Heading into the 2025 season, fantasy football has a lot of depth at the quarterback position. In 1QB leagues, waiting on a quarterback rather than reaching for Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen is a more than viable strategy.
Now, don’t get me wrong—it would be great to have either of those guys, but in almost every league you play in, somebody will take them in the first round when, realistically, they should be going in the late second or early third round of 10 team leagues considering the depth the position has to offer.
Let’s take a look at some other quarterbacks that can still give you top-5 production. Other fantasy football players may reach for one of these guys I’m about to name as well, especially if Jackson and Allen both go off the board in the first, but as long as you’re able to snag one of these three guys a little later on you can focus on building at other positions with your top three or four picks, putting you in a good position to have a strong start to your fantasy football draft.
Fantasy Football Quarterbacks To Target
Jalen Hurts
In four seasons as a starter, Jalen Hurts has finished QB6, QB1, QB2, and QB6 in fantasy points per game. Hurts finished QB8 overall last season, mainly because he was knocked out of a Week 16 game with a concussion and would not return for the remainder of the regular season.
Rushing value has always been a big part of Hurts’ fantasy appeal. He’s averaged 13 rushing touchdowns over the last four years, hitting double digits each season. Hurts has also amassed more than 600 rushing yards in each of the last four years. The Philadelphia Eagles had the most run-heavy offense in the league last season and there’s no reason for them to not be near the top of that category again.
According to FullTime Fantasy, the Eagles quarterbacks have the most favorable schedule in all of football for weeks 1-17. With the schedule in his favor and him always being a threat to score multiple rushing touchdowns in a game, Hurts is someone who has top-three QB upside with a high floor as well.
Jayden Daniels
What can Jayden Daniels do for an encore after a sensational rookie season? Selected second overall in last year’s NFL Draft, Daniels earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, adding 891 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. That production was good enough for a QB5 finish in fantasy last season. The NFL certainly knows how special he is, scheduling the Commanders for eight standalone games for the 2025 season.
In the offseason, the Washington Commanders went out and added wide receiver Deebo Samuel, and, perhaps more significantly, stalwart left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The Commanders have made it a priority to help Daniels be able to maintain his high level of play, if not take it to a higher level in his second season.
The Commanders’ quarterbacks have the fourth easiest schedule for weeks 1-17, so with a favorable schedule that has a lot of matchups for Daniels to exploit, look for him to repeat his performance as a top-5 fantasy football quarterback with the possibility of taking the next step and becoming in the same tier as Jackson and Allen.
Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield hit career-highs across the board in 2024, tossing 41 touchdowns while nearly rushing for 400 yards and three more scores. Mayfield finished the season as a top-five fantasy quarterback overall. He did lose his former offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who is now head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars so there is a little bit of risk with this one.
However, Mayfield has had a different offensive coordinator every season since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he has been a top-10 producer both times. There is not much reason to believe that things will be any different with the new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.
The Buccaneers bring back Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Cade Otton, plus they added Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the NFL Draft so there are more than enough weapons for Mayfield to succeed. Factor in the third-easiest schedule for Tampa Bay’s quarterbacks and I will gladly add Mayfield to my team if I see him starting to slip in fantasy football drafts.
Main Image: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
