Taylor, Chargers. Taylor could lose value abruptly if Justin Herbert progresses faster than expected, but until then, he'll be a weekly fantasy sleeper. Taylor was a top-16 quarterback in fantasy in 2017 and a top-10 quarterback in '16. Maybe his legs don't quite have the same juice anymore, but his rushing ability combined with an explosive offense around him should lead to plenty of per-week production. |
| 25 | Gardner Minshew, Jaguars. Ah, excitement, finally. Minshew slings the ball around the field and runs all over the place. He'll need to cut down on his turnovers, but even considering that, he finished last year as the 18th-best QB in fantasy points per game. This is the kind of guy to pick as your backup super late now that he has the Jacksonville job all to himself. And in two-QB or Superflex leagues, Minshew has the potential to grow into an every-week starter. |
| 26 | Derek Carr, Raiders. Maybe the move to Las Vegas will rejuvinate Carr, but he's underwhelming as a fantasy quarterback at this point in his career. He actually threw for a career high in yards last year and still finished 24th in fantasy points per game at QB. You can find more upside in a backup. |
| 27 | Philip Rivers, Colts. Rivers finished just behind Carr in average fantasy points per game last year, and now he's on a new, probably less-talented team. You know he won't totally ruin your team in a bye week, but there's not much excitement left here either. |
| 28 | Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers. It seemed like Bridgewater was done being an NFL starting QB, then he stepped up when Drew Brees was hurt in New Orleans last year. Now he joins a Panthers team that was starved for good QB play in 2019. Bridgewater likely steadies them, but steady doesn't make for the most inspiring fantasy asset. |
| 29 | Sam Darnold, Jets. Every year, Darnold seems to promise more, and every year, he fails to deliver. It's not worth drafting Darnold, but you can track him on waivers in the early going to see if there are signs of any improvements. |
| 30 | Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins. Fitzpatrick's an interesting selection for those whose starting QB has an early bye week. He'll likely attempt plenty of passes before Tua Tagovailoa takes over, and he's shown to be a decent fantasy producer when given the chance. You likely don't need to roster him, but there is some individual-week upside here in the right matchup. |
| 31 | Dwayne Haskins, Washington. Haskins' development suffered on a terrible Washington team last year, and until he's proven he's really ready to start at QB in the NFL, he's nothing but two-QB league bench fodder. |
| 32 | Mitchell Trubisky, Bears. Trubisky can pick up points with his legs and has some talented receivers, but he could also be replaced by Nick Foles at any time. |
| 33 | Justin Herbert, Chargers. Herbert has a huge arm and interesting upside as a runner, too. The Chargers just haven't made it seem likely he'll take the starting reins anytime soon. |
| 34 | Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins. If Tua is healthy, he has huge career upside, but the Dolphins will surely play it safe with him early on, making him a watch-and-see player. |
| 35 | Taysom Hill, Saints. If your league allows Hill to slot in at TE, like ESPN does, he's worth a late-round flier. If not, he's only the most desperate of bye-week fill-ins. |
| 36 | Jalen Hurts, Eagles. Hurts will more likely see gadget usage in year one like Hill than anything else. But in the same way that Tim Tebow was once useful when pressed into a starting role, Hurts (a better passer than Tebow) could have the same utility if Wentz goes down. |
| 37 | Nick Foles, Bears. If he takes over as the starter, he'll be worth watching. |
| 38 | Jameis Winston, Saints. If Brees gets hurt, Winston will be the top QB on waivers that week. He had a huge fantasy season in 2019 despite massive interception totals, so maybe spending a lot of time with Brees and Sean Payton is exactly what he needs to reach his peak. |
| 39 | Marcus Mariota, Raiders. Mariota's legs would make him semi-interesting if Derek Carr were to get hurt, but nothing more. |
| 40 | Jarrett Stidham, Patriots. Stidham is more familiar with the New England system than Cam Newton, which means if pressed into a starting role, he could keep the Patriots in games and have a few solid individual performances. That likely wouldn't be enough for mainstream fantasy value, though. |
| 41 | Andy Dalton, Cowboys. Even if Dak Prescott gets hurt, there will likely be a better QB to pickup than Dalton. |
| 42 | Jordan Love, Packers. Love could be good down the road, but the best part of year one will be the ways Aaron Rodgers tries to act like the Packers using a first-round pick on a QB doesn't bother hm. |
