How early to draft a QB in fantasy football? Draft strategy, tips, rankings and more to explore in 2024

Modified Aug 21, 2024 14:43 GMT

Buffalo Bills v Miami Dolphins - Source: Getty — QB draft strategy in fantasy football

Quarterbacks have always been in the highest-scoring position in fantasy football during each NFL season. This means that managers must properly strategize which ones they want to target during their drafts or they will fail to fully optimize their lineups. Here are some important things to consider when coming up with a draft strategy for quarterbacks.

When should you draft a QB in fantasy football?

Timing is everything when determining the proper time to select a quarterback in fantasy football drafts. Over-drafting any player will create weaknesses in other areas of a roster, while waiting too long for a preferred target can result in missing out on them. When it comes to quarterbacks, there are a couple of different ways to approach the position.

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Managers seeking an elite quarterback will need to pick one in the earlier rounds, though none of them have an ADP in the first round. Josh Allen is the highest-ranked quarterback this year with an overall 22 ADP. This means he can be targeted in the second round, while Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson follow closely behind around the third round.

Missing out one of these four quarterbacks creates an opportunity for some managers to wait until the mid-to-late rounds and draft either one or two high-upside options in the middle tiers. For example, players such as Trevor Lawrence, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford all have ADP's beyond the 10th round.

Fantasy Football draft strategy: 3 things to take into account before picking a QB

#1 - Rushing upside

Finding quarterbacks who contribute consistent rushing stats is extremely valuable in fantasy football. Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson have been some of the most dominant options in recent years, and all of them are elite rushers. Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson are examples of high-upside options due to this, while it also improves the outlook for rookies Caleb Willaims and Jayden Daniels.

#2 - Over-drafting

Managers should not panic if they don't land one of the elite quarterbacks in their fantasy football drafts. It's important to remember that in traditional formats, just one quarterback per team can be used in starting lineups. This means that legitimate options will be available in the mid-to-late rounds.

If a run on quarterbacks happens early in a draft, it makes more sense to capitalize on loading up on other available positions, and then take a quarterback later on. It's crucial to produce the best overall roster and not focus on any one position in particular, so there is no need to over-draft a quarterback just because other managers are taking them earlier than their suggested ADP.

#3 - Streaming QBs

Another potential strategy for the quarterback position is to consider streaming options in favorable matchups. Using this approach means that managers can wait as late as possible to address the position during their drafts.

The streaming technique can be accomplished by either selecting multiple late-round options and playing the one in the best situation each week, or adding and dropping quarterbacks weekly based on their direct matchup. This eliminates the need for an elite quarterback and allows managers to be even stronger in other areas of their rosters.